Strength & Conditioning — all lessons
Coaching and Assessment
Fundamentals of coaching in strength and conditioningAthlete assessment and evaluationPlanning and Periodisation
Periodisation and long-term athlete development (LTAD)Macro-, meso- and microcycle planningPlan, prepare and deliver S&C for sportDeloading and fatigue managementProgramme Design
Progressive overload and programming variables (sets, reps, tempo)Program design for resistance trainingCompound lifts: squat, deadlift and bench variationsPlyometrics and explosive power trainingSpeed and agility program designAerobic endurance trainingAgility, speed and endurance protocolsDesigning individual S&C sessionsPosition-specific drills: team vs individual sportsRecovery
Nutrition, sleep and regeneration strategiesOvertraining: recognition and load monitoringDesigning individual S&C sessions
Building a single S&C session — RAMP warm-up, exercise order, pairing, timing, group logistics and cool-down — for maximum quality in limited time.
Learning objectives
- Structure a session from warm-up to cool-down
- Use the RAMP warm-up framework
- Order and pair exercises for quality and efficiency
- Adapt sessions to time, numbers and readiness
Before this lesson
Why this matters
Even the best programme depends on well-run sessions. Structure, order and logistics determine how much quality work happens.
Session structure
| Section | Content | Time (60 min) |
|---|---|---|
| RAMP warm-up | Raise, Activate & Mobilise, Potentiate | 10–15 min |
| Speed/power | Jumps, throws, sprints, Olympic derivatives | 10 min |
| Strength | Main lifts | 20 min |
| Accessories | Targeted work, supersets | 10 min |
| Conditioning (optional) | Intervals | 5–10 min |
| Cool-down | Light movement, review | 3–5 min |
Warm-up
Warm-ups improve performance across most outcomes studied [fradkin2010]. The RAMP framework [jeffreys2016]:
- Raise body temperature and heart rate with movement relevant to the session.
- Activate & mobilise key muscles and joint ranges.
- Potentiate with progressively faster or heavier efforts.
Ordering and pairing
Most complex and fatiguing-for-quality work first [haff2016]. Use supersets of non-competing exercises (press + row) to save time.
Logistics
Plan equipment ratios, groupings (by strength level), rotations and coach positioning. Prepare regressions and alternatives.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
Case study
A school team’s sessions overrun and quality suffers. The coach introduces a 12-min RAMP warm-up that teaches skills, groups athletes in fours per rack and uses supersets. Sessions finish on time with more quality sets completed.
Further learning: video lessons
Video links are only marked “verified” after a human has watched them. Unverified entries open a YouTube search for that channel and topic rather than a guessed link.
RAMP warm-up
Ian Jeffreys (search)
You will understand: designing purposeful warm-ups
Why: Originator.
Session planning for teams
S&C coaches (search)
You will understand: logistics and flow
Why: Applied practice.
Knowledge check
Knowledge check · 0/5
1. RAMP stands for…
2. Fradkin et al. (2010) found warming up improved performance in…
3. A good superset pairing is…
4. Power exercises should be placed…
5. If an athlete arrives exhausted after poor sleep, the coach should…
Short-answer & application questions
- Design a 60-min session for a team of 20 with one squat rack per 4 athletes.
- Write a RAMP warm-up for a sprint session.
- Create a 30-min version of a 75-min session.
Key takeaways
- Warm-ups improve performance; the RAMP framework (raise, activate & mobilise, potentiate) structures them.
- Order: speed/power → strength → hypertrophy/accessory → conditioning.
- Pair non-competing exercises (supersets) to save time without compromising quality.
- Adapt to readiness, time and group size.
Connected topics
Fundamentals of coaching in strength and conditioning
functional trainingDesigning functional and group training programmes
strength conditioningPlyometrics and explosive power training
References
- Jeffreys I, Moody J (eds) (2016). Strength and Conditioning for Sports Performance. Routledge. Textbook check pending
- Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(1):140–148. Meta-analysis check pending
- Haff GG, Triplett NT (eds) (2016). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning (4th ed.). Human Kinetics / NSCA. Textbook check pending
Educational content only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified clinician for diagnosis or treatment.