Blog

In terms of specific pieces of training technology, I believe the timing laser is undefeated—it’s affordable, specific, and simple for measuring speed. However, timing lasers should not be left to collect dust in your closet between pre-tests and post-tests. Your timing lasers should be used as often as you sprint (which is every session, right?).

Here’s an anecdote to illustrate my point: a high school baseball player of mine who—over the course of the first year he started training with me—consistently ran 1.03 seconds or lower on his Fly 10 Yard Sprint, with a personal record (PR) of 0.981. This summer included him playing in 3- to 5-day-long tournaments, as well as trying to see me once to twice a week. Eventually the back half of summer came, and he was a little sluggish and didn’t have the same energy as usual. For two weeks in a row, he ran Fly 10’s in the 1.06’s and 1.07’s. Although this might not seem like a big drop—just a few hundredths of a second outside his normal range from 0.98 to 1.03—it is a lot in the speed world. This data stood out as a particularly red flag because I knew how consistently fast he could run because I had his data from across the entire previous year.

I inquired about how baseball was going and what he was doing on his own. Shocker, it was the usual culprit for most of my high school boys: too much lifting on his own plus a bunch of sports that rendered a lot of systemic fatigue. He was lifting once or twice A DAY on his own on top of everything else. I’m all for hard work, being self-motivated, and learning how be self-sufficient with training, but there can definitely be “too much” in training just like there could be “too little.”

So, what was I going to do about it?

Having seen some of his slowest sprints of the previous 12+ months and knowing the likely cause, I suggested a deload week (which I’ll explain later), recapped the total volume of sport and training he did throughout the summer up to that point, and explained how everything in training is a give and take between performance and fatigue. I ended with why I believed he should consider taking a deload week and what actions to take to turn this theoretical deload week into real life. Solutions included:

• Turning “light days” into 100% off days.
• Cutting the total duration of running sessions in half.
• Cutting total lifting sets in half.

I assured him that we would still run fast and lift heavy, but successfully decreasing the volume was the most important variable to achieve our deload.

Fast forward a week from that conversation, he came in and said “Coach, I feel great! I did what you said and actually took an off day yesterday and only went to the beach.” Then, during our Fly 10’s of that session…a new PR of 0.977.

If I didn’t have weekly Fly 10 data from him and if I didn’t have a percentage threshold to use (+95%), I might not have known when to open up that conversation and how to justify my recommendation. Weekly sprint times (both acceleration and top speed) are the most specific readiness numbers you can get, an awesome training stimulus, and objective justification to help guide every other conversation and decision relative to training.

Four reasons you should time your sprints every week are to:

1. Hit the right speed thresholds with sprints.
2. Increase opportunities for peak/PR numbers.
3. Assess readiness.
4. Build athlete buy-in.

1. Timing Sprints Makes Sure the Athletes Are Actually Sprinting Fast Enough

I’ve written on Charlie Francis’ 95% threshold before, which simply states that 95% or better of an athlete’s best time is “high intensity” and fast enough to cause speed adaptations over time. For example, if an athlete’s best is 1.00 second, then they are trying to hit 1.05 or faster. In theory, this concept makes a ton of sense. Although you can say you’re training top speed and your athletes can do flying sprints, how do you actually know if they’re going fast enough?

By timing the sprints.

That’s a core principle of sport science: answering “are we actually doing what we say we’re doing?” Are we hitting +1.0 m/s on a barbell squat jump? Based on training load during the past week, was it actually a deload week? When it comes to speed training, are you actually hitting speeds that are fast enough to get faster? It’d be pretty tough to know without a doubt if you’re not timing the sprints.

On the flip side, I’ve had situations where my athlete was below 95% on their first sprint and the cause was a too-relaxed effort or a too-relaxed warmup. But again, it justifies that conversation, so I truly know what’s going on with my athlete regardless of whether it’s positive, negative, or neutral.

Additionally, we know the training residual for speed (how long speed lasts after not being trained) is 5 days ± 3 days, or basically a week. When you’re in-season and are programming Flying 10’s once a week and want to make sure your athletes don’t lose their speed, how do you know they’re sprinting fast enough to keep their speed? Because the last thing you’d want is to assume the speeds are being met when they actually aren’t, their speed detrains, then it shows up negatively on the field a week or two later.

2. Put Your Speed Eggs in Multiple Baskets

This next story actually comes from a friend of mine, who’s a performance coach for a professional soccer academy, where not having weekly timed sprints actually came at a detriment to training. In Week 1 of training, he tested all his athletes and baseline data was collected. Week 8 came for the follow-up testing and all the players were excited because they felt faster, and my friend was satisfied with how the training went. Unfortunately, the testing day didn’t go as planned and the results were not as good as anticipated. The athletes were discouraged, the coach was confused, and the soccer coaches had a lot of questions about the lack of results. Talking through this with my friend, we figured out the reason was because the athletes tested directly after a week-long vacation/break in training. It’s not that the athletes didn’t get faster, it was that the day they decided to test wasn’t the best day to do so.

Contrary to the initial story where my own athlete was still training during his deload, just at a significantly reduced volume, these athletes returned home and had no formal organized training for an entire week. Although their bodies were technically fresh after the break, their nervous systems were not primed and consequently not ready to sprint at very high speeds.

Not timing your weekly sprints is like taking a road trip and not checking the speedometer until you’re 1 hour away. If you know it’s supposed to be a 5-hour trip and a total of 350 miles, you would need to be traveling around 70 miles an hour the entire time. What if you go too fast and get a speeding ticket? What if you go too slow and miss an event you planned on being on time for? Although with 1 hour left you can make adjustments, that just might not be enough time to follow the original plan. But if the speedometer was checked more frequently, like every 30 minutes, although the original plan was very solid, you can make slight adjustments as you go to be as effective and efficient as possible.

Hindsight is always 20/20—but had the coach been timing the sprints every week, or even every other week, he could’ve shown improvement despite what would’ve been just one bad week at the very end. The coach could’ve reassured the athletes that they did an awesome job during the 8 weeks beyond just one week of regression and could’ve explained to the soccer coaches that athletes need a workout or two after a break to get the rust off and back up to speed.

3. Provides a Specific and Consistent Readiness Check-In

Sports performance as whole is centered around two things:

• Reducing the risk of injury.
• Increasing performance.

For most sports, sprinting faster is one of the main objectives and key performance indicators. The more specific the readiness check-in is to the sport and training objective, the more significant it is and more impact it will have in adjusting along the way.

We already know this in other sports. Baseball pitchers have their throwing velocity measured during a velocity improvement program to make sure it’s working, Olympic weightlifters measure their bar speed to make sure they’re in the appropriate zone to achieve the desired adaptation, and soccer players wear GPS to make sure the practice plan is being followed to be the freshest for game day. But if a bar speed is too high or low, the weight is increased or decreased to give their body specifically what they need that day.

Although there will always be ups and downs with how athletes’ bodies are feeling—training is hard and practices can be fatiguing—athletes can consistently hit the +95% threshold for sprints. As I found in my own data—presented in this article—my athletes are only above their 95% around 87% of the time. Knowing this, around 9 of every 10 workouts (if not more) my athletes can hit +95%—I consider anything below that threshold a red flag and I open up a conversation about how the athlete is feeling.

Readiness, at its core, is how ready the athlete is to attack an intense workout. Hence, this concept often applies to taking a deload as illustrated previously. Should you take a deload because it’s been a standard 4 weeks? What if the athlete has been getting faster and faster each week, should you keep going? After a deload, if the athlete was under 95%, was it effective enough to where they returned to above 95%?

4. Building Buy-In in the Speed Development Process

I hate to break it to you, but you can’t set a new PR during every training session. How else can we define successful individual training sessions? By hitting +95% of an athlete’s PR. Sport coaches use a “deposit” or “rent” analogy all the time, saying every day you must contribute towards the goal. But if we only counted new PR’s as paying rent, there would be a lot more evictions…

For athletes, this is a huge mental barrier they must overcome. Contrary to lifting, which is intentionally programmed with sub-max intensities like 75% or 90% of their 1 rep max, athletes sprint at 100% effort every time they sprint. Challenges arise because 100% effort doesn’t always mean 100% speed. Many factors must align to achieve not only 100% but also +100% (a new PR). Of the previous few days, they must have optimal sleep, nutrition, physical readiness, mental readiness, hydration, etc. What happens when one of those things is off? What about two? Not necessarily poor sprint times, but that isn’t going to lead to PR’s either. By timing sprints on a weekly basis, athletes can buy in and believe they are putting in deposits (because they actually are) when hitting +95% regardless of how often the PRs come.

Practical Action Items

A big assumption I’m making with my argument is that you’re doing full sprints with your athletes in the first place. And odds are, that’s true if you clicked on an article called “The Value of Weekly Timed Sprints”… so I’ll also assume that a speed training session for you looks something like this: warmup, jumps, sprint mechanics (slower drills), integration drills (medium speed), full speed sprints, then some sort of finisher. You’re doing full sprints anyways, so you might as well time them. Below are three solutions to help you time sprints with your athletes while still maintaining a high-quality training session.

1. Racing

Although I’ve written in the past about the performance benefits of increased output when athletes race, it also applies to this situation. One athlete inside the lasers being timed, one outside the laser racing the other athlete. Twice as many athletes moving at once.

Training is a trade-off: the more athletes, the fewer individual things you can do. But let’s just assume you’re going to do three sprints anyways. One athlete in the lasers and one on each side of them on the outside racing means three times the athletes sprinting at once. Although you only get to time one of the sprints instead of all three, one timed sprint is exponentially more valuable than zero timed sprints.

2. Complexes

A complex is multiple exercises put together, going from one to the next to the next. Traditionally, complexes are used for potentiation: the prior exercise helps get more output on the next. For example, doing dumbbell squat jumps before a measured vertical jump can help the jump be even higher than if it was done on its own. Although that could be a benefit in a speed complex, the main benefit is fewer athletes per exercise (fewer athletes in the timing lasers as once).

Let’s say you have 30 athletes. Instead of trying to time 30 athletes at once, doing a three-exercise complex cuts that number to 10—10 athletes are doing a horizontal medball throw, 10 athletes are doing sled sprints, 10 athletes are being timed; then, they rotate so everyone does every exercise for one or two rounds. If you want to do fancy things (like timed sprints), it won’t always be the most optimal (like timing sprints first instead of using the other two drills to sprint faster later).

3. 95% Chart

You don’t even have to do any math. (Most) athletes are extremely attuned to their training processes and often remember their PRs. Having a chart like this below saves a ton of time with a quick check-in for each athlete’s 95% threshold either before, during, or after the training session.

Final Thoughts

A common saying nowadays (and the slogan of 1080 Motion) is “training is testing and testing is training.” Every time you do a Flying Sprint in training, it can be tested; every time you have a testing day, it’s also a great speed workout. The two are much more similar than dissimilar. You’ll ensure you’re actually doing speed training and you’ll be spreading out the importance of timed sprints over every week, as opposed to a bunch of pressure just one week every 8 to 12 weeks. Additionally, you’ll have an extremely specific readiness check-in for each athlete, which translates to more buy-in in your training.

