My Top 5 Speed Training Myths
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There are so many myths when it comes to training for speed out there, but I want to make this blog entry short, so I decided to narrow my top speed training myths down to 5. These are the statements I hear most often when talking to parents and young athletes about gettting faster:
1) You can’t train speed
This is one of the most insane things I have ever heard! Please tell me how Usain Bolt can go from running a 9.9 100 meter dash to a world record 9.58 in under 6 months! Was it just a lucky day or was it a smart training program? I think you know the answer to this. So many young athletes are so physically weak and unsound mechanically, that you can significantly increase their speed thru technique training and small amounts of resistance training. When you add in the multiple benefits of training with a kettlebell, your young athlete will be well on his/her way to becoming a true speed demon!
2) Long distance running will improve your speed
When I get a look at an athlete’s summer training program, I am totally amazed at how much long distance running these kids are asked to do. One thing that eats me up is a 150 pound kid with hardly any muscle running mile after mile after mile. Not only will this type of training rob you of your hard earned muscle, but it will actually make you a slower athlete. How many sports involve running slow for minutes at a time? Not many! The athletes I work with are asked to get up to top speed immediately. So, in order for us to improve upon this, all sprint work must be done full speed!
3) Young athlete’s shouldn’t strength train
Well I guess it’s okay for little Johnny to get tackled by mammoth defenders, slide into second base, fall down and get kicked, but he’s two young to start learning how to master his own bodyweight. This is a huge problem! Believe me, getting knocked to the turf repeatedly will have a much greater affect on your young athlete than a well designed strength training program. Exercises such as push ups, lunges, and squats will improve an athlete’s muscular efficiency, coordination, overall speed and help to speed up recovery after a game.
4) Hard Workouts= Better Results
This one isn’t just for athletes wanting to get faster! I’ve been a trainer for about 8 years now and I can tell you that pounding athletes and clients into the dirt has NEVER worked for me. While at UVA, we had probably one of the best strength coaches ever in John Gamble. Now, he had his days were he wanted to push us beyond our normal limits, but the majority of our workouts focused on using proper technique to stimulate an adaptation in the body, without reaching a point of diminishing returns. Most coaches and trainers think that if the athlete or client isn’t vomiting after a workout, than their training was ineffective. Not only will this produce mediocre results, but the athlete becomes more susceptible to injury. Not good!
5) Static Stretching will prepare you for running & competition
Many still don’t understand static stretching will reduce an athletes power output. A good dynamic warm is the best way to get the athlete ready for game time. Starting with low intensity movements and progressing to faster more explosive movements will elevate the athlete’s core temperature and loosen up muscles in a way that doesn’t reduce power. It is also important for the athlete to simulate movements that they will be using within the game. Stretching muscles while the body is still cold is a surefire way to get injured!
This Week on the DS Blog
By · CommentsQ & A Session with Camp Soccer Coach Jonathan Willis
Dynamic Solutions is thrilled to introduce to you our camp soccer coach and one of our favorite people, Jonathan Willis. Jonathan has been training in the DS studio for about 6 months and is easily in the best shape of any athlete that I have had the chance to work with. Because of this reason and the fact that he can light up a room and personally give me energy when I need it the most, makes Jonathan a great asset to our team.
DG: You had the opportunity to coach a few years at a boys and girls club at North Carolina State University. What is the biggest thing you learned about coaching young athletes?
JW: The overarching concept I learned when coaching is Kids want to have fun when they are playing outdoors. Due to this, the coach must teach the necessary skills in a fun and inventive way which always keeps the kids attention and motivation high. Just like adults have to show how school work and eating your vegetables can be fun a coach must do the same for sports and exercise.
DG: What motivates you to get involved with coaching?
JW: It is not any one thing which motivates me to get involved with the community in any aspect let alone coaching. When I was growing up I was fortunate enough to have a big brother in a mentor program in elementary school. That program was a strong contributing factor to the motivation I carried thru to my high school education and sporting activity. I know if I did not have the individual support at that point and time my level of desire to achieve at anything would have been greatly diminished. When I started volunteering in college it was in part because I wanted to give back in that same way. I enjoy sports and being outdoors and helping whatever community I am in. For those same reasons I would also volunteer overseas in the countries I visited with the Navy. Community is not a community if people are not willing to volunteer their time and skills to make the whole a better place.
