Andrew Pichardo

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Senior Strength & Conditioning Coach at IMG Academy

Long-term athletic development is important to prepare youth for sport and an active lifestyle. Several models have provided general frameworks for long-term athletic development from different perspectives that consider factors such as when to sample and specialize and what physical qualities to train and when. More recently, more specific models...

Resistance training for youth athletes is becoming increasingly common. Integrating a periodized resistance training program into school curriculum can help develop athleticism for all youth. This article aims to provide an overview of a resistance training program used in a New Zealand secondary school. Provided is an insight into the levels of pl...

This study aimed to examine the extent to which maturity offset, strength, and movement competency influences motor skill performance in adolescent boys. One hundred and eight secondary school boys completed anthropometric and physical testing on two non-consecutive days for the following variables: Maturity offset, isometric mid-thigh pull absolut...

Resistance training and weightlifting are regarded as safe and effective training methods for youth. However, no studies have examined the effects of a year-long resistance training program using weightlifting movements on strength, speed or power. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the long-term effects of combined resistance tr...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training with or without weightlifting on risk factors for injury and resistance training skill in circa-peak height velocity boys. Sixty-seven boys (age 12-14 years) from a local secondary school were divided into three groups: combined resistance training (CRT), combined resis...

Many practitioners use the isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) to assess maximal strength in a safe, time-effective manner. However, expensive, stationary force plates are not always practical in a large team setting. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to establish the validity and between-session reliability of peak force, rate of force developme...

There is limited research examining the physical determinants of golf swing performance in youth golfers. Therefore, this study investigated the relationship between physical measures and golf swing performance, as well as differences between skill levels. Sixty-seven male and female youth golfers aged 12-18 completed a testing battery to measure s...

Context: Neck size and strength may be associated with head kinematics and concussion risks. However, there is a paucity of research examining neck strengthening and head kinematics in youths. Additionally, neck training is likely lacking in youth sport due to a perceived inadequacy of equipment or time. Objective: Examine neck training effects wi...

Uthoff, A, Sommerfield, LM, and Pichardo, AW. Effects of resistance training methods on golf clubhead speed and hitting distance: A systematic review. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2021-Resistance training is widely regarded within the golfing community to improve golf performance by increasing clubhead speed (CHS) and drive distance and can...

An investigation of the effects of different training types on back squat performance and how changes in back squat performance influence changes in athletic motor skills.

Children and adolescents should engage in a variety of activities to develop muscular strength and motor skill performance in tasks such as running, jumping, and throwing. Resistance training and weightlifting are safe and effective methods to improve the athleticism of youth males. The overarching research question of this thesis was “is resistanc...

The bench press is a compound exercise commonly used to improve upper body strength. Previous investigations have analyzed kinetic and kinematic variables during different bench press variations. However, no known studies have examined the effect of foot position on force output and muscle activity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine...

The bench press is a multi-joint exercise commonly used to improve upper body strength. Previous investigations have analyzed kinetic and kinematic variables during different bench press variations. However, no known studies have examined the effect of foot position on force output and muscle activity. The purpose of this investigation was to exami...