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• Sugar and Fat: Where sports nutrition meets your metabolism
  Sports nutrition isn’t complicated. It’s just general nutrition with a little thought given to fueling the work you do in training. But when you learn… Read more: Sugar and Fat: Where sports nutrition meets your metabolism
• Health Measures For Adult Athletes: Cholesterol
  Athletes who have been through major medical procedures know the frustration of trying to interpret doctors’ conclusions in the context of continuing to train and… Read more: Health Measures For Adult Athletes: Cholesterol
• A Sprinter In Winter
  How to train for speed in cold weather, ranging from layering up for sprints in winter to building power indoors with substitute drills.
• Sports Training After Physical Therapy
  Why you may still feel scared to return to sports training after “finishing” physical therapy using a sprinter’s hamstring strain example.
• SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup, Part 4: Easy Series
  How childlike skips are the foundation of sprinting faster and what to focus on when skipping forward, backward, and sideways.
• Why Athletes Struggle To Take Advice From Specialists
  Why medical and sports specialists give advice that feels contradictory and irrelevant to your goals as an athlete – and what to do about it.
• SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup, Part 3: Bounce series
  Technical cues for using Bounce drills within the SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup to become a faster sprinter, hurdler, or field sport athlete.
• SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup, Part 2: Lunge Series
  Technical cues for using Lunge Drills within the SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup to become a faster sprinter, hurdler, or field sport athlete.
• SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup, Part 1: A Series
  Technical cues for using A Drills within the SHIFT Speed Drill Warmup to become a faster sprinter, hurdler, or field sport athlete.
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen (re-visited)
  This is the story of recovering from 20 hours of kettlebell work in half a day yet needing 175 hours to recover from 21 minutes of rugby.
• Have Some Standards! (revisited)
  How fast, strong, and fit do you really need to be to play your sport? Coach Dunte explains performance standards for field sport athletes.
• Pivot: Quit Trying To Win At All Costs
  The only thing an athlete should quit is the “win at all costs” culture. Coach Dunte shares how he realized an athletic pivot was needed.
• Sprinting Makes You Smarter
  Sprinting makes you faster, yes. But it also makes you better coordinated and, incredibly, it improves your brain health!
• Road Warrior: Training smart while traveling (4)
  Frequent travel can ruin your training plan but if you grasp these principles, you can stay on track and even get better while on the road.
• Road Warrior: How to get better sleep while traveling (3)
  Athletes need a lot of good sleep and frequent travel can wreck that but you can get better sleep on the road with a little planning.
• Road Warrior: How to maintain routines while traveling (2)
  Frequent travel can hold athletes back, but you can manage the impact of travel and stay ready to train hard by starting with good hydration.
• Road Warrior: How to manage frequent travel as an athlete (1)
  Frequent travel can hold athletes back, but you can manage the impact of travel and stay ready to train hard by starting with good hydration.
• How To Reach The Next Level In Your Sport
  You can do it all in training yet never improve or you can narrow your focus then actually level up next season. If you choose to level up, here’s how.
• The Three Phases Of Off-season For Adult Athletes
  Off-season is when you actually get better but most athletes try to skip it. Here’s how to think through your off-season as an adult athlete.
• No Cardio For You, Either (Part 2)
  Endurance athletes need different cardio than power athletes. Same system, different goals – learn to burst & repeat to get in real shape.
• How To Master Your Sport
  To get better at sport skills, find your vision of excellence then struggle a while and teach a little…BEFORE you get any coaching. Science reveals why.
• Who are Masters athletes?
  There are so many names for adults playing sports, but none captures the goals of speed, power, and athleticism quite like “Master”. Find out who Masters athletes are.
• No Cardio For Me, Thanks (Part 1)
  “Cardio” usually refers to slow stuff. Fast Kids don’t train slow. So adult athletes need a way to get aerobic fitness (“in shape”) without jogging. Here’s how.
• Does Your Goal Scare You? Good.
  A goal worthy of your efforts in training is going to be scary. That’s a good thing – here’s why.
• Masters Athletes and Hamstring Injuries
  Three new Masters athletes pulled hamstrings on my watch, despite my conservative methods – then I realized I’m partly to blame!
• When Your Season’s Blown… (on navigating setbacks as an athlete)
  Injuries and other setbacks can end your season early and shake your confidence. This is no pep talk – those hurt feelings are real and deserve acknowledgement!
• Run Toward Fear (on telling the truth and doing hard things in training)
  Over summer, I dismissed an athlete’s question out of fear. Apologizing to her reminded me of what really matters in training and racing.
