Excelsior

Follow us on

excelsiorathletic@gmail.com

07976 306 494

Tag Archive: speed

  1. Free the children

    Leave a Comment
    Which cheetah looks happiest?

    Have you been to a zoo recently? You might see a collection of animals behind bars. They have some space to roam but, for the likes of the speedy cheetahs, not enough to get up to full speed and hunt.

    They were born to do this.

    I have written previously about the stunted development of kittens when their movement is restricted in a lab setting.

    Imagine how the cheetah in the zoo feels: pining against his primal urges, wishing to unleash himself and test his speed against the wildlife of the plains.

    Would anyone disagree that the natural, uncaged environment is best for this, and many other animals, as long as mankind stops destroying their habitats?

    Why do you imprison your children?

    Let children run and move outside

    There has been a trend in recent years to ‘professionalise’ high school sports. This often means trying to copy what is seen at the college or professional sports level. Or, what is perceived to be done at those levels.

    This has meant that high schools have literally put cages into their gyms: calling them ‘Power cages’ (sic) does nothing to diminish the fact that movement is restricted.

    No one calls the cheetah enclosure, a ‘power enclosure’ (not yet, anyway). The limited definition of most ‘S&C’ coaches confuses ‘power’ with ‘force’ and this means increasing ‘power’ by adding load to the young athlete.

    Quick physics reminder

    P=(fxd)/t

    Power = (force x distance)/ time.

    Power will increase if you do things further and faster, not just adding more load to increase force.

    The problem is NOT that athletes have too great a spatial awareness.’ Sprint Coach Vince Anderson.

    Cages restrict movement and limit speed: the two things that young athletes need to develop. The ‘S&C’ ‘coach’ can justify the expense of the cage by showing how much more mass the young people are moving. Despite the fact that it is slow and has limited range. The environment dictates and limits the scope of programming.

    These environments have been dominated by American Football (US) and rugby (Commonwealth countries) and ignore sports where moving external mass (another human, heavy objects) is not part of the sport.

    Fencing, badminton, tennis, hockey, soccer, netball, basketball and squash, to name a few, require fast, agile, coordinated athletes (The d and t of the power equation).

    If you are training young athletes, then think of how they can improve their speed, coordination, agility and range, often at the same time. How does putting them in a cage help?

    Free the children, free your mind. Break the shackles of groupthink.

    Further reading: force, power and acceleration. A summary of Jack Blatherwick’s presentation at GAIN

  2. How to develop speed: Gary Winckler

    5 Comments

    Tenets of speed development

    The hamstrings transfer force from the motor of the butt to the wheels of the foot.” Athletics coach  Gary Winckler  delivered an excellent overview on what he thinks is important on speed development at GAIN. A lot of the work is similar to what Frans Bosch did a couple of years ago, and he mentioned Bosch’s work a lot.

    Training muscles for speed

    Before doing speed assistance exercises in the gym or on the track, it is important to determine how the muscles work. There is no point doing lying down leg curls, or Nordic curls to “strengthen the hamstrings” if they are not used that way in running.

    The big gluteal muscles (The Big House) have a mostly parallel muscle fibre structure, and work concentrically.  They are also known as “stupid muscles” because any exercise used to work them will transfer well to use in sport.

    The hamstrings are a complicated bi-articluar muscle with a pennate structure. This means they are better suited to reactive forces; not suitable for rapid shortening.

    Reactive forces: the muscles set up a system to allow tendons to do what they are designed to do. In practice we are looking for a very rapid transition from a closed chain to an open chain at the moment of toe off.

    Posture is again important here: poor posture will result in either too much deceleration due to poor foot placement, or the hamstrings unable to utilise tendon elasticity properly due to poor pelvic placement.

    The importance of the foot / ankle.

    speed development

    Foot placement is key

    Instead of being passengers in the running cycle, the foot and ankle are key parts of the process. Winckler uses his ears to “Listen to it when they run”.  He can hear the ankle reactivity as there is less contact time.

    As an experienced track coach he uses awareness and sensory exercises to help his athletes develop the right patterns. I made the point that being less experienced, I have to use drills to analyse parts of the process. I can’t see what is happening at full speed. That will come with experience.

    It is important to keep a “neutral and active foot”. (Those athletes doing speed development work with me over the last 2 years will know about this). Winckler then took some of us through a series of his basic drills to highlight the importance of foot reactivity.

