This past weekend at MSC, we hosted an in-house competition called the MSC Combine, which was loosely based on the NFL Combine, where athletes test physical components of fitness, including maximal strength, speed an endurance. It was a great success, with all participants taking the opportunity to test their limits and highlight areas of their own strengths and weaknesses. What is always interesting with this type of testing, is seeing some athletes who are very strong, but perhaps struggle with the endurance events, and vice verser. Some athletes even excel in a ‘met con’ style session, but struggle with the running, and some excel in lower body pulling strength, but struggle with upper body pushing work. Being stronger in some components of fitness and weaker in others is completely normal, and can actually give you a super advantage with your training.
The real value of events like the MSC Combine isn’t just in finding out who lifts the heaviest or runs the fastest, it’s in the awareness it creates. Testing exposes the cracks that can easily go unnoticed in day-to-day training. Maybe your barbell strength has been climbing steadily, but your aerobic engine can’t keep up during longer workouts. Or perhaps your conditioning is solid, but your lack of absolute strength holds you back when the weights get heavy. Once these gaps are identified, they give you a clear direction for growth.
At MSC, we often talk about training with purpose. That means using data and experience (like your Combine results or testing in the Barbell Club), to guide the next phase of your development. Weaknesses shouldn’t be seen as flaws; they’re opportunities. A great athlete doesn’t avoid their weak areas, they attack them. By spending focused time improving your limiting factors, you can turn what was once a weakness into a competitive edge.
The best part is that correcting weaknesses doesn’t always mean a complete overhaul of your training. Often, it’s about making small, intentional adjustments. That might look like adding one extra aerobic session per week, refining your technique on a lift, or improving recovery and mobility work. Over time, those small actions compound into big changes , and suddenly the events that used to expose your weaknesses become the ones you look forward to.
Once you’ve identified where your weaknesses lie, the next step is creating a plan to address them. Improvement doesn’t come from guessing, it comes from deliberate practice and smart programming. Below are a few examples of how you can start working on some of the most common weak areas we see from testing like the MSC Combine.
If you found yourself gasping for air during the longer workouts or endurance events, chances are your aerobic base needs attention. Zone 2 / 3 training, which is steady, moderate-intensity work where you can still hold a conversation is one of the best ways to improve this. It could be a 30-45 minute bike or row at an easy pace, a slow jog, or a mix of condtitioning work that keeps your heart rate in check. Over time, this builds a bigger engine, improves recovery between efforts, and helps you maintain better output in high-intensity sessions.
Maybe your strength numbers lagged behind your conditioning. Building a stronger foundation of maximal strength will make everything else easier. Focus on big compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, presses, and pulls. Work in the lower rep ranges (3–6 reps) with proper rest between sets. The goal isn’t to chase fatigue, it’s to move heavy loads with perfect form. When done consistently, a solid strength phase will not only increase your lifts but also make your lighter, faster workouts feel more efficient.
If you felt sluggish in the sprint or explosive elements, look to include more plyometric and dynamic work. Box jumps, sled sprints, and Olympic lifting variations all help train your fast-twitch fibers. Short, intense bursts of effort followed by full recovery can dramatically improve your speed and overall athleticism.
At the end of the day, identifying weaknesses isn’t about pointing out what you can’t do, it’s about revealing where your biggest opportunities for growth lie. Every athlete, no matter how experienced, has gaps in their fitness. The difference between staying the same and making real progress is how you respond to them. Use your Combine / Barbell Club / testing results as your roadmap. Choose one or two areas to prioritise, stay consistent, and trust the process.