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.
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].
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 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.
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!
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].
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.