When I was young I wanted an algorithm. I wanted to be told exactly “they do this”, I was always trying to search for that. Most of the time, good training fixes that though…most of the time.

If you ever had a question as to what it’s like to be a strength coach at an American College, you need to check out this talk.

Landon Evans gives a fantastic break down of everything they had going on at Illinois State. The presentation starts out with Landon giving us a step by step look into where he had been, who he had learned from at those stops, and what impact each of those stops had on how he handles athletes.

He starts out discussing what he’s working with when it comes to the limitations on S and C in the NCAA including: athletes, and what to expect because of school/life/practice/etc., and sport coaches and how their thought process and the S and C coaches thought process sometimes conflict with each other.

He then discusses the 5 domains of preparation. This includes the physical side that S and C is responsible for, and how it fits in with the other four. This also includes how we, as S and C coaches need to be educators when it comes to training, readiness, etc.

This leads right into the frame work of his program, and where all his programing starts from. The biodynamics and bioenergics of training. This is where he starts. Looking at power and capacity of each energy system. Then biodynamics and how it fits into dynamic correspondence.

Landon then touches upon the process from the ADA and how that mirrors how he handles his athletes. First is assessment, and Coach Evans breaks that down to include how they do this in different spectrums including their daily warm ups. This includes a discussion on staying in your lane and improving communication with your performance staff to help keep the betterment of the athlete the focal point.

He then touches upon “Special Work Capacity” by first defining it, leading into how it drives his program, and how track “does this all the time”, and how it can sync up with how team sports operate. This brings him right into how he evaluates his athletes in a nonspecific but objective way, but the problem is it does not give a clear indication of transfer. He then shares with us exactly how he tested his athlete’s basic biomotor abilities. This leads him to how this impacts the team environment and how individual needs fit into that.

He then takes the last 30 minutes and gives you his exact thought process of how he develops each block of training. From the micro to the meso Landon breaks down how this goes down. This includes how he looks at each individual workout.

Next, Landon discusses nutrition. This brings him into how he looks at “food logs” in a 21st century way. He then shares his “Level 1” presentation. This is to cover the basics to help these kids understand what they eat matters, and everything they do matters. This breakdown is very in depth and brings him to their five major concerns with athletes.