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“You’ve been brought up a certain way since high school. It’s ingrained in you. I had a wife. I had a family. A business I was starting. But I kept hearing those little things in the back of my mind: you’re letting your team down.”

Joe Jacoby, a former All-Pro and three-time Super Bowl champion, anchored the Washington Redskins’ infamous “Hogs” offensive line through a tremendous 13-year career in the ’80s and ’90s. In the latter stretch of his career, while brushing his teeth one morning, the offensive tackle collapsed on his bathroom floor with debilitating back pain. Widely regarded as one of the tougher guys ever to play the game, Jacoby would be in the lineup that same week for the Redskins, despite his crippling physical state and the obvious risk it would pose.

The result?

He was hospitalized for three days after that game. Shot up with cortisone and painkillers, discharged, and then—you guessed it—back on the field with his teammates for practice within another day or so.

The toughness of professional athletes is unmistakable, and perhaps this is most glorified in the NFL, where a penchant for unrelenting aggression and channeled violence are all but a prerequisite for professional football players. Truth be told, the story of Joe Jacoby—his toughness, durability, and borderline-reckless willingness to sacrifice “for the team”—is hardly uncommon among NFL players. Bear in mind, these earlier years of professional football, in particular, had a much different brutality to them, as player safety and sustainability weren’t exactly priority items.

Take Jim Otto, who, now at 85 years old, may be the figurehead of “football toughness.” A Hall of Fame center who played 15 seasons for the Raiders, Otto was a pioneer in that early, brutal era of the NFL. Famously, Jim Otto has had upwards of 75 surgeries to amend the injuries he sustained throughout his career.⁴ This includes 28 knee operations, an unknown number of concussions, and three life-threatening infections, culminating with having his lower right leg amputated in 2007 due to complications from previous surgeries.¹ And knowing what he knows now, after suffering through so many injuries and surgeries, would he do anything differently if he could go back and do it all again? “Absolutely not; pain and injuries are a part of what I signed up for.”

The average NFL career lasts a mere 3–4 years, but that brevity doesn’t prevent these athletes from suffering the long-term consequences of their careers, says @d@danny_ruderock. Share on X

Becoming a professional athlete is the fairytale dream for millions of kids around the world, and one that very rarely materializes into a reality—only about ~0.0075% of high school athletes reach professional levels.² In other words, statistically speaking, an individual has about the same odds of being struck by lightning twice as they do of becoming a professional athlete. There is an incomprehensible amount of work, talent, timing, and opportunity needed to reach the pros. But for all that goes into getting there, holding on to it proves even more fleeting for the majority of NFL athletes, as the average career lasts a mere 3–4 years. Despite this reality, you would be hard-pressed to find any current player who feels they won’t defy those statistics.

That brevity doesn’t prevent these athletes from suffering the long-term consequences of their careers. This is something I’ve continued to learn vicariously through my time working with Brett Bech, a 51-year-old former NFL wide receiver. Brett has spent an extensive amount of time at the NFL level and is one of few to do so as both a player (five years) and strength and conditioning coach (13 years). This has also allowed him to see and experience the game through multiple lenses.

Brett sustained a relatively “standard” five to six significant injuries throughout his career that, in some capacity, have caused him pain or limited function (of note: his golf game!). As he has described it to me, the pain is just “something you deal with.” Like most, he adheres to the unwritten standard of the NFL world: never show weakness and never complain.

Musculoskeletal (MSK) and Orthopedic Injuries

The NFL’s injury rates and types are wide-reaching but have some patterns and commonalities. It is important to consider how injury data has shaped and shifted throughout the evolutions of the game. Since the forming of the “modern” NFL, when the league merged with the AFL in 1966, a lot has transpired to bring the league to where it is today. The rules and structure of the game, dimensions of the field, player size/speed/skill, and emphasis placed on protecting the athletes have all evolved in their own ways. This helps us understand the context of injuries and also allows us to appreciate the efforts that have been put in place.

Not all that has evolved has been for the better, however, as some of the outcomes of evolution have led to questionable decision-making by league officials. The increased volume of play, greater travel demands, and bias of revenue over player may all be factors in how some injuries have occurred in the modern era. Nevertheless, the predominant orthopedic injuries among NFL athletes include shoulder, spine, ankle/foot, and, most prominently, knee injuries.

The increased volume of play, greater travel demands, and bias of revenue over player may all be factors in how some injuries have occurred in the modern era, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

While acute orthopedic injuries don’t occur often, they are invariably severe when they do (i.e., leg fracture, shoulder subluxation). Chronic conditions like arthritis, on the other hand, are more common, as they develop from microtrauma over time. The most common soft tissue injuries generally include rotator cuff, Achilles, and hamstring injuries. Soft tissue injuries are a combination of severe/acute injuries (i.e., ACL, Achilles rupture) and chronic deterioration, such as tendonitis and myofascial pain syndrome.

While a select handful of professional football players do walk away relatively unscathed, the vast majority of NFL retirees report struggling with pain and consequential outcomes from injuries/surgeries sustained throughout their careers. Additionally, while a few players are afforded the ability to walk away on their own terms, countless others are ultimately forced out due to overwhelming pain and injuries.

While some pro football players walk away relatively unscathed, a majority of NFL retirees report struggling with pain & consequential outcomes from injuries/surgeries sustained during their careers. Share on X

According to the University of Michigan 2009 study analyzing retired NFL athletes, 80% of NFL retirees aged 30–49 and 77.6% aged 50 and older reported having daily joint pain. Comparing these percentages to the average U.S. male, whose values are substantially lower—20.6% less than 50 years old and 37% over 50—really puts things into perspective. Based on this data, NFL retirees under 50 are nearly four times more likely to report chronic pain. As we could assume, NFL retirees also report having an arthritis diagnosis at a staggering rate. More than 60% of NFL retirees over 50 and 41% under 50 indicated having at least one arthritic joint.⁴

I alluded above to how the presence of pain and injury can adversely affect an individual’s state of anxiety and depression, and this is not something to overlook. Whether transient or symptomatic, states of depression and anxiety have indirect influences elsewhere on the body (e.g., the immune system) and can also be damaging to perception, confidence, and even self-worth. When size, strength, skill, and function begin to deteriorate, it is often a sobering reality for individuals who were once world-class athletes.

As demonstrated in the graphic below,⁴ NFL retirees appear to have consistently lower ratings of personal health compared to the average adult male. While there is a relativity to this that needs to be recognized, this survey indicates that most retired NFL players, both under and over 50 years old, perceive their health as being either good, fair, or poor, as opposed to very good or excellent. This was slightly more pronounced in the under-50 group, as 58% of respondents collectively reported good or worse.

Head and Brain Injuries

Beyond the musculoskeletal and orthopedic injuries—and perhaps even more significant—is the rate of head injuries and long-term effects on the brain. The violent nature of football makes the potential for head injury unavoidable, no matter the extent to which we try to modify the game and protect the players. There has been a meteoric rise in data surrounding concussions and brain injuries, particularly regarding NFL athletes.

The discussion around head injuries in pro athletes is elusive and often muddled with bureaucracy and litigious debates; consequently, we ignore the human element, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

However, the discussion around head injuries in pro athletes is elusive and often muddled with bureaucracy and litigious debates; consequently, we ignore the human element of this discussion. Nevertheless, all concussions are not created equal and, like most injuries, affect people differently. This includes the long-term effects of concussions, which are highly variable as well.

As such, an eight-year data set (2012–2019) shows roughly 240 documented concussions throughout an NFL season, correlating to about 10% of all NFL players.⁵ As evidenced in the graphic below, the majority of concussions occur during game play, as opposed to practice. This may seem logical, but it is an important indicator of how improving player care and safety has benefited athletes. The average NFL practice in the Jim Otto and Joe Jacoby days was typically much more contact-intensive.

