Recently I hosted a Rowing Ireland Level 2 S&C course in UCD. This S&C course forms part of the Level 2 Coaching Certification through Rowing Ireland. The course was held in the UCD high performance gym. Over the 2 days of teaching and learning, coaches got a good dose of S&C content, tips, instructions, and most importantly time to coach.
7 Steps of Programming
The first day kicked off with theory. We went through the National Strength and Conditioning Association's (NSCA) seven steps of programming. Of key importance is learning what it takes to make a safe and effective weights programme. Furthemore, it is also a process that can be refind over time by the exeperienced strength coach. There are also other organisations that offer similar approaches which are just as valid as the NSCA approach. These include the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) and the United Kingdom Strength and Conditioning Association (UKSCA). For anyone curious, the seven steps include:
- Needs Analysis
- Exercise Selection
- Training Frequency
- Exercise Order
- Training Load and Repetitions
- Volume
- Rest Periods
Exercise Progressions and Regressions
Right after the theory content, I brought the coaches through a series of body weight exercises to examine technique, review coaching cues and intructions, and get time coaching the exercises too. I place a very high value on the skill of being able to progress and regress exercises based on the restrictions or limitations of the athlete, or facility. While some are limited by their own movement and flexibility others learn the right feeling, which helps their coaching.
Olympic Derivatives
Progressing quickly, the coaches move onto weight lifting exercises. Depending on location, we work through selectorised equipment, plate loaded machines, and free weight exercises with barbell, dumbell, or kettlebell. The main exercises we cover for olympic derivatives include:
- Front Squat
- Back Squat
- Deadlift (Trap Bar -> Barbell)
- Bent-over Row
- Mid Thigh Pull Shrugs
- Overhead Press
The goal with these exercises is to teach coaches how they can easily work on parts of the olympic lifts. This develops strength, coordination, and general competency in these key sections of a full clean for example. Fortunately, Rowing Ireland also lists some of these in the Rowing Ireland Benchmarks 2021-2024 document.
Group Task
Finally, on the second day of the course, coaches complete a group task. This task is designed to give them a chance at designing a strength session. Once the session is designed, coaches must then present their ideas to their peers. Subsequently, they leave the course with many different examples of strength sessions for varrying age groups. If you're interested in upskilling your coaching, please get in touch and see if I can be of assistance.
