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.
Read More
By Leaps and Bounds: My Evolution to the Split Jump
My athletes used a 1970s-era isokinetic device called the Leaper as a rack for their warmups. It didn’t offer enough progressive challenges. Split jumps solve that problem. There are several variations to keep interest high.
Read More
How Better Assessment Methods Can Reduce Injury Risk
The prevalence of injuries among young athletes before and during the early 2000s were likely a consequence of the lack of proper assessment. Concerned about this situation, a notable athlete began coaching and instituting several types of assessments as he moved into personal training. He’s currently self-evaluating three relatively new methods to make his methodology even more reliable.
Read More
Coaching the Twixter: How the 800 Became a Sprint Event
Solid research suggests that the training modality for the 800 as “middle distance” is erroneous. Many experts now regard the event as a long sprint. As such, the key is developing the ability to reduce the falloff in speed as much as possible.
Read More
A Coach’s Evolution to the “Load Six” Philosophy
Much of what was once considered gospel in coaching sprinters has been subject to revision or even outright abandonment in recent years. Other concepts, however, have come full circle—acceptance, rejection, reacceptance. It is important to keep an open mind in evaluating everything—or “load six” in the parlance of the Old West. That is, less absolute certainty and more willingness to consider the viewpoints of other coaches with whom we share the game goal: faster, more powerful runners.
Read More
Should We Ignore the Psycho-social Aspect of Competitive Athletics?
As we look at the bio-psycho-social approach to training high school athletes, “psycho” and “social” may be as equally important as “bio.” So-called “fluff” in programs is often part of a firm foundation along with the most advanced technical knowledge. Some may call it a placebo, but it’s hard to ignore the positive results it achieves.
Read More