http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/football-training-tips.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/fitness/football-training-tips.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0600
Football training tips have gotten very sophisticated, mostly because a great football player is a renaissance man in the athletic world. He is a package deal, so to speak. He is amazingly strong and solid with the ability to channel explosive power at that perfect moment in time. He is dense and powerful and wields tremendous inertia on the field. On the flipside, he must also be agile and quick on his feet. And the greatest players can disappear down the field in a flash, hopefully with the ball in hand.

If you're thinking that this 'great' football player sounds almost super-human, you're not very far off the mark. Especially when you consider that he must be able to think and make quick decisions even while he's performing all this magic on the field. But don't dismay, if you have a goal to become a better football player, you can hone your athletic skill to be this diverse. Here are a few football training tips for a great, all-around on field performance.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #1

Your first football training tip is to head to the gym for some weight training sooner rather than later. If you already have some basic weight training under your belt for balance and stability, you can go ahead and move on to more intense training that is very specific to football. If you don't, you'll want to ease into it and start off with a few weeks of lighter training. Start with about three to four weeks of circuit training to strengthen your larger and smaller muscle groups. You can do this at home or in the gym with free weights or machines. Check your local weight room as it may already have a circuit set up and ready to go.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #2

Once you've completed your prep-training, you can move onto the second football training tip - more intense strength training to build muscle mass, strength and power. This football training tip focuses on targeting your larger muscles and start lifting some serious weight, about 65% of your maximum strength. Rest for several minutes between sets and you really only need to perform this training three or four times each week, so long as you’re working each major muscle group 1-2 times each week. After four weeks of more intense strength training, you're ready to move into about four weeks of maximal strength training, in which you'll be lifting almost 80%-100% of what you can physically lift for as many reps as you can. Don't get discouraged if you can only do one rep per "set". Again, rest for several minutes between and only follow this football training tip three or four times each week. There's no need to overdo it here. Also, get into the habit of stretching after each workout. Stretching increases flexibility and can help achieve your speed goals. Most importantly, stretching can help you fend off an injury which is key to completing a great season.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #3
This football training tip is more about what not to do than what to do. One of the most common mistakes in training for football is overtraining. For this reason, follow the football training tip I just described for off-season training. During the season, this program would be overkill and likely lead to fatigue and decreased performance. It is, however, a great football training tip to build you up before the season starts. For your training during the season, tone it way down and do the minimum amount to maintain the progress you made during the off season.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #4

This football training tip is also a warning against overtraining when performing drills and endurance training. While endurance is very important in football (you don't want to peter out half way through the first quarter), training as if for a marathon is not necessary when training for football. Interval training is a great way to achieve the kind of endurance that is ideal for the game of football but without inducing fatigue due to over training. When you think about it, football is played in bursts of intensity which are then followed by a pause. Interval training recreates the same kind of activity in that there are short bursts of intensity followed by recovery. How you perform during the bursts is the most crucial part of the training.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #5

Running and speed is an integral part of the football game being that the combination often means that making a touchdown is more likely. In terms of speed training, you must refer back the previous statements about the importance of not overtraining. For the sake of getting faster, many athletes run farther and harder, and then on game day they are worn out and can't perform the way they'd like. Speed training is often pursued on the field. However, strength training done properly is a sure-fire way to gain ground in terms of speed. If you've already done serious weight training for gaining strength and power, your speed is already being influenced by the strength of the major muscles of your body. The chances are good that you are already moving over the ground with some substantial power. However, power combined with stride speed can generate a serious shift in speed.

Top 6 Football Training Tips: Football Training Tip #6

To improve stride speed, spend some time working your thigh flexor muscles during your weight training sessions. Find a resistance band and fix one end to a stationary object about ankle height from the ground. Fix the other end of the resistance band to your ankle. Standing with your feet about hip's width apart, move your foot with the band attached about 12 inches off the ground in front of you while slightly bending the knee. Hold this position approximately 15 seconds and then return to the original position. Perform this exercise for one set on each leg a few times a week to see improved muscle speed as well as strength.

The key to great football training tips is to aim for well-roundedness of skill: solid with speed, power with agility, strength with endurance. For a football player, it's not enough to be just fast or tough. He's got to be fast and tough. However, striking the perfect balance is very achievable with proper training and taking care not to over train while in pursuit of your goals. What we've covered in this article is only the tip of the iceberg in terms of football training tips, but it is a step in the right direction toward becoming a more powerful and confident football player on the field.

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To learn more about how to run faster from Patrick Beith and Athletes' Acceleration and to get the 7 tips to dominant speed for athletes go now to: http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

For the top speed and power training resources check out: http://www.AthletesAcceleration.com/products.html

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/soccer-agility-drills.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/soccer-agility-drills.html Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0500
The ability to stop, start, cut and sprint are extremely crucial skills needed to be successful in soccer. Here are 6 of our top soccer agility drills for players that can be used and are great in a team setting.