• The Training That Works For Masters Athletes Works For Everyone
  Building sustainable high-performance is not about the best workouts for Masters athletes. It’s about following these 5 principles of training that happen to apply to everyone.
• How to Measure Your Athleticism
  I use assessments to help athletes decide what work will make the biggest impact on their play next season. These two are simple, so consider them for yourself!
• Your Injuries Changed You
  Injuries permanently change your body, but that isn’t always bad. By behaving like a professional, Masters athletes can use those changes to be better about recovery and performance.
• Speed Comes Slowly (on how long it takes to run faster)
  How long does it take to run faster when you start a sprint training program? Well, speed comes slowly but you could be faster next week…
• Heat Sickness Hits In Sunshine
  Heat sickness is easier to prevent than to fix, so take sun exposure seriously and stay adaptable to keep making progress during summer training.
• Only The Versatile Survive…So Play Multiple Sports!
  Youth athletes should not specialize in a single sport both because of the risks it increases and the opportunities they miss. Playing multiple sports builds better athletes and longer careers.
• Skills vs Strategy (on leveling up your performance)
  Elite-level strategies don’t apply to beginners, but fundamentals work the same for everyone. Even me as an unqualified volleyball coach!
• A Letter To Kenneth (on NOT quitting your sport)
  In a call, I protested an athlete feeling too old to keep performing. Masters athletes have taught me, actually, you don’t have to quit until you’re ready.
• Harsh Reality Is A Gift (a 6 month progress report)
  Coach Dunte trained and kept records for 6 months, hoping to lose fat and run faster. Here’s how the work and the progress went from January to July.
• Physical Therapist As Conditioning Coach
  Getting hurt in training is unacceptable. But if you get hurt, you have to rehab just as seriously as you practice…because they are the same!
• Heat Sickness Starts At Night
  I had my second session with Kayla on a hot Saturday at a track new to both of us. 25 minutes into our work on… Read more: Heat Sickness Starts At Night
• You’re Already In Rare Air (on injury management)
  Injured athletes shouldn’t expect doctors to “fix” them. That’s because athletes are odd and doctors don’t get you.
• The First Coaching Session
  What happens in your first practice with a new coach? Here’s how I learn about YOU in our first practice at SHIFT Speed Coaching.
• Hurdles Are Hard (a meet report)
  Hurdles are hard. I mean, more specifically, that competition hurdles are heavy and that the crossbars are stiff, so it really hurts when you hit… Read more: Hurdles Are Hard (a meet report)
• Changing Gears: Open For Business!
  Three weeks ago was the middle school district meet. Our little hurdle crew of 29 produced a 6th grade district champion girl, a 6th grade… Read more: Changing Gears: Open For Business!
• Are You Paying Attention At Practice?
  I love learning. K Anders Ericsson’s Peak is my most-recommended and most-referenced book, even though, on its surface, it has nothing to do with sports.… Read more: Are You Paying Attention At Practice?
• Your Coach Is A GPS Unit
  How do you know a coach is good? They c take you from HERE to THERE with the fewest detours, while avoiding potholes, and in the least time.
• How To Do Conditioning Right
  Sports conditioning should get you fit enough for your level of play. Rather than waste your time and effort, here’s how to get in shape for your sport.
• Sports Nutrition Isn’t Complicated
  Athletes are overthinking sports nutrition. ADULT athletes can ignore most of it. So here are the basics of eating as a grown-up athlete.
• The ABCs of Speed
  No athlete can be “too fast,” so everyone should work on speed. Here’s how to know you’re training sprinting & speed development the right way.
• The Warmup As Evaluation
  Your warmup is more than a box to check. It’s the best self-assessment you have for injury and making progress
• The Necessary Evil of Ego In Sports
  I’m terrified of my own sport. Every starting line, every meet, every registration, and every training session involving the sprint hurdles fills me with anxiety.… Read more: The Necessary Evil of Ego In Sports
• “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 1 last
  This is the end of the beginning, dear player-coach. What began as a case study to my own self-coaching process has reached the core of… Read more: “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 1 last
• “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 2 third
  I’ll remind you where this series started: for whatever reason, you need to coach yourself. When you work with a coach, especially a strength &… Read more: “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 2 third
• “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 3 second
  If you spent some time puzzling over part 1 and part 2 of my “Difference Between Cyclists and Weightlifters” graphs, you’re well prepared for what… Read more: “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 3 second
• “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 4 first
  For whatever reason, you need to coach yourself. The good news is that strength & conditioning is the most straightforward type of coaching, so you… Read more: “Coach, Improve Thy Self”: Part 4 first
• I’m Lying About Supplements
  Sometimes I start researching an athlete question only to realize I’m a delusional hypocrite. For example, my athletes progress and thrive on a limited menu… Read more: I’m Lying About Supplements
• All of My Training Ideas Are Stolen
  I went from getting kicked out of the college Rec to a professional coach – thank goodness for my mentors along the way.
