Author Archives: James Marshall

  1. What are the 3 stages of fitness testing?

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    What is the right fitness test for your sport?

    skinfold test“I test athletes to justify my job” is one reason that fitness testing has become maligned and dreaded by coaches and athletes alike.

    Others include “to look professional” or “to use my new bit of kit” or “to identify talent”.

    Yesterday I ran a CPD workshop with a group of Strength and Conditioning Coaches and sports coaches. The theme was fitness testing and we covered these three areas:

    1. Choosing the right test.
    2. Testing accurately and reliably.
    3. Analysing and giving feedback.

    The coaches were all prepared when they arrived thanks to a reading list, a video to watch and a written task on test selection. This meant that the workshop could be participatory, rather than passive.

    When you get a group of minds together it is important to share and experience. Otherwise, you may as well record the presentation and everyone can watch it at home. This is the format of the Excelsior CPD programme, with the subject changing for each workshop.

    Choosing the right test

    strength testingDo we need to test? Is it more measurement and monitoring rather than “testing”? This was the first discussion. My default position is Monitor rather than test. I need a good reason to test and it could be:

    • To see if what we are doing is working.
    • To measure progress.
    • To evaluate the players so that we can cluster them for training.

    We set off by dividing the tests into health, general and specific. Health tests include biomarkers that could be considered as monitoring or measurement. Height, weight, sleep, mood, skinfolds, heart rate, the sympathetic nervous system can all be monitored regularly with little effort, just consistency.

    Some physical competency could also be included in this category. An overhead squat or single leg squat could be included in every warm-up and observed.

    fitness testingGeneral tests would give us information about the specific fitness parameter being trained. These might include most strength tests, field endurance tests, agility and speed tests.

    We know how good our athletes are at performing these tests.

    Again, we are measuring what the athletes are doing in training, so we could conduct this in our training sessions.

    Specific tests would be relevant to the sport and replicate specific actions. The tennis fan drills, countermovement jumps or medicine ball throws, the rugby union endurance test that requires down and up movements. These tests should be able to isolate one component of performance that is extremely applicable to that sport.

    Agility tests that last 30 seconds, treadmill incremental VO2 max tests for Judoka, shuttle runs for 800m runners are examples of tests that either measure more than one thing, or are the wrong test for that athlete.

    Measuring accurately and reliably

    fitness testingOne of my pet hates (there are many) is watching athletes get inaccurately tested by “pseudoscientists”.  Athletes want to get the best scores, so will find ways to cheat and take shortcuts. This might be stopping 2cms short of each line on the yo-yo test, or going over cones rather than around them.

    To make the test reliable, strict warm-up protocols need to be observed, as does the order of testing. If you change the warm-up before each testing day or change the order of tests, then they are unreliable. The data becomes invalid.

    Carrying spare batteries, masking tape, spare pens and stopwatch are essential tools for the tester.

    I split the coaches into small groups and asked them to choose three tests for their sport and to deliver one of those three. They had to come up with a rationale for each of the tests, plus a protocol on preparing and delivering.

    The delivery was interesting, with errors being found by each other, plus good points. What appears to be”common sense” or “obvious” is often forgotten in the maelstrom of big groups of athletes and pressure.

    Lots of mistakes and errors were found: which was excellent because everyone was learning. 

    Everyone was open to feedback and constructive in giving it. This “critical friendship” is important for developing coaching skills.

    Analysing and giving feedback

    Another pet hate  (I told you I had a few) is athletes being subjected to tests by pseudo-scientists who then go off with the data and use it for their “research” projects.

    If an athlete has worked their nuts off in testing, the coach has allocated time aside for it, then it is imperative that the information is analysed and used.

    I then looked at some of the lessons learnt from the data visualisation and infographics course I am currently doing.

    Look at the difference between these two graphs:

    Fitness test results fitness test results

    Which one is clearer? Can you see why that is?

