The Washington State University Athletic Department's Strength and Conditioning Program, under the direction of Coach Todd Barbour, consists of 4 full-time certified strength and conditioning coaches and 2 professional graduate assistants. Each coach is assigned specific teams but at the same time our staff works closely together with the training of all sports. We are all Cougs trying to foster a Championship culture that we need to win at the National level. Our coaches provide sport- specific training to help our Cougar student-athletes reach their highest potential both physically and mentally. Optimal sport performance is acquired through various forms of training including strength, power, sport specific conditioning and speed, agility, mobility, flexibility, and proper nutrition.
Our staff develops training programs based on physical evaluations in order to bring about desired results. Factors such as body composition, mobility, muscular strength, vertical and horizontal power output, muscular endurance and cardiovascular endurance are taken into consideration.
The Cougar student-athletes benefit from a comprehensive plan and individualized strength and conditioning program designed to ensure the highest level of athletic and mental performance.
Our WSU Strength and Conditioning Department challenges our athletes in the aspects of leadership/teamwork, work ethic, winning attitude, attendance and the ability to follow instructions. The five-point criteria is used when determining the athlete(s) chosen for the annual IRON COUG Award. Athletes that exemplify the highest levels of achievement also become eligible for National Strength and Conditioning All-America honors.
WSU Strength and Conditioning Mission & Goals
The primary goal of The Cougar Strength and Conditioning Department is to produce highly trained athletes through designing and administering structured programs to improve athletic performance and reduce the risk and occurrence of athletic injuries. Each program is designed for sport-specific training to achieve peak physical performance. Methods used include strength, power, mobility, speed and quickness, and plyometric exercises.
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Strength & Conditioning Philosophy
Who We Are
We are dedicated to making a positive impact on our student-athletes lives and to maximizing the potential of every student-athlete in pursuit of elite performance to further the championship culture at Washington State University. We will work together with each student-athlete utilizing scientifically sound training methods, cutting-edge technology and innovative techniques that shape disciplined and healthy habits necessary for success, not only at a conference level, but also on the national stage. Strength is King of the Jungle. By doing our 3 phase approach we will build the culture and foundation to make the Cougs the KING of the jungle!
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Goals of Our Program
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1) Prevent Injuries:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Healthy muscles and joints decrease the chance of injury. When an injury occurs, a strong, well-conditioned, and well-trained athlete will recover from the injury faster and spend less time in rehabilitation and limited participation. We assess incoming Freshmen, Transfers, and returning Student-Athletes through a movement screen to evaluate movement quality.
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2) Strong(er) / Strong(her) Â Â Â Â Â Â
Strength is King and this is achieved through our 3 Phase Program Design which emphasizes strength, power, sport specific conditioning and speed, agility, mobility, flexibility, and proper nutrition. We provide sport specific performance testing to evaluate each student-athlete.
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3) Enhance Sport Specific Speed
Every sport is different and puts different stress on the athletes competing. Program design which emphasizes the needs of each sport and each athlete will focus on linear speed, multiplane speed, agility/change of direction, and sport specific conditioning.
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4) Improve Mental Development
We strive to develop the ability to maintain effort, high level of focus, maturity, accountability, discipline, competitiveness, and loyalty. We try to minimize distractions and deterrents to achieve personal and team goals, as well as performance. In addition to the physical gains, the mental development achieved will empower the athletes and raise their level of athletic confidence preparing them to compete and succeed against anyone in the nation.
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Learn More about what goes in to making a Coug.
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