    Again, I felt better by doing something and “having a go”; I am not afraid to make mistakes in the hope of learning something.

    I asked a question about arms, and Winckler expressed his thoughts that “the arms are a symptom of what is going wrong elsewhere rather than the cause“. This was a good tip for me.

     “Work on top speed, not just acceleration, otherwise what are you accelerating to?”

    Co-ordination is the ultimate goal

    When deciding how to enhance the speed of an athlete, either in the gym or on the track, it is the co-ordination of the body that is most important.

    This can be expressed as follows:

    • Strength is co-ordination training under resistance
    • Endurance is co -ordination training under prolonged or event specific time restraints
    • Speed is the expression of co -ordination.

    Strength, speed and mobility are interdependent qualities.

    Weightlifting for speed development

    In the gym we did some more exercises, but this time with external load, to enhance speed. This included hang clean variations with 1 foot behind the body, toe on the floor, then hopping up onto a step after the catch. We progressed through levels of difficulty on this drill, and this certainly challenged a few of the attendees.

    Another drill was a lateral step down and up onto a higher box with the bar on our backs. The idea was to get a reactive foot action and toe up onto the higher box. This was very tricky, and Kelvin Giles got “stuck into me” until I had some semblance of competency.

    Medicine balls 

    speed development

    Resisted speed drills

    We looked at some horizontal medicine ball work lying on your back and throwing as well as  step ups on to the step with a throw and extension at the end: this helps acceleration all the way through.

    A lot of talk about abdominal work misses the point about doing it in the same environment as the sport. Winckler uses overhead bar runs, or walking with a partner doing resistive band work behind to work the hip\ abdomen area.

    We also did a drill holding onto the band horizontally as it was attached to a pillar and our partner was moving it so we had to try and stabilise.

    The whole session emphasised the importance of co -ordination (or lack of it) under load.

    Summary

    Winckler was an example of a “sharp” coach. He is very softly spoken, but he was right on with his observations. It was great to hear some similar messages to Bosch, but from a different coaching aspect.   His work in the gym was excellent. I think we would have benefited from being on the track with Gary and seeing how he coaches hurdlers, and what he sees.

    Next: Power, research and planning

    Want to Run faster? Join our Athletics club in Devon or see our programme here  

  3. How to make Pre-Season Training Interesting, Relevant and More Fun

    38 Comments

    I Hate Pre-Season Training

    This is often the thought of players who are forced to undergo various fitness tests and long slow runs as part of a pre-season training and fitness programme.

    Doing repeated doggies, shuttle runs and various circuits, with barely a ball in sight, is enough to put most players off.

    It doesn’t have to be this way.

    (Contact James if you want help planning or running your pre-season training).

    As a Coach, you can make pre-season training interesting, relevant and more fun. Your players will be fitter, faster and stronger. More importantly, if they are willing, engaged and able to play, they will put more effort in.

    Why Pre-Season Training Needs to be Turned on its Head

    pre season training programmeDo you start your pre-season with an endurance fitness test? Your players turn up and do either the bleep test or the yo-yo test.

    You then train them for a few weeks doing lots of endurance running and retest them before the season starts.

    Is this interesting, relevant or fun?

    Or are you just gathering random numbers?

    I used to do exactly this. When I started working with London Welsh RFC 20 years ago. My plan was this:

    • Test the players
    • Develop an aerobic base.
    • Build up into intermittent endurance work with strength training.
    • Finish the last 2 weeks with speed training.
    • Re-test the players

    exercise physiology testI checked this plan with some “expert physiologists at Brunel University” they thought it was a good plan.

    Of course, they did: in a laboratory situation, this would look good as I was training for the test.  

    Over the last 10 years, working with hundreds of athletes I now realise that the situation should be reversed.

    As an athlete, I hated getting tested if I didn’t get the feedback, if I didn’t think it would help me fight better, or if there was no follow-up training plan to help me improve.

    Get Fitter, Faster and Stronger in Pre-season

    As a coach you want your team to be Fitter, Faster and Stronger. But fit for what? You want them on the pitch ready to train and ready to thrive in competition when the season starts.

    So, I look at developing 3 qualities:

    1. Efficiency: Get them moving well and with control
    2. Robustness: Get them able to do that under load, faster, further or heavier.
    3. Resilience Get them able to sustain that quality of movement or load for longer.