    It is quite easy to get sucked into a trap of designing graphs and charts that look pretty in 3D colour. However, as with all aspects of coaching, it is our job to make the information as clear, relevant and understandable as possible.

    The workshop finished with specific lessons learnt and some ideas to help share information and data analysis.

    Once again, I was delighted to see the coaches share ideas, challenge their own thinking (and mine) and come up with practical solutions to problems we all encounter.

    Previous CPD workshops included “In season training” and “agility training”

    If you would like to discuss fitness testing for your team then please contact James 

    Further reading:

    How to make pre-season training interesting, relevant and more fun.

  2. Weight lifting program

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    6 week weightlifting program

    weightlifting programHere is the schedule for the next block of training for the Excelsior Weight lifting Club. 

    The sessions are designed to have some overall athletic movements built around the Olympic lifts themselves. Most of the sports people attending are new to Weightlifting, and so we have to develop their bodies accordingly.

    Whilst the Olympic lifts are great at developing certain aspects of strength and power, I never do them in isolation. Too much specificity leads to a narrow window of adaptation, which may be useful in the short term, but has limited use in the long term.

    6 week olympic lifting program

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Here is an example of the analysis we do. This is one of the Split Snatch. This is useful for people with tight shoulders. I was introduced to this by my coach Keith Morgan when I was training for the Karate World Championships. 

    The split snatch may be better suited to athletes from team sports and those that have excessive shoulder use (i.e punching in Karate/boxing/ MMA) as it requires less shoulder flexibility.

    I introduce the split snatch early and then, as the weightlifters’ shoulders get more flexible, start the squat snatch.

    Sessions are run every Monday night, and we have people from many different sports attend. If you live in Devon or Somerset, please contact me to talk about joining.

  3. Squat versus deadlift

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    deadlifts vs squats

    When should I deadlift?

    I have never been a deadlift fan, instead working on squats and using the snatch and clean to develop power.

    However, I have recently been using it to create some variety in environments with no squat rack.

    It is also useful with some athletes who find squatting tricky. One young hockey player with very long femurs, never looks good squatting. Her deadlift is immaculate. There is some similarity between the start of the deadlift and the positions that hockey players need to get into.

    The deadlift works hamstrings more than the squat, which is obviously quadriceps dominant. Both exercises require a strong back and trunk. A football goalie I coach has a very sensitive back. For him, the deadlift is a definite No.

    Ideally my deadlift should be nearly as heavy as my squat, but I am about 30kg short (Full analysis here: What is a good squat to deadlift ratio? ) Strength is exercise specific, and my squats are much more efficient.

    A strength session using deadlift  last week was unimpressive on my part, mainly due to inefficient deadlift technique. It was a reminder to myself to sometimes use variety in the gym, and to work on my weaknesses.

    This video gives a guide to how to start the deadlift.

    If you want to know how to fit the deadlift into your resistance training  then see this guide on creating your own training programme.

  4. Fitness training for squash

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    squash fitness

    How do I get fit for squash?

    There are many ways, we have been lucky enough to have worked with some outstanding young squash players. Here is what we did with them to help improve their squash fitness.

    Adi Jagtap (8th 2010 Junior world championships), Victoria Temple- Murray (TASS funded and winner of the Belgian under-17s open last weekend), and Fiona Murphy (3rd In Manchester open under-17s 2 weeks ago) to name a few.

    squash fitnessOur System works the athlete from the ground up and outwards, but it is useful to know where to aim. Matt has done some recent research on squash fitness and here are his findings:

    Squash is a moderate- to high-intensity intermittent exercise. Players are active 50 to 70% of the playing time. 80% of the time, the ball is in play 10 seconds or less.

    The rest intervals fit a normal distribution with an average duration of 8 seconds. Heart rate increases rapidly in the first minutes of play and remains stable at approximately 160 beats/min for the whole match no matter what levels the players are.

