If you watch major professional sports, you can see the philosophy of the team, or should be able to, every time that you watch them. I am a big soccer fan and a fan of the Tottenham Hotspurs. I know when they play that will play a high line and be very forward and aggressive in their … Continue reading Defining a Philosophy and Core Principles
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As Many as Possible for as Long as Possible
A paper titled this was published in the “Sport Psychologist” journal and it looked at the developmental program that produced 6 professional soccer players out of the 40 participants. More striking was the 35 out of 40 that carried on participating in sport into adulthood. One of these professionals is Erling Haaland, one of the world’s best. … Continue reading As Many as Possible for as Long as Possible
Stop Telling People to Do Hard and Uncomfortable Things
I used to be the coach that tried to convince people to do hard and uncomfortable things. I would motivate enough to get people moving towards that goal and I always have led by example. However, most people do not last long enough in the sport of powerlifting to get anything out of hard and uncomfortable. This has … Continue reading Stop Telling People to Do Hard and Uncomfortable Things
Online Coaching is Ruining Powerlifting
Online coaching is still a relatively new concept. It has many positive features to it. I would have never been able to work with the legendary Boris Sheiko if it wasn't for online coaching. However, the low barrier to entry has led to a market over saturation of online coaches that have no formal education in the field … Continue reading Online Coaching is Ruining Powerlifting
Why I Hate Local Powerlifting
My first meet was in a recreation basketball court. There were lifters from all over because there were not as many meets bacon 2015 as there are now. There were raw lifters, raw with wraps, and equipped lifters. Some all-time top 10 lifters were there lifting including Greg Panora. There wasn't anyone filming warmups, and online coaches were … Continue reading Why I Hate Local Powerlifting
Planning Training
I was reading a book about strength and conditioning in English soccer and came across an interesting passage. These strength and conditioning coaches are sports scientists and they identified that the Brazilians were stronger on the ball than the English players, even though they are the same build. Upon further investigation, the sports scientists learned that … Continue reading Planning Training
Bringing it All Together
Written by: Kevin Cann I have been coaching for close to 20 years, almost half of which has been focused on powerlifting. I was fortunate enough to be coached by Boris Sheiko for the first three years, and also fortunate enough to have been working at a gym where I was exposed to multiply and … Continue reading Bringing it All Together
What is a Powerlifter?
Written by: Kevin Cann What is a powerlifter? I have been thinking about this question a lot and have had this conversation with quite a few people at this point. This is not to throw shade on people, and the fact that some would take it as an insult just proves my point about the problems associated … Continue reading What is a Powerlifter?
The Problem with Submaximal Reps
Written by Kevin Cann All training programs need to include all of the methods in order to be effective. This includes the max effort method, the dynamic/submax effort method, and the repetition effort method. Training programs that neglect any of these will work until they don’t. I learned powerlifting from the legendary Boris Sheiko. I started coaching by … Continue reading The Problem with Submaximal Reps
Building the Bottom of the Squat
Written by: Kevin Cann PPS is hitting a competition squat this week for max effort work and this has brought up a conversation that I tend to have a lot. The most common technical breakdown in the squat seems to be the chest falling forward out of the hole. The internet will tell you until they are … Continue reading Building the Bottom of the Squat
You Need to Build the Ego, then Kill the Ego
Written by: Kevin Cann I have been reading a lot of Carl Jung lately. As I struggle with being human, I wanted to educate myself by learning from some of the greatest thinkers in the field. I have suffered from chronic nightmares my entire life due to trauma and his work on dream analysis was intriguing to … Continue reading You Need to Build the Ego, then Kill the Ego
Releasing the Darkside Through Lifting
Written by: Kevin Cann I made a post discussing this topic, but the character limitations of Instagram do not do it justice. I also feel that the internet is overly focused on programming concepts, and after a particular sufficiency in programming there is diminishing returns there. This is true for both how one engages with the sport … Continue reading Releasing the Darkside Through Lifting
Max Effort, A Pathway to the Unconscious
Written by: Kevin Cann Sports is a way that man can look into his own soul. Unfortunately, competitive athletics is typically reserved for those that display skills at a high level. This is more and more true the older we get. Powerlifting on the other hand is a sport where we are in constant competition with ourselves to … Continue reading Max Effort, A Pathway to the Unconscious