A concussion rate of 10% may not seem staggering, but there’s a lot to unpack here. First, 10% of all active players on each roster may not accurately reflect the risk, as at least half of an active roster doesn’t see much playing time. Then we have the efficacy of reporting, both from the player and the team; despite recent improvements, this has been questionable, at best, for decades. This data also does not represent what the long-term consequences may include, which can be debilitating.

Along with concussions, we also have CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a severe condition that causes rapid degeneration of brain tissue. Although this has been a contentious and wildly publicized discourse, over the last 10 years, we have seen a rise in CTE studies and findings that, quite frankly, have almost unanimously produced harrowing results. For instance, Boston University’s CTE Center reported that this number might be as high as 90%–95% of all former players.⁶ Additionally, NFL retirees are at a much higher risk for cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, ALS, and chronic progressive memory loss and cognition⁴ than the average adult male.

Underlying Health and Wellness

The final element to consider here is the effects on cardiovascular and metabolic health, which may be the “sleeper cell” of the group. The musculoskeletal injuries and, to an even greater extent, the head injuries are very visible outcomes of professional sports. What’s less observable, at least in most cases, is the adverse health effects plaguing former professional athletes.

As evidenced by the graphic below, cardiovascular disease, metabolic impairments, and endocrine irregularities are considerable consequences for NFL retirees, affecting nearly half of the athletes surveyed in this study. What is particularly concerning about these data points is the rates at which we see things like heart complications or high BP/cholesterol for NFL retirees under 50 compared to the average American adult.

A common sentiment among former NFL athletes is that they feel like they “live in a body that they don’t even recognize,” often reporting that their body feels much older than their biological age should suggest. This corresponds to the points above on the perception of health. While physical trauma and mechanical damage certainly play a prominent role in this, the general health, wellness, and stress management maintained throughout a player’s career are likely far more impactful on their overall physical state post-career.

For some NFL retirees, the cardiac, endocrine, and nervous systems (among others) may warrant equal or greater attention than mechanical ailments, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

The accumulative outcome of the unforgiving physical demands of the game, poor lifestyle/health habits, and immeasurable stress and pressures ultimately take a toll on the internal systems. For some NFL retirees, the cardiac, endocrine, and nervous systems (among others) may warrant equal or greater attention than mechanical ailments.

Long-Term Help for Players

The enduring path of a professional football athlete is something few will ever know. Despite millions of fans worldwide tuning in every Sunday to witness the brutality and risk, almost none will understand what it took for those athletes to get there or the arduous route many must take on the other side. The data underscores what we all witness: the compounding effects of decades of training, practice, and competition have consequences on the body—an “orthopedic cost” of sorts.

While the league (NFL/NFLPA) has improved the resources and efforts for assisting its players in their transitional process, it wouldn’t be a reach to say it has put long-term player health on the back burner for far too long. It remains evident that there is a tremendous void of services and organizations designed to help this community of players.

There has always been an immense amount of time, money, and resources funneled into player scouting, development, and maintenance. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for players on their way out of the league, despite approaching an impending lifetime of hurt. Much like we have seen with military veterans over the years, when you can provide value, you’re treated with the utmost priority. But once that value has diminished or become vacant, you’re expeditiously shown the door so that room can be made for the next person up. That needs to change.

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

References

1. Jim Otto Wikipedia

2. Odds of Becoming a Pro

3. Holstein, JA. Jones, RS. Koonce Jr., GE. 2015. Is there life after football? Surviving the NFL. New York, NY. New York University Press.

4. National Football League Player Foundation Care: Study of Retired NFL Players (2009) via the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research.

5. Vox Media/NFL Concussions

6. Boston University CTE Research Center

As a high school football coach, I work with young people with a wide range of athletic abilities and body types. With all types of athletes, wickets are a fantastic tool to create elite sprint shapes. My work is inspired and influenced by the brilliance of Tony Holler, Chris Korfist, Barry Ross, Jimmy Radcliffe, Brian Kula, Dr. Ken Clark, Brad Dixon, JT Ayers, Joey Guarascio, and others. I did not invent the wheel—all credit goes to those who have come before.

I love wickets for building sprint mechanics. I love wickets for training proper sprint technique. I love wickets for enforcing sprint mechanics at or near maximum speed. While I love wickets for all these reasons, most of all:

I love wickets for creating beautiful sprint shapes.

I am always struck by the beauty of speed. Seeing athletes sprint with proper form is a joy to behold. Seeing that speed translate to the playing field is fulfilling. As a lifelong sprinter, I can also confirm that sprinting through wickets is a beautiful feeling.

Seeing athletes sprint with proper form is a joy to behold, says @ErikBecker42. Share on X

Video 1. Snow? I still get in my own wicket training.

I believe that speed is the most important attribute for all athletes. In any sport, at any position, being faster makes you better. In any athletic contest, being faster creates two essential elements: space and time. Speed gives an athlete the ability to create or close space while also enabling the athlete to read and process longer before reacting.

Speed is the most important metric to develop in all athletes—you could fill an entire library with the benefits of training speed. Sprinting increases top speed, increases sub-max speed, builds muscle, burns fat, activates fast twitch muscle fibers, increases explosive power output, builds anaerobic endurance, reduces injury risk, boosts metabolism, improves cardiovascular health, improves body composition, improves glucose control, increases acceleration, improves VO2 Max, improves mitochondrial density, improves insulin resistance, lowers blood pressure, increases human growth hormone, increases protein synthesis, boosts testosterone levels, has anti-aging benefits, and is the ultimate abdominal workout.

Back to Wickets

As we know, we run faster when we run more efficiently. Elite sprinters share the same mechanics: they run tall. As Tony Holler says, “you should look two inches taller when sprinting.” Along with that, elite sprinters run stiff: when their plant foot touches the ground, they do not collapse into their leg, but bounce off the ground with a rigid quality (as a former lacrosse player, the example I give is bouncing a D-pole off the ground). They are big in the front: the front knee is high and the foot is dorsiflexed in preparation for the next ground strike. They are short in the back: their back foot cycles through as quickly as possible.

We run faster when we run more efficiently, says @ErikBecker42. Share on X

That cycle must be efficient for an athlete to reach their maximum speed. Dr. Ken Clark has done invaluable research in this area.

While the efficient sprint cycle is key for running faster, we know that speed comes primarily from the ability to put more force into the ground with each ground strike. This is the research of Barry Ross and highlights the importance of mass-specific force (force generated in proportion to an athlete’s body weight). Brian Kula and JT Ayers have done incredible work in this area based on the groundbreaking book Underground Secrets of Faster Running by Barry Ross.

In his work with Olympic-level sprinters, Ross found the concentric phase of the hex-bar deadlift had the greatest impact on increasing maximum sprint speed. He called this Mass-Specific Force and developed the Force Number metric to measure power output.

Force Number = Max Hex-Bar Deadlift / Weight

1.5=Good, 2=Great, 2.5= Elite, 3=World Class

Increasing mass-specific force, coupled with an efficient sprint cycle, is essential for developing speed. Check out JT Ayers and Brian Kula’s excellent video on lifting for speed.

Video 2. Concentric phase of the hex-bar deadlift.

Wickets are an especially valuable tool for creating an efficient sprint cycle. They force athletes to maximize their front-side mechanics, while diminishing back-side mechanics.

Video 3. I cue my football players to “run big and tall” with their front knee high.

Again, as Tony Holler says, “Sprinters are big in the front and short in the back.” Wickets also develop an effective cadence for max or near-max-speed sprinting, forcing athletes to run tall and strike the ground under their bodies.

Wickets also develop an effective cadence for max or near-max-speed sprinting, says @ErikBecker42. Share on X

How I Do It

The way I program wickets comes directly from Tony Holler. The athletes must be warmed up first: I prefer Reflexive Performance Reset and the Atomic Warm Up by Tony Holler.

