1. [Home](https://www.workoutsmart.com/) 2. Dan Wirth The author of the method # Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS Assistant Athletics Director of Sports Performance, University of Tennessee Dan has coached strength and conditioning since 1989: ten years at Arizona, sixteen running his own training facility in Tucson, and Tennessee's Olympic sports since 2017. He designs the programs behind WorkoutSmart. NSCA · 2023 College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year [Train on Dan's programs](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup) [Ask Dan a question](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) 14-day free trial. Cancel anytime. - 1989 Coaching since - 19 Sports directed at Arizona - 550+ Athletes at Arizona - 16 yrs Running his own facility - 2023 NSCA College Strength Coach of the Year Biography ## Three decades in the weight room. > “I loved playing football, but I really loved the training end of it. Back then, there was no internet so I was always trying to get my hands on training information from coaches and scientists like Boyd Epley, Mel Siff, Dr. Michael Stone and Dr. Tudor Bompa.” > > Dan Wirth, 2020 ### Education & credentials - M.A., Exercise and Sports Science, University of Iowa - B.A., Fitness and Wellness Administration, University of Iowa - Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS), NSCA, since 1989 - Former Level 1 Club Coach, United States Weight Lifting Federation Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS, has been a strength and conditioning coach for more than three decades. He played linebacker at Iowa under Hayden Fry from 1985 to 1988, started coaching as a graduate assistant at Iowa in 1989, and ran the strength programs at Iowa Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Whitewater before joining Arizona's staff in 1991. At Arizona he became Director of Strength and Conditioning in 1994 and held the job through 2000. He oversaw 19 sports and more than 550 student-athletes and worked directly with football and men's basketball. His teams included the 1997 NCAA champion men's basketball team and the 1998 football team that went 12-1 and finished fourth in the country. He also competed, winning Arizona state titles in both powerlifting and Olympic lifting. In 2000 he left the university to train the public. For 16 years he owned and ran his own training facility in Tucson, where thousands of everyday clients trained with the same periodized methodology he wrote for college athletes. The programs behind WorkoutSmart were built and tested across both careers. In 2017 Tennessee hired him to lead strength and conditioning for its Olympic sports. He is now Assistant Athletics Director of Sports Performance, supervising training for eleven programs and serving on the department's Sport Science Committee. He still designs the WorkoutSmart programs. As he put it on the Strength Coach Collective podcast, he writes a program, cross-checks its INOL values with workoutsmart.com, and the Wave Engine carries that same check into every workout it builds for a member. Career ## From Iowa to Rocky Top. Dan has used the same periodized method with college athletes, everyday clients and Olympic sports. 1. 1985–1988 ### University of Iowa Four-year scholarship linebacker under Hayden Fry. Four straight bowl games. 2. 1989–1991 ### Iowa, Iowa Wesleyan, Wisconsin-Whitewater Graduate assistant strength coach at Iowa, then head strength coach at Iowa Wesleyan and Wisconsin-Whitewater. 3. 1991–2000 ### University of Arizona Director of Strength and Conditioning from 1994. 1997 national champion men's basketball; 1998 football, 12-1 and No. 4. 4. 1999 ### WorkoutSmart Builds the first version of this system, a web program generator for his athletes and clients. 5. 16 years ### His own facility, Tucson Owned and ran a training facility, programming for thousands of everyday clients. 6. 2017–now ### University of Tennessee Directs strength, speed and conditioning for the Olympic sports. Now Assistant Athletics Director of Sports Performance. National Strength and Conditioning Association ## 2023 College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year. Selected by the NSCA's Coaching Taskforce, a group of previous award winners and leaders in the field, and presented at the NSCA Coaches Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, on January 5, 2023. The year before, Tennessee won the SEC All-Sports Trophy. Also: NSCA Pac-10 Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year, 2000 > “I am humbled and grateful to be named the 2023 College Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year.” > > Dan Wirth, December 2022 How Dan writes a program ## His rules, in his words. Run by the Wave Engine. [How the Wave Engine works](https://www.workoutsmart.com/wave-engine) 1. 01 ### The block is 12 weeks “An ideal minimum length for a full training cycle is 12 weeks.” Every program runs long enough to adapt, then changes before adaptation stops. 2. 02 ### A very hard week is followed by an easy one “This very hard workout is always, always, always, followed by a very easy workout.” The engine enforces it. After a very hard week, nothing harder than moderately easy is scheduled. 3. 03 ### Four programs, written at once “When I write a program I am actually writing 4 different versions of the program at the same time.” The Leveling System places each muscle group at one of four levels from your strength test. Ask Dan ## Your training questions, answered by Dan. Dan has answered members' questions since the first version of this site, and he is still answering. The questions are the ones every lifter asks; the answers are the rules his programs are built on. [Read Ask Dan](https://www.workoutsmart.com/ask-dan) - “Very simply, you should be able to get all your reps.” Thanks, Dan · On progression - “Fat will not turn into muscle, and muscle will not turn into fat.” Thanks, Dan · On body composition - “Remember, nothing is ever totally bad or totally good. It all depends on the individual!” Thanks, Dan · On training methods Designed by Dan Wirth, MA, CSCS ## Train on the programs Dan writes, leveled to you. [See the programs](https://www.workoutsmart.com/programs) [Start 14 days free](https://www.workoutsmart.com/signup)