Fred Duncan (@Fred__Duncan)

These are four of the most common lower body strength and power exercises used in performance enhancement. I take a non-dogmatic approach to training, I don’t have a “favorite” lift. I use all four of these in different capacities depending on the athlete, phase, and the goal ...

There are always two camps arguing about conditioning, one that says aerobic work kills speed, and one that overdoes the volume. Then you’ll get the crowd that says “aerobic and anaerobic aren’t separate” and turns it all into a semantics battle. ...

Your sport isn’t different. every athlete benefits from consistent strength training. Not to “bulk up,” but to improve output, preserve tissue integrity, and enhance training density. Strength training can increase tendon stiffness, improve intramuscular coordination, and ...

You’re not more “functional” for avoiding machines. You’re just neglecting a tool. Isolation doesn’t mean irrelevant. Fixed paths don’t mean ineffective. Machines offer control, consistency, and a low-fatigue way to target tissue, especially when you’re managing joint stress, ...

Speed doesn’t exist in a vacuum and neither do the other biomotor abilities. Too often we compartmentalize qualities like strength, power, and endurance without acknowledging their overlap. sprinting, running, and jumping are forms of strength training. They involve high forc ...

Why you’re getting stronger - but not faster Getting stronger is necessary, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get faster. Especially if you’ve already built a solid strength base. Strength is foundational. It supports power output, rate of force development, and the potential ...

I’ve posted a lot about isometrics, now it’s time to highlight the other contraction I highly value in athletic preparation…eccentrics. In The Art and Science of Sport Preparation, I dive into how and why we use eccentrics throughout the program, EQIs, tempo eccentrics ...

This is a profession. Doing research online is great and you can learn a lot. But there’s no substitute for years of hands on experience, and more importantly, all the mistakes that come with it. The expert doesn’t just “know more exercises.” They know what not to do. ...

More isn’t always better. Sometimes, more is what’s holding you back. We love to chase stimulus… more weight, more sprint volume, more reps, more days. But at a certain point, you reach diminishing returns. ...