Tag Archive: beetroot supplements

1. How to practice: should we teach this first?

   7th April 2014 8:17 pm 1 Comment

   “Rather than teach what to practice, I should start with how to practice”

   This was the lesson I learnt from working with golf coach John Jacobs on a recent training day.

   John had set up a simple pitching task for the 10 golfers: they had to try and pitch 10 balls into some different spaces he had marked out with cones.

   He clearly said 3 times “work out the distance to the target” before they started pitching.

   10 minutes later, despite each owning £300+ rangefinders (I know, me too!), only 2 of the golfers had managed to measure 1 of the targets! What had they been doing?

   They had done the usual thing of just getting out their pitching wedges and having a go. The results reflected that: the 10 best boy golfers in the South West were unable to hit a target 30 metres away.

   My fellow coach Matt and me are no golfers, but we were amazed that the boys (15-16 years old) were unable, or unwilling, to even measure the distance. That is definitely a “controllable” that they could “control”.

   (The uncontrollables include things like: weather, quality of opposition, bounce of the ball, selection for squad, competition draw.)

   However, this is typical of this age group, whatever the sport.

   Controllables that we should control

   It is easy for old and supposedly wise heads like myself and John, to be astounded at this. But, I need to put myself back 29 years and see where I was then. Here are a few things I tell the young athletes that they should be able to control.

   • Fitness: that is within your control. Yes, you will need guidance on the correct exercises, structure and progressions. No, I am unable to get out of bed and do the run for you. 
   • Warm Up:as mentioned previously, this is important before practice and competition. It is part of a routine. By focusing on this, you are less likely to be distracted by external events and your opponents. Get this sorted, and stick to it.
   • Nutrition: we are in control of what we put in our mouths. Having a blood sugar crash on the 13th hole because you have failed to prepare a snack is down to you. One of the golfers had missed breakfast that morning: that is simply careless and is giving the opposition an advantage.
   • Kit: having the right kit for the job at hand. It is alright having a £300 range finder (!) but if it is at home,  how can you use it? Waterproofs, correct shoes, spare laces, safety pins for vest numbers, and so on. Think ahead and pack it the night before you go away.

   There are more (and please leave suggestions below) but if you get these 4 things right, then you will be better prepared than 95% of your opposition.

   This may seem simple, but I see it every time, every practice, every squad. At the SW Fencing Hub, we have been looking at “coping with adversity“. I told Coach Tristan Parris that there was no need for us to creat adverse situations: the fencers were brilliant at creating their own adversity by neglecting the 4 points above!

   The good news is that those of the golfers who have taken the advice, such as Tom Trowbridge, have seen immense benefits already.  

   How to practice

   Once you have got the above things right, then it is time to sort out your own practice. I have asked the golfers to sort their warm ups out, and to do 5 minutes of exercises a day. 

   This is to start the exercise habit and get into routines (how to practice). But, most have failed to do this.

   Why?

   • Is it because I have failed to emphasise the benefits for golf? They all like to hear “golf specific” before every exercise. 
   • Is it because I have demonstrated too quickly? One of the girls’ parents said the exercises were impossible (my 4 year old son is able to do them all) everything is tricky at first, those who practice pick this up in a week.
   • Or is it because the actual organisation of time and structure is alien to these young people? If your golf coach, personal trainer or Mum do everything for you, then you never learn how to do things on your own.

   John gets all the golfers to carry a notebook and pencil, so they can write down any thoughts on their round or practice. I am going to try and get the golfers to write down what their plan is for the next week. This means minute by minute, rather than “go for a run twice“.

   Then I will ask them to write down the aim of every session, and 1 key thing they need to focus on. They can then write down their warm up, and how the first 10 minutes of practice is going to start.

   “Hit 50 balls with each club” is the wrong answer! As is “go to the gym and follow the golf specific app exercise plan on my phone“.

