Strength and Conditioning training and education articles from the Texas Sports Academy coaches and athletes who live it.
Pull-ups, barbell RDLs, and bench press get the attention — but the exercises that surround them are what clean up the weak links compound lifts don't fully address. This guide covers what accessory work is, why it matters for high school athletes, and the two categories coaches consistently use.
Sep 1, 2026
Hypertrophy training for teen athletes means building muscle through structured programming instead of guesswork. This guide covers the three stimuli that drive muscle growth, NSCA-based programming guidelines, the role of compound lifts, and what has to happen outside the weight room.
Sep 1, 2026
Power in sport is strength expressed quickly — and medicine ball throws train it in a way most barbell exercises don't fully replicate. This guide covers the core throw categories, how to structure medicine ball work in a session, and how to match throws to your athlete's sport.
Sep 1, 2026
In-season and off-season strength training are not the same program at a different frequency. This guide covers why the off-season is built for strength gains, what changes once games start, and how to plan a teen athlete's training year — including when the season never really ends.
Sep 1, 2026
The power clean is one of the most debated exercises in high school strength training. This guide covers what the AAP and NSCA actually say about Olympic lifting for youth athletes, the PVC-to-barbell progression that keeps it safe, and the two questions parents should ask a coach.
Sep 1, 2026
Compound lifts — squat, hinge, push, and pull — are the multi-joint movements most high school strength programs are built around. This guide walks through each pattern, how coaches teach and progress them, and the movement screen that should come before any weight is added.
Aug 20, 2026
Strength and conditioning for high school athletes is planned physical preparation — resistance training, movement quality work, power development, and recovery, organized around the sport season. Here is what makes a program safe, how training changes across the year, and the questions to ask before enrolling.
Aug 20, 2026
Periodization is the system coaches use to organize training so the right work happens at the right time of year. This guide explains the four phases of the training year, linear and undulating models, deload weeks, and how plans change for multi-sport athletes.
Aug 20, 2026
A basketball player, a baseball pitcher, and a lineman need different things from the same weight room. This guide covers how strength programs shift emphasis, volume, and accessory work across basketball, baseball, football, soccer, and track — and the injury-risk profile each sport carries.
Aug 20, 2026
One coach says start now, another says wait — and someone always mentions stunted growth. Here is what the evidence says about strength training for ages 12 to 14, what readiness actually looks like, how beginner programs progress, and how to evaluate a supervised option.
Aug 20, 2026