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Painter Seeks To Help Mercer Athletes Increase Power, Safety

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Morgan Pennington and Landen Gonzalez prepared to be timed by the Dashr system as part of the Mercer football performance training.

April Ellis

Herald Staff

newsroom@harrodsburgherald.com

When thinking about football one word comes to mind: strong. A strong line. A strong arm. A strong back. But Mercer strength coach Josh Painter is working to change the mindset of his athletes from being strong to being powerful.

“Powerful is the ability to take your strength and use it in a manner that is fast,” says Painter.

Traditionally, being able to squat 500 pounds was a sign of strength, but Painter points out the bar may move slowly up and down during the training.

“Sports aren’t slow,” he said. “We have to develop the athletes so their strength transfers to the field.”

Painter began to change Mercer’s approach on strength training away from  chasing numbers to a more speed and power oriented program. Doing this allowed for precise analytics for individual athletes so goals can be set for peak performance while helping to prevent overtraining and injuries.

Painter implemented the electronic timing system, Dashr, for timing sprints.

“With the numbers, we see if we need to make adjustments to prevent overtraining and keep them healthy while still preforming at a high level,” said Painter.

This training program has helped streamline efficiency with our time and the way athletes train.

“We are no longer blocking out an entire week to determine max reps at heavier weights,” Painter said. “It’s no longer about competing with each other to lift the most but to see what is the athlete’s personal best so they can push themselves to improve what their best is.”

For more of the story, check out this week’s edition of the Harrodsburg Herald or subscribe online.

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