In this “Cardio Chats” edition of the Decoding Excellence Show, I’m pulling back the curtain on our Summer Basketball Training Program here in Boulder, Colorado—sharing the real behind-the-scenes details of how we prepare our athletes for the demands of a long, grueling season.

This is raw, unfiltered, and recorded mid-Zone 2 ruck walk—no studio, no edits—just me sharing what’s really happening in our summer block: the successes, the challenges, and the lessons learned.

I break down:

The death of Long-Term Athletic Development in the NIL era
Managing NIL contracts, constant roster turnover, and short prep windows
Using VALD Performance testing to fast-track development and identify individual needs
Benchmark data for return-to-sport baselines
Triaging immediate needs vs. “nice-to-have” improvements
Safe altitude acclimatization & training volume progression (CSCCa/NSCA joint guidance)
Building a standardized summer plan that branches into tailored individual programming
Exposure to sport-specific stressors—loading tendons, ligaments, and muscles for durability
Integrating soft-surface training to reduce joint stress while increasing volume
Adding gymnastics-style movements like crawling, tumbling, and rolling for coordination and robustness
Training linear & multi-directional sprint mechanics
Structuring our four-day training split:
- Day 1 & 2: Progressive overload strength training (Upper/Lower)
- Day 3: Escalating Density Training (EDT) conditioning circuits
- Day 4: Tissue prep for intensive plyometric and power work
Using leadership development by seeding EDT teams to encourage athlete-led problem solving
First half of summer = tissue prep (ankle/knee/hip focus)
Second half = power development through jumps, bounds, speed deadlifts, and VBT barbell work
Avoiding plyometric progression errors with long-duration isometrics & tendon prehab
Leveraging Output Sports VBT to train in the speed-strength zone
Applying Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP) in jump & power sessions
Ending summer with CU’s legendary dunk contest—weighted balls, dodgeballs, deflated balls, and more to challenge grip, creativity, and athleticism

Whether you’re a strength coach, sport scientist, or high-performance practitioner, this episode is a complete blueprint of how we’re navigating modern college basketball’s evolving landscape—balancing science, art, and the gritty realities of athlete development.

If you’re serious about training design, athlete monitoring, or building durable and explosive players, this one’s loaded with practical takeaways you can apply immediately.

🎯 Additionally, I share details about the Former Athlete Society—my private community built exclusively for former college athletes who want to level up their fitness, training, and recovery.

Inside, you'll get:
✅ A community discussion board to connect & share wins
✅ A full classroom with education modules on training & performance
✅ A leaderboard to reward engagement & consistency
✅ A calendar for live coaching calls & Q&A sessions

🔥 Join the Former Athlete Society here:
⁠⁠⁠https://adamringler.com/formerathlete⁠

📬 If you haven't already, head over to ⁠⁠⁠AdamRingler.com/Newsletter⁠ and sign up for my weekly newsletter.
It’s a weekly drop for the curious—packed with the best articles I’ve read, the things I’m exploring, and ideas I’m chewing on. Think of it as your curated dose of performance, mindset, and experimentation.

💬 Let’s connect!
If anything in this episode resonated with you, reach out and engage with me at ⁠⁠⁠@AdamRingler⁠ on social.

🎧 Thanks again for listening to the Decoding Excellence Show!
If you’ve taken anything away from today’s episode, please take a minute to leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review on iTunes or wherever you tune in. It helps more than you know and supports this growing Sport Science and High-Performance Coaching resource.

Tyler Friedrich