    However, the heart rates of players have been known to go right up the age-related max and thus can be deemed a maximal effort sport. The energy expenditure for medium-skilled players is approximately 2850 kJ/h and over 3000 kJ/h for top-level elite players.

    Fitness training for squash

    Squash is a fast-paced and dynamic sport, one that requires the technical ability and fine motor skills as well as the physiological capacity of an endurance athlete. It has actually been stated that the endurance of a squash athlete should be like that of a 5K runner.

    The general training routines of squash players should therefore be focused on interval training. It should be conducted at 75-85% max heart rate. Generally, this interval training should be 200m at around 35-40 seconds each as well as 400m at around 90-110 seconds. Now there is a famous squash interval program that was conducted by Geoff Hunt who would work 26 x 400m at 75s and then rest for 60s.

    Squash agility

    The squash movement is akin to that of tennis, purely in the sense that you are supposed to or the best technique is to move back to the ‘T’. Therefore speed and endurance as mentioned above are crucial.

    However, due to it being such a small court having the ability to move laterally is also very important especially in regards to limiting injury. This video shows an example of how to develop lateral agility:

    The speed work is very important in terms of basic physiology because if the running is slow it will increase capillarization (blood supply) around the muscles. That is why the running should take place around the anaerobic threshold, which increases the body’s utilisation of glycogen as a fuel.

    The dimensions of a squash court are 32 ft (9.75 m) long and 21 feet (6.4 m) wide and therefore in terms of speed, acceleration is very important.

    Regaining your balance

    Journals have mentioned that in terms of biomechanics squash players have one dominant hand because, unlike tennis or baseball, for instance, they only use one hand for the duration of a match, due to the pace of the game.

    Jonah Barrington

    Weights 3 x week

    Mahoney and Sharp (1995) reported an asymmetry in grip strength with the dominant limb being 13% stronger than the non-dominant limb.

    Therefore when it comes to actual strength training a squash player, make sure that this is monitored as to not cause injury or even complete dominance. Dumbbell work is great as it works both sides evenly.

    For example, in golf, they can play both left and right-handed to make sure the muscles in their back do not become lop-sided. The tension of a squash players racket must be adjusted to allow for this continual use of the one hand and that is why in older players the strings are stronger to allow the racket to do more of the work.

    Jonah Barrington’s Coach Nasrullah Khan told him that he must “Devil up his muscles” and prescribed his weight training exercises 3 times a week.

    Specific Drills 

    In terms of actual training as specified in the ‘Squash player,’ there are a few drills that are squash specific that would help with strength and more importantly getting into the correct position and having the ability to hold that position deep into the match. Using a dumbbell in both the right and left hand you will lunge through a squash position, which would happen often during a match.

    Or you can use this sequence of lunges to help maintain symmetry and mobilise the thoracic spine and shoulders.

    Overall there are squash fitness-specific drills that can be used to help with the development of younger athletes and the more experienced:

    • Trunk strength: to allow control of the shot.
    • Muscular strength: to allow control of the lower limb in this shot, and cope with acceleration and deceleration forces.
    • Muscular endurance: to allow this work to be repeated as the match goes on with no loss of control or speed.

    Get fit for Squash now…

    If you want more advice, then book in and train with us.

    Or read our guide to pre-season fitness training 

    Matt Brookland

  5. How to manage “Growing pains”

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    A guide to common growing pains in athletes

    Osgood-SchlattersChildren and adolescents endure many of the same injuries and mechanical dysfunctions as adults. However, in the maturing skeleton there are some specific conditions that are only seen in the young.

    Here is an overview of the common conditions, their causes and how to manage them.

    Osgood -Schlatters, Sinding-Larsen-Johansson and Severs lesions

    These are non-articular types of osteochondrosis or ‘traction apophysitis’. These specific conditions affect the growth plates, where muscle tendons attach to bone.