• The Difference Between Cyclists and Weightlifters (and Chess Players)
  In the previous piece on this topic, you saw the conclusions my coach friend and I reached about how strong an athlete needs to be… Read more: The Difference Between Cyclists and Weightlifters (and Chess Players)
• Every Athlete Has To Turn Pro
  If you’re trying to reach the next level in your sport, take a moment to consider that you’re rushing to jump into a bigger pool… Read more: Every Athlete Has To Turn Pro
• How Is Conditioning Overrated?
  Coach Dunte explains “Speed Kills”, “Strength Saves” and “Conditioning Is Overrated” and how those principles support athletes training to perform better in sport.
• Beautiful Violence
  Shhhh…KUH! Draw back the bow string, pause, then listen as the shaft and tail of the arrow sing. That’s how all the most powerful movements… Read more: Beautiful Violence
• Training Despite Conditions
  [An abbreviated and brilliantly edited version of this appeared in the Denver Athletics newsletter “The Rundown” in December 2023. If you’re near the Mile High… Read more: Training Despite Conditions
• Long Distance Relationships Are Hard (on remote coaching)
  In 2023 I learned how to coach a high-performance athlete online. Turns out, there’s way more to it than choosing exercises.
• Program Breakdown: Tapering For Tryouts
  For coaches and self-coached athletes, it can be helpful to review programs that worked. Matt Foreman had a great series in the Performance Menu Journal… Read more: Program Breakdown: Tapering For Tryouts
• The Difference Between Cyclists and Weightlifters
  I was talking shop with a fellow trainer and coach last year. We determined there are 3 qualities worth using for describing sports: absolute strength,… Read more: The Difference Between Cyclists and Weightlifters
• Could You Coach Yourself?
  A few months back, Tony Holler of Feed The Cats Training published a video for cross country coaches on how to incorporate speed development into… Read more: Could You Coach Yourself?
• Do Athletes Need The Power Clean?
  “My college strength coach said the power clean was really good for explosiveness. Why don’t you use the power clean in your program?” Because I’m… Read more: Do Athletes Need The Power Clean?
• Should Athletes Deadlift?
  Athlete question: “As a cyclist, should I bother to deadlift?” I love these questions. I get to justify my basic bias! Every athlete should pick… Read more: Should Athletes Deadlift?
• You Should Love Training
  I believe athletes should love training because it gives them more than it takes from them. Related to that, selfishly, I just want kids to… Read more: You Should Love Training
• You Don’t Need More Mental Toughness
  Coach Dunte explains regulating arousal for optimal athletic performance. His own story of failing limit lifts while in the wrong mental state highlights how developing arousal management as a crucial skill for athletes.
• A Male Perspective On Periods And Performance
  Coach Dunte summarizes research and athlete experiences on the link between menstruation and performance plus how to use sports nutrition to adapt training to your period.
• The Simplest Speed Development Plan In The World
  The simplest program for running faster on the field for football, soccer, rugby, lacrosse, or ultimate.
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen (5): It’s All About Your Habits
  An athlete asked about recovery between tournament days. Part 5 summarizes the mindset shift you need to be “always ready.”
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen (4): Make The Moments Count
  An athlete asked how to recover between tournament days. In Part 4, I finally answer the question!
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen (3): Some Injuries Are Dumb, Then There Are Dumb Injuries
  An athlete asked how to recover between tournament days. Sometimes injuries change your recovery strategy.
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen (2): It Starts With Your Habits
  An athlete asked how to recover between tournament days. You have to start that solution with how you recover *every day*!
• Recovery Doesn’t Just Happen: A series for serious athletes
  An athlete asked how to recover between tournament days…then I wrote a 5-part series about all the other contexts for recovery. (Part 1)
• Make Up Your Mind! (3) …Highland Games competition report
  I enter the strangest competitions sometimes. But that’s my personal brand, trying all the sports I can. I have sport FOMO, clearly. So here’s little… Read more: Make Up Your Mind! (3) …Highland Games competition report
• How to perform under pressure
  It doesn’t matter how much you want it if you can’t execute.It doesn’t matter how “fit” you are if you’re distracted.It doesn’t matter how “tough”… Read more: How to perform under pressure
• Do Athletes Need to Stretch?
  It’s easy to get overwhelmed with exercise and fitness. Everything (that can be sold) is the answer to everything (that people want). Should you get… Read more: Do Athletes Need to Stretch?
