Hi there Escalating Density Training seems to be a very good protocol, but when I read and see new training protocols I am often reminded of what Louie Simmons says, “everything works, but nothing works forever” so by all means give it a go and hopefully you will get good results, but make sure you give it full 100% of your efforts to find out if it is
really good or not, there are no magic programs, if you do not work then the program no matter whose it is will be considered a failure, as to testing I really do not do a lot of testing, when I get the guys back I
do a 2.4km (1.5 mile) run for time and then compute VO2max from this time, I do a speed test over 10m and 30m for backs and 10m and 20m for forwards, I have done the Phosphate Decrement in the past which I still
believe to be one of the best tests 10 x 40metres going every 30 seconds and looking at the decrement between the fatsest and slowest time, we do not strength test at all as we go down to doubles regularly so we know
where players are at, so that is really all we do, cheers, ashley