Practical/Applied Flashcards
Test
a procedure for assessing ability in a particular endeavor
Field test
a test used to assess ability that is performed away from the laboratory and does not require extensive training or expensive equipment
Evaluation
the process of analyzing test results for the purpose of making decisions
Pretest
a test administered before the beginning of training to determine the athlete’s initial basic ability levels
Midtest
a test administered one or more times during the training period to assess progress and modify the program as needed to maximize benefit
Formative evaluation
periodic reevaluation based on midtests administered during the training, usually at regular intervals
Posttest
a test administered after the training period to determine the success of the training program in achieving the training objectives
Validity
The degree to which a test or test item measures what it is supposed to measure
The most important characteristic of testing
Construct Validity
the extent that a test measures what it is designed to
how well does a test actually measure what it is supposed to measure?
Face validity
the appearance to the athlete and other casual observers that the test measures what it is purported to measure
Content validity
the assessment by experts that the testing covers all relevant subtopics or component abilities in appropriate proportions
Criterion-referenced validity
extent to which test scores are associated with another measurement of the SAME ABILITY.
How is a good score on the Army push-up test associated with the ACSM push-up test? Both these tests measure the same ability (chest muscle endurance).
Concurrent validity
extent to which test scores are associated with those of other accepted tests.
Ex: having a strong 1RM for the dumbbell bench press would have a strong association with the 1RM barbell bench press.
Convergent Validity
is evidenced by high positive correlation between results of the test being assessed and those of the recognized measure of the construct (the “gold standard”)
Ex: the results of the 1RM dumbbell bench press have a high correlation to the results of the 1RM bench press, and they measure the same construct (pectoralis major strength)
Predictive Validity
the extent to which the test score corresponds with future behavior or performance
Ex: having a stronger 1RM bench press will result in more sacks during the season
Discriminant validity
ability of a test to distinguish between two different constructs, resulting in a low correlation between the results of the two tests.
Ex: comparing vertical jump to 1RM bench press. These tests assess skills and abilities that are unrelated to one another
Reliability
A measure of the degree of consistency or repeatability of a test
Intrasubject variability
The lack of consistent performance by the person tested
Interrater reliability
The degree to which different raters agree; also referred to as objectivity or interrater agreement
Intrarater variability
The lack of consistent scores by a given tester
Test Selection
Metabolic Energy System Specificity
• Consider energy demands (phosphagen, glycolytic, and oxidative) of the sport when choosing or designing tests.
Biomechanical Movement Pattern Specificity
• The more similar the test is to a movement in the sport, the better.
Experience and Training Status
• Consider the athlete’s ability to perform the technique.
• Consider the athlete’s level of strength and endurance training
Age and Sex
• Both may an affect athlete’s experience, interest, and ability.
Environmental Factors
• High temperature and high humidity can impair performance, pose health risks, and lower the validity of aerobic endurance tests
• Temperature fluctuations can reduce ability to compare test results over time
• Altitude can impair performance on aerobic endurance tests
Aerobic Endurance Testing in the Heat
During the weeks prior to the test, athletes should engage in enough training to establish a baseline of fitness in the activity being tested
Avoid testing under extreme combinations of heat and humidity
On days when the temperature is high, indoor facilities should be used, or testing should be conducted during morning or early evening hours
The athletes should be acclimatized to the heat and humidity for at least one week prior to testing
Athletes should make sure they are well hydrated in the 24-hour period preceding aerobic endurance testing in the heat
Athletes should be encouraged to drink during exercise in the heat, ideally 150 to 250 ml (5-9 fluid ounces) every 15 minutes
Athletes should wear a light-colored, loose-fitting tank top and shorts, preferably of a mesh material
Be attentive to possible symptoms of heatstroke or heat exhaustion: cramps, nausea, dizziness, difficulty in walking or standing, faintness, garbled speech, lack of sweat, red or ashen skin, and goose bumps
Be aware of the symptoms of hyponatremia or water intoxication: extremely dilute urine in combination with bloated skin, altered consciousness, or loss of consciousness, with no increase in body temperature.
Athletes should be encouraged to eat foods high in magnesium and potassium.
Proficient medical coverage should be readily available
Selection and Training of Testers
Provide testers with practice and training. Ensure consistency among testers
Test Format
Consider whether athletes will be tested all at once or in groups
Multiple testers allowed but they should give the test to the same athletes each time
Each tester should administer one test at a time
Testing Batteries and Multiple Testing Trials
- Duplicate test setups can be used for large groups.
- Allow 2 to 3 minutes of rest between attempts that are not close to the athlete’s maximum, 3 TO 5 MINUTES BETWEEN ATTEMPTS THAT ARE CLOSE TO THE MAXIMUM, and AT LEAST 5 MINUTES BETWEEN TEST BATTERIES.
Sequence of Tests
- Nonfatiguing tests
- Agility tests
- Maximum power and strength tests
- Sprint tests
- Local muscular endurance tests
- Fatiguing anaerobic capacity tests
- Aerobic capacity tests
Preparing Athletes for Testing
- Announce the date, time, and purpose of a test battery in advance.
- Host a pretest practice session.
- Provide clear and simple instructions.
- Demonstrate proper test performance.
- Organize a pretest warm-up.
- Tell athletes their test scores after each trial.
- Administer a supervised cool-down period.
Measuring Parameters of Athletic Performance
- Maximum Muscular Strength (Low-Speed Strength)
- Anaerobic or Maximum Muscular Power (High-Speed Strength)
- Anaerobic Capacity
- Local Muscular Endurance
- Aerobic Capacity
- Agility
- Speed
- Flexibility
- Body Composition
- Anthropometry
Testing Conditions
- To maximize the reliability of tests, conditions should be as similar as possible for all athletes tested and from test to retest of the same athlete
- Temperature and humidity, surface, and type of equipment should be consistent
- Athletes should not be tested when fatigued, or when glycogen depleted or overly full from a meal. They should arrive for testing normally hydrated.
Vertical Jump
- Wall and Chalk
- Commercial Vertec Device
- BEST OF 3 TRIALS is recorded to the nearest 0.5 inch
Static Vertical Jump
- The test procedures are essentially the same as for the vertical jump, except that the countermovement is removed.
- Athlete descends into a squat position (knee angle approximately 110°) and holds this position for 2 to 3 seconds before jumping vertically
Reactive Strength Index
• Boxes of varying heights—for example, 20 cm, 30 cm, and 40 cm
• A commercial device able to measure contact time—for example, a jump or contact mat
(contact mat systems calculate jump height using flight time.)
- Begin with the athlete standing on top of the drop box with the contact mat placed at least 0.2 m in front of the box.
- Instruct the athlete to place hands on hips, to step forward off the box without stepping down or jumping up, and, upon contact with the ground, to jump as high as possible while minimizing contact time as much as possible.
- From the measuring device, obtain the jump height and contact times
- The BEST OF THREE TRIALS is recorded
- Calculate the reactive strength index as JUMP HEIGHT DIVIDED BY CONTACT TIME
Margaria-Kalamen Test
- The athlete sprints toward the stairs from a standing start 20 feet (6 m) from the base of the stairs and then up the staircase three steps at a time.
- Power in watts is calculated as the athlete’s weight (w) in newtons times height (h) in meters from the 3RD STEP TO THE 9TH STEP divided by the measured time interval (t) in seconds
P (watts) = (w × h) / t
300 Yard Shuttle
- Pair off athletes of similar ability.
- The athletes sprint to the line 25 yards away, then immediately sprint back to the first line. Six such round trips are made as fast as possible without stopping.
- The average of two trials is recorded to the nearest 1.0 second.
Curl Up Test
• Set a metronome to 40 beats per minute
-slow, controlled curl-ups to lifting the shoulder blades off the mat in time with the metronome. The upper back must touch the floor before each curl-up.
• The athlete performs as many curl-ups as possible without pausing, to a maximum of 75.
Army Push Up
- Beginning position – Knees off ground
* For the Army standard, AMRAP within a timed 2-minute period; chest to fist
ACSM Push Up for Females
- Beginning position – Knees on ground, legs crossed
* For the ACSM standard, as many repetitions as possible are done continuously until failure.
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test
Measure out a 20 m test course and arrange cones. Place markers 2 m apart at both ends of the test course at the start and turning lines. Also measure out a 5 m distance behind the start line.
On an auditory signal, the athletes run forward to the turning line. At the sound of the second signal, athletes arrive at the turning line and then run back to the
starting line, arriving in time with the next sound.
When the start marker is passed, the athletes jog toward the 5 m mark, and then turn back to the start line. At this point the athletes stop and wait for the next sound.
The athletes are required to place one foot on or over the starting or turning line at the sound of each beep.
The athletes continue running for as long as they can maintain the increasing speed as indicated by the auditory signals.
The termination of the test is indicated by the inability of an athlete to maintain the required pace for two trials. A warning is given the first time the start or turning line is not reached.
At the end of the test, record the last level and number of 2 X 20 m intervals performed at that level on a recording sheet.
The final Yo-Yo intermittent recovery speed and interval score can be used to calculate the total distance covered by the athlete during the test.
T-Test
- Layout: A to B (10 Yds)
- C is 5 Yds to the left of B
- D is 5 Yds to the right of B
The test begins with the athlete standing at point A. The athlete:
- Sprints to point B and touches the base of the cone with the right hand.
- Shuffles left and touches the base of cone C with the left hand.
- Shuffles right and touches the base of cone D with the right hand.
- Shuffles left and touches the base of cone B with the left hand.
- Runs backward past point A.
Hexagon Test
The athlete double-leg hops from the center of the hexagon over each side and back to the center.
Starting with the side directly in front of the athlete, in a continuous clockwise sequence until all six sides are covered three times (for a total of 18 jumps).
LENGTH OF SIDE IS 24 INCHES
Pro Agility Test
The athlete sprints 5 yards to the left,
Then changes direction and sprints 10 yards to the right
Then again changes direction and sprints 5 yards to the spot where they started.
505 Agility Test
- On an auditory signal, the athlete sprints forward 10 m to the first set of timing lights, then sprints a further 5 m to the turning line (one foot must be on or over the line), where he or she is required to turn and accelerate off the line.
- The athlete may slow down only after passing through the timing lights for the second time.
- THE BEST TIME OF TWO TRIALS is recorded to the nearest 0.1 second.
- The athlete completes the trials turning off the preferred leg.
Balance Error Scoring System
- double-leg stance with feet together
- single-leg stance on the non-dominant foot with contralateral leg in approximately 90° of flexion
- tandem stance with the dominant foot in front of the non-dominant foot (95).
The test is conducted on a firm surface and on a soft surface.
- The stances are held for 20 seconds with eyes closed for each condition and hands on hips.
- Athletes are told to keep as steady as possible, and if they lose balance, they attempt to regain their initial position as quickly as possible.
- Errors include opening eyes; lifting hands from hips; touchdown of non-stance foot; step, hop, or other movement of the stance foot or feet; lifting forefeet or heel; moving hip into more than 30° of hip flexion or abduction; or remaining out of position for more than 5 seconds.
- The error scores from the BESS test are summed into a single score.
Star Excursion Balance Test
- The athlete stands in the center of a grid with eight lines (120 cm) extending out at 45° increments
- The athlete maintains a single-leg stance facing in one direction while reaching with the contralateral leg as far as possible for each taped line, touching the farthest point possible and then returning to the bilateral position. WITHIN A SINGLE TRIAL, THE ATHLETE REMAINS FACING IN THE BEGINNING DIRECTION AND THE STANCE LEG REMAINS THE SAME, with the other leg doing all of the reaching.
- The distance from the center of the star to the touch position is measured.
• The starting direction and support leg are chosen randomly. Three trials are performed for
each condition and averaged.
• Trials are discarded if the athlete does not touch the line, lifts stance foot from the center grid, loses balance, or does not maintain start and return positions for 1 full second.
Sit and Reach Test
- Tape yardstick or tape measure to floor
- Place a piece of tape about 24 inches long across the yardstick at a right angle to it at the 15 inch mark.
- Shoeless athlete sits with yardstick between legs, zero end toward the body, feet 12 inches apart, toes pointed up, heels touching edge of taped line at 15 inch mark.
- Athlete slowly reaches forward as with both hands as far as possible on the yardstick, hold position momentarily, ATHLETE SHOULD EXHALE AND DROP HEAD BETWEEN ARMS WHEN REACHING
- RECORD BEST OF 3 TRIALS TO THE NEAREST 0.25 INCH
Common sites for skinfold measurements
CHEST: A DIAGONAL FOLD one half the distance between the anterior axillary line and the nipple for men
THIGH: A VERTICAL FOLD on the anterior aspect of the thigh, midway between the hip and knee
ABDOMEN: A VERTICAL FOLD 1 inch to the right of the umbilicus
TRICEPS: A VERTICAL FOLD on the posterior midline of the upper arm, halfway between the acromion and olecranon process
SUPRAILIUM: A DIAGONAL FOLD above the crest of the ilium
MIDAXILLA: A VERTICAL FOLD on the midaxillary line at the level of the xiphoid process
SUBSCAPULA: A DIAGONAL FOLD that extends from the vertebral border to a point 1 inch from the inferior angle of scapula
CALF: A VERTICAL FOLD along the medial side of the calf
Overhead Squat
- wooden dowel overhead with the shoulders fully flexed and with elbows locked
- grip should be twice shoulder-width and the feet approximately shoulder-width apart and toes pointing forward or slightly out
- The athlete then squats down; the initial action is flexion of the hips and knees. The heels remain in contact with the floor at all times
- The lowering continues until the crease of the hips is below the top of the knee
- The athlete should be able to hold this position with the torso remaining upright (parallel to the tibia) and the wooden dowel (or barbell) comfortably overhead
Girth Measurements
-Relaxed anatomical position f or each measurement (unless otherwise indicated for a particular measurement).
o Chest—at nipple level in males and at maximum circumference (above the breasts) in females
o Right upper arm—at the point of maximal circumference with the ELBOW FULLY EXTENDED, PALM UP, AND ARM ABDUCTED TO PARALLEL WITH THE FLOOR
o Right forearm—at the point of maximal circumference with the elbow fully extended, palm up, and arm abducted to parallel with the floor
o Waist (abdomen)—at the level of the umbilicus
o Hips (buttocks)—at the maximal protrusion of the buttocks with the heels together
o Right thigh—at the point of maximal circumference, usually just below the buttocks
o Right calf—at the point of maximal circumference between the knee and ankle
Descriptive Statistics
summarizes/describes a large group of data
Three categories of descriptive statistics: central tendency, variability, and percentile rank
Measures of Central Tendency
Values about which the data tend to cluster
Mean: The average of the scores
Median: The middlemost score when a set of scores is arranged in order of
magnitude.
Mode: The score that occurs with the greatest frequency.