    Who wants to practice bad running, bad lifting, slow agility and irrelevant skill patterns?

    It is demotivating as a player, and a waste of your precious Coaching time as a Coach.

    pre season training programme

    How to Start Pre-season Training

    pre-season trainingTesting and evaluation are an important part of pre-season. But just telling players to run further or run faster to improve their test scores may only reinforce their bad technique, and could lead to injury.

    My overriding consideration as a Coach is to give the players the tools to do the job.

    Choose your tests carefully. If you are in a team field or court sport like Football, Hockey, Rugby or Basketball then the bleep test or yo-yo tests are relevant to the demands of the game. More so than a 1500m or 5km running (or even worse rowing) test to assess your endurance (more test detail here).

    But, understand that these tests measure more than endurance. They measure your ability to: accelerate, brake and change direction. All of which are needed in your sports (An example can be seen in this video).

    So, in conjunction with one of those tests, your first week would be well spent assessing the players’ ability to control their own body.

    Here is a FREE handout on the 5 tests that I use with players. (This is the Foundation week 1 of our Sports Training System)

    My motto is “Little things, done well, consistently.” If the players are given the tools to do the job, they gain confidence and progress accordingly. You have 6-12 weeks to get players fit, you have to ask yourself

    Robin Williams blind football

    Easy to get players tired

    Are you making them better, or just making them tired?

    Over the next few weeks we will be looking in detail at a different quality that is needed in pre-season training:

    If your players can accelerate and change direction faster, are strong enough to handle the braking forces when stopping and have a higher top speed, they will improve their test scores.

    You can then work on doing more quality movements with a shorter rest time: this will then lead to an improved work capacity.

    Most importantly: they will be able to transfer those fitness qualities to the Game where it counts.

    Please share with your teammates and fellow coaches. Have you got a favourite pre-season fitness test? Please leave a comment below. 

  4. Speed Training for Gymnasts

    6 Comments

    speed training for gymnastsHow to get to the Vault or Double Mini Trampoline quicker

    Speed training for gymnasts is necessary in order to generate a faster approach to the Vault or Double Mini Trampoline (DMT). The sprint involves  running for about 20-30m and then jumping onto a springboard or the DMT.

    Speed training for gymnasts starts with posture (again)..

    speed for gymnasts

    Strong hips help speed

    Regular readers and athletes I work with will know that I start off with posture. It is hard to run fast if you are sagging like a jellyfish before you start.

    Whilst gymnasts are very strong at what they do, their lifestyle is affecting their standing and running posture.

    We have to put certain exercises and training in first to allow their bodies to get strong and support the speed. This is developing their structural integrity.

    Coach the cause rather than the symptom

    I made a mistake when first working with the Wellington Whirlwinds on trying to fix the very strange arm actions that the trampolinists had when running. I worked hard at getting them to use an “elbow high and back” arm action to be more efficient.

    However, Gary Winckler had previously spoken to me about the upper body being an indicator of what was going on below. When I saw Gary at GAIN  a few years ago, I said I had some success and he said the weird arm action was due to gymnasts being excessive plantor flexors which leads to straight leg running action, which then leads to straight arms.

    DOH! Blindingly obvious when I thought about it. I had been working on the overall sprint mechanics but had been distracted by the arms.

    We did a specific speed session out on the track with the group which was a breakthrough moment. We established some common drills and common language which made it easier to go back into the gym and coach on the runway.

    This included:

    to help the run action. Speed for gymnasts needs to be constantly refined and the warm-ups are a good place to reinforce these correct mechanics at every opportunity.

    The exercise in this video is one that helps beginner sprinters get used to pushing off both legs from a standing start.

    Shorten the run-up

    speed training for gymnasts

    Shorten the run-up

    When working with the youngsters at Gemini, I asked them why they started their run-up where they did: they were just guessing.

    When I watched them approach the vault, there was a lot of pitter-pattering as they got near and they were slowing down. This meant a loss of speed.

    I got them to start near the springboard, then go back two metres at a time to see how they could maintain their speed. When they started the pitter-patter, they went forward again two metres. That was their new start position.

    I got the youngsters to self- assess where they should start, rather than Carolyn and I dictate. This became an “honesty competition” and we were delighted that they became very accurate on their self-assessment.

    There is little point starting a run-up from 30 metres away, then having to slow down as you approach take off. Instead, start short, get used to the takeoff and gradually increase the distance as you run faster and you can control that speed. Speed for gymnasts is different from top speed running because of the short distance.

