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Programming Through the EVZ Developmental Phases™

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From Programming Workouts to Programming Development

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Programming is often built around one question:

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What workout should the athlete do next?

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The EVZ framework begins with a different question:

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What should the athlete develop next?

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Programming Through the EVZ Developmental Phases™ is a structured approach that uses assessment findings to determine the athlete’s current developmental priority before selecting exercises, loading strategies, or progressions.

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Core Principle

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Programming should be driven by the athlete’s current developmental needs—not by predetermined progressions or isolated performance metrics.

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The objective is not simply to increase performance, but to improve the qualities that most limit long-term athletic development.

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Why This Approach Exists

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Traditional programming often emphasizes:

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• Progressive overload
• Load prescription
• Exercise selection
• Peak performance development

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These remain important.

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However, they do not always answer:

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• Why performance is inconsistent.
• Why athletes plateau despite increasing strength.
• Why improvements fail to transfer to competition.
• What should be developed next.

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The EVZ framework addresses these questions by making assessment the starting point for programming.

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The EVZ Programming Process

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1. Assess

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Athletes are evaluated using one or more EVZ assessment methods:

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• Observation Mode
• Tech Mode
• Hybrid Mode

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Each provides information about how performance behaves across repeated efforts.

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2. Interpret

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Assessment data is interpreted using:

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• Output behavior
• Retainable Power Index (RPI™)
• EVZ Wave Diagnostic™
• Longitudinal athlete trends

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Rather than focusing on isolated performance, EVZ identifies the athlete’s greatest developmental opportunity.

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3. Select the Developmental Phase

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Programming is organized around four developmental phases.

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Retention

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Primary Objective

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Improve the athlete’s ability to consistently maintain intended performance across repeated efforts.

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Programming Characteristics

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• Stable training exposures
• Consistent technical execution
• Repeatability before progression

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Transfer

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Primary Objective

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Maintain performance while gradually increasing training demands.

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Programming Characteristics

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• Increased complexity
• Greater loading challenges
• Expanded sport specificity
• Preserved movement quality

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Output

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Primary Objective

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Maximize force, velocity, or power after Retention and Transfer have been established.

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Programming Characteristics

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• High-intensity efforts
• Capacity development
• Maximal performance expression

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Re-attainment

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Primary Objective

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Restore previously established performance following fatigue, interruption, regression, or injury.

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Programming Characteristics

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• Progressive rebuilding
• Reduced unnecessary variability
• Efficient return to higher developmental phases

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4. Program

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Once the developmental phase has been identified, coaches select the exercises, loading strategies, and training methods that best support that objective.

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The EVZ framework intentionally does not prescribe specific workouts.

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Instead, it provides a developmental roadmap that coaches can apply within their own sport, philosophy, and programming style.

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5. Reassess

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Programming decisions are continuously refined through reassessment.

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As performance changes, developmental priorities may also change.

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This creates an adaptive coaching process rather than a fixed progression model.

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How This Differs from Traditional Programming

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Traditional programming often assumes:

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Higher performance today equals readiness for greater challenge tomorrow.

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The EVZ framework recognizes that progression should be guided by developmental readiness rather than isolated performance outcomes.

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Rather than asking:

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How much should we increase today?

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EVZ asks:

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What quality should we develop next?

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Where This Applies

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The EVZ developmental framework is sport-independent.

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It can be applied to:

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• Olympic Weightlifting
• Golf Performance
• Baseball
• Tennis
• Team Sports
• Return-to-Sport
• General Athletic Development

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Because every athlete progresses through the same developmental decision-making process regardless of sport.

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Integration Within EVZ

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Programming Through the EVZ Developmental Phases™ works alongside:

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• EVZ Athlete Development Framework™
• EVZ Wave Diagnostic™
• Retainable Power Index (RPI™)
• Observation Mode
• Tech Mode
• Hybrid Mode
• EVZ App
• EVZ Certification

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Together these components transform assessment into actionable programming decisions.

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The Goal

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Programming should not begin with exercise selection.

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It should begin with understanding the athlete.

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The EVZ framework helps coaches determine what an athlete should develop next, then provides the structure to guide programming toward that objective.

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Performance improves most consistently when training priorities are driven by assessment rather than assumption.