1. Ground Marker Drill

1). Place 4 ground markers out in a straight line approximately three yards apart.
2). In between each set of markers place another marker only three yards to the left.
3). Players are to sprint from one marker to the next bending down to touch each one with your hand.
4). The emphasis is on taking quick side steps, rather than turning to face the marker and sprinting forward - that takes more time (which don't have in a game).


2. Teamate Chase Drill

1). Mark out a large area - 20 yards by 20 yards for example.
2). Pair up with a team mate and have them run randomly within the area.
3). Try to maintain 2 yards distance from them at all times. Your team mate should be changing direction and pace constantly.


3. Corner Sprint Drill

1). Use four cones to mark out a square approximately five yards by five yards.
2). Place a cone in the center of the square. This is your starting position.
3). Give each corner a number and remember it! Have a team mate (or your coach) call numbers at random.
4). Sprint to the corner shouted and return to the middle.


4. Shuttle Take-off Drill

1).Place two ground markers 20 yards apart. Place marker in the middle only three yards to the side.
2). Starting from the middle marker sprint to one end (10 yards), turn and immediately sprint to the other end (20 yards) and then back to the start (10 yards).
3). Turn on a different foot at each marker and try to touch the ground with your hand.


5. Cross Drill

1). Set a series of cones out in a cross formation.
2). Run backwards to the center cone, side step to the right cone (or your left if you are performing the drill), side step back to the centre cone still facing the same way.
3). At the center cone turn and sprint forward to the end cone. Now run back to the enter cone, side step to the left, side step back to the center, then turn and sprint back to the start.


6. Weaving Shuttle Drill

1). Place 10 shuttles in a line 5 yards apart.
2). Weave in and out as fast as possible and walk back to the start.
3). This exercise is often performed much more slowly with a ball. The goal here is to develop speed of leg movement so no ball is used.

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For more speed training articles from Patrick Beith and Athletes' Acceleration and to get the 7 tips to superior speed go now to http://www.athletesacceleration.com/articles.html

For the top speed and power training resources check out: http://www.athletesacceleration.com/products.html

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/conditioning-for-sprinters.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/conditioning-for-sprinters.html Thu, 18 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
This article will look at the means of training these systems through three types of Tempo Running: Continuous Tempo, Extensive Tempo and Intensive Tempo.

When using these means of training, I find it valuable to use athletes' heart rates as an indicator of their level of work stress. On the average we can determine maximum heart rate by using: 220 - age. Thus, a 15 year old athlete s maximum heart rate would be about 205 BPM.

When quickly calculating conditioning and recovery during a workout, I will have athletes find their pulse (in the neck since it is closest to the heart) and have them count their heart rate for 6 seconds. We then multiply that by 10 (just add a 0 to the number they counted) to determine their current heart rate. This way, as a coach, I can tell whether they have recovered sufficiently for the next interval, are not working hard enough, or are laboring too hard for the goals of the workout. I then modify athletes workouts accordingly.

CONTINUOUS TEMPO is used for general endurance, helps improve recovery and the athlete s fatiguing mechanisms. This past summer I saw far too many soccer and field hockey players using long slow tempo runs as their primary method of conditioning. These runs are useful, but when done below 60% intensity they will not prepare these athletes for the demands of their event.

Depending on the conditioning of the athlete, blood lactate concentration increases as workload exceeds 60% intensity (HR 120-140). The capability of the body to absorb oxygen is dependant upon the size and strength of the heart, the network of capillary blood vessels, number of mitochondria and the quality (hemoglobin and hematocrit) and volume of the blood. The more hemoglobin in each red blood cell, the more oxygen it can carry from the heart and lungs to working muscles.

Therefore, it is important that athletes develop the aerobic energy system with runs at 60-70% (HR 120-140) intensity continuously.

EXTENSIVE TEMPO:
Extensive tempo consists of runs of 100m - 600m at 70-80% intensity (HR 140-160). With these runs, a conditioned athlete will get some lactate formation, but only at a fraction of the levels experienced when running at 90-100% intensity.

Extensive tempo assists in the removal and turnover of lactate, as well as the body s ability to tolerate greater levels of lactate. With submaximal work levels of 60-80%, lactate will form in large amounts because the oxidative system simply can not meet the demands of the muscle. Oxygen debt occurs, accelerating the demand for anaerobic energy production. Such levels may not occur until deep into the workout or during intensive tempo work. This method of training, again, involves relaxed runs at 70-80% intensity to aid in recovery and enhance oxidative mechanisms.

