Category — speed training

If we approach training from an injury standpoint, we know that injuries are a result of training too hard, training too little, or accidents.  Well, two of those three scenarios we have control over (over and under training).  Time and again I have observed fitness enthusiasts and coaches who prescribe core training, but don’t really educate their trainees on how to actually perform core exercises properly.  This week’s edition of the Performance Training Blog aims to address this issue.

The first thing to understand is that core strengthening is absolutely vital to maximizing training potential.  People who deal with lower back, hip, and trunk aches and pain can often trace the roots of these problems to the mid section of the body (or lack thereof).  Core training stabilizes the trunk (which is constituted by the hips to the shoulders).  It further allows a more efficient and maximal application of force and power through the appendages.

What does all this mean?  Think of it this way.  If you shot a cannon from a canoe, how easy would it be to hit a target?  Not very!  The reason is the base of support for the cannon is in an unstable environment (the water).  Now consider firing the same cannon that has been securely anchored to cement.  Our accuracy is going to increase tremendously.  This is akin to performing exercises with a weak core musculature; mechanical efficiency and power application are diminished.

That being said, let’s figure out how to properly perform two basic core exercises:  the crunch & situp.  When performed correctly, these exercises are an effective, basic way to develop the abdominal musculature (which is on the front side of the trunk).  It should be noted that a crunch involves contracting the abdominals, but keeping the lower back in contact with the ground.  A situp also involves the abdominals but further recruits a second muscle group – the hip flexors.  The situp entails lifting your entire trunk off the ground until your elbows or forearms contact your thighs.

When performing the crunch or situp follow these guidelines:

1. Activate of the abdominals.
2. Curl the upper body off the ground
3. Pull the lower back off the ground (when doing a situp)
4. When returning to the start position, the lower back should be the first to touch the ground.  Avoid excessive lordosis – “snapping” the lumbar spine into an arched position.
5. If you notice during a situp that you are unable to return to the ground with the lower back first, you have reached your maximum level of fatigue for the abdominals.  Continuing on beyond this point can potentially cause pain or injury in the lower back.

Contrary to popular rumor, abdominals are muscles that adapt and react the same as any other group.  If you have ever heard someone say ”you can workout your abs everyday,” this is not true.  Some abdominal work during workouts is OK.  But working the midsection in a high intensity, high repetition manner repeatedly can and will lead to injury of the back or other muscles.

Core strength training should be included as part of a regular exercise regimen between 2-4 days/week.  This allows for adequate physiologic adaptation and recovery time between workouts.  These types of exercises are great for warm-ups and cool-downs, or even a dedicated training session.  The trick is to mix up the exercises to prevent boredom.  Just remember to follow the guidelines presented in this article to help minimize the risk of potential injury!

Serious athletes train all year round.  Training isn’t just playing sports, either, it’s working out during the off-season to prepare your body for a higher level of performance and less susceptibility to injury.

There are generally three training options for athletes:

1. The first is a comprehensive training program where the athlete works out under a strength and conditioning coach for a full training session with their teammates. This tends to lead to the best results and build a team community that lasts much longer than the competitive season.
2. The second is having an athlete follow a training program on their own and adapting the workout to the equipment available at their home, local sports field, or commercial gym. This type of training style tends to be the most economical but the athlete misses out on the corrective coaching cues that help them become more efficient in their movement patterns. Over and under training issues can arise with this approach as the strength professional does not have the ability to individualize the training volume and change the progression of exercises from a day-to-day and week-to-week standpoint.
3. The third is a hybrid of the two, where an athlete learns a set of 2-4 workouts each month then completes the workouts on their own for 3-6 weeks before receiving a new workout from their strength coach. This hybrid version tends to still be economical and allows the athlete to get some coaching cues each month and improve their technique, but poor habits can be reinforced and no guarantee can be made that over training issues will be avoided.

