07:13:07
Try This at Home!
Check out this collection of videos from a dude in Europe who trains jumpers in track and field.
Everything he does with his athletes is about explosion and dynamic power, for obvious reasons. Everything done here will improve your speed and explosive ability. Check it out then get after it!
Technique with arms and legs is extremely important for maximizing your speed - develop that in training and it will translate into competition.
It is common knowledge among performance trainers that the athletes with the best vertical jump and the best standing broad jump will also be the quickest. Although this drill is identified for jumpers, it will help with explosive power for sprinting as well.
For more videos like these, go to sihunt.co.uk. Please tell them the Fastest 40 Blog sent you.
06:22:07
SPEED TRAINING TIPS
By Vern Gambetta, Gambetta Sports Training Systems
The key to improving speed is a systematic and progressive approach to speed development. Systematic refers to a structured approach, never losing sight of the specific objective: A FASTER ATHLETE. My system of speed development, evolved over 33 years of coaching, is called the 3S System® - Sport Specific Speed.
In my system, speed is broken into its component parts-Straight Ahead Speed and Lateral Speed and Agility. Each of these broad components is developed sequentially through detailed progressions. The system is also progressive. Each step in the progression must be mastered before attempting the next step.
Over the years I have developed a number of practical tips that will make your speed development program more effective.
1. Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough, active warm-up.
2. Eliminate distance running! It reduces explosiveness that compromises speed. If conditioning is a concern, condition specifically for your sport. There are many ways to get in shape for explosive sports without doing slow, aerobic work which diminishes explosiveness.
3. When do you focus on speed development? It should be at a time when your body is in a non-fatigued state. Therefore, plan your speed development emphasis at the start of the workout, following an easy workday or a day of complete rest.
4. For the very young, speed development work should be playful and game like. No formal drill work is required before the ages of 9-10. Everything should be quick, short bursts with rapid changes of direction. Tag games and short relays are very effective.
5. Maximal strength and acceleration ability are closely related. Spend time developing maximal strength through traditional means like squatting and utilizing derivatives of Olympic lifting movements.
6. Hip mobility is a key aspect of improving stride length and the ability to move laterally. This is best achieved through dynamic activities like hurdle walks.
7. Always stress correct mechanics. Relate the mechanics to the specific movements of your sport. Emphasize correct mechanics without making the athlete robotic. All for individual expression of each athlete.
8. Beware of a drill for the sake of having a drill! Each drill should be related to the “total action”. No drill is an end unto itself. A drill should always lead somewhere. Know why you are using a specific drill and where it fits into your entire training program.
9. Maximum speed is highly dependent on the optimum combination of stride length and stride frequency. Do not get caught up on developing one to the exclusion of the other.
10. Optimum Speed is the goal. Speed that you can use and control in the game. Never lose sight of the “moment of truth”. When you least expect it and are most fatigued, speed will be the deciding factor.
11. Speed is a motor task. You can learn to run faster through correct mechanics and situational awareness. Correct arm action is very important in sprinting. In acceleration, arm action helps with force application. In maximal speed, the arm plays more of a role in balance.
12. Starting is extending ankle/knee/hip. This triple extension is highly related to work done in the weight room.
13. Stopping is bending ankle/knee/hip.
14. Reaction can be improved by working on the primary stimulus: auditory, visual or kinesthetic depending on the sport or the situation.
15. Assistance training (overspeed) methods develop specific strength to improve stride frequency as well as stride length.
16. Resistance training develops specific strength and improves acceleration.
17. Remember the 10% rule. Never add more than 10% of bodyweight to a sled. A corollary to this rule is that you should never slow the movement down for a particular distance more than 10% slower than the athlete’s best time. Greater than 10% in resistance or time will change the dynamics of the movement and speed development will be negative.
18. Speed work demands a high level of motivation and concentration.
19. 6-8 reps is the optimum number for speed development work.
20. Vary speed training methods and intensity to avoid building a speed barrier.
21. In your session, develop speed before speed endurance (microcycle and macrocycle).
In a strength development program designed to improve speed, address postural needs first and foremost (The Core). Strength to stabilize the trunk is essential. It provides a strong pillar through which the limbs may transfer forces essential to improving sprint mechanics.
Vern Gambetta is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several teams in Major League Soccer as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men’s World Cup Soccer team.
Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and Director of Athletic Development for the New York Mets, and is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports.
