How We Personalise Athlete Programs at Athlete’s Edge

Why One-Size-Fits-All Programs Don’t Work (And What We Do Instead)

At Athlete’s Edge Albury, we work with athletes across all sports, ages, and performance levels - from junior netballers and sprinters to rising AFL prospects and elite competitors.

If there’s one thing we’ve seen time and time again, it’s this:

The best results come from individualised athlete programs.

That’s why we don’t use generic or cookie-cutter training plans. Instead, we tailor every program to the person in front of us factoring in their sport, goals, training history, and stage of development.

Here’s how we create personalised performance programs that actually work.

There’s No One-Size-Fits-All - But There Is a Strong Foundation

Roughly 60 to 80% of athletic performance training covers fundamental movement patterns. These include:

• Squat

• Hinge

• Lunge

• Push

• Pull

• Brace

• Rotate

• Jump and land

Mastering these patterns builds the base for strength, movement quality, and injury resilience. For general population clients, this is often where the focus stays, helping adults move better, train confidently, and stay consistent.

But for field and court athletes, this is only the beginning.

To improve performance in sport, athletes need to develop qualities like:

• Quick acceleration and controlled deceleration

• Change of direction with precision

• Repeated jumping and landing

• Lower body stiffness for fast ground contact

• Core control under load

• Overhead strength and shoulder stability

• Rhythm, reactivity, and body control in unpredictable environments

Different sports require different combinations of these elements, and each athlete has their own strengths and weak links. That’s where our testing process becomes essential.

From Testing to Programming: What Personalisation Really Means

Before an athlete starts their full training plan, we begin with an assessment. This is about more than just data, it’s how we build a complete athlete profile.

Depending on the athlete’s age, sport, and goals, testing may include:

• Biological maturation tracking (especially for youth athletes)

• Mobility assessments to screen for joint limitations or red flags

• Force plate jump testing to assess lower limb power, symmetry, and stiffness

• Isometric strength testing, including:

  • Ankle strength (for sprinting and agility)

  • Hamstring and glute strength (for speed and injury prevention)

  • Adductor strength (important in change of direction and contact sports)

  • Upper body push/pull force

• Speed and sprint testing with GPS and timing gates

• Sprint mechanics and movement analysis

From there, we design a program that takes into account:

• Growth and development stage

• Demands of the athlete’s sport and position

• Current strengths and weak points

• Previous injuries or limitations

• Weekly schedule and availability

• Short-term goals and long-term performance vision

This process ensures no two athletes are given the same plan, and every block of training is built with purpose.

The 3-Week Athlete Onboarding Block

Every new athlete at Athlete’s Edge starts with a structured 3-week onboarding program. This allows us to:

• Teach safe and effective gym and field techniques

• Introduce strength and speed progressions

• Build habits for recovery, mobility, and consistency

• Use your testing data to tailor your program

• Set the tone for long-term results

This phase also helps us determine the best training environment for you - whether that’s one-on-one coaching, small group sessions, or a mix of both.

Our goal is to place each athlete where they’ll feel supported, challenged, and confident in their progress.

Why This Matters for Long-Term Success

Athletes thrive when their training is designed with their unique profile in mind. A personalised program:

• Reduces the risk of injury

• Speeds up performance improvements

• Builds confidence and competence in the gym

• Keeps training fresh, relevant, and engaging

• Helps you peak at the right time for your sport or season

At Athlete’s Edge Albury, this approach is not just what we do, it’s who we are. We’re here to help every athlete unlock their full potential through smart, strategic, individualised programming.

Ready to Train Smarter?

If you're serious about improving performance, avoiding injury, and building long-term athletic success, start with a personalised program built for you.

📞 Contact us today to book your assessment