• Am I Doing This Exercise Right?
  Folks, not every exercise needs a name. As an athlete, part of the appeal of working with a coach is that you don’t have to… Read more: Am I Doing This Exercise Right?
• How Does A Strength & Conditioning Coach Make Me Better?
  [Wrote this one at the end of the 2016 seasons, so the examples are a bit dated but the ideas are still spot-on. Enjoy! –… Read more: How Does A Strength & Conditioning Coach Make Me Better?
• What Should I Focus On During Practice?
  Coach Dunte explains how skill drills can help you play your sport better – as long as you pay attention to the right things.
• The Best Lifts For Ultimate Players
  [This one is wild…if you read “To The Athletes I Failed,” you know I’m quite willing to admit I’ve done things wrong…way after the fact.… Read more: The Best Lifts For Ultimate Players
• One Size Fits One
  I met a long-time athlete’s teammates while observing a practice recently and was flattered when one of them celebrated the minimalism I call for in… Read more: One Size Fits One
• To The Athletes I Failed (on experience)
  Learning From My Coaching Mistakes2016/10/27 I want to formally apologize to every client I have ever failed. In six years of personal training and strength… Read more: To The Athletes I Failed (on experience)
• How Do I Get In Shape For Ultimate?
  (I wrote this in the 5th Speed & Strength Newsletter, which started shortly after publishing my book Fast Kids Don’t Train Slow [available on Amazon].… Read more: How Do I Get In Shape For Ultimate?
• How To Watch Game Film
  How to watch game film to become a better athlete and scout out your opponents.
• What’s The Real Goal? (on weaknesses)
  (Wrote this one as the final issue of The Speed and Strength Newsletter…but if you’re interested in where I was going, let me know in… Read more: What’s The Real Goal? (on weaknesses)
• Eating My Own Cooking (on sprinting faster…again)
  (This is the post that teased the launch of my book Fast Kids Don’t Train Slow available on Amazon. That was 2017/07/03, about 3 months… Read more: Eating My Own Cooking (on sprinting faster…again)
• What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 4
  (2017/08/18, the conclusion of the series — how to handle your issues! Enjoy! – Coach Dunte) If you have followed this series so far, then… Read more: What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 4
• What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 3
  (2017/08/11, part 3. Enjoy! – Coach Dunte) Part 1, pain signals while moving, was about adaptations your body has already made. Part 2, pain signals… Read more: What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 3
• What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 2
  (2017/08/04, part two of that short Speed & Strength series on injury prevention & management. Enjoy! – Coach Dunte) Walking funny is your body saying… Read more: What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 2
• What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 1
  (I drafted this back on 2017/07/24 as part of the Speed & Strength Newsletter which went out to my Saturday Sprinting crew. This series was… Read more: What Hurts? Learning Your Body’s Pain Signals pt 1
• This Program Is BORING!
  The ATX Speed and Strength exercise inventory was pretty short. If an athlete came to see me, they were definitely doing these: If they came… Read more: This Program Is BORING!
• An Athlete’s 5 Whys (on identifying weaknesses)
  (I wrote this in 2017, just before closing down ATX Speed. It was intended to help athletes self-diagnose after competition. Hopefully it’s valuable to you… Read more: An Athlete’s 5 Whys (on identifying weaknesses)
• Barbershops & Barbell Clubs (on community)
  I’m cheap. Though I’ve come to appreciate the dramatic increase in quality I get from paying for good service — like our auto mechanics, my… Read more: Barbershops & Barbell Clubs (on community)
• Make Up Your Mind! (2) …on performing badly
  I’ve tried lots of sports, some in earnest, but they don’t all result in success for me. Endurance sports have been uniquely cruel to my… Read more: Make Up Your Mind! (2) …on performing badly
• Make Up Your Mind! (on diverse sports skills)
  38 sports in 27 years, folks. Of those, I’ve trained seriously for and competed in 21. We call this indecision. We call it FOMO. Every… Read more: Make Up Your Mind! (on diverse sports skills)
• “Too Strong”? (on strength standards)
  I hate popular press writings on strength. Any article that allows a new trainee to believe they’ll get huge as soon as they start lifting… Read more: “Too Strong”? (on strength standards)
• When It Hurts (on training after injury)
  An athlete should never be hurt from training. Things happen at practice and things happen in competition that cannot be predicted and cannot be prevented.… Read more: When It Hurts (on training after injury)
• Shave Before You Fly (on routines)
  I can guarantee that, if I arrive to my hotel covered in stubble, then I am also under-nourished, running on little sleep, poorly hydrated, and… Read more: Shave Before You Fly (on routines)