There are exactly two things which contribute more to the development of skill and human performance than anything else. These two things are practice and feedback. Without one, the other is ineffective and in some cases can be completely useless. And, it is important to note that not all types of practices and not all sources or methods of delivering feedback are equally effective. My talk today was designed to provide you with the most relevant, up-to-date understanding of how you can apply the most established principles of feedback and practice design to maximize the development of the athletes you coach.

Whats the single biggest mistake you see beginners make?

They fail to understand that they are beginners. Novices, as we call them. They pick a routine out of a magazine based on what the guy doing it looks like, with no regard for the fact that they are not the same piece of physiology as the guy in the magazine. Training is physical activity designed to produce a specific response -- it is stress, recovery from that stress, and adaptation. People respond to a training program based on their own personal training history. The weaker you are, the more room you have to get strong, and the stronger you are through training, the harder it is to get stronger. Novices get strong faster than advanced lifters, so an advanced program is not the best for making the rapid gains possible for a novice. Time is wasted, potential is wasted.