Have you ever wondered where did the formula come from for establishing the weight load, number of repetitions and sets that are appropriate for each athlete in strength training? Fact of the matter is an athlete can lift 50lb sacks of cement mix, throw hay bales or roll tractor tires and get stronger…..that is stronger for lifting 50lb bags of cement mix, throwing hay bales or rolling tractor tires!
Of course in these examples we are referring to Transfer of Training issues which is information for another time. So, back to the question, what is the formula for the appropriate weight load, number of reps and sets for athletes when training with weights. I assume most begin with determining the athletes one repetition maximums.
After establishing one rep maximums the issue of weight loads, reps and sets begins to get really cloudy! When you are weight training for speed and power you cannot use formulas established in popular body building magazines.
In athletes performing in sports which predominately rely on speed and power it is shown in vatus medialis biopsies they have 50% more fast twitch muscle fibers than body builders. Body builders weight lifting work outs are not the paradigm for establishing weight loads, reps and sets in training for speed and power!
After viewing several YouTube videos on training for speed and power, each has something positive to offer, but most still do not “get it”! Most authors remain on the surface, or have not done their home work. Some of the demonstrations and information is nonsense. Don’t be fooled, the authors apparently are not adequately familiar with the science, muscle anatomy, neurophysiology and biochemistry [fuel] for peak athletic performance.
First, their are two types of fast twitch muscle fibers, commonly referred to as either 2x fast twitch and 2a fast twitch or type 11a and type 11b fast twitch muscle fibers. Most understand the difference when referring to fast twitch versus slow twitch muscle fibers. Yes, the fastest of the fast twitch muscle fibers [2x or type 11a] contract 10 times faster than slow twitch muscle fibers but they also contract five times faster than 2a or type 11b fast twitch muscle fibers.
There are four problems in almost every video and I presume the authors training and books. One, in weight training understanding neuromuscular impulse rates, two, how to recruit 2x or type 11a fast twitch muscle fibers, three, the fuel supply molecule ATP [adenosine triphosphate] available for contracting 2x or type 11a fast twitch muscle fibers and four, the recovery time necessary to refuel those 2x or type 11a fast twitch muscle fibers.
First, neuromuscular impulse rates vary from .5 to 120 meters per second and muscle motor unit firing rates vary depending on the size of the muscle from 9 to 50 pulses per second. In order for neuromuscular impulse rates and muscle motor unit firing rates to reach their highest potential, there must be rapid, significant applied force.
The concept of power and the methods and techniques of training for power remains an elusive idea for most coaches and trainers. Strength and power are two separate characteristics of athleticism. How it came about that they are closely related or mean the same thing has become a mystery to me.
We are getting close when coaches and trainers refer to ”explosive strength”, but it is still power and developing power or “explosive strength” requires specific training methods and techniques. There are two methods that I am aware that target power as a training goal.
First, rapidly applied, significant force to recruit 2X fast twitch muscle fibers and with repeated repetitions convert 2A fast twitch to 2X fast twitch muscle fibers. 2X fast twitch fibers contract five times faster than 2A fast twitch muscle fibers. However, 2X fast twitch muscle fibers only have enough stored fuel, [ATP] and [CP] for 20-30 seconds during the training set. But if you want to train for and increase power, those 2X muscle fibers must be recruited and 2A muscle fibers converted to 2X.
The second method of training for power or “explosive strength” is incorporating what is called SSC or stretch-shortening cycles. Rapid, cyclic compression creates small changes in the stretch-length of muscle fibers and generates sharp increases in muscle contraction/tension and the resulting force, “explosive strength” or power. An example would be to assume the Russian sprint position, with about a 60-70 degree angle at the knee of the forward leg, and about 10-15 degrees on the rear leg and simply bounce of the balls of both feet until near failure or failure.
The average person requires approximately 1700 to 2000 calories per day. Hard training athletes require up to 5000 or more calories per day depending on the size of the athlete and the frequency and intensity of their training.
Catabolic hormones, cortisol, glucagons, epinephrine and norepinephrine break down nutrients for fuel. Anabolic hormones insulin, testosterone, growth hormones and IGF-1replinish fuel stores and repair, rebuild and grow muscle tissue.
