Chapter 3: Adding the science to Maximal Athletic Development

Making effective use of data (and code!)

The general underlying theme of this book is that we can significantly accelerate the athletic development of the individual by taking a “scientific” approach. At this point, then, it might be helpful to define just what we mean by “a scientific approach”.

All too often, these days, a “scientific” or “evidence-based” approach is thought of synonymously with “Is there a peer-reviewed paper that backs up what I’m doing”. In my opinion, while this can be a useful starting point, it is generally the *wrong* approach to take when it comes to optimizing an individual’s training plan. In this chapter, I’ll explain why. Just as importantly, I’ll explain the how of a different approach, an approach that makes use of the individual athlete’s own data to better refine the optimal training plan.

But, before we do that, let’s start off with the central question…

What does it mean to take a ‘scientific approach’ to training?