If you’re going to have your athletes sprint anyways, you’ll get so much more value out of your sessions—in the short and long term—by timing the sprints.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Football is played five months out of the year, which leads to a huge chunk of time spent working on general abilities in the off-season. I’ve seen a surge in the popularity and research of skill development and pedagogy, which has led to the emergence of more comprehensive training timelines that bridge general and specific. This culminates in the notion that strength and conditioning works remotely from sport training for half the year—in training environments where movement and reaction sequences similar to game play are absent. It hinders the athlete’s growth and lessens the transfer of newfound abilities into game play.

Developing skills takes reps and time. Skills need to be progressed, and athletes need to be allowed to self-discover and fail before increasing the accuracy of skill execution. Small-sided games provide the appropriate space and environment to develop desirable skills that reduce game-play-induced, non-contact injuries.

Skills enable the exhibition of athletic traits such as speed, power, and strength in play. You don’t win games by having the strongest team; you win by having the most skilled team. Players will have to abandon the ladder or four-cone box drill, and the S&C coach has to ask whether they are ready for the completely reactive environment associated with field sports.

In this four-part series on small-sided games and how to properly prepare players for both the physiological and mechanical demands, we are now at the portion where I discuss the creation and progression of drills. In the last article, we mailboxed our players into four categories based on GPS data and movement signatures associated with each group. We utilized an analogy system of four subgroups:

1. Tanks/Bigs – Interior Defensive Line/Offensive Line
2. Pickup Trucks/Big Mids – Tight Ends/Outside Linebackers/Defensive Ends
3. Hellcats/Speed Mids – Running Backs/Boundary Safety/Quarterback/Inside Backer
4. Motor Bikes/Skill – Defensive Backs/Wide Receivers

Using that information allows us to build a progressive model that closes the gap between general and specific training as it pertains to developing particular qualities that will reduce exposure to non-contact injuries. This prescription of specific preparation will benefit the players, as it prepares them for the games and practices in-season, which should be one of the goals of off-season training. The theoretical model should reduce non-contact injuries and build skills that help players cope with the chaotic environment of play with more speed and movement accuracy.

Layered Approach

When looking at programming drills and progressions, end-game goals must be at the forefront: to produce faster, more accurate versions of game play and players that are robust and resilient to injuries. Programming is very much like entering a desired destination into a GPS—you have to know where you’re currently located and where you want to end up. Coaches who layer drill progressions that lead to SSGs can avoid an issue that was a theme of the previous two articles on SSGs—just throwing athletes directly into completely chaotic training without the appropriate build-up.

There are three themes when training and teaching skills that will be exemplified in play:

1. Block
2. Serial
3. Chaotic

Block Sessions

These have very specific and targeted teaching elements. There’s not much variation, and they’re very “fundamental” driven. These sessions are meant for developing very general skills such as:

• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Max speed
• COD

The game of football is extremely complex, and many biomotor abilities contribute to an athlete’s success. All football players experience these movement demands in some capacity (proportioned differently based on position). These movement signatures are seen in every play, at every position. The ability to express these movement demands acts as a prerequisite for playing time—without them, the players won’t be able to keep up, no matter how great their reaction times are. These are the athletic foundation that must be increased to help overall performance.

The prescription of these training elements will be built upon the necessity of each positional demand for the four general skills. How much and how far are the biggest considerations in developing the workouts that fall under “Block” sessions. For the off-season, knowing the maximal thresholds of key performance metrics associated with general skills gives coaches the roadmap for where the athlete currently is and their final destination, which is the start of practices in the competitive season.

There has been much written on the majority of these training components, so I will focus on the creation of SSGs, starting with Block COD sessions, but more on the creation of serial and chaotic training sessions.

Block Sessions and COD

Within the scope of change of direction, there are four subcategories that I think distinguish specific plants/cuts and have distinct mechanical stress associated with them:

1. 45-degree cut
2. 90-degree cut
3. 180-degree cut
4. Maneuverability

These four specific change of direction components will be the starting point for any SSG progression. As we develop competency in these movement patterns, we move to a Serial approach, where there is an interweaving of these activities.

Creating block sessions where coaches can teach the biomechanics of these movements not only sets the foundation from a motor ability standpoint but also creates tendon and tissue prep for more intense and higher volume sessions. These block sessions are “closed drills” in that they don’t have any reactionary components. This allows the athletes to focus solely on developing the movement skill emphasized. We don’t want to build a house on sand, so starting with movement competency makes sense before we layer in complexity to the drills.

Our drill dimensions in these block sessions have the most individualized specifications based on the subgroups mentioned above. All groups do a 90-degree roll cut, but our Tanks do it with a 5-yard lead-in versus our Motor Bikes, who have a 15-yard lead-in. It is the same task for both groups, but the Motor Bikes have a higher demand because they experience a far higher entry velocity in game. Matching the demands seen in play will be enforced and kept accurate through the GPS data. Coaches have the athletes’ “dashboards” and should lean on this available information.

Serial Sessions

These contain multiple training targets but are still specific and play on the recall of skill acquisition. One drill may feature a specific general skill that will be called on later in the session in another drill or later in that drill. Serial sessions allow the linking of movements together. An example of a serial drill could be transitioning from sprinting to backpedaling into sprinting again.

When designing this set of drills, the only restrictions are in creativity and specificity. Combining movements in drills will illuminate the retention of the block sessions. The ability to transition from one movement to another is an important and highly desired athletic quality.

It’s great if an athlete can run 22 mph in a straight line, but the game of football rarely sees players moving in exact angles. Serial training takes movements and enables athletes to make connections that link general skills into the more complex patterns seen in play. These drills are still “closed,” but multiple movements in the drill demand recall and challenge transitions.

Serial drills are the last stop before integration into Chaotic or “Open” drills, where reaction is present. The dimensions of drills will help create specificity in terms of mechanical demands that apply to specific subgroups similar to the block sessions. Particular patterns are still emphasized within the four components of COD.

Chaotic Sessions

These open and reactive drills shift focus from solely executing the movement with pre-planned timing to making the patterns unpredictable and the sequences random. Adding reactionary components into drills will really reveal how well the players have mastered the movements. The cognitive ability to recall the right motor pattern in less than 300 meters is a skill that increases performance and is trainable. The faster the athlete can flow into better biomechanical positions based on environmental cues, the safer they are from a non-contact injury standpoint.

We want to build on complexity and challenge movement retention systematically as we travel through the off-season. Coaches can’t just throw players into the final exam on day one of class after reading the syllabus. Learning progressions built into weeks allows the recall of efficient movement patterns and also builds the body’s resilience to the mechanical demands of the drills.

The progression we utilize is:

Block sessions (closed singular-focused), one specific training response targeted.

Serial sessions (closed multiple-focused), linking of two movement patterns and a test of retention.

Chaotic singular auditory reaction—verbal reactionary stimulus initiated by the coach to a basic change of direction drill; an example would be adding a switch or directional call.

Chaotic singular visual reaction—visual reactionary stimulus initiated by the coach to a basic change of direction drill; an example would be pointing in the direction.

Chaotic opponent response—reaction based on an offensive player dictating the drill’s tempo, speed, and direction. Still using basic change of direction drills with the opponent stimulus.

Chaotic multiple reaction (addition of obstacles, multiple defenders, multiple ball carriers) creates competition areas emphasizing specific situations in games, such as sideline tackles, gap selection, open field tackling, releases, and combat drills.

Restricted game play—1 on 1, 7 on 7.

Actual game play

Position Considerations and Specificity

Now that we’ve pinned down our progression from a modality standpoint, it’s time to discuss individual specificity in the drills dependent upon the subgroups of players. The game of football is pretty simple when you break down underlying fundamentals. The offense tries to create as much space as possible between the ball carrier and defenders, whereas the defense tries to eliminate space and suffocate the ball.

Knowing that certain positions have high open field demands with high reactionary components helps structure the creation of drills. Incorporating evading and tracking through different movement patterns that were emphasized in the serial training block dramatically increases the overall demand and specificity of the drill. With the addition of obstacles, coaches now have a highly complex environment that challenges the athletes’ ability to move and react cognitively in game-like situations.

One of the biggest examples of chaotic situations is running down on kick-off. Imagine trying to run across a crowded highway. There are many fast-moving objects looking to take you out while you are running and navigating at high speeds while trying to find the ball carrier, who is actively avoiding you.

Processing information through the OODA loop is crucial and can be trained. The less complexity, the easier it is to cycle through the OODA loop. Adding space and multiple stimuli slows down the OODA loop and requires more time for movement execution. Adding time to plays is a luxury we do not have in game. Therefore, increasing the ability to process is a strategy and training intervention that should take up a good percentage of training. Including additional reactionary components in the drill will drastically increase complexity and provide stimulus overload.

When looking at controlling intensity and distances, we try to match the playing area with the subgroup that repeatedly experiences in play:

• Tanks: 5-yard x 5-yard minimal, 15-yard x 15-yard maximal
• Trucks and Hellcats: 10-yard x 10-yard minimal, 30-yard x 20-yard maximal
• Motor Bikes: 10-yard x 10-yard minimal, 40-yard x 20-yard maximal

The playing area and movement requirements help fulfill the mechanical specificity while having the appropriate work-to-rest ratios to prepare for the physiological demands of play. The average play is around 4–6 seconds, so most of our drills are in that range. Special team plays or extended plays have been, on average, in the 8- to 10-second range in duration; we want to provide that stimulus, so we consider allowing drills to run that period by holding the whistle or the distance dictating the work time.

To control rest periods, we break the team into subgroups to manage the wait period at each station. We want to be in the 25- to 40-second rest period range because that is the average time between plays. We add or subtract players out of groups and make more groups to allow for shorter rest periods. Junk yardage, such as sub 4 mph and walking volume, needs to be taken into consideration as well, and we get a lot of this volume in the transitions from drill to drill. In a given practice, there can be up to 3k worth of junk yards, so spacing between stations aids in accumulating junk yards.

The time between stations is also planned and progressed. It starts at two minutes and 30 seconds and drops to one minute and 30 seconds as the training year advances. This simulates the average rest periods between series in games and practices.

Drilling Down on the “How”

We have covered the what, why, and how. In the final piece of this series, we will cover the where—which may be the biggest piece of the puzzle since training complexity and compatibility are key components to increasing performance.

SSGs provide many training responses that bridge the gap between general and specific training. Injury reduction and faster game play accompany the addition of this training. Using GPS and subgrouping the team adds the positional distinctions that prepare players for the demands of game play.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

By Bill Miller and Barrett Snyder

In its simplest form, fatigue can be described as a temporary, reversible reduction in strength as a result of exercise. We can better gauge our level of fatigue before, during, or after a workout by a change in force production and our ability to voluntarily activate a muscle (think jump height or isometric dynamometer strength). The reduction of our ability to voluntarily activate a muscle is a direct result of changes occurring inside the brain and spinal cord.

Losing our ability to voluntarily activate a muscle will correlate to:

• Diminished motor unit recruitment and firing capability
• Inability to access high-threshold motor units required for muscle growth
• Dampened force production and velocity

This is the second of two articles in which we identify methods coaches can implement to provide their athletes with enough stimulating reps in the weight room to ensure progressive overload is achieved while minimizing the amount of muscle damage and fatigue accumulation during the process.