The priority system for generating energy [fuel] is first carbohydrates, then fat, and finally protein. However in hard training athletes, the metabolic system is upset due to the excessive elevation of cortisol, a catabolic hormone, resulting in the breakdown of first protein, then carbohydrates and fat. The result is protein degradation and the repair, rebuilding and growth benefits of intense, maximal training may be negated.
Organic compounds called amino acids are used by human cells to make protein. Insulin, an anabolic hormone stimulates transportation of amino acids to muscles, activates elements of protein synthesis and helps decrease protein degradation and net protein accretion, i.e. increase in concentration.
Many coaches have metaphorically said “speed kills”. Speed trumps other characteristics of athleticism. I believe that. Furthermore speed and power are intrinsically linked. The same physiological elements that are responsible for increases in speed are also responsible for increases in power.
Technically, “Speed does not trump other characteristics of athleticism”. Science [physics] tells us speed is the rate at which distance is covered. It’s velocity. Velocity is the rate at which distance is covered in a specific direction. In conversation and writing it is an insignificant issue, but in designing serious speed training programs, it probably should be understood.
There is much information on the Internet and other articles that are superficial and misleading regarding training to increase speed. One web site author who has been financially successful ”selling speed”, last fall sold a package of I believe 18 articles, written by different authors on speed training. I think the cost was about $90.00. The prevailing theme in over half the articles was significant increases in speed in just 30 days. Now that is nonsense!Neuromuscular training takes approximately eight weeks. This web site and these authors parallel weight loss commercials! It’s that quick and easy! A few months later, the same web site author stated, “It’s not about the money”. That normally is the first sign “it is about the money”!
Another web site author “selling speed” sells a training manual/CD set to “unlock the secret techniques proven to generate the fastest results.” I think the cost is more than $100.00. There are no “secret techniques” to anyone who has done their homework, researched and studied speed and power. In one chapter he states, “once the CNS, central nervous system becomes fatigued, the work outs quickly lose their effectiveness.” How many coaches/trainers know enough about the central nervous system to understand if that is true or not?
Several years ago the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs was in a featured article in a national weekly news magazine. In that article there were two quotes that should ”jump out” at any athlete, coach or trainer. Kevin Ebel, the USOC strength and conditioning coordinator said, “One of the biggest changes in strength training is that we are getting away from pure strength and emphasizing power, or “explosive strength”. “You can recruit more muscle fibers and get them to fire faster”. [Remember we have 2X and 2A fast twitch muscle fibers. 2X fast twitch muscle fibers contract five times faster than 2A fast twitch muscle fibers but are rarely recruited in traditional strength training].
James Walker of the Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Utah, a USOC training site stated, “We’ve learned that the most effective training replicates the pattern of nerve firing and muscle movements that athletes use in their sport”. [Remember neuromuscular firing rates vary from .5 to 120 meters per second and muscle motor unit firing rates have a frequency of 5 to 50 impulses per second]. Some refer to Walker’s comments as sports specific training.
In the system of Dynamic Force Weight Training for speed, power, strength and flexibility, nueromuscular impusle rates and muscle motor unit firing rates, recruiting 2X fast twitch muscle fibers and not only sports specific but position and event specific training is the focus.
I too often see these issues being ignored and not applied. Either the athletes, coaches or trainers are not paying attention, do not know how to implement these “cutting edge” training methods and techniques, or simply are comfortable with what they were taught 10-20 years ago and are resistant to change. Optimum performance of every athlete requires the athlete, coach and trainer upgrade their weight training programs to focus on these issues.
To begin with, most athletes, coaches and trainers do not recognize there are two types of fast twitch muscle fibers, 2X and 2A. 2X fast twitch muscle fibers contract five times faster than 2A. 2X Fast twitch muscle fibers must be recruited to optimally increase speed and power.
All forms of traditional weight training, including power lifts, primarily do not recruit 2X fast twitch muscle fibers. Power lifts, thought to have an impact on power and speed, increase strength, size and muscle endurance but perhaps never recruit 2X fast twitch muscle fibers. Therefore optimum increases in speed and power, sometimes referred to as explosive strength cannot be obtained.
To recruit 2X fast twitch muscle fibers, rapid, repeated, significant applied force is required. While plyometrics are not considered weight training, they are a training action that does recruit 2X fast twitch muscle fibers. The primary weight training methods for recruiting 2X fast twitch muscle fibers for increasing speed and power are Bar Drops and Shock reps, with appropriate weight loads for each athlete.