I do some quick cueing where I demonstrate and explain the sprint shapes we are looking to create: high knee, high toe, back elbow to the sky, big arms.

Video 4. Using the yard markers on the football field to space the wickets six feet apart.

I use the hash marks on a football field. This is a helpful way to ensure athletes run in a straight line and provides a set distance to space the wickets.

I give the athletes a 20- to 25-yard build-up with an emphasis on increasing speed consistently up to the wickets. I want them to be at 90% or better of their maximum speed while running through the wickets. This should feel similar to a build-up or a flying 10.

I set the wickets every other hash—this six-foot distance works well for high school-age athletes. I instruct the athletes to focus on their mechanics and building speed through the wickets. 

Video 5. For the athletes running the wickets, I want it to feel fast and smooth.

We decelerate gradually and walk back to the line to recover.

I commonly give them three to five reps with a three- to five-minute recovery to ensure quality output.

I like to use wickets with our athletes every week or two as a part of a complete speed and power training program.

I like to use wickets with our athletes every week or two as a part of a complete speed and power training program, says @ErikBecker42. Share on X

Since I began using wickets as a training tool, I have noticed a few things:

• I find that the more natural athletic ability a young person has, the more comfortable they look running wickets from their first attempt. These are often kids who naturally run well, are highly coordinated, or have a track background.
• I love watching these athletes run wickets. It creates and reinforces beautiful sprint shapes: high knee, high toe, big in the front, big and tall, stiffness through ground contact; strong bounce and cadence. Watching gifted athletes run through wickets is a coach’s dream. It’s beautiful. But obviously, I did not do much.
• I might love wickets even more for the guys who are not naturally as gifted, because it forces them to run with proper sprint mechanics. I love watching kids who do not have natural sprint mechanics and bigger kids run through wickets because it creates those elite sprint shapes.

Video 5. Watching big guys sprint with great mechanics is awesome to behold.

I have found that, over time, using wickets as a training tool will increase the sprint mechanics of every athlete. I believe that no matter what sport or position you play, running faster makes you better. I believe wickets can be a great way to help you get there.

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

Private high schools are making the collegiate arms race for facilities look like nothing. When I saw the recently renovated athletic facility at Orange Lutheran High School in Orange, California, I knew it was done and done RIGHT. Bubba Reynolds, Director of Sports Performance, has assembled an Avengers-type staff with Ryan Nguyen and Chase Sanders. These three full-time strength coaches have more than 28 years of combined experience and train over 800 athletes daily in this 5,500-square-foot facility.

Video 1. Virtual tour of Orange Lutheran with Coach Bubba Reynolds.

Purpose

This space was initially built in 2015 as part of a $15 million project by Orange Lutheran and its athletics department. Along with this beautiful space are an athletic training room, gym, locker room, and offices. The initial push for the weight side of the project was not only the need to house the growing athletic department but also an initiative by the school to help promote healthy living for their students.

The initial push for the weight side of the project wasn’t only the need to house the growing athletic department but also an initiative by the school to help promote healthy living for their students. Share on X

This idea is something that I think is not as prevalent or talked about at the high school level—the reality is that only around 7% of high school athletes will play a college sport, so how can you cater to and impact the other portion of your student population? This push for healthy living first helps all students as well as those athletes who are looking for that little push in their sport. Now the coaches here are renovating this space to help accommodate the amount and type of training being done at Orange Lutheran. This effort is designed to improve the flow and ease of training to match the experience level of the staff they have put together.

Design

This space is made up of a large PLAE flooring piece, nine Powerlift double-sided half-racks, and many other accessories, including UCS plyo boxes, VALD, etc. Imagine the space is split into thirds:

• One-third of the room is turf.
• One-third is the nine double-sided racks.
• One-third is where you can find the other accessory pieces and dumbbells.

This is not your typical customized weight room with team branding all over the place—obviously, there are some customized pieces, but promoting healthy living for their athletes is the primary goal. Coach Reynolds focused more on the quality of the equipment with the normal level of customization than seeking out the company that would do the most from a branding and colors perspective. Coach Reynolds also mentioned that a considerable part of their plan with the new setup is to have each rack be uniform with the same equipment.

“Having one of each type of equipment at the racks is a non-negotiable for us because you need to be able to move on the fly, no matter where you are in the room. So, if one rack has chains for accommodating resistance, but another one doesn’t, this will create problems in our organization and timing if a team needs to be on one side of the turf or the other, depending on the situation.” 

Rack Setup

Each one of the double-sided racks consists of a 35-pound bar, set of DC blocks, pair of chains, dip/weight belt, RFE split squat attachment, trap bar, TRX attachment, and fat grips. There is a separate storage area in the corner of the weight room for the specialty bars: multi-grip, safety squat bar, etc. A large rack also stores the program’s main kettlebells at the end of the turf area.

Plyometric boxes are lined up together in one area against the wall, and medicine ball racks are evenly distributed in the corners of the room (4–20 pounds). Power Lift dumbbells are standardly distributed across the room, so athletes can grab any weight from 3 pounds to 100 pounds without having to walk and carry it around too far, and there are UMAX “beauty” dumbbells that go from 3–20 pounds in 2.5-pound increments. Those weight trees are evenly distributed across the room as well.

My favorite part of this space is how easily accessible everything is—that’s the only way to survive when training 80+ kids at a time. Share on X

Foam pads, sliders, and Sorinex rollers are in the center of the room to grab from (18 of each type of equipment). Mini-bands, LAX balls, foam rollers, PVC sticks, and wooden dowels are sectioned by the kettlebell rack at the end of the turf, which they call the “soft tissue area.” My favorite part of this space is how easily accessible everything is—that’s the only way to survive when training 80+ kids at a time. This shows the expert level of these coaches and the quality of the training they give their athletes.

Technology

Coach Reynolds values the technology piece of sports performance, especially with the work they do on the VALD ForceDecks and the more than 20 iPads they use to deliver their training with Teambuildr. Over 800 athletes come in and jump daily, allowing the staff to monitor performance and create player profiles that can be updated to show each athlete’s progress.

Programming for 800+ athletes sounds like a lot of printer ink and sheets of paper if done the old-school Excel route, which is why Orange Lutheran utilizes the Teambuildr training app and iPad combination to deliver those programs—this has a higher upfront cost, but it is cheaper in the long run.

Video 2. Explanation of how Orange Lutheran uses Vald force plates.

Final Thoughts

The main reason for constructing this space for the Orange Lutheran athletes was to promote a healthy lifestyle for them as growing young individuals, not just stronger and faster athletes. I think many spaces are designed only with the athletes in mind to help them in the next stage of their athletic career, but Coaches Reynolds, Nguyen, and Sanders do a world-class job of managing and promoting the education behind those lifestyles.

I hope more coaches value this type of space instead of only caring about how it might look on an Instagram post, with its focus on uniformity and flow. But don’t let that fool you—this weight room is BEAUTIFUL too!

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

Raise your hand if you compete in indoor track but have no indoor track to practice on.

This has been a constant battle for most schools throughout the Northern United States for as long as indoor track has been around. How does a coach get their athletes ready for a season without a facility that they will actually compete in?

We get outside as much as we possibly can—usually, 40 degrees is our threshold—but we also have to factor in wind chill, precipitation, and snow cover. When being outside is not realistic, we improvise and utilize what we do have. We have no pits inside, no easily accessible place for run-throughs on hurdles, and nowhere to wear spikes…yet schools like ours, Salt Fork, find a way.

