Episode 7- Medgar Harrison

The Unknown Strength Coaches

Episode 7 is with Medgar Harrison, the Director of Strength and Conditioning at Jackson State University. He talks about lessons learned at the universities and coaches he has learned from.

Medgar Harrison joined the Jackson State staff in January of 2019 and oversees all strength and conditioning operations.
Harrison comes from Alabama State where he served in a similar role. Harrison was in charge of the daily strength & conditioning regimens for the Hornets’ football program. In addition to Football, Harrison worked directly with the Hornets’ Baseball program, under the direction of head coach Jose Vazquez. He also oversaw the other 17 sports at Alabama State University’s which consist of nearly 400 student-athletes.
The Shreveport, Louisiana native has a philosophy of three basic pathways for strength & power development – max effort, dynamic effort and repetition method. Harrison’s philosophy is based on the conjugate system’s method, which involves the coupling of multiple exercises to ultimately enhance an athlete’s strength and power. According to Harrison, it is all about fast twitch muscle fiber recruitment. Sports, winners and all champions are determined by who can apply the most force, move the fastest or cover the most ground in the shortest amounts of time. Train the part to increase the whole.
The max effort is the superior method to strength and power development. The process involves moving a heavy max load as fast as possible. It places great demands on both intramuscular and intermuscular coordination, as well as stimulating the central nervous system.
The dynamic effort involves lifting a sub-max or non-maximal load with the greatest speed possible, ultimately activating fast twitch muscle fibers. This method is not used for the development of maximal strength, but rather for the improved rate of force development and explosive strength.
Finally, the repetition method is the best method for the development of muscle hypertrophy or growth. It is the method in which all supplemental and accessory exercises are trained. Together, these three basic pathways allow the athlete to continuously develop strength and power throughout the year.
While overseeing the strength and conditioning department for all athletic programs at Bethune-Cookman University, Harrison worked directly with the Football, Baseball and the Men’s and Women’s golf programs assisting them to ten conference championships. Prior to his stint in Daytona Beach, Harrison spent two years at University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where he served as the Strength and Conditioning Coordinator for the Men’s Swimming & Diving team. Harrison assisted the Volunteers to a 12th place national finish at the 2010 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships, while training 13 All-Americans in the process. He also worked directly with the Volunteers’ Football team, in which he assisted with the training of two first round draft picks in the 2010 draft. Harrison also accompanied the Vols to two consecutive bowl game appearances (2010 Music City Bowl and 2009 Chick-Fil-A Bowl).
A 2005 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Harrison served as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at his alma mater before heading to Tennessee. At ULL, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Exercise Science. He later earned his Master of Science degree in Human Resources with a concentration in Nutrition in 2007 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
He is a member of the Collegiate Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCa), National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA) and USA Weightlifting (USAW). Harrison is a certified through the NSCA and USA Weightlifting as a Sports Performance Coach.
Harrison and his wife, Mariah Elise, have two sons, Maxxim Ethan Wayne and Morgan Evan Wayne.

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