It must be recognized that 2X fast twitch muscle fibers have only short term energy, fuel in the form of ATP [adenosine triphosphate] and CP [creatine phosphate] which is stored in the muscles and liver. That ATP is available for 5-7 seconds and CP 10-15 seconds. So there is a 5 to 15 second supply of fuel for recruiting, contracting and training of 2X fast twitch muscles.
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.
Recently an athlete, a prospective college bound football player, Jervon Graves, came to me for training to get faster and develop his agility. As a junior he was an All-State selection in the state’s largest school classification, but said he was determined to “get better”. He and his father wanted him to qualify for a NCAA D-1 football scholarship.
After our initial meeting I felt I could and wanted to help him. Physically he was 6?1? and near 300lbs, however he did not look to be a D-1caliber athlete. In our first training session, he did not demonstrate good footwork which of course limited his agility.
In that first training session as we prepared to pull speed sleds, I asked him if he was ready. His response to me was “Coach, I was born ready”! I wasn’t facing him and nearly laughed, but when I turned and saw his face, the determination and passion was transparent. I didn’t laugh! I knew then I had one of those unique athletes that would do whatever they could to reach their optimum capability.
That proved to be true. Following a tough summer, it felt I could not work him hard enough, training specifically for speed, quickness, improved footwork and agility, he entered his senior year prepared to excel. He not only was named to his school’s classification All-State team, he was selected by the State Coaches to their top eleven team. His school retired his football jersey number, only the second jersey number to be retired in the school’s history. Wow, what he did for himself to reach that level.
The cliche, “If it sounds to good to be true, it probably is”, does not apply to the recent Olympic Games opening and closing ceremonies. Any attempt to explain what occurred would only diminish the experience itself.
Several observations regarding the sports and the athletes. First, nearly 80 nations medaled in some event, including seven nations who only won a bronze medal, perhaps in some obsucure sport/game. Good for them!
Most of the sports/games would be considered “minor” sports in the U.S.. However, for anyone familiar with competitive athletics, those athletes who had a special skill and medaled had to have trained long and hard to be the “best of the best”!
Second, for the unique athletes, those that “it sounds to good to be true, but it is”. Swimmer Michael Phelps accomplished what no other athlete has accomplished in the history of the Olympic Games. And in swimming, considered a “minor sport” in the U.S. Best of all, he is not done, he will be back!
A local sports writer, from a major newspaper, wrote a column this week commenting on how could they call synchronized diving a sport. I assume his sentiments are shared by many when referring to ping pong, fencing, synchronized water dancing and numerous other “events” included in the 2008 ” Summer Games”.
Perhaps that is why they call them the Olympic “Games” rather than the Olympic “Sports”! The remainder of the day became a catalyst for my concluding how culturally, specifically in the United States, we have diminished “Games” in favor of “Sports”. It isn’t a sport unless it generates “big bucks”, and winning is the only acceptable outcome. Other wise it is a minor or club level sport. [I don’t think it is helpful on several counts]. Does driving a race car multiple times around an oval track at speeds above 200 mph, catch a large fish, or shot a wild turkey or deer qualify as a “Sport”?
Arguing these points is not the purpose of this blog. The individual or [team] participating, the athletes if you will, always come first with me, regardless of the game or sport being considered!
How can one not be inspired? I am blown away by the unequaled quality, the level of performance achieved by those athletes in these Olympic events who are representing their respective countries, whether their event is classified as a game or a sport.
Training an athletes to increase their speed, power, strength, flexibility or endurance is the goal of every coach. It has to be the goal of every athlete, in their sport, position or event, if they want to excel. One question comes to mind , how do you know for sure, in weight training, the number of sets, reps, weight load or in reps in training drills what is appropriate for optimum results for a specific athlete, his sport, position or event, on a particular day? You can’t know, for sure!
The origin of “modern” physical education was the boot camp training of military recruits in World War 11. When the veterans returned, became coaches and educators, they adapted the physical training they received in boot camp into educational curriculum. The “motivational approach, fear and consequences” remains a significant factor in coaching and education today!
”Fear and consequences” is a motivator, particularly in War when you know that if you don’t do your job, or even if you do your job, you or many of your comrades will be dead at the end of the day. To a certain extent, ” fear and consequences” remains useful today, coaching and training for sports competition. However, the venue is different [it is not war] and the times have changed!
