SYSTEMS
What makes this so unique?
The Mission of Miller Training Systems, and our coaching philosophy, is to MOTIVATE athletes by utilizing all TECHNICAL and tactical forms of S&C, that, long term, have a SYNERGISTIC effect on athletic development.
Within any athletic development plan, there is a need to highlight phases that athletes will go through. These phases make up our systems of development. The three phases are ORIENTATION, ADAPTATION, MATURATION.
Each of these phases is described below.
QUALITY MOVEMENT+SAFETY
First and foremost we focus on how we move and how to get the most out of these movements. Through dynamic warm ups, mobility training, soft tissue massage and injury prevention/PNF stretching, athletes begin to develop more range of motion and elasticity within the muscle enabling the body to perform with more power, force, strength and longevity. AND in return movements become quality over quantity.
ORIENTATION
The very first and utmost important thing athletes must do with any new program is to orient themselves to the coach, the training program, and their surroundings. It's not a difficult process but takes time and is necessary for growth to take place.
Within this phase, athletes who participate in our training systems learn correct technique, correct and scientifically supported programming, and they learn how to periodize their lives. The importance of the Orientation phase is for athletes to learn how to prioritize everything in their lives... school, sports, work, other extra-curricular activities and so on.
Once athletes have learned how to properly lift, move and periodize their lives, their body begins to play catch up. This is when the second phase, adaptation, comes into play.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT+ATTITUDE
You are not the strongest or the fastest person in the room. Now that we got that out of the way, we can develop the mental side of your actions. Athletes are only as good at what they do when they address what others around them need before they address their own needs. Nothing works against athletes more than comparison; Focus on others needs and your own needs will be fulfilled, which includes, your own athletic development.
FAILURE+GROWTH
The 18-0 New England Patriots entered the super bowl February of 2008 thinking their season had the perfect ending. Then, They watched the New York Giants hoist the trophy and celebrate. Since then, the Pats have won 3 SB's in 4 appearances. The failure was fuel: it made them stronger and more resilient. Similarly, success is not the best measure of attitude, hard work and perseverance.. When we fail, we get up and go again solely because of the support system around us. THAT is Miller Training Systems.
ADAPTATION
The second phase an athlete goes through is when their body begins to adapt to the stress they put on it.
Our training is organized in two concepts: Hardest things first, easiest things last. The reason for this is because your body will not perform the best it can under high load and stress after already in a fatigued state. The argument will be 'oh they have to learn how to manage that'. While I agree athletes need to learn to manage, the impossible piece here is they will already have injury and will not be able to manage this.
So we stress heavier loads first and foremost to build strength when the body is not in a fatigued state and then we build cardiovascular strength with lighter loads when in a fatigued state to produce performance longevity. This then, is when the body adapts and therefore causes us to change exercises, duration, load, exercise selection among others to keep the body playing catch up and to keep increasing our injury prevention, strength capacities and more.
INFLUENCE+CONSISTENCY
What's it worth if you read all these things but never see it in action? Or if change never really takes place over 6 months? 12 months? a few years? Martin Rooney said, "Influence is the language of leadership". At Miller Training Systems, we fail if athletes are not punching out at the end of their HS careers a changed young person from who they were when they walked through the door on day 1. We aim to help your son/daughter get faster and stronger but we also win when their minds grow too. Our athletes successes only come in how willing they are to buy into these systems.
LEADERSHIP+MENTORSHIP
Leaders emerge and grow usually when no one is watching. It's easy to cheat a rep or set behind closed doors, but when competition comes, those actions will show in poor or decreased performances. To lead, one must first orient themselves and learn how to lead and adapt to the stress and demands placed on them. This is often seen in how they matured as athletes, prioritizing their lives, and in how they lead others. This process continues as seniors graduate and freshman rise as the next group to reach the "top".
MATURATION
The final phase of our systems of develop, after the body adapts to a training stimulus, is when the body matures and growth takes place.
For the highly anaerobic athlete, this is measurable in increases in bench press 1RM, squat and deadlift 1RM. For the anaerobic/aerobic athlete mix, this is found in an increase in the pro agility time, T test, 1 mile run, vertical height, and increases in strength. And, for the highly aerobic athlete, maturation is in the changes of a 5k or 10k run, ability to withstand lighter loads for longer periods of time and quicker interval times at higher intensities.
Maturation is not common in athletes who train for less than 6 months due to it taking 2-3 months to orient to new training and an additional 3-6 months for the body to adapt to the training. Post 6 months, maturation occurs and performances speak for themselves.
LONGEVITY+FAITH
The more an athlete learns in the beginning of their time training, the more they will take with them as they go throughout their careers. The road they will travel has many unknowns, yet, as they look back on their time they will realize they had the tools to succeed all along. Miller Training Systems isn't just a place to lift and make memories with friends. It's part of it, for sure. The real reason MTS exists is to treat athletes as people, which they are, and if they learn how to move properly building strength and increasing performances along the way, we are doing things right.