Strength & Speed Articles

A common misconception in strength training is that each and every set must be taken to failure in order to yield positive adaption.

Coach Jimmy Pritchard reminds us to train intelligently and understand that sometimes the old adage that “less is more” can still reign true. 

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/should-you-train-to-failure/

Micah Kurtz

• Speed- Your maximal speed gain decrease with in 5 days of not training it.

• Strength Endurance- Your slow twitch, hypertrophy muscle fibers (the ones that make you look and feel big) can decrease within in 15 days of not training it.

• Maximal Strength- Your maximum strength and force development training effects can decrease within 30 days of not training it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Get outside and sprint, jump (horizontally & vertically), bound, change directions and leap 2 times a week.

• TRY to lift something heavy at least once a week.  I know this is difficult with at home training, but you can get creative with making home made training devices.

• Do a high volume body weight strength workout at least once a week as well.

There’s much debate about when young athletes should begin resistance training. 

If you think about it this way, resistance training should be treated as looking to improve performance. 

Any athlete looking to improve performance by building a strong foundation, improving motor control, and reducing injury should be resistance training. And that can start at any age.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/resistance-training-for-young-athletes/ 

At the youth, and the high school level an athletic development program should be focused on the athlete learning the proper fundamental movement patterns and teaching the athlete the tools needed to reduce the likelihood of injury.  All coaches want the best for their athletes, but parents should still research their child’s strength and conditioning coach to make sure that they are knowledgeable, specifically about how to train youth athletes.

https://www.theathletemaker.com/blog/3-smart-questions-every-parent-should-ask-a-strength-coach/ 

Jim Kielbaso explains what athletes at different developmental stages need so that coaches can give them proper training. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_lnpKL4z5Y&feature=youtu.be&inf_contact_key=5c4801f7c7056aea9b82f577c45faf87d18a532c4142cb79caf2b269de1401fa 

If you’re a parent or have worked with children at any point in your career, this episode is for you. Sharing best practices and current research, today’s guest, Jim Kielbaso, helps us tackle the tough questions about training youth: 

• What’s the right age for my kids to start lifting weights? 

• Can training be harmful for development?

• How many sports should they play? 

• How can I improve their running form? 

• How do I deal with coaches who think they should go to a million showcases and or practice non-stop? 

Jim is the president of the International Youth Conditioning Association (IYCA) and the director of the Total Performance Training Center in Wixon, Michigan. He’s a former college strength and conditioning coach, and author of multiple books. With 25 years of experience in the field and three kids of his own, we are so fortunate to have our guest share his expertise on the subject. 

https://artofcoaching.com/e89/?inf_contact_key=126ad81c3fe8b14d1a586c4aa66ac751d18a532c4142cb79caf2b269de1401fa

A narrow exercise selection can lead to some very impressive weight room performances on a few lifts: squat, bench press, deadlift, clean, etc. This specificity can be great if you want to be a one (or three) trick pony (powerlifter), but not quite as helpful if you're an athlete who actually needs to change directions, demonstrate motor control at extreme ranges of motion, and handle a variety of sport-specific loads and velocities.

https://ericcressey.com/periodization-for-teenage-athletes-1 

Training hip flexion may be the most overlooked aspect of speed development by all coaches. We love to concentrate on hip extension (hinging) because the glutes and hamstrings propel us forward when sprinting. So, coaches love to program exercises like squats, lunges, hip thrusts, RDLs, KB swings, step-ups, glute/ham raises, back extensions, etc.

But how much hip flexion work do we do to balance that out?

Think about it for a second. We all know that we should balance out all sides of our joints, but a typical program includes tons of glute/ham/quad work and very little hip flexor/groin work.

While our hip flexion strength will never be equal to our hip extension strength, why do we ignore this important area? Nick Brattain has a great article for you that explains more about this issue and gives you some suggestions for how to train the hip flexors.

Did you know that volume isn't actually the driving force behind muscle growth? It’s mechanical tension.

Without mechanical tension, all of the volume in the world will do very little to actually create the need for muscle remodeling. In order to stimulate the muscle fibers to grow, you have to give them a reason to do so.