This article has no comments so far
Tags: SPARQ, 40, Footwork, Preparation, Speed
06:14:07
SPEED Kills
Check out this video breaking down the forty start from our friend Jason Hadeed over at Elite Athlete Training Systems in DC.
You can hit Jason with questions or get more at eliteathletetraining.com.
06:05:07
Analyzing Your Best 40-yard Dash
“I run a 4.8 now and want to run a 4.6 in 8 weeks.
What should I do?”
I receive this same question weekly. It’s near impossible for me to give a specific recommendation, as I don’t know anything about the athlete. By learning how to analyze your best 40-yard dash yourself, you can spend time training where you need it most.
10-yard splits
It is important to know your strengths and weaknesses during the 40. For example, let’s say athlete A and B are receivers (real times from the 2007 NFL Combine) and had the following splits for the 10, 20 and 40.
Athlete A
10-yard: 1.42
20-yard: 2.46
40-yard: 4.39
Athlete B
10-yard: 1.52
20-yard: 2.53
40-yard: 4.36
At 10-yards, athlete B is already 0.1 seconds slower, yet ran a faster time overall. Athlete B is an example of a guy who “picks up speed as he goes.” Since his closing speed in the last 20-yards is so good, improving his first 20 would be the logical thing to do. Also, if you look at athlete B’s 20-yard splits of 2.53 and 1.83, a 3% improvement in the first 20 would take off nearly 0.08 seconds.
Athlete A has a blazing 10-yard time and was consistent in the rest of his splits. He should focus on a general training program to keep everything balanced.
Your Homework
Have a friend or coach help you set up 10, 20 and 40-yard marks. With the coach standing several yards away to get a good idea of when you run past each mark, start the watch on the first movement and then hit the “split” button on the watch at 10 and 20-yard marks and then hit the “stop” button when finished. (If you have access to four electronic timers for splits, these are the best option) The splits can be displayed when you are done. Write them down and begin to analyze where you need to focus your attention. Sprinting a 10, then resting and then a 20, and then a 40, in my experience, gives poor results because your focus is to run that short distance fast, instead of trying to sprint your 40 fast.
Roger White is Owner of Sport X Training. For more information, visit www.SportXTraining.com.
This article has 1 comment
Tags: SPARQ, Preparation, Start, Speed, Analysis
05:24:07
Is the 40 BS?
As much as the 40 is something we want to help you run faster, we also know that there are those that think the emphasis on the 40-yard dash as the premium measure of a great player is a bunch of hooey. Dr. Michael Yessis is one of them. He is a highly respected expert on sports performance and we’re happy to provide an excerpt from his book, “Sports: Is it all BS?”
He also has a lot of good information on speed development, so when you’re done reading this excerpt, go to his site and see how you can get faster!
Sports: Is it all BS?: You must have excellent 40 times to make the team.
A good 40-yard dash time has long been considered the golden standard for making a football team. If you are timed in 4.2 or 4.3 seconds, you are almost guaranteed to be selected by a team. The thinking among football coaches is that you can’t take a good football player and make him fast, but you can take a fast athlete and make him a good football player. Thus, when they find someone with speed, they grab him at any cost. But this is bull.
What they fail to take into consideration is that most of the best players, especially running backs, defensive backs, and receivers, need more agility and quickness rather than pure raw speed. This is why players such as Emmitt Smith, who ran a 4.7 when tested, instead of going high as anticipated, was picked 17th. Yet, he was far superior to players picked before him for this position who had faster 40 times.
Typically ignored is that players rarely run in a straight line during a game. Thus, you can find many players who have a fast 40 time, but yet are slow when it comes to playing their position. There are many players who have slow 40 times, but yet are some of the quickest and fastest for 5-10 yards in comparison to most of the “fast” players because of their stopping and cutting abilities. This enables them to be more successful in picking up short yardage and still have successful long runs when they break free.
Although coaches swear that their hand times are accurate, if you compare the times of an athlete who runs a 4.2 or a 4.3 to a world class runner, he would be faster than the fastest runners in the world. It has been proven that hand times are a far cry from being accurate and if the coaches wanted accuracy, they would use electronic timing. Doing this however, would take away some mystique from their timing abilities, and wouldn’t allow them a cushion for fudging in order to make an athlete look better. Because of this, we will continue to see analysts timing players in under 4.3, a time faster than that posted by Ben Johnson in Seoul when he covered the first 40 in 4.39.
