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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Thanks for taking the time to read it.

James Marshall

1. Strongman Training

   7th April 2016 6:31 am

   Strongman training can be seen as a specific sporting event or as a sexy functional exercise that shows innovation and is used as a gimmic.
   

   0 Comments | Read More | strongman

2. Core stability training

   31st March 2016 1:12 pm

   I don’t like the phrase core stability, instead just using the term core strength. A recent study looked at trunk muscle activation during 3 stability ball exercises and compared that to 50-100% of maximum deadlifts and squats.
   

   0 Comments | Read More | core training

3. Good enough is big enough

   24th March 2016 11:54 am

   Two of the athletes I train have recently had selection issues because of their height with new coaches discriminating against them, in 2 different sports. Both athletes are strong, but need to develop more power and quickness. That isn’t the reason they are having difficulty. Both are very bright, with good game sense and are tough. Those things are difficult to coach. They are also qualities that are difficult to gauge on first meeting.

   0 Comments | Read More | fitness testing, nfl combine, talent id

4. Sprint Training Mechanics: Frans Bosch

   21st March 2016 9:01 am

   “Humans aren’t descended from apes, but are a bad crossbreed of kangaroos and horses”

   Frans Bosch delivered 4 great presentations at GAIN V this year each one packed full of information and ideas.

   This included two practical sessions. One was gym based and one was running based. That helped immensely with my understanding and application.

   5 Comments | Read More | speed training, sprinting

5. Cricket Fitness

   20th March 2016 8:49 am

   Cricketers need to be fit to play.

   On initial appearance cricket may not appear to be the most physical of sports. Brief periods of activity are followed by longer periods of rest. Apart from fast bowlers who can perform long series of overs, the rest of the team do not look to be that active.

   However, this is a mistaken concept as it is precisely this intermittent high intensity activity that requires the Cricketer to be very fit. The movements are fast and dynamic and have to be sustained throughout a morning or afternoon in the field.

   2 Comments | Read More | cricket, cricket fitness

6. How to reduce the risk of ACL injury for females.

   16th March 2016 10:47 am

   “Female athletes have a 4-6 times higher incidence of ACL injury than do male athletes participating in the same landing and pivoting sports” (1)

   Why are Females at Higher Risk of ACL Injury?

    

   Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can have a direct effect on neuro-muscular performance.

   16 Comments | Read More | physiotherapist, sports injury

7. How much sleep is enough after training?

   10th March 2016 2:49 pm

   Sleep deprivation has shown to

   increase cortisol levels,
   decrease activity of human growth hormone,
   and reduce the efficiency for glucose metabolism.

   16 Comments | Read More | LTAD, recovery, sleep

8. Recovery Strategies for commited sports people

   9th March 2016 6:38 pm

   The Recovery Pyramid

   I use a pyramid method of recovery- there is little point going onto the next level until you have done the first. The further down you go, the less proven are the strategies.

   7 Comments | Read More | recovery, sleep, sports nutrition

9. What is Old School Coaching?

   1st March 2016 2:47 pm

   Is being “Old School” better than “New Skool”?

   I got called and “Old school coach” last week mainly because I avoid overcomplicating things.

   I choose what information I give to an athlete. My knowledge obviously has boundaries but my object is to make the athlete better at their sport.

   3 Comments | Read More |

10. Training Design Do’s and Don’ts: Gary Winckler

    22nd February 2016 4:51 pm

    Train to the athlete’s strengths

    Gary Winckler has 38 years of coaching experience behind him. He has taken track athletes to every Olympic Games since the 1984 Olympics.

    (Pictured to my right, with P.E. specialist Greg Thompson)

    More impressively, each of those athletes has had a Personal Best or Season Best at the Games.

    He knows how to prepare for the big event.

    7 Comments | Read More | athletics, overtraining, periodisation