In the first article, focusing on calcium ion-related fatigue, we discussed three key metrics that, if not properly accounted for, can lead to excessive muscle damage, extensive fatigue, and reduced performance outcomes:

1. Fiber type proportion
2. Level of voluntary activation
3. Working sarcomere lengths for each muscle group

This piece will focus primarily on the more well-known performance inhibitor, central nervous system (CNS) fatigue, and its relationship with programming.

Lastly, we will provide sample weekly programming primarily aimed at overhead athletes who may have weekday or weekend tournaments but also want to ensure they make progress in the weight room.

Drivers Behind CNS Fatigue

There are a handful of training modalities commonly witnessed in the weight room that we believe deserve a second look. We are not suggesting the training modalities below should be avoided at all costs. They each can provide benefits in the proper context and/or with the proper athlete. We utilize them ourselves during programming. It just needs to be noted that with these program implementations comes an increased risk for CNS fatigue.

Light Load and High Reps

It is typically assumed that heavy loads are to blame for an increase in CNS fatigue. However, it might be time to reexamine that notion.

CNS fatigue probably arises from the extended exercise duration needed to reach task failure at reduced forces, which manifests itself in the form of training with light loads and higher reps. As we increase the number of contractions that inevitably occur over a longer duration set due to the lighter weight, we can think of our body accumulating greater amounts of inflammation, metabolites, and afferent feedback—all resulting in heightened CNS fatigue. By contrast, heavy loads that result in fewer reps performed are less likely to induce accumulation of inflammation, metabolites, and afferent feedback to the same degree.

Eccentric Training

Although a popular and beneficial modality for athlete training, eccentric training is not without its drawbacks. Similar to the light load and high rep training mentioned above, eccentric training has been shown to result in a greater bout of CNS fatigue when compared to regular strength training. This is likely due to the increased muscle damage that accumulates as a result of eccentric contractions. However, as you will see in the programming examples below, we utilize eccentric training with our overhead athletes due to the eccentric role certain muscles play during the sporting movement.

Eccentric training has proven particularly valuable in shoulder health and training the deceleration muscles needed to complete a throw. It is just necessary to recognize the importance of spacing out eccentric exercises over extended days during the training week, particularly if games are being played.

Short Rest Periods

Using shorter rest intervals will accelerate the buildup of CNS fatigue and prolong its duration compared to longer rest intervals. This is due to the increased cardiovascular stress caused by shorter rest periods, which in turn exacerbates CNS fatigue. Shorter rest periods will prove beneficial if endurance presents itself as the main goal, but it is important to note that a handful of field sports—particularly baseball and softball—present as more anaerobic and power-based compared to soccer or cross-country. As such, we want to ensure we are training the appropriate energy systems and characteristics required to excel in our sport of choice. Not only will shorter rest periods result in greater CNS fatigue, but athletes will also be prevented from fully expressing their power and high-velocity capabilities.

Programming Principles

By better comprehending the drivers behind CNS fatigue, we can draw careful conclusions as to how to program effectively without overburdening our athletes with too many fatigue-inducing activities.

• Order exercises from their greatest to least significance in terms of the athlete’s goals and training principles. This ensures the athlete will receive the greatest benefit and adaptations from those movements performed first during the workout. Considering the importance of throwing velocity and power output during baseball, we usually program medicine balls, sprints, and/or plyometrics first.
• Space out sets using extended rest periods (three to five minutes) to better limit cardiovascular strain. This is of particular importance during power movements where we want the athlete to demonstrate their highest velocity on a repeated basis as much as they can.
• Avoid extensive sets that include light weights and high reps. Instead utilize heavy loading with fewer reps. This will limit the number of contractions during a given movement and give the athlete more energy to get through the remainder of their workout.
• Be careful about programming exercises that have an eccentric component too closely together in a program without adequate days of recovery. As noted above, the importance of exercises that utilize an eccentric component should not be undervalued or neglected, but the timing with which they are performed should be carefully considered during the season.

Application for Overhead Athletes

By knowing the extent to which CNS fatigue is manifested based on various training variables, we can now explore training methods to improve performance while minimizing fatigue during competition.

While these programs were crafted with a baseball player in mind, many of the exercises and principles can be applied to other overhead athletes as well.

Don’t undervalue or neglect the importance of exercises that utilize an eccentric component, but carefully consider the timing with which they are performed during the season, says @billmills. Share on X
As you review these sample workouts below, here are a few ideas to keep in mind if you were looking to implement some of these exercises in your own programming.

• The set and rep numbers are merely arbitrary samples and should be altered based on the athlete’s training age, experience, and recoverability.
• If velocity is the goal, and the velocity of the given exercise begins to diminish during a set or workout, a coach should consider stopping the exercise or the workout entirely to prevent a continual manifestation of fatigue or injury.
• Consider placing exercises that involve an eccentric component farther away from game days, and take advantage of concentric-only exercises closer to game day. This would include pin presses, squats from pins, and concentric-only rows.
• The amount of stimulus an athlete needs to progress in a training program will likely vary from athlete to athlete. There is no shame in reducing or increasing sets or reps depending on whether progress is being achieved.

*Please note: While the programs below call for three sets, some athletes may only require two sets, with three sets being too fatiguing. Most exercises involving a high power and velocity component or that are done prior to throwing will usually only require two sets and a limited number of reps. However, some athletes, perhaps during the off-season, may want to push the limit and attempt three or even four sets if the number of reps is smaller enough. Regardless, this points to the importance of measuring various metrics to see if the athlete is progressing or regressing as a result of their training.

Sunday: High-intensity throwing day:

Pre throwing

1. MB slam, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. MB chest pass, 3 sets 3–5 reps

Post throwing

1. Rotator cuff rhythmic stabilizations, 3 sets x 10–15-second hold
2. Shoulder external and internal rotation overcoming isometric, 3 sets x 6-second hold
3. End-range bicep curl isometric, 3 sets x one 10–15-second hold
4. End-range triceps extension isometric, 3 x one 10–15-second hold
5. Wrist end-range isometrics—pronation, supination, ulnar deviation, and radial deviation, 3 sets x 1 rep of 10 seconds each position

Monday: Lower body lift:

1. Sprint x 5 @ 20 yards
2. Unilateral or bilateral squat variation, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 80%–85% 1RM
3. DB split stance RDL, 3 sets x 5–6 reps per side, 75%–80% 1RM
4. Pallof overcoming isometric, 3 sets x 3–5 reps for 5-second hold

Tuesday: Low effort throw, followed by upper body lift:

Pre throwing

1. MB slam, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. MB overhead throw, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
3. MB chest pass, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
4. Shoulder external rotation isometric test, 1 x 6 seconds (Note: Check to see what the fatigue of the fatigue is compared to Monday’s test.)

Post throwing

1. Chest press variation (we suggest pin press or DB), 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 85% 1RM
2. Isometric lat pushdown, 3 sets x 6 seconds, or lat pulldown, 3 sets x 6 @ 80%–85% 1RM (sometimes we superset these as well)
3. DB eccentric overload external rotation, 3 sets x 4–5 reps
4. Overhead triceps extension isometric, 3 sets x 3–5 reps for 10–15-second hold (you can monitor fatigue with a crane scale or dynamometer)

Wednesday: Power and velocity

1. MB overhead throw for distance or velocity, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. 15-yard dash, 3 sets x 3–5 sprints
3. MB kneeling chest pass for distance, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
4. Sled sprint, 3 sets for 3–5 reps 15 yards each

Thursday: Medium effort throwing day:

Pre throwing

1. MB overhead throw, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. MB chest pass, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
3. Shoulder external rotation isometric test, 1 x 6 seconds (Note: Check to see what the fatigue of the fatigue is compared to Monday’s test.)

Post throwing

1. One-arm DB concentric row, 3 sets x 4–5 reps
2. Rapid drop catch shoulder raise with light weight, 3 sets x 6–10 reps
3. End-range bicep curl isometric, 3 sets x 3 reps for 10–15-second hold
4. End-range triceps extension isometric, 3 sets x 3 reps for 10–15-second hold
5. Wrist end-range isometrics—pronation, supination, ulnar deviation, and radial deviation, 10-second hold 3 sets x 1–2 reps for 10-second isometric holds

Friday: Concentric focus full-body lift:

1. TB deadlift, 3 sets x 3–5 reps @ 80% 1RM superset with DB box squat to vertical jump 3 sets x 3–5 reps @ 10% BW (after a rest period of two minutes or more)
2. MB slam, 3 sets x 3–5 superset with lat pushdown, 3 sets x 3–5 reps @ 80%–85% 1RM (The lat pushdown is not commonly seen in most commercial gyms so here is an example of how to perform it.)
3. Pin press, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 80%–85% 1RM
4. Sled sprint, 3 sets for 3–4 reps 15 yards each

This is an example of a position player who has a more strenuous day-to-day schedule, considering they are throwing, batting, and playing the field on a much more regular basis.

Monday: Concentric focus full-body lift

1. MB slam, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. Concentric row, 3 sets x 4–5 reps
3. Split squat from pins, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 80%–85% 1RM
4. Pin press, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 80%–85% 1RM
5. Sled push, 3 sets x 3–4 reps, 15 yards each rep

Tuesday: Low-fatiguing day

1. Isometric mid-thigh pulls, 3 sets x 4–5-second hold superset with DB box squat to vertical jump @ 10% BW
2. Isometric lat pushdown, 3 sets x 1 rep for 5-second hold with MB slam 3 sets x 3–5 reps
3. End-range hamstring stretch isometric, 3 sets x 3 reps per set for 15–20-second hold (We have seen good results with end-range ISO holds within this time duration.)
4. End-range hip-flexor stretch isometric, 3 sets x 3 reps per set for 15–20-second hold
5. Shoulder external rotation isometric test, 3 sets x 3 reps per set for 15–20-second hold

Wednesday: High-intensity lift

1. Bulgarian split squat, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 80% 1RM superset with DB split jump, 3 sets 2–3 reps per leg @ 10% BW
2. MB chest pass, 3 sets x 3–5 reps each set superset with DB bench press, 3 sets x 4–5 reps @ 85%–88% 1RM
3. Two-arm concentric to one-arm eccentric cable row (eccentric overload), 3 sets x 4–5 reps each way (This is a more fatiguing movement, so be careful with the sets, reps, and upcoming game schedule.)
4. Nordic hamstring curls, 3 sets x 4–5 reps

Thursday: Power and velocity

1. MB shotput, 3 sets x 3–5 reps
2. Half kneeling start sprints, 3 sets x 3 reps at 15 yards
3. MB kneeling chest pass for distance, 3 sets x 4–5 reps
4. Sled sprint, 3 sets x 3 reps at 15 yards

Saturday: Low-fatiguing day

1. Tall kneeling MB overhead throw, 3 sets x 3–5 reps at 4–6-pound medicine ball
2. RFE overcoming isometric, 3 sets x 3 reps for 8-second hold
3. Four-way kneeling drop catch shoulder raise, 3 sets x 3–4 reps at each position, 5–10 pounds.
4. Shoulder external rotation PAIL/RAILs, 3 sets x 1 rep for 15-second hold each way

We are fortunate to live in an era when we have multiple tools at our disposal to measure force, velocity, power output, and speed metrics. We should take advantage of these resources and use them to our advantage when it comes to programming.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

I ventured into training in the private sector in the fall of 2020, working with groups of 1-8 athletes at a time. To my surprise, it was something I ended up enjoying. As an assistant track coach with a large roster of athletes, I am typically pulled in multiple directions with groups of 15-50, covering multiple events. Training in this new setting allowed me to work with much smaller groups with a common purpose (primarily speed). I found it to be a nice change of pace and I certainly feel that it has caused me to level-up in the craft of coaching.

