Why do some great programmes fail, yet other that are far less sophisticated succeed? If we take a typical reductionist view of strength and conditioning (S&C), there is no rational explanation for these occurrences. However, S&C does not occur in a vacuum, and multiple factors will ultimately affect the success of a programme. This article presents a novel approach to viewing S&C application: ie, that of the training ecosystem, where the relationship between multiple and multivariate factors ultimately determines the overall success of any training programme.