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Nakul Kumar, PhD

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Nakul Kumar, PhD

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Strength & Conditioning Coach with a background in Sport and Exercise Science and a PhD in S&C, with experience working in several sports with a wide range of recreational, semi-professional and professional athletes.

04/10/2026

Some bits and bobs from last month.
Use the link in bio for coaching enquiries.

01/10/2026

Context. Dictates. Prescription. 📢

28/09/2026

Although there seems to be this incessant obsession with chasing symmetry, current research doesn't support the claims that bilateral asymmetries impair performance.

It's also worth nothing that some sports might actually require 'above-normal' bilateral asymmetries to function in a given task.

Now from a training perspective, both bilateral and unilateral training appear to reduce inter-limb asymmetries (Bettariga et al., 2022; Bishop et al., 2018; Maloney, 2019), with no clear evidence that these reductions in asymmetry have any significant impact on performance.

Current research suggests that there might not be much practical value in the blind pursuit of symmetry, and that it would be more efficacious for practitioners to prioritise the development of qualities that actually drive performance i.e., absolute and relative force producing capabilities, instead of interventions focused on achieving symmetry (Helme et al., 2024; Maloney, 2019).

Note:

Unilateral training isn't inherently superior to bilateral training.

Both bilateral and unilateral training are effective at improving general (e.g., sprint, jump and enrudance running) performance, with both modalities appearing to have comparable effects (Greenwood et al., 2021; Liao et al., 2022; Xin et al., 2026).

However, we do observe some improvements being specific to the modality e.g., unilateral strength and unilateral jumping (Liao et al., 2022; Wu et al., 2026; Zhang et al., 2026), so the most well rounded benefits would lie in training both modalities.

25/09/2026

And while I get (to an extent) the whole 'practice what you preach' spiel, that still has nothing to do with how someone looks.

Things that have absolutely nothing to do with your credibility as a coach:

1. Your Social Media following
2. Your physique
3. The weights you lift

21/09/2026

For the most part, the narrative around imbalance or asymmetry being a risk factor for injury appears to stem more from popular belief than actual scientific evidence.

And remember, with asymmetry being task-, metric-, sport- and individual-specific, as well as fluctuating, the use of arbitrary thresholds isn't really applicable.

The fear-mongering around imbalances is mostly just the grift of creating a problem that doesn't exist, to convince you it needs 'correcting' or 'fixing'.

If we're sensible with the overall training load and that's coupled with good recovery, people will adapt and thrive.

17/09/2026

Sleep and nutrition are the most potent tools for recovery. Couple that with a sensible training load, and you're golden.

PMID: 26316828, 30979048, 31288293, 33144349, 33375691, 41963169

15/09/2026

And no, cardio won't 'ruin' your gains.

As much as people like to talk about the interference effect, one modality won't take away from the other, as long as you're sensible with the overall prescription.

Current data suggests that the combination of resistance and cardiorespiratory training improves cardiorespiratory fitness without compromising muscle hypertrophy, strength and/or power development (Held et al., 2026).

To get the most out of this combined (concurrent) training it's important to consider certain factors,

(i) Nutrition: a combination of resistance and cardiorespiratory training implies greater calorie expenditure compared to solely doing one modality. So if you're looking to gain/maintain muscle mass, strength and positively affect performance, you need to increase your calorie intake and/or adjust your macronutrient distribution accordingly, while also accounting for your pre- and post-training nutrition.

(ii) Programme prescription: consider the intensity, frequency, modality and overall volume of work being prescribed for both the cardio and resistance training (i.e., overall training load), and allow time for adequate recovery.

(iii) Recovery time between sessions: (potentially) influenced by modality of cardio e.g., running, being relatively high impact, might require a longer recovery time compared to off-feet conditioning. But on occasion, when under serious time constraints, one might just have to bite the b*llet.

(iv) Sequencing: order of resistance training and cardio in relation to each other, depending on things like priority, modality, intensity and volume of work.

13/09/2026

PRICE DROP!!

Due to an unexpected change in .b.pullen 's travel schedule, we’ve had to update the timings for the 'Young Athlete S&C Workshop for Coaches' from 10am to 3pm. We've amended the costing to account for the change in the duration of the workshop.

If you're an S&C Coach, PE Teacher or Sport Coach working (or who wants to work) with children in a recreational setting or in a school/competitive sporting environment, and you're looking to better the support that you provide to those young individuals, this workshop is for you!

We’ll be splitting the workshop into 2 hours of theory where we'll dive into Growth and Maturation, the Associated Overuse Injuries, Stretch-Shortening Cycle Development and Maturity-Related Responses to Training (with a Q&A after each topic), followed by a break for lunch and then a 2 hour practical session centered around exploring how coaches can create an environment to keep children engaged and motivated while developing various physical qualities and the athletic motor skill competencies.

Limited spaces to maximise discussion, interaction and practical learning opportunities.

Comment 'WORKSHOP' to book your spot now!

11/09/2026

Working out doesn't make you a coach, just like driving a car doesn't make you a mechanic.

A lot of coaches who get into the fitness industry (myself included) get started because they enjoy training and/or playing sport.

And it's great that you're passionate about those things. I respect that.

But, our job is to coach.

And that coaching is probably what you need to be more passionate about.

Just like playing/practising more of a sport or skill makes you better at that sport/skill, if you want to get better at coaching spend more time actually coaching and/or shadowing coaches and picking the brains of other coaches.

Coach different demographics, coach in different environments, coach individuals one-to-one and coach in various group settings.

The working out can definitely give you a better understanding of what some of that programme prescription feels like.

And while those anectodal experiences can undoubtedly be valuable, the working out isn't what makes you a good coach.

If the support you provide is based solely on your experiences of working out, you're doing your clients a disservice.

For starters, you need to have a basic understanding of the physiological qualities and biomechanics that underpin the performance/fitness/execution of various skills and movements, as well as the stimuli that drive certain adaptations and improvements in said qualities.

This is what equips you to design suitable training programmes to elicit the desired adaptations/improvements, and allows to do so effectively in different contexts.

Now as a coach, the programme you design is only as effective as it's delivery.

This delivery comes from an understanding of the processes involved in learning and pedagogy.

Effective delivery requires you to understand the individual's language locker and what words that he/she uses to think.

This understanding develops through social interaction, which is essentially what coaching is.

Stealing this from Dr John Radnor - You could pull together the best training programme, but if you cannot coach it, it's pointless.

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