    They are normally seen in the more active and sporty adolescents during or after a growth spurt. Either one or both limbs can be affected. All three of these conditions are self- limiting and in some cases the symptoms can continue for years.

    Recovery rates will vary between each child. Investigations such as x-ray and diagnostic ultrasound are not normally indicated to make a diagnosis.

    • Osgood-Schlatters

    A common cause of anterior knee pain in the young athlete. Pain, swelling and local tenderness will be present at the tibial tuberosity, where the patella tendon attaches below the knee joint. In some cases a boney lump can be seen. Affects boys more than girls.

    • Sinding-Larson-JohanssonSinding-Larsen-Johansson

    A less common cause of anterior knee pain in the young athlete. Pain, swelling and local tenderness will be present at the inferior pole of the patella, at the superior end of the patella tendon (at the bottom of the knee cap).

    • Severs

    A common cause of heel pain in young athletes. Pain, swelling and local tenderness will be present where the Achilles tendon attaches onto the heel.

    What are the causes of Growing Pains?

    • Growth spurt (during this period bone will lengthen before muscle. This will put increased pressure on tendon attachment during exercise)   Increased intensity of training
    • Adaptation to a new sport, especially those which involve running and jumping.
    • Reduced muscle length, especially during or after a growth spurt.
    • Reduced muscle strength.
    • Poor control / stability at the spine and pelvis.
    • Poor foot mechanics.

    How to manage the condition

    • growing painsMonitor and keep a record of the child’s growth. This can help to adapt training needs specifically .e.g. during a growth spurt an increased emphasis on stretching is required and maybe some reduced activity.
    • Reassurance to the child that his/her condition is relatively short term and that by continuing with their sport is not doing any harm.
    • Activity modification (this should be guided by pain levels. There is no evidence to suggest that prolonged and complete rest is beneficial)
    • Regular stretching of the surrounding muscle groups
    • Strengthening of the surrounding muscle groups. This should be focused on during periods of reduced symptoms and limited growth.
    • Spinal and pelvic stability / control work.
    • Assessment of foot mechanics Maybe a need to change footwear or use of orthotics. Small heel raises or gel cushions can be useful to control the symptoms of severs.
    • Use of ice locally
    • Use of massage to surrounding muscles
    • Seek medical advice regarding use of analgesics and anti-inflammatories.  

    Summary

    Growing Pains could be considered a normal part of growing up. A sound training plan and recognition of sudden changes in growth can help guide the young athlete through the problem.

    Any young athlete who is complaining of pain needs to be assessed by a medical professional.  You can book in at my Physiotherapy clinic in Willand, Cullompton, Devon.

    References

    1. ‘A heel cup improves the function of the heel pad in Severs injury : effects on heel pad thickness, peak pressure and pain.’ Perhamre et al. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science. August 2012.vol 22.4.p516.
    2.  ‘Childhood lower-limb apophyseal  syndromes : “what is the egg on my leg?.”’ Stickland. SportEX Medicine. Jan 2011.47.p22.
    3. ‘Adolescent anterior knee pain’ Gerbino et al.Operative techniques in Sports Medicine. July 2006.vol 14.3.p203.
    4. Clinical Sports Medicine. Bruckner et Al. Third edition 2006.Mcgraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd.

    Sarah Marshall Chartered Physiotherapist.

  6. Should I use a foam roller in my warm up?

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    Foam rolling is very popular in some parts of training, one of the questions we are asked is “How Can I use a foam roller in my warm up?” Here is an in depth look at that, with references and some exercises shown.

    What is Foam rolling?

    The myofascial system is made up of muscle and fascia, a tough sheet of connective tissue that envelopes muscle fibres. Through injury, overtraining, poor posture, poor movement mechanics and insufficient recovery, painful “trigger points” can build up in the myofascial system.

    These trigger points are often described as adhesions and occur in areas of tight muscle where muscle fibres and fascia effectively become stuck together. This can restrict movement about a joint, and also places strain on surrounding tissues which must compensate for the weakness and can lead to injury.