In the winter of 2021, I knew that if I was going to continue training people out of my garage, I would need to invest in some sort of equipment which would allow for athletes to perform maximal (or near maximal) sprints. One problem with living near Chicago is that it gets pretty cold in the late fall and winter (and even on random days in the spring/summer). Weather can certainly serve as a guiding factor in regards to periodization, so the winter served as a nice time to focus on typical weight room qualities. However, that was not what all of my private clients needed, so I began thinking about which road I would go down. In true math teacher fashion, I created a table involving the devices I was considering:

• SHREDmill
• Variable resistance/assistance device (such as 1080 Sprint / Dynaspeed)
• Sprint treadmills (such as AssaultRunner Pro)

Each type of tool/technology comes with its own strengths and weaknesses. The transportability of the Dynaspeed made it very appealing to me, as it could have been used with the track athletes I coach in the spring (I would have gone with Dynaspeed over the 1080 Sprint because I already have a contact grid, and would have hoped to get a laser down the road). However, it would not be as functional for me in the cold months during private training in my garage due to lack of space.

Coincidentally, in the early spring of 2022, I learned that Tony Villani was in the process of increasing the production of the SHREDmill. Based on my constraints, the functionality of the device, and the insane results Villani, Matt Gates, and the rest of the XPE team have achieved at the NFL Combine, I made the decision to roll with the SHREDmill. Within this article, I will share some SHREDmill basics, my overall experience, and how I have used it in training.

Gears

If you walked into a room of trainers who use the SHREDmill, you would no doubt hear a reference to gears. The SHREDmill utilizes three main categories of sprints:

• Gear 2—High resistance, zero incline. Target is approximately 50% of an athlete’s maximum ground speed velocity. Villani refers to this as the “force” phase. Gear 2 reps are five seconds in duration and focus on improving steps two to five in a normal ground sprint.

Video 1. In Gear 2, the athlete stays in the same position for the duration of each rep, getting continuous reps simulating reps two through five in a sprint.

• Gear 3—Medium resistance, 10% incline. Target is approximately 75% of an athlete’s maximum ground speed velocity. Villani refers to this as the “force to form” phase. Gear 3 reps are traditionally five seconds in duration and focus on improving an athlete’s transition to maximum velocity.

Video 2. In Gear 3, the athlete completes six big “pushes” like Gear 2, but then slowly rises to just short of vertical by the end of the repetition.

• Gear 4—Low resistance, 15-20% incline. After an extensive introductory period, a possible goal is to get the athlete as close to their maximum ground speed as possible. Villani simply calls Gear 4 reps “form,” and he admits that athletes rarely hit their maximum ground speed on Gear 4 (hence why there is not a Gear 5 reference with the SHREDmill). Gear 4 probably has the most built-in flexibility, which goes along with athlete familiarity and their individual needs. Durations are typically five to ten seconds, but can go longer (excellent for track sprinters). To me, Gear 4 is like having a really long hill in the friendly confines of my garage.

Functionality

A perk for me was the ability to address acceleration and maximum velocity mechanics with resistance in a small footprint (94” x 41” x 75” at highest point). The SHREDmill uses magnets to create an eddy current, which creates resistance based on the resistance setting (see Video 4) and the speed at which the user gets the belt to move. What is important about this is that the faster an athlete gets the belt to spin, the more resistance is created. This is a huge time-saver, because once the desired resistance is set, you can simply cycle athletes through—the magnets create the level of resistance that is required to hit the percentage of max speed desired. I will not say every rep is “just right,” but I think it is pretty darn close.

I have used all sorts of resistance devices and this is, without question, the easiest. No transporting weights and altering them for each athlete’s needs like one would do with a sled. No worrying about varying degrees of friction with sleds. No worrying about athletes getting a fourth degree burn with an Exer-Genie (no hate—I have four and use them often!). No worrying about a band snapping and an athlete face planting. No need to set up timing gates to see if athletes are hitting certain percentages of maximum velocity in their resisted runs. And, unlike the other items mentioned, it all happens in a 94” x 41” footprint with the SHREDmill.

Video 4. How to adjust the incline and magnetic resistance on the SHREDmill.

A common topic discussed amongst sport and strength and conditioning coaches is workflow. In my opinion, there is no better product on the market than the SHREDmill for resisted sprints when it comes to rate of athlete repetitions, quality of stimulus, consistency of desired resistance, and sprint footprint.

While variable resistance and assistance devices are the gold standard due to versatility and data captured, their workflows are well below the SHREDmill. For comparison, it is possible to get through a group of 40 athletes who each get 3 x 5 second sprints on the SHREDmill in well under an hour. In our track practices with a 1080 Sprint, it often takes 1.5-2 hours to do the same for a group of 15 athletes.

The Exer-Genie, meanwhile, can be set up in a “yo-yo” fashion to get through a high number of athletes with one unit, and the low transition time with a band allows for a high number of athletes to be pumped through. Sleds have a higher transition time, so the rate of repetition is lower.

• A greater number of units can be used with all three, but more units require more space, which is not always an option.
• The quality of stimulus also takes a dip with all three of these in my opinion when compared with the other two modalities.

Difficulty with the SHREDmill arises if athletes within a group need to train on different gears. It is simple to change the setting from Gear 2 to Gear 3 but doing it multiple times in a session can be tedious.

• One solution is to have more than one SHREDmill.
• Another solution is to split workouts. For example, in a physical education class, athletes who are focusing on Gear 2 could train on the SHREDmill on Monday and athletes who are focusing on Gear 3 could train on the SHREDmill on Tuesday.

A common knock on the SHREDmill in Gear 2 and Gear 3 repetitions is the arms not being free. I think the arms are definitely important in accelerating and sprinting at maximum velocity, but at the same time, athlete’s arms are not what is directly putting force into the ground. The gains that athletes experience in sprinting away from the SHREDmill has made this a non-issue for me. Athletes will still get plenty of reps where their arms are free, allowing for corrections when needed.

Experience: 7 Takeaways

I have used the SHREDmill for almost a year, and it has been a very positive experience thus far. Here are seven of my most notable takeaways:

1. 1. Get fast, fast. I don’t believe in shortcuts, but I also always look for ways to be efficient. The SHREDmill has led to improvements in speed unlike any I have seen in two decades of coaching. Ironically, “get fast, fast,” has a dual meaning. Users experience improvements in speed in a short period of time, and the main means where this happens is through their improvement in acceleration.

1. 1. It teaches athletes how to “push” better than any tool I have used extensively. Athletes have the ability to stay locked in a “push position” and learn how to strike with force. This is a skill that many field/court athletes struggle with and can reap benefits from learning.

1. 1. Improvements in speed can be found regardless of weather conditions, even in a small space. Although my private training will rarely go over 10 athletes, the SHREDmill has the ability to put 40 athletes through 3+ repetitions in an hour.

1. 1. Range and data. The SHREDmill works initial acceleration, transition to top speed, and top speed mechanics. Athletes are given a unique pin number and every rep is recorded to their profile. Athletes can monitor their own progress. What is measured can be improved.

• Coaches can also use discretion when they do not want a rep to be captured to an athlete’s profile by using the “free run” feature. Here, the coach has the ability to set the resistance, incline, and duration of repetition. Data will still be shown, but not saved. I have found this valuable for technical sessions, determining athlete readiness, using the SHREDmill for a different type of rep (bounding, single leg runs), or just trying something different with the settings that one thinks may help.

• You cannot outgrow it. The unique magnetic resistance increases as your speed increases. The harder you push, the harder it pushes back. This makes it a fantastic tool for novice through professional athletes.

• Most importantly, athletes love it! Athletes are excited at every session to hop on and see where they are at. As with timing sprints, athletes are also invested in their performance. Just this week, I had an athlete who hit over 10 mph on Gear 2 after flirting with it for a few sessions. A couple days later a teammate of his saw me in the hallway and said, “Athlete X called me and told me he got above 10 mph. He was PUMPED!”

Training

The SHREDmill came with a suggested training structure:

Coaches in the private sector know that consistency of training sessions with athletes can be a challenge. In my context, I meet with athletes once or twice per week, but I am always battling the other demands they have in their schedule (and my own).

I followed this guideline the best I could because I believe in the results that XPE and trainers like Josh McClure have produced. To accommodate the inconsistency in meetings with some athletes, I simply tallied their workouts. The first 10 SHREDmill sessions would be focused on Gear 2 while learning Gear 4. It took some athletes 10 or more weeks to get through that progression; others zipped through it in five weeks. In a strength and conditioning course in a school setting, or as part of sport season, athlete training should be more consistent, making this guideline more attainable.

A common approach to utilizing the SHREDmill effectively is utilizing circuits. This would especially be true in a large group setting. Here are a few examples.

Regarding the table above, the number of cycles completed in a circuit is typically three or four and the SHREDmill placement is different in each. I have experimented with multiple sequences. Some athletes perform best when the SHREDmill is first; others respond well to a lift or plyometric immediately prior.

I kept the sprints and fly lengths short on purpose—if a lift is involved in the circuit, I personally would not go above a 20m sprint, and that 20m distance for me is at times questionable as evidenced by not including a lower body lift in Circuit 2, where there is a 10m fly with a 10m build. If I wanted to address maximum velocity in a session (3 to 60m blast/bleeds), I would almost always do it prior to a circuit or SHREDmill session.

Sprint drills are often a hot topic—I personally think they can have value if there is context. One concept which can be addressed in Gear 2 form is to create a big thigh split (opening scissors), followed by an aggressive close. This movement is found in speed bounding and acceleration wall switching. Circuits are a great way to link them to the task they are designed to assist.

In terms of data, two of the main metrics the SHREDmill captures are peak velocity and distance, so auto-regulation principles can be followed if desired; however, I have not been afraid to go beyond a traditional 3 to 5% drop early in the athlete’s exposure to the SHREDmill circuits. They can be a challenge initially, with athletes showing big drops during the third (or even second) cycle, but most develop an ability to handle the density fairly quickly.

• • I constantly go back to this Boo Schexnayder quote from deep in the archives of the Just Fly Sports Podcast – Episode 14: “I am always looking for ways to subject my athletes to lactate in mild to moderate doses. In an acceleration development workout, if you hit the recoveries right, you’re getting speed and power development and restoration, all in one nice tight package; it’s like your birthday, it’s all there for you.”

• While I do not have the ability to test lactate levels, the outputs athletes show on the SHREDmill serve as a guide to how to adjust rest periods. I have also used heart rate to assist. After a few circuit sessions, the metrics rise and the athletes are able to complete more cycles at their new level. Win-win!