Isn’t the issue optimum training results. I defy any coach or trainer to precisely know how much, or get maximum effort and optimal results from any athlete ” who does not want to do what ever has been established by that coach or trainer, on any particular day. [ I’m certain Bill Parcels, Bobby Knight, Gunther Cunningham and many others would argue that statement].
Over 100 years ago, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto introduced an economic theory of “predictable imbalance” that crops up throughout our lives. As an example, in business 20 % of products account for 80 % of sales and profits, and similarly 20 % of customers account for 80% of revenues.
Years ago, when owning my own business, I was introduced to the concept that 20% of sales people accounted for 80% of the sales. While not familiar with Pareto, and the “predictable imbalance” in sales, it was predictable!
Rich Koch, updated the theory to encompass all aspects of our lives in his 1998 provocative and powerful book, The 80/20 Principle, The Secret of Achieving More With Less.
So what does that mean to athletes, athletic trainers and coaches, determining their training programs and game plans? Write everything down that your believe to be important in training, training your athletes and planning an offense or defense game strategy. Once the list has been made, identify the 20% of activities and strategies that you consider “essential” to your efficiency, productivity, and critical for positive results. Then focus all your time on those 20%.
I once trained a good high school athlete that was urgently in need of getting bigger, more powerful and faster. I don’t like urgent, training an athlete properly takes time, but this was the circumstance.
The athlete had QB’s his football team over two years to a 24-3 record and into the State Championship football game his senior year, playing 14 games that fall. Following the State Championship football game, he had four days before starting on his high school basketball team, which played 20 games into the last week in February.
Prior to his senior football season he weighed 182 lbs. Although he was in a weight training class at his high school, by the end of basketball season, his weight had dropped to 168 lbs. He nor his parents were paying close attention to his eating habits or his lame weight lifting efforts and results at the high school. Often he would go to school in the morning with a bottle of Gatorade for breakfast.
Losing 14 lbs over six months of practice and games, the transformation in his physical profile was transparent. He had signed a letter of intent to play QB at a junior college and track season was fast approaching.
Occasionally an unique athlete requests training assistance. They are special because I intuitively sense they have that “it”, what ever that “it” is. My intuition was right, Shane always wanted me to train him harder!An Exceptional Athlete
One summer, as a high school junior to be he had me believing he legitimately wanted to become the best he could be. Let’s call it his personal optimum! He was from a small rural high school [their high school still has a cinder track] and had only participated in football and basketball. He had a desire to get faster and bigger. So that was where we concentrated.
We were able to train three days a week for eight weeks. For speed, I kept it simple. He had no idea how to start properly so we concentrated on Dynamic Force Weight Training methods and techniques, proper starting mechanics and using speed training sleds for 10 to 20 yds, with various weight loads.
The results. At the end of eight weeks, he ran the third fastest 10 yds of any athlete I have ever trained. That included a junior college All-American returner/receiver whose best 40 yd dash was 4.38 and routinely was in the low 4.0’s, and a NCAA D-11 All-American running back who routinely was in the low 4.0’s, who in recent years was the all-time four year NCAA rushing leader, and as a Free Agent led NFL Europe in rushing.
Dynamic Force Weight Training methods and techniques may initially be “coloring too far outside the lines” for those who have approached weight training traditionally over a long period of time.
The three major influences on the methods and techniques has been SuperTraining, Mel Siff’s work of science for training first published in 1993 and last in 2003, and the referenced sciences in Patrick O’Shea’s Quantum Strength and Power Training, published in 1995. While not directly related to training athletes or preparing for competition, Richard Koch’s, The 80/20 Principle, first published in 1998, was an eye-opening experience for determining how to train!
Siff’s information is based largely on decades of research and training in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries. His nearly 500 page “encyclopedia” will create brain damage for most trainers and coaches. O’Shea’s 250 page training manual is most useful if you are interested in the sport of Power Lifting or olympic type lifts. We are not, but his science is solid. The 80/20 Principle’s theory is 20% of what we do is essential, productive and responsible for creating the desired positive outcome. The remaining 80% is non-essential, irrelevant and counter productive, potentially destructive to creating our desired results.
The following are basic Dynamic Force Weight Training methods and techniques, influenced by but not exclusive to Siff’s, O’Shea’s or Koch’s work. We have been influenced by many and some we worked out ourselves.
Recently I received an e-mail stating “Arnold was wrong”. An attention grabbing head line by a “training expert” who has been very successful web marketing information training athletes and others. My hats off to his success!