DG: What are some of the games and drills you like to use with young soccer players?
JW: You always have to have the simi-dull kick drill or pass drill. It helps ensure that you as the kid know what you are doing and provides a base line for the coach to work from. However, the games at practice I like to play teach various skills but always involve a lot of running and agility. I like to use games which mix two skill sets in one event. It keeps the kids thinking and tires them out which helps build mind and body endurance. In soccer it does not matter how hard you kick, how well you can head the ball, or how far you can throw it in bounds. You must be able to run up and down a field for the duration of the 2 periods and catch the opponent with the ball in enough time to prevent him/her from scoring.
DG: What are you most excited about sharing with young athelts attending our peed and athletic camp?
JW: I am most excited about sharing the excitement and fun you can have outdoors playing sports or exercising vice being inside in front of the computer / television / hand held device etc which, allows kids to turn off their brain and veg-out. More and more I feel kids think going outside to play is as much a chore as mowing the lawn or doing the dishes. Ensuring a kid is a well rounded and has as many avenues to help them succeed as possible does not stop at teaching kids to eat their different veggies and reading more challenging books; you must also teach them build up their athletic skills and stay physically as well as mentally active.
DG: I’m a believer in working with kids as early as 8 years of age. How do you feel about having kids perform age appropriate skills acquisition drills to help maximize athletic performance?
JW: I understand the mind and the body mature differently. However, just as teachers set the ground work for latter educational exploration by teaching kids the alphabet, multiplication tables, and how to read and write at a young age; you must also teach kids the basics of good exercise habits to also set the ground work for latter exploration in personal health and sporting activity. If 5 and 6 years olds can go to gym class in Kindergarten to learn to play around 8 year olds can learn necessary physical skill sets to help them succeed in sports.
Using Circuits To Develop Mental Toughness
This workout by college football player Ian McKean was designed strictly to push him beyond his normal limits. It was totally a surprise, but I wanted to see if he would give up. He’s a strong kid and can Power Clean over 300 pounds, but what good is that on the football field if he’s gassed in the 4th quarter and his opponent is pounding him into the dirt!
Mental toughness is an attribute that has to be built thru an athlete’s strength and conditioning program. Sports specific skills are important for every athlete to have, but those skills become worthless when you’re going against an athlete who’s bigger. faster, stronger , tougher and in better shape!
Is your young athlete mentally tough? If not, I suggest you get them signed up for our Speed & Athletic Development Camp while there still is space!!
Litvinov Workout by Dan John
Up next is a good article by one of personal favorites in the strength and conditioning industry, Dan John. Dan is an RKC certified instructor, and holds numerous National Championships in weightlifting and throwin, so I tend to listen when he speaks!
His article the Litvinov workout talks about the style of training Sergey Litvinov used to help him dominate the world in the hammer throw in the 1980’s. When, I first read this article, all I can think was this type of training MUST illicit some amazing results! I have always believed on focusing on quality over quantity in regards to training and high intensity workouts. Tomorrow will be my first Litvinov workout , as I hope to use this with our athletes in the future. I’ll let you know how it goes!
2 Day Training Template
I get a lot of questions from people about training programs and how do go about training the multi-sport athlete. For me, this is very simple. No matter what sport you play, you will benefit from lifting weights and sports specific conditioning. We use basically the same training templates with all our young athletes and all have made dramatic improvements in their sport. Here is a 2 day training template we’ll be using with our older group of athletes this summer:
Day 1 – Heavy Day
Warm Up
1)Foam Roll, ankle mobility, hip mobility, t-spine mobility
2) Dynamic Warm Up/ Movement Prep (calisthenics)
3) Linear Agility Work
Workout
1) Deadlift/Clean/KB Swing Instruction
2a) Front Squats 3 x5 (82% relative intensity)
2b) Chin Ups 3 x 5
3a) BW or Zercher hold reverse lunge 3 x 8
3b) Strict Press 3 x 5
3c) RDL x 8 R/L
Day 2- Speed Training
Warm up
1) Foam Roll, ankle mobility, Stretching and Activation Drills
2) Dynamic Warm Up/ Movement Prep
Plyometrics
1) Pogo jumps 3 x 10 seconds
2) Wideouts 3 x10 seconds
3) Jump squat 4 x4
Speed Work
1) Seated Arm Action 2 x 6 seconds
2) Split stance start to sprint x 8 1 minute rest in between sets
3) 20 yard shuttles x 4 2 minutes rest in between sets
4) 40 yard ins and outs x 4 2 minutes rest in between
Wednesdays will be high rep workouts and on Thursdays we will be conditioning. This is the first phase of our 12 month Movement Training Systems online training program. Upon completion of the camp all athletes can still train with us year round without having to be in the DS studio. All MTS programs come with video feedback and access to all of our training protocols. Take the guess work out of training and ensure you’re doing the exercises correctly! All for the price of about 4 Personal TRAINING SESSIONS!!