Remember, it is the ability to buffer lactic acid that allows athletes to stay competitive late into games and competitions when they are constantly in oxygen debt, but must maintain the ability to accelerate, quickly change directions and hold near maximal efforts.

When performing extensive tempo workouts, athletes should be able to finish each repetition within the prescribed (HR 140-160) range. Successive intervals should not occur until athletes heart rates have subsided to this range. These workouts are not what coaches or athletes would consider hard workouts .

Depending on conditioning level, experience and time of year, the volume for these workouts should be between 2000 - 4500 meters total. Rest should be between 30" - 3' between reps and 2 - 3' between sets.

Examples of an Extensive Tempo Workout:
1. 2 x 10 x 100m @ 75% with 30" rest between reps and 2' between sets

2. 2 x 8 x 200m @ 72% with 1'rest between reps and 2' between sets

3. 8 x 400m @ 75% with 2' rest between reps. If athletes struggle, give a halftime rest of 3-4 minutes. 4. 7 x 600m @ 77% with 3' rest between reps.

Remember, athletes should be able to hit their times and, once prescribed rest has been completed, be within their target heart rate. If they aren't, give them more rest between reps, reduce the volume of the workout or shut the workout down.

INTENSIVE TEMPO
Intensive tempo consists of controlled runs of 80-90% (HR 160-180) intensity that allow athletes to run in a smooth, relaxed manner without undue stress. In theory, tempo training increases the athlete s ability to recruit fewer muscle fibers at the same speeds which would reduce energy cost and improve individual performance. Lack of oxygen and lactate buildup is associated with muscle fatigue.The onset of this condition is, in large part, determined by the overall efficiency of circulation developed with continuous and extensive tempo preparation.

This means that, we must gradually increase the body's ability to improve circulation and buffer lactic acid buildup by evolving workout intensity with continuous tempo, then extensive tempo, then intensive tempo. With track athletes especially, we would be ultimately preparing them for race simulations in the form of speed endurance and Special Endurance runs. Intensive tempo ultimately provides a base for the anaerobic energy system development that is to follow.

Because intensive tempo borders on speed and special endurance, lactate levels can become very high. Since all energy systems more or less turn on at the same time, intensive tempo is highly demanding of both the aerobic AND anaerobic systems. When using these types of runs, 6-12 reps can be done once a resting heart rate of about 120 is reached. Total volume with this type of training, depending on conditioning level, experience and time of year is generally in the range of 800-3000 meters of total volume. Rest can be between 30" and 5' between reps and 3-10' between sets.

Examples of an Intensive Tempo Workout:
1. 6 x 200m @ 85% with 3.5' recovery between reps

2. 6 x 400m @ 82% with 3.5' recovery between reps

3. 2 x 4 x 250m @ 86% with 4' rest between reps and 8' rest between sets

4. 4 x 600m @ 80% with 5-7' rest between reps


Progress the intensity of your tempo runs based on your conditioning goals. The ability of athletes to buffer lactate accumulation will determine their success as fatigue levels rise throughout the course of their game or competition. Also, make sure athletes are training in the heart rate range that best defines the workout. If you are running a high volume extensive tempo workout, but athletes heart rates are at 175+ as they begin each repetition, then you must know how to modify the workout.

With any type of training, you have to understand why you are running a specific type of workout and how it helps your athletes in their specific sport. You wouldn't have a 100 meter runner go for a 25 minute tempo run, but a miler would. An 800 meter runner would benefit from several 600 meter repeats at intensive tempo pace, but a 55 meter dash specialist has no use for such workouts.

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Latif Thomas is co-owner of Athletes' Acceleration Inc. For more speed training articles from Athletes' Acceleration and to get the 7 tips to superior speed go now to http://www.athletesacceleration.com/articles.html

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/speed-training-workouts.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/speed-training-workouts.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500
That being said, the required changes likely only involve making minor modifications in your training philosophy. In this article I will cover acceleration development. Many programs neglect acceleration development even though it is the foundation of any program designed to improve speed. You can’t run at your true top speed if don’t have the ability to accelerate properly.

Success in most sports is based heavily on the ability to accelerate quickly and efficiently. This is because most sports primarily require short bursts of speed before the athlete stops, slows down or changes direction. The exception is track and field sprinters, where the acceleration portion of speed development is critical because it sets up the rest of the race. But even sports like soccer, traditionally trained using long slow runs and intervals, require a shift in emphasis to acceleration development. Success in these ‘endurance’ sports still depend on short periods of acceleration in order to get to a loose ball, breakaway from an opponent and get back on defense.

So there’s little point in doing speed training workouts if you haven’t first mastered the ability to accelerate. Here are some basic speed training workouts that you can do in order to improve the ability to accelerate. For our purposes we are talking about runs from 0 – 30 yards.

But before you begin, regardless of your sport or beliefs about training speed, there are some things you need to remember when it comes to acceleration development.