But was Arnold wrong? I believe chin ups was the exercise in question. Wrong in this instance meaning Arnold’s training methods were only by isolating certain muscle groups and doing several sets of different lifts to develop that group. Does this “expert” know as fact, other than what he heard from two other guys, Arnold did or didn’t do chin ups? My intuition tells me at some point Arnold did or does. Actually, it really does not matter!
Ultimately, this “expert” was attempting to get to the point of the value of training only with “multi-joint movements”. In the evolution of institutional strength training, the buzz words “multi-joint movements” or “functional strength” emerged at about the same time and is most beneficial in preparing multiple athletes, with constricted times restraints, to compete in athletic competition. Typically Olympic type lifts.
In speed and power training, there are legitimate reasons to isolate and develop specific muscle groups. Each athlete is different, some requiring specific, isolated muscle group weight training, [all athletes training for speed need to isolate and train their “sprinting engine”], different motor skill drills, sports position or specific event concentration. Perhaps they need all the above!
I recently viewed a web video called “Fast Leg Fundamentals”. Of course it is an introduction for selling more training video’s. No problem! I liked it and in fact will incorporate the drill in our motor skill training drills to increase speed.
Have you seen this video? The “expert” instructor is demonstrating developing leg movement for increasing foot force, under the hips, as the foot touches the ground. The trainer demonstrating the video was a sprinter. The demonstrator’s hands in a fist and arm movement do not simulate how you would instruct a sprinter wanting to increase their speed, even in a training drill. Probably an oversight, but something not to do, even in a training drill.
Naturally coaching does not have a corner on behaving like an idiot. Business, government, education [well that’s a government institution], politics, law, medicine, etc. and so on each have their moments. The bigger the institution, the potential to behave like an idiot exponentially grows. A false sense of empowerment due to size, lack of oversight and a culture of “circling the wagons” generally well rehearsed, prevails. Although infrequent, there is a redeeming factor available. If willing to face consequences, there usually is enough time and opportunity to make the ” bad”, good”!
However, when a young athlete is subjected to “stupid”, the importance to participate and play and the window of opportunity so small [for most a very few years], “it drives me crazy”. In some cases the opportunity to play up from high school with a scholarship to help pay for their continuing education is at stake!
Recently I was visiting with a junior college quarterback from a large Florida high school. As a junior he was a legitimate D-1 prospect [6’3’, 215lbs]. His junior year against an opponent in the spring game, he threw 5 TD’s in the first half. Several D-1and D-1AA universities were looking.
In the fourth game his senior year, their was a fumble on the center/QB exchange. This athlete leaped for the ball with his right arm fully extended and an opponent drove into the back of his right shoulder. An unavoidable shouter injury resulted. It was thought not to be serious and he continued to play with the pain. There were university scouts in the crowd!
I recently received an e-mail from a “Training Expert” on Oxygen debt and lactic acid build up as the reason for fatigue during speed endurance training.
Lactic acid accumulation in the muscles are known factors in speed endurance training fatigue. It’s true. However, when speed endurance training, independent of muscle fiber fatigue during fast and powerful activities, fatigue may occur first at the neural muscular junction, when there is a depletion of the chemical transmitter Ach, acetycholine , which stimulates “action potential” from the motor neurons to the muscle fiber types they innervate.
So coaches and athletes, on some training days or in competition, fatigue does not necessarily point to being an endurance issue due to poor cardio-vascular conditioning.
FYI:
Several years ago I received a training manual titled The 40 Yd Dash, Advanced Speed and Strength Methods. The manual was written by Martin Rooney and Joe DeFranco. At the time it was a great teaching manual for me.
Rooney and DeFranco listed 10 commandments to a Faster 40. I think it is valuable to review again.
Thou shalt set up as close to the line as possible, stealing every inch.
Thou shalt take a huge first step.
Thou shalt take the least amount of steps through the first ten yards
Thou shalt not over stride
Thou shalt stay relaxed
Thou shalt master and use proper arm action
Though shalt get strong and then convert that strength to speed
Though shalt train the hamstrings as hip extensors, not knee flexors
Thou shalt develop proper flexibility.
Thou shalt plan ahead and be prepared for the big day.