If you’re unable to attend our camp, but still want you’re young athlete to take advantage of our one of a kind MTS program, e-mail us at dynamicsolutions@kettlebellstronginva.com for a presentation.
This Week on the DS Blog
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FMS Assessments for Runners
This Tuesday the DS crew will be heading to Pacers running store in Old Town to conduct some FMS assessments on the their Fun Run group. I believe that everyone beginning an exercise program should go through the FMS. But, with runners getting assessed with the FMS is a no-brainer and a real game changer! An efficient gait cycle is the absolute most important issue for endurance athletes, because of the repetition of particular movement patterns involved in their sports. Also, gait cycle limitations and compensations are key for injury prevention.
This will be the first time , I’ve screened a group of this magnitude, so I decided to contact Master RKC and co-creator of the CK-FMS Brett Jones for a little guidance. There are many variables that factor into good running technique but the three movement patterns that we will be focusing on for these runners are: Trunk Stability Pushup, Active Straight Leg Raise and Shoulder Mobility. We are focusing on these movement patterns for the following reasons:
TSPU (Trunk Stability Pushup)- The ability to perform the trunk stability push up requires symmetric trunk stability during a symmetric upper body movement. Most functional activities require the trunk stabilizers to transfer force from the upper body to the lower body and vice versa. If the trunk does not have adequate functioning reflex stabilization during functional activities kinetic energy will leak out of the body. This will lead to poor functional performance and increased potential for injury.
ASLR (Active Straight Leg Raise)- This simple movement pattern not only identifies the active mobility of the flexed hip but the initial and continuous core stability within the pattern as well as the available hip extension of the alternate hip. This is probably the most important of the FMS assessments. The ability to disassociate the lower extremities while maintaining a stable pelvis and core is HUGE! I say its the most important because poor performance during this test can be the result of several factors which can be addressed with the proper corrective exercises and stretches.
Shoulder Mobility- This one here is kryptonite for me! The shoulder mobility screen is another important test where poor performance can be the result of several factors. This test challenges shoulder mobility, scapular stability and T-spine mobility and stability. Basically, a test of postural control and core stability.
Presto… there you have 3 important FMS screens targeting runners!
Information taken from www.functionalmovement.com
Q&A Session with Lacrosse Star Lauren Gray
Dynamic Solutions is excited to have 2-time All-American lacrosse player, Lauren Gray as our camp lacrosse coach this summer .I have watched Lauren interact with young swim athletes on the Mansion House swim team in Alexandria, Va. Her coaching skills are exactly what we were looking to add to the DS team. We are very fortunate to have an athlete/coach of this caliber working with our kids this summer. This is a great opportunity for young athletes to learn the skills of this game from a player on a top 5 Division 1 program. DON’T MISS OUT!
DG- What was the hardest transition for you going from a two-time All-American player at Bishop Ireton HS to a freshman on a top 5 Division 1 lacrosse program?
LG- The hardest thing for me transitioning from High School to College Lacrosse was adjusting to level of play mentally and physically. Mentally I had to learn what seemed like a whole new game due to the fact I had to think while I was on the field and understanding plays even as a defender. Physically, everyone is good at the Division 1 Level. Most people were just as fast or even faster than you were. Without being in great shape it is extremely hard to accomplish anything at this level.
DG- How do you feel the game of lacrosse has changed in the last few years?
LG- The game of lacrosse, Men and Women’s, has made huge strides especially in the past couple of years. The sport has spread across the country and top players are now coming from all over the world. In addition to this, lacrosse has gained huge publicity, with more games being televised.
