Strength and Conditioning Templates

Strength and Conditioning Templates For Total Athletic Development

When choosing strength and conditioning templates for middle and high school athletes, using the lens of total athletic development is a great place to start. As we look to prepare student-athletes in the weight room for the various demands of competition, it is important to think about the complete picture.

At PLT4M, we subscribe to a long-term athletic development model that progresses students and athletes through a comprehensive training plan. This can be achieved through a fitness and strength progression. 

At younger ages, strength and conditioning templates focus on foundational human movements like the squat, lunge, hinge, press, and pull. First, athletes develop these skills with bodyweight workouts before adding light external loading like med balls and dumbbells. All this is still considered strength work for a novice athlete in the weight room!

From here, the next stage of training allows athletes to learn more traditional weight room movements like the barbell back squat, bench press, deadlift, and more. Starting with empty bars and lighter weights, athletes can master good form and technique before jumping into more advanced strength training workouts.

After this progression, athletes are ready for a new program focusing on athletic development through strength, power, plyometrics, work capacity, and heavier loads. This, paired with speed work, agility work, core training, and more, allows athletes to prepare for the different sports they play. Let’s look at a popular program from the PLT4M library.