Why Your Strength and Conditioning Program Doesn’t Work for Your Sport

If you feel like your program isn’t working, it’s probably not for the reason you think.

Most people think it’s because it’s not specific enough.

But to transfer something, you need to improve something first.

The Real Problem Isn’t Specificity

What I’ve seen over years of testing — jumps, sprints, conditioning — is that it’s actually very hard to improve those results, especially power metrics like vertical jump and sprint speed.

And because of that, a lot of programs simply don’t move anything.

They focus on looking more specific, but don’t actually produce measurable improvement.

Where I Got It Wrong at the Beginning

To be honest, I made the same mistake in the beginning.

I was trying to build a “perfect” program for the sport — balanced, all planes of motion, a lot of unilateral work, a lot of exercises that looked right.

But when I started testing more consistently and connecting results with athlete feedback, I saw something different.

The best feedback was always coming when we actually improved test results.

What Changed My Approach

That’s what led me to narrow down what I use.

Not based on what looks right, but based on what I can actually improve.

I started looking at exercises differently — in terms of how much force we can produce and how big of a change we can create over time.

And a lot of the time, that didn’t match what I thought before from a theoretical standpoint.

The common thing I kept seeing was this:

We need to choose methods that both make sense for the sport and allow significant improvement.

That’s why you can see cases where:

strength work improves power tests, less “specific” conditioning improves how athletes feel in their sport.

Example: Strength Work Improving Power

For example, I had a high school running back.

We were in a structured strength phase — trap bar deadlift and leg extensions as the main lower body work. Almost no jumping.

In 4 weeks, his vertical jump improved more than 20%.

Not from jump training — from improving output in strength exercises.

It doesn’t happen every time. But I’ve seen it enough times to question the idea that specificity is always the answer.

It didn’t make sense theoretically. But it kept showing up in practice.

Example: Conditioning

Same with conditioning.

With one of the UFC fighters I worked with, we initially used more “specific” methods — repeated sprints, lactic power, lactic capacity.

Later we focused more on improving his thresholds with simpler, measurable work.

And after that, he told me he already felt like he was in fight shape before the camp even started.

Why Testing Matters

And to be honest, without using technology — force plates, lactate testing — it would probably take me much longer to be confident in the pattern I was seeing.

But because I could measure things consistently and connect them with feedback, the pattern became very clear.

That’s why I decided to share it.

The Key Takeaway

So to summarize:

What you actually improve in training matters more than how “specific” it looks.

Because if nothing improves — nothing transfers.

Sounds obvious, but I see it overlooked all the time.

Why This Matters for Your Training

And this is exactly why a structured and periodized approach to training becomes critical.

Strength and Conditioning Training for Athletes in Boca Raton

At Craftsmen Strength and Conditioning, we focus on building complete athletes through structured performance training, strength development, and individualized speed programs.

We work with athletes in contact and outcome-based sports, including football, track, wrestling, MMA, and baseball.

Located in Boca Raton, serving Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and surrounding areas.

If you’re serious about getting better, the best first step is a performance evaluation.

👉 https://www.craftsmengym.com/