A common approach I use with my private clients is to allow them to chase PRs early in a session with full recovery between SHREDmill reps, followed by a circuit where outputs are still high despite fatigue setting in. If you are looking for high outputs, simply cut out exercises in the circuit and increase the rest. This will require you to be okay with loitering! Two go-to circuits for me are:

1. Plyometric, SHREDmill, isometric lunge
2. Altitude drop, SHREDmill, plyometric (hopping or bounding), isometric lunge

In my role in the private sector, most of the athletes I train are lifting outside of their meetings with me—because of that, we will not perform traditional strength work because it would be beating a dead horse. That being said, I do think there is magic that occurs with traditional strength work and the SHREDmill in the same session. Adding in plyometrics and drills which link to specific skills create a workout with a huge bang for your buck.

One weakness in comparing the SHREDmill to a motorized variable resistance/assistance device is the inability of the SHREDmill to access precise decreasing resistance in a single rep. I feel this is a powerful stimulus for athletes after initial exposure to traditional resisted sprints. One work-around here is utilizing Bullet Belt release sprints. I am in the early stages of using this with a handful of athletes, but the results have been promising. Another possibility was recently pointed out to me by Josh McClure: manually lowering the resistance while the athlete is completing a repetition. The switch could happen after a specific time or number of contacts. I am excited to give this a try!

Looking Back

I feel like I did quite a bit of research when I was looking for a tool to upgrade the services I could provide clients; however, I took a substantial risk purchasing a SHREDmill because I’d never used one.

I am now 11 months in and I can say that I am 100% satisfied with my purchase. While no tool checks every single box, the SHREDmill certainly checked nearly all I needed for my small private training business, and there is no doubt that it does the same for large group settings as well. If you are ever in the Chicago-land area and want to give one a try, you are always welcome!

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

In the ever-evolving world of basketball and training, we’re constantly striving to find ways to push boundaries, help our athletes gain a competitive edge, and hone our professional skills to make an impact on our athletes. Deconstructing—or reverse-engineering—movements and allowing that to guide my programming has definitely become an edge for me as a coach.

In my previous article, “Deconstructing 3 Common Basketball Moves (to Train the Underlying Qualities),” we dove deep into the critical components that underpin three common basketball moves (jab steps, hesitations, and misdirection steps) and the essential athletic qualities needed to help elevate a player’s ability to master those moves.

Guided by feedback from readers, I was motivated to add a second installment to this article series. This time, instead of all offensive moves, I will look at three common defensive tactics and break them down in the same format.

Teaching defense is a passion of mine, probably because I wasn’t very good at it as a player…and I now know how much of a positive impact improving my defense could have made for me. It’s a great skill to focus on from youth to pro—nobody has ever been benched because they played tenacious defense.

I’ve run a series of defense-only camps over the past few years where I not only instruct defensive principles but also aim to shed light on some of the longstanding myths and misconceptions about playing good defense. For example, why a plyo step (or false step) is more useful than a pivot step, and why it’s actually advantageous to cross your feet on defense rather than always being in a lateral slide. We drill, we watch film, and we compete, and every player goes home with a better understanding of efficient defensive movement skills.

Defense is complex. It requires both team and individual responsibilities. In this installment of the series, I’ll break down three of the most crucial, fundamental components of being a great defender:

1. The closeout
2. The lateral shuffle
3. The crossover run

1. Closeout

Starting with one of my favorite topics, the “closeout” is truly a fascinating part of the game. A closeout is probably the defensive movement with the most variations, the largest number of different coaching philosophies, the most nuances, and the most myths surrounding it.

I’ll preface this by saying that there is no one-size-fits-all right way. Closing out is very situational, and it also depends on your skill set as a defender combined with the skill set of the offensive player you’re closing out on.

With those obstacles under consideration, we must adhere to the principles or goals of an effective closeout. Two major objectives in every closeout are:

1. Close space.
2. Follow the game plan.

Let’s unpack this.

Obviously, on defense, we’re trying to stop the opposing player from scoring. You’re assigned a player to guard, but that doesn’t mean the other players on the court don’t matter, including your teammates. Defense is not only an individual task but a team strategy.

Take face-guarding, for example. It’s highly effective for keeping the ball out of a particular player’s hands, making them work extra hard to get open and potentially stopping them from impacting the game. But, on the other hand, it takes you completely out of the team’s defensive scheme, removes you from help situations, and puts much more pressure on your teammates. Not to mention, face-guarding a player will wear you out as a defender, potentially decreasing your energy to produce on the offensive end. It can be good or bad, depending on the situation.

Closeouts are similar. Each style of closeout has pros and cons—and most coaches will assign a closeout style to each of their players and how they should close out on each of the opposing team’s players.

We can close out aggressively or recklessly to ensure we take away the catch and shoot by a knockdown shooter, but this usually takes us out of the play and creates an advantage for the offense if they decide to pump fake and attack. This is referred to as running a shooter off the line. And if a coach asks an athlete to run a shooter off the line, it’s because the other four defenders are prepared for the help needed.

We can close out conservatively or “short” if we want to ensure that we take away a driving attack to the basket by a dynamic playmaker. However, this usually leaves the door open for great looks at three-pointers with a late contest or no contest at all. This is referred to as containing. And if a coach asks an athlete to simply contain the drive, they’re willing to live with a few open shots knocked down by that player.

So, as a defender on a closeout, we need to consider these two scenarios and dozens of others because that closeout will have an immediate impact, whether good or bad, on the rest of the defense.

If we pretend for a second that basketball is purely physical and the scouting report doesn’t matter for how coaches create a defensive game plan, chances are there is a common denominator for how we can achieve our first goal in a closeout.

Sprinting.

If we simply sprint to a closeout, we can close space and make plays. Then, we can layer in the X’s and O’s of the game plan on top of that, depending on the coach’s instructions on how to close out on who.

We don’t want choppy feet.

We don’t want high hands.

We want an all-out burst of speed to close the space and then decelerate, contest, or react however our game plan is designed for us. But the key is to sprint.

The two most important qualities needed to be an effective defender in a closeout will be acceleration and deceleration. We need to be able to get going in a hurry and stop on a dime.

General strength training can help athletes check both of these boxes, giving them the ability to produce a ton of force as well as redirect that force (not absorb it) when it’s time to stop.

Other lifts like box squats and any compound lift with a pause rep will also be great options for mastering the skill of going from a relaxed state to an explosive state, similar to accelerating and decelerating.

Of course, sprinting is one of the absolute best ways to get faster. Short or longer distances. Standing or kneeling start. All curves and angles. Just sprint. Combine this with a solid strength program, and we’re cooking with fire now

And lastly, the most specific of them all, practicing a sprint-stop closeout. A full sprint to a two- to three-step deceleration. This is the most versatile, general, and effective closeout style if we don’t consider individual game planning. This closes space and allows the players to get into the best positions to make the next play.

2. Lateral Shuffle

The lateral shuffle is the most popular defensive footwork strategy that we have, but it is also the most misunderstood. The lateral shuffle, of course, is the defensive slide. This is a fundamental aspect of basketball, considering nearly half of your time on the court is spent defending your basket and trying to prevent the opposing team from scoring on you.

Drills like lateral lunges will help you build the strength and stability that apply to this movement. Lateral bounds will help you develop power in the frontal plane. Resisted shuffles will help you bridge the gaps between strength, power, and speed. But before we dive into the training, I’ve got to get a few things off my chest about the defensive slide.

What I was taught about the defensive slide growing up largely turned out to be incorrect and inefficient. The most important message I want to convey in this segment about the defensive slide is that it is okay, and normal, to have some uniqueness in biomechanics from athlete to athlete. It is widely accepted in the basketball community that nearly every athlete will have a slightly (sometimes drastically) different form with their jump shot. No two players shoot exactly the same.

There is a technical model of a “perfect” form jump shot that we base our fundamental teaching on, but over time, each athlete’s execution will turn into a form of its own based on several factors, such as limb lengths, lever angles, strength levels, and so much more.

Also, guess what? Rarely do the best shooters at every level look identical to that “perfect” model.

• Reggie Miller’s elbow sticks out.
• Kevin Durant begins his shot on the weak side hip.
• Steph Curry’s feet are never squared.
• Ray Allen flicks the ball with his guide hand thumb.

These are widely accepted nuances of jump shot form. But still, when it comes to the lateral shuffle, we expect there to be ONE way to perform the defensive slide. That doesn’t seem fair to the athletes.

Just like a jumper, the defensive slide will vary from athlete to athlete based on many factors.

The shooters listed above were able to find success because even though they may deviate from the norm, they adhered to some best practices or principles of a jump shot, such as having your hand under the ball, having the ball roll off your pointer and middle fingers, snapping your wrist as you follow through, etc.

A defensive slide also has principles that help an athlete use this movement efficiently. Slides will look different, but the best lateral shuffles have these principles in common:

1. Initiating the shuffle with a push from the top leg.
2. External rotation of the non-pushing leg and hip.
3. Moving with aggression and anticipation.

That’s it. If those three things occur on a slide, I am not too concerned with how it looks in any other way. So many fake fundamentals have been assigned to defense over the years—many of them are inconsequential.

A defensive stance height and width are completely individual preferences. Do you think Nikola Jokic can get as low as Jamal Murray? Heck no. Different body types, limb lengths, joint angles, etc.

What an athlete does with their arms/hands while they slide is also completely an individual preference. This can also be an element of team strategy based on where you have help-side defense, who you’re guarding, and who else is on the opposing team.

And now, the elephant in the room: the feet. Can they cross? Do we want short, choppy slides or longer strides? What if the feet come together during the slide?

Honestly, I’ve seen some of the best defenders in the world do all of these things. I don’t think they matter as much as people want to believe.

At one of the last clinics I went to, one of the presenters spent 20 minutes of his presentation teaching the slide. He taught the best stance, the best slide technique, the best footwork. When the athletes went live, all the drills went down the drain. Literally everything they worked on NOT doing happened.

False steps happened.

Feet crossing happened.

Not being in a low stance happened.

But…defensive stops also happened.

Feet crossing or coming near each other in a slide is not as detrimental as we once believed. If you watch athletes perform the action, when one leg pushes, the other leg externally rotates and pulls with the heel to continue the flow of that energy and continue to move laterally in space. After those two actions, there is a recovery phase in which both feet are underneath the hips and off the ground for a split second; in certain cases, those feet will actually slightly cross.

This can happen due to circumstances and the context of the game that are out of the player’s control.

Sometimes, the athlete loses their balance, gets bumped, or simply gets their feet tangled up in the traffic of the game. This may cause an athlete to need to cross their feet to regain balance or stability and try to get back into position to make a play.

Also, an athlete’s limb lengths contribute to this happening and can make it inevitable. Basketball bodies come in many shapes and sizes, and long legs are common. I’ve noticed that having long legs and a little more vertical displacement on their shuffle will lead to an athlete’s feet coming close together or crossing. This results from their legs being off the ground for a slightly longer amount of time and just needing some more space and time to recover before the next shuffle—it’s not necessarily a good or a bad thing, just something that can naturally occur.

With that being said, am I advising coaches to teach athletes a shuffle with the legs crossing? Absolutely not. But if an athlete is making consistent stops, moving well, staying healthy, and just so happens to cross their feet every now and then during a slide, I think it’s safe to let it slide (no pun intended). It’s not the deadly mistake we once thought it was, especially because the offense is so talented in today’s game; you really shouldn’t be sliding more than two slides in any direction anyway—it’s too slow.