1). Full recovery between repetitions is required.
2). Full recovery means rest approximately one minute for every 10 yards that you run.
3). 'Don’t train speed every day.
4). The more force you apply to the ground, the faster you’ll pick up speed
5). Make sure that your feet land beneath the hips.
6). The heels should never touch the ground when doing speed work.
7). You run faster when you stay relaxed then when you strain.

I like to start the training season with short runs up hill because this forces athletes to really drive the foot down into the ground in order to gain momentum. The ability to apply force into the ground with each stride is the driving force (pun intended) behind getting faster. I like to use fairly steep hills, that way the requirements in steps 4-7 above really become more pronounced. When you don’t follow those criteria, it becomes extremely difficult to accelerate quickly.

1). 10 x 20y uphill or on a flat surface from standing start. 2 minute rest.

2). 10 x 30y uphill or on a flat surface from (push up down position, 3 point stance or seated). 3 minutes rest.

As you can see, speed training workouts themselves aren’t especially complicated or fancy. The results come from following the 7 rules I mentioned earlier, mastering technique by using speed drills and improving strength by lifting weights. In all, the key is to follow a comprehensive and complete speed training program that will not only teach you the types of workouts that improve speed but also the many other elements of training that compliment your speed work and develop overall athletic ability. By looking for short cuts and quick answers, you’ll see inconsistent and frustrating results. But when your speed training workouts fit into a well designed training plan, you’ll get results that you didn’t realize could occur so quickly and easily.

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For more speed training articles from Athletes' Acceleration and to get the 7 tips to superior speed go now to http://www.athletesacceleration.com/articles.html

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/running-drills.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/running-drills.html Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0500 Athletes' Acceleration Inc.
http://www.AthletesAcceleration.com

Speed training drills are an excellent method for improving running form, technique and power output. However, it always amazes me when people go online to search for speed training drills with the idea that descriptions of these drills are going to help them get faster or improve the speed of their athletes.

As I mentioned, the primary reasons for using these movements is to help athletes correct some of the many technical errors that occur when they are running at high intensities. The reasons that these errors occur are due to several factors. Most often, it is simply due to the fact that athletes have never been instructed on the right ways to move when they run, or what they should be thinking about as they sprint. This is usually because their coaches don’t really have any idea what to tell them. Another reason is due to lack of coordination.

Running fast requires the coordination of many muscles working simultaneously. Lack of coordination causes the brain to do more work to keep athletes from losing their balance, so it has to slow the body down to compensate. Other reasons are lack of physical strength in the legs and weak cores (abs, hips, lower back).

My point in saying all of this is that in order to learn how to do speed training drills correctly, athletes and the coaches who teach them must be able to see these drills done the right way. Descriptions of drills (and even still photos) are a poor representation of the specific ranges of motion that athletes must learn to do as a part of a complete speed training program. The reason they need to learn these drills in the first place is because they don’t do them right or have running styles that limit their ability to accelerate, maintain top speeds and generally perform to the best of their abilities.

So if you attempt to teach or learn the drills that address these issues by reading about how to do them instead of watching them on video, you are doomed to make errors in your comprehension. In short, you won’t get a full understanding of the techniques and then you will simply reinforce an entirely new set of bad habits that must be broken again in order to achieve the results that bring you to this site today. In fact, I have never seen anyone properly teach themselves or others how to do a useful speed training drill by reading about it.

On top of that, you have to make sure that the speed training drills that you are learning are actually going to reinforce proper mechanics. Some popular drills teach athletes the wrong ideas. For example, high knees and butt kicks are age old exercises that teach athletes to continue to run at less than their full potential. Why?

High knees teach athlete to drive their knees up and let the ankle come out from underneath the hips when running. To run faster, athletes must drive the foot down into the ground with the foot landing underneath the hips. Butt kicks teach athletes to bend at the knee when running as if they were doing a hamstring curl.

Yet, the leg never operates in this way when running even though it may look like it. This is why you should never have athletes do hamstring curls in the weight room. It is a waste of time and effort.

Speed training drills are a requirement in any speed development program, but make sure that that you learn them by watching an experienced athlete perform them correctly or you will get very little out of it in the long run.

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Athletes' Acceleration, founded by Latif Thomas and Patrick Beith, combines over 25 years of athletic and coaching experience to bring you the very best in speed development, strength and conditioning programs for coaches and athletes. Get the FREE Complete Speed Training Newsletter now at http://www.athletesacceleration.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/pre-season-soccer-training.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/pre-season-soccer-training.html Thu, 24 May 2007 00:00:00 -0500 Agility Training
By Patrick Beith, CSCS, PES, USATF Lv. II
http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

With soccer season coming up and the agility conditioning of your athletes is unknown, are you looking for new exercises to have your team explode onto the scene?

