Don’t sleep on the Effort Box

The BFS Set Rep Log is the central tool in the BFS Total Program. Recording an athlete’s or student’s set and reps - done to the 1/4 pound is how we know we are getting incrementally better. Testing jumping and sprinting times is how we correlate the weight room with on field on court success. These can seem pretty obvious once we build up a few weeks of recording.

But what about the Effort Box on your set rep recordings? This is one of the few measurements in the BFS Total Program that is subjective. The student needs to honestly judge for themselves how much effort they are putting into lift and record that on a scale of 1-11. 

This self evaluation gives the student and the coach valuable insight into more than just the 40 minutes in the weight room. Maybe an athlete breaking fewer records and the effort is lower - the coach can work with the student, perhaps its finals in the semester, perhaps its a tough time socially - whatever it is this is an opportunity to coach! 

Conversely perhaps an entire squad is recording higher effort athletes the same time? Maybe it is the approaching playoffs? Or a team building exercise, like the BFS Be An 11 seminar, has inspired the team to reach for higher goals. Again this is an opportunity to coach more than X’s and O’s. 

So don’t sleep on the Effort Box! It provides information that can raise your game on field, mentally, emotionally, and even academically!