TRAINING PERIODS dictate the quantity, intensity, and quality of work for differing parts of the year. There are four basic training periods:

1. The 1st  period is during the off-season. This starts 2-4 weeks after the season concludes and goes for 8-12 weeks before their next season begins. Usually an athlete will have 8-24 weeks in the period depending on how many sports they participate in each year. In this period athletes should be building general athletic abilities that include the one listed above.  If an athlete participates in more than one sport, they may not have much time to practice anything more than the actual sport skills.  If they do have time, this should be invested in a well-rounded strength and conditioning that focuses on corrective measures related to movement patterns, general capacities, and injury prevention.
2. The 2nd period is the preseason, which usually consists of 8-12 weeks before the beginning of the season but can be longer if the athlete is competing at a semi-pro or professional level.  The athlete should continue general athletic development progressions but add components to the work out that will specifically enhance the characteristics of the sport they are preparing for.  For example, specific conditioning is implemented (i.e. 1,200 yards/game in football = 1,200 yards of sprints work), and the major movement patterns of the sport are trained with more intensity and volume.
3. The 3rd Period is in-season training. In many ways this can be the most important period for an athlete’s success.  This is also the easiest strength and conditioning training an athlete will do throughout the year but selecting the best exercises, reps and set can be the most difficult. Athletes really do need a personalized training program different sport positions often need different in-season programs to maximize athletic performance. This is where “tapering” principles are used to “peak” an athlete for the most important competition(s).

“Tapering” is when an athlete drastically backs off their training and drastically increases rest and nutritional intake to make their bodies as fresh and strong as possible for the big competitions.

“Peaking” is the result of tapering. This is when an athlete is the freshest and is the strongest in the competition season. The tricky part is to get this in sync with the day and hour(s) of a big game.

1. The 4th is the active rest period. This is usually 2-4 weeks after the last competition and purpose is to let the body recover from a long competitive season both physically and mentally. During this period an athlete should participate in fun recreational activities 2-6 hours a week and devote more time to other aspects of life, such as with their friends and family.

Serious athletes train all year round.  Training isn’t just playing sports, either, it’s working out during the off-season to prepare your body for a higher level of performance and less susceptibility to injury.

There are generally three training options for athletes:

1. The first is a comprehensive training program where the athlete works out under a strength and conditioning coach for a full training session with their teammates. This tends to lead to the best results and build a team community that lasts much longer than the competitive season.

2. The second is having an athlete follow a training program on their own and adapting the workout to the equipment available at their home, local sports field, or commercial gym. This type of training style tends to be the most economical but the athlete misses out on the corrective coaching cues that help them become more efficient in their movement patterns. Over and under training issues can arise with this approach as the strength professional does not have the ability to individualize the training volume and change the progression of exercises from a day-to-day and week-to-week standpoint.

3. The third is a hybrid of the two, where an athlete learns a set of 2-4 workouts each month then completes the workouts on their own for 3-6 weeks before receiving a new workout from their strength coach. This hybrid version tends to still be economical and allows the athlete to get some coaching cues each month and improve their technique, but poor habits can be reinforced and no guarantee can be made that over training issues will be avoided.

TRAINING PERIODS dictate the quantity, intensity, and quality of work for differing parts of the year.

There are four basic training periods:

1. The 1^st period is during the off-season. This starts 2-4 weeks after the season concludes and goes for 8-12 weeks before their next season begins. Usually an athlete will have 8-24 weeks in the period depending on how many sports they participate in each year. In this period athletes should be building general athletic abilities that include the one listed above.  If an athlete participates in more than one sport, they may not have much time to practice anything more than the actual sport skills.  If they do have time, this should be invested in a well-rounded strength and conditioning that focuses on corrective measures related to movement patterns, general capacities, and injury prevention.

2. The 2^nd period is the preseason, which usually consists of 8-12 weeks before the beginning of the season but can be longer if the athlete is competing at a semi-pro or professional level.  The athlete should continue general athletic development progressions but add components to the work out that will specifically enhance the characteristics of the sport they are preparing for.  For example, specific conditioning is implemented (i.e. 1,200 yards/game in football = 1,200 yards of sprints work), and the major movement patterns of the sport are trained with more intensity and volume.

3. The 3^rd Period is in-season training.  In many ways this can be the most important period for an athlete’s success.  This is also the easiest strength and conditioning training an athlete will do throughout the year but selecting the best exercises, reps and set can be the most difficult. Athletes really do need a personalized training program different sport positions often need different in-season programs to maximize athletic performance. This is where “tapering” principles are used to “peak” an athlete for the most important competition(s).

“Tapering” is when an athlete drastically backs off their training and drastically increases rest and nutritional intake to make their bodies as fresh and strong as possible for the big competitions.