This manual led me to the significance of what they labeled the “sprinting engine”, the hamstrings, [we have developed several training methods to do so], the glutes[butt] and spinea erectors [low back]. Training the “sprinting engine” has been one of the most valuable tips for me for increasing the speed of the athletes I train. Thanks Martin and Joe!
Track and Field in the United States is not considered a “major sport”. Do you feel that way? Football was the sport I coached in college, but track and field is my favorite sport. The multiple events in track and field is the best sport to determine ones knowledge and effectiveness for training athletes, our business! There is a stop watch and a tape measure.
It Is the most difficult sport for irritating influences [favoritism, politics, poor subjective judgment and game losing decisions]. The pace of a track meet as compared to other sports does not surface the constant pressure for quick decisions.
In Track and Field, with the exception of 1600 meters and above, speed and power prevail, regardless of the event, period. There is no better sports venue than to determine the understanding of the physiology and bio-mechanics of speed and power, the proficiency of the training methods and the coaches and athletes knowledge of the technique of the event.
Coaching of track and field at the high school level it is ridiculous. Few coaches have the passion and motivation to learn and evolve with the events for which they are responsible. In the throwing events, speaking here only of the discus and rotation method in the shot put, it is absurd! [most states do not allow the javelin or the hammer in high school].
Football was a sport I coached in College. The recent evolution has been to taller bigger quarterbacks, assuming they can easily see over taller O-Lineman, locate their throwing lanes, find their receivers and be more resilient on impact when being sacked. Some have been successful, some not. Bill Parcels simply said, “It’s the quarterbacks job to win the game.” I presume he is referring to eliminating mistakes, making good decisions and being an accurate passer.
Naturally throwing mechanics and throwing velocity are two issues in accuracy. In a recent article, Skip Stitzell, founder of Quarterback Edge and a coach for the national Elite 11 camps pointed out that three successful Quarterbacks in the Big 12, Chase Daniels, MU, Todd Reesing, KU and Cody Hawkins, CU, were shorter than six feet, a couple quite a bit shorter, yet they win! What does that mean to trainers? Make sure the QB develops throwing velocity and foot speed! Do you know how to weight train an athlete for throwing velocity? There are seven specific weight training methods and three training techniques that can put ”smoke” on the ball! A demonstration CD is in the making!
I see over speed training as a component of speed training in many articles and books. A coach once told me that running down a 3 degree decline was a safe over speed training drill. Even if it is true, who has access to a large area and a transit to determine if the decline is 3 degrees. I beleive over speed training by Michael Gough at ProCombineTraining.com is called ”Overspeed Sling Shot Pulls”.
At first glance, over speed training sounds like a reasonable idea, but observe what happens. When an athlete is running/sprinting faster than he or she is physically capable, every time their foot hits the ground, for a fraction of a second he or she is “breaking”, hitting the brakes. What is occurring to their hips, the lumbar area of their low back and their knees?
What is happening is excessive forward rotation/pressure on the hips and lumbar vertebra and discs which already have a 30 degree anterior configuration. Not a good idea for younger athletes. The last growth plates to fuse are the upper rim, the crest if the ilium [hip bones], the medial and lateral epicondyles of the femur [upper leg bone] at the knee joint, and the the clavicles [collar bones] at the sternum.
Risk/reward? Overspeed training is not for younger athletes! Certainly it would be inaccurate to point a finger at athletic strength training and speed training as the reason for the epidemic of sore backs and hip problems. However, is it necessary to expose young athletes to those lifts and speed training drills that can lead to a life time of sore backs, hips and knees and later potential surgeries? No!
Power or Olympic lifts, squats, dead lifts, power cleans, hanging cleans, clean and jerks are lifts of strength, not power. If that is the intent, I have no problem with training for strength, but power lifting is not training for power. I had a college strength coach try to explain to me that a power clean “develops explosiveness”. What? He hasn’t done his home work. Scroll up to see Power page. Developing Strength is the advantage of power or Olympic lifts. However, those lifts do not focus on or recruit the physiological elements that increase speed and power!
Furthermore the “risk/reward” of doing power and hang cleans and cleans and jerks, dead lifts and squats improperly or properly can create premature degeneration and potential injury to the lower five lumbar vertebra and discs of the athlete.
Dr. Mark Brown, professor and chairman emeritus of the Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of Miami’s Miller School of medicine states, “back pain is the most common reason for doctor visits today, and it is the most expensive disorder”.
