Sam Palmer snc

25/03/2019

Suitcase carries. A very easy to implement exercise carrying a weighted object unilaterally (on one side of the body). This demands the contralateral musculature (muscles on the opposite side) to work hard to resist movement and maintain posture. We like to use this in rugby players to improve their core strength and because being able to brace well whilst moving is a good quality to have. The exercise also demands a lot of grip and shoulder (mostly trap) strength, both of which are also a good thing for rugby. This exercise ticks a lot of boxes and is very accessible owing to the lack of equipment needed. We also use this as a screening tool of sorts as watching closely you can often pick up weaknesses or issues.

13/03/2019

SACS New Gym!

One of the most fun, challenging and enjoyable experiences I've had in my career to date was design of a new sports facility for St Andrew's Cathedral School. I learnt heaps about the process and am pretty stoked with how it has turned out. It's been tough not getting to visit in person but I know that Scale PT Coach Christopher Watts .french93 Baseline To Baseline will be doing it justice. Thanks also to for the incredible help with the project .

Thanks too Iron Edge for all the wonderful support throughout the process and of course for the product which will serve the students wonderfully.

In future I'd love to help others with their designs if they have any questions. I know I leaned heavily on Nathan Parnham- Strength and Conditioning many, many times, thank you for your inputs. Also the many others that I couldn't tag here - thank you. Can't wait to visit home and train the house down with @ St Andrew's Cathedral School

20/02/2019

One of the most rewarding things about coaching is seeing athletes progress. This was the first time under a barbell for the Samoan Women's Cricket Team and seeing it done well for a beginner was very rewarding. To get there we used a progression of BW Goblet Squats to DB Goblet Squats and now Back Squats. Even though the girls can now back squat we will still use a lot of goblet squat work to further develop musculature around the upper body.

Coaching the girls, men's and U19 boys with JD Sports Performance

14/02/2019

11/02/2019

Having fun is something that we like to do in training. Fun but competitive games drive bonding in teams and sets the scene for competition in the session. In young athletes it can also teach how to be a good winner and loser. The Samoan men's and women's cricket team has been a joy to work with as they are such happy people, compete hard and get to work when the time is right.

08/02/2019

Max velocity work.

Here is an example of a max velocity drill we have used. Once exposure has occurred we like to use competition to enhance the effort of athletes. In this drill the runner is on a straight effort and the chaser a diagonal with the chaser looking for a 2 hand touch above waist.

Ticks off
- Speed work for injury resiliency
- Top speed exposures to subsequently improve sprint speed
- Places players in situations that could come about in match play
- Drives competition in the squad
- Is fun and enjoyed by players
- Allows me to chase down some of the props 🙂

06/02/2019

Absolutely stoked to hear the news of $12 million dollars in funding ahead of Tokyo 2020. Delighted to know that the money will go towards great athletes like the ones pictured. Well deserved for a great group.