Again, the most important components will be a powerful push with the top leg, the external rotation of the other leg, and approaching each slide with aggression and anticipatory movement.

Let’s look into the physical qualities needed to build up a really strong lateral shuffle. From a mobility standpoint, we need to access decent ranges of external hip rotation and internal hip rotation, as well as adduction and abduction. These give us the fluidity to move our hips through space at various angles and through all three planes of motion.

I’m not saying we need to get a goniometer out and measure exact ranges, but a simple eye test should get the job done. Generally, if it looks or sounds painful for athletes to showcase their ranges of motion in these areas, that’s a good sign it could use some work. Also, if there are majorly apparent discrepancies between sides, that could be something to look further into or have a medical staff member perform some joint range testing.

The consequence of not improving and/or maintaining these hip ranges would be an inability to execute one of the three major principles of the lateral slide: the external rotation of the non-pushing leg. This would leave our athlete with a very squared-off, slow, and inefficient shuffle that looks like defense from the 1930s.

To address these mobility demands, I really love these three drills that have remained a staple in our programs over the years.

• 90/90 switches with lift
• Hip airplanes
• KB weight shifts

From a performance expression standpoint, it is crucial for athletes to have strength in the frontal and transverse planes. This not only provides stability to the system but also serves as a baseline of force for creating power and speed.

Although the above exercises build strength, they also have some built-in mobility benefits as a secondary use, even if they aren’t the main lift of the day.

Another general quality we can help our athletes build is a base of plyometric fundamentals. Using plate straddle reaction hops or lateral rebound jumps to increase elasticity, lateral bounds or slant board lateral bounds to increase lateral power production, or even practicing the lateral shuffle skill (especially under load) are all great ways to enhance athletic outputs.

Lastly, the ultimate specificity would be simply going out on the court and guarding people. I love implementing small-sided games to put the defense at a disadvantage and force a chaotic environment for athletes to grow in.

For the drill above, once the ball is released, the defense can slide or run and touch the cone that is one to two strides away. This takes them out of position by one to two steps. The offense then attacks, and it’s a live one-on-one. You can set constraints like spots on the court, maximum dribble count, driving direction, or pretty much whatever your imagination can think of.

While you may not always get the perfect lateral shuffle—or maybe the athlete will use a completely different strategy—you still help them build up a valuable accumulation of reps. That is helpful for future scenarios when they can pull from those past training experiences to make the right play.

In fact, one of the other footwork strategies you may see during these live drill interactions is…the crossover run.

3. Crossover Step/Run

Aside from the defensive slide, the crossover step (or crossover run) is the most prominent and effective defensive footwork strategy basketball players use. Sliding laterally is far too slow for playing effective defense. We need an alternative method to make up ground if we get beaten and also potentially beat the offensive player to the spot to play aggressively and proactively on the defensive end.

The crossover step is the bridge that takes us from the shuffle into a sprint-like posture so we can turn and run or at least square back up with the ball handler to get back into a slide.

Quick terminology check: I am describing what some may refer to as a lateral run and a lateral run step. Those terms were coined by the legendary coach Lee Taft, a pioneer in teaching authentic sports movements as it relates to speed and agility—one of the most valuable resources in the field.

When I was introduced to this concept, it had slightly different terminology, so I’m in the habit of calling this the “crossover” version. More importantly, this has been the term that works well for my athletes and in my setting. Although it would be nice, having one set of nomenclature that spans an entire industry is difficult. My two cents here would be to choose the terminology you can be consistent with and that your athletes understand.

One of the best things about the crossover step is that it can simply be a step that bridges the gap between two movements, such as a slide to a sprint, or it can also be a continuous action that turns into a movement of its own, such as a crossover run where the athlete sprints on a diagonal path for a distance of several steps.

Just like the defensive slide, some principles need to happen to make the most of the crossover step. Those principles are:

1. The movement must be initiated by a dynamic repositioning of the lead foot, never a static start position.
2. As the lead leg repositions and initiates the movement with a push, the opposite leg will externally rotate (similar to the slide) and strike down under the athlete’s center of mass.
3. The athlete’s torso will rotate toward the direction they want to travel as they bring the initial pushing leg across their midline.

While principles 1 and 2 are similar to the defensive slide, it’s the third principle that separates the two. When the torso rotates, it allows the athlete to commit to a diagonal path rather than staying on a lateral path like a slide. The external rotation of the non-pushing leg in conjunction with the torso rotation clears the way for this movement to occur. As the non-pushing leg strikes under the hips, the initial pushing leg will recover and swing across the front side of the body to then repeat the gait process for as many steps as needed before moving to a new strategy or change of direction.

When it comes to strength, many of the same general strength patterns we covered already are also applicable. Lateral lunges, transverse lunges, Cossack squats, and other frontal and multiplane movements are key.

From a mobility perspective, we need to be able to tap into the same elements discussed for the defensive slide. The only major difference in focus with the crossover step is ensuring we have adequate adduction ranges, especially in knee and hip flexion. Other than that, we still need great foot and ankle stiffness, strength, and power production capabilities.

There are many variations of this, many ways to load it, and even machines you can use to set this up. In general, just try to load this movement pattern moderately to build up a foundation of strength. You can then build onto it with some more specific training.

From a plyometric, something like a rear foot elevated lateral rebound jump can be a great drill to isolate both adduction and abduction of a single leg, forcing the foot to respond and stabilize from the ground up as the leg swings across the body’s midline.

Basketball movements occur at many different angles, and the crossover run is an excellent way to access those unique angles of the game. Linear speed is a massive bang for your buck when it comes to speed, but don’t neglect the curves and angles of sprinting to help bridge that gap from training to on-court speed transfer.

Another great small-sided game to throw in—perfect for a group setting—is the closeout to one more drill. There are two offensive players; I like to play corner and wing. The defense or coach begins with the ball, and the drill is initiated with a pass. The offense has zero dribbles, one pass, and one shot as a unit. They can use the shot or pass however they want.

Defense can earn one point if the offense misses a shot that is well contested and two points for pass deflections, turnovers, blocks, or shot clock violations. The offense can’t hold the ball for more than two seconds before passing or shooting.

As the drill begins, the defense must take the shot away on the closeout, force a pass, and then sprint to a contest on that shot. Players will get creative and find ways to naturally evolve the drill as they get more and more reps. This incorporates every movement that we discussed in the article.

Mastering the art of defense is a process, but it can be one of the most rewarding efforts a hooper can make. Defense is truly a game-changing skill to have and makes any player a valuable asset to any team.

By reverse-engineering the physical tools athletes need to build a robust foundation of strength, speed, and agility, we can help them transfer those gains to their sports skills and become lockdown defenders.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

Track and field, the greatest sport in the world, is brutal, unforgiving, and fair. A race’s victory goes to the person who deserves it the most. For most meets, we don’t use stopwatches and subjective judgment; rather, we use highly sophisticated timing equipment with multiple perspectives and angles at the finish line. The multiple cameras go to a computer that captures the “photo finish” by measuring the “torso” of the athlete. To quote the commentators at the recent World Championships in Hungary, “You must know how to lean at the finish.”

Consider, for a moment, the razor-thin margins that decide the outcome of a race—mere inches, tenths, hundredths, or even thousandths of a second. Each season, there will inevitably be races where the line between securing a championship, triumphing in a dual meet, or breaking a world record hinges on an athlete’s finesse in that critical lean at the finish line.

As a high school track and field coach, I have weathered the emotional rollercoaster of races, oscillating between sheer elation and profound disappointment in the results. It’s a journey that spans four years of relentless training, encompassing 10 months of each year, all to culminate in a decisive lean!

When I was a high school athlete, many of the timers were either coaches or moms equipped with stopwatches. My coach used to emphasize that “leaning forward a bit early and adding a slight grunt could shave off a couple of tenths.” Coaching guru Kebba Tolbert, coach at Harvard, shared a photo of himself during his high school days, showcasing a Michael Jackson “Smooth Criminal”-inspired lean at the finish line of his race.

Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed every imaginable variation of the “lean.” From the Windmill, Chest Out, and Arm/Shoulder Push to the Forward Head Dip, Dive, and a myriad of others—I’ve seen them all. Surprisingly, each of these finishing techniques can be effective at some level. The Dive will get you on the local news. However, it’s a delicate art, and a common problem for most high school athletes is either leaning prematurely or far too late in their races. Regardless, at any track meet, you will hear the same thing yelled at the end of a close race, “LEAN!”

Recently, one of the fastest humans alive told me:

“(How to finish) is something most coaches at this level believe you should have already learned from your first coach. But most first coaches don’t teach that. And your high school coach will probably think the same thing. And the cycle continues until they realize no one has taught you how to lean.”

As a high school coach in California, the stakes are undeniably high. Winning a race or securing a placement can be the key to victory in a dual meet or an opportunity to advance to the next round of post-season or clinch a championship title. Having your athlete out-lean an opponent for a second-place finish, especially in dual meets where points are scored in a 5-3-1 fashion, changes the entire meet. Going 1-2 not only secures valuable points but also grants your team an impressive 8-1 advantage.

In the NCAA, championships are often decided by competitors who secure a place finish by the narrowest of margins. These points carry immense significance, highlighting the critical importance of each place and the ultimate finish of a race.

On the global stage of events like the World Championships, Olympics, or prestigious Diamond League races, the stakes are not only about glory but also about substantial financial rewards. Consider the scenario of traveling all the way from Jamaica to Budapest, enduring an 11-hour-and-10-minute flight, only to miss out on a medal by a mere one-thousandth of a second. This unfortunate fate happened to Oblique Seville in the 100m event during the recent World Championships. The difference between victory and a fourth-place finish in such elite competitions can translate to a staggering $16,000 in prize money—a fortune lost by the slimmest of margins, sheer thousandths of a second.

Image 5. Screenshot from results posted on the World Athletics website.

Individual Event Prize Money

• Gold: US $70,000
• Silver: US $35,000
• Bronze: US $22,000
• Fourth place: US $16,000
• Fifth place: US $11,000
• Sixth place: US $7,000
• Seventh place: US $6,000
• Eighth place: US $5,000

Race Examples with a Lean

Countless examples abound at every track meet worldwide, a tradition that has continued since the inception of this sport. While I could highlight numerous instances, even from my team this past season, I’ve instead selected a few notable examples with links to excellent breakdowns of the events.

Allyson Felix vs. Jeneba Tarmoh

During the 2008 100m Time Trials for the 100m dash, Jeneba Tarmoh and Allyson Felix unofficially finished in third and fourth place. The top three athletes were set to qualify for the Olympics. However, following a timer-issued protest, it was determined that both athletes had recorded an identical time of 11.068 seconds, resulting in a dead heat or tie.

USATF had no established policy to address this situation. Ultimately, it was decided that a runoff would occur after the 200m races later that week. Jeneba chose to withdraw from the runoff, allowing Allyson to secure her spot at the Olympics. She went on to earn three gold medals in that Olympic Games (in the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m events) and place fifth overall in the 100.