Having a successful indoor track team that can throw down some big marks in February and March while also preparing for the outdoor season isn’t as difficult as you might think if you can:

1. Be creative.
2. Communicate.
3. Be flexible.
4. Focus on the fundamentals.

1. Be Creative

At Salt Fork, it is imperative to get creative with space during the winter or when the weather doesn’t cooperate in the spring. When the track isn’t accessible, we must turn our attention inside. The first spot to look is our high school gym—but that idea tends to get quashed quickly because of basketball season, as it’s very rare to find a time when either the boys’ or girls’ team is not on the gym floor right after school.

The second spot we look is to our elementary school gym, which is across the parking lot. We typically have access to it for about 15–20 minutes to get RPR and speed drills in before the cheerleaders come in for their practice at 3:30 p.m. After that, we move to the elementary hallway, which covers about 60 meters from wall to door. This is our MOST important space during the winter. The hallway allows us to accomplish every sprint that we cover in our speed cycle (40m, 10-yard fly, 20-yard fly, etc.).

Using the hallway allows us to accomplish every sprint that we cover in our speed cycle. It also enables us to complete lactic workouts, if necessary, once we’re in season, says @SFStormTrack. Share on X

This hallway also enables us to complete lactic workouts, if necessary, once we are in season. We have two go-to lactics for this hallway:

1. One is 10x40m with a 10-meter run-in and a one-minute rest between reps.
2. The second is a 30-second shuttle drill (our indoor version of the 23-second drill).

We set up cones at the start line, and the runner sprints 50 meters down the hall, turns, heads back up the hall to the 100m mark, and so on. Very similar to how we do it outside, we set up cones for the 23-second drill at the 165m mark and up every 5 meters to 200 meters. With all the turns and reduced traction, we’ve found that our top runners can hit around 200m at 30 seconds—which is the goal outside in 23 seconds.

We utilize our Freelap system for every sprint we do inside (outside of the shuttle). Many people may think that our athletes will suffer from shin splints by running inside on a tile floor in tennis shoes—we do everything we can to reduce the chance of that happening. We cut reps if necessary, focus on walking on our heels and toes while barefoot, and do our ABCs and wipers with our ankles. All of these methods have helped us immensely in the winter months to reduce the likelihood of shin splints occurring.

2. Communicate

It is important to communicate with fellow teachers, administrators, and coaches so that we’re all on the same page. It is necessary to reach out to get the space we need. At the beginning of the winter, I make sure to reach out to the elementary school principal to relay our schedule to use the hallway in that building. We clearly have a lot of patient elementary teachers who have put up with us for years now.

Many teachers are still in their classrooms finishing up for the day, often with their own children, and we work together to make sure that no one gets run over by a sprinter barreling down the hallway at 22 mph. We even get the occasional elementary student who wants to hop in and sprint as well! It is also beneficial to check out the boys’ and girls’ basketball schedules to determine when there are off days, and we can use the H.S. gym for warm-ups or fundamentals.

3. Be Flexible

Another pillar of indoor training is flexibility. At times, we have to call many audibles on what we want to do because of spacing issues. I can’t even count how many times I have planned a workout and discovered that it wouldn’t work with the space we had for the day.

As mentioned, we typically rely on the elementary hallway to get our sprinting done, but sometimes it has tables full of projects up. We may have to move to a shorter hallway and shorten our sprints but raise the reps, if necessary. For instance, instead of doing 3×40 yards, we may have to pivot to 5–6×20 yards. The focus on acceleration becomes more of a point of emphasis with this change.

This season, the girls’ basketball team has used the weight room for their pre-game meeting before they head out for away games. We share the space and make it work. They use the front with the TV monitor to watch film, while we use the back half to finish our workout with jumpers doing “run run jumps” or sprinters finishing with isos, for example. We have a new gym floor that we can’t put the hurdles on, so we use the hallway outside of the gym. It isn’t spacious or glamorous, but it gets the job done.

It’s not spacious or glamorous, but using the hallway for the hurdles gets the job done, says @SFStormTrack. Share on X

We often have to be patient with kids or custodians or teachers walking down the long hallway we run in—we wait, because we are the guests. It’s important to think about programming for the day as well. For our technical events—hurdles, jumps, and throws—we have to be very flexible in utilizing the space we have.

4. Focus on the Fundamentals

Maybe one of the most beneficial aspects of limited space and being forced indoors is the opportunity to put a concerted focus on the fundamentals. We spend a lot of time working on the little things indoors.

Tony Holler’s “boom-booms” become a go-to in various forms. We typically start on the wall, utilizing just the bottom half of our bodies, working on shin angles and getting knees high. We then advance to loaded boom-booms, getting shins in proper angles with the drive leg moving backward and then quickly back up, finishing with a “boom, boom, boom.” Next, we move to stationary boom-booms off the wall, where we now utilize the arms but still stay in place.

Finally, we advance to walking boom-booms, switching three times, holding the knee on the third, and then going again. We do this for about 10 meters. We also spend time, especially with the younger athletes, working just on arms and ensuring they get them into a proper position as they sprint.

We don’t have the ability to utilize blocks inside, so we find other ways to work on acceleration and getting our bodies in a proper position. We work on accelerations from a lying position on the belly, from a kneeling position, and from a single-leg loaded position.

Hurdlers, as I have mentioned earlier, don’t have the ability to use the gym floor anymore. Instead, we utilize the hallway just outside the gym and focus on the basics since there isn’t room to work on getting over hurdles at normal speed. We do lead leg and trail leg drills, we work on improving the cut step, and we walk, skip, and jog over hurdles at reduced heights and distances. We spend time working on the proper arm position and how to move them through the hurdle process. We focus on the positions of the feet, knees, hips, and chest. Working on these basics has set our hurdlers up for success when we can actually get outside.

One of the most beneficial aspects of limited space and being forced indoors may be the opportunity to focus on the fundamentals. We spend a lot of time working on the little things indoors. Share on X

Our jumpers typically do their work in the weight room. We are currently two weeks into our season, and we haven’t had any jumpers actually jump into a sand pit, yet. Jumpers get their work in two times a week on our X-factor days. We spend about 20–30 minutes each day working on the basics. We isolate each phase of the triple jump and work on it individually.

Again, much like the hurdlers, we continue to ensure they get their arms, knees, hips, chest, and feet in the correct position to maximize their jump. We do chair drills that replicate the landing phase of each jump. Our first meet is in a week, and it looks like we will have an opportunity to finally get steps in beforehand with a 50-degree day on tap.

Luckily for our throwers, the elementary gym floor is conducive to throwing indoor shot. They have the opportunity to work on throwing with an indoor ring that has been built, although this only occurs once the cheerleaders have finished their competition season. Prior to that, they spend time in the weight room getting stronger and working on their form.

Sample Week of Indoor Training

Monday

Weight room: Foam roll, ankle mobility, golf ball rollout

Elem gym: RPR and speed drills

Elem hallway or gym: Work on arm movement during sprints, wall boom-booms

Elem hallway: 10-yd flys x 4 – 170–200 yards total, 5 min rest – Freelap, 1–2 handoffs 4×4

Weight room: Ankle isos, lift if not in advanced PE

Hurdles: Take hurdles to gym hallway, fence (wall) drills – four-count trail leg and two-count trail leg, window drill 2x each

Tuesday

Weight room: Foam roll, ankle mobility, golf ball rollout, RPR

Gym hallway: Shortened speed drills

Weight room: Broad jump, measure, 3x

Gym hallway: Varied accels – from prone position 2x, from a kneeling position 2x, loaded leg 2x (cut down to one if needed)

Weight room: Skater bounds variations, lunge isos, lift if not in advanced PE

Jumpers: Stay in weight room, mini hurdle gallops – run, run, jump 3×6

Wednesday

Weight room: Foam roll, ankle mobility, golf ball rollout

H.S. gym: RPR, speed drills, wall boom-booms, and loaded boom-booms

Elem hallway: 20m fly with 10m entry x 3–5 reps for 150m total, 4–5 minutes rest, Freelap

Weight room: Ankle isos, lift if not in advanced PE

Hurdles: Take hurdles to gym hallway, fence (wall drills) – stationary lead leg, 1H (2×10 both legs), bent knee jogging over 4H – 2x each leg, 30” or wickets for new hurdlers

Thursday

Weight room: Foam roll, ankle mobility, golf ball rollout

Elem gym: RPR, speed drills, med ball throws – underhand (2×6), push accel (2×6) 5–10m each

Elem hallway: 4×2 handoffs – 1–2 times

Weight room: 2×8 each leg – single-leg plyo, mobility circuit with bands, hurdle mobility circuit, lift if needed

Jumpers: Focus on phase 1 TJ – seated chair landing drills

Friday

Weight room: Foam roll, ankle mobility, golf ball rollout—mentally get ready!