    When I coached at Exe Valley Gymnastics I helped this young gymnast who is very fast. She has a short run up (due to hall constraints) but really attacks the vault   

    Her foot strike is excellent, as is her hip position of the stance leg. However, she does use her arms too early, looking more like a long jumper here.

    Here is me doing a less technically good  and slower vault, but using the arms correctly: 

    Summary

    Speed training for gymnasts is a work in progress because as the gymnasts develop their technical skills and perform more complex routines, they need more approach speed.

    As they develop more approach speed, they need to be able to convert that speed into vertical/ horizontal jumping ability.

    Underpinning all of this is strength/ posture to allow them to move efficiently and be robust enough to withstand the rigours of training.

    Thanks to Carolyn and Bernie and everyone at the clubs for their input and efforts.

    I am currently implementing these ideas in Willand and Wellington with the young gymnasts I work with at our gymnastics club. If anyone is interested in individual coaching on speed, then contact me here.

  5. Speed Endurance for Football: Theory and Practice

    3 Comments

    How to train for speed endurance

    Not so long ago, football speed and football speed endurance were mentioned far less than they are currently.

    Arguably, it could be said that speed, strength and power are excessively emphasised and tested in British football.

    However, that could be countered by saying the British style of play needs and suits these requirements.

    This may well be true, but at European and World tournaments superior technique, decision-making, intelligence and tactics appear to be extremely important attributes for success (in conjunction with good conditioning of course) – especially when we consider world-class players and teams like Xavi and Iniesta of Barcelona and Spain.

    What is speed endurance?

    The ability to actually sustain near maximum speed, withstand the effects of fatigue, and to recover quickly is a huge requirement of many sports. Obviously, the higher the performance level the greater the need!

    In my experience both as a football coach and a player, speed endurance sessions are frequently received with apprehension! In recent years I have found it increasingly important to ‘sell’ and attempt to ‘educate’ the requirement of speed endurance training to certain male and female adult squads.

    Interestingly, I have found that these sessions provided me with more than just physiological information and data. For example, I have found that these sessions provide real insight into the psychological strength and character of certain individuals within a squad.

    From my experience, these behaviours usually (but not always!) correlate with athlete behaviours during match-play – for example, when things get tough some individuals will rise to the challenge and the demands placed upon them, and conversely, others may struggle.

    The under-performers may ‘pull out’, ‘feel a twinge’, and generally make excuses for performing poorly during tough sessions. Their favourite question is, ‘how many are we doing’; or, ‘how long are we doing this for’….!

    As a coach, this can be frustrating, but it is also a reality in certain cases. In my early coaching days (and now if I’m totally honest!) it did annoy me a little. However, I have adapted my coaching sessions with certain squads in an attempt to ‘mask’ the fact that this aspect of training is very demanding.

    When do I train speed endurance?

    It appears to be accepted that when footballers are compared to other sports performers, they are not particularly superior in one specific area of fitness – apart from the anaerobic performance.

    My former university lecturer Professor Craig Sharp links elite footballers to squash players in saying that they are very impressive in this fitness parameter.

    Professor Sharp also emphasised the importance of a good aerobic level of fitness, prior to any specific speed and speed endurance work. So speed endurance training is not to be recommended for the off-season or early-phase pre-season sessions; however, during mid to late pre-season you can perform speed endurance sessions (separated by a minimum of 48 hours, and not 48 hours prior to a match).

    During the regular season, such sessions may be reduced to one or even omitted if matches are twice-weekly (though not for bench/squad players!)

    In my experience as a trainee and professional player in the 1990s, speed endurance sessions consisted of straight-line shuttle runs (5, 10, 15, 20 metres) – literally to exhaustion, with little recovery time in-between bouts (technique/ball work was omitted).

    It wasn’t well-received by performers and arguably did not mirror actual performance requirements. I also experienced this type of ‘training’ being used as a ‘punishment’ immediately following poor match performances.

    As a youth team player, I also recall a 12-minute Cooper run also being used as a ‘punishment’ the morning before an evening FA Youth Cup match (that went to extra time!).

    Practical tips for training speed endurance

    You may ask what has the aforementioned got to do with the actual application of speed endurance training in football..?! Well, hopefully, the following points may assist when planning these sessions with senior squads.