Nick Symmonds vs. Khadevis Robinson

One of America’s all-time greats in the 800m, Nick Symmonds, was out-leaned in the 2008 U.S. Indoor Championships Men’s 800m by Khadevis Robinson. Nick would go on to say, “A lean can be the difference between winning and losing.”

What Do the Coaches and Athletes Say?

Coaching at the high school level, I avidly follow the NCAA and professional competitions and even host a popular podcast. Throughout my journey, I’ve had the privilege and honor of interviewing some of our sport’s most brilliant minds and accomplished athletes. Naturally, I posed a question to them: Do you intentionally practice for the finish? Is the art of leaning at the finish line a part of your training regimen? Their answers surprised me.

I made a commitment to maintain their anonymity, but to bolster credibility, I provided some accolades to accompany their responses (with permission granted for the use of each quote).

High School Hall of Fame Coach (California)

“I do teach the finish. Cues are lean, dip, windmill. I’m not a big fan of the both arms back, chest out technique. Lots of falls with that. Windmilling the arms is important, as it counters the forward rotation. So it’s torso that counts at the line, and that could mean chest, shoulder, or beer belly.”

High School Coach, Multiple Times Coach of the Year (California)

“The funny thing is I do not, and even more funny, I have no reason why I have not. Even better than that, all my kids lean well anyway.”

High School National Coach of the Year and California Coach of the Year

“I teach leaning through the line. Most athletes tend to slow down and pull their chest back from the line. I have found that the best kids on your team need and deserve the time to be taught this part of a race.”

Four-Time Orange County Coach of the Year

“Yes, we teach to run through the finish and will end a practice by walking and visualizing the end of a close race. Not to panic and where on the track to lean.”

D1 College Coach in California

“I do not teach to lean through the line at practice. My fear is that by doing this in practice, an injury will occur.”

Arizona Area Collegiate Assistant Coach of the Year

“Yes, I teach how to finish the race with a good lean.”

400m Hurdler World Medalist

“Yes, we always worked on it around the week of conference or a big meet, but that was about it.”

One of the Fastest Men to Ever Live

“I don’t practice that. It’s just not at the top of the list to practice. However, my mom taught me when I was young.”

One of America’s Best 100m Sprinters

“No, sir. Normally, nobody is next to me, so I just practice running through the line.”

Multiple Gold Medalist Sprinter and Women’s Relay Record-Holder

“Yes, I do practice leaning at the line in some practices. Depends on the coach. I have had some that focused on it, and some did not.”

One of America’s Best 200m Runners Ever

“Not really. That’s more of an instinctual thing. The only times I’ve done it is when someone is on my tail.”

NCAA Coach of the Year and Sprint Guru

“We don’t practice that. Folks get distracted trying to lean instead of just sprinting well… and most leans I see at meets are done very poorly—people just dip their heads early.”

One of the Greatest 400m Hurdlers Ever

“No.”

CEO of One of the Best Private Sprinting Coaching Groups in the Country

“We don’t practice leaning more than we just practice ‘running through’ and looking in the distance.”

The conclusion is quite evident: there exists no consensus regarding training for this particular aspect of the race. What’s more, the controversy surrounding it surprised me. In fact, one coach even shared that their head coach outright rejected and prohibited any form of lean-focused training during their sessions.

What Does the Timer Measure?

So, I then talked to the timers and got their perspective. They are the ones, after all, who are clicking the button to issue the mark.

Chris Drescher of Finished Results Timing, Brian Sparacino, and Wilson Morales. Wilson is one of only two NACAC-certified finish photo judges in America and is often tasked to oversee finish photos for accuracy at World Athletics events.

“Where do we place the line scan on the body? The simplest way to explain this is to imagine a Ken doll or Barbie doll. Take off the head, arms, and legs; the remaining torso is all that matters.  A mistake that I’ll see most often is using the shoulder as the first part to cross. Technically, it’s the clavicle, not the shoulder. So, if an athlete uses the swim and smile technique to try and gain an advantage, the timer should put the line at the clavicle, which is essentially the mid-point at the shoulder.”

The NFHS book states:

“The endpoint of the torso is the outer end/articulation of the collarbone (clavicle). Normally, this is approximately at the border of the middle and outer third of the distance between the neck and the peak of the shoulder. Although the pelvic area is anatomically part of the torso, for consistency in photo finish judging, it is more practical to define the lower end of the torso as the horizontal cross section of the body through the hip line (an arbitrary line encircling the fullest part of the hips, between abdomen and crotch).”

“The most important thing at the end is that these systems and the operators bring equality and fairness to every race. This means no matter which heats you run in any race, your time has the same standards, something that manual timing does not offer, where officials activate time for each individual based on their visual appreciation of the gunfire and stop the time by a visual appreciation of the torso at the finish line. With fully automatic timing (FAT), no human intervention is between time activation (other than the starting gun for the race, but a transducer detects the signal and activates the time) and the operator that captures and evaluates the image.”

What Is Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) for Sports?

Fully automatic timing (FAT) is a popular type of sports timing that captures digital race results that are accurate to at least 1/100th of a second  (0.01) but preferably 1/1,000th of a second (0.001). Fully automatic timing systems require a start signal, running time, and capture device to be digitally synchronized to ensure accuracy. True FAT also requires the timing device to be activated automatically by a start signal rather than manually (e.g., as with a stopwatch). The finish time must also be captured electronically to remove any human error or delay.

Training for the Finish

My team prioritizes training for the finish line. However, I have reservations about having my athletes perform reps and practice leaning at the conclusion of training sessions—my preference has been for them to run through the line. Yet, here’s an alternative approach: why not conclude a practice session by having athletes line up about 10 meters from the finish line? In their respective lanes, they can walk (or even jog) to the finish line alongside 5–6 other athletes. This exercise not only helps them familiarize themselves with the movement and timing of the lean but, more importantly, allows them to visualize winning a close race at the line. This has proven very helpful to my athletes over the years.

It is evident that many NCAA and professional athletes do not incorporate this crucial element into their training. However, I have been told that Bobby Kersee and Curtis Taylor of Oregon do incorporate the finish in practices. Engaging in a simple routine of walking, jogging, visualizing, and giving oneself the cue to lean at the finish costs nothing. It serves as a preventive measure against leaning too early and equips athletes with a plan for when it truly matters. And it will matter!

It is also clear that high school coaches are responsible for imparting the art of the finish. If athletes don’t grasp the significance of the finish with their torso, they may struggle to grasp it at higher levels of competition.

Lead Photo by Stanley Hu/Icon Sportswire.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

My career as a high school strength and conditioning coach has spanned nearly 30 years. Over that time, my methods, beliefs, and even things I hold as core aspects of my programming have evolved and continue to do so. Coach Mike Boyle once said, “We all think we are doing things the best way possible, or we wouldn’t be doing them. The key is to keep questioning those to make sure.”

Over the last few years, two of the most influential coaches for me have been Cal Dietz and Tony Villani. Cal’s role in my evolution as a coach has been a long, slow, consistent trickle: I watch or listen to his videos and presentations or read articles he has written and often see better ways of doing things. My relationship with Tony, however, has been more of a series of watershed moments that began with attending a clinic at Strong Rock Christian School in Georgia four or five years ago.

While Tony is probably best known for his XPE NFL Combine Prep success with partner Matt Gates and then, more recently, for his SHREDmill, what I saw that day was a thought process and method to teach our athletes ways to gain separation and use optimal change of direction techniques. Within a few minutes, I knew the way I would teach movement was going to change forever. While Villani’s Game Speed Curriculum was my initial “whoa” moment, the use of the SHREDmill to develop our athlete’s ability to maximize force in the process of acceleration is the latest.

The SHREDmill is a self-powered speed training system that Tony first invented and used in 2011. It helps maximize an athlete’s potential for peak acceleration and top-end speed without the need for space to sprint. The SHREDmill has revolutionized how our athletes train and more than proven its value in the time we have implemented it. In this article, I will discuss our progression to Cal’s Performance Pattern Cycling Method along with the SHREDmill (and a few other pieces of technology) and how it became a powerful solution to our space and time limitations.

Finding a Solution in the Performance Pattern Cycling Method

My inspiration for this article was the overwhelming number of questions I have been getting recently about how we use the SHREDmill in a team and classroom setting. One limitation of technology in high school strength and conditioning is the ratio of student-athletes to workstations. While some schools have access to two or more SHREDmills, most facilities have just one.

This is the case at Metrolina Christian Academy (MCA) as well. While a small school (400 students), we run as many as 40–50 athletes at once through a session (a max of 45 minutes of training time). I bring up Cal and Tony in this context because a combination of protocols I have learned from both has become a standard best practice in our programming at MCA.

In addition to our limit of just a single SHREDmill, we only have five power racks. This fact was the original inspiration for our move away from a more traditional use of Coach Joe Kenn’s “Tier System” as the base structure for our sessions. At times, I found it challenging to plan for groups as large as ours, given our space and equipment limitations. The solution I turned to was one of the tweaks inspired by Cal Dietz—his Performance Pattern Cycling Method was just what the doctor ordered.

The basic explanation that Cal gives on his blog for PPCM is “cycling through different exercises in a specific order to optimize performance results…and avoid negative patterns or dysfunction in subsequent exercises” (which is outlined in detail here). Essentially, this means taking a cycle of movements or exercises and putting them in a sequence that allows coaches to build on and potentially improve the performance in later movements in the cycle. The most common example I’ve heard Cal discuss is to pair a bilateral squat movement with a cross crawl or march. This will return the athlete to the optimal unloaded linear movement pattern (optimal sprint/walking gait) that the loaded bilateral movement can negatively affect.

While you may or may not prescribe to the idea that the bilateral squat causes the gait pattern to change (not this article’s emphasis, but another worthwhile rabbit hole topic to seek out from Cal, I assure you), I have seen it to be true, as Cal suggested. I use this as just one example of many I have learned in my ongoing deep dive into Cal Dietz and his methods.

How does this help us with our limitations? We can now set up many more stations for our weight room training session. Instead of having a group of 6–8 athletes working in five racks, we can have smaller groups rotating through a wide range of movements relative to the goal for the day. We have the ability to expose our athletes to a wide range of stimuli in an order that builds on each task to hopefully multiply the results efficiently.

This method has proven to be very “tier system” adjacent and easy for our athletes and coaches to understand. It has also proved to be a driver of intent and an educational tool, as our athletes have learned that every task we assign holds great importance for the end results. The driver of that piece was the use of technology to test WHILE we train.

I’m often asked how we get our athletes to buy into things like RPR or some of the neuro-driven movements we employ. It’s as simple as providing live and instant feedback using technology. PPCM has allowed our program to run smoothly despite our space limitations. It has also allowed us to optimize strengths, such as access to a wealth of technology and the ability to provide live feedback to our athletes. One note is we do not do exactly what Cal Dietz prescribes—we have developed our own plan based on our needs, equipment, time and space limits, etc., while trying to stay as close to the core of the PPCM as possible.

We use these cycles each of the three days we train in our weight room. For the purposes of this article, I will focus on our heavy lower body day. Here is an example of a common session: this will be after a short five-minute warm-up period utilizing RPR, spring ankle, and isometric split squats (for example):

Four Dozen Kids, One SHREDmill

We generally have about 45 minutes, maximum, to get this session in. Ideally, you would like to have the space and equipment to start each athlete at a safety bar split squat and progress from there. When we have a smaller group training, we do this. When we have a group over 20, we assign each group to a movement as their starting point. As they finish, they move to the next movement in the exact order. This is one of the issues we had to work through.