Elem gym: RPR, speed drills

Elem hallway: 10x40m w/10m run-in, 500m total, 1-minute rest, Freelap

Conclusion

Each school and team will have different challenges to deal with when it comes to indoor track if they don’t have a fieldhouse or facility of their own. In my experience, it just takes a little ingenuity to figure out how to best tackle the situation. We are a small school with a lot of athletes still participating in winter sports, so our numbers are limited until those are over, which makes it easier to make the space work.

Larger schools may need to stagger times or set up stations to best accommodate their athletes. I believe that the hidden benefit is the increased focus on fundamentals for all athletes—even veterans who have been around for four years. As a coach, if you can be creative, communicate effectively, be flexible, and focus on the basics, you can get plenty accomplished inside with limited space during the winter and spring when necessary.

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

Being an athlete is all about overcoming challenges; it’s what makes a victory, a new competition record, a personal best, or even a comeback such a beautiful thing. Without a challenge to overcome, the pursuit of athletic competition doesn’t mean much.

As an athlete, one unique challenge to overcome is optimizing a tendon’s performance abilities without sacrificing its health in the process. As with any other tissue in the body, tendons adapt to the specific demands imposed upon them (known as the SAID principle), and knowing about the unique mechanical properties they possess can help athletes train in a manner that optimizes their performance while simultaneously reducing their risk of injury.

As an athlete, one unique challenge to overcome is optimizing a tendon’s performance abilities without sacrificing its health in the process. Share on X

So, this article will provide an overview of the unique mechanical properties of tendons and how different training demands influence them. With this information dispensed, I’ll discuss the different general strategies that can be incorporated into an athlete’s training for optimizing tendon performance and tendon rehabilitation.

A Quick Rundown on Tendons and Injury Statistics

Most athletes and coaches know that a tendon is a structure that takes one end of a muscle and anchors it onto a bone, serving as a “middleman” bringing the bone along for the ride when the muscle contracts.

And for many individuals, that’s about the extent of their tendon knowledge. But with these structures being as critical (and often just as vulnerable) as they are for athletic performance, it’s worth knowing what can be done to ensure the tendon achieves optimal performance output while remaining at the lowest risk possible for sustaining injury.

Injury Statistics

Soft tissue injuries (injuries to muscles and tendons) account for upward of 50% of injuries in the United States every year and are notably higher in athletic populations.^1,2 These injuries can be either sudden and traumatic (such as from tripping and falling or tearing a hamstring when sprinting) or chronic, occurring from a prolonged lack of adequate health (typically brought on by repeated overuse beyond what the tendon can cope with). It’s estimated that 50%–75% of all running injuries are due to overuse, with the Achilles tendon and knee tendons being most commonly affected.²

Regardless of how the injury arises, tendon pain and dysfunction, at best, will impede maximal athletic performance. At worst, it will sideline an athlete for the season—or even end their career.

Therefore, strengthening tendons (which optimizes performance and prevents injury) should be a top priority for strength coaches working with their athletes while ensuring optimal rehabilitative strategies are being carried out by rehabilitative specialists treating the athlete.

The basis for optimizing either of these aspects begins with a fundamental awareness of what determines a tendon’s overall strength and performance capability.

There are two critical factors that will determine the strength of a tendon:^3,4

1. The amount of collagen within the tendon. (Collagen is a structural protein that’s highly prevalent within the tendon that runs in a parallel fashion.)
2. The number of crosslinks attaching to these parallel collagen molecules within the tendon. (The more crosslinks there are, the stiffer the tendon becomes.)

Regarding crosslinking: these crosslinks running across the parallel collagen molecules restrict the sliding of individual collagen fibrils alongside one another, which reduces the extent of deformation (lengthening) the tendon can undergo, ultimately making it stiffer.

Knowing these two factors will help you understand why rehabilitation-based training of a tendon will require a different training methodology than performance-based training (both will be discussed shortly).

On the surface, it would seem that training tendons to become stiffer is all it takes to optimize tendon health. This is true—but only up to a point. A stiff tendon will indeed become a strong tendon (strong is good), but the stiffer the tendon becomes, the greater the risk of injury to its attaching muscle.⁵ This is particularly true with athletes who compete in power-based sports requiring their tendons to withstand a repeated high rate of force development (RFD).

A stiff tendon will indeed become a strong tendon (strong is good), but the stiffer the tendon becomes, the greater the risk of injury to its attaching muscle. Share on X

To determine how to avoid incurring this type of injury, we first need to discuss the unique mechanical properties that tendons exhibit. As you read through, it may help to visualize how these properties apply to the Achilles tendon, the hamstrings tendons, the patellar tendon, and the hip flexor tendon, all of which are robust in nature and of paramount importance to track and field athletes.

Mechanical Properties of Tendons

As strength and conditioning specialists and rehabilitative specialists, we must be aware that tendons are more than a simplistic piece of connective tissue that anchors a muscle onto a bone; how we train and stimulate these structures has vast implications for performance potential and injury reduction in athletic populations.

These unique responses result from the tendon’s structure and molecular composition. When we understand these features, we can use them to the athlete’s advantage based on their needs and goals for performance or rehabilitation.

For the scope of this article, there are two critical characteristics of tendons to be aware of: 

1. The regional mechanical properties that exist between either end of the tendon.
2. The viscoelastic properties that a tendon possesses.

A brief rundown on these unique properties will set the stage for how they can be utilized to the athlete’s benefit based on different training interventions.

Regional Variation in Tendon Function: Stiffness vs. Compliance

Tendons exhibit regional mechanical properties, meaning how a tendon responds to a given stress or force will vary from one area of the tendon to another. The reason for this phenomenon is that one end of the tendon attaches to a very stiff tissue (i.e., a bone) while the other end attaches to a very compliant tissue (i.e., a muscle). In other words: when the tendon tugs on the bone, the bone has no give, but when it tugs on the muscle, the muscle will have some give.

This difference in the tendon’s attachment to two mechanically different tissues results in what’s known as impedance mismatch and is what gives tendons their unique regional variation.^6,7

The point at which the muscle attaches to the tendon is known as the myotendinous junction (muscle-tendon junction), which is the most frequently injured region involving muscle strains and tendon injury.⁸

How an athlete trains and loads their tendons will influence either the stiffness or the compliance of the myotendinous junction of the tendon:

• It can be made stiffer, which will improve athletic performance.
• Or it can be made more compliant, which may reduce performance but will improve the tendon’s health.

The myotendinous junction is essentially a blending of the muscle tissue and the tendon tissue. Conceptually, it’s the same as interlacing your fingers of one hand with the fingers of your other hand (one hand being the muscle fibers and the other being tendon fibers). This blending and interlacing of tendon fibers with muscle fibers leads to an increased surface area for connection between these interfacing tissues. Additionally, it leads to greater shearing forces when they’re being pulled apart. (Shear is what happens when one surface slides across another.)⁶

The collagen fibers of the tendon closest to the muscle undergo a high rate of shear, which breaks the crosslinks attaching to the collagen molecules. This, in turn, leads to a less stiff (more compliant) tendon.

