How to Prepare for In-Person and Remote Training
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The pandemic has brought no shortage of unique problems and circumstances for us as coaches to solve over the past 1-2 years. One of which is the uncertainty of available facilities for strength and conditioning.
For some, facilities have been completely shut down, whilst others are limited by time or minimal equipment. These scenarios make it difficult for coaches to provide resources that still allow for physical development and preparation.
Fortunately, this is a problem that Volt is helping thousands of coaches solve!
In this article, I’m going to show you how the #VoltFamily gets it done.
Training Remotely, with Equipment
When the traditional weight room facility is closed and individuals are training in distributed facilities, it’s difficult to write a program that can account for the equipment that everyone has access to. This is why we built the Edit Equipment setting in the Volt app!
Individuals can adjust their equipment settings in-app to “filter” their program based on the equipment they have access to in their training environment. This ensures that training is appropriate for the individual and minimizes the need to make movement replacements before or during the workout.
Training Remotely, without Equipment
When an individual has no equipment available, it’s usually best to set them up with an “At-Home” training program, as opposed to just turning off all the equipment settings in-app.
The reasoning behind this is just practical - normally, Volt training programs include workouts that span 45-60min during the preparatory phase. This timeframe is great for most groups when they are lifting weights and need to rest between each set.
However, an hour-long bodyweight workout (which will be the result of removing all equipment in the settings) is likely to get pretty boring after just a couple of weeks.
Based on the feedback we received from our coaches over the past year, the 30-minute HIIT workouts provided in the At-Home training programs are much more likely to keep individuals engaged when equipment is unavailable for an extended period of time!
Training In-Person, but with Restrictions:
Maybe you’re only going to have access to the weight room twice per week for just 30 minutes each day. Many groups report this being the “new normal” due to more extensive cleaning protocols and/or limited capacity in the weight room.
If Volt workouts usually take 45-60 minutes, how can we still maximize their benefit?
This is actually advice we’ve been sharing with coaches for many years, since “time” is always a precious commodity!
If you do not plan on completing your entire Volt workout in the weight room, it’s best to prioritize the work at the beginning of your workout. This is where most of the more dynamic compound exercises take place, which elicits the most significant performance adaptations. Also, the beginning of the workout includes exercises that are most likely to utilize medicine balls, barbells, and dumbbells.
So, if you can get through the first 3-5 exercises during the 30 minutes you have in the weight room, you can probably finish the rest of your workout outside of the weight room with bodyweight or band movements!
What if I don’t know what to expect?
I’ve been talking with a lot of coaches recently who just don’t know what to expect in the coming months. When this is the case, we set up a checklist to make sure they have their bases covered for whatever scenarios comes their way:
Make sure your program(s) are up to date
Ensure all members of your group know how to use the Edit Equipment setting
Ensure all members of your group know how to use Movement Replacements
Create an At-Home program in case members of your group lose access to equipment
We’re here for you, #VoltFamily!
Don’t forget that the team here at Virtual Volt HQ is here to help! If you have any questions about setting up your group with training, contact us at support@voltathletics.com. You can also connect with us on social media @voltathletics, or reach out directly to your account manager if you are already in the #VoltFamily.
We’re working hard to make sure you and your group are able to have a positive experience with training and sport, so let us know if you have any feedback for us moving forward. We’re grateful for the opportunity to serve you and make sure everyone has access to amazing training!
