There are several, but today two come to mind. First, the easiest to recognize. The Carioca! You know the drill, moving horizontally with the lead leg alternating in front and then in back of the trail leg. Have you ever observed that profile/position of an athlete in competition?
Why would a coach/trainer ever introduce a “muscle movement memory” that is certain to put the athlete at a uncompromising disadvantage. I assume the presumed benefit is ”warming up”, stretching the hip flexors and extensors, groins, etc. There are much better methods for doing just that!
If you can ever catch your opponent in that position, one leg across, in front or behind the other, you win! If that athlete is not also turning his hips, shoulders and head simultaneously in the direction of the lead leg, he or she will “freeze in that position or fall on their butt”! So why Carioca? I don’t know!
The second useless drill is the slow lunge. I refer to it as a “ slow Lunge to a slow 40?. Again I presume the benifit is to “warm up” the hip flexors/extensors and the quads. If you are trying to develop an athlete or teams optimum, not just good, better, best, but optimum speed, quickness and power, every drill must consider variations in muscle fiber contraction rates, nueromuscular impulse rates, and muscle motor unit firing rates. In place of a “slow lunge”, use similar lunge methods like Russian sprints or Russian bounces. It’s better, it’s easy and you will continue moving in the direction of training for Optimum speed and power.
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