    It is very hard to recommend a regimented, prescriptive programme because the coach has many variables to consider. Also, it is possible for coaches to use traditional training methods like small-sided games and drills to enhance speed endurance.

    I have found 1 v 1 work (an attacker versus defender principle) very useful for speed endurance in the following ways:

    • It simulates match-play (technique, agility, reaction time, decision-making, multi-directional, foot speed, competitive etc.)
    • Performers rotate roles and therefore work with and without the ball. ie., 45 s work, 45 s active rest, 45 s work (reps/sets are squad dependent!)
    • With target cones to score at, it gives a competition-based activity, and this can aid with masking the demands for lower-motivated performers, yet aid motivation for winning/competitive mentalities.
    • Changing partners after a set also appears to work well with players.

     Further Considerations:

    1. Repeatable sessions
    2. Measurable – use specific areas/grids – 20m by 20m, 15m by 15m (squares or triangles)
    3. Heart rate – manual or HR monitor
    4. Duration – variations: 30 s work, 60 s active rest, 30 s work etc.
    5. Frequency – depends on match/training schedule – apply common sense!
    6. Timing– when players are well-warmed up, but not at the end of a tough, long session.
    7. Squad type – elite levels require more specific speed endurance training.
    8. Specificity – simulate match performance and requirements

    Darren Watts. MSc Sports Coaching BSc (Hons) Sport Sciences PGCE

    UEFA B Licence Coach. Coaching experience: Oxford Utd FC, Derby County FC.

    If you are a football coach wanting to get your team fit, contact James Marshall to help you. Watch this video on how to train your core dynamically for football:

    Why not read our comprehensive Academy football fitness training programme?

  6. From the ground up: how to get fit for netball part2

    2 Comments

    How do I get fit for Netball?

    netball fitnessIn part 1 of this article we looked at the demands of the game and the different positions. Today we will look at how to train for Netball.

    Netball is primarily a female sport, which due to their anatomical construction are prone to knee injuries in sport before adding in the complications of landing, jumping and multi directional movement.

    Netball is a game of high impact and stress, resulting in injuries occurring in:

    • Lower limb (ankle, knee)
    • Lower back/ Pelvis
    • Shoulder

    Typical types of injury are ligament strains and sprains, these can occur during training or competition especially if you are de-conditioned (Physio’s perspective here)

    Improve the quality of movement first

    If you move badly, you are slower and more likely to get injured. By improving how you move first, you can then look to improve how much you ove afterwards.

    You can improve movements with 5 minutes practice a day, done for 5 days a week, 50 weeks of the year this equates to 20 hours annually.

    For netball you need to improve lower body strength, postural strength both static and dynamic and shoulder strength.

    It is best to start with simple exercises before progressing to more complex ones when you are competent at the basics.

    The exercises can be done outside of a netball session, as part of the warm up, as a break for netball drills or in the cool down.

    Simple progression of 5 exercises:

    Basic Exercise

    Progression

    Squat

    Squat with overhead press

    Lateral lunge

    Clock lunges

    Walk Out

    Walk out press up

    Superman

    Single limb lift in press up position

    Single leg squat

    Step to single leg squat

    Many players returning to netball will work all day, this can have an adverse affect on their ability to do basic movements. For example, if you are sat down all day your hamstrings become shortened and pelvis may tilt, this could lead to poor mechanics when squatting which in turn will lead to bad landing technique and injuries.

    To help correct this you can look at your posture at work/ home, train and stretch regularly and warm up and cool down sufficiently at training and matches.

    Improving agility

    netball agilityEvery position requires agility, whether it is moving around the court or evading the opposition in the circle. When looking to improve agility we first need to look at strength, if we don’t have the movement efficiency we cant improve agility.

    Once able to perform basic movements we can look at more dynamic movements, for example, progressing a squat to a double leg jump forwards, then to zig zag jumps forwards and then to single leg jumps. Technique is priority to start:

    • keeping knees in line with toes
    • looking ahead
    • pointing toes forwards 

    This is the first step of our 4 step progression to improving agility.

    netball speed

    Improving work capacity

    The rules of netball state players need to be able to play at least 15 minutes before substitution, they also need to change speed and direction.

    Due to limited time with athletes, we need to be smart to improve work capacity, this involves working with netball coaches. Small sided games can be incorporated in to training to target different intensities, with all small sided games we need to give sufficient rest.