Why is this worth knowing? Because this shearing and crosslink-breaking phenomenon will form the foundational basis for why tendon rehabilitation movements must be done slowly (discussed later in the article).

Viscoelasticity of Tendons

Tendons have a relatively high water concentration, meaning the tendon itself will take on and exhibit the unique properties liquid can produce. One such unique property is viscoelasticity, which means the tendon can mechanically behave like an elastic material and also like a liquid.^9,10

The easiest way to visualize the concept of such viscoelastic properties is by recognizing how water behaves based on the speed at which you enter a swimming pool. If you casually step into the pool, the water molecules will move and flow around you without resistance. Do a belly flop off the high-dive tower, however, and they will behave like a sheet of concrete upon impact, not doing much to move around your body.

So, the slower the movement, the more time the water molecules have to move around your body. The quicker the movement, the less time they have, therefore behaving more like a sheet.

This forms the basis for why fast tendon-loading exercise increases the stiffness of a tendon and how it improves athletic performance; the faster you load the tendon, the more it behaves like a sheet, and thus the stiffer it becomes.

Let’s use the next section to visualize why this stiffness is so imperative for athletic performance.

Training Tendons to Improve Athletic Performance

Athletes participating in velocity-based and power-based sports require stiff tendons, since a stiff tendon allows for a greater and more immediate force transfer between the body and the surface it’s in contact with.

Think of it this way: If you had a strap hooked up to a sled and had to pull it from point A to B as quickly as possible, would you rather that strap be a braided rope or a bungee cord?

You’d want the strap to be stiff! It’s the same in velocity-based athletes; stiff tendons allow for a more immediate transfer of force and, thus, propulsion. In other words, you don’t want your sprinting force to be absorbed by stretchy tendons when running; you want stiff tendons since they will strike the ground with less give and propel you down the track much faster.

So, if increasing tendon stiffness is the name of the game, implementing exercises that involve a high rate of force development is the best bet. The faster the tendon is loaded, the more it will stiffen up.

As such, depending on the unique needs of the athlete and their sport, periodized training regimens that use plyometric exercises should be a priority for strength and conditioning coaches. They should be programmed strategically and incorporated appropriately, emphasizing explosiveness and mimicking the specific demands of their sport.

The specific lower-body plyometric exercises that can be used are almost endless and can range from bodyweight movements (vertical jumps, broad jumps, sprints, etc.) to resistance-based movements (such as trap bar jumps, power cleans, explosive kettlebell swings, and so on). Again, it all comes down to the needs and abilities of the athlete.

Using plyometric-based exercises will increase tendon stiffness, which is good; but remember: it’s only good up to a certain point. Share on X

So, using plyometric-based exercises will increase tendon stiffness, which is good; but remember: it’s only good up to a certain point. The stiffer the tendon becomes, the more vulnerable it becomes, particularly when subjected to fast, explosive movements utilizing a high rate of force development from its attached muscle. Too much stiffness with inadequate tissue compliance leads to the tearing of tissues around the musculotendinous junction.⁵

Once this straining and tearing of the musculotendinous junction occurs, it’s no longer about performing fast movements; it now becomes a game of improving tissue health through slow loading.

Let’s look at the following section to understand just how profound of an impact this slow loading will have on improving tendon health, either as an injury prevention strategy or as a rehabilitative strategy.

Training Tendons to Improve Athletic Health

Injuries are a part of sports, and while every precaution must be taken to avoid injury as best as possible, they will still happen. When tendon injury occurs, optimizing the rate and extent of recovery is essential for the athlete.

Prevention is better than any cure. As strength coaches, we must understand that slow tendon loading has a place at the table for injury prevention training; preventing tendons from stiffening to the point that borders on the edge of injury is critical. And as rehabilitation specialists, we must understand that the rate of movement and frequency at which we prescribe tendon loading exercises for an athlete can optimize the recovery process.

As S&C coaches, we must understand that slow tendon loading has a place at the table for injury prevention training; preventing tendons from stiffening to the edge of injury is critical. Share on X

Eliminating the Tendon’s Stress-Shielding Response

An unhealthy or injured tendon is a mixture of healthy and unhealthy collagen fibers; the healthier the collagen within the tendon, the healthier the tendon itself will be. Collagen will become stronger and healthier when given mechanical stimulation through loading exercises, but if this mechanical stimulation is performed relatively quickly, only the healthy fibers will be stimulated.¹⁰

This is due to a unique phenomenon known as stress shielding occurring within the tendon. It involves the tendon’s ability to “shield” the unhealthy, injured, or weaker collagen fibers when the tendon is subjected to load (i.e., exercise), whereby the healthy collagen protects the unhealthy fibers from contributing to the movement (i.e., from being stimulated).

One way to overcome this protective shielding is to utilize stress relaxation, which is another phenomenon unique to viscoelastic materials. When the tendon is subjected to holding a prolonged isometric contraction while under load, the healthy collagen fatigues, resulting in progressive relaxation of the loaded collagen fibers.¹¹

This, in turn, leads to the reduction of stress shielding, allowing mechanical signaling to be imparted to the unhealthy or injured collagen fibers.

As such, performing mid-range isometric contractions for varying durations of time against moderate-to-heavy loads (based on the athlete’s abilities) two or three times per week has been shown to be effective in eliminating stress-shielding in tendons.¹¹

To learn more about implementing stress relaxation, check out this case study by Dr. Keith Baar: Stress Relaxation and Targeted Nutrition to Treat Patellar Tendinopathy.

While it was once believed that eccentric-based exercises were most effective for tendon rehab, current literature suggests that the rate at which an exercise is performed is the determining factor for an exercise’s rehabilitative effectiveness and not the phase of the movement itself.¹⁰

This means that if performed at a slow rate of speed, the concentric phase of exercise can be just as effective as its eccentric counterpart since slow movement is responsible for greater shearing and subsequent crosslink breaking near the myotendinous junction.¹⁰

Keep in mind, however, that eccentric exercises can still be employed in the rehabilitation world and have plenty of merits.

Frequency and Intensity of Loading

The best medicine in the world will lose its effectiveness if not taken at appropriate intervals. The same can be said for tendon loading exercises; optimal outcomes are, in part, determined by optimal frequency. It’s not a perfect science here, mind you, as numerous variables can play into determining optimal exercise frequency for an athlete.

The best medicine in the world will lose its effectiveness if not taken at correct intervals. It’s the same for tendon loading exercises; optimal outcomes are partly determined by optimal frequency. Share on X

Nonetheless, some exciting research has shown that very short periods of tendon activity (loading) followed by long rest periods seem optimal for stimulating collagen production.⁵ Within this same body of research, it’s also been observed that the body needs 6–8 hours before the exercised tissues can sense another stimulus being provided (i.e., the tissues need this length of time before returning to exercise sensitivity).

As pointed out by Dr. Keith Baar (a leading expert in the world of tendon-based rehabilitation), tendon loading for optimal health can be performed with slow movement for 5–10 minutes against a predetermined load.^5,10 The extent of this load will depend on many factors unique to the athlete and their state of rehabilitation.

Surprisingly, for injured athletes, the amplitude of the load used for performing the exercise is not important for the stimulation of collagen synthesis.^5,12 It would, however, stand to reason that the load should be appropriately challenging for the exercise or movement session duration. This is outstanding news since it permits the athlete to begin rehabilitation as quickly as possible. It should go without saying that any loading exercises should be pain-free; however, mild discomfort (that doesn’t worsen) should be anticipated.

Here’s a visual recap of what all of this may look like for an athlete’s tendon rehabilitation:

Nutritional Interventions for Tendons

For patients and athletes looking to attack every angle of their tendon rehabilitation, nutritional interventions can be considered, as some promising work by Dr. Keith Baar, Gregory Shaw, and others have shown that vitamin C and gelatin supplementation can increase collagen synthesis in tendons that have undergone recent loading.^11,13–16 There’s still much more the scientific community is looking into, but the preliminary research seems promising.