Variability
The degree of dispersion of scores within a group
Range
The interval from the lowest to the highest score
Standard deviation
A measure of the variability of a set of scores about
the mean
Difference Score
the difference between an athlete’s score at the beginning and end of a training period or between any two testing periods
Inferential Statistics
• Allows one to draw general conclusions about a population from information
collected in a population sample.
• Population sample must be representative.
• Normal Bell Curve
Magnitude statistics
allows for interpretation of the clinical significance of fitness testing
- Smallest worthwhile change refers to the ability of a test to detect the smallest practically important change in performance.
- Effect size is a statistic that can be useful for calculating group performance following a training program or comparing between groups of athletes
- ES = ( x posttest − x pretest ) / SD pretest
Developing an Athletic Profile
- Select tests that are most related to the characteristics of the sport
- Choose valid and reliable tests to measure these parameters, and arrange the testing battery in an appropriate order with sufficient rest between tests to promote test reliability.
- Administer the test battery to as many athletes as possible.
- Determine the smallest worthwhile change for the tests and compare to normative data where appropriate.
- Conduct repeat testing (e.g., pre- and post-training program) and use the results to present a visual profile with figures.
- Use the results of the testing in some meaningful way
Warming up can have the following positive impacts on performance:
- Faster muscle contraction and relaxation of both agonist and antagonist muscles
- Improvements in the rate of force development and reaction time
- Improvements in muscle strength and power
- Lowered viscous resistance in muscles
- Improved oxygen delivery due to the Bohr effect whereby higher temperatures facilitate oxygen release from hemoglobin and myoglobin
- Increased blood flow to active muscles
- Enhanced metabolic reactions
- An increased psychological preparedness for performance
Components of a Warm-Up
- A general warm-up period may consist of 5 to 10 minutes of slow aerobic activity such as jogging or skipping.
- A specific warm-up period incorporates movements similar to the movements of the athlete’s sport. Involves dynamic stretching that focuses on movements that work through similar ROM required for the sport. Should last 8-12 minutes.
- The warm-up should end no more than 15 minutes before the start of the subsequent activity (after this time the positive effects of the warm-up start to dissipate)
Raise, Activate and Mobilize, and Potentiate (RAMP) Phase 1 Raise
aim of elevating body temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, blood flow, and joint fluid viscosity via low-intensity activities.
attempt to simulate the movement patterns of the upcoming activity or develop the movement patterns of sport
Raise, Activate and Mobilize, and Potentiate (RAMP) Activate and Mobilize Phase 2
Focus on mobility, ROM, motor control, stability, movement goal in mind; dynamic stretching
Raise, Activate and Mobilize, and Potentiate (RAMP) protocol Phase 3
sport-specific activities that progress in intensity until the athlete is performing at the intensity required for the subsequent competition or training session
The more power necessary for the sport or activity, the more important the potentiation phase of warm-up
Flexibility
A measure of range of motion (ROM) and has static and dynamic components.
Static flexibility
the range of possible movement about a joint and its surrounding muscles during a passive movement.
Dynamic flexibility
refers to the available ROM during active movements and therefore requires voluntary muscular actions
Factors Affecting Flexibility
- Joint Structure
- Age and Sex
- Muscle and Connective Tissue
- Stretch Tolerance
- Neural Control
- Resistance Training
- Muscle Bulk
- Activity Level
When Should an Athlete Stretch?
Following practice and competition:
-Post-practice stretching facilitates ROM improvements because of increased muscle temperature.
-Stretching should be performed within 5 to 10 minutes
after practice.
- Post-practice stretching may also decrease muscle soreness
- If more flexibility is required, stretching sessions should be preceded by a thorough warm-up to allow for the increase in muscle temperature necessary for effective stretching.
- This type of session can be especially useful as a recovery session on the day after a competition.
Stretch reflex
- A stretch reflex occurs when muscle spindles are stimulated during a rapid stretching movement.
- This should be avoided when stretching, as it will limit motion.
Autogenic inhibition
active contraction followed by a
passive stretch of the same muscle
Reciprocal inhibition
happens by contracting the muscle opposing
the muscle that is being passively stretched.
Both autogenic and reciprocal inhibition result from stimulation of Golgi tendon organs, which cause reflexive muscle relaxation.
Static Stretch
A static stretch is slow and constant, with the end position held for 15 to 30 seconds.
Ballistic Stretch
A ballistic stretch typically involves active muscular effort and uses a bouncing-type movement in which the end position is not held.
Dynamic Stretch
A dynamic stretch is a type of functionally based stretching exercise that uses sport generic and sport-specific movements to prepare the body for activity.
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretch Hold-Relax
Passive prestretch (10 seconds), isometric hold (6 seconds), passive stretch (30 seconds)
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretch Contract-Relax
Passive prestretch (10 seconds), concentric muscle action through full ROM, passive stretch (30 seconds)
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) Stretch Hold-Relax With Agonist Contraction
• Passive prestretch (10 seconds), isometric hold (6 seconds)
-During third phase (passive stretch), concentric action of the agonist used to increase the stretch force
• The hold-relax with agonist contraction is the most effective PNF stretching technique due to facilitation via both reciprocal and autogenic inhibition.
Guidelines for Static Stretching
- Get into a position that facilitates relaxation.
- Move to the point in the ROM where you experience a sensation of mild discomfort.
- Hold stretches for 30 seconds.
- Repeat unilateral stretches on both sides.
-to improve flexibility, stretching should be 2x a week for 5 weeks
Guidelines for Dynamic Stretching
- Carry out 5 to 10 reps for each movement, either in place or over a given distance.
- Progressively increase the ROM on each rep
- Increase the speed of motion on subsequent sets where appropriate.
- Contract the muscles as you move through the ROM.
Five-point body contact position
- Head is placed firmly on the bench or back pad.
- Shoulders and upper back are placed firmly and evenly on the bench or back pad.
- Buttocks are placed evenly on the bench or seat.
- Right foot is flat on the floor.
- Left foot is flat on the floor.
Exercises performed while standing typically require that the feet be positioned SLIGHTLY WIDER THAN HIP-WIDTH with the heels and balls of the feet in contact with the floor.
The sticking point
- the most strenuous movement of a repetition, and it occurs soon after the transition from the eccentric phase to the concentric phase.
- Instruct athletes to EXHALE THROUGH THE STICKING POINT (concentric phase) and INHALE during the less stressful phase (eccentric phase) of the repetition.
Valsalva maneuver
- For experienced and well-resistance-trained athletes performing structural exercises
- Involves expiring against a closed glottis, which, when combined with contracting the abdomen and rib cage muscles, creates rigid compartments of fluid in the lower torso and air in the upper torso
- Helps to establish the normal lordotic lumbar spine position (also called a neutral spine) and erect upper torso position.
Weight Belts
- when performing exercises that place stress on the lower back and during sets that involve near-maximal or maximal loads.
- A weight belt is not needed for exercises that do not stress the lower back or for those that do stress the lower back but involve light loads.
Spotting OH and bar on back/front of shoulders Exercises
- Should be performed inside power rack
- Spotters need to be as tall as lifter and strong enough to be able to support the load if necessary
• With the exception of power exercises, typically require one or more spotters.
Spotting Over-the-Face Exercises
• When spotting over-the-face barbell exercises, spotter should grasp the bar with an alternated grip, usually narrower than the athlete’s grip.
Because of the bar’s curved trajectory in some exercises (e.g., lying triceps extension, barbell pullover), the spotter will use an ALTERNATED GRIP TO PICK UP THE BAR and return it to the floor but A SUPINATED GRIP TO SPOT THE BAR.
Spotting Dumbbell Exercises
- It is important to spot as close to the dumbbells as possible (at forearms near wrists)
- For some exercises such as the dumbbell pullover and overhead dumbbell triceps extension it is necessary to spot with hands on the dumbbell itself.
Number of Spotters
- Determined by load and experience and ability of athlete and spotters
- Once the load exceeds the spotter’s ability to protect the athlete another spotter must become involved.
- One spotter is preferred if they can easily handle the load
• Two or more spotters must coordinate their actions amongst themselves and with the
athlete.
Use of a Liftoff
- Moving the bar from the upright supports to a position in which the athlete can begin the exercise.
- The athlete and spotter need to agree on a verbal signal
Amount and Timing of Spotting Assistance
- Most athletes typically need just enough help to successfully complete the repetition, other times they may need the spotter to assume the entire load.
- The athlete should try to stay with the bar until it is racked or placed safely on the floor.
General Guidelines
- If the exercise is a freestanding ground-based exercise, place the feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and keep them flat on the ground.
- EXHALE DURING THE CONCENTRIC PORTION of the exercise and INHALE DURING THE ECCENTRIC PHASE.
- With heavy loads (80% or greater) or with lighter loads performed to failure, the Valsalva maneuver may be a useful technique for maintaining spinal stability.
Limitations of Bodyweight Training
- Load is limited to the individuals weight
- Does not significantly affect absolute strength
- To increase intensity, change repetitions or movement pattern
- Increasing repetitions changes goal from strength to strength endurance
Benefits of Bodyweight Training
- Is specific to each individual’ s anthropometrics
- Often includes closed chain based exercises
- Strengthens several muscle groups at once
- Develops relative strength
- Improves body control
- Is a low-cost training alternative
Core Stability/Balance Training Methods Anatomical Focus
o Core commonly refers to the trunk or more specifically lumbopelvic region
o Anatomical core – axial skeleton and all the soft tissues and proximal attachments
that originate on the axial skeleton
Isolation Exercises
o Typically consist of dynamic or isometric muscle actions designed to isolate specific core musculature without the contribution of the lower and upper extremities (prone plank, side plank, etc)
o Strong evidence that ground based free weight exercises offer greater benefit to actual sports performance; also offer similar or even greater activation of the core than traditional isolation exercises (squat, deadlift, snatch, push-press, etc)
o Isolation exercises may have the greatest benefit for injured athletes who are going through the rehabilitation process.
Machine Versus Free Weight Exercises
o Stability provided by the machine may result in a better ability to target specific muscle groups
o Stabilizer muscle activation is greater during free weight training
o Activity of the back stabilizers was found to be 30% LOWER DURING a Smith machine squat when compared to a free weight squat.
o If instability is increased via performance of ground-based free weight training on unstable surfaces or devices, greater decrements in force production, the rate of force development, and power outputs have been noted.
o There appears to be no need to add increased instability to ground based free weight exercises.
Instability Devices
o Physioballs, hemispherical physioballs, inflatable disks, wobble boards, balance boards, foam tubes, sand,etc
o core muscle activation may be increased, occurs in conjunction with reduced force generation by the agonist muscle.
o The overall agonist force-generating capacity and overall power output may be LESS THAN 70% of what can be achieved when the exercise is performed under stable conditions.
o Olympic lifts involve a degree of instability and offer a much better training stimulus for the development of core stability and the enhancement of athletic performance than instability device based exercises.
o the use of instability-based exercises to train the core seems to be an effective method for returning the injured athlete to competitive-based training.
Types of Resistance
- Constant External Resistance – traditional exercises, free weights
- Accommodating Resistance – semi isokinetic, allow for speed of movement or isokinetic resistance to be controlled throughout a range of motion.
- Variable Resistance - training devices that allow the applied resistance to be varied in conjunction with changes in joint angle. The most common methodology used in modern strength and conditioning facilities is application of chains or rubber bands.
Determining Resistance with Chains
o The absolute chain resistance at the top and that at the bottom portion of the movement are summed and then averaged.
o If athlete wanted to train at a 5RM load in the bench press, they would first determine the 5RM load without the chains. Then, if their 5RM is 264 pounds, they would subtract the average chain resistance from this load.
o If at the bottom position the load is 0 lbs. and at the top the chain load is 24.4 lbs., the average is 12.2 lbs.
o Thus, the athlete would add 251.8-253.0 lbs. to the barbell to achieve the appropriate loading.
Determining Resistance with Resistance Bands
o The tension or resistance generated by a resistance band is determined by the overall stiffness of the band and the extent to which the band is stretched.
o Based on Hooke’s law, the tension generated by a band is equal to its stiffness (k) multiplied by the deformation (d)
o Tension = Stiffness (k) X Deformation (d)
o There can be a 3.2% to 5.2% difference between two supposedly equal bands that could result in an 8% to 19% difference in mean tension between the bands.
o The coach must determine the load of the band at the bottom and top portions of the movement and create an average of these two loads.
Applying Resistance Bands to Free Weight Exercises
o The highest tension and the total resistance load are provided to the athlete at the TOP POSITION.
o At the bottom position the applied load is reduced; as the bands will no longer be stretched and thus no longer apply resistance to the barbell.
General Guidelines for Tire Flipping
• the tire should not be taller than the athlete’s upright standing height.
o The taller the tire, the harder it is for the athlete to flip because of the mechanical disadvantage and the greater overall lifting distance required.
o Narrow tires are harder to flip for taller athletes.
o Wider tires are more difficult for shorter athletes because of their shorter arm lengths.
o Worn treads are more difficult to grip
Tire Flipping Three Basic Techniques
o The sumo - uses a traditional wider sumo deadlift stance coupled with the arms positioned in a narrower grip.
o The backlift style - performed with a narrower, more conventional deadlift stance, ending with a forward pressing motion.
o Shoulders-against-the-tire technique - the tire lies on its side, and the athlete addresses the tire by kneeling behind it. The feet are placed in a hip-width position with the ankles dorsiflexed. In this position the athlete places the chin and shoulders onto the tire.
Tire Flipping Technique
The Address
▪ Knee behind the tire and rest the chin and anterior deltoids on it
▪ Grip the tire using a supinated grip with the arms extended but not locked
▪ Dorsiflex the ankle and lift the knees off the ground. Get onto the “balls” of the feet.
▪ Raise the chest and contract the musculature of the low back.
The Lift
▪ Extend the knees and hips and plantar flex the ankles while pushing the tire forward and up.
▪ Move forward explosively toward the tire by taking two or three steps
▪ Flex one hip and forcefully strike the tire with the quadriceps of that leg.
▪ Immediately after striking the tire, reorient the hands into a pronated grip.
▪ Move the feet forward while extending the arms in order to flip the tire.
Common Technical Flaws, Corrections, and Spotting of Tire Flipping
o Feet are positioned too close to the tire at the address resulting in a rounded back
-Instruct the athlete to move the feet back, raise the chest, and contract the musculature of the low back.
o Hips rise faster than the shoulders
-Instruct the athlete to drive the tire forward rather than lift it; keep the hips slightly below the shoulders during this movement.
o A lifting motion is used rather than a pushing motion -This causes a heavier tire to move slowly
-Instruct the athlete to drive the tire forward and move forward with the tire as it rises; Strike it with the quadriceps at hip height
o Spotting requires 2 people
Kettlebell Training
- Usefulness as a tool for general physical or fitness development.
