The Notre Dame strength and conditioning program is designed to provide each student-athlete with the most productive, effective and efficient means of sport-specific physical training. The program is geared toward helping all student-athletes reach their physical potential and meet their specific needs. Programs are tailored to enable student-athletes to maintain strength, speed and conditioning during peak physical demands of the playing season and to increase those components through extensive and grueling training during the off-season.

Student athletes have access to over 12,000 square feet of strength training facilities in both the Haggar Fitness Complex and the Joyce Center Fieldhouse weight rooms. A full range of free weight equipment, state of the art Hammer Strength plate-loaded machines and related conditioning apparatus make the facilities a premier setting for intense training.

Haggar Fitness Complex

Strength and Conditioning Coordinator Mickey Marotti, Assistant Coordinators Heather Mason and Tony Rolinski and Assistant Coaches Ken Croner and Lon Record personally oversee the development of each student-athlete. Marotti and his staff stress an intensive, physical program which leads to success and confidence on the playing field.

All programs are evaluated daily and each individual’s progress is charted and monitored with the aid of computer technology. While the student-athlete’s physical progress is gauged through a battery of testing procedures, the strength and conditioning staff also helps each individual set training goals which strive for complete excellence.

Each strength and conditioning program is sport specific. Strength, speed, conditioning, agility and movement, flexibility and nutrition education are components of each program for the student-athletes. The year-round program is divided into three periods: pre-season, in-season and off-season. During the pre-season and off-season, student-athletes are involved in a heavy and intensive program; participation during the competitive season is limited to two days a week.

Loftus Sports Center

The strength training protocol used by Marotti and his staff is based on the progressive overload principle, incorporating basic multi-joint exercises. Exercise such as squats, bench press, military press, leg press, pulls and rows for the upper back, shoulder isolation, abdominal crunches and trunk rotation are examples of the specific lifts used in each workout plan. Choice of exercise is dependent upon the sport and individual position of the student-athlete.

Speed training is performed two to four times per week in the off-season and summer training periods. Track and field assistant coach John Millar assists with the speed development of all the student-athletes. Speed mechanics, resistive training and plyometrics are all aspects of the speed program. This training program is continued through the playing season to ensure the highest quality of speed during this critical time period.

Agility and conditioning workouts vary depending on the time of year and are specific to the energy systems and movement patterns of each sport. The primary goal of each team is to have the best conditioned athletes.

Flexibility training occurs year-round and involves individual instruction as well as team-oriented supervision. This program is a continual one that is stressed daily.

Nutritional education is a very important aspect of the total program. Student-athletes need to be cognizant of how much food they need to eat in order to perform consistently at a high level. The strength and conditioning staff is continually educating the student-athletes on the importance of good nutrition and the choices they need to make, especially during their competitive season.