The Mindset of Primitive Man and Sports Performance
Written by: Kevin Cann Primitive man took their place in nature, while modern man attempts to control it. This is evident in the sport of powerlifting. When things happened that were not easily explainable, primitive man would chalk it up to some arbitrary higher power. Let us put this thinking into modern society. If a smoker gets a … Continue reading The Mindset of Primitive Man and Sports Performance
Exploring Jungian Philosophy in Training
Written by: Kevin Cann The culture of modern powerlifting has been bothering me quite a bit lately. It has become this sport where creating social media content trumps the more important pieces of the process. If powerlifting was like this when I started, I would not have participated in it. Sports has been a lifeline for me … Continue reading Exploring Jungian Philosophy in Training
Principles of Self-Determination Theory and a Conjugate Program: Building Intrinsic Motivation
Introduction Self-Determination Theory (SDT) provides valuable insights into enhancing motivation and well-being among athletes. Its three principles - autonomy, relatedness, and competence - can be effectively applied to coaching a conjugate program, creating an environment that fosters athlete growth and performance. In this blog post, we will explore how these principles empower athletes, promote skill … Continue reading Principles of Self-Determination Theory and a Conjugate Program: Building Intrinsic Motivation
Unleashing the Power of Momentum: A Game-Changer in Life and Powerlifting
In the realm of sports and personal growth, there is an undeniable force that propels us towards greatness: momentum. Like a tidal wave of progress and achievement, momentum holds the key to unlocking new heights in both our powerlifting endeavors and our everyday lives. In this post, we will explore the concept of momentum, its … Continue reading Unleashing the Power of Momentum: A Game-Changer in Life and Powerlifting
Understanding Variability with Stable Attractors and Learning Systems Theory
Written by: Kevin Cann There is always this argument about how much, if any variability should be in a training program. There is the “hyper-specific” crowd who argues that we need to repeat the same movement over and over and any deviation from this is wasted energy. On the other side of the spectrum is conjugate, where … Continue reading Understanding Variability with Stable Attractors and Learning Systems Theory
Creating and Environment for Change
Written by: Kevin Cann The coach’s job is to be a facilitator of the environment for the athlete to self-organize into the skills that will make them the best athlete possible for their sport. This requires much more than just analyzing sets and reps at a given intensity. There are four different things that promote change … Continue reading Creating and Environment for Change
Variations are External Cues
Written by: Kevin Cann There tends to be this argument in regards to specificity versus variation in strength training. The specificity camp will tout that higher frequency competition lift programs are superior because you get to practice the lifts more. In these circles technique seems to take a bit of a backseat to training volume, but … Continue reading Variations are External Cues
Speed Work and the Developmental Lifter
Written by: Kevin Cann There is a massive misunderstanding about speed work in general amongst lifters and coaches. Anyone with an Instagram account can put out information these days and actual knowledge gets lost in the process. The lack of education and experience amongst those that share this information is incredible, but that is a complaint for … Continue reading Speed Work and the Developmental Lifter
My Path To and Through Conjugate
Written by: Kevin Cann In the beginning I was against conjugate for raw lifters. I would say the same things that the internet says today about conjugate. Bands are only for equipped lifters. Conjugate is for people on drugs, that is how they can max out every week. It was my ignorance matched with trying to be one of … Continue reading My Path To and Through Conjugate
Speed Work is About Speed
Written by: Kevin Cann I am writing this to go along with my Instagram post, but just where I can use more words. This is a conversation that I have continuously with the team, and I feel it is extremely important to understand. People get stuck on the narrative that we need to use the lifts … Continue reading Speed Work is About Speed
Body Only Knows Forces Not Weight
Written by: Kevin Cann This trend of hyper-specificity is a bit concerning because it is moving the sport backwards in our general knowledge of how strength is developed. I do feel a lack of education is a major problem. In places like Russia, their coaches are also sports scientists. Here it is just someone with an Instagram account … Continue reading Body Only Knows Forces Not Weight
GPP and Long-Term Success
Written by: Kevin Cann The ideal model for the development of athletic skill is usually displayed as a pyramid with GPP (general physical preparedness) being the larger portion making up the base, SPP (Special physical preparedness) being right above, and then our competition specific training making the peak. This model was created by the Soviets … Continue reading GPP and Long-Term Success