- The most common exercise employed is the kettlebell swing, which can be performed with either one or two hands.
- Kettlebell swings DO NOT offer the same level of cardiovascular benefit as treadmill running or more traditional aerobic exercise.
Unilateral Training
- Typically these types of exercises are integrated into training programs to reduce bilateral asymmetries or as a rehabilitation tool
- Often used to reduce a bilateral deficit, where there are asymmetries in force production between unilateral and bilateral movements.
- Bilateral movements exhibit a bilateral facilitation in which there is an increase in voluntary activation of the agonist muscle group.
- Trained or stronger individuals tend to exhibit a bilateral facilitation, while untrained, injured, or weaker athletes exhibit a bilateral deficit.
Bilateral Asymmetry
Where the size and/or strength of one limb is bigger/stronger than the other limb.
For example, my 10RM one arm DB bench press is 60 lbs on my left arm, and 70 lbs on my right arm.
Bilateral Deficit
the strength of your two limbs working together is significantly greater than the combined strength of your two limbs individually.
Bilateral Facilitation
this states that when both limbs are working together at the same time, there is greater activation of the agonist muscle group.
Training Program Design Variables
- Needs analysis
- Exercise selection
- Training frequency
- Exercise order
- Training load and repetitions
- Volume
- Rest periods
Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand (SAID)
the type of demand placed on the body dictates the type of adaptation that will occur.
Specificity
refers to aspects such as the muscles involved, the movement pattern, and the nature of the muscle action (e.g., speed of movement, force application), but does not always reflect the combination of all of these aspects
Overload
refers to assigning a workout or training regimen of greater intensity than the athlete is accustomed to.
Progression
if a training program is to continue producing higher levels of performance, the intensity of the training must become progressively greater.
Needs analysis
a two-stage process that includes an evaluation of the requirements and characteristics of the sport and an assessment of the athlete.
Needs Analysis Step 1 Evaluation of the Sport
- Movement analysis: Body and limb movement patterns and muscular involvement.
- Physiological analysis: Strength, power, hypertrophy, and muscular endurance priorities.
- Injury analysis: Common sites for joint and muscle injury and causative factors.
Needs Analysis Step 2 Assessment of the Athlete
- Training Status
- Physical Testing and Evaluation
- Primary Resistance Training Goal
Training Status
- Type of training program
- Length of recent regular participation in previous training program(s)
- Level of intensity involved in previous training program(s)
Degree of exercise technique experience • Beginner Training age: < 2 months Frequency: < 1-2 x week Training stress: none or low Technique experience and skill: none or minimal.
• Intermediate Training age: 2-6 months Frequency: 2-3 x week Training stress: Medium Technique experience and skill: Basic
• Advanced Training age: > 1 year, Frequency: 3-4 x week Training stress: High Technique experience and skill: High.
Primary Resistance Training Goal
- Typically to improve strength, power, hypertrophy, or muscular endurance.
- Concentrate on one training outcome per season.
Sport Season and Training Goals
• Off-Season
Sport Practice: Low
Resistance Training: High
Resistance Training Goal: Hypertrophy and muscular endurance (initially); strength and power (later).
• Preseason:
Sport Practice: Medium
Resistance Training: Medium
Resistance Training Goal: Sport and movement specific (strength, power, or muscular endurance depending on the sport)
• In-Season
Sport Practice: High
Resistance Training: Low
Resistance Training Goal: Maintenance of preseason training goal
• Postseason
Sport Practice: Variable
Resistance Training: Variable
Resistance Training Goal: Not specific, (may include activities other than sport skill or resistance training)
Core and Structural Exercises
- Core exercises recruit one or more large muscle areas, involve two or more primary joints, and receive priority when one is selecting exercises because of their direct application to the sport.
- Structural exercises emphasize loading the spine directly or indirectly.
Power and Assistance Exercises
- Power exercises are structural exercises that are performed very quickly or explosively.
- Assistance exercises usually recruit smaller muscle areas, involve only one primary joint, and are considered less important to improving sport performance.
Sport-Specific Exercises
- The more similar the training activity is to the actual sport movement, the greater the likelihood that there will be a positive transfer to that sport.
- This concept is called training specificity or the specific adaptation to imposed demands (SAID).
Recovery exercise
does not involve high muscular stress and high stress on the nervous system but promote movement and restoration
Assist in the removal of metabolic wastes and by-products and maintain some amount of blood flow to the exercised muscles so the repair processes can be optimized.
Training Frequency
- Training status affects the number of rest days needed between sessions.
- Three workouts per week are recommended for many athletes to allow sufficient recovery between sessions.
- The general guideline is to schedule training sessions so that there is at least one rest or recovery day—but not more than three—between sessions that stress the same muscle groups.
- Beginner: 2-3 sessions per week
- Intermediate: 3-4 sessions per week
- Advanced: 4-7 sessions per week
Muscle Balance
maintain a balance of muscular strength across joints and between opposing muscle groups when designing a program
avoid disparity between strength of agonist and antagonist
Sport Season Training Frequency
• Seasonal demands of the sport may limit the time available for resistance training.
- Offseason: 4-6 sessions per week
- Preseason: 3-4 sessions per week
- In-Season: 1-3 sessions per week
- Postseason: 0-3 sessions per week
Exercise Order
- Power, Other Core, Then Assistance Exercises
- Upper and Lower Body Exercises (Alternated)
- “Push” and “Pull” Exercises (Alternated)
- Supersets and Compound Sets
Supersets and Compound Sets
- A superset involves two sequentially performed exercises that stress two opposing muscles or muscle areas (i.e., an agonist and its antagonist).
- A compound set involves sequentially performing two different exercises for the same muscle group.
Mechanical work
force × displacement
Load-volume
weight units × repetitions
Load
the amount of weight assigned to an exercise set; often characterized as the most critical aspect of a resistance
training program.
1-repetition maximum (1RM)
greatest amount of weight that can be lifted
with proper technique for only one repetition.
Repetition maximum (RM)
most weight lifted for a specified number of
repetitions.
Testing the 1RM
• 1RM testing requires adequate training status (intermediate or advanced) and experience with the exercises being tested.
- Choose core exercises for 1RM testing.
- 2-4 minutes of rest between sets; 5-10% increase for upper body exercises; 10-20% increase for lower body exercises
1RM Table
1 = 100% 2 = 95% 3 = 93% 4 = 90% 5 = 87% 6 = 85% 7 = 83% 8 = 80% 9 = 77% 10 = 75% 11 = 70% 12 = 67% 15 = 65%
Progression of the Training Load
- Timing Load Increases
- As the athlete adapts to the training stimulus, loads must be increased so that improvements will continue over time.
- Monitoring each athlete’s training and response helps the strength and conditioning professional know when and to what extent loads should be increased.
Assigning Percentages for Power Training
• To promote program specificity, particular load and repetition assignments are indicated for athletes training for single-effort power events (e.g., shot put, high jump, weightlifting) and for multiple-effort power events (e.g., basketball, volleyball).
- Maximal power achieved w/ moderate loads and intermediate velocities
- 0-30% has been shown to create peak power
Repetition Maximum Continuum
- Use relatively heavy loads if the goal is strength or power.
- Use moderate loads for hypertrophy.
- Use light loads for muscular endurance.
2-for-2 rule
if the athlete can perform two or more repetitions over his or her assigned repetition goal in the last set in two consecutive workouts for a given exercise, weight should be added to that exercise for the next training session.
Quantity of Load Increases
- Variations in training status, load-volumes, and exercises greatly influence appropriate load increases.
- Relative load increases of 2.5% to 10% can be used in place of the absolute values
Smaller, Weaker, Less Trained
• Upper Body: 2-5 lb load increase
• Lower Body: 5-10 lb load increase
Larger, Stronger, More Trained
• Upper Body: 5-10+ lb load increase
• Lower Body: 10-15+ lb load increase
Volume
The total amount of weight lifted in a training session.
Set
A group of repetitions sequentially per-formed before the athlete stops to rest
Repetition-volume
The total number of repetitions performed during a workout session
Multiple Versus Single Sets
Single-set training may be appropriate for untrained individuals or during the first several months of training, but many studies indicate that higher volumes are necessary to promote further gains in strength, especially for intermediate and advanced resistance-trained athletes.
Primary Resistance Training Goal
Strength
- Load (1RM): 85% or greater
- Goal Reps: 6 or less
- Sets: 2-6
- Rest Periods: 2-5 min
Power (Single-Effort)
- Load (1RM): 80-90%
- Goal Reps: 1-2
- Sets: 3-5
- Rest Periods: 2-5 min
Power (Multiple Effort)
- Load (1RM): 70-80%
- Goal Reps: 3-5
- Sets: 3-5
- Rest Periods: 2-5 min
Hypertrophy
- Load (1RM): 67-85%
- Goal Reps: 6-12
- Sets: 3-6
- Rest Periods: 30-90 seconds
Muscular Endurance
- Load (1RM): 67% or less
- Goal Reps: 12 or greater
- Sets: 3-6
- Rest Periods: ≤ 30 seconds
To Increase Serum Testosterone
- Large muscle group exercises (deadlift, power clean, squats)
- Heavy resistance (85% to 95% of 1 RM)
- Moderate to high volume of exercise with multiple sets or multiple exercises
- Short rest intervals (60-90 s)
To Increase Growth Hormone
- 10 RM or Heavy Resistance with 3 sets and short 1 min rest periods
- Supplement diet with carbohydrate and protein before and after workouts
Acceleration of Gravity
9.8 m/s2
Force
Mass x Acceleration
Velocity
Displacement/Time
Work
Force x Displacement
Power
Work/Time, Force x Velocity
Mechanical Model of Plyometric Exercise
Elastic energy in tendons and muscles is increased with a rapid stretch (eccentric muscle action) and then briefly stored
If a concentric muscle action follows immediately, the stored energy is released, contributing to the total force production.
Mechanical model of skeletal muscle function
- The series elastic component (SEC), when stretched, stores elastic energy that increases the force produced.
- The contractile component (CC) (i.e., actin, myosin, and cross-bridges) is the primary source of muscle force during concentric muscle action.
- The parallel elastic component (PEC) (i.e., epimysium, perimysium, endomysium, and sarcolemma) exerts a passive force with unstimulated muscle stretch.
Neurophysiological Activation of Muscle Spindles
- Potentiation of the concentric muscle action by use of the stretch reflex.
- Stretch reflex is the body’s involuntary response to an external stimulus that stretches the muscles.
-Intrafusal muscle fibers (sensory fibers) are sensing stretch and through a nerve are causing a larger action potential
Stretch reflex
- another way of saying “muscle spindle activity”
- muscle spindles sense stretch which results in reflexive activation called potentiation
Stretch-Shortening Cycle
-A combination of neurophysiological activation of muscle spindles and mechanical response from the series elastic component (SEC) to facilitate maximal increase in muscle recruitment over a minimal amount of time.
There are three phases:
• Eccentric: stretch of the agonist muscle
• Amortization: pause between phase 1 and 3
• Concentric: shortening of the agonist muscle
high rate of stretch = higher muscle recruitment and high SSC during concentric phase
Components of Plyometric Program Design
Needs Analysis Mode Intensity Frequency Recovery Volume Program Length Progression Warm-Up
Lower Body Plyometrics
- These are appropriate for virtually any athlete and any sport.
- Direction of movement varies by sport, but many sports require athletes to produce maximal vertical or lateral movement in a short amount of time.
- jumps in place, standing jumps, multiple hops and jumps, bounds, box drills, and depth jumps
Upper Body Plyometrics
• Drills include medicine ball throws, catches, and several types of push- ups.
Trunk Plyometrics
- Exercises for the trunk may be performed “plyometrically” provided that movement modifications are made.
- Specifically, the exercise movements must be shorter and quicker to allow stimulation and use of the stretch reflex.
Plyometric intensity
refers to the amount of stress placed on muscles, connective tissues, and joints.
• It is controlled primarily by the type of plyometric drill.
• Generally, as intensity increases, volume should decrease
Factors affecting intensity • Points of contact • Speed • Height of the Drill • Participants weight
Plyometric Program Design Frequency
- 48 to 72 hours between plyometric sessions is a typical recovery time guideline for prescribing plyometrics.
- Using these typical recovery times, athletes commonly perform two to four plyometric sessions per week.
Plyometric Program Design Recovery
- Recovery for depth jumps may consist of 5 to 10 seconds of rest between repetitions and 2 to 3 minutes between sets.
- The time between sets is determined by a proper work-to-rest ratio (i.e., 1:5 to 1:10) and is specific to the volume and type of drill being performed.
- Drills should not be thought of as cardiorespiratory conditioning exercises but as power training; drills for a given body area should not be performed two days in succession
Appropriate Plyometric Volumes
- Beginner 80 to 100
- Intermediate 100 to 120
- Advanced 120-140
Plyometric Program Design Program Length
• Currently, most programs range from 6 to 10 weeks; however, vertical jump height improves as quickly as 4 weeks after the start of a plyometric training program
Plyometric Program Design Progression
• Must follow the principles of progressive overload (the systematic increase in training frequency, volume, and intensity in various combinations).
Plyometric Program Design Warm-Up
- Plyometric exercise sessions must begin with a general warm-up, stretching, and a specific warm-up.
- The specific warm-up should consist of low-intensity, dynamic movements.
- Marching, jogging, skipping, footwork, lunging
Plyometrics Age Considerations Adolescents
- Consider both physical and emotional maturity.
- The primary goal is to develop neuromuscular control and anaerobic skills that will carry over into adult athletic participation.
- Gradually progress from simple to complex.
- The recovery time between workouts should be a minimum of 2-3 days.
- Under proper supervision and with an appropriate program, prepubescent and adolescent children may perform plyometric exercises.
- Special attention to valgus positioning must be given to reduce an athlete’s risk of lower extremity injury.
- Depth jumps and high-intensity lower body plyometrics are contraindicated for this population.
Plyometrics Age Considerations Masters
- The plyometric program should include no more than five low-to-moderate-intensity exercises.
- The volume should be lower; should include fewer total foot contacts than a standard plyometric training program.
- The recovery time between plyometric workouts should be three to four days.
Plyometric Exercise and Resistance Training
- Combine lower body resistance training with upper body plyometrics, and upper body resistance training with lower body plyometrics.
- Performing heavy resistance training and plyometric exercises on the same day is generally not recommended.
Plyometric and Aerobic Exercise
perform plyometric exercise before aerobic endurance training
Plyometric Safety Considerations
The shoulders are in line with the knees when landing
1RM SQUAT AT LEAST 1.5 x BW, but TECHNIQUE MOST IMPROTANT
Three balance tests are performed STANDING, QUARTER SQUAT, HALF SQUAT
Athletes who weigh more than 220 pounds at an increased risk for injury when performing plyometric exercises; should not perform depth jumps from heights greater than 18 inches
Plyometric Balance Tests
3 balance tests are performed standing, quarter squat, half squat
Each test position must be held for 30 seconds. Tests should be performed on the same surface used for drills.