   I have incorrectly assumed that young people can organise their own time to a certain extent. The practice session with John showed that this is a generic trait, rather than an exercise related trait.

   It took 30 minutes of the training session before the golfers really took control of their practice. Things improved from there. But, that is 30 minutes of wasted time every practice.

   If young athletes learn “how to practice” first, then the “what to practice” will become more effective.

   Further reading

   • Educating junior athletes: getting them to think like pros.
   • How to change habits: the power of goal setting
   • For coaches: how to use the micro practice 

2. Coach Development: One size does not fit all.

   26th October 2012 9:42 am 4 Comments

   Coach Development Mind Map

   

   (Full image was sent out in today’s newsletter and is presented in our coaching courses).

   Are you a victim of a false dichotomy?

   Coach development takes many forms, but I often see and hear a “our way or the highway” approach to working with athletes. This could be well meaning, but it could also be a commercial or vested interest that is trying to defend or justify its existence. 

   In my development as a strength and conditioning coach I have come across 4 main routes to becoming an “S&C coach”.

   Here are some examples:

   The Academic.

   “In order to work with any athlete you must have attended our University course X” or “I have worked with athlete Y” (what that could mean is the profressor supervised an undergraduate dissertation which involved testing a footballer on a treadmill).

   A sound background of theoretical knowledge is essential in coaching. A rigorous approach to assessing what works and what doesn’t is also essential. Going to University can help that.

   You can gain knowledge for free in many ways (see here), Universities are trying to get £30,000 from you, their rankings are based on research published, not on how well an undergraduate is taught.

   Knowledge without an idea of how to apply it is not much use in Coaching.

   (Disclaimer: I have an  MSc in Sports Coaching, I didn’t do an undergraduate degree).

   The Ex Athlete

   “This worked for me, so it should work for you” or “here’s what we are doing in training today” (which could mean, doing their session as they still prefer to train rarher than coach).

   An experience of competing, training and the ups and downs of sporting life is very useful in coaching. This is not formal training, it is part of getting bruised, battered, elated and downright knackered.

   However, just doing what you did as an athlete, and applying it to all your sessions is not sound coaching. Worse, newly retired athletes often use the training for their own benefit.

   The very best at their sport often do not make good coaches because they did not understand the training principles behind what they did. They could pick things up easily and were highly motivated.

   (Disclaimer: I trained  in Karate for 16 years, including 3 years on the England squad and competed in National, European and World Championships, amongst other things).

   The Ex Forces

   “Stand still, move fast, do 100 press ups because your sock is the wrong colour” or “today we are going to do a team building run of 5 miles” (which could mean, I know it gets people tired, and tired is good).

   The discipline, organisation and work ethic of coaches who have served or are serving in the Military are very useful traits. The experience of working in teams, with minimal facilites and with large groups is excellent.

   However, what is important to be trained when preparing 17 year olds for an amphibious assault against an occupied position, is not the same for 13 year old netball girls (although I am not sure which is more scary).

   Similarly, being able to perform massive amounts of non specific work is useful in the Military, and doing it when sleep deprived and under stress more so. This is not so relevant for 120kg rugby props. 

   This should be borne in mind when doing endless circuit training or “beastings”. Getting tired is not the same as getting better.

   (Disclaimer: I served in the British Army, and spent 3 months rehabbing an injury at RAF Headley Court which is an excellent facility with superb staff).

   The Badge Collector

   “I went on course X and we were told to do this” or “Exercise Y is the only way to develop power” (meaning, I have invested time and money into learning this exercise and I have bought the kit, so now I have to justify that by doing it with everyone!).

   Coaching courses that are delivered by “gurus” or “experts” should involve practical coaching. Learning coach theory, or new exericises without actually applying them and learning from your mistakes is questionable.

   Having lots of badges, but no sort of context in which to apply them is also not beneficial. Otherwise you will be doing the “Barefoot running with kettlebells followed by some Olympic Lifting sessions” with Equestrians.

