Why Training with Intent is the Key to Unlocking Peak Performance

"Output has been integral to our physical performance and rehabilitation environment. We’ve had great success gamifying our S&C sessions using the leaderboard function, which has increased the intensity we get from sessions."

The role of Physical Performance Coach for England men's football team is a unique one. It’s a dream job for many practitioners but still presents logistical challenges. We were fortunate to catch up with Ben Rosenblatt, former Lead Men's Physical Performance Coach for the England FA & now the Founder of 292 Performance, on how he maximizes training with limited in-person contact.

Building the Adaptive Reservoir

Ben uses the metaphor of an "Adaptive Reservoir" to explain how athletes can draw on their physical capacity when it matters most, which is represented in the diagram below.

Through training, athletes fill this reservoir, and while its maximum capacity may be pre-determined by genetics, how full it is can be influenced by their training. Athletes can tap into this reservoir during performance using what he refers to as the "performance pump," but there’s also a "fatigue plug"—with too much training volume or competition, fatigue drains the reservoir. This creates a balancing act: the goal is to build capacity without causing excessive fatigue that could diminish overall performance.

With training we aim to fill the reservoir as much as possible without compromising recovery, to do so and maximize our return on time investment without adding fatigue we must train with intent.

"Essentially, what you do in training is trying to build up an 'adaptive reservoir'—a capability that athletes can draw on when they need it most." 

Intent and Execution

The rationale is simple: when athlete’s commit to performing every rep with intent, they aren’t just training for that moment—they’re investing in future performance. Every well-executed movement builds this adaptive reservoir, equipping athletes to withstand the high demands of competition when it matters most.

“You have to maximize the intensity of each rep to make sure every rep counts.”

Beyond the Gym: Setting Intent for On-field training

Ben emphasizes that intent is not only important within the gym setting, but we have an opportunity to influence the on-field practice and the whole day too. Emotional status and behavior in the pre-training gym setting can be carried over onto the field.

Pre-training actions like physical preparation and warm-ups, can help build energy and behaviors and help to create an environment that fosters connectedness and motivation prepares athletes mentally for the intensity required. By intentionally setting behavioral objectives in the pre-training phase, coaches can ensure that athletes are ready to give their best effort.

"The environment you create in the pre-training phase... can determine whether your athletes are primed to deliver maximum intensity."

Here's an example of a prep session setting behaviors and intensity with Jude Bellingham: Players quickly engage in a kettlebell exercise with immediate audio feedback from coaches, designed to drive intent. These activities can temporarily boost performance through post-activation potentiation, where high-force movements increase nervous system excitability and muscle fiber recruitment. Competitive elements are layered in as well—players might compete with each other in the kettlebell exercise, sprint against each other in the warm-up, and face off on opposing teams during possession drills.

Keep an eye out for part 2: How to Build Athlete Buy-In and Drive Training Intent with Ben Rosenblatt and part 3: Designing your training environment to instantly increase training intent with Ben Rosenblatt on our social channels linked below:

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