- An athlete beginning plyometric training for the first time must stand on one leg for 30 seconds without falling.
- An athlete beginning an advanced plyometric program must maintain a single-leg half squat for 30 seconds without falling.
Plyometric Landing Surface
- landing surface used for lower body plyometrics must possess adequate shock-absorbing properties.
- A grass field, suspended floor, or rubber mat is a good surface choice.
Plyometric Training Area
- The amount of space needed depends on the drill.
- Most bounding and running drills require at least 30 m of straightaway, though some drills may require a straightaway of 100 m.
- For most standing, box, and depth jumps, only a minimal surface area is needed, but the ceiling height must be 3 to 4 m in order to be adequate.
Plyometric Equipment
- Boxes used for box jumps and depth jumps must be sturdy and should have a nonslip top.
- Boxes should range in height from 6 to 42 inches.
- Boxes should have landing surfaces of at least 18 by 24 inches.
Depth Jumping
- The recommended height for depth jumps ranges from 16 to 42 inches, with 30 to 32 inches being the norm.
- Depth jumps for athletes who weigh over 220 pounds should be 18 inches or less.
Speed
the skills and abilities needed to achieve high movement velocities
Change of direction
the skills and abilities needed to explosively change movement direction, velocities, or modes
Agility
the skills and abilities needed to change direction, velocity, or mode IN RESPONSE TO A STIMULUS
-Requires use of perceptual cognitive abilities in combination w/ COD abilities
Rate of force development (RFD)
the development of maximal force in minimal time, typically used as an index of explosive strength
An athlete wishing to achieve higher acceleration capabilities should apply forces at a greater rate
Impulse
the product of the generated force and the time required for its production, which is measured as the area under the force–time curve.
- change in momentum
- ground contact x force
- can be braking or propulsive impulse
Physics of Sprinting, Change of Direction, and Agility
o Speed is the rate at which an object covers a distance.
o Velocity describes both how fast an object is traveling and its direction (speed with a direction).
o Acceleration refers to the rate at which an object’s velocity changes over time.
Force Versus Time
• Impulse is the change in momentum resulting from a force, measured as the product of force and time (represented by the area under each curve), and is increased by improving RFD.
- functional movements force is typically applied very briefly, often for 0.1 to 0.2 seconds,
- absolute maximum force development may require 0.6 to 0.8 seconds.
Momentum
the relationship between the mass of an object and the
velocity of movement
Ground Contact Time
The length of time athletes are in the stance or plant phase
GREATER DURING ACCELERATION
Practical Implications for Speed
• Rate of force production very important factor for sprinting success
o Since sprinting success is largely dependent on the production of forces within a short amount of time, impulse is an important underlying factor.
Practical Implications for Change of Direction and Agility
• Braking impulse, should be considered during change-of-direction and agility maneuvers
o The amount of impulse required to change momentum effectively and efficiently is a direct reflection of the physical requirements for change of direction.
Neurophysiological Basis for Speed
STRENGTH TRAINING ENHANCES NEURAL DRIVE, the rate and amplitude of impulses being sent from the nervous system to the target muscles
- related to increases in both muscular force production and the rate of force production.
- influences rate/strength of muscle contraction; increases in the athlete’s RFD and impulse generation.
Spring–Mass Model
-FASTER THE STRETCH, THE MORE FORCE GIVEN BY THE MUSCLE SPINDLES TO THE MUSCLE
Increased muscle spindle activity = greater muscle stiffness, better tendon compliance
Running Speed
- SPRINT SPEED IS THE INTERACTION OF STRIDE FREQUENCY AND STRIDE LENGTH
- The underlying component to maximizing stride length and stride frequency is related to rapid force production
- The amount of vertical force applied to the ground during the stance phase may be the most critical component to improving speed.
- These greater forces must be applied to the ground in the shortest period possible (RFD).
Sprinting Technique Guidelines
- Linear sprinting involves a series of subtasks, the start and acceleration and top speed
- The stance phase can be broken down further into an eccentric braking period followed by a concentric propulsive period
- The flight phase consists of the recovery and ground preparation segments of the swing leg
Training Goals for Sprinting
- achieve optimal stride length and stride frequency through the correct application of force into the ground.
- emphasize brief ground support times as a means of achieving rapid stride rate
- emphasize the further development of the SSC as a means to increase the amplitude of impulse for each step of the sprint
Change-of-Direction Ability
• a combination of the ability to decelerate, reorient the body to face or partially face the direction of intended travel, and then explosively reaccelerate that truly determines change-of-direction ability.
IMPROVES WITH:
- increased hip extension velocity (rapid application of force by the hip extensors)
- low center of mass height, increased braking impulse and propulsive impulse
- increased knee flexion entering the change of direction
- minimized trunk angular displacement entering the change of direction (deceleration phase)
- increased lateral trunk tilt (during 180° changes)
Perceptual–Cognitive Ability
- visual scanning
- anticipation
- pattern recognition
- knowledge of the situation
- decision- making time and accuracy
- reaction time
Perceptual–Cognitive Ability Training Goals
- Enhanced perceptual–cognitive ability
- Effective and rapid braking of one’s momentum
- Rapid reacceleration toward the new direction of travel
▪ Directing visual focus toward the opponent’s SHOULDERS, TRUNK, AND HIPS to increase perceptual ability to anticipate the movement of a defensive or offensive opponent
▪ ORIENTING THE BODY INTO A POSITION THAT ALLOWS FOR EFFECTIVE APPLICATION OF FORCES INTO THE GROUND TO MAXIMIZE BRAKING CAPACITY, and increasing the speed from which one can rapidly stop as well as the direction of movement one must brake from
▪ The ability to maintain a good position after braking, reorient the body into a position that faces the new direction, and effectively use acceleration mechanics to reaccelerate
Method of Developing Speed
Sprinting
o No exercise improves running velocity more than maximum-velocity sprinting.
o Weightlifting movements and jump training develop RFD and impulse at varying loads
Strength
o Sprint speed is underpinned by an athlete’s ability to produce large forces within a brief period of time.
Mobility
o Soft tissue manipulation has become an increasingly used practice in the development of speed athletes.
o compromises in a joint’s freedom of movement will result in misplaced forces.
Methods of Developing Agility
Strength
o Strength development for agility should emphasize relative strength and a variety of speed–strength qualities along the force–velocity spectrum.
o Additional focus on the ECCENTRIC STRENGTH of the athlete due to the large braking forces during change-of-direction and agility movements
Change-of-Direction Ability
o Similar to the progressions of plyometric activities based on intensity and difficulty of each drill
Perceptual–Cognitive Ability
o In drills used to improve agility (outside of skills practice) they primarily focus on improving anticipation, decision-making time, and accuracy.
Key variables to monitor for Sprinting Ability
o Ground contact time o Stride Rate o Stride Length o Flight time o Stride Angle o Speed o Acceleration
Key variables to monitor Agility and Change-of-Direction Ability
o Change-of- direction deficit o Ground contact time o Exit Velocity o Entry velocity o Decision Making Time
Sprinting Technique Start Phase
-balanced body weight through a set position (blocks, three or four point staggered start) that uses segment angles critical for the production of explosive forces from the start
- Front lower leg angle about 90 degrees
- Rear lower leg angle about 133 degrees
- Aggressive extension with both legs
- Start clearance occurs once the leg set in the front block position nears extension at the knee joint
- LARGE RANGE OF MOTION WITH ARMS
Sprinting Technique Acceleration Phase
During start clearance and initial steps recovery of the swing legs should be low to the ground to a point where the toes are barely off the ground
- TRUNK STAYS DOWN, PUSH THROUGH GROUND
- LONGER GROUND CONTACT TIME; CLOSER TO MAX FORCE POTENTIAL
By 20 m, the body’s center of gravity has been raised to a point at which sprinting is nearly upright.
The head is in a relaxed, neutral position and will rise at the same rate as the torso
Sprinting Technique Maximum Velocity Phase
- stacked joints with the shoulders appearing to sit directly above the hips, which sit above the foot during the stance phase.
- the head continues to stay in a relaxed, neutral position with eyes focused directly ahead
- the shoulders stay down and relaxed to allow the arms to move at the same rate as legs cycle through the phases of stance and swing
- UPRIGHT STANCE AFTER 10m and BEFORE 20m
- RFD HIGHER; SHORTER GROUND CONTACT TIME
Early Flight Phase
ECCENTRIC HIP FLEXION: decelerates backward rotation of thigh
ECCENTRIC KNEE EXTENSION: decelerates backward rotation of leg/foot
Midflight Phase
CONCENTRIC HIP FLEXION: accelerates thigh forward
ECCENTRIC KNEE EXTENSION —–> ECCENTRIC KNEE FLEXION
Late Flight Phase
CONCENTRIC HIP EXTENSION: rotates thigh backward in preparation for foot contact
ECCENTRIC KNEE FLEXION: accelerates leg backward, limiting knee extension; stops before foot strike (aided by concentric knee flexion to minimize braking at touchdown)
Early Support Phase
CONTINUED CONCENTRIC HIP EXTENSION: minimizes braking effect of foot strike
BRIEF CONCENTRIC KNEE FLEXION FOLLOWED BY ECCENTRIC HIP EXTENSION: resists tendency of hip/ankle extension to hyperextend knee; absorbs landing shock
ECCENTRIC PLANTARFLEXION: helps absorb shock ands control forward rotation of tibia over ankle
Late Support Phase
ECCENTRIC HIP FLEXION: decelerates backward thigh rotation; rotates trunk in preparation for forward takeoff
CONCENTRIC KNEE EXTENSION: propels center of gravity forward
CONCENTRIC PLANTARFLEXION: aids in propulsion
Common Sprinting Technique Errors
ERROR: HIPS TOO HIGH IN START OF CROUCH POSITION
-Instruct athlete to space feet by 1.5 to 2 foot lengths. then lower into starting position by dropping the shine of back leg to be more parallel with sprint surface
ERROR: ATHLETE IS OVERSTRIDING
-Instruct athletes to “run in their lane” and maintain their natural gait cycle
ERROR: PREMATURE UPRIGHT POSTURE
-Instruct the athlete to continue pushing into the ground while maintaining a natural trunk lean with head in line with spine
ERROR: ATHLETE IS SUPERFICIALLY ATTEMPTING TO MAINTAIN AN ACCELERATION PHASE WHEN THE SHINS ARE CLEARLY VERTICAL
-Instruct the athlete that as the shins and hips come up to vertical, so should the torso and head
Factors Related to Aerobic Endurance Performance
- Maximal Aerobic Capacity
- Lactate Threshold
- Exercise Economy
GLYCOGEN TAKES 24 HOURS TO RECOVER
Designing an Aerobic Endurance Program
• Exercise Mode
-remember that the more specific the training mode is to the sport, the greater the improvement in performance.
• Training Frequency
-the frequency of training sessions will depend on the interaction of exercise intensity and duration, the training status of the athlete, and the specific sport season.
• Training Intensity
-adaptations in the body are specific to the intensity of the training session.
• Exercise Duration
-The duration of a training session is often influenced by the exercise intensity: the longer the exercise duration, the lower the exercise intensity.
• Exercise Progression
- progression of an aerobic endurance program involves increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration.
- frequency, intensity, or duration SHOULD NOT INCREASE BY MORE THAN 10% EACH WEEK.
Karvonen Method
APMHR: Age-predicted maximum heart rate
HRR: Heart rate reserve
THR: Target heart rate
RHR: Resting Heart Rate
APMHR = 220 – age HRR = APMHR – RHR THR = (HRR × exercise intensity) + RHR
• Do this calculation twice to determine the target heart rate range (THRR).
Percentage of Maximal Heart Rate Method
APMHR: Age-predicted maximum heart rate
HRR: Heart rate reserve
THR: Target heart rate
RHR: Resting Heart Rate
APMHR = 220 – age THR = APMHR × exercise intensity
• Do this calculation twice to determine the target heart rate range (THRR)
Ratings of Perceived Exertion
- Can be used to regulate intensity of aerobic endurance training across changes in fitness level
- Typically uses the 15-point Borg scale
- May be influenced by external environmental factors
Metabolic Equivalents
• One MET is equal to 3.5 ml x kg–1 x min–1 of oxygen consumption and is considered the amount of oxygen required by the body at rest
Long, Slow Distance Training
•Race distance or longer (about 30 minutes to 2 hours) at about 70% of VO2max.
- Enhances the body’s ability to clear lactate
- Chronic use of this type of training causes an eventual shift of Type IIx fibers to Type I fibers
• INTENSITY IS LOWER THAN THAT OF COMPETITION
Pace/Tempo Training
- Intensity AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE competition intensity
- Steady pace/tempo training: 20–30 minutes of continuous training AT THE LACTATE THRESHOLD
- Intermittent pace/tempo training: series of shorter intervals with brief recovery periods
- Develop a sense of race pace and enhance the body’s ability to sustain exercise at that pace
- Improve running economy and increase lactate threshold
Interval Training
• Exercise at an INTENSITY CLOSE TO VO2MAX for INTERVALS OF 3 TO 5 MINUTES.
Work:rest ratio should be 1:1.
- This allows athletes to train at intensities close to VO2max for a greater amount of time.
- It increases VO2max and enhances anaerobic metabolism.
- Method should be used sparingly, and only when training athletes with a firm aerobic endurance training base.
High Intensity Interval Training
- INTENSITIES GREATER THAN VO2MAX, w/ WORK INTERVALS LASTING 30-90 SECONDS
- Work:rest ratio is about 1:5
- Long recovery periods needed between sessions
- Improved running speed and economy
- Increased capacity and tolerance for anaerobic metabolism
Fartlek Training
• Combines other methods of training, about 20–60 minutes
• Easy running (~70% VO2max) combined with hills or
short, fast bursts (~85-90% VO2max)
- Enhanced VO2max, increased lactate threshold
- Improved running economy and fuel utilization
Application of Aerobic Endurance Program Design to Training Seasons
• Off-Season (Base Training)
-Begin with long duration and low intensity. Gradually increase intensity and, to a lesser extent, duration.
• Preseason (Build)
-Focus on increasing intensity, maintaining or reducing duration, and incorporating all types of training.
• In-Season (Competition)
-Race distance, race pace with low-intensity and short-duration training just before race days.
• Postseason (Active Rest)
-Focus on recovering from the competitive season while maintaining sufficient fitness.
5-10% increase in exercise duration maximum per week
Cross-Training
• Cross-training is a mode of training that can be used to maintain general conditioning in athletes during periods of reduced training due to injury or during recovery from a training cycle.