   It is very easy to learn drills, it is hard to learn the skills on how to apply them and when.

   If you have a list of coaching badges, but do not Coach, then how are you applying the knowledge? Wearing a tracksuit with “Coach” on the back, does not mean you can coach.

   You have to get your hands dirty and make mistakes at some point. Then you have a point of reference to work from and improve.

   (Disclaimer: I have attended many different courses and workshops over the years, and I usally try the stuff out on myself first. I have made a Gazillion mistakes. I deliver Level 1 and Level 2 coaching S&C courses, they involve self reflection, practical work and theoretical learning).

   Summary

   Coach development is far from a simple linear pathway. It involves many different aspects of both formal and informal learning, as well as life experience.

   Anyone with young kids has a different perspective on the problems faced by parents, than those who don’t. 

   Suffering from setbacks in life or sport gives you a chance to learn and develop. 

   Have a look at your own coaching and background, if you see some holes or gaps, then look to fill them.

   Are you a one dimensional Coach (or Human Being)?

   Further reading:

   • 5 tips on how to get started in strength and conditioning coaching 
   • Using profiling to help improve your coaching  

3. Coaching disabled athletes: Global Coaches House

   12th October 2012 8:17 am Leave a Comment

    Paralympics Wrap Up

   After watching the blind football team play at the Paralympics, I went to the final session of the Paralympics Global Coaches House, chaired by Professor Pat Duffy.

   This was a 2 part seminar with part 1 looking at experiences and thoughts of working with disabled athletes, and part 2 looking at future considerations for coach development.

   A discussion was held with the coaches present offering insights from their practical experiences. It was agreed that there is no “blue print for coaching disabled athletes”. 

   I made the point that within the same sport and the same disability, individuals vary greatly. Just labelling people as “disabled” is much the same as labelling “women” or “Chinese“. Disabled athletes are not a homogenous group.

   Another coach made the valid point that because of access to funding some disabled “participation athletes” are actually thrust into “performance” environments, even though they may not be ready, or may not ever be ready for that.

   Pat Duffy then said that as ongoing coach education:

   • All coaches should have the mindset, philosophy and capability to coach athletes with a disability
   • The education of all coaches should address mindset, philosophy and capability so that coaches can respond accordingly to the needs of all athletes.

    International Council for Coach Education  

   The second part of the seminar then looked at Coach Education for the different types of coach and the diffferent levels of athlete they work with.

   This was quite comprehensive and showed that recogniton of ALL coaches is important, not just professional coaches working with Olympians.

   In the U.K.:

   • Less than 5% of coaches are full time and paid.
   • 25% are part time and paid.
   • 75% are unpaid volunteers

   (Some interesting stats for those of you studying and thinking of Coaching as a profession.)

    Coach development can include 3 areas:

   1. Professional Knowledge (The technical stuff)
   2. Interpersonal Knowledge (How to share and interact)
   3. Intrapersonal Knowledge (How you are as a person).

   This formed part of a thorough framework that has been designed to assist all coaches at all levels.

   (You can download a copy of the International Sport Coaching Framework here )

    Summary

   I found the evening useful as it got together, coaches and academics in the same room. Pat made the point that beauracrats and administrators make decisions that impact sport as a whole, but coaches don’t get involved in committees.

   • Administrators need to seek out and understand what is happening in the real world.
   • Coaches need to share and communicate upwards as well as downwards to help the overall body of knowledge develop.

   Personally, I think that when academics publish papers or get asked to present at conferences, they need to name the coaches who have contributed.

   It was good to see the overall picture, and then combine that with speciifc detail and examples.

    Have a look at the frameworks and see how that fits into your coaching.

   I am constantly frustrated with people just wanting to get a certificate, rather than looking to improve the quality of their coaching!

    

    

4. Coaching Legends: Learning from the best.

   1st August 2012 9:08 am Leave a Comment

   Standing on the shoulders of giants.