Of course, nutritional intervention for tendons is a long-term strategy, but the preliminary research is rather exciting. The research is aimed at the positive effects of providing the body with an abundance of amino acids (glycine, in particular, since it is the predominant amino acid within collagen) and vitamin C, which acts as a cofactor for increasing collagen synthesis.

The details are beyond the scope of this article, but here’s a brief rundown of what’s been shown:

• Ingesting a slurry of 48 mg of vitamin C mixed with 15 grams of gelatin (which contains a high level of glycine) one hour prior to tendon loading maximizes the uptake of amino acids (including glycine) into the exercise-induced collagen.¹⁶
• This slurry is ingested approximately one hour before tendon loading as the bioavailability of glycine (the body’s ability to absorb what’s present) should peak around this time.
• Results have shown statistically significant increases in glycine uptake within the exercise-stimulated collagen fibrils.

It’s really neat stuff, and while I don’t have the space to go into specifics within this article, check out the references at the end of this article to read up more on the findings of these interventions.

Balancing Tendon Performance and Health

Being an athlete is an ongoing battle between optimizing performance and reducing the likelihood of injury. Regarding tendons, athletes, coaches, and rehabilitation specialists should be aware of the relationship between tendon performance and tendon health. As such, the athlete’s training regimen should incorporate the various loading parameters required to optimize tendon performance and tendon health.

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

References

1. Calve S, Dennis RG, Kosnik PE, Baar K, Grosh K, and Arruda EM. “Engineering of functional tendon.” Tissue Engineering. 2004;10(5–6):755–761.

2. Järvinen M. “Epidemiology of tendon injuries in sports.” Clinical Sports Medicine. 1992;11(3):493–504.

3. Ellingson AJ, Pancheri NM, and Schiele NR. “Regulators of collagen crosslinking in developing and adult tendons.” European Cells & Materials. 2022;43:130–152.

4. Fessel G, Gerber C, and Snedeker JG. “Potential of collagen cross-linking therapies to mediate tendon mechanical properties.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 2012;21(2):209–217.

5. Baar K. “Minimizing injury and maximizing return to play: Lessons from engineered ligaments.” Sports Medicine. 2017;47:5­–11.

6. Paxton JZ and Baar K. “Tendon mechanics: the argument heats up.” Journal of Applied Physiology. Published online 2007.

7. Arruda EM, Calve S, Dennis RG, Mundy K, and Baar K. “Regional variations of tibialis anterior tendon mechanics is lost following denervation.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 2006;101(4):1113–1117.

8. Jakobsen JR and Krogsgaard MR. “The myotendinous junction—A vulnerable companion in sports. A narrative review.” Frontiers in Physiology. 2021;12:635561.

9. Ikoma K, Kido M, Nagae M, et al. “Effects of stress-shielding on the dynamic viscoelasticity and ordering of the collagen fibers in rabbit Achilles tendon.” Journal of Orthopaedic Research. 2013;31(11):1708–1712.

10. Keith Baar – “Physical Training, Performance and Injury Prevention”; 2018. Accessed February 11, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgcR5J1dwcY

11. Baar K. “Stress relaxation and targeted nutrition to treat patellar tendinopathy.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2019;29(4):453–457.

12. Paxton JZ, Hagerty P, Andrick JJ, and Baar K. “Optimizing an intermittent stretch paradigm using ERK1/2 phosphorylation results in increased collagen synthesis in engineered ligaments.” Tissue Engineering Part A. 2012;18(3–4):277–284.

13. Levine M and Violet PC. “Breaking down, starting up: can a vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplement before exercise increase collagen synthesis?” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2017;105(1):5–7.

14. Lis DM and Baar K. “Effects of different vitamin C-enriched collagen derivatives on collagen synthesis.” International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. 2019;29(5):526–531.

15. Paxton JZ, Grover LM, and Baar K. “Engineering an in vitro model of a functional ligament from bone to bone.” Tissue Engineering Part A. 2010;16(11):3515–3525.

16. Shaw G, Lee-Barthel A, Ross ML, Wang B, and Baar K. “Vitamin C-enriched gelatin supplementation before intermittent activity augments collagen synthesis.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2017;105(1):136–143.

The two fears we all have when finally deciding to buy equipment are: it is going to collect dust by not being used and/or we overpaid and could have saved some money with a different option. Considering how saturated the market is with equipment (plus the amount of educational content on training athletes being created every day), how could you not have those concerns? Both are totally valid and I am here to offer an affordable, versatile, and simple solution to level up your speed training.

COVID-19 was actually one of the best things to happen where I coach (weird as that sounds, with all things considered) because we had to be creative in multiple ways: how to keep athletes spaced apart and how to use equipment to give a high-quality speed stimulus, all while keeping it simple enough to minimize the amount of touching/cleaning necessary. We had a bunch of the very thick (2.5-inch wide) super bands in our weight room not being used, so we decided to loop them together. This allowed us to keep athletes apart while providing resistance during our acceleration training.

We realized how versatile these double bands were and created more and more drills as time went on, while also utilizing equipment we already had. And, odds are, you just might have some of these super bands collecting dust in your weight room as well…

It’s always worth reiterating that you get what you pay for, but there is inevitably context to add to these kinds of decisions: the size of the operating budget, overall number of athletes being trained, universality of equipment, and so on. For example, a Run Rocket is over $2,000. Would you rather have 1 Run Rocket or 32 sets of double bands? This article is going to explain how—for only $62—you can get an extremely versatile and effective piece of equipment for your speed training. I’ll also give examples of the variety of drills you can perform using these double bands.

I’m not sponsored by EliteFTS, these are just the bands we use. The “strong bands” are only $31 on their website.

Video 1. Get faster for only $60.

Double-Band Drills

For this section, we’ll split the drills into two categories:

1. In-place drills
2. Moving drills

1. In-Place Drills

These types of drills are valuable because they simplify learning something complex—like sprinting—while removing the forward locomotion component. The other half of the band can be anchored by another athlete standing still or by tying it around an immovable object, like a rack or wall hook.

In-place drills are valuable because they simplify learning something complex while removing the forward locomotion component, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

In-Place A-Series (A-March, A-Skip, A-Run). In my opinion, this is the best combination of simple and effective when teaching the A-series. First, it is straightforward. The athlete stays in the same spot so they do not have to worry about horizontal speed. Second, it is self-organizing. There is only a small area underneath the athlete’s hips that they can strike to keep their balance and give them a small forward push to stay in the same spot/not move backwards. Third, the resistance is at the hips. Breaking at the hips is one of the biggest flaws in sprinting posture.

So, in order to do these drills well, the athlete will need to keep their hips in a good position (and it is pretty obvious whether they are doing so). No matter which drill it is, you can coach as little as “stay in the same spot, keep good posture, and hit your A-position every step for 10 steps,” then see how your athletes do.

Video 2. Double-banded in-place A-run with 10+ youth and middle school athletes.

Banded 1-Steps (Forward and Crossover). In speed training, when you want to work on something, you need to exaggerate it. The 1-step is an awesome drill for feeling that big, forward, exaggerated, explosive first step. The increasing resistance as the athlete stretches the double band out has two benefits:

1. It teaches the athlete to really finish the step through triple extension.
2. It slows them down so the landing is less impactful.

Additionally, when performed out of a lateral stance, it can be used to help train the crossover “steal start” for baserunning and the start of a 60-yard dash for baseball players.

Video 3. Double-banded 1-steps with athletes acting as the anchor.

