In the Weight Room with an NFL Strength Coach

Steve Saunders has a rule when he arrives at a location (after a long drive) to speak about training…

He shakes everyone's hand before he uses the restroom.

That’s his policy.

Steve is the head strength and conditioning coach for the Baltimore Ravens.

He’s also the founder of Power Train gyms.

(There’s a location in Rockville, MD.  I work there part-time, and also lift there. Tyler runs the gym.)

Last off-season, Steve came to Rockville to talk training with the staff.

It was a couple hour drive.

He shook everyone’s hand… then used the restroom… abiding by his policy.

 . . .

Steve is big on intensity, and I LOVE his definition.

Intensity is simply tempo and repetition ranges.

Let’s discuss both...

Tempo is the cadence for which you perform an exercise.  It's also called "time under tension"… it’s a big component when programming at Power Train.

All exercises have a tempo count.

That's the time assigned to the eccentric and concentric movement of any exercise.

For example, when doing a bicep curl, the eccentric component is the lowering of the weight down… the lengthening of the bicep muscle.

The concentric movement is the contraction of the bicep… the raising of the weight back up.

Sticking with the bicep curl example, a typical tempo might be three seconds eccentric and one second concentric.

So you’re lowering the weight on a 3 second count, then firing it back up in 1 second.

Taking a disciplined approach to the tempo results in an incredible burn and muscle growth.

Repetition ranges dictate the volume you’ll do for a given exercise.

In a strength building phase, a typical repetition range is 5 to 7.

Programs usually last for a month or so, and in the beginning you’ll aim to hit 7 reps... then over time, you’ll add weight and aim to hit 5 or 6 reps.

It takes a lot of discipline to coach intensity and to coach failure.

Steve fights rest every day… meaning having the Ravens players abide by the appropriate rest between sets.

This allows for maximum effort for each repetition.

But often times, competitive players want to push it faster.

As a result, Steve always has to fight to make them rest between exercises.

. . .

Steve’s programs usually include A, B, and C clusters.

A cluster is typically a  super-set (meaning two exercises in conjunction) with designated rest intervals between each exercise.

 For example, a super-set might include dumbbell bench press and pull-ups.

... so that would be the “A” cluster.

Workouts also have B and C clusters.

 . . .

Steve’s system relies on the trainer to properly coach the client through the workout.

The trainer is responsible for the following… 

• Coaching the intensity by applying the tempo and rep ranges
• Coaching proper technique with every exercise
• Bringing enthusiasm to the workout so that the client is engaged and excited to make progress

Genuine enthusiasm is a HUGE component.

Coach Starsia talks about the same stuff!

Clients don’t really know about their gains unless you get excited for them!

In Dale Carnegie’s book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People” he talks about Charles Schwab.  (I've talked about this before, but it's worth restating.)

(Schwab was a big finance guy back in the 1900’s.  His company still exists and you see commercials for it all the time...especially when watching golf.)

Here’s what Schwab said, “I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among my people… the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a person is by appreciation and encouragement.”

Steve and Schwab are on the same wavelength…

The best trainers bring excitement to every workout.

This gets the client REALLY motivated to make gains.

Ideally, all my workouts are either with a trainer or workout partner for this exact reason.

 . . .

A good trainer uses his eyes and his skills to make any adjustments throughout the workout.

All programs are drafted with good intentions, but the trainer has the ability to make an audible based on what he’s seeing during the workout…

... otherwise, you’re just plowing through to finish. 

For example, a client might have an injury pop up that would prevent the proper execution of an exercise.

... the trainer should swap something else in and note that in the program notes.

Many clients want to lose weight, and a good way to do that is to shorten the rest time between exercises.

This gets them sweating...

After completeing a Power Train program, you walk out of the gym feeling really pumped up.  

 It’s a great feeling…

 . . .

Steve talked a lot about training in-season, and he’s a strong believer that athletes can get stronger and better during the season.

In season, Steve adjusts the intensity by reducing the volume.

The tempo still exists.

With the Ravens, from Week 8 on, Steve will disguise a lot of stuff… 

Lots of players are banged up from a grueling season...  Steve doesn’t want them discouraged walking in the weight room seeing tons of weight on bars.

Psychologically that deflates “banged up” players.

Steve adds bands and other props so that the guys don’t even know how much they’re lifting.

It's a disguise.

The players are still getting a great lift without any adverse psychological reaction.

Tyler uses this strategy as well.

(Even In-season workouts are extremely important.  Coach O’Neill does a great job of getting our guys in the weight room during the season.)

When you stop doing stuff, you’ll lose.  

Remember, you lose stuff faster than you make gains.

Spending the time during the season to keep your strength is imperative.

 . . .

Some random thoughts...

When evaluating athletes, Steve does an evaluation based on two questions.

What does the athlete need?  In other words, what glaring weaknesses need to be addressed.

Next, he asks when do they have to play?  This provides the information to properly design phases of a strength program.

Then it’s a matter of designing a killer program that when executed with excitement will lead to results.

 Steve is big on getting stronger at the “end range” of motion.

Ben Patrick talks about this same stuff. 

An example can be the split legged split squat.

Your knee is over your toes and you’re in an “extended” state.

It’s important to get stronger in these positions.

It builds confidence… and prevents injuries.

 . . .

Steve is big on training your neck.  This helps prevent concussions, and it’s often overlooked.

I started hitting my neck a lot more after hearing this… I can feel a difference.

 . . .

If you’re a regular reader of my stuff, then you know that I love training and continued quest to get results.

Incorporate Steve’s advice with your training programs.

As always, email me with any detailed question.

Good luck!