Blog

Welcome to the Excelsior blog. It is a mix of current research and thoughts on Athlete and Coach Development, Strength and Conditioning and personal reflections.

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James Marshall

1. Plyometrics and Agility: Jim Radcliffe

   27th June 2016 3:46 pm

    “Try to be more like a super ball not a tomato”

   Jim Radcliffe’s advice on plyometric training rang true as he went through a series of progressions for plyometrics.

   6 Comments | Read More | agility, plyometrics

2. Top Broscience Myths

   24th June 2016 3:01 pm

   Broscience is overrated I am privileged to work with many good athletes, and I interact with many excellent coaches. I last worked in the Health and Fitness industry  15 years ago (pre Internet boom). It therefore came as a shock to me the other day when I assessed some Personal Trainers in their fitness studio with their […]

   1 Comment | Read More | broscience

3. Movement and People: GAIN 2016

   21st June 2016 7:08 am

   Coach education at its best “Movement and people” is how Andy Stone summed up his approach to coaching. That matches my philosophy too. Care about the people and teach them to move well; good things happen as a result. At Vern Gambetta’s GAIN conference in Houston, Texas, there were many good coaches (as well as […]

   2 Comments | Read More | GAIN

4. Coach development

   13th June 2016 11:29 am

   Annual Conference on Athletic Development In the early hours of tomorrow morning I fly to Houston to attend the GAIN conference for 5 days. This will be my 5th visit to Vern Gambetta’s athletic development masterclass. There is no other conference like it: containing a mixture of practical sessions, lectures, talks and discussions. The diverse […]

   0 Comments | Read More |

5. Giving our youth roots to grow and wings to fly

   27th May 2016 10:50 am

   The above is a quote from Frank Dick. It is brought to mind because last week a young athlete said she wasn’t good enough to get to the Olympics.

   At 13 years old, no she isn’t. What was disappointing was it appeared that any flame of ambition had been doused.

   0 Comments | Read More | LTAD

6. What should I eat for breakfast?

   25th May 2016 10:45 am

    “Fill me up with sugar and watch me crash”

   

   Parents and coaches often ask me “What should my child eat for breakfast?”

   Eating the right thing will aid concentration and help overall health and performance.

   Eating the wrong thing will lead to rapid increases in blood sugar, followed shortly by an insulin rush and onset of lethargy.

   19 Comments | Read More | breakfast, sports nutrition

7. Butter your own toast

   22nd May 2016 8:32 am

   I saw this quote somewhere recently, it was aimed at young people, but it applies to us all. It is a variation on the give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man how to fish, he eats for a lifetime quote.

   I can show someone how to butter their toast, I may even do it 2-3 times, they then have to start buttering it themselves. If they are good, they may then start trying different types of butter, or bread, or even making toasted sandwiches.

   Some people turn up every week, cap in hand and an expectant look please butter my toast again, without progressing.

   0 Comments | Read More | motivation

8. Bad Science

   14th May 2016 2:01 pm

   I was asked on Tuesday by an athlete who is quite new to weight lifting why I would teach cleans which are quite complex, if high pulls also work the triple extension.
   The answer is that I have got a lot of time with this athlete, so can afford to work on his technique without sacrificing his work that will lead to strength and power development. The clean will then enable him to perform the jerks without using a rack.
   

   0 Comments | Read More | sport nutrition, sports science, weightlifting

9. Periodization: beginners guide

   12th May 2016 4:32 pm

   What is Periodisation?

   Most people start off with Tudor Bompa’s Periodization or, in this country, Frank Dick’s sports training principles when learning about periodisation. They cover the basis premise about modulating volume and intensity over a period of time to allow overload and adaptation to take place.
   

   0 Comments | Read More | overtraining, periodisation

10. How to create an outstanding physical education programme

    10th May 2016 3:31 pm

    “If you screw up your kids, nothing else matters”

    Greg Thompson, GAIN 2013.

    Physical education used to be about function: getting fit to help with a full day’s work and then helping with the harvest. Now its about sport.

    7 Comments | Read More | GAIN, physical education