SL & SF Resistive & Assistive

Speed, Agility, and Speed- Endurance Development Larger Versionarger Version Essentials chapter 20 TLTP chs. 6, 8

Schedule Today – Speed Wed. – Rehab/Reconditioning Fri. – Cardiovascular Mon. (after SB) – Sport Admin chapters Wed. – Review Fri. – Test 2 (3/28) * Phys. Adaptations moved to test 3.

SPEED = SL X SF

Overspeed Training Overspeed Cord Downhill running High speed tradmill Elastic Rubber Cords Must have 48 hrs recovery 2 days a week

Assistance & Resistance Assistance = Overspeed Resistance = Position Specific Work OVERSPEED TRAINING REQUIRES THE FAST TWITCH FIBERS YOU HAVE TO FIRE HARDER AND NEW FIBERS TO BE ACTIVATED

Contrast Training After Loading the athlete always remove the training aid and repeat the drill. Muscle will fire explosively (like it still has the resistance)…it is a learned response! Speed = increased neromuscular response = recruitment of fast-twitch fibers

What is our recipe? Increase Fast twitch fibers Train Fast Run Properly (Force Applications) + –Stride Frequency/length

S peed is the result of applying explosive force to a specific movement or technique. In most sports, the ability to change direction and speed is more important than simply achieving or maintaining high velocity. Such agility requires rapid force development and high power output, as well as the ability to efficiently couple eccentric and concentric actions in ballistic movements. 

S peed-endurance allows for the maintenance of maximal velocity over an extended time period and the ability to repeatedly reach maximal acceleration or speed in multiple bouts. Special endurance is an application of speed- endurance for activities with exercise- relief patterns specific to practice or competition. 

Speed Training

Speed Tips Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough, active warm-up. Eliminate distance running! It reduces explosiveness that compromises speed. If conditioning is a concern, condition specifically for your sport. There are many ways to get in shape for explosive sports without doing slow, aerobic work which diminishes explosiveness. When do you focus on speed development? It should be at a time when your body is in a non-fatigued state. Therefore, plan your speed development emphasis at the start of the workout, following an easy workday or a day of complete rest. For the very young, speed development work should be playful and game like. No formal drill work is required before the ages of Everything should be quick, short bursts with rapid changes of direction. Tag games and short relays are very effective. Maximal strength and acceleration ability are closely related. Spend time developing maximal strength through traditional means like squatting and utilizing derivatives of Olympic lifting movements. Source: Vern Gambetta

Speed Tips (cont.) Hip mobility is a key aspect of improving stride length and the ability to move laterally. This is best achieved through dynamic activities like hurdle walks. Always stress correct mechanics. Relate the mechanics to the specific movements of your sport. Emphasize correct mechanics without making the athlete robotic. All for individual expression of each athlete. Beware of a drill for the sake of having a drill! Each drill should be related to the "total action". No drill is an end unto itself. A drill should always lead somewhere. Know why you are using a specific drill and where it fits into your entire training program. Maximum speed is highly dependent on the optimum combination of stride length and stride frequency. Do not get caught up on developing one to the exclusion of the other. Optimum Speed is the goal. Speed that you can use and control in the game. Never lose sight of the "moment of truth". When you least expect it and are most fatigued, speed will be the deciding factor. Source: Vern Gambetta

Speed Tips (cont.) Speed is a motor task. You can learn to run faster through correct mechanics and situational awareness. Correct arm action is very important in sprinting. In acceleration, arm action helps with force application. In maximal speed, the arm plays more of a role in balance. Starting is extending ankle/knee/hip. This triple extension is highly related to work done in the weight room. Stopping is bending ankle/knee/hip. Reaction can be improved by working on the primary stimulus: auditory, visual or kinesthetic depending on the sport or the situation. Assistance training (overspeed) methods develop specific strength to improve stride frequency as well as stride length. Resistance training develops specific strength and improves acceleration. Remember the 10% rule. Never add more than 10% of bodyweight to a sled. A corollary to this rule is that you should never slow the movement down for a particular distance more than 10% slower than the athlete's best time. Greater than 10% in resistance or time will change the dynamics of the movement and speed development will be negative. Source: Vern Gambetta

Speed Tips (cont.) Speed work demands a high level of motivation and concentration. 6-8 reps is the optimum number for speed development work. Vary speed training methods and intensity to avoid building a speed barrier. In your session, develop speed before speed endurance (microcycle and macrocycle). In a strength development program designed to improve speed, address postural needs first and foremost (The Core). Strength to stabilize the trunk is essential. It provides a strong pillar through which the limbs may transfer forces essential to improving sprint mechanics. Source: Vern Gambetta

Stride Length-Frequency Interaction As a Function of Running Velocity

Muscular Requirements Involved in High-Velocity Running  As the recovery leg swings forward, eccentric knee flexor activity controls its forward momentum and helps prepare for efficient touchdown.  Effort during the last-support phase is neither essential to sprinting efficiency nor a high- risk period of injury according to the available research.  During ground support, the role of the plantar flexors is indicated by the high moment at the ankle joint.

Sprinting Technique During the Start and Initial Acceleration

Sprinting Technique at Maximum Velocity

T he goal of sprinting is to achieve high stride frequency and optimal stride length by   maximizing the backward velocity of the lower leg and foot at ground contact;  minimizing vertical impulse and horizontal braking forces;  emphasizing brief ground support time, explosive force production, and rapid stride rate; and  developing eccentric knee flexion strength.

I n general, agility involves greater emphasis on deceleration and subsequent reactive coupling with acceleration than does linear sprinting. Changes in direction and speed can be executed at a variety of velocities; agility should therefore be viewed in a larger context than simply as stop-and-go movements. 

Agility Technique  Visual focus: Athlete’s head should be in a neutral position and eyes focused directly ahead.  Plyometric training: The ability to decelerate from a given velocity is requisite for changing directions.  Arm action: Explosive arm action should be used as a means of rapidly reacquiring high stride rate and length.

Developing Speed and Agility  Primary training method (execution of sound technique, first at submaximal speed and eventually at full speed)  Secondary training methods -Assisted sprinting (using methods to artifically increase speed as a way to improve stride frequency) -Resisted sprinting (using resistance to improve speed-strength and stride length)  Tertiary training methods -Basic fitness -Power -Speed-endurance

Classic Endurance Training Methods  Competitive/trial methods  Repetition methods  Distance/duration methods  Interval methods

Running Speed and Agility Training  The extreme neuromuscular demands and power production of speed and agility drills dictate that they should be conducted under minimal metabolic stress.  Training sessions should be structured around brief work bouts and frequent rest periods with a minimum duration of 2 to 3 min to maximize power availability during successive repetitions and sets.