Great programming falls flat if the athlete’s mindset is fragile. The job isn’t just writing sets and reps—it’s shaping how an athlete thinks, decides, and responds under stress. Below is a value-packed, coach-first guide you can plug straight into training this week.

Coaches, let’s get clear: your job isn’t to worship a template—it’s to get results for the human in front of you. That means you don’t need to follow a traditional outline to the letter. You do need to understand the principles that make any method work. Principles are the operating system; methods are the apps. If you don’t know the OS, you’re just guessing which app will open the file.

Read more about the non-negotiables I expect every coach on my staff to know.

There’s a big difference between working out and training. I say this often, and I’ll say it again: a workout without purpose is just sweat. But a training session—when executed with clear intention and thoughtful design—is a step forward toward your goals.

At Conquer Athlete, we believe the magic of progress doesn’t lie in fancy programming or random intensity. It lives at the intersection of athlete understanding and coach precision.

Periodization is a training method that involves dividing a strength training program into specific time periods or cycles with varying intensity, volume, and exercise selection. This approach is critical for achieving maximum strength and preventing plateaus in training progress. In this blog, we will discuss the importance of periodization and some examples of different types of periodization methods.