"The Primer" Gameday lifting for enhanced performance Getting an edge on gameday is what every team and athlete aims to achieve and the gameday primer can be a powerful addition to a sports performance program to help achieve this. Programming principles: Participating athletes should have high-level training age and be highly technically proficient in the chosen exercise modalities. Stronger athletes may respond more potently to priming activities. Consider a strong psychological component. Allow self-determination. The athlete should be involved in the selection of the priming activities. Choose the training types or the training focus, not the specific exercises. Priming activities should be high intensity. Intensity can be driven with exercises with high force requirements (strength exercises) or high rate of force development requirements (ballistic power/speed exercises). Priming work should be conducted with a high intensity of effort. Measurement and feedback methods such as velocity-monitoring in strength training or jump height & contact time monitoring in plyometric work can help increase intent of effort. Priming work should take place at approx. 5-6 hours before the game. This is likely the most potent stimulus. However, priming sessions conducted 24-32 hours before the game can also have beneficial effects. Priming sessions should be low volume and low metabolic fatigue kept to a minimum. Use long rest periods. If in doubt, use lower volume than planned. Example sessions based on approach (aggressive vs conservative) and available equipment/facility 👇👇 Solid review review from @brjmason here: Excellent, really readable review from @PeterHarrisonAU and @DocHolmberg12 here: Great work from @DrMarkRu55ell and an all star cast showing beneficial non-specific effects of varied morning priming exercise types on afternoon performance.