    Type of game

    % max heart rate

    Single game duration

    Work: rest ratio

    Medium intensity

    85%

    5-10 minutes

    1: 0.5-1

    High Intensity

    85-95%

    5 minutes

    1: 1-1.5

    Maximal intensity

    95+%

    Up to 2 minutes

    1: 1.5-3

    Jogging should be avoided: it just makes you tired and rehearses incorrect running techniques. Instead think 4 Rs

    • Run Well
    • Run Fast
    • Rest 
    • Repeat

    Summary

    With the intermittent high impact nature of netball players need to be proficient in movement.  Correct jumping coaching can address part of this issue during Netball specific warm ups. This will help to reduce injuries and improve the players’ enjoyment of the sport.

    Complete training plans can be found in our ebooks Jump Higher and Get Stronger

    James MarshallDuncan Buckmaster      

  7. Speed and Power Training for Gymnasts

    2 Comments

    How to get faster for gymnastics

    power gymnasts

    Plyometric drills for speed

    I presented two workshops last month at a conference for gymnastics coaches: speed training and plyometrics myths.

    The coaches ranged in age, experience and their gymnastic discipline.

    There is no one size fits all approach to gymnastics, so I tried to cover the underlying principles first so that the coaches could then apply it in their own context.

    I made sure I asked questions first: what were their concerns, existing practices and type of gymnast they work with.

    power gymnasts

    Coordination for running

    We then did practical drills with progressions from simple to complex.

    “Running is a co ordination activity”

    As I keep reminding the athletes I work with! The drills were designed to improve the 7 key aspects of running faster .

    The coaches were enthusiastic, and had a go, even if they struggled somewhat to the new exercises.

    With plyometrics training, it is important to do the work that is right for each athlete, so I showed several different progressions and variations.

    The Coaches asked some great questions, and I hope I was able to help them. We have followed up since with the back up material and more video clips.

    Looking forward to next time. I have since worked with 2 clubs on their specifc speed training for gymnasts on the vault and double mini trampoline.

    Please see read our club page if you are interested in taking up gymnastics in Willand, Cullompton, EX15,

  8. Speed Training Exercises

    1 Comment

    “Build the quality, then learn to endure it”

    speed training exercises devonThis month of our internship we have been learning about speed and the most effective ways to train for it writes Matt Durber.

    The speed training I have experienced up until now has typically consisted of a few drills through ladders and over hurdles to warm up followed by 50-100m sprints with walk back recovery.

    (Pictured are some speed resistance drills being done in Willand, Devon by our ADC athletes).

    Although these exercises are performed at maximum intensity, it is more speed endurance as there is little recovery time in between efforts. Training this way is also very limited, as at no point are you training to make the 50m run faster. As James said “build the quality, then learn to endure it

    When observing James coaching the speed drills to athletes, it immediately became clear that there is a lot more to running fast than just maximal effort. This week the focus was on reducing ground contact time when running.

    James introduced a number of drills and the complexity of them soon became clear with athletes interpreting instructions in their own way and performing completely different techniques (some not too dissimilar to the moon walk).

    The take home message for me is to go away and practice the drills until I have learned them well enough to think about, demonstrate and explain all at the same time…easier said than done!

    How to plan your speed training

    As well as knowing the training tools to increase speed, it is important to deliver the coaching in a way that will benefit the athlete the most. James’ recommendation was to include a small amount of speed training regularly within a training plan.

    Fatigue will hinder the ability to run at full speed so it is better to perform a small amount at the start of a fitness or team training session when fresh. This should be done regularly throughout the week to reinforce the mechanics.

    I have also learned that in addition to planning the drills to use each session, it is important to allow time for the athletes to practice the skills when running. This can be done by interspersing drills with 2 or 3 sprints focussing on the technique.

    These running techniques and coaching tools are new to me so I look forward to learning more and watching the athletes develop over the next few weeks.

    Matt Durber 

    These form the basis of our Run Faster programme 

  9. Pre-season speed training

    4 Comments

    “Don’t run the speed out of you”

    Speed kills, and every coach wants a faster team. The best way to get a faster team is to recruit faster players. Failing that, get your existing players to run faster.

    Your team needs to be able to run fast at the end of each half, not to be able to jog aimlessly. around. Traditionally pre-season training has started with long slow runs and then worked towards trying to get faster.

    bad runnerOne certain way to get your players to run slower is to keep running them into the ground until all technique has been lost (pictured right).