Continue reading to learn more about how mechanical tension plays a big role in building muscle mass.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/training-with-paul-carter/ 

In this article, I am going to outline how to build strength and power during an in-season training phase and how to stay fresh while still training aggressively. In addition, we will dive deep into how you can still lift heavy and be powerful late in the season when strength matters most.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/in-season-strength-training-is-light-and-fast-is-a-huge-mistake/

Low repetition ranges and heavier weights in-season work for every sport. Maximum contractions at low volumes achieve better strength levels by the end of the year and reduce the in-season soreness and fatigue which results from training programs that are too high-volume. I’m also convinced that most in-season injury comes from a lack of strength and, at the least, a lack of training intensity. 

https://simplifaster.com/articles/high-intensity-strength-work/

"While in-season, your athletes will adapt to the rigors of practices and games, often reaching peak physical conditioning for that sport. At the same time, the absence of resistance training will always equal substantial losses of strength and power. Beyond affecting their ability to compete, this loss significantly increases their risk of injury on the field." 

https://www.plt4m.com/2018/09/19/why-in-season-training-is-vital-to-team-success/

Elon Performance

A typical misconception between unilateral and bilateral training is that unilateral training does not elicit the same hormonal response and bilateral. Jones et al. (2012) - testosterone levels were higher post RFESS and the elevation in testosterone was maintained. 

https://twitter.com/ElonPerformance/status/1047832058511466501?s=20 

Whether you are a professional athlete or just looking to improve your training, being able to jump higher and further can give you an advantage.

In this article, Tim provides you with the best blueprint to jump higher, further, and faster. This is the best plan for anyone looking to improve their jump height.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/how-to-jump-higher/

Micah Kurtz

The ability to absorb force is just as, if not more important, as the ability to produce force.  Especially as you get stronger and produce more force, you have to be able to absorb that force.

Most injuries occur on the landing of a jump and not on the actual jump.  Also when an athlete can stick his/her foot in the ground and redirect quickly that is how they change directions faster.  Understanding how to absorb that force and then redirect it is a skill that can be taught and learned.

Each of the exercises in this video teach the athlete how to land and absorb force properly.

Probably my favorite and most used of these exercises is the 3rd drill shown.  We call this exercise The Hop and Stop Drill.  It is an exercise that we do as one of our injury assessment protocols and is also a great drill we add into our daily warmup to work on the ability to absorb force and decelerate. 

This WILL help with injury reduction.

To perform the exercise, jump straight out, land softly on the other leg and try to stick the landing.  Do not rush through the movement.  Come to an actual stop on each jump.

Keep your chest up and stomach tight and land on a bent knee.

Here is the video of some of our Force Absorption Drills to incorporate into your daily routine.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVmLiL1Lfus 

Micah Kurtz

Once an athlete understands how to absorb force our next coaching point is teaching them how to change directions better.  Our cues are "Edges & Angles"

When an athlete is sprinting in one direction and plants his/her foot into the ground, we want them to understand the importance of these two points:

1. Edges

As they get ready to change directions they should understand where the weight is on the edges of their feet. For instance if they are going to change directions to their left, they should focus on driving off the inside edge of their right foot and on the outside edge of their left foot.

2. Angles

Again, if they are changing directions to their left, their shin angles should begin to move that way as it will allow the rest of their body follow.  Additionally, their upper body should be angled towards the direction they are going as well. 

This will allow them to get in and out of their breaks in the fastest and most efficient way.

At the 18 second mark in this video you will see some of the drills that we use to teach the athlete how to understand their "Edges & Angles" when changing directions. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_w6tmBMtoI&t=1s 

Metabolic conditioning has been a “buzz phrase” in the fitness profession for many years now. Before that, it was the subject of research dating back at least 40 years.

https://iyca.org/metabolic-conditioning-for-athletes-part-1/ 

In this article, let’s have a practical look at what metabolic conditioning is and why we should do it with athletes.

https://iyca.org/metabolic-conditioning-for-athletes-part-2-phil-hueston/

In this last part of the series, I’ll break down the “how-to’s,” with some detail regarding what activities to include for various sports and how to maximize metabolic conditioning for your multi-sport athletes.

