Shout out to OG Strength Coach Network members Joe Alexander and Eric Guthrie.
This test is 100% their brain child and the product of them taking the Tribe Test and this blog post talking about different versions of the Tribe Test for American football and applying it with lacrosse.
Here is the test:
Lacrosse conditioning test (GARST) Guthrie Alexander repeat sprint test
Reps - determined based off 4th quarter # of possessions
9s on:21 Off
Sprint 5 and back then 20 and back
Cover as much ground as you can in that 9 seconds
Partner tracks distance per rep
Same as tribe - get capacity and fatigue decrement
Why This Works
This is AWESOME to see and is the kind of thinking that more coaches should have. Inside the members only forum there was conversation about softball players doing something simiiar with 7 sets of 3 reps shuttle run. The original talk was the Tribe Test 5 seconds on and 25 seconds off measured distance with 90 seconds rest between "innings" and doing this before the team practices.
In this way the head coach can feel "happy" that the team has to "win the first game" before they get into training and back from summer. It is also very easy to sell since it sounds sport specific - 7 innings and 3 outs.
If you dont like the exact work to rest or set rest time, tweak it yourself for what works for you. That is what Eric and Joe did. Be creative and find a way to get it done!
The video above shows you the spin off of the OG Tribe Test. And for those who have not heard of the OG test click here to watch this video where you can watch a full 60 min presentation on the topic.
And if you do not know who Eric Guthrie and Joe Alexander now you know. Eric serves as Assistant Athletics Director/Director of Strength and Conditioning at George Washington University and Joe Director of Athletic Performance at Johns Hopkins. They both have been in their roles for multiple years and have seen long term health and performance of athletes and teams since they took over their respective programs.