    Myofascial release is a massage technique used to break down the adhesions and increase extensibility of the muscle. There are two types of myofascial release which are used by practitioners:

    1)      Direct Pressure- direct pressure to adhesion, breaks down adhesions and scar tissue

    2)      Sweeping pressure- long strokes along full length of muscle, reduces muscle tension and promotes soft tissue extensibility.

    Foam rolling is a technique for self administering myofascial release. The technique involves applying pressure to the target area using the foam roller, and manipulating the position by rolling backwards and forwards along the length of the muscle.

    Using the foam roller is a cost effective way of achieving full body massage, leading to improved performance and reduced risk of injury.

    Some common exercises

    The foam roller can be used to treat any tight muscle group, and below are some of the most common exercises for major muscles of the lower body.

    Hamstrings–Foam rollerfoam roller warm up

     

    Glutes- 

     

    Thighs-

    Should a foam roller be used during warm ups?

    There is a growing body of evidence detailing the benefits of foam rolling/myofascial release but when is the most effective time to implement it?

    Pre-Training:

    There is a wealth of anecdotal support for the use of foam rolling before training. Experienced practitioners such as Dr David Ginsberg (2010 team chiropractor for Chicago Slaughter Professional Indoor Football team,  current injury consultant for St. Charles Gymnastics Academy)  advocates the use of foam rolling, using superficial sweeping pressure techniques,  in warm ups to relax and loosen tight muscle groups.

    The use of this technique has also been supported by a recent study by D’Amico & Morin (2011). Following a foam roller warm up protocol of 15 strokes back and forth along the hamstrings, subjects improved static strength and jump performance whilst also maintaining range of motion compared to a control group performing static stretching.

    However, the mechanism by which static strength and power were improved in this study was suggested to be an increase in muscle temperature. Therefore any warm up strategy including dynamic stretching and low load movement could result in a similar improvement in performance.

    Although the volume of research conducted into pre-exercise myofascial release and massage is limited, the majority of studies have found no benefit to performance compared to control trials.

    Studies by Harmer (1991) and Goodwin et al., (2007) found that pre-performance massage had no significant effect on subsequent sprint performances. Furthermore, Fletcher (2010) found that fast, superficial myofascial release techniques used during a warm up resulted in slower sprint performances than an active warm up.

    It should also be noted that myofascial release practitioners warn against using the direct pressure technique immediately before training or competition. Direct Pressure will break up scar tissue and result in an inflammatory response. Exercising immediately after this could result in further inflammation and possibly injury. 

    Post Training:

    There has been extensive research on the effects of foam rolling when used post training. A review by Bret Contreras and Chris Beardsley (S+C Research December, 2014) describes two recent studies looking at effects on recovery from training, and on mobility.

    A study by Kim et al., (2014) investigated the effect of foam rolling on recovery from physical stress. Participants performed 30 minutes of exercise followed immediately by foam rolling or passive rest, with levels of the stress hormone cortisol then measured and compared.

    The researchers found that there was no significant difference in reduction of cortisol between the two groups. This suggests that foam rolling immediately post training/competition has little impact on recovery.

    However, a study by Mohr et al., (2014) showed more positive effects of foam rolling. Participants completed one of three different mobility programmes over the course of a week (foam rolling, stretching, foam rolling and stretching; there was also a control group with no programme).

    All three groups increased passive hip flexion ROM, with static stretching (12°) being twice as effective as foam rolling (6°). However when combined together, the effects of stretching and foam rolling (23.5°) were almost twice as effective compared to stretching alone.

    Conclusions

    Foam rolling has been shown to significantly increase mobility when performed in conjunction with traditional stretching routines. Using the foam roller every day before stretching exercises looks to enhance mobility which could impact on both performance and injury prevention.

    This could be done either after training, or at a later part of the day away from training, as research suggests no benefit of rolling immediately post-training.