https://iyca.org/metabolic-conditioning-for-athletes-part-3-phil-hueston/?inf_contact_key=20b927c07c55b01f48688c7f8601975216358d5485884e2f31e6019a0d26c8b0 

Conditioning for baseball players has long consisted of LSD: Long, Slow, Distance work. While slow aerobic work has it benefits, I tend to disagree that it is a useful technique for baseball athletes which leads up to the inclusion of tempo runs. Tempo runs tend to fill the gap between speed, aerobic fitness, and recovery. 

https://www.zachdechant.com/conditioning-and-baseball/?mc_cid=ba1c54be96&mc_eid=0d2f979bcb 

Visit the nutrition page by following the link below. Below the REFUEL Nutrition Model is a section of articles.

REFUEL Nutrition

Not only is a stiff neck painful, it’s known to trigger headaches and migraines. Here are four simple neck mobility exercises for athletes that help reduce stiffness and alleviate neck pain. 

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/4-neck-mobility-exercises/ 

As the years pass even your hands begin to become sore as heck. This might be just a getting old thing, but there could also be more to it. More likely, it’s the result of years playing multiple sports plus lifting at least five times a week for over 25 years. But let’s be honest, when was the last time you thought about hand mobility, or even acknowledged that it was even a thing?

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/hand-exercises-for-sore-hands/ 

Internal clocks and rhythms are present in every aspect of our physiology. Every cell, every organ system, every tissue has a preferred clock. Learn how these clocks work and how we can influence them for health and performance.

https://www.sleepcoachcourse.com/circadian-video-page 

Want to know what will give you the greatest physical output and mental clarity? That’s right, sleep.

Lack of sleep has shown to reduce athletes’ ability to assess their surroundings and slow down reaction time. Even one bad night of sleep can impair both physical skills and mental focus.

Perform your best when it matters most. Find out how sleep has a direct impact on performance and how to make the most of circumstances that are sub-optimal for sleep.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/sleeps-impact-on-performance/

When it comes to an injury, how well your recovery goes, and how quickly you return to competition is largely up to you.

Physical therapy and treatment are only part of your day. The rest of it is your chance to step up, work on yourself, and do the steps necessary to come back and stay back.

Let’s explore some ways to turn what could be a major setback into a learning experience to relish.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/recovering-from-an-injury/

Autoregulated Progressive Resistance (APRE) has been around since the 1940s when Dr Thomas DeLorme created the methodology to help rehabilitate injured WWI servicemen. APRE is a form of strength training that focuses on holistic athletic ability and weekly performance variance. What makes APRE great is that it takes the effect of external factors on an athlete into account (sleep, nutrition, stress, previous workouts, etc.) and is built to help improve overall athletic performance, not just one lift at a time.

https://blog.teambuildr.com/posts/apre-and-high-school-athletes-what-you-need-to-know 

Auto-Regulatory Training has been around for decades. Siff and Verkoshansky have written about the DAPRE in Supertraining, Bryan Mann has an outstanding eBook on APRE, and I have listened to Dave Tate talk about Cybernetic Periodization as far back as the late 90s.

https://www.elitefts.com/education/coaching-education/watch-how-to-implement-auto-regulatory-training-in-a-team-setting/ 

One of the biggest challenges for coaches at the collegiate and high school level is individualizing programming in a large team setting. Coaches who implement some type of needs analysis for their athletes often find that the escape from a cookie-cutter program is more difficult than anticipated. Most likely, this is not due to lack of knowledge or experience (although this can add to the dilemma), but instead to limitations in space, staffing, scheduling, and equipment. More often than not, these four factors subtract from the coach’s ability to put their athletes and teams in an optimal situation for physical development.

https://www.elitefts.com/education/training/sports-performance/individual-training-in-a-team-setting/ 

I’m a gym scientist. My lab is the weight room and my lab rats are my athletes. Many of these “lab rats” are doing the program you’re about to read. My experiments have proven one thing: this program works. Below I’ve provided four real-world success stories to prove it.

https://www.defrancostraining.com/westside-for-skinny-bastards-part1/ 

The original Westside for Skinny Bastards was the most popular article I’ve ever written. I still receive dozens of emails and phone calls every day regarding this program.