Even though football executives are burned by their selections when they look only at speed and/or general physical performance stats, the practice continues today even stronger than ever. This is why if a player wants to ensure he will be selected, he must work extremely hard to get his 40 times respectable. There is just too much B.S. that has been built up over the years to enable young and upcoming athletes to break through the mold without the prerequisite speed.
Because of the bull surrounding the 40-yard dash coaches have a tendency to ignore a player’s playing abilities. Instead, they rely more on the numbers posted on the tests. For example, height and weight stats have become more important than playing performance. This is why draft selections are often major disappointments. For example, most receivers today are well over six feet tall and often well over 200 pounds in weight. Even when they see a “short” 5’11” or 6’ receiver catch every pass against top defenders they will not select him because he does not fit the established model.
Dr. Michael Yessis is President of Sports Training, Inc. a multi-faceted company specializing in biomechanical/kinesiological analyses, and specialized training and specialized equipment for explosive speed and quickness. Dr. Yessis is Professor Emeritus at California State University, Fullerton. He is a clinical advisor and a member of the editorial board for the American Running Association.
Dr. Yessis received his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California. He was the first to show the relationships between muscular strength and endurance in his research. He taught on the university level for over 35 years in the areas of biomechanics (technique analysis), kinesiology (muscle and joint movements) and exercise science. In addition he was Editor-in-Chief of the Fitness and Sports Review International.
05:18:07
THE BUNCHED START
By Roger White, CSCS
There are two common start techniques associated with the 40. One is the bunched start where the front foot is right on the starting line. In some combines, this technique is not allowed (such as the NFL Indy Combine). In most cases, this technique is allowed and is the technique I teach all my athletes.
I prefer this technique for a simple reason. With the front foot on the line and proper hip and leg angles (see pics above and below), athletes gain about 4-6 inches from the first step. In an event where hundredths of a second can mean scholarships and millions of dollars, these 4-6 inches come in handy.
To optimize this starting technique, leg angles must be aligned properly. Most track coaches will coach their sprinters to have “high” hips in the blocks, and often this advice is transferred to the start mechanics of the 40. High hips with the bunched start will lead to disaster. Hips must be low to optimize shin and leg angles coming out of the start.
Typically the hips should be shoulder height, no higher. Also, the weight should be loaded on the front foot so the heel is up. In the “up” position, it should feel as if you are going to “fall on your face.”
This technique takes practice, mostly from a comfort issue. Every athlete who has learned it feels more comfortable this way, and in some cases, in their first session with me, have taken off as much as a tenth in the first 10 yards.
Roger White is Owner of Sport X Training. For more information, visit www.SportXTraining.com.
05:13:07
STRETCH IT OUT
Preparation is one of the most important factors in running to your fullest potential. Because stretching is so key, we asked for some advice from an expert - Nikos Apolostopoulos, of Microstretching and Serapis Stretch Therapy Clinic in Vancouver, BC. Below are his answers to a few simple questions we threw his way.
F40:How should an athlete warm-up/stretch immediately before running a 40 yard dash or any sprint?
Nikos:The preparation for the 40 yard dash or sprint should begin the night before the event. The athlete should partake in some gentle active static stretching (i.e. microstretching). The intensity of such a stretch should be approximately 30-40% of a maximum perceived stretch. On a scale of 0-10 with 0 being no stretch, and 10 being an aggressive pull, the athlete should be around a 3 or 4. This is equivalent to putting your hand in lukewarm water. It should not cause any pain or discomfort. Remember, the trick is to relax the nervous system that will be used in the sprint.
Next, the stretches should be held for 1 minute, and each stretch should be held for a minute and repeated two more times. The idea is to remove any residual tightness.
The next day prior to the event, the athlete should perform dynamic flexibility stretches. Prior to doing these stretches, the athlete should warm-up by partaking in some light aerobic exercises (i.e. light running). The purpose is to increase circulation to the muscle. The activity needs to be light in order to prevent an increase in tension in the muscle that will be used in the dash. This should be done for 10 minutes. After the aerobic warm-up, the athlete should do dynamic stretches. Light hopping and bounding, leg swings, truck twists, arm swings are some examples. If the athlete is proficient, they should do some light A’s, B’s and C skips (sprinting workout).
The purpose of the dynamic flexibility is to prepare and excite the nervous system for the event.
*If you refer to www.microstretching.com you will (in the sample stretches section) be given the four stretches that one should do the night before the event.
F40: Why is dynamic warm-up important versus static stretching?
