Chris Carlisle, who is beginning his seventh season as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at USC, discusses the evolution of his philosophy behind training young athletes in Training & Conditioning Magazine. Carlisle joined Pete Carroll’s staff in 2001, and he gives Carroll credit for inspiring changes in the traditional football conditioning program: “One of Coach Carroll’s greatest gifts is that he can paint, in words and actions, an amazingly clear vision of how he feels the team needs to look and act to accomplish its goals. He challenges you to do things ‘better then they’ve ever been done before.’ Not different, mind you, but better.” No longer concerned primarily with how much players can bench press or how well they can run in a straight line, Carlisle rebuilt his program from the ground up for specific results:

Workouts that earlier in my career comprised of running and stretching for about 15 minutes and then spending one hour, 45 minutes in the weight room were things of the past. We were now training our movement and explosive power drills (speed, agility, plyometrics, and medicine ball work) and our core work (abs and lower back) for over an hour and only 30 to 45 minutes in the weight room. After lifting, we then put on the cleats and go outside, spending 20 to 30 minutes working on football-specific endurance drills. The weightroom stopped being an end, instead becoming a means to an end. The weightroom was now a major factor in facilitating movement.

Shaping a Philosophy (Training & Conditioning)