   I spent Monday in the presence of some Coaching giants: Frank Dick, Bill Sweetenham and Vern Gambetta at the Global Coaches House.

   Olympic Legacy?

   The Hot Topic in the morning was about the Olympic Legacy. Who is going to light the fire of the next generation of coaches, athletes and teachers?

   I made the point that Parents are at the frontline of all that needs to happen. Either as role models or taxi drivers.

   Vern said “make it small, make it local, make it neighbourhood“. It starts from there.

   Frank emphasised the need for encouraging aspiration not expectation in our younger generation.

   How are you going to make a difference after the Olympics?

   Creating a Winning Profile

   Bill Sweetenham talked about how to create a winning profile in your athletes, support staff and coaches. He wants his athletes to focus on their best performances, and look to improve from the bottom up. It is hard to improve on oyur best all the time, but you can improve your 11th best performance.

   If you do this every 6 months, then you are making progress. Your best performance is the one that is yet to come.

   Bill then talked about identifying 9 key aspects of your performance, then looking to get each one of those better by 1%. If you can do that, then your chances of achieving your goal have will improve by 25-30%.

   The importance of emotional stress was then covered, especially as this is a big factor in the Big Championships. Physical and mental stress are common in training, but the emotional stress is often under rated (British Cycling response to Winning the Tour de France?).

   In domestic and International competitions, there is less recovery time needed for emotional stress, as it is not such a factor. Things change when you get to the big games, and coaches and athletes need ot be prepared.

   All the time Bill referred to the athlete and to the Coaching team. It is not just down to the athletes. The team has to be the best it can be: either through training or through recruitment. The Coach has to keep progressing and working.

   He had some really useful metrics that I shall be using with my athletes and on myself to help us improve. I haven’t seen him present before, but I was very impressed with his simple but effective tools, and his emphasis on the need for accountability from everyone in the team.

   How are you going to improve your Coaching after the Olympics?

   Decisions, Decisions.

   “The opposite of right isn’t wrong, it’s left” was something Frank had been told in his past. He then expounded on some specific case studies and real life examples and asked us what decisions we would have made and why.

   This was a really useful exercise, and I benefitted from hearing how other people think. (Of course, you need a supportive, no blame no fear environment for this to work in!)

   Who was Andrea del Verrocchio?

   He was Leonardo Da Vinci’s mentor.

   Frank talked about how the athletes get all the attention, but who is the person standing behind them? Who has helped them along their path?

   Who was the person who got Da Vinci started?

   Da Vinci “Took the process of homework as being important”. His mentor instilled this in him, and his use of this and practice, practice, practice allowed him to develop into greatness.

   Some things can’t be taught, they can only be learnt. “Experience is a cruel mistress because she gives you the exam before you have had the lesson.” So, how can we accelerate that experiential process?

   • Take time out to reflect. 
   • Grow regularly and use a network of people who think differently
   • Decide to be the best.

   I last saw Frank present in 2000 on a Coaching Day for Health Club Managers. That inspired me to set up Excelsior. He is just as inspiring now. Coaches need motivating too!

   Food for thought

   As usual on these days, it was just as useful mingling chatting before and after the seminars.

   There were some great coaches present, and it helped clear up some thoughts for me.

   I was both inspired and challenged.

   It was great to catch up with people I had last seen on GAIN in Houston. 

5. Sharpening your coaching knife.

   26th August 2011 4:32 pm 2 Comments

   I think that coaching is like a knife and has to be kept sharp.

   You can’t put it into a drawer for a few months and pull it out expecting it to work.

   Neither can you use it all day long, week in and week out: it becomes dull

   The trick is to balance regular coaching, with regular development and reflection.