Solving Complex-Coordination Problems Such as Max Strength
Written by: Kevin Cann Developing the highest levels of strength possible is a complex-coordination problem that the coach and athlete must solve. According to Frans Bosch, the strategy for this problem must be flexible and multi-purpose and that is only possible under two scenarios: It must satisfy the intent of the movement It must be suitable … Continue reading Solving Complex-Coordination Problems Such as Max Strength
High Performance Lies in right Intuition
Written by: Kevin Cann Coaching should focus on developing the intuition of each given lifter as this is where their own elite levels of performance lie. At the top of the hierarchical skill acquisition pyramid is “unconscious competence.” This is where the athlete is just flowing in their environment without thinking about anything. This is typically referred to … Continue reading High Performance Lies in right Intuition
Performance Lies in the Subconscious, but so do Your Demons
Written by: Kevin Cann I have been experiencing something in training that is different from anything that I have experienced before. The last two months, I have been on a tear with PRs. One week after the next just hitting PR after PR. Some of these have been smaller 5lb PRs, but a few, like yesterday’s 37lb PR, … Continue reading Performance Lies in the Subconscious, but so do Your Demons
Defining Success: My Personal Journey
Written by: Kevin Cann “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacle which he has overcome.” -Booker T. Washington I don’t remember the picture at the top of this article. I must have been under 5 years old in it. I have always had … Continue reading Defining Success: My Personal Journey
Sports as an Arena to Discover Yourself
Written by: Kevin Cann I had a situation a couple of weeks ago that shattered who I thought I was as a person. I have always held my ability to overcome adversity at my core. It has been my greatest asset. I had received a text message that brought to my attention that I have years of my … Continue reading Sports as an Arena to Discover Yourself
How Sports Allowed Me to Deal with Complex Trauma
Written by: Kevin Cann I was originally going to write about selecting appropriate volume, both exercises and number of sets and reps, but I feel that just gets lost in the noise of the internet. People only want to read what matches their bias and argue about the things that don’t. Not many are really trying to … Continue reading How Sports Allowed Me to Deal with Complex Trauma
Invisible Wounds and PRs
Written by: Kevin Cann We bend over to deadlift, we start to pull, and suddenly, we feel a sharp pain shoot down our leg causing us to stop in our tracks and drop the bar to the floor. We struggle to stand up straight and the pain is so severe that we think we just did … Continue reading Invisible Wounds and PRs
What is a Constraints-Led Approach: Constraints-Led Conjugate
Written by: Kevin Cann The constraints-led approach (CLA) is a teaching/coaching methodology that utilizes task, environmental, and performer constraints to elicit self-organization in skill development. This is viewed more as a “hands-off” approach to coaching where the coach creates an environment that offers learning for the performer instead of using a lot of verbal feedback. Typically, … Continue reading What is a Constraints-Led Approach: Constraints-Led Conjugate
Coaches Coach, Players Play
Written by: Kevin Cann I love sports, always have. Being from Boston I am a huge New England Patriots fan and I have had the pleasure of getting to watch a 20-year dynasty up close and personal. I read a book by Michael Lombardi titled “Gridiron Genius.” This was a book that covered his experiences and knowledge from … Continue reading Coaches Coach, Players Play
My Rare Injury and Distribution of Forces and Learning from Experience
Written by: Kevin Cann Last week when I was benching, I felt a snap on the eccentric portion right on the inside of my elbow. 10 years earlier I had torn my bicep on that same side, and I knew I had just done the same thing, except to my triceps this time. This is a … Continue reading My Rare Injury and Distribution of Forces and Learning from Experience
When to Use the Submax Effort Method in a Conjugate Program
Written by: Kevin Cann A conjugate program is a thinking man’s game. I think this fact deters many coaches and lifters from doing I, and in many cases is why certain people do not see success from running this type of program. It doesn’t take too much knowledge or thought to write a top set followed by … Continue reading When to Use the Submax Effort Method in a Conjugate Program
Why We Bench in a Straight Line
Written by: Kevin Cann This is a hotly debated topic in the lifting world and I feel that it always has been. Should you bench in a straight line, or should you push the bar back towards the rack? However, you decide to do it, you need to be sure that your accessory work is building the … Continue reading Why We Bench in a Straight Line
Strategies to Increase Volume and GPP in a Conjugate Program
