Ep43 - James Nolan Strategy - Moving Beyond Strength Maintenance in Training

About this episode

James Nolan discusses the importance of continuing strength and power development in athletes during the in-season period, particularly in rugby.

In this episode of Performance Strategies and Stumbles, I sit down with James Nolan to explore how we should rethink in-season strength and power development, particularly in rugby. Too often, in-season training is framed as “maintenance.” In this conversation, James challenges that concept — arguing that if we’re not continuing to develop athletes, we may actually be doing them a disservice. Drawing on his experience in elite rugby environments, James shares how to approach in-season training with intent, structuring programmes around clear goals, and ensuring athletes continue to adapt despite the demands of competition. We discuss how to build training blocks across the season, how to balance intensity and volume within sessions, and why individualisation and communication across staff are essential for effective delivery. James also introduces the idea of using storytelling as a coaching tool, helping athletes better understand and buy into training, and explains how viewing the season as a series of “chapters” can help coaches plan more effectively. Ultimately, this episode is about shifting from simply maintaining performance to continually developing athletes within the…

People in this episode

Host: Dan Howells

Guest: James Nolan

Topics covered

• in-season training
• strength development
• athlete performance
• rugby
• coaching strategies
• individualization

Keywords

• in-season training
• strength maintenance
• athlete development
• rugby training
• coaching
• performance strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Collaborate Sports

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