Nikos: As alluded to in the first question, dynamic warm-up prepares and excites the muscles for the activity. One does not want to warm-up with a light jog (which is also a means of getting the muscle ready for the activity) and then relax the muscles by performing static stretching. If one observes sprinters before they get into the blocks at the Olympics, you will notice that they are hopping and bounding, getting their nervous system ready for the event.
F40: What are the muscles/physical elements that are at the greatest risk in the course of a sprint?
Nikos: The muscles that are at the greatest risk are the calves, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Therefore, it is important that the night before the event that the athlete spends the time doing proper recovery, regeneration stretching as alluded to in question #1.
F40: If I can only do 3 stretches/drills before sprinting, what should they be?
Nikos: The athlete prior to the event should, if they can, perform some A’s, B’s and C Skips. They should do some gentle lunges and some light hopping and bounding. They should not do any static stretches. This would be my advice.
Nikos Apostolopoulos is the Founder of Stretch Therapy® and Microstretching®. He is the Director of the Serapis Stretch Therapy and Microstretching Clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This Clinic was the first pioneering the development of therapeutic and performance enhancement Microstretching. This recovery regeneration technique, based on functional clinical anatomy has been used to treat many professional, elite and amateur athletes. It has also been applied to individuals suffering from various musculoskeletal disorders.
Nikos Apostolopoulos graduated from the Faculty of Physical and Health Education at the University of Toronto with an emphasis in Sports Medicine. He is a research fellow with the International Collaboration On Repair Discoveries (ICORD®), a member of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA), the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA), the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and the International Society of Exercise and Immunology (ISEI). Apostolopoulos has worked internationally as a consultant and therapist with various sports organizations.
This article has no comments so far
Tags: SPARQ, 40, training, football, Stretching, Preparation
05:10:07
JUMP OUTTA THE GYM
Every speed coach says that explosive jumping is a great way to improve your 40 time.
Check out this video from Europe. The footage is choppy, the music is a bit nuts and the guys are outta control. But there are a bunch of cool bounding and agility drills packed into this six minute clip.
Get out and jump!
05:03:07
DO 2 THINGS 2 GO FASTER
From Coach Tom Shaw once again, “There are only two ways to improve overall speed – increase stride length and stride frequency”
“You’re working on stride length, which is how far you reach out on each step. And you’re working on stride frequency, which is how many times your feet touch the ground.”
“The key to our program is that we want to make sure that everyone of our guys are working on vertical jump and standing long jump. If you can vertical jump higher than you came here, and standing long jump farther than when you came here, you’re going to run faster.”
Stride Frequency
“Now the faster you move your elbows, the faster your feet are going to go. Elbows are going to initiate stride frequency.”
Example: To understand how this works, jog in place with your hands at your side. Keep your legs moving at the same pace at all times through this example – a slow jog. Next, bring your elbows up. Keep your legs moving at the same pace. Now fire your elbows as fast as you can as if you are running. What happens? Your legs move faster.
“From this example, you can see that the faster you move your elbows, the faster your feet are going to go. So you really have to concentrate on moving those arms.”
Stride Length
“Stride length is going to come from vertical jump and standing long jump. This is why we really have to work on those things.”
“I don’t mean you have to be an 800-pound squatter. You just have to work on your vertical jump.”
Example: Hurdle Jumps. 9 low track hurdles set up at 90º angles for an athlete to hop over with two-footed jumps.
“It’s important to jump over the hurdles forward and to the side, keeping your chest forward and trying to be explosive and powerful. Land on both feet and use your elbows to help get you up in the air.”
This is a transcript taken from a piece of a 10 minute video segment in the SPARQ DVD Magazine: Football Issue.
04:30:07
Sound Off
Time to SPEAK UP:
Athletes:
What do YOU want to know about running a Faster 40?
Is it proper technique? Drills for becoming more explosive? Advice from trainers and coaches?
Do you want to see the top 40 times from across the country in HS and College?
Put them into the comments section below and we’ll get after them.
Trainers:
Do YOU have tips and techniques that can help athletes go faster?
Would you like to have your program and advice featured on thefastest40.com with links to your site and videos?
Do YOU want to be featured in a Q&A segment?
If so, send your contact info (e-mail) and topics for the blog to: 411@sparqtraining.com; Please put BLOG CONTENT in the subject line.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
The mission of this blog is to help athletes run faster, so whatever they (you) need, that’s what we’ll work to deliver. Let us know.
This article has 6 comments
Tags: Blogroll, SPARQ, 40, training, football