I am not an experienced power lifter and have not been trained to incrementally develop proper technique and form for power or Olympic type lifts. I believe I am in the majority of trainers and coaches. Plus once those lifts get introduced, most coaches and athletes want to “amp up” too quickly and increase their weight loads.
Would 30 days over several weeks be more accurate?
Most interscholastic and intercollegiate athletes also have a life, subjects to study, sports in which they participate, family obligations, girl or boy friends, jobs, vacations, illnesses, etc.
More importantly they have institutional strength and conditioning programs [ from this point training programs and strength and conditioning programs will be used interchangeably] that are mandatory, regardless of the time of the year, and they are very protective of their programs and how they train their athletes.
My experiences of their training programs include some plyometric and ladder or spot training [good for speed and agility] but typically their programs are focused on raw conditioning and strength! Check out the charts on their walls. Typically Olympic lifts and who can lift the most weight at certain body weights. The concentration is on strength training. Increases in strength gets the “juice” moving in most coaches!
In the June 2008 publication of Men’s Health, an excellent magazine, I enjoy it, although I am not in their age demographics, on p. 20 I noticed they promote the MH Power Training Center based on the famed Power Training book. I haven’t read it. While it has a five star rating on Amazon, it is not a “famed” book in the categories of best selling, relevance or average customer reviews. Regardless, it continues to say its simple programs stress functional training to build real world strength. Confusing isn’t it. Are they advocating power or strength?
One blogger stated power = force x velocity? Another says maximal power production occurs when loads are about 30% 1-RM is used. Both imply moving weight at a high velocity. I presume they include multiple sets and reps. Momentum becomes involved in moving weight/resistance at a high velocity. An increase in momentum creates a decrease in applied force and resistance, both having a negative influence when training for speed and power.
Most people know there is a difference between strength and power, but what is it and how do you train differently. In the above examples, the primary physiological elements responsible for speed and power are not understood or recruited. I will scan through the Power Training book! More on this Men’s Health issue later.
Almost all coaches and trainers either do not understand the neuromuscular impact on speed and power or have no idea how to train the neuromuscular system. When engaging in a conversation regarding their Strength and Conditioning program, their eyes “glaze over” when the word neuromuscular system is mentioned. It is either as if it does not exist or is not that important to optimum starting, acceleration and top end speed or optimum power [explosive strength]. Speed and power win, so how can this be?
Coaches and trainers like to see those big numbers, squatting, bench presses, power cleans, dead lifts, etc. They presume, erroneously, that increases in speed, quickness and power automatically rise as the weight loads go up! Of course there must be some increases in speed, quickness and power when weight loads go up, but they are not in the realm of the increases when training specifically for speed, quickness and power.
The nueromusuclar system consists of the central nervous system afferent and efferent neurons, variations in neuromuscular impulse rates, muscle motor unit firing rates as well as muscle fiber contraction rates. Be serious for a moment. Do you really understand the system and the implications on weight and speed training? What are your training methods to get optimum results for increases in speed, quickness and power [explosive strength]. This is the 21st century, you should know this information. It has been available for decades!
To increase speed you must train for starting mechanics, acceleration, sprinting form and speed endurance. The two primary target areas must be stride rate and stride length. You can weight train to increase both stride rate and length, but you must understand the neuromuscular system to adopt the appropriate training methods and techniques. Sadly, most do not!
I recently paid for I think 16 or 18 short discourses on increasing speed. More than half advertised increase your speed in 30 days. Who came up with 30 days as the parameter for developing significant increases in speed, apparently for any athlete?
To the consumer, potentially an uninformed athlete, possibly a coach or trainer with limited experience, it is seductive as well as possibly false advertising. Who regularly has access to an athlete or athletes for 30 consecutive days to train exclusively for speed? If you do know how, I am open to the possibility, if it exists.
Unless it is organization like Michael Gough’s Pro-Combine Training, or similar training centers I am familiar with in Florida and Arizona, where athletes have dropped out of school, then work for a couple months, maybe more, to improve their training measurements for the Pro-Combine, or prepare for an upcoming professional season, I am not familiar with the opportunity of an athlete to exclusively speed train for 30 consecutive days.
Yes, there can be decreases in 10, 20 and 40 yd or agility drill times by simply changing the starting mechanics of an athlete and a few practice training sessions. Does that equate to significant increases of speed on the field or court, playing the game? If that is does, let me know how that works.