The Track and Field Performance Podcast
Angus Ross, PhD: Enhancing Strengths & Weaknesses + Eccentric Training for Speed and Power
1h 12m
Angus Ross is the Strength and Conditioning and Power Physiology Lead with High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), working with elite track & field athletes and multiple Olympic sports across lead coaching, s&c, and sport science. He is also a three-time Winter Olympian in bobsleigh and the full-time coach of New Zealand 60 m record holder Tiaan Whelpton.
His PhD focused on sprint performance and tapering, complemented by many peer-reviewed publications on topics including eccentric strength training and acceleration biomechanics.
In this episode, we dive into athlete profiling, training elastic vs muscular qualities, eccentric loading, and the art of individualising strength work for sprinters and jumpers.
Topics / Timestamps:
0:00 Angus’ background (PhD, high performance sport, Olympic experience)
3:05 Athlete profiling: vertical jump, drop jumps, optimal cadence & fiber type links
5:50 Training strengths vs weaknesses — what actually moves the needle
10:30 Case study: developing extreme power in sprinters
16:00 Force expression vs elastic efficiency in acceleration
26:30 Integrating S&C within a technical coaching framework
29:00 Pairing speed & strength — when to combine or separate sessions
34:00 Eccentric training: benefits, risks, and long-latency adaptations
42:50 How to program eccentric work without compromising speed
49:00 “How much strength is enough?” for elite sprinters
57:00 Isometrics, sarcomeres in series & speed development
1:05:20 Communication, trust & the evolving role of the coach
Angus's Research: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Angus-Ross