    

   Have a good Bank Holiday weekend

6. Bridging the Gap: Coaching Theory to Practice

   21st July 2011 5:14 pm 1 Comment

   Bridging The Gap

   Will Roberts: Senior Lecturer in Sport, Coaching and Physical Education

   There is an increasing amount of research in the fields of strength and conditioning and sports coaching, and with an increasing interest in the profession of coaching there are more and more practitioners in both of these fields.

    The problem

   It is quite common that researchers rarely ‘do’, and practioners rarely have the time to ‘research and reflect’.

   What happens? Well, there is a gap between the theories of coaching, and the actual every day practice of coaching. Unfortunately, what has not been dealt with is what sits in this gap. Recently, what this gap has referred to is the lack of knowledge of either the coach or the researcher (which is never the same person) which impacts on the level of ‘good’ or ‘effective’ coaching that can take place.

   As I reflect more on this ‘gap’, and having witnessed James Marshall and his colleagues deliver a coaching day in Exeter recently, is that this ‘gap’ (and those that are in the gap) is young people’s athletic development. If researchers and practitioners don’t start collaborating then these young people that we are charged with coaching will continue to be physically, technically, tactically, socially and psychologically underdeveloped.

   The solution?

   James Marshall and his colleagues are starting to build a bridge across the gap of academic and practitioner. Thorough reflection, mentoring, challenging the traditional, reading, writing and thinking coaching, James is questioning long held beliefs about the ways in which we should coach young people, and the types of things we should be coaching young people.

   From nutritional workshops, to free play, to technical skill development for running, (one young man couldn’t run at the start of the day – his technique was a little closer to athletic by the end of it, a genuinely impressive improvement) James and his colleagues followed up a series of coaching sessions with the day long workshop.

   You might think that this is not unique, but done well it certainly is. You don’t have to be an ex-athlete, a household name, in possession of a PhD, or a consultant in coaching to be effective.

   James and his team are a great of example of what coaching should be. In order to bridge the gap between those researching and those doing, we need to become both.

   It is vital that coaches in future are innovative, thoughtful, thought provoking, challenging, researching and DOING. Only when this happens, will we really bridge the gap and service those that are looking for support and guidance so that we have competitive, healthy, fit young people that are the athletes, participants and future coaches and teachers.

   Further Research

   For some further thoughts on sports coaching, it may be worth reading the following:

   Robyn Jones (2006) The sports coach as educator: re-conceptualising sports coaching published by Routledge: London

   Robyn Jones and Mike Wallace (2007) An Introduction to sports coaching: From science and theory to practice published by Routledge: London

7. Coaching audit: time to be self critical

   19th July 2011 11:23 am Leave a Comment

   Having been in business full time for approaching 10 years, I thought it was time to assess where we stood. Having had a couple of heavy deadlines earlier in the year, I decided to take the time to get some input on where the company stood.

   I am in the last stages of a 4 part audit of Excelsior.

    April: Customer focus.

   Myself and the staff did an extensive survey of what the athletes and customers wanted and expected from us. This included verbal Q&A and written questions. We looked at this information about what they didn’t know, common questions they had, where they looked for information and in what form.

   One of the surprising things that came out of this was that they wanted Excelsior stash!

   This information has helped shape our workshops, current and future, as well as the blog and resources.

   May: External coaching audit.

   As part of the Transformational coaching course run at Bath University, Wayne Roberts has been observing some of my coaching sessions at different locations. He then assimilated his thoughts into a very productive feedback session. I am not sure how many of you get observed coaching, and then get constructive feedback- I recommend it. Of course it has to be from someone who can give non judgemental feedback (don’t get your line manager or close colleague to do it). When there is no financial incentive from either party, it seems to enable honesty.

    June: Technical coaching audit.

   I had an intensive 5 days on the GAIN conference in Houston (detailed blogs to follow) which covered a vast array of topics in the Athletic Development field.  This was a chance to get my practices and thoughts challenged and analysed by expert practitioners from around the world. I haven’t assimilated all the information yet, but it was a useful process to get away from my existing peer group.