Written by; Kevin Cann The fun part about a conjugate program is there is no definitive one way to do it. A conjugate program is one that combines the methods of strength training in a way that works for the individual. This can take some time for everyone to learn about training and to also learn about … Continue reading Strategies to Increase Volume and GPP in a Conjugate Program
The Importance of Developing Special Strengths
Written By: Kevin Cann Coaches and lifters will argue these days that you just need to train the main movements to get stronger at the main movements. There are some serious flaws with this thinking. For one, straight weight acts a particular way. Peak contraction occurs where the leverages are weakest. As leverages improve, deceleration occurs. This is known … Continue reading The Importance of Developing Special Strengths
Misunderstanding Specificity and the Long Pause Bench Press
Written by: Kevin Cann Coming back from USAPL nationals and one of the biggest complaints I hear from lifters in the back is how long the pauses are on the bench press. Sheiko analyzed this in Russia where pause length on the bench press would vary between .75 seconds to 2.5 seconds. That is a big difference … Continue reading Misunderstanding Specificity and the Long Pause Bench Press
Force Time Curve: Max effort with Submax Weights and Determining Volumes
Written by: Kevin Cann We have all heard that we should move the weights with intent, but what does this mean and why do we want to do this? Powerlifting is a sport where we lift the most weight for a single repetition in the squat, bench press, and deadlift. We need to develop the qualities necessary … Continue reading Force Time Curve: Max effort with Submax Weights and Determining Volumes
Individualizing Conjugate Based Off of Training Age
Written by: Kevin Cann The Russian System is a long-term athletic development plan that grow with the athlete as they mature throughout their training career. It starts from the ages of 6-9 where each child will do activities such as gymnastics. At this stage the sport specific work makes up less than 5% of all total work. … Continue reading Individualizing Conjugate Based Off of Training Age
7 Years: From Sheiko to Conjugate
Written by: Kevin Cann This marks my 7-year anniversary of coaching powerlifting. Around this time in 2015 I took a job at a local gym with a strong reputation and culture for strongman and powerlifting. I had no idea how to really get people strong until I started working here. I also never realized how much detail goes … Continue reading 7 Years: From Sheiko to Conjugate
I Used to Say Westside Sucks Too
Written by: Kevin Cann I used to say that Westside sucks too. Well, maybe not that Westside sucks, but that it wasn’t for raw powerlifters. I would use the argument that the strength curve of a raw lift was different than that in equipment. You know, because of course the squat is easier in the bottom of an … Continue reading I Used to Say Westside Sucks Too
Legends Never Die
Written by: Kevin Cann I started to become aware of powerlifting in 2014 as I took a job at a gym with a strong powerlifting culture. I was not interested at the time in the sport as I was still doing my own things. I knew what Westside Barbell was and had read a lot of Louie’s … Continue reading Legends Never Die
Low vs High Bar Placement and Squat Efficiency
Written by; Kevin Cann I want to discuss bar placement on the squat in this quick article because it is not as simple as it may seem in an Instagram post. The idea of putting the bar lower on our backs is to give the hips greater leverage and it also decreases the thoracic extensors moment … Continue reading Low vs High Bar Placement and Squat Efficiency
Why Bands and Chains are Necessary for Strength Development
Written by: Kevin Cann I have been seeing a lot of posts on social media that highlight the idea that you do not need bands or chains to get strong. They will point to many people that do not use them that have elite totals in powerlifting as proof. They will also argue that bands and chains … Continue reading Why Bands and Chains are Necessary for Strength Development
6 Weeks of a Westside Template Program
Written by: Kevin Cann About a month ago I decided to switch up my training a bit. I was getting burnt-out coaching. I do not think people realize how difficult this can be sometimes. You shoulder the burdens of an entire team. This can weigh heavily on you at times. My training had been going poorly for quite some … Continue reading 6 Weeks of a Westside Template Program
Coach People, Not Lifts
Written by: Kevin Cann This was an important realization for me, to coach the person and not the lifts. At some point everyone will hit a period of stagnation. This is inevitable. The key to overcoming these periods of stagnation is in understanding the person. Of course, identifying weaknesses and all that is important, but in my experiences, it … Continue reading Coach People, Not Lifts
Building Success on the Platform
Written by: Kevin Cann It has been a while since I wrote a blog post. I have been building out Strength School, an online classroom where coaches, lifters, and trainers can learn the fundamentals of strength development. If interested that can be found here. Meets are starting to come at us quickly here and I feel it … Continue reading Building Success on the Platform
Precision Powerlifting Systems 