Aside from this, the style of lacrosse has also changed. For women’s lacrosse it has become a lot like the Men’s style of play in terms of the pace. With more athletes entering the game you can expect the sport to continue to grow and competition to become more vigorous.
DG- Lacrosse is super popular right now. What attributes do you feel a young lacrosse player should focus on to give them an edge over such fierce competition?
LG- Young lacrosse players should really focus on their speed, foot work, and getting in the best possible shape. Again with competition growing it is key for young athletes to get an early start to get the edge over other players. On top of conditioning, it is also extremely important for young lacrosse players to get a stick in their hands. Stick skills go a long way, especially if a player is capable of playing with both hands.
DG- Last year before you left for college, I had a chance to introduce you to Kettlebell and TRX training. How do you feel these tow training modalities can enhance a young player’s game.
LG- This type of training is great for young athletes because not only are you getting stronger, but you are also getting cardio in at the same time. It is a very efficient way to get a total body workout and help get young players on the right track while leading them away from injury.
DG- Now having a year’s experience of top flight lacrosse under your belt, what are you most excited about sharing with the young athletes attending our Speed and Athletic Camp?
LG- I have previously helped coached the Fort Hunt 15-U Lacrosse Team with Rick Soeffield and have also been a swim coach for Mansion House for the past 6 years. I have tons of experience with younger kids and wouldn’t want to work with any other age level. I am really excited about being able to share with young lacrosse athletes the how to have fun and become an over all better player. I want each athlete to take away the importance of working hard on and off the field. This Speed and Athletic camp allows each individual to get the full experience of being an athlete by working with weights, footwork, agility, and lacrosse itself.
REGISTER FOR DYNAMIC SOLUTIONS SPEED & ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT CAMP!
Video of the Week
The video of the week is a sample of one of the mobility/stretching circuits I’ll use before working out. I really like these types of circuits, because a lot of the exercises you’ll see are part of the corrective exercises found within the Functional Movement Screen system. As you will see, I am not only getting my core temperature up, but I’m also working on my limitations and compensations that were found when I underwent the FMS assessment!
Food for Thought
It is easy to forget where our food comes from. We go to the grocery store each week and have little or no connection with the the farms that grew the produce or raised the live stock that we eat. Often the farms we get our food from are many miles away and much of what we eat is delivered to us from other countries! When you consider the carbon footprint we leave it makes sense to purchase food from nearby farmers or farmers markets. Organic local produce tastes much better and has vastly increased nutrient value because it is picked ripe and sold fresh within hours, is grown without the use of herbicides and pesticides and will have a much reduced environmental impact not only because of the shorter distances traveled but also because this action supports local family farms rather than the huge multinational agri-business monopolies that have a terrible environmental record. There are many great farmers markets and organic farms right in our backyard! I have listed a few of them below taken from the Weston A. Price Foundation website. I highly recommend this website for the most up to date information and resources regarding you and your family’s health. Summer is a great time to celebrate all kinds of wonderful fresh produce! Food is a celebration! Have fun preparing food you purchased from your local organic farmer this Summer!
- Over The Grass Farm—450 acre diversified farm in The Plains, VA about one hour west of Washington DC. They believe that healthy food comes from healthy soils and happy animals. Their objective is to create connection between the eater, the farmer, and the land. They offer garden produce, grass finished beef and lamb, raw milk through a cow share, eggs, honey, homemade jams and jelly and yarn.
- Smith Meadows- All natural, free-range beef, pork, veal, goat, lamb, eggs and pasta. No hormones or antibiotics. Available at various farmers markets in Maryland, DC and Northern Virginia.
- Touchstone Farm- Free-range lamb, no artificial or processed feeds, hormones or growth supplements. Check website for delivery areas and seasonal ordering.
- Zook’s Organics—Grass-fed organic products. Veal, beef, chickens and eggs, dairy, cheeses, seasonal produce. Delivery to designated places in the Washington and Virginia areas. Contact Hillary Little at farmorders (at) farmorders.com.
P.S.- We are holding an Speed & Athletic Development Open House June 26th at 11:00 am-1:00 pm for parents and athletes who would like to come by the Dynamic Solutions studio for questions and meet our team. This will be a great time to introduce you to our system of working with athletes. Hope to see you there!!