    Despite popularity and anecdotal support for using foam rollers before training and competition, there is no evidence to suggest they provide any benefit to performance or injury prevention compared to more active warm up techniques.

    Once more, there is a potential danger of injury if used excessively prior to training or competition. Dynamic active warm ups should still be the major focus when preparing an athlete for training or competition.

     Matt Durber

    References

    Beardsley, C. and Contreras, B. (2014) Strength and Conditioning Research, December (Foam roller edition).

    D’Amico, A. and Morin, C. (2011) Effects of Myofascial Release on Human Performance. In association with Bridgewater State University. Retrieved from http://www.fiteval.com/Site_1/Research_Study.html

     Goodwin, J.E., Glaister, M., Howatson, G., Lockey, R.A., and McInnes, G. (2007) Effect of Pre-performance Lower-Limb Massage on Thirty-Meter Sprint Running. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21 (4), 1028-1031.

    Fletcher, IM. (2010) The effects of precompetition massage on the kinematic parameters of 20-m sprint performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(5), 1179-83.

    Harmer, P. (1991) The effect of pre-performance massage on stride frequency in sprinters. Journal of Athletic Training, 26, 55-8.

    Kim, K., Park, S., Goo, B.O., and Choi, S.C. (2014) Effect of self-myofascial release on reduction of physical stress: a pilot study Journal of Physical Therapy Science, 26 (11), 1779-1781.

    Mohr, A.R., Long, B.C., and Goad, C.L. (2014) Effect of foam rolling and static stretching on passive hip-flexion range of motion Journal of Sport Rehabilitation (forthcoming).

  7. Madden on footwork

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    In “One knee equals two feet”,  John Madden talks about footwork for linebackers. Madden was talking to a linebacker and asked him to analyse what he did…

    “My feet and shoulders are lined up together, one told me. My first step is short, only 6 inches, then my next step is...”

    The more he talked, the more I realised he was a robot. He was trying to play linebacker the way some dance students try to learn the tango. By the numbers. One, two, three, four. You don’t play linebacker by the numbers. You play it by instinct.”

    John Madden

    Madden also talks about quarterback footwork when they drop back to pass, and how precise it has to be so that the QB can deliver the ball quickly and from the right side. The difference is between a set play for the QB and the reactions and search and destroy attitude of the linebacker in open play.

    Two main types of agility training

    I have mentioned before the difference between programmed agility (which can be measured and tested) and unprogrammed agility (which is instinctive) and how they can be trained.

    Programmed agility is useful for set routines and allowing the progression of stabilisation, braking and then speed. More acute turning angles and complexity of obstacles can be used to develop leg strength at different angles. Equipment such as poles and cones are useful in setting up these drills.

    Unprogrammed agility can be trained by creating drills and games that force the player to react instinctively. Here the best equipment is other players and balls that are moving without pattern.

    This activates the Central Nervous System more.

    Good Coaches can use both in their training programmes, recognising when each player in their position needs which one.

    • Programmed agility requires underlying mechanical strength to be effective.
    • Unprogrammed agility requires underlying movement skills to be effective.

    I make sure I use a mix of both when coaching our athletes

    So, did I come up with this on my own, or have I been influenced by listening to Madden?

  8. Athlete screening: Reduce injury risk and improve performance

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    What is athlete screening?

    sports physiotherapy devonBy Sarah Marshall, Chartered Physiotherapist.

    The screening of an athlete is used to identify the current musculoskeletal condition of that individual. If carried out initially during the pre-season period, it can provide a set of baseline values for the athlete’s database or personal physical profile.

    Repeat screenings throughout the season can then identify any physical changes. This is particularly important with a growing and developing skeletal system.

    At Excelsior, we use a baseline screening of 5 different exercises that assess the individual’s ability to move in 3 dimensions in a coordinated fashion. We are looking to find out what a person CAN do as opposed to what they CAN’T do.