    My focus is always on giving the players the tools to do the job. Coach them well, give the Run Faster  programme.

    You hopefully have read and followed our guides and built a good foundation, got the strength that you can apply, and become more agile. Now is the time to get faster.

    The 2 key components of running faster

    1.  Get a higher top speed
    2.  Accelerate to that top speed

    But in my sport we never get to top speed as we only sprint over short distances” I used to think this way, thinking “what is the point of getting rugby props working on top speed?” (apart from amusement!)

    The question you have to ask is “What am I accelerating towards?

    If your top speed is higher, then the percentage of that top speed that you are striving for at each stage of 5m, 10m, and 20m (common sprint distances in team sports) will also be higher.

    So, if you can only get to about 45% of top speed at 10m (based on what Asafa Powell can do), then all things being equal, increasing your 60m speed will also help your acceleration.

    Increasing your top speed.

    Pre-season speed training

    Sprint drills

    Running is a co-ordination activity, it requires practise and refinement. I get the players to work on 7 different aspects of running (see here) and use a variety of drills designed to help them achieve this.

    I focus on one thing at a time and vary the drills to challenge the learning and coordination of the players. Just like any other skill that you teach as a coach.

    Get the players to practise running, focussing on that one aspect, then rest and repeat. Introduce the next drill, practice, and then use it when running. An example is shown in this video:

    If you just run without technique focus, you will just get tired. If you just drill without applying them into the run, you just get better at drills.

    Accelerate fast

    acceleration drillAcceleration is crucial in team sports. “More specifically, horizontal acceleration of body weight. The simplest and most accurate description from physics for explosiveness; quickness, agility and even speed

    Jack Blatherwick GAIN 2011

    The ability to control the body in a Straight Line Extension (SLX) is the difference between a fast person and a slower one. Strengthening drills that incorporate the whole body in that position are very useful.

    speed drillIn the first 2-3 strides the Gluteal Muscles and Quadriceps are a key factor in providing force for the thrust. After that (5-25 metres) the coordination and SLX are more important.

    That is why your team must be doing lower body strength work, especially on single legs and in different planes.

    I work on acceleration over 5-10m using a top-down and bottom-up approach.

    Top-down is “Lean, fall and go” which can be done against a wall, with partner assist, harnesses and then “free fall”. This gets the players to practice their first step and feel comfortable with SLX.

    acceleration drillBottom-up is from a bear crawl into a sprint. Bear crawl over 5m and then come up gradually into a sprint over 15m. This helps with reciprocal arm and leg action (coordination) and again on SLX.

    Tips for fitting in pre-season speed

    “This all sounds well and good, but how do I fit it into my technical and tactical sessions?”

    The traditional view of team sports coaches is diametrically opposed to that of speed coaches when it comes to work: rest ratios.

    We can not have team sports players having 15 minutes rest between 300m intervals. This is the real world and time is precious. Similarly, we can not have “speed sessions” turning into shuttle runs with jog back recovery. That is not Speed.

    I go for the more pragmatic approach of doing shorter speed sessions, more frequently. This way your players are able to cope mentally and physically with high-quality work, and you can then do your tactical \ technical coaching afterwards.

    Active recovery of skill work such as passing and catching, or dribbling is acceptable, but remember only to do that walking or stationary.

    Elliot HoyteEvery time you jog a drill, you have to finish it which requires braking: this is not resting. Metabolically your players will not appear tired, but mechanically they will have been loaded heavily.

    Stress is stress, and your body can only cope with so much.

    Avoid the volume trap on speed.

    I have found that good Coaches like me getting their players faster, more resilient and less likely to get injured.  This has taken some change of thinking and heavy bartering on allocated times!

    Perhaps, more importantly, players appreciate getting help on How to get faster, rather than being told to run faster.

    (Download our Free “Run Faster Guide” here for 6 example sessions) 

    Or book in for an individual speed training package with James.

  10. “The true Art to what, how and why we do”: Jim Radcliffe

    2 Comments

    What it takes to be a successful strength and conditioning coach.

    “People in support positions should be seen and not heard” Jim Radcliffe strength and conditioningJim Radcliffe at the beginning of his presentation on successful S&C coaching.

    (By successful, he means producing extremely fit, agile and fast athletes that then produce results on the field, court, track or pool. Rather than how many twitter followers you have got!)