Fortunately, there are 10 tried-and-true exercises that are guaranteed to get your players ready and in late-season shape in no-time!


1) Funnel Drill: Need 6 cones. The first 2 cones are next to each other 2 yards apart. Place the cones 3 and 4, 3 yards away form the first 2 and separate them 4 yards apart. Cones 5 and 6 are going to be 3 yards away from cones 3 and 4, and they will be separated 6 yards apart. The cones should form a shape of a funnel.

To start this drill, you should stand in an athletic position in front of cone #1. On a command of a coach or training partner, laterally shuffle to cone #2. Touch the top of cone 2 then sprint diagonally to cone #3, touch, then shuffle to cone #4. Touch cone #4 then sprint diagonally to cone #5, touch and laterally shuffle to cone #6. Touch cone #6 then sprint forward 5 yards to the finish line.

***Progressions: There are many different variations to this drill. You can add different cuts and moves to the funnel pattern. You can add different commands (audible or visual) to start the drill or to have the athlete perform different movements. To make this drill even more challenging, you can add an opponent or a ball, while making sure you are not compromising the technique of the drill.


2) 5-10-5 (Pro Agility): There are three cones set-up 5 yards apart. The athlete starts at the middle cone (cone #2) facing the cone with cones #1 & #3 on the right and left side. The athlete turns and sprints 5 yards to cone #1, plants and runs 10 yards past cone #2 to cone 3. The athlete plants again and runs 5 yards back to the start (at cone #2).



3) T-Drill: Set the cones up to look like a T. The athlete starts at the bottom of the T (cone #1). Sprint forward 10 yards to cone #2. At the cone side shuffle left 5 yards to cone #3. Plant at cone #3 and side shuffle 10 yards to cone #4. Plant again at cone #4 and side shuffle 5 yards back to cone #2. Cut at cone #2 and sprint back to the beginning to cone #1.

4) X-Factor: Set the cones up in a square pattern with each cone 10 yards apart. The athlete starts at cone #1 and sprints 10 yards to cone #2. At cone #2 the athlete plants and sprints diagonally to cone #4. Cut at cone #4 and sprint 10 yards up to cone #3. At cone #3 the athlete plants again and sprints diagonally back to cone #1.

5) Tennis Ball Drop:
A coach or training partner holds a tennis ball shoulder height. When the ball is released, you must catch the ball before it bounces a second time. The coach/training partner can change the distance they are standing or change the height of where they drop the tennis ball.

Variety: By changing your starting position, you can make this drill more challenging. Positions: athletic stance, push-up position, on one knee, athletic position faced sideways, only have the athlete shuffle to get the ball, opponents (first one to catch the ball wins).


6) Ali Shuffle - Agility Ladder

Start with your right foot in the first box facing the ladder from the side. Now rotate your hips quickly and replace your right foot with your left foot. Your right foot is now outside of the ladder. Rotate your hips quickly again and bring your right foot into the second box (this will move your left foot out of the first box and outside of the ladder). Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder.


7) Icky Shuffle - Agility Ladder

Starting on the right side of the ladder, take a side step with your left foot in the first box of the ladder. The right foot follows and steps in the same box while the left foot takes a lateral step outside the ladder. The right foot then advances up to next box and is quickly replaced by the left foot, while the right foot is stepping laterally outside the ladder. Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder.


8) Brake Run - Agility Ladder

The left foot will start in the first box of the ladder and the right foot will head into the second box. Repeat this sequence until you are halfway through the ladder. At the halfway point, now you are placing two feet in each box until the end of the ladder. Repeat leading with your right foot next set.


9) In/Out Lateral - Agility Ladder

Start facing sideways towards ladder with your right foot in the first box. Quickly place your left foot in the same box. You right foot then moves out of the ladder and the left foot follows. The right foot leads into the second box and the left foot follows in the same box. Repeat sequence to the end of the ladder. Next set lead with your left foot.

10) Lateral - Agility Ladder

Start sideways at the beginning of the ladder. Your right foot will move into the first box where your left foot will follow. Your right foot will lead all the way to the end of the ladder placing both feet in each box. Repeat facing the opposite direction with your left foot leading.

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For the latest training tips, programs, cutting edge strength and conditioning news, speed training, and much more, visit www.AthletesAcceleration.com
Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/warm-up-drills-for-athletes.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/warm-up-drills-for-athletes.html Thu, 05 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0500
As you know, in order for you to be ready to perform speed work or compete at high intensities, you must get warmed up properly.

We often find that there is some confusion as to what constitutes a proper warm-up. For example, some coaches are still using static stretching to get athletes loose before practices and competitions. Unfortunately, this outdated method actually reduces speed and power.