The athletes naturally wanted to race through and skip something or go back to it. We really had to reinforce the thought process of “If you are done before the group in front of you, rest!” Our goal is normally five sets of our strength lifts. You will see above that we have fewer sets prescribed for some. This is really a result of trial and error. After almost a year, we have narrowed down a method that works for OUR situation. We know we will almost always be able to finish that circuit in our prescribed time when we use this.

At first, we tried to use a strict timer for each. This may not sit well with some of my more organization-driven colleagues, but we quickly did away with the clock. We found that once the athletes understood the process, we could let them drive the circuit, and we could coach. Our athletes handle the iPads and understand the process to work as a team to change names and use all of our technology and the SHREDmill.

The SHREDmill is especially easy to use. Our athletes sometimes use a personal three-number code that keeps track of their metrics in the cloud (if it’s an assessment), and other times use free run mode (no code, just set the time and go). We have found that once the athlete memorizes their three-digit code, there is no time lost compared to a free run. Every 5–10 athletes (on average), the belt may slide one way or the other (based on how the athlete pushes). It is a quick and easy process to reset it with your foot and be on the run. We have taught our athletes how to easily adjust the belt as needed by using their foot to push the corner into alignment. Beyond that, there is little to no setup between reps.

This allows me and our coaches to have little involvement in that aspect, freeing us to be present and coach. The intent that the competitive atmosphere of live feedback builds has been incredible and yielded results that I never imagined we could see. One immediate example comes from our 5 into 10 fly data. Before SHREDmill and the full-fledged PPCM, we considered a 1.28-second time good for males and a sub-1.25 excellent. Those numbers are now common for all but very large or very young athletes. It now takes a 1.21 or below to break our leaderboard, and we have had an athlete hit 1.13 and 1.14 (he also ran a 6.29 sixty at a national baseball event).

The intent that the competitive atmosphere of live feedback builds has been incredible and yielded results that I never imagined we could see, says @MarkHoover71. Share on X

The reason I point that out is not to compare our program to anyone else’s. When I took the position at MCA and did an across-the-board evaluation of athlete needs, the top need was to improve early acceleration and decrease the time needed to reach a high percentage of max velocity. We developed our program this year to make this a priority. Tony’s influence in this area not only provided us with the ability to see great improvements in horizontal force production, which transferred to improved early acceleration, but it also led to incredible improvements in max velocity miles per hour—this despite the minimal use of any max-velocity mechanics drills in our field and court sport preparation. Instead, I compare it to where we started and hopefully help others in a similar situation to also see improved results.

If you don’t have the technology available, it’s very simple to replicate with less or none. We test our vertical jump (a different day) on a Skyhook Jump mat. A jump mat can be used and produce similar results from an intent and feedback perspective. If you don’t have VBT? You can do timed sets, as I wrote about in this article.

My final takeaway for you is to say that the targeted use of PPCM is just my solution. Your solution may or may not be the same. My advice is to read, study, and grow. The knowledge you acquire will be in your back pocket and allow you to take inventory of what you’ve learned and quickly apply those solutions. PPCM and the SHREDmill are powerful tools in my inventory. However, with or without access to technology, your growth mindset can offer a solution that can help you make the best out of any situation, regardless of constraints and limitations.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF

As performance coaches, if athletes come to us looking to get faster on the field, we typically assume they want to improve their speed moving forward and their ability to move side to side. But what if the limiting factor to improving their speed in a game isn’t their ability to sprint forward or transition laterally? What if their limitations are displayed in the ability to retreat—or, in other words, their ability to transition and move backward?

Before going into more specifics on retreating speed, I first want to define “game speed” and the difference between linear and game speed. Game speed is the ability to either create or take away space on the field. Typically, offensive players look to create space from defensive players, while defensive players aim to take away space from offensive players.

Creating or taking away space effectively requires an athlete to transition fluidly and explosively through all movement patterns and directions. While we cannot undervalue how important maximizing an athlete’s top-end speed is, it does not guarantee an athlete will be effective when it comes to game speed.

Why Is Retreating Speed So Important?

Now that we have a basic understanding of linear speed versus game speed, we can take a deeper look into a specific area of improving game speed—the ability to retreat explosively.

Let’s use the example of an NFL cornerback and wide receiver. The job of the cornerback is to not let the wide receiver catch the ball. To do this, they must minimize the space between themselves and the receiver. Receivers are some of the fastest athletes on the field. If the receiver is accelerating downfield, cutting in their route, slamming on the brakes, and reaccelerating, the cornerback needs to be able to explosively transition at all angles backward.

In this matchup between Stefon Diggs and Marshon Lattimore, at the 1:24 mark, you can see a great example of a hip turn to transition just about directly backward by Marshon Lattimore. If you look closely when watching sports, you’ll see these types of movements happen all the time. Of course, this seems obvious, and we know this is a key contributor to high levels of performance—but I don’t see enough sports performance coaches actually teaching these skills.

The majority of speed training I see is linear speed (which is an absolute must) and some random cone drills. The problem with most change of direction drills is they do not have any context behind them. Improving game speed is a skill, and understanding how athletes need to move in order to be effective allows you to break down movement to its simplest progression and then layer in more difficulty by manipulating speed, angles, and movement patterns to create elite movers.

In terms of developing retreating speed, the foundational movement is known as a hip turn. A hip turn occurs when an athlete needs to transition backward. The hips will pivot to the side the athlete intends to move. As the hips pivot, one foot strikes the ground. As the foot explosively strikes the ground, the hips reposition to move in the exact angle and direction the athlete intends to move.

The most common mistake I see coaches make when training athletes with this type of drill is having the athlete flip their hips to the side and hit the ground with both feet at the same time. When you strike the ground with both feet at the same time, you are no longer in a position to accelerate well. When striking with one foot and repositioning the hips, the lead leg is given the freedom to retract and strike the ground at a better angle for acceleration. If both feet hit the ground simultaneously, this cannot happen.

For a hip turn to be effective, the athlete’s initial foot strike has to be in front of their body. Some might consider this a false step and not an efficient method of movement. However, the athlete needs to strike the foot away from them to create a shin angle for better horizontal projection. This leads to better acceleration, no matter what direction they intend to move. Not only does the foot strike need to be in front of the body, but it also needs to be aggressive.

Progressing Retreating Drills

There are a few different strategies to use when progressing hip turn drills. First, I want to ensure athletes have the ability to retreat at any angle or direction behind them. Performing a hip turn and going into a sprint at a 45-degree angle behind you is easier than doing a complete 180-degree turn and going into a sprint. The more they work toward transitioning straight back, the more difficult it will be to reposition their hips, move in a straight path behind them, and not round their turn.

Begin with stationary drills and work toward being effective when moving at all angles backward. They can perform a hip turn into a sprint or even a shuffle. I encourage you to train different patterns—progress toward opening up directly behind them while maintaining a straight path. Rounding their turn can cause them to lose an angle on an opposing player. This can cost them a step or two, which can be the difference between making and not making the play.

As your athletes work toward mastering a 180-degree hip turn, you can begin to layer in drills by adding movement prior to a single hip turn. The intensity and difficulty of any change of direction are increased when you add more speed before a change of direction. Therefore, start with a single shuffle or a single lateral run step prior to performing a hip turn.

Since each of these movements can be performed over a relatively short distance, the intensity of the drill does not increase too much. Be sure to still encourage your athletes to move fast regardless of the distance of the drill. Performing the drill at half speed is not the same as performing it at full speed. Mastering the skill of speed drills means being able to perform them well at full speed.

You can increase the difficulty of the drill by adding more speed prior to the hip turn as well as adding in more changes of direction. You can also begin to pair hip turns with other movement patterns. Consider the drill’s intensity to ensure you get a high number of quality reps.

For the most part, keep the drill between two and four seconds. Keeping the drill this short will allow your athletes to perform a higher number of quality reps. This gives them more exposure and a better opportunity to learn the skill of the movement. Performing drills that last 10 seconds or more—especially done at maximum speed—will limit the number of reps the athlete can perform without getting tired to the point the speed session becomes a conditioning workout.

Continue increasing the drill’s difficulty by adding new layers of coordination and tougher movement problems. I particularly like using drills that require the athlete to perform multiple hip turns almost in succession. An example of this is video 5 below, where a hip turn is performed at the cone and then another almost immediately.

These are effective for helping defensive players recover and keep an angle. One-on-one matchups are a game of cat and mouse—defenders do not want to get spun around. The ability to perform hip turns in succession allows athletes to keep the opposing player directly in front of them.

Applying Multidirectional Plyometrics to Improve Retreating Power

Along with improving the actual skill of linking movement patterns for better retreating speed, we want to continue to improve power within these patterns. This can be done by performing multidirectional plyometrics with a focus on retreating. Similar to speed training, the majority of plyometric drills you see performed are straight up and down, traveling forward, or moving side to side.

When considering the movement of a basketball player, they play defense just about half of the time. Here, you’ll see Kobe Bryant playing lockdown defense by executing effective hip turns at the :17 and :19 marks of the video. Developing this type of mastery of movement is critical, so why don’t we put a much bigger emphasis on developing retreating power?

Earlier in this article, I reviewed the importance of a hip turn and how that is initiated with a single punch into the ground. Creating more power within this movement can greatly contribute to closing speed, particularly over short distances. When considering how to include retreating plyometrics in your program, you should progress toward developing unilateral retreating power. This can be done with a focus on minimizing time on the ground, maximizing distance, or a combination of these two key points of emphasis. The sets and reps will be the same as what you would program for your athletes with other plyometric drills.

Where Does This Fit Into Your Speed Training?

When programming speed, I take a different approach than the majority of programs I’ve seen. I have made speed the primary focus of my program, and I train a particular aspect of speed five days per week with my athletes. Two of those days focus on linear speed in the form of acceleration or max speed drills. The other three days are dedicated to improving the skill of game speed and linking movement patterns. On these days, there can be some overlap when performing attacking, lateral, or retreating drills.

Get creative and think of game scenarios in which athletes need to rapidly change their direction of movement. Manipulate the volume of drills as you see fit for your athletes and time your athletes regularly to ensure their speed continues to improve over the course of your program.

The drills do not need to look perfect every rep—as a matter of fact, they should not. If an athlete can perform a drill perfectly every time, they own that skill, so find a way to increase the difficulty of the drill by changing the speeds, angles, or movement patterns. Also, take note of the differences when linking movement patterns toward the left and the right, as I have seen a good bit of asymmetry (this is most likely due to an athlete playing primarily on one side of the field). Continue to build on your athlete’s strengths while working to eliminate any movement deficiencies that can expose them on the field.

Since you’re here…
…we have a small favor to ask. More people are reading SimpliFaster than ever, and each week we bring you compelling content from coaches, sport scientists, and physiotherapists who are devoted to building better athletes. Please take a moment to share the articles on social media, engage the authors with questions and comments below, and link to articles when appropriate if you have a blog or participate on forums of related topics. — SF