Detraining
• Detraining occurs when the athlete reduces the training duration or intensity or stops training altogether due to a break in the training program, injury, or illness.
Tapering
the systematic reduction of training duration and intensity combined with an increased emphasis on technique work and nutritional intervention.
• The objective is to attain peak performance at the time of competition
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
- Alarm – In response to overload or more volume intensity; accumulation of soreness, stiffness, and temporary drop in performance; magnitude of stress dictates length of response
- Resistance – body’s response in which it adapts to the stimulus and returns to a normal functional capacity
- If training stress is appropriately structured and not excessive, it can lead to SUPERCOMPENSATION
- Exhaustion – If stress persists for an extended period, this will result in an inability to adapt to the imposed stressors; fatigue, soreness reappear, (we want to avoid this!)
Stimulus-Fatigue-Recovery-Adaptation Theory
- Training stimulus produce a GENERAL RESPONSE that is INFLUENCED by overall MAGNITUDE of the training stressor
- Greater the magnitude, the more fatigue accumulation, and the longer the delay before complete recovery and adaptation can occur
• It is not always necessary to reach a state of complete recovery before engaging in training
Fitness–Fatigue Paradigm
- Every training bout, session, or cycle creates both fatigue and fitness aftereffects, which combine to create a state of preparedness
- Fatigue dissipates at a faster rate than fitness, thus allowing preparedness to become elevated if appropriate training strategies are used to retain fitness while reducing fatigue
Multiyear plan
2-4 years, a 4-year training plan is termed a quadrennial plan
Annual training plan
1 year, the overall training plan can contain single or
multiple macrocycles. Is subdivided into various periods of training including preparatory, competitive, and transition periods.
Macrocycle
several months to a year, some authors refer to this as an annual plan. Is divided into preparatory, competitive, and transition periods of training.
Mesocycles
2-6 weeks, medium-sized training cycle, sometimes referred to as a block of training. The most common duration is 4 weeks. Consists of microcycles
that are linked together.
Training Day
1 day, one training day that can include multiple training sessions is designed in the context of the particular microcycle it is in.
Microcycles
Several days to 2 weeks, small-sized training cycle; the most common duration is 1 week
Training Session
Several hours, generally consists of several hours of training. If the workout includes >30 min of rest between bouts of training, it would comprise multiple sessions.
Periodization Periods
Preparatory Period (general preparatory, specific preparatory)
First Transition Period
Competition Period
Second Transition Period (Active Rest)
Preparatory Period
Off-Season
- Usually the longest and occurs during the time of the year when there are no competitions and only a limited number of sport-specific skill practices or game strategy sessions.
- The major emphasis of this period is establishing a base level of conditioning to increase the athlete’s tolerance for more intense training.
two parts: general and specific
• Hypertrophy/Endurance Phase
Low to moderate intensity (50-75% of the 1-repetition maximum 1RM) and high to moderate volume (3-6 sets of 8-20 repetitions)
• Basic Strength Phase Higher intensity (80-95% of the 1RM) and moderate volume (2-6 sets of 2-6 repetitions)
First Transition Period
Pre-Season
- between the preparatory and competitive periods
- shift training focus toward the elevation of strength and its translation into power development
• Strength/Power Phase
Low to very high loads (30-95% of the 1RM, depending on the exercise) and low volumes (2-5 sets of 2 to 5 repetitions)
Competition Period
- For peaking, athletes use very high to low intensities (50% to ≥93% of the 1RM) and very low volume (one to three sets of one to three repetitions) for one to two weeks.
- For maintenance, athletes modulate training between moderate and high intensities (85-93% of 1RM) with moderate volumes (about 2-5 sets of 3-6 repetitions).
CONSIDER UNDULATING MODEL FOR BASEBALL
Second Transition Period (Active Rest)
Post-Season
• Between the competitive season and the next macrocycle’s preparatory period (1-4 weeks)
• Consists of recreational activity that may
not involve resistance training; time to rehab injuries
Applying Sport Seasons to the Periodization Periods
• Off Season
-Should be considered the preparatory period; it typically lasts from the end of the postseason to the beginning of the preseason, which can be about six weeks before the first major competition (although this varies greatly)
• Preseason
-Leads up to the first contest and commonly contains the late stages of the preparatory period and the first transition period with a focus on the strength/power phase of resistance training.
• In Season
-Contains all the contests scheduled for that year, including any tournament games
• Postseason
-After the final contest
Undulating Vs Linear Periodization Models
- Linear: traditional resistance training periodization model with gradually progressive mesocycle increases in intensity over time.
- Undulating or Nonlinear: a periodization model alternative that involves large fluctuations in the load and volume assignments for core exercises.
Team physician
provides medical care to an organization, school, or team
Athletic trainer
responsible for the day-to-day physical health of the athlete; certified by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association Board of Certification
Principles of Rehabilitation and Reconditioning
- Healing tissues must not be overstressed.
- The athlete must fulfill specific criteria to progress from each phase
- The rehab program must be based on current clinical and scientific research.
- The program must be adaptable to each individual
- Rehab is a team-oriented process requiring all the members of the sports medicine team
Indications
forms of treatment required
Contraindications
activity or practice prohibited due to the injury
Macrotrauma
a specific, sudden episode of overload injury to a tissue, resulting in disrupted tissue integrity
Trauma to bone can lead to a contusion or fracture
Joint trauma is manifested as either a dislocation (complete displacement of the joint surfaces) or a subluxation (partial displacement of the joint surfaces) and may result in joint laxity or instability.
Ligamentous trauma
is termed a sprain and is assigned a classification:
▪ first degree (partial tear of the ligament without increased joint instability)
▪ second degree (partial tear with minor joint instability)
▪ third degree (complete tear with full joint instability)
Musculotendinous trauma
is classified as either a contusion (if the trauma was direct) or a strain (if the trauma was indirect)
▪ A first-degree strain is a partial tear of individual fibers and is characterized by strong but painful muscle activity.
▪ A second-degree strain is a partial tear with weak, painful muscle activity.
▪ A third-degree muscle strain is a complete tear of the fibers and is manifested by very weak, painless muscle activity.
Microtrauma
repeated, abnormal stresses applied to a tissue by continuous training or training with too little recovery time.
o The most common overuse injury to bone is a stress fracture.
o Tendinitis is an inflammation of a tendon
Tissue Healing Inflammation Phase
Pain, Swelling, Redness. Decreased Collagen Synthesis. Increased Number of Inflammatory Cells.
Inflammation is the body’s initial reaction to injury and
is necessary for normal healing to occur.
Edema inhibits contractile tissues and can significantly limit function.
This phase typically lasts TWO TO THREE DAYS following an acute injury but may last longer with a compromised blood supply and more severe structural damage.
Tissue Healing Fibroblastic Repair Phase
Collagen Fiber Production.
Decreased Collagen Fiber Organization.
Decreased Number of Inflammatory Cells.
Once the inflammatory phase has ended, tissue repair begins; this phase allows the replacement of tissues that are no longer viable following injury.
This phase of tissue healing begins as early as TWO DAYS AFTER INJURY AND MAY LAST UP TO TWO MONTHS.
Tissue Healing Maturation Remodeling Phase
Proper Collagen Fiber Alignment.
Increased Tissue Strength.
The weakened tissue produced during the repair phase is strengthened during the remodeling phase of healing.
Production of collagen fibers has shifted to a stronger Type I collagen, allowing the newly formed tissue the opportunity to improve its structure, strength, and function.
Tissue remodeling can last MONTHS TO YEARS after injury.
Tissue Healing Inflammation Phase Treatment Goal
Preventing disruption of new tissue
▪ Relative rest and physical agents including ice,
compression, elevation, and electrical stimulation are often primary treatment options to minimize tissue damage and decrease acute pain
▪ Power, strength, and endurance of the uninjured tissues and the function of the cardiorespiratory system must be maintained.
Tissue Healing Fibroblastic Repair Phase Treatment Goal
Prevent excessive muscle atrophy and joint deterioration of the injured area.
▪ To protect the new, relatively weak collagen fibers, the athlete should avoid active resistive exercise involving the damaged tissue.
▪ Early protected motion hastens the optimal alignment of collagen fibers and promotes improved tissue mobility
▪ Maintenance of muscular and cardiorespiratory function remains essential for the uninjured areas of the body.
Tissue Healing Maturation Remodeling Phase Treatment Goal
optimizing tissue function while transitioning to return to play or activity.
▪ Progressing the activities performed during the repair phase and adding more advanced, sport-specific exercises
▪ Progressive tissue loading allows improved collagen fiber alignment and fiber hypertrophy
Open Kinetic Chain
the limb involved in a movement or exercise is not fixed to a surface or in a single position
i.e. Seated Knee Extension
Closed Kinetic Chain
An exercise in which the terminal joint meets with considerable resistance that prohibits or restrains its free motion; that is, the distal joint segment is stationary.
i.e. Squat
Daily adjustable progressive resistive exercise (DAPRE) system
- First set requires 10 REPETITIONS OF 50% of the estimated 1RM.
- Second set requires 6 REPETITIONS OF 75% of the estimated 1RM.
- Third set requires the MAXIMUM NUMBER OF REPETITIONS OF 100% of the estimated 1RM.
- The number of repetitions performed during the third set determines the adjustment to be made in resistance for the fourth set.
Predesign phase
usually requires 25% of the total project time (6 months).
Greatest priority is creating a needs analysis or assessment.
A feasibility study is conducted to determine costs, facility location, programs of interest.
Design phase
may require 10-12% of the total project time (~3 months).
Work with the architect to finalize blueprints, include equipment specifications, spacing is designed to be user friendly, facility is designed to provide easy access to all athletes.
Construction phase
normally 50% of total project time (about 12 months). Deadlines must be set and adhered to.
Assessing Athletic Program Needs
- Number of athletes that will use the facility
- The training goals for the athletes, coaches, and administration
- The demographics of the athletes?
- The training experience of the athletes be? (e.g. novice, intermediate, advanced)?
- The way the athletes will be scheduled
- The equipment that needs to be repaired or modified
Preoperation phase
also called the start-up phase requires about 15% of total project time (3-4 months). Focuses on staffing considerations.
Designing the Strength and Conditioning Facility
- ideally located on the ground floor
- a ramp should run 12 INCHES FOR EVERY 1-INCH RISE.
- ceiling height especially in platform areas should have 12 TO 14 FT of clearance from low hanging items.
- carpet or rubberized flooring, or indoor turf for plyometric or agility exercises
- the lights should be between 50 and 100 lumens
- anywhere between 68 °F and 78 °F is a good temperature range
- relative humidity should not exceed 60%
- A general guideline is 2-4 FANS FOR EVERY 1,200 SQUARE FEET.
- sound should be less than 90 decibels
- mirrors at least 6 inches away from any equipment and a minimum of 20 inches above the floor.
Arranging Equipment in the Strength and Conditioning Facility
• SAFETY AND FUNCTION ARE TOP PRIORITIES when one is deciding on placement of equipment in a facility.
Equipment Placement
- Should be grouped into sections such as a stretching and warm-up area, agility and plyometrics, free weights, aerobic area, and resistance machines.
- free weights and racks should be organized along the wall, and there should be walkways between the free weights and machines
- Machines can be lined up in the middle of the weight room to make a walkway on each side of the room.
- Tall machines should be bolted to the floor or a column or a wall
- Barbells and dumbbells should have a minimum of 36 inches of space between
- Weight trees placed in close proximity to plate loaded equipment, while maintaining 36 in separation.
- There should be at least 36 inches of space for walking around the entire rack
Equipment Placement Traffic Flow
• Create two or three main walkways that should be AT LEAST 36 (3 FEET)INCHES WIDE.
Stretching and Warm Up Area
• If possible, there should be at least 49 square feet of open space so that athletes can perform a dynamic warm-up, as well as enough room for multiple people to be using the area at the same time.
Circuit Training Area
• Circuit training machines should be at least 24 inches preferably 36 inches away from each other. Any designated walkways in the circuit training area should be between 4 and 7 feet wide.
Weightlifting Area
• Racks and platforms should be spaced 3 to 4 feet apart and bolted to the floor.
Aerobic Area
• Requires 24 ft2 for bikes and stair machines, 45 ft2 for treadmills, rowers 40 ft2, these numbers include the needed space between machines.
Policies
a facility’s rules and regulations; they reflect the goals and objectives of the program.
Procedures
describe how policies are met or carried out.
mission statement
o Addresses three important components: target clientele (key market), what service is being provided (contribution), and what makes the service unique (distinction)
Program goals
are the desired end products of a strength and conditioning program, stated in a broad, general manner.
o An effective strength and conditioning program should be based on scientific principles to enhance performance and increase injury resistance
Suggested criteria for an effective mission statement
- Is short and sharply focused
- Is clear and easy to understand
- It defines why the organization exists
- It does not prescribe means
- It is broad in scope
- It provides direction for upholding the code of ethics
- It addresses and matches the organization’s scope of practice.
- It inspires our commitment
Program Objectives
• Specific means of attaining program goals
Director of Strength and Conditioning (Head Strength and Conditioning Coach)
- Both a practitioner and an administrator.
- Responsible for the overall strength and conditioning program, facility, equipment, staff, and such administrative tasks as preparing a budget, purchasing equipment, preparing proposals, and working with administration and media.
- Responsible for developing, presenting, and enforcing the written policies and procedures of the staff and participants in the program.
- Ensures that staff are properly trained and prepared
Strength and Conditioning Staff (Personal Qualifications)
- The possession of a certification from an independently accredited organization, such as the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification, establishes a standard of care.
- Assistant strength and conditioning professionals should also achieve and maintain a professional certification including standard first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and automated external defibrillation (AED).
Staff Preparedness
- Maintenance of professional certification
- Maintenance of certification in standard first aid, CPR, and AED
- Review of emergency response procedures
- Knowledge and understanding of program policies and procedures
- Knowledge and understanding of governing body rules and regulations
- Knowledge and understanding of cleaning and maintenance issues and needs
- Knowledge and understanding of program philosophy and instruction methods
Risk management
the employment of strategies to decrease and control the risk of injury from athletic participation and therefore the risk of liability exposure.
Informed consent
the process by which a procedure or activity is described to a participant, with an explanation of the inherent risks and benefits involved, allowing the individual to determine if he or she desires to participate.
Standard of care
what a reasonable and prudent person would do under similar circumstances.
Negligence
failure to act as a reasonable and prudent person would under similar circumstances.
Four elements must exist in order for a strength and conditioning professional to be found negligent: DUTY, BREACH OF DUTY, PROXIMATE CAUSE, AND DAMAGES
Assumption of risk
knowing that an inherent risk exists with participation in an activity and voluntarily deciding to participate anyway
Preparticipation Screening and Medical Clearance
- Procedures should be in place to ensure that documentation confirming that each athlete was screened and cleared to participate by the sports medicine staff is on record in the main office of the strength and condition.