Think about it: how often during a practice or competition does an athlete hold a stretch position as part of their sport? That is right, not very often. So if you are still using this method to get ready to compete, you are not getting the most out of your ability.

Instead, perform dynamic exercises that are similar to the types of movements you will be going through during practice and competitions. Keep moving and gradually increase the intensity of your activity. That way you can get the blood flowing into the muscles through a natural progression.

Remember, a good warm-up should take at least 20 to 25 minutes to complete. This will reduce the likelihood of injury by ensuring that you do not try to go too fast too soon. In addition, you will get the most out of your muscles because you followed a thought-out progression of movements that went from low intensity jogging and skipping to high intensity speed development drills and exercises.

By the time you have finished warming up, you will be lightly sweating, fired up and ready compete!

Another issue to note when doing any type of drills is to make sure that you are performing the exercises correctly. You compete like you practice. If you are not performing the drills correctly you are going increase the likelihood ofinjury by adding unnecessary stress to joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Drills are designed to be done a certain way for a specific reason. If you are not technically sound during the warm-up you will not be technically sound in games and competitions when it counts. The warm-up is the foundation of the day's activities and sets the tempo for all that is to follow it.

So now that you know what types of activities must be done and how to approach them, let us take a look at an actual dynamic warm up that top athletes and coaches use to get ready each day.

Before trying this out, be sure to jog and/or skip for about five minutes.
Here is a sample warm-up:

High knee walk - x 10 each leg
Jog 50 yards
Lateral lunge walk (both legs) x 10each leg
Jog 50 yards
Front leg swings - x 10 each leg
Jog 50 yards
Lateral leg swings - x 10 each leg
Jog 50 yards
Iron cross - x 10 each leg
Jog 50 yards
Scorpion - x 10 each leg
Jog 50 yards
Backwards run - 2 x 30 yards
'A' skip - 3 x 15 yards
'A' run - 2 x 20 yards
Fast leg - 2 x 30 yards (each leg)
Accelerations - 4 x 40 yards.

By performing this type of warm-up every day, you will be loose, powerful and fast. In fact it is the only way.

Be sure that you perform a dynamic warm-up before each practice and competition; otherwise you are not competing to the best of your ability and the likelihood of sustaining an injury is increased.

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To learn more about Coach Patrick Beith go to Athletes' Acceleration Inc., your final resource for developing the fastest athletes.

For sample warm up routines, step by step instructions for over 48 dynamic warm up exercises and active stretches (and how they fit into your overall training program) check out: Complete Speed Training Program.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/designing-an-effective-speed-training-program.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/designing-an-effective-speed-training-program.html Fri, 09 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0600
This report on program design is to help give you a basic, yet detailed, look at how to set up your programs for you and your athletes.

However, it is not meant to be the definitive text on periodization,I am not trying to reinvent the wheel or promote myself as the next Tudor Bompa. (If you don't know who that is, you'll learn a great deal from this series!)

Thus, this information comes from a variety of sources.

My purpose is to provide you with information and resources to help youcreate better annual plans for your athletes. However, coaching is a science *and* an art. If your goal is to simply cut and paste sample programs into your own program, you are not putting in the same effortyou expect from your athletes.

Therefore you won't get very much out of this, or any, training advice.

It doesn't matter whether you coach team sports, run 4, 8 or 12 week groups or train yourself, if your season as a whole isn't organized following specific training guidelines, then neither you or your athletes should expect to see consistent or continuous improvement.

No periodization at all is just making things up as you go along.

And I can't think of many situations in life or athletics where sucha philosophy is a recipe for success.

I know that the 'step over, drive down' series was a popular and much needed one based on the depth and range of positive responses I got.

With this series, I invite you to ask questions as we go along. I strongly believe that is the best way to learn. While we don't professto have all the answers to every possible sport, training situation or scenario, we will certainly do our best to supply valuable answers to any and all questions and comments that come in.

Just as importantly, the information here will be useful to you whetheror not you currently own Complete Speed Training.

However, sales pitches aside, having a large inventory of effective drills and exercises to pull from for the various phases and elements of training is, quite frankly, essential to the continued success of your athletes.

If you have Complete Speed Training it is simply a matter of, literally, plugging the information from the DVDs into the appropriate workouts.

If you haven't purchased Complete Speed Training yet, this is an idealtime to get a copy. Otherwise, you'll come to understand *how* toorganize and plan training, but you won't have the tools to implement your knowledge.

It's like having the recipe for a 4 course meal meal, but not having any of the ingredients. You can make do with what you have lying aroundthe house, but how good will your dinner actually taste?

Click here to get your copy of Complete Speed Training before the next newsletter is delivered:
http://www.completespeedtraining.com

Now, we can begin our look at training theory.

I find that one of the biggest misconceptions regarding training theory is that there is some universal method of training that magically applies to everyone.