    We look at Posture, Balance, Stability and Mobility and this helps us gauge the movement efficiency of the athlete.

    Excelsior screening

    Why do we screen?

    A functional screening assessment will identify an individual athlete’s musculoskeletal strengths and weaknesses. From these results, an accurate rehabilitation/conditioning programme can be implemented.

    Historically, screening would involve observation of static posture and a normal gait pattern. Non-functional assessment of joint movement, muscle strength and flexibility would be carried out. This might include various single joint assessments in sitting or lying positions.

    This is good for identifying individual areas of weakness.

    However, sportspeople rarely use single-joint movements in these positions; instead, the body works as one unit. By looking at the overall movement we can see the context in which any problems occur.

    Sport Specific Screening?

    computer posture

    Prolonged periods at a desk or gaming can lead to shoulder and back problems

    Whilst it is important to understand the needs and demands of the sport, we do a screening that is Athlete specific, not sport-specific.

    An assumption is often made when designing training programmes that the athlete is able to perform basic movements and then start loading them.

    Unfortunately, experience has shown that this is the exception rather than the norm.

    Anecdotally less than 10% of the sportspeople we screen have been able to perform the basic movements well.

    Sportspeople are a product of their environments and posture is affected by daily living (driving, sitting, lying) or by their sport (racquet sports and throwers being one-sided for example).

    Prolonged exposure to poor posture can lead to problems. By improving an individual’s movement patterns first, injury risk will be reduced.

    Then we can address the needs of the sport and performance can be enhanced.

    Repeat screenings can be especially useful post-injury to help determine an athlete’s return to competition.

    If you would like more information on screening for you or your athletes, I am happy to answer your queries: we are based in Willand, near Cullompton & Tiverton.

    You contact me here  

  9. Discipline versus liberty: how your actions affect society

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    “I can eat what I want, when I want”

    self-disciplineThose were the famous words issued by a friend of mine through a mouthful of cake, two weeks before he was admitted to hospital with a gall stone attack.

    His actions led to other people having to look after him: his wife, nurses and doctors. His children were affected as they were worried and concerned about his health. He had the liberty to do what he wanted, but lacked self-discipline.

    This impacted our society.

    Discipline may conjure up images of either jack-booted police states forcing people to work in gulags (or scanning tourists’ eyes who are adding money to failing economies!), or being forced to stand in a corner when being disruptive in class.

    This is externally enforced discipline and the first example is dictatorship, not discipline.

    DISCIPLINE > Liberty nuremberg rally

    LIBERTY> Discipline  

    “Discipline is a restraint on liberty, so most of us have a very natural inclination to avoid it.”

    (Field- Marshal Slim (1)).

    Slim was talking in a post war Britain that had been economically devastated by six years of fighting totalitarian regimes.

    He then goes on to say “All history teaches that when, through idleness, weakness or faction, the sense of order fades in a nation its economic life fades into decay.”  Sound familiar? Look at the UK riots in the summer of 2011 and think about our society.

    Discipline can also come from within

    Self-discipline is for your own benefit and also for others:

    • Getting up to go to work when the alarm clock goes off (self, employer, family).
    • Eating a healthy breakfast (self, team, nation).
    • Running that extra set of laps to get fit (self, team).
    • Avoiding a fiery response to a late tackle so you avoid giving away a penalty (team).
    • Washing your hands frequently so you stay healthy (self, family, team, nation).
    • Parking your car in between lines, not across two spaces (society you selfish driver).
    • Paying your taxes (self, family, nation).

    This internal self-discipline is essential as it is that which you will draw upon in times of stress and need.

    Unfortunately, discipline is often seen as a dirty word. The discipline of finishing a task you have set out to do. One local high school allows its female pupils to quit p.e. if they want to. Ill discipline is rife there (I had objects thrown at my car, swearing amongst pupils was left unchecked, pupils walk out of class and school at will!)