- It is the responsibility of the sports medicine staff (e.g., the team or program’s certified athletic trainer, physician, or physical therapist) to allow an athlete to begin formal involvement in the strength and conditioning program.
Eligibility Criteria
• Full- or part-time student-athletes participating in an athletic department-sponsored sport
• Newly incoming and just-transferred student-athletes who have registered for school and
have confirmation of team status as designated by the head sport coach
- Students in physical education classes
- All athletic department coaching and administrative staff
- All sports medicine department staff
- Alumni athletes who participated in an athletic department sponsored sport and completed their eligibility
- Individuals and groups approved by the athletic director or director of strength and conditioning.
Common criteria by which to determine whether outside organizations can use a strength
and conditioning facility:
o Use must be preapproved by the athletic director.
o Use must be preapproved by the strength and conditioning director.
o The program or session must be supervised by strength and conditioning department staff.
o The program or session must be scheduled during off-hours when athletes are not present.
o The individual or organization must supply written proof of additional liability insurance.
o All participants must sign a release agreement form.
o All participants must follow the rules and regulations of the strength and conditioning facility.
o The athletic director and the strength and conditioning director have the right to
limit an individual’s or group’s access, if warranted.
Record Keeping
Secure records should be kept on file of:
- cleaning and maintenance
- safety procedures
- manufacturer’s warranties and guidelines
- assumption-of-risk or other informed consent forms
- medical waivers and clearance forms
- personnel credentials
- professional guidelines and recommendations
Liability Insurance
It is essential for strength and conditioning staff members to purchase professional liability insurance, especially if they are not covered under the facility policy.
Product Liability
Refers to the legal responsibilities of those who manufacture or sell products if a person sustains injury or damage as a result of using the product.
Discipline (Tiered Penalty System)
- First offense – a verbal warning by a staff member
- Second offense – Dismissal from the facility for one day, documentation of the offense
- Third offense – Dismissal from the facility for one week
- Fourth offense – Dismissal from the facility for the remainder of the year
- Fifth offense – Permanent dismissal from the facility.
Orientation Meeting
Usually at the beginning of school year or sport season, the director typically explains the services of the staff, the training schedule and program, the progress card, facility rules, disciplinary actions, the award system, emergency procedures.
Staff-to-Athlete Ratio
- Junior high strength and conditioning facilities should not exceed a 1:10 staff-to-athlete ratio.
- High school facilities should not exceed a 1:15 ratio.
- College should not exceed a 1:20 ratio.
Facility Administration
In-season teams typically have priority over off-season teams, because often the training schedule revolves around the practice and game schedule.
Components of an Emergency Action Plan
▪ EMS (emergency medical services) activation procedures
▪ Names and telephone numbers of primary, secondary, and tertiary individuals to contact
▪ Specific address of the strength and conditioning facility (to give directions to EMS)
▪ Locations of the telephones
▪ Locations of nearest exits
▪ Designated personnel qualified to care for injuries (i.e., sports medicine staff)
▪ Ambulance access
▪ Location of emergency supplies and first aid kit
▪ Plan of action in case of fire, tornado, life-threatening injury, crime, terrorism, and so forth
Roles Within the Emergency Team
- Provide immediate care of the athletes
- Emergency equipment retrieval
- Activation of the emergency medical system
- Facility location.
Lat Pulldown
Pull the bar down toward the upper chest, maintain the slight torso backward lean, TOUCH THE BAR TO THE CLAVICLE AND UPPER CHEST AREA
Biceps Curl
No upper arm movement, maintain erect spine
Hip Sled
FEET HIP-WIDTH APART, TOES POINTED SLIGHTLY ANGLED OUT, IN MIDDLE OF PLATFORM
flex until thighs are parallel to foot platform
Back Squat
Low bar position: across the posterior deltoids at the middle of the trapezius with a handgrip wider than shoulder-width
High bar position: above the posterior deltoids at the base of the neck with a handgrip only slightly wider than shoulder-width
2 steps for set-up
Raise elbows to create shelf for bar; feet shoulder-width apart or wider and the knees slightly flexed
Keep body’s weight over middle and heel area of the feet; heels on floor otherwise it is an error; tops of thighs are parallel to the floor
Front Squat
Parallel arm position should be slightly wider than shoulder-width; bar on top of the anterior deltoids and clavicles
Crossed arm position bar should be on top of the anterior deltoids
2 steps for set-up
feet shoulder-width apart or wider and the knees slightly flexed
Keep body’s weight over middle and heel area of the feet; heels on floor otherwise it is an error; tops of thighs are parallel to the floor
Forward Step Lunge Spotter
spotter steps forward with the same lead leg as the athlete
Step-up
entire foot on box, STEP OFF BOX WITH TRAILING LEG
Deadlift
- feet flat and placed BETWEEN HIP AND SHOULDER-WIDTH apart with the toes pointed slightly outward
- hips lower than shoulders, pronated or alternated grip
- hands slightly wider than shoulder-width with elbows fully extended outside the knees
- bar approximately 1 INCH IN FRONT OF THE SHINS AND over the balls of the feet
- SHOULDERS OVER OR SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF THE BAR, eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward
Push Press
START:
- grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width
- feet hip to shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outwards, bar on top of anterior deltoids and clavicles
PREPARATION PHASE (DIP):
- flex the hips and knees at a controlled speed to move the bar in a straight path downward
- continue dip but DO NOT EXCEED A QUARTER SQUAT OR 10% ATHLETE’S HEIGHT
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE (DRIVE):
-reach lowest position of the dip then reverse the movement by forcefully and extending the hips, knees, and ankles and then the elbows to move the bar overhead
CATCH:
- after the hips and knees are fully extended and the bar is overhead from the drive phase, press it up until the elbows are fully extended
- erect torso with the head is in a neutral position, feet are flat on the floor, and the bar is slightly over or behind the ears
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT PHASE:
- lower the bar gradually to allow a controlled descent of the bar to the shoulders
- simultaneously flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the bar on there shoulders
Push Jerk
START:
- grip should be slightly wider than shoulder-width
- feet hip to shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outwards, bar on top of anterior deltoids and clavicles
PREPARATION PHASE (DIP):
- flex the hips and knees at a controlled speed tomove the bar in a straight path downward
- continue dip but DO NOT EXCEED AS QUARTER SQUAT OR 10% ATHLETE’S HEIGHT
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE (DRIVE):
-forceful extension of the hips, knees, and ankles and then the elbows to move the bar overhead
CATCH:
- After the hips and knees are fully extended and the bar is being driven overhead, quickly flex the hips and knees to a dipped position while also fully extending the elbows so that the bar is received overhead at the same moment the bar reaches its highest position
- catch the bar with an erect torso and the head in neutral position, feet flat on the floor, and the bar slightly behind the head
RECOVERY PHASE:
- after gaining control and balance, stand up extending the hips and knees to a fully erect position with the feet flat on the floor
- keep the elbows locked while the bar is stabilized overhead
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT PHASE:
- lower the bar gradually to allow a controlled descent of the bar to the shoulders
- simultaneously flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the bar on there shoulders
Power Clean
STARTING POSITION
- feet shoulder width apart
- hips lower than shoulders
- hands slightly wider than shoulder width
- back neutral, scapula depressed and retracted
- SHOULDERS OVER OR SLIGHTLY OVER THE BAR
- chest up w/ eyes forward
FIRST PULL
- lift bar by forcefully extending hips and knees
- torso-to-floor angle constant
- keep close to shins
TRANSITION
- as bar moves above the knees, thrust hips forward and flex knees
- move thighs against and under the bar
SECOND PULL
- triple extension and keep bar close to body
- when lower body reaches full extension, shrug shoulders upwards with elbows fully extended and pointing to the sides
- as shoulder reach highest elevation, flex elbows to begin pulling body under the bar
CATCH
- pull body under the bar and rotate the arms under the bar
- flex hips and knees to the quarter squat position
- catch bar on clavicles and anterior delts
- after gaining control and balance, extend knees and hips
Power Snatch
STARTING POSITION:
- feet hip-shoulder width apart
- hips lower than shoulders
- wide, pronated grip or hook grip
- BAR 1 INCH IN FRONT OF SHINS AND OVER THE BALLS OF FEET
- SHOULDERS OVER OR SLIGHTLY IN FRONT OF THE BAR
- eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward
FIRST PULL:
- hips and shoulders rise together, push floor away
- elbows fully extended, pointing out to the side
- shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar
- keep bar close to shins
TRANSITION:
- shoulders and hips rise at the same rate
- elbows fully extended and pointing out to the sides
SECOND PULL:
- Keep bar close to body shoulders over bar and elbows extended as long as possible
- When lower body reaches full extension, rapidly shrug the shoulders upward with the elbows still fully extended and pointing to the sides
- As the shoulders reach highest elevation, flex elbows to pull body under bar
CATCH:
- After full extension of lower body, pull body under the bar and rotate arms around and under the bar
- land in a quarter squat position
- catch the bar over and slightly behind ears
- shoulders slightly ahead of the hips
- stand up and finish in a fully erect position
power snatch - determining hand width
- fist to opposite shoulder
- elbow to elbow
Power Clean/Power Snatch Phases
First Pull, Transition, Second Pull, Catch
Log Clean and Press
STARTING POSITION
- feet placed between hip and shoulder width apart with the toes pointed forward or slightly outward
- hips lower than the shoulders and grasp the log with a closed, neutral grip
- arms slightly outside of the knees, elbows fully extended
- feet flat on the floor and position the log in front of the shins and over the balls of the feet.
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE FIRST PULL
- Lift the log off the ground by extending the hips and knees.
- Keep the torso to floor angle constant; do not let the hips rise before the shoulders.
- Keep the elbows extended and the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the log.
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE TRANSITION
- As log passes knees, pull log into the body by flexing the knees and flexing at the elbows.
- BRIEFLY PAUSE IN THIS POSITION WITH THE LEGS IN A QUARTER SQUAT POSITION AND THE LOG AT OR ON THE THIGHS
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE SECOND PULL
- Triple extension (hips, knees, ankles)
- Keep the log close to the body and elbows tucked into the body.
- Once lower body reaches full extension, rapidly drive the elbows forward to keep rolling the log up the body.
- The torso is erect or slightly hyperextended, the head is tilted slightly back, and the feet may lose contact with the floor.
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE CATCH
- After the lower body has fully extended, pull the body under the log and rotate the arms around under the log while flexing the hips and knees to a quarter-or half-squat position.
- Rack the log across the front of the clavicles and anterior deltoids.
PREPARATION PHASE DIP
- Flex the hips and knees at a slow to moderate speed to move the log in a straight path downward.
- Continue the dip to a depth not to exceed a quarter squat.
- Keep the feet flat on the floor with an erect torso, and the upper arms directly under the log.
UPWARD MOVEMENT PHASE DRIVE
-forcefully and quickly extend the hips and knees and then the elbows to move the log overhead.
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT PHASE
- Lower the log gradually to allow a controlled descent of the log to the shoulders.
- Simultaneously flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the log on the shoulders, and then return the log to the floor.