    Successful coaches explain the “Why”

    Most coaches are good at telling athletes the what to do, some are really good at explaining the how, but very few are great at understanding the Why.

    simon sinek's golden circleRadcliffe explained this at the outset, based on Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle, coaches need to understand why they are doing things, before they start just doing exercises or drills.

    His #1 factor of great or elite athleticism is acceleration or burst. The more people in the team who can do this, the better. This is the why.

    Rehearse consistently is the “how”

    In an average football practice at Oregon, they have 90+ acceleration reps for the exterior positions and 65+ for the interior positions.

    This includes burst requiring decision making. An example was his Punt Returners hold lacrosse balls when about to return a punt. This forces them to have correct body alignment and position when they do catch, which then facilitates a burst upfield (a great example of task constraint for you motor learning buffs).

    Negative practice drills which detract from the ability to burst must be eliminated. This includes the butt kick drill which just encourages a pendulum swing action and overstriding when running: failure practice!

    Thwe warm up is an opportunity for rehearsal, rather than just getting warm. Radcliffe teaches and reinforces  push mechanics in every warm up.

    “Agility is about efficient transitions”

    agility transitionsAgility progresses through these stages:

    • Start
    • Acceleration
    • Deceleration
    • Change of direction
    • Reacceleration

    This requires the ability to maintain correct posture as the body flexes, extends and rotates (pic of Excelsior athlete Sean Clifford).

    One great tip was to emphasise knee seperation over foot seperation. If the feet are getting further apart than the knees, then it shows poor hip projection.

    Ladder drills are redundant because they do a lot of footwork, but do nothing for knee seperation and hip projection.

    agility drillsThis can easily be seen in drills such as the one pictured with mini bands. The athlete at the front as feet coming out wider than the knees (poor hip projection) the athlete behind has knee above foot (better hip projection).

    Every drill and every athlete must be coached to ensure consistency.

    The 2 key points to be emphasised here are

    1. Body posture cues.
    2. Increase strength- power-impulse.

    How to develop explosive power on the pitch

    Being able to apply and strength and power develeoped in the gym onto the pitch requires the ability to apply great force over a small base of support and great righting and tilting reflexes.

    Radcliffe said that explosive power can be borken down into 3 areas as shown in diagram below.

    how to develop explosive power

    This requires practicing fast, explosive intense movements. Another key point was “The more time spent on the ground =the more BAD things happen than good.”

    Here Radcliffe was talking about an athletes’s ability to negotiate the ground. The ability to turn and run fast is a sign of efficient quickness and correct mechanics. There is a need for fast response to a stimulus.

    Placing the feet outside the knees is a sign of the less agile athlete:  (I question the transference of ultra-wide squats to agility work: hence my athletes squat with feet under hips).

    agility drillsOne of the ways to get the athlete to improve mechanics is to train barefoot. This give better immediate sensory feedback about the ability to have a spring loaded foot, rather than a flat foot.

    The whole foot lands on the floor, but only a tiny heel mark is left on the grass or sand. A spring loaded foot is essential for running fast and quick turns/ reactive jumps.

    Agility drill progressions

    Radcliffe spent some time going over how he progresses his agility work with his athletes.

    Starting with the two basic actions of:

    • Speed cuts: Pivot action, rolling off the inside foot.
    • Power cuts: The sit, dip and drive action, pushing off the outside of the foot.

    He then progresses to the Sway drill, lateral starts, backward starts and then elastic lead-ins to the the speed and power cuts. This could be stepping off a chair and landing on the outside edge of the foot to push sideways for a power cut.

    This then leads to to reaction drills (with directional components such as a clock drill) to a games related skill or drill.

    Summary

    How to get agile for sportsFrom Day 1, practice 1, Radcliffe emphasises the “Go as fast as you can go” approach to training. Initially this may only be 1/2 steps in different directions, but they are FAST.

    This seminar showed how Radcliffe has a truly great understanding of Why, brilliant progressions of how, and then practically he can do the what.

    Jim radcliffe agilityWhat is really refreshing about Jim Radcliffe, is that he is at GAIN to learn as much as to teach, he is always writing notes, or asking the different presenters questions so he can improve his own practice (see pictures of him sharing with Vern Gambetta and Finn Gundersen).

    This is the 4th year in a row I have seen him present, and I always get something new. I have completely changed how I coach agility and pliometrics as a result of seing him in action. Highly recommended.

    Further reading: