Our college athletes are returning with their teams’ vacation workouts, and I see most of their workout days contain 8+ movements of 3 sets each. I spend a considerable amount of time teaching and/or reminding these athletes of the exercises in their packet.

As coaches, we need to remember what it is like to be an athlete, being taught new classes, new sport skill techniques, and finally new training movements. At Sparta, we have found considerable greater success in these away workouts by providing less variety of movements (about 4 exercises) with more sets. For example 6 sets of 5 reps is the same volume few 3 sets of 10, but also focuses the athlete on perfecting a smaller number of weightlifting skills.