Two foot Ankle Hop
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
NONE OR DOUBLE ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a slight countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: hop up, with primary motion at the ankle joint
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the starting position and immediately repeat hop
Single-leg ankle hop
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
NONE OR DOUBLE ARM ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance on one foot. The nonjumping leg is held in a stationary position with the knee flexed during the exercise
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a slight countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: using the balancing foot, hop up, with primary motion at the ankle joint
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the starting position and immediately repeat the hop using the same leg
Squat Jump
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
NO ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a squat position with feet shoulder-width apart. Interlock fingers and place hands behind head
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: none
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up to a maximum height
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the squat position and immediately repeat the jump
Jump and Reach
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM ACTION WITH REACH AT TOP OF JUMP
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up and reach for an object or target
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in starting position and immediately repeat jump
Double-Leg Tuck Jump
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up. Pull the knees to the chest, quickly grasp the knees with both hands, and release before landing
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the starting position and immediately repeat the jump
Split-Squat Jump
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM OR NONE ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a lunge position with one leg forward (hip and knee joints at 90 degrees) and the other behind the midline of the body
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up, using the arms to assist as needed. Maximum height and power should be emphasized
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: when landing, maintain the lunge position and immediately repeat the jump
Cycled Split-Squat Jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM OR NONE ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a lunge position with one leg forward (hip and knee joints at 90 degrees) and the other behind the midline of the body
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up, using the arms to assist as needed. While off the ground, switch the position of the legs. Maximum height and power should be emphasized
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: when landing, maintain the lunge position and immediately repeat the jump
Single-Leg Tuck Jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance on one foot; the non-jumping leg is held in a stationary position with the knee flexed during exercise
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up; pull the knee of the jumping leg to the chest, grasp the knee with both hands, and release before landing
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the starting position and immediately repeat the jump using the same leg
repeat with opposite leg after a brief rest
Pike Jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
STARTING POSITION: get into a comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
PREPARATORY MOVEMENT: begin with a countermovement
UPWARD MOVEMENT: explosively jump up; keeping the legs straight and together, try to lift them to the front and try to touch the toes with the hands
DOWNWARD MOVEMENT: land in the starting position and immediately repeat the jump
Double Leg Vertical Jump vs Single leg vertical jump
DOUBLE LEG:
-LOW INTENSITY, VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP, DOUBLE ARM ACTION, feet shoulder-width apart, begin with countermovement and explosively jump up using both arms to assist and reach for target
SINGLE-LEG:
- HIGH INTENSITY, VERTICAL DIRECTION OF JUMP, DOUBLE ARM ACTION, comfortable upright stance on one foot, the nonjumping leg is held stationary and knee flexed during exercise,
- begin with countermovement then explosively jump up using both arms to assist and reach for target. land in starting position, and repeat the jump using the same leg; allow recovery time in between jumps; repeat with opposite leg after a brief rest
standing long jump
LOW INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL DIRECTION OF JUMP
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width apart, begin with countermovement
explosively jump forward and up, using both arms to assist, with a goal of achieving maximal horizontal distance
land on both feet and repeat the jump, allow recovery time between jumps
Lower Body Plyometric Drills
LOW INTENSITY:
- two foot ankle hop
- squat jump, jump and reach
- double-leg vertical jump, standing long jump,
- skip, power skip, backward skip
- single-leg push off, alternate-leg push off, lateral push off, double-leg jump to box
MEDIUM INTENSITY:
- single-leg ankle hop
- double-leg tuck jump, split squat jump, jump over barrier, double-leg hop, front barrier hop, lateral barrier hop, side skip
- single alternate-leg bound, double-arm alternate-leg bound
- side-to-side push off, squat box jump, lateral box jump, drop freeze
HIGH INTENSITY:
- cycled split squat jump, single-leg tuck jump, pike jump
- single-leg vertical jump, double-leg zigzag hop, single-leg hop, single-leg jump to box, 4-hurdle drill
- depth jump, depth jump to second box, squat depth jump, depth jump with lateral movement, depth jump with standing long jump, depth jump to 180 degree turn, single-leg depth jump
Upper Body Plyometric Drills
LOW INTENSITY:
- chest pass
- two-hand overhead throw
- two-hand side-to-side throw
MEDIUM INTENSITY:
- single-arm throw
- 45 degree sit-up w/ medicine ball (trunk plyometrics)
- depth push-up
HIGH INTENSITY:
-power drop
Jump over barrier
MEDIUM INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width, begin with countermovement
jump over a barrier with both legs using primarily hip and knee flexion to clear the barrier, keep knees and feet together without lateral deviation, land in starting position and repeat the jump, allow recovery time in between jumps
height of barrier should be progressively increased
Double-leg hop
MEDIUM INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width, begin with countermovement
jump as far forward as possible, land in the starting position and immediately repeat the hop
Double-leg zigzag hop
HIGH INTENSITY
DIAGONAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
place about 10 hurdles 18-24 inches apart in zigzag pattern
feet shoulder-width, stand on outside of first hurdle with elbows flexed to 90 degrees and held at sides of the body
begin with countermovement, jump from outside of first hurdle to outside of second hurdle keeping the shoulders perpendicular to an imaginary line through the center of the hurdles
immediately after landing outside that second hurdle, change direction and jump diagonally over the second hurdle to the outside of the third hurdle continuing through the rest of the hurdles in the same pattern
Single-leg hop
HIGH INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width, begin with countermovement, explosively jump forward using both arms to assist and land in the starting position then immediately repeat the hop using the same leg
repeat with other leg after a brief rest
Front barrier hop
MEDIUM INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: two barriers (cones or hurdles)
feet shoulder-width, begin with countermovement, jump over first barrier with both legs, using primarily hip and knee flexion to clear the barrier, keep the knees and feet together without lateral deviation
land in starting position and immediately repeat jump over the second barrier
increase intensity by increasing height of barrier or by performing hops with single-leg
Lateral barrier hop
MEDIUM INTENSITY
LATERAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: a barrier (cones or hurdle)
feet shoulder-width, barrier on one side, begin with countermovement
jump over first barrier with both legs, using primarily hip and knee flexion to clear the barrier, keep the knees and feet together, land on opposite side of barrier and immediately repeat the jump to the starting side
increase intensity by increasing height of barrier or by performing hops with single-leg
4-Hurdle Drill
HIGH INTENSITY
LATERAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: 4 hurdles, 2 pairs of hurdles, each hurdle in the pair is separated by 12 inches, each pair is separated by 18 inches
comfortable, upright stance on the right foot, the line of four hurdles will be to athlete’s left. The nonjumping leg is held in a stationary position with the knee flexed during the exercise
- explosively jump left over the first hurdle with the right foot, using both arms to assist,
- land on the right foot and immediately repeat the hop over the next hurdle using the same leg
- land on the right foot and immediately repeat the hop over the next two hurdles using the same leg
- land on the left foot and immediately jump right over the first hurdle with the left foot, using both arms to assist
- land on the left foot and immediately repeat the hop over the next hurdle using the same leg
- land on the left foot and immediately repeat the hop over the next two hurdles using the same leg
- land on the right foot
Skip/Power Skip
Skip: LOW INTENSITY, HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL, RECIPROCAL ARM ACTION (as one leg is lifted, the opposite arm is lifted)
- one leg is lifted to approximately 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion
- begin with countermovement on one leg, jump up and forward on one leg
- the opposite leg should remain in the starting flexed position until landing
- land in starting position on the same leg, immediately repeat the skip with the opposite leg
Power Skip: LOW INTENSITY, VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL, DOUBLE ARM ACTION
- one leg is lifted to approximately 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion
- begin with countermovement on one leg, jump up and forward on one leg, move the flexed nonjumping leg up and into greater hip and knee flexion while jumping
- both arms should one used to assist with the upward movement
- land in the starting position on the same leg, immediately repeat the skip with the opposite leg
Backward skip
LOW INTENSITY
BACKWARD, HORIZONTAL, AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
- one leg is lifted to approximately 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion, begin with countermovement on one leg
- jump backward with one leg and flex the hip and knee of the non skipping leg to approximately 90 degrees, both arms should be used to assist with the movement
- land in the starting position on the same leg, immediately repeat the skip with the opposite leg
Side skip
MEDIUM INTENSITY
LATERAL DIRECTION
RECIPROCAL ARM ACTION (as one leg is lifted, the opposite arm is lifted)
- one leg is lifted to approximately 90 degrees of hip and knee flexion, begin with countermovement on one leg
- jump up and laterally on one leg, the opposite leg should remain in the starting flexed position until landing
- land in the starting position on the same leg, immediately repeat the skip with the opposite leg
Single-arm alternate-leg bound
MEDIUM INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
SINGLE-ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width apart
- jog at a comfortable pace, begin the drill with the left foot forward; push off with the left foot as it contacts the ground
- during push off, bring the right leg froward by flexing the thigh to a position approximately parallel with the ground and the knee at 90 degrees
- during the flight phase of the drill, reach forward with the left arm
- land on right leg and immediately repeat the sequence on the opposite side upon landing
- A bound is an exaggeration of the running gait; the goal is to cover maximum distance during each stride*
Double-arm alternate-leg bound
MEDIUM INTENSITY
HORIZONTAL AND VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
feet shoulder-width apart
- jog at a comfortable pace, begin the drill with the left foot forward; push off with the left foot as it contacts the ground
- during push off, bring the right leg froward by flexing the thigh to a position approximately parallel with the ground and the knee at 90 degrees
- during the flight phase of the drill, reach forward with both the arms
-land on right leg and immediately repeat the sequence on the opposite side upon landing
Single-leg push-off
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-18 inches high
stand facing box with one foot on the ground and one foot on the box, the heel of the foot on the box should be near the box’s closest edge
jump up using the foot on the box to push-off, land with the same foot on the box, this foot should land just before the ground foot, immediately repeat the movement
intensity may be increased by increasing the height of the box, begin with 6 inches
Alternate-leg push-off
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-18 inches high
stand facing box with one foot on the ground and one foot on the box, the heel of the foot on the box should be near the box’s closest edge
jump up using the foot on the box to push-off, land with the opposite foot on the box, this foot should land just before the ground foot, immediately repeat the movement reversing the feet each repetition
Lateral push-off
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-18 inches high
stand to one side of the box with one foot on the ground and one foot on the box, the inside of the foot on the box should be near the box’s closest edge
jump up using the foot on the box to push-off, land with the same foot on the box, this foot should land just before the ground foot, immediately repeat the movement
side-to-side push-off
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-18 inches high
stand to one side of the box with one foot on the ground and one foot on the box, the inside of the foot on the box should be near the box’s closest edge
land with the opposite foot on the opposite side of the top of the box; this foot should land just before the ground foot, immediately repeat the movement to the opposite side
Double-leg jump to box
LOW INTENSITY
VERTICAL, AND SLIGHTLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-42 inches high
facing box, get into comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
begin with a countermovement, jump onto box using both legs, land on both feet in a half-squat position, step down from box and repeat
Single-leg jump to box
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND SLIGHTLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-42 inches high
facing box, get into comfortable, upright stance on one foot; the nonjumping leg is held in a stationary position with the knee flexed during the exercise
begin with countermovement, jump up onto box with one leg
land on the same foot as used to jump in a half-squat position, step down from box and repeat
Squat box jump
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND SLIGHTLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
NO ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-42 inches high
facing box, get into comfortable, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart with hands clasped behind the head
begin with countermovement, jump up onto box using both legs
land on both feet in a half squat position, step down from the box and repeat
Lateral Box Jump
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND SLIGHTLY HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 6-42 inches high
stand to one side of the box, upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart
begin with countermovement, jump up onto box using both legs
land on both feet in a half squat position, step down from the box and repeat in the opposite direction
Drop Freeze
MEDIUM INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
NO ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet, quickly absorbing the impact upon landing; step back onto the box and repeat
begin with 12 inch box
Depth jump technique
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet; upon landing, immediately jump as high as possible
time on the ground should be kept to minimum, emphasis on jumping up with minimal horizontal movement
when stepping from the box, step straight out
depth jump to second box
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box, facing the second box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet; upon landing, immediately jump onto the second box
the distance between boxes depends on experience and ability; the greater the distance between the boxes, the higher intensity of the jump
begin with boxes placed 24 inches apart
squat depth jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM OR NONE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land in a squat position (90 degrees of hip and knee flexion) with both feet
upon landing, immediately jump up as high as possible then land in the same squat position
depth jump with lateral movement
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND LATERAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high, a partner
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet; have a partner point to the right or left just before you land
upon landing, immediately sprint in the direction determined by your partner
depth jump with standing long jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet
upon landing, immediately jump forward as far as possible with both feet
depth jump to 180 degree turn
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with both feet
upon landing, immediately jump as high as possible with both feet; while in the air the athlete turns 180 degrees to land facing the opposite direction
single-leg depth jump
HIGH INTENSITY
VERTICAL DIRECTION
DOUBLE ARM ACTION
equipment: plyometric box 12-42 inches high
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, stand on top of box with toes near the edge of the box
step from the box and land on the floor with one foot
upon landing, immediately jump as high as possible with the landing foot
this is a very advanced form of depth jump and should only be performed by those with adequate experience and ability demonstrated in other versions of the depth jump
chest pass
LOW INTENSITY
FORWARD DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs; rebounder or partner
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, face the partner 10 feet away, raise the ball to chest level with the elbows flexed
begin with countermovement, using both arms, throw the ball to the partner by extending the elbows
when the partner returns the ball, catch it and return ti the starting position, then immediately repeat the movement
to increase intensity, increase weight of the ball, start with 2 lb ball
two-hand overhead throw
LOW INTENSITY
FORWARD AND DOWN DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs; rebounder or partner
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, face the partner 10 feet away, raise the ball overhead
begin with countermovement, using both arms throw the ball to the partner keeping the elbows extended
when the partner returns the ball, catch the ball overhead and immediately repeat the throw
two-hand side-to-side throw
LOW INTENSITY
FORWARD AND DIAGONAL DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs; rebounder or partner
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, face the partner 10 feet away, raise the ball in both hands to a position over one shoulder with the elbows flexed
begin with countermovement, using both arms, throw the ball to the partner by extending the elbows
when the partner returns the ball, catch the ball over the opposite shoulder and immediately repeat the throw
single-arm throw
MEDIUM INTENSITY
FORWARD DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs; rebounder or partner
upright stance with feet shoulder-width apart, face the partner 10 feet away, raise the ball in one hand to a position of 90 degrees of shoulder abduction and 90 degrees of elbow flexion
begin with countermovement, using one arm throw the ball to the partner; catch the ball in the starting position and allow the shoulder to externally rotate slightly and immediately repeat the throw
begin using a 1 lb medicine ball
Power drop
HIGH INTENSITY
UPWARD DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs; rebounder or partner, plyometric box 12-42 inches
lay supine on the ground with elbows extended sand both shoulders in approximately 90 degrees of flexion
the head should be near the base of the box with the partner on the box holding the medicine. ball above the athlete’s arms
when the partner drops the ball, catch it using both arms and immediately throw the ball back up to the partner
depth push-up
MEDIUM INTENSITY
UPWARD DIRECTION
equipment: medicine ball weighing 5-8 lbs
lay in push-up position, with the hands on the medicine ball and elbows extended
quickly remove the hands from the medicine ball and drop down, contact the ground with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and elbows slightly flexed
allow chest to almost touch the medicine ball bu letting the elbows flex
immediately and explosively push up by fully extending the elbows and quickly place the palms on the medicine ball and repeat the exercise
when the upper body is at maximal height during the upward movement, the hands should be higher than the medicine ball
45 degree sit-up
MEDIUM INTENSITY
equipment: medicine ball weighing 2-8 lbs, partner
sit on ground with the trunk air approximately 45 degree angle with the partner in front holding the medicine ball
the partner throws the ball to the outstretched hands
once the partner throws the ball, catch it using both arms and allow minimal trunk extension
immediately return the ball to the partner; the force used to return the ball to the partner should come predominantly from the abdominal muscles
A-skip
a commonly prescribed sprint drill that is used to simulate upright sprinting mechanics and vertical force production
begin the exercise in a tall stance with torso directly above the hips, knees, and ankles
maintain tall posture with relaxed shoulders through the entire duration of the drill
the arms should move at the same rate as the legs, with minimal to no pausing of arm action between cycles
Fast Feet
this drill is designed to enhance stride frequency of a sprinter
begin the exercise in a tall stance with torso directly above the hips, knees, and ankles
the arms should move at the same rate as the legs, with minimal to no pausing of arm action between cycles
the fore-to mid foot of the new stance leg should land under the athlete’s hips, maintaining the stacked joints appearance
incline sprinting
a type of resisted sprinting that is prescribed to PROMOTE IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THE ACCELERATION PHASE OF A SPRINT
- cue athlete to maximize accelerative mechanics through a low heel recovery of the rear/swing leg
- coach the athlete to continue aggressive pushing against the ground alongside an arm swing that may be cued two emphasize a hand that is pulled down and back
- torso should remain tall and high with head in neutral position
- torso and head are in line and will rise at the same rate as the hips gradually rise
deceleration drill
intended to improve the braking ability of an athlete
most advanced version of this drill requires braking from top speed and decelerating within seven steps
Stationary Bike
adjust seat height so the knee of the extended leg is slightly bent (25-30 degrees) at the bottom of the PEDAL STROKE (ball of foot on pedal)
heel of extended leg should be touching pedal with no bend in the knee
the foot of the down leg should be flat and parallel to the floor with the balls of the feet in contact with the pedals
adjust the seat so that the knee is over the center of the pedal on the extended leg and the hips do not rock back and forth during pedaling
maintain neutral spine position, and lean slightly forward at the hips, do not round the shoulders
adjust the handlebars so that when the arms are extended at a downward angle there is a slight bend in the elbows
Rowing Machine
STARTING POSITION
- keep back upright, not rounded, with a slight lean forward from the hips
- hold the head upright while looking straight ahead
- extend arms in front of the body and grab the rower handle while flexing the hips and knees until the shins are approximately vertical
MOVEMENT PHASE (DRIVE) -extend the hips and knees while using the arms to pull the handle toward the abdomen just below the rib cage
ENDING POSITION (FINISH)
- the LEGS SHOULD BE FULLY EXTENDED with THE TORSO LEANING SLIGHTLY BACKWARD
- arms are bent at the elbows and the handle is at THE ABDOMEN JUST BELOW THE RIB CAGE
stair stepper
whole foot in contact with each pedal
4-8 inch steps
hold the handrails lightly, look straight ahead, keep an upright posture, torso over the hips, knees aligned with the feet, toes pointed forward
Walking Gait
BODY POSITION
- head upright w/ eyes looking straight ahead, relax the shoulders and do not let them round
- upper body directly over the hips while keeping the ear, shoulder, and hip aligned
FOOT STRIKE
- heel should strike the ground first, followed by a gentle “rolling” heel-to-ball action, allowing the weight to be spread over the foot
- the weight should transfer from the outer side of the heel and continue to shift forward and slightly inward toward the middle of the ball of the foot at push-off
STRIDE
- without rolling the pelvis, allow the hips to move freely to increase stride length
- lift the knees and engage the hips and gluteals in the movement
ARM ACTION
- the arms should swing forward and backward in a reciprocal fashion with the lower body
- the shoulders should be relaxed, allowing the arms to swing freely
AT FASTER WALKING SPEEDS:
- the arms should be bent at the elbows 90º with arm movement originating at the shoulders
- arms/hands should swing backward and forward, not crossing the midline of the body, in order to create forward propulsion
- the hands should stay relaxed, with the hand coming up to the level of the chest at the nipple line on the forward swing, and the hip bone at the side of the body one the backward swing
Running Gait
BODY POSITION
- hold the head upright with the eyes looking straight ahead, relax the shoulders and do not let them round
- upper body directly over the hips while keeping the ear, shoulder, and hip aligned
FOOT STRIKE
- heel should strike the ground first, followed by a gentle “rolling” heel-to-ball action, allowing the weight to be spread over the foot
- the weight should transfer from the outer side of the heel and continue to shift
STRIDE
- without rolling the pelvis, allow the hips to move freely to increase stride length
- lift the knees and engage the hips and gluteals in the movement
- with each running step, THE FOOT SHOULD LAND APPROXIMATELY UNDER THE HIPS to avoid “braking” and spending too much time in the air
ARM ACTION
- the arms should swing forward and backward in a reciprocal fashion with the lower body
- the shoulders should one relaxed, allowing the arms to swing freely
- in contrast to walking, the majority of arm movement comes from the lower arm, as too much shoulder movement wastes energy
- the forearms should be carried between the waist and the chest
- the arms and hands should swing backward and forward, NOT CROSSING THE MIDLINE OF THE BODY, in order to create forward propulsion
How should an athlete breathe during the concentric and eccentric phases of exercise?