   July: Internal company audit.

   Feedback due next week from the staff, including the Interns, on their experiences and the company as a whole. Probably the toughest critics, they have seen at close hand what work is involved and have been instrumental in helping develop what we do.

    I aim to use August to collate this information and get a head start on the next few years. Being a small company we can adapt quite quickly to changing demands, but we need to ensure that we have a stand out service and record to help our athletes and coaches in these difficult financial times.

8. Using Beetroot Juice to run faster.

   16th November 2010 4:50 pm 6 Comments

   

   Does Beetroot Juice help you get fitter?

   We all know one of the unfortunate side effects of eating beetroots, but drinking their juice may help you improve your sporting performance too.

   Matt has done some research on the evidence to date, and this does seem to be relatively true. There is certainly some evidence for its use in improving oxygen utilisation during exercise.  Here it is in more detail.

   In one study it was found that when 500ml was drank everyday for six days the participants were able to improve their cycling endurance. This was helped by the speed at which the oxygen can be ‘consumed’ and utilized, thus making the body more efficient.

   Another test showed that when supplementation was taken over 4-6 days that it acutely reduced the oxygen cost of sub maximal exercise and that these effects are maintained for at least 15 days if supplementation is continued. Although the research did state that it was unsure as to whether chronic or acute supplementation would enhance effects overall.

   How does beetroot juice help improve endurance?

   Although the exact reason behind how the juice enhances oxygen consumption is as yet (regardless of the basis of the research) still unclear. In terms of basic physiology, the body converts nitrate into nitric acid, which in turn dilates blood vessels.

   This leads to a reduction in the amount of oxygen used during exercise. This is what leads to the less tired sensation when completing a normal workout. Essentially the body’s fuel (ATP) is being used at a slower rate and thus the muscles and lungs can work at a quicker rate for longer, compared to athletes who don’t drink beetroot juice.

   The University of Exeter has found that beetroot juice can lower blood pressure. This therefore means that it can have an effect on non-athletes too, so it can be drank by the parents out there, if you don’t mind your urine being discoloured.

   Should I eat more beetroot to get fitter?

   Beetroot is a good source of fibre, which helps to keep blood sugar levels steady and may reduce cholesterol. Unlike most other veg, which tend to have a low glycaemic index (GI), beetroot has a medium GI.

   What must be remembered for this supplement is that there is still much research to be done behind the mechanisms.

   Once the supplementation has reached its desired effect there isn’t too much more that can be done to improve oxygen consumption apart from getting aerobically fitter or running more efficiently (through training).

   Like with most supplements and training regimes there is a ceiling whereby no improvement is possible or it is very limited.

   Therefore in conclusion the evidence suggests that taking beetroot juice in quantities between 100ml and 500ml on a daily basis will enhance athletic performance.

   Matt Brookland

   Further reading:

   • Guide to competing before eating 
   • Exercise physiology: understanding the athlete within

9. Transformational Coaching Course

   11th October 2010 9:05 am 4 Comments

   I attended the first meeting of the new intake of the Transformational Coaching course at Bath Uni on Friday night. Organised by Paula Jardine and led by Will Roberts, this course is designed to help challenge, educate and develop coaches from across the South West of England.

   It was a productive meeting for me, with my thoughts and ideas being challenged and stimulated- despite it beinglate on Friday night.

   Will set us going with thinking about what we want to achieve over the next 3 years as individuals and what we want to learn. We then discussed “rules and roles” and a “contract of learning” in small groups.

   We then talked about “What is Coaching?” and creating the right environment for athletes and other coaches.

   James Elkin, a badminton Coach, said “Some people improve because they enjoy it some people enjoy it because they improve.” which I liked and was typical of the input from the variety of coaches there.

   I shall be looking to use this course as an external audit of my own coaching parctices and also gain ideas on how to owrk with educating other coaches.