There isn't.

There are multiple paths to the same goal. The problem comes when coaches aren't on any particular path at all. Instead they just wander aimlessly toward some poorly defined end point, making things up based on their mood that day. Science is not used in any of their training decisions.

This is not to say that experience and tradition don't have a role inprogram design, they do. But they shouldn't be the foundation of theprogram.

On top of that, let's not make training theory and program designmore complicated than it is. Adding depth and detail for the sake ofbeing fancy will take away from basic training principles that serveas the glue holding the plan together.

In the past, I would try to add as much detail, charts, graphs and testing protocols as I could think of to my programs. I thought this would get better results.

Well unless you coach full time, you don't have time for that. And all it will do is add more to an already full plate.

Just like I always advocate the 'train smarter, not harder' philosophy with training, I also employ the 'coach smarter, not harder' mindsetwhen it comes to organizing and planning training.

Don't forget, a well thought out program doesn't absolve you from having to teach running mechanics, drills, etc. In fact, it makes those issuesall the more important.

But you should still factor in the amount of time you have to commit to program design before you get in over your head. I always wish I hadmore time to add more details to my training programs, even the onesthat result in state champions.

There is no such thing as the perfect plan. Plus, any plan must account for the fluidity of your season. What I mean is, s*** happens.

Your athletes may be excessively sore, rain may keep you inside, cold weather could make it unsafe to get that speed workout in, acompetition may get rescheduled, an injury could occur, school couldget cancelled.

All of these things will force you to adapt to the current situation.

That is why it is so important for you to take the time to learn howand why certain things affect athletes. You need to be able to make changes to your training plan on the fly without it throwing your entire season into chaos.

If you're just cutting and pasting a sample program and calling it your training plan, what will you do when forced to improvise?

It's the same reason why I don't write out every workout of my season in advance. I learned the hard way that once your schedule gets thrown off once, that whole plan has to be amended. You'll need to plan what you want to get done in detail and in advance.

But always have a plan B that affects the body the same way as Plan A.

OK, so that is a very quick overview covering some of the things you should be thinking about as you begin to aquire new information.

You'll want to go out and start making changes in your program and inyour training.

This is the art of coaching. Learn something new, apply it to your athletes and see what works for your situation and athletes and what doens't.

Next topic:
I have found that one of the biggest problems in having this discussion is that of different coaches using separate terms to describe the same things.

Therefore, before we really get going, it is critical that we be on the same page regarding our use of terminology. I will be using terms that may not be familiar to you and that could cause confusion.

So, check out this link and familiarize yourself with the terms anddefinitions so that we don't encounter any unnecessary road blocks along the way:

http://www.completetrackandfield.com/track-definitions.html

Bookmark that page, print it out or add it to your favorites, but make sure you can access it at your convenience.

But make sure you read it all.

Now, any well designed program revolves around one central principle.

Without it, you can't possibly devise effective training in the longterm or the short term.

What is that one overriding principle?

The End Result.

What is the goal of your training? What are your athletes training for?

Is it to win the Superbowl? Qualify for the post season? Peak for the State Championship?

You can't ask for directions if you don't know where you're going.

Designing an effective program is no different.

I want you to think about a few things for next week.

What is your end goal? Is your current or past training designed specifically to help you or your athletes be at their best when thatday arrives? Or does erratic, inconsistent training prevent you fromgetting there in the first place?

When you really sit down and think about it, how organized and specific is your athletes' training?

In Part II we're going to break down the most important principles involved in designing an effective training plan.

Until then, become familiar with those training terms. And if you haven't already, get your copy of Complete Speed Training so you have the resources to implement your new and improved training system: http://www.completespeedtraining.com

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Latif Thomas is co-owner of Athletes' Acceleration Inc., your final resource for developing the fastest athletes.For a free Speed Training Report - Secrets to Developing Dominant Speed - go to www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/soccer-speed.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/soccer-speed.html Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
An effective warm up must consist of a series of dynamic and active movements that start with low impact, low intensity exercises and progress naturally to high intensity, full speed exercises that simulate the intensity of the upcoming practice or competition.

As you know, in order for your soccer athletes to be ready to perform speed work or compete at high intensities, they must get warmed up properly.

We often find that there is some confusion as to what constitutes a proper warm up. For example, some coaches are still using static stretching to get athletes loose before practices and competitions. Unfortunately, this outdated method actually reduces speed and power.

Think about it: How often during a practice or soccer match does an athlete hold a stretch position as part of their sport? That is right, not very often. So if you are still using this method to get your athletes ready to compete, you are not getting the most out of their ability.

Instead, have your soccer players perform dynamic exercises that are similar to the types of movements they will be going through during practice and competitions. Keep athletes moving and gradually increase the intensity of their activity. That way you can get the blood flowing into the muscles through a natural progression.