concentric = breathe out (during the sticking point) eccentric = breathe in
Phosphagen System Work:Rest Ratios
1:12–1:20
Fast Glycolysis Work:Rest Ratios
1:3–1:5
Fast Glycolysis and Oxidative System Work:Rest Ratios
1:3–1:4
Oxidative System Work:Rest Ratios
1:1–1:3
High Knees
Forcefully drive knee upward, fully extend opposite leg as driving knee is lifted
Maintain flat back w/ slight torso lean
Drive arms in aggressively in opposite direction of knee drive
Take short quick steps
Avoid leaning back
Thigh should be parallel to ground at the highest point of movement
Forward Lunge
When shifting weight onto left leg, the knee should remain directly above the ankle
Spotter
- A spotter is someone who assists in the execution of an exercise to help protect the athlete from injury
- A spotter may also serve to motivate the athlete and help in the completion of forced repetitions (also referred to as partner-assisted reps)
Preparatory Body Position/Lifting Guidelines
- ) Neutral or slightly arched back
- ) Trapezius is relaxed and slightly stretched, chest is held up and out, shoulder blades held together
- ) Head is in line w/ spine or slightly extended
- ) The body’s weight is balanced between the middle and balls of the feet but heels in contact w/ floor
- ) The shoulders are over or slightly in front of the bar
- ) The eyes are focused straight ahead or slightly upward
Muscles Involved in Power Snatch/Power Clean
Gluteus Maximus, Hamstrings, Quadriceps, Calves, Shoulders, Upper Back, Upper Arm (Anterior), Upper Arm (Posterior)
Grip measurements for Power Snatch
- Fist to opposite shoulder method
- Elbow to elbow method
Hamstring Muscle Group
Semimembranosus, semitendinosus, biceps femoris
Quadricep Muscle Group
Vastus lateralis, vastus intermedius, vastus medialis, rectus femoris
Muscles involved in BB/DB Bench Press
Pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, serrates anterior, pectoralis minor, triceps brachii, latissimus dorsi
Concentric action: shoulder transverse adduction, scapular protraction, elbow extension
Training Goals for Periodization Periods
Off-Season: Strength/Power/Hypertrophy/GPP
Pre-Season: Strength/Power
In-Season: Peaking (power)/maintenance
Post-Season: Active Rest
Preparatory –> First Transition –> Competitive –> Second Transition
Muscle Belly
Contractile muscle fibers
-Also contains intrafusal muscle fibers and muscle spindles
Tendon
Series elastic components
-Store mechanical energy
Phases of Muscle Contraction (SSC)
Eccentric: Lengthening
- elastic energy stored in muscle
- myosin heads stretch and shear
Amortization: Between Phases
- store mechanical energy
- muscle spindle activity
- the most mechanical energy is stored
Concentric: Shortening
- energy released by SEC
- muscle spindles stimulate agonist muscle group
Post Activation Potentiation (PAP)
activating a muscle at high threshold followed by plyometrics
(85% 1RM 4x4 trap bar deadlifts followed by squat jumps)
Plyometrics
MAXIMAL force in MINIMAL time
- Long, slow eccentrics dissipate stored energy in SSC
- Too great of joint angle can decrease tension (i.e. deep squats)
Complex Training
Heavy lift followed by plyometrics for post-activation potentiation
Reactive Component w/ Plyometrics
- Development of eccentric strength for deceleration
- Keep low center of mass
Gait Phases
Initial contact, landing response, mid-stance, toe off, pre-swing, mid-swing, initial contact
Rate Coding
how fast you can send the RFD signals
Braking
stronger eccentrically than concentrically
-eccentric loading, velocity-specific gains, perceptual-cognitive demands
Body Position during Braking and Re-acceleration
Through stance phase, REORIENT TRUNK AND HIPS TOWARD DIRECTION OF INTENDED TRAVEL to allow for more effective reaccelerating
- body lean key in allowing proper force application
- ENTER AND EXIT COD WITH LOWER CENTER OF MASS
- AVOID STIFF-LEGGED BRAKING STYLES
- POWERFUL ARM ACTIONS CAN FACILITATE LEG DRIVE
- VISUAL FOCUS OF OPPONENT SHOULD BE ON SHOULDERS, TRUNK, AND HIPS
- control the trunk leading into deacceleration (decreases large amounts of trunk motion)
Lactate Threshold
Highest % of VO2max without accumulating lactate
Exercise Economy
Energy cost at a given velocity
-Interval training may improve exercise economy
Percentile Ranking
The percentage of test takers scoring below an individual
LOWEST TO HIGHEST (0-100)
YMCA Bench Press
80 lb for men, 35 lb for female
Temperature and Non-Temperature Related Effects to Warm-Up
Temperature Related:
- Increase muscle and core temp
- Enhance neural function
- Disrupt transient connective tissue bonds
Non-Temperature Related:
- Increase blood flow to muscles
- Elevate baseline oxygen consumption
- Post-activation potentiation
Fibrosis
connective tissue replaces degenerative muscle fibers (decreased ROM)
Intra vs. Inter
intra = one inter = 2 or more
1RM Testing Goal Scores
Bench Press = 1 x BW
Power Clean = 1.25 x BW
Squat = 1.5 x BW
General goals but endurance sports may not translate
Average testing scores
Vertical Jump (best of 3 trials)
- Roughly 10-16 inches for women
- Roughly 15-25 inches for men
300 yard shuttle (average of 2 trials)
- Roughly 67-73 seconds for women
- Roughly 56-73 seconds for men
Pro-Agility
- 4.5 seconds for women
- 5 seconds for men
T-test
-Roughly 10 seconds
VO2max
- 50th percentile college-aged men = 44 ml/kg/min
- 50th percentile college-age women = 38 ml/kg/min
- Average male athletes = 44-51 ml/kg/min
- Average women athletes = 35-43 ml/kg/min
- Endurance athletes = 50-55 ml/kg/min
Z-Score
Distance from the mean in SD units
Test Selection Based on Sport
Volleyball: Primarily anaerobic, power/agility
-300 yard shuttle, vertical jump, 5/10/5
Football: ATP-PC/Anaerobic, strength/power/agility
-5/10/5, 1RM testing, 40 yard dash, vertical jump, long jump, T-test
Soccer: Primarily Aerobic/some anaerobic, endurance/agility
-yo-yo intermittent test, 12 minute run, 1.5 mile run, vertical jump, hexagon test
Baseball: ATP-PC/Anaerobic, power/speed
-1RM, 40 yard dash, base run test
Lacrosse: Aerobic/Anaerobic, agility/maneuverability, strength
-yo-yo intermittent, T-test, hexagon, Push-up, pro-agility
Basketball: Aerobic/Anaerobic, endurance/power
-yo-yo intermittent, vertical jump, 1RM testing
Olympic Platforms
8 ft + 4 ft walkway = 12 feet
Cone Drill
- LOWER CENTER OF MASS TO ROUND THE CONE
- Should lean over the cone
- Eyes look toward the direction you are going
Build-Ups
- 40 yards
- start jogging from standing start, gradually build up speed so that max velocity is achieved by 40 yards; slow pace over last 20 yards
Form Starts
- Place one foot directly behind start line and other foot 6-12 inches behind heel of front foot and 2-4 inches inside of front foot
- The hand opposite to the front footie placed just behind the start line; other arm is extended behind the body w/ bend at the elbow; HIPS HIGHER THAN SHOULDERS
- Slight forward lean, eyes focused on 2-3 ft in front of start line
Coaching points: push off with both feet at start of the sprint, maintain a forward lean for first 10 m then gradually become more erect through next 10 yards
Position Starts
-begin in athletic stance and on cue explode out of stance into required direction and distance specified by the coach or drill
Flying 10’s
- begin jogging at half speed, increasing speed w/ each stride for first 30 yards so max velocity is attained by 30 yard mark
- continue to sprint at max velocity for 10 yards before decelerating gradually
Power Skips For Height
- perform high skip by driving the left knee up, maintaining 90º angle at the knee, landing on the take-off leg (extended leg); try to attain maximal height each skip
- drive arms aggressively in opposition to the legs
- take-off leg should reach full extension at the ankle, knee, and hip for every skip
Power Skips For Distance
- perform high skip by driving the left knee forward and upward, maintaining 90º angle at the knee, landing on the take-off leg (extended leg); try to attain maximal distance each skip
- drive arms aggressively in opposition to the legs
Harness Routine
-Attach harness around waist w/ handles or slack in the back
A. Drive lead leg upwards so thigh is parallel to the ground
B. Fully extend trail leg at knees, hips, and ankles
C. Drive arms aggressively in opposition to the legs
D. Elbows should flex to 90º on forward arm swings and fully extend on backward arm swings
E. Arms should not cross midline
F. Use a slight forward lean
Bag Jumps
- Series of bags 24 inches high in a line 24 inches apart from each other
- Jump over bag tucking both knees in toward the chest; drive both arms upward when exploding off the ground to assist in reaching optimal jump height
- Immediately explode upward over the next bag after landing
- MINIMIZE GROUND CONTACT TIME
Muscles Affected In Semi-Leg Straddle Stretch
Erector Spinae
Muscles Affected In Semi-Straddle Stretch
gastrocnemius, hamstrings, erector spinae
Sitting Toe Touch
- Sit with upper body nearly vertical and legs straight
- Lean forward using hip flexion and grasp the toes with each hand
- Slightly pull the toes toward the upper body and pull the chest toward the legs
Muscles affected: hamstrings, erector spinae, gastrocnemius
Muscles Affected In Straddle Stretch
gastrocnemius, hamstrings, erector spinae, hip adductors, sartorius
Z-Drill
Starting Position:
-begin at first cone in athletic stance wider than shoulder-width and lowered center of mass
Movement Phase: Side-shuffle, sprint, side-shuffle
Common Errors/Cues for Snatch
-Torso angle constant with floor
Error: Bar doesn’t stay close to body
DB Snatch Cues: DB starts between feet, do NOT flex elbow of DB arm during upward movement phase, feet between hip and shoulder width apart
Common Errors/Cues for Clean
Cues to remember:
HIPS LOWER THAN SHOULDERS
HIPS DO NOT RISE FASTER THAN SHOULDERS
KEEP BAR CLOSE TO BODY
KEEP ELBOWS EXTENDED DURING SHRUG MOVEMENT
WEIGHT OF BODY SHOULD BE OVER MIDDLE OF FEET AT END OF CATCH PHASE
Hang Clean - Don’t perform exercise too erect
Common Errors/Cues for Push Press
DIP SHOULD NOT EXCEED QUARTER SQUAT
ELBOWS IN FRONT OR DIRECTLY UNDER BAR
SHOULDER WIDTH GRIP
Common Errors/Cues for Jerk
RECOVER WITH FRONT LEG FIRST FOR SPLIT JERK
CATCH STANCE SHOULD NOT BE TOO WIDE
DIP SHOULD NOT EXCEED QUARTER SQUAT
CAUGHT WITH KNEES AND HIPS SLIGHTLY FLEXED
Common Errors/Cues for Squat
RACK SHOULD BE SHOULDER HEIGHT
HEELS REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH FLOOR
DO NOT ALLOW BODY TO ROLL FORWARD OR WEIGHT TOP SHIFT TO BALLS OF FEET
KEEP NEUTRAL TORSO, DO NOT ROUND BACK
FOR FRONT SQUAT, UPPER ARMS SHOULD BE PARALLEL TO FLOOR
SPOTTERS SHOULD USE CROSSED THUMBS METHOD
Common Errors/Cues for RDL/Deadlift
RDL
- All Reps Begin And End With Knees Slightly Flexed
- Bar Remains Close To Body, Hips Move Backward
- Bar Should Be Lowered To Just Below Knees Or Until Neutral Spine Cannot Be Maintained
Deadlift
- Hips lower than shoulders
- Bar 1 inch from shins and over middle of feet (laces)
- Shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar
- Hips and knees extend at same rate
Common Errors/Cues for Forward Step Lunge
LEAD KNEES DO NOT GO PAST TOES OF LEAD FOOT
EVENLY DISTRIBUTE WEIGHT
Overreaching (functional overreaching)
intentionally programming a drastic increase in volume, intensity and/or duration
Overtraining (nonfunctional overreaching)
consistent training at high volumes/intensities/durations without the appropriate amounts of rest and recovery
-Thus, eventually leading to decreases in performance
Overtraining Syndrome
A decline in performance lasting multiple months or more
