Articles

Training and testing speed can be a game-changer. The key to doing that while avoiding injury is minimum resistance sprinting. More and more coaches are discovering its benefits.

The taper is a reduction in training load to allow the athlete to peak. Peaking refers to the improvement in athlete performance following this reduction in overall training load, the taper. Athletes generally aim to peak for 1-2 races per season.

In response to Ken Jakalski’s article “A Farewell to Arms,” what readers must be made aware of is the basic lever physics of arm action and then surmise the significance of this when considering the role of the arms in the realm of sprinting.

The current practice of using barbell speed measurements in the weight room is at a critical mass. Several pioneers in applied sport science and the coaching profession have moved the needle significantly, for both elite athletes and gym rats, with practical research and cutting-edge methodology. While Velocity Based Training (VBT) is a major factor in training the primary lifts, it’s the tip of the iceberg with what can be done by using comprehensive barbell analysis.

No other issue regarding technique and mechanics for enhancing speed remains as controversial as the contribution of arm swing to faster sprinting. Even the world’s top coaches and researchers have different opinions on this issue.

Sport teams are measured with a growing number of technologies including motions sensors, force plates, GPS, HRV, blood and sleep analysis, and more. An Athlete Management System can integrate the large volume of data from a broad range of technologies and help with the decision making.

The availability of a given substrate in the body largely determines our body’s fuel of choice at rest. Exercise increases the metabolic demand on the body several-fold upon beginning a training session from rest, after which the body strives to achieve a steady state of aerobic intensity where the proportion of carbohydrates and fats finds an equilibrium in relation to an individual’s preference of fuel source.

This proven and adaptable 6–step process dealing with hamstring injuries starts with intensive screening. It proceeds through testing, assessment, profiling, and evaluation. The final step involves following the RTP algorithm and making whatever tweaks seem necessary.

Chris Korfist shares the before and after raw data of the 40-yard dash and vertical jump tests from an eight-week spring training program for ninety high school athletes. The average vertical improvement was 2.35 inches and the average fly 10 improvement was 0.12 seconds.

The kMeter takes raw data from the flywheel and converts it into usable scores in real time. These scores include a variety of metrics. This provides objective feedback. As more coaches begin using it, increasing dialogue will decrease injury risk and increase performance levels.

Force plates are a means of measuring ground reaction forces over a period of time. Pressure mapping shows the interaction between the foot and lower extremity and the ground. The best way toof take advantage of both technologies is in conjunction with other metrics and interpretations by skilled professionals.

The foundation for success in private coaching is being as good a coach as you possibly can. But there’s much more. Like it or not, you’re also a salesman who is running a business. You need to do a rigorous self-analysis to see if this is really what you want to do.