Why? Because not only is it an incredible program, but there’s a ton of room in it for variety. The variety that’s built into this program brings up many debates and questions. The most common question I receive is how to incorporate running workouts into this template.

Well, ‘tis the season on the East Coast where the weather starts warming up and we go outside to prepare our football players for training camp. Many of our guys are on the “Westside for Skinny Bastards” template, and in this article I’ll explain how we incorporate running into their workouts (in addition to giving an overview of the entire program).

Even if you’re not a football player, I think you’ll learn something here about program design and maybe even a new exercise or two.

https://www.defrancostraining.com/westside-for-skinny-bastards-part2/ 

When I wrote the original “Skinny Bastards” article, I had a feeling it would generate a great deal of discussion. To be honest, though, I had no idea it would become as popular as it has. At least 75% of the hundreds of emails I receive on a weekly basis refer in some way to the WS4SB program. First, a bit of history…

After a year of answering questions about my original article and making modifications to it in the gym with my athletes, I decided to write Part 2. In that second installment, I discussed how to incorporate running workouts into the original training template. Another two years have passed now, and the avalanche of questions involving WS4SB continues to kill my inbox! This is what prompted me to sit down and provide more answers to the most common questions people have been asking. In this, my third and final chapter, I will clarify the following:

• A new 4-day-a-week strength training template for the off-season

• Explanation of warm-up sets

• New ways to incorporate speed training and conditioning into the program

• Sample in-season training templates

• Bonus “Washed-up Meathead” template

• The importance of including “indicator” exercises in your program

https://www.defrancostraining.com/westside-for-skinny-bastards-part3/ 

What if I told you there was an exercise that could make you run faster, jump higher and lift heavier, using nothing more than your own body weight?

And that this exercise could develop unimaginable levels of mental toughness while destroying your most persistent pains?

That it carried virtually no risk of injury, could supercharge your speed of recovery, and could be done by just about anyone, anywhere, at any time?

Because such an exercise does exist.  It looks like this: 

https://www.stack.com/a/what-are-extreme-isometrics-the-excruciating-extraordinary-bodyweight-exercises-youve-never-tried 

I’m always looking for ways to get my athletes to ⚡️Accelerate & Change Directions⚡️ better.

How many of us have those slow, stiff, athletes that can’t bend or move well? . 🧘‍♂️I know I work with a ton!

We’ve been implementing these ISOMETRIC “SPEED” holds before our dynamic warm up and I love the results.

https://coachingtoolbox.net/improving-game-speed-isometric-speed-holds 

Today I want to jump in the way back machine and talk a little bit about our R7 system.

The R7 system is something that we’ve developed and refined here over the years.

And to be honest, we’re pretty darn proud of it!

Not only are we using the R7 system with great success at IFAST, but I can tell you that coaches and trainers across the globe are using this system in their facilities as well.

https://indianapolisfitnessandsportstraining.com/what-is-r7/ 

You can find the answer by reading on of Team IFAST’s favorite books of all time, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Zapolsky.

This is quite simply the best book on stress and how it affects your body ever written.

Plus, even if you don’t know a thing about the body to start, you can pick it up and follow along. Zapolsky is that good with his writing.

Now you could read the entire book (which clocks in at around 418 pages) to understand the answer to this question, but I’ll do my best to give you the “big rocks” as to why this resets are kind of a big deal.

https://indianapolisfitnessandsportstraining.com/what-is-a-reset-and-why-do-we-do-it/ 

Ever wonder if there’s a more efficient approach to program design? In this session from the 2019 NSCA’s Coaches Conference, Mike Robertson, President of Robertson Training Systems and the co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (IFAST), discusses his simple seven-step approach to program design.

https://www.nsca.com/education/videos/r7-approach-to-program-design/ 

You don’t need much equipment (if any) to make progress, gain strength, improve your fitness, and stay healthy through working out. 

Bodyweight exercises have major benefits including better control, awareness of form, and joint health. Plus they can be implemented into any workout. 

Continue reading to find out why you should incorporate bodyweight resistance training into your fitness routine.

https://www.trainheroic.com/blog/bodyweight-calisthenics/