“Peaking” is the result of tapering. This is when an athlete is the freshest and is the strongest in the competition season. The tricky part is to get this in sync with the day and hour(s) of a big game.

4. The 4^th is the active rest period. This is usually 2-4 weeks after the last competition and purpose is to let the body recover from a long competitive season both physically and mentally. During this period an athlete should participate in fun recreational activities 2-6 hours a week and devote more time to other aspects of life, such as with their friends and family.

The goal of this post is to clear up a very common misconception: ”We get fast in the weight room.” This point is only partially true.

Speed is a result of force production and sound mechanics; lifting weights does very little to improve sprint mechanics. Why? Because we’re not sprinting when we are lifting weights! This is common sense! For all the veteran coaches out there – hold on! I’m not to my point yet. Strength training is absolutely necessary for anyone who wants to have success in athletics. However, the issue at hand is too many coaches spend 90% of their time focusing solely on strength training, when they should be spreading their training time out amongst other things, such as coordination, balance, agility, biomechanics, jump training, core development, acceleration, etc.

On this note, let’s remember there is a difference between training and practice. When we TRAIN, we work on general conditioning, strength, flexibility, stamina; physiological variables that are relatively easy to develop if we put in the time and are consistent. When we PRACTICE, we are doing neurological things such as eye-hand coordination, balance, coordination, cognitive response (i.e. how to react to a game situation), etc. PRACTICE is what most coaches are good at as it requires knowledge of their respective sport or game. TRAINING is what most coaches usually are not as well versed in, because it requires knowledge of exercise physiology, kinesiology, bioenergetics, metabolic pathways; the geek stuff you go to school for.

These are two separate knowledge bases; it’s important to recognize the difference! We can all do our taxes if we have to, but it sure is a lot easier to hire a CPA who does it for a profession, knows what to look for, and has a ton more experience then to do it ourselves? So why are some sport coaches still insisting they know so much about quickness and agility?

So back to speed in the weight room. The take home message is that speed is developed by challenging the body in a manner conducive to enhancing sprint mechanics, not bulking up with weights. While it is impossible for an athlete to fully capture their full speed without weights, beware not to overemphasize either component. If we were to take an arbitrary number, I would recommend spending 35% of your time working solely on sprint mechanics, 35% of your time on special strength enhancement (i.e. resisted sprints, sled pulling, acceleration drills), and the remaining 30% in the weight room. And once more, the exercises you choose in the weight room had better do more then just make you look good in a bathing suit.

This post examines how and why overtraining occurs, along with the consequences of a poorly designed program.  I see this occur all the time – an athlete is working hard to improve but ends up burning him or herself out by overdosing on activity.  These types of athletes typically are either very self-motivated and doing extra work, or they are athletes who are being force-fed training programs that are not sensibly organized.  There may also be peer pressure involved or coaching influences making the athlete feel as though they have no option then to participate in a competition without consequences to their playing time.

There is a single common thread between these scenarios – in all cases the knowledge of how to train smart is usually lacking.  The goal of this article is to help shed light on some of the common errors leading to overtraining and how to avoid potential injury.  And injuries are commonly the result of overtraining – very serious injuries such as broken bones and torn ligaments.

First off, what causes overtraining?  It’s usually not just a single thing, it is a combination of a few different factors.  The most prevalent cause is doing too much, too fast.  When we talk about overdosing on activity we have to consider a couple of factors.  What is the athlete’s work capacity?  Do they have a high conditioning level?  Do they have a lot of endurance?  What type of training are they used to?   Are they well suited for certain activities but poorly trained for other things?  For instance, if you are used to jogging but are then asked to lift weights or sprint, you will likely be very sore after trying the new activity.  It takes less time to reach fatigue in unfamiliar activities than things you have trained for.

Another cause of overtraining is stacking heavy workouts on top of each other.  This is referring to the frequency of training.  For instance, doing one workout each day and ramping it up to two workouts per day is effectively doubling your workload.  Or how about doing no workouts and going to two workouts per day?  The cards are going to be stacked against you.  We can also look at this as doing hard workouts day in and day out.   I see this very frequently in the type A/perfectionist type personalities or workaholics.  There is a certain type of person who craves training stress, fatigue, soreness, and the labors of working through a challenge.  This is an easy way to do too much – you have to give the body time to recover.  Have you ever heard the saying “the hay is in the barn” or “less is more?”  What these sayings mean is that you have to prepare in sensible, gradual manner and if you’ve put in the time, then rest is necessary to be 100% ready for the next workout.