    How can we build a Nation on this? The teachers are letting the pupils down.

    Politicians and coaches need discipline

    neil parishIn order for our team and nation to work, those people we elect need to have discipline too. We are trusting them to act and behave responsibly.

    If they espouse “just do as I say” and then act irresponsibly we lose trust, respect and then our desire to act in a disciplined fashion.  Examples might be:

    • Spending our tax money wisely.
    • Stop fiddling expenses.
    • Setting an example with our own healthy and ethical behaviours.
    • Treating all players with respect and courtesy.
    • Avoiding nepotism.
    • Have a clear vision of what is trying to be achieved, and inform, explain and engage others in that vision.

    “Serve to Lead”

    This is the motto of the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst . When I was there, it was drummed into us that it was our responsibility as future leaders to look after the welfare of our troops. If we failed in that, then we would be negligent in our duty.

    This includes explaining and informing others of what we are trying to achieve, opportunities that exist , constraints that might stop us, and how we are trying to overcome them. It is then down to the troops, citizens, or team mates to fully commit and exhort every gram of effort into this common goal.

    everest disabledThis comes down to discipline versus liberty. You can eat that extra cake, you can stop that run short of the line, you can park in that disabled bay, you can turn up late to your practice and you can give that defence contract to your old college roommate… but be aware it has an impact beyond yourself.

    We are privileged to live in a free society.

    The alternative is to be told what job we have to do, how many children we are allowed to have (and what sex), and what friends we are allowed to associate with.

    “You can have discipline without liberty, but you can’t have liberty without discipline.” (Slim).

    References

    1 Courage and other broadcasts. Field- Marshal Sir William Slim. Cassel & Company LTD: London (1957).

  10. Hepburn’s laws- training manual

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    “The journey to becoming a champion of super strength begins with obtaining the right kind of knowledge.”

    Doug Hepburn’s book on strength training is an excellent text about strongman training from 1980.

    In it, he lists a few rules which he found to be essential when learning how to get strong.

    You may be thinking “what can I learn about strength training from that old geezer? He doesn’t even have a twitter account!”

    Well, Naseem Taleb in his book “Anifragile” talks about how things that worked 50 years ago, and continue to work are a good bet (the wheel springs to mind). 

    Whilst everything in the last 5 years may be packaged and shiny and have a certification attached to it, the underlying principles of the human body have remained the same for far longer.

    Here is a summary of Doug Hepburn’s “laws” and how his system complies with them.

    1. The setting of goals: sets a goal for each workout.
    2. Positive mental attitude: gives a goal which can be achieved in each workout. Eliminates failure.
    3. Proper rest and recuperation: provides the right number of workouts per week/ month.
    4. The correct percentage of maximum weight is used: prevents burning out by avoiding maximum poundages.
    5. The correct number of reps and sets: gives the ultimate result-producing number of sets and reps.
    6. doug hepburn's laws of trainingThe correct use of muscle pump: gives the correct amount and proper timing for the muscle to be pumped.
    7. Prevent over training: not possible with this method.
    8. Use basic exercises: uses the most result producing exercises: squat, press, bench press, curl, deadlift-row.
    9. Increase the number of nerve impulses to a given muscle in a given time: Works all types of muscle fibres along a fast-slow continuum in the same workout.
    10. You never got something for nothing: Hepburn’s system requires effort, resulting in long lasting benefits.
    11. Avoid illness and injury: By preventing overtraining, helps the body fight disease and heal quickly.
    12. “Stick to it-iveness” (never give in): All sports build willpower and character.
    13. Courage and faith: all weight training programmes require these.

    Some pretty good points in here that stand up 34 years later. The book is well laid out and offers sound advice on diet, as well as effective planning and recording of progress. 

    It was good to reread this book and see how my own training programmes compare (The Excelsior 12 week Get Stronger training programme. )

    Have you got any “laws” of training that you would like to share? Add comment below please.