Remember, a good warm up should take at least 20 to 25 minutes to complete. This will reduce the likelihood of injury by ensuring that they do not try to go too fast too soon. In addition, athletes will get the most out of their muscles because they followed a thought out progression of movements that went from low intensity jogging and skipping to high intensity speed development drills and exercises.

By the time they are done warming up, they will be lightly sweating, fired up and ready compete!

Another issue to note when doing any type of drills is to make sure that your athletes are performing the exercises correctly. You compete like you practice. If athletes are not performing the drills correctly they are going increase the likelihood of injury by adding unnecessary stress to joints, muscles, ligaments and tendons.

Drills are designed to be done a certain way for a specific reason. If your athletes are not technically sound during the warm up they will not be technically sound in games and competitions when it counts. The warm up is not a time for goofing off. It is the foundation of the day's activities and sets the tempo for all that is to follow it.

So now that you know what types of activities must be done and how to approach them, let us take a look at an actual dynamic warm up that top athletes and coaches use to get ready each day.

Before trying this out with your athletes, be sure to have them jog and/or skip for about 5 minutes.

Here is a sample warm up:

- High knee walk - x10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Lateral lunge walk (both legs) x10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Front leg swings - x10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Lateral Leg Swings – x 10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Iron Cross – x 10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Scorpion – x 10 each leg

- Jog 50 yards

- Backwards Run – 2 x 30 yards

- 'A' Skip - 3x15 yards

- 'A' Run - 2x20 yards

- Fast Leg - 2x30 yards (each leg)

- Accelerations - 4 x 40 yards

By performing this type of warm up every day, your athletes will be loose, powerful and fast. Be sure that your soccer team is performing a dynamic warm up before each practice and game; otherwise the athletes you train are not competing to the best of their ability and the likelihood of sustaining an injury is increased.

When you compare the benefits that the dynamic warm up offers to the drawbacks of other warm up methods, you can expect an immediate improvement in the success of the athletes you work with. Learn more at: http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

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For a free Speed Training Report - Secrets to Developing Dominant Speed - go to www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com. Coach Patrick Beith is the owner of Athletes' Acceleration Inc., your final resource for developing the fastest athletes.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/health/increase-running-speed.html http://www.articletrader.com/health/increase-running-speed.html Fri, 02 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0600
After all, the fastest athletes on any team and in any sport are almost always the quickest and fastest on the field or the court. and every coach and athlete wants to know the most effective methods to increase running speed.

So the question becomes: what are the training elements that must be addressed in order accomplish this goal?

To start, no athlete can be expect to succeed with their speed training if they aren’t properly warmed up. Many programs still use that old school warm up philosophy of jogging around the field a couple times, getting in a circle and holding static stretches as the whole team counts to 10. Now, I don’t know any sports that require holding a stretch for an extended period of time in order to get prepared to compete or practice. That being the case, such an outdated warm up philosophy is not going to increase running speed.

Instead, athletes must do a dynamic warm up that progresses from slow, simple movements like jogging and skipping to the high intensity speed drills that actually prepare them for an intense practice.

Another critical element to speed development is that of improving coordination. Moving the limbs at the speeds required to get faster requires very high levels of coordination. Even the best athletes overestimate their ability to properly do speed drills or go through a series on an agility ladder. That’s why I often do these types of drills at the beginning of the season to give them a first hand experience that shows them just how much room for improvement they have.

One overlooked training element that is proven to increase running speed is that of regular focus on improving flexibility. We often hear about the role of stride length in speed development. And it makes sense that, all other things being equal, if Athlete A has a longer stride length than Athlete B, than Athlete A will always beat Athlete B. Thus a more flexible athlete will clearly cover more distance with each step, but without exerting any extra effort. The benefits to this are clear. If athletes cover more ground with each step, not only will they get to where they want to go quicker, but it will also take less steps to get there.

The three elements that I have discussed so far are all important supplements to any speed training program. However, at the end of the day, improving any athlete’s ability to run as fast as they can is dependent on one thing: training fast. The only way to run faster is to practice running at full speed.

As obvious as this seems, many programs confuse what real speed development actually is. Sprints with short rest periods (less than 2 minutes, minimum), interval training at medium intensities (less than 95-100% intensity) and runs lasting longer than approximately 8 seconds are all common training components that will not improve any athlete’s top speed. As long as your intent is to increase running speed, you must make these training elements an active part of your program, especially the final point regarding how I defined true speed training.

Train hard, work smart, get fast!

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Patrick is the owner of Athletes' Acceleration Inc., your final resource for developing the fastest athletes. To learn more about speed training and to access Patrick's free Speed Training Report - Secrets to Developing Dominant Speed - go to www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>