Assessing the volume of work done, and how fast you may be stepping up your workload also tells us a lot.  Let’s say you run 3 miles a day.  It makes sense to slowly add more reps in each week.  If you abruptly add too many new miles into your workout your body is going to break down.  You may experience back, knee, or shin pain, or more.  This is why it is important to work with a qualified strength and conditioning professional; arbitrarily assigning workloads based on nothing more than “experience” or “what some one said was right” is a nothing more than trial and error, and will cause injuries.  There is scientific research available that provides guidelines on how to prescribe and administer exercise programs; unfortunately many arm-chair quarterbacks dismiss the scientific approach to training, and their results speak to their mindset.

So what does overtraining look like?  Here are some simple ways of identifying the symptoms:

1.  Is there soreness lasting more than 2-3 days that is not improving?  Specific areas include the lower back and any joints or muscles, particularly the lower extremities (knees, thighs, shins).

2.  Are there problems sleeping?  Insomnia is a sign that the body is producing chemicals which disturb the normal sleep cycle, namely a chemical called cortisol.  The chemical cortisol is produced when the body is in a catabolic state (or process of tissue break down).

3.  Are there mood swings or loss of appetite?  It’s normal to eat between 4-6 times per day if you exercise regularly.  The meals need not be full sized and can include small snacks.

4.  Are you constantly fatigued or having a low attention span?  For example, do you have a hard time remembering things.

5.  Is there a decrease in performance despite a genuine level of effort?  Your body cannot perform at it’s peak level repeatedly everyday.  Inevitably there will be days where you need to slow down and allow for normal physiologic recovery.

6.  Is there a loss of motivation and decreased overall mental perception of “fun” in the activity?  This is psychological burnout.  If an activity is no longer fun than mentally you are fatigued.  This typically shows up in the more severe stages of overtraining and stems from neurological and hormonal disruption.

Now that we’ve identified overtraining and some of it’s causes, let’s look at how to avoid it.  The best line of defense is common sense.  Ask this question:  When was the last time an easy workout or complete rest was provided?  If the answer is over a week ago, then it’s time to back off.  If the answer is recently, then it’s time to look at what factors are causing the issues.  Is the athlete getting enough sleep?  Are they eating regularly?  Are they actually resting when they are supposed to or doing things outside of the normal program prescriptions (i.e. recreational leagues or extra practices on their own).  Simply backing off the intensity or amount of time exercising is the first line of corrective measures.

The next step is to ask where the overtraining has stemmed from.  If it is due to irresponsibility on the athlete’s side, then educating them is paramount.  If it is due to a program lacking a systematic approach, then it’s time to go back to the drawing board and evaluate the coaching approach to things.  It many be necessary to consult a strength and conditioning professional with legitimate, earned credentials to assess the program design.

Overtraining is a very serious situation and should be dealt with in a direct manner.  Doing too much too fast, or loading the body in a non-sensible manner for too long will result in injury.  By realistically assessing an athlete’s conditioning level and setting up a program to gradually build on that fitness level it is possible to minimize the risk of overtraining, and efficiently promote conditioning improvements.

What’s the difference between a champion and 2nd place? Usually not much. The difference lies in the training that leads up to competition. The goal of NLP is to provide scientifically based, practical information for coaches, parents, and athletes, in the hopes of enhancing athletic performance and reducing the chance of injury. NLP provides information on sports science, physiology, and training theory related to the field of strength and conditioning. Each article describes how to properly execute specific exercises and routines related to athletic performance for all sports and athletes. Where possible, it discusses the ideas behind training theory and common misconceptions on how to prepare for athletic contests.

Disclaimer: Every attempt has been made to make the information in this article accurate. The information in this article has been developed to provide guidelines for a sports training program. Since every individual responds differently to physical activity and nutritional intake it is the responsibility of the reader to seek the guidance of a qualified conditioning professional or to insure that he/she is qualified to follow the exercise routines, nutritional guidelines, and activity habits contained herein. NLP LLC does not accept any responsibility for the use or misuse of the information in this article. Please consult a physician before embarking on a program of physical activity and a nutritionist before significantly modifying your diet.