Banded Broad Jumps (Double Leg and Single Leg). Broad jumps are a great way to bridge the gap between traditional explosive exercises (usually aimed at improving the vertical jump) and sprinting. Learning how to drop the shins and create a forward shin angle, combined with an explosive triple extension against resistance, is an effective regression from sprinting itself to help with horizontal explosiveness.

Broad jumps are a great way to bridge the gap between traditional explosive exercises and sprinting, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

Lateral Bound and Lateral “Quick to Stick.” Providing resistance and challenging explosiveness in the frontal plane can be a little trickier than doing so in the sagittal plane. A lateral bound (think about it like a resisted skater jump) teaches the athlete how to organize the body and be fast through a lateral shin angle. This is a common movement pattern in most change-of-direction and agility skills. The lateral “quick to stick” overloads the eccentric component with the band pulling the athlete in, being very similar to the eccentric demands of cutting.

Video 4. Double-banded lateral bound (first 2 reps) and lateral quick to stick (last 2 reps) with the bands anchored to a rack.

Wall Mechanics Drills. Wall drills are foundational for multiple reasons: they’re simple, not moving, and take the arms out of the equation. Examples include the wall load-and-lift and wall switches. However, along the same lines, they can become mastered relatively easily. As no athlete is above foundational sprint drills, putting a band around the athlete’s hips is a simple progression to provide a continued challenge. This can also be used as a specific intervention if your athlete is having issues breaking posture at the hips when sprinting.

2. Moving Drills

These types of drills are valuable building blocks for sprinting by slowing the athletes down enough to focus on mechanics while allowing for high outputs and efforts.

Moving A-Series (A-March, A-Skip, A-Run). This is the next progression of the A-series (obviously), slowing the athlete down enough to focus on mechanics but adding in the challenge of moving forward. Cue them to “move forwards, keep your posture, and hit your A-position on every step”—then see how your athletes do.

Video 5. Double-banded moving A-run for 5 yards.

Heavy Low Marching. I think this is one of the most unique uses of the double bands and one of the most difficult to perform with any other piece of equipment. Think about this like super horizontal A-marching. The combination of providing enough resistance to get an aggressively forward and horizontal shin angle while also moving forward is such a powerful teaching tool for acceleration.

Heavy low marching is one of the most unique uses of the double bands and one of the most difficult to perform with any other piece of equipment, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

Video 6. Double-banded heavy low marching for 10 yards.

Sprints. Depending on how you coach it, you can get a variety of resistances based on how hard the “anchor” (the athlete in the other band) resists the athlete sprinting. I coach:

• “Light resistance,” where the anchor is moving forward at a light jog pace, partially being pulled by the sprinter but still providing some resistance.
• “Medium resistance,” where the anchor is moving forward at a fast walking pace, but they are controlling the pace with their resistance.
• “Heavy resistance,” where the anchor is only moving forward at a slow walking pace.

Video 7. Double-banded sprint for 10 yards with 40+ athletes.

Resisted-Release Sprints. Variable resistance (or resistance that changes intensity throughout the rep), can be very difficult to achieve without specific equipment. However, with a person providing the resistance as the anchor, they can intentionally decrease the amount of resistance they are providing as the rep progresses. Bands work by providing more resistance as they’re stretched, so a moving anchor actually allows you to do the exact opposite, providing a unique stimulus.

Bands work by providing more resistance as they’re stretched, so a moving anchor actually allows you to do the exact opposite, providing a unique stimulus, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

Video 8. Double-banded resist-release with A-run for 3 seconds into a sprint with decreasing resistance.

Shuffling. Again, resisting a movement in the frontal plane is traditionally harder to do than resisting sprinting. However, the double bands provide a great solution with the moving anchor providing resistance while the athlete performs max effort shuffling.

6 Key Benefits of Double-Band Drills

1. Quality of resistance. The double bands are great for providing smooth horizontal resistance, because the stretch of the bands mitigates some of the perturbations in the sprinting cycle. Contrarily, think about how jerky and rough a sled can be during sprinting due to friction halting the sled with the rhythmic pattern of sprinting. Also, putting two bands together as opposed to one gives a high amount of stretch/resistance for a variety of drills and stimuli.

2. Cost-effective. As with everything, there are inexpensive, medium-priced, and expensive options. Speed training equipment can get up to around $20,000—like for a 1080 Sprint, which I am fortunate to have where I coach. And I must say, I use the double bands and 1080 Sprint equally: they both do very different things (as you do get what you pay for), but both are valuable for speed training.

This could be even cheaper if you use just one band instead of two. However, the resistance would be given by an athlete holding the band as opposed to the band being around their hips. This would increase the risk of an athlete getting hurt if they accidentally let go of the band or if it were to slip. Double bands are both safer and more versatile than just one.

Double bands are both safer and more versatile than just one, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

3. More athletes involved. This is also another concern of many coaches when using equipment: the equipment becomes a bottleneck, which increases the number of athletes standing around and waiting. Regardless of whether you are doing in-place drills or moving drills, the double bands need to be anchored to something to provide resistance. Therefore, half your athletes will be doing the drill while the other half are acting as the anchor. It’s a win-win: athlete engagement is increased while minimizing downtime.

Additionally, this provides an opportunity to give some autonomy to your athletes. If they slack when providing resistance, are not smooth when being a moving anchor, or anything else along those lines, it ruins the rep for the athlete performing the drill. Saying something like “help your partner get better right now” or “be a good teammate” usually gets the anchors’ focus.

4. Portability. Bands are light and foldable—you can toss them over your shoulder, put them in your trunk, put them in a big plastic bin, or move them in whatever preferred method of transportation.

5. Minimal space needed. I know what you might be thinking: “Matt, what a thorough and well-done article, but all I have for space is a full weight room.” Perfect, you can do all the in-place drills. If it is fair to assume that a rack with a bunch of weights on it will not move, so you can tie the bands around a rack to be the anchor. Additionally, the moving drills are usually only done 5, 10, or occasionally 15 yards at a time.

6. Durability. As COVID-19 (spring 2020) was the inspiration for the double bands, we have now been using them non-stop for almost 3 years. These double bands have seen every variation of these drills, whether during sunshine or rain, for 100+ high school athletes or explosive professional athletes, or anything in between. Not once have the bands snapped or broken. Now, with that being said, some of the outer layers have started to peel…but some wear is to be expected with any equipment receiving consistent use. And as with any piece of equipment, you should check the status of the bands periodically to make sure they are safe to use.

As with any piece of equipment, you should check the status of the bands periodically to make sure they are safe to use, says @CoachBigToe. Share on X

Cons (or, Con)

There are not too many cons, but there is one big one: getting the bands apart is almost IMPOSSIBLE. It is rubber that has been stretched against rubber and it is tight.

Where I coach, these bands are used exclusively for our speed training, so it is not an issue. But if you plan on going back and forth between single- and double-band use, it might not be the most efficient use of your time (and sanity) trying to get these apart.

Three Twenties Well-Spent

Now, I am not one to judge how you spend your money, but what used to get me nine Chipotle burritos (now more like five) can get you one set of double bands. I am no rocket scientist, but two sets of double bands are the same price as a year of Spotify Premium AND it is only a one-time cost. So, you tell me, would you rather save up for ¼ of a 1080 Sprint or get an entire high school football program (140 athletes) doing speed training at the same time?

The double bands are one of the most cost-effective and versatile pieces of equipment you can buy to take your speed training to the next level. There are a variety of drills both in-place (which are great for teaching, especially in a limited on space) as well as moving (which are great for combining mechanics and high-effort outputs). You should make sure something like this makes the most sense for you before deciding to buy, but three years later, my double bands aren’t collecting dust and are helping my athletes get better.

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

The NFL Combine is an annual event where prospective draftees look to make the jump from college to professional football via the NFL Annual Player Draft. This weeklong experience allows the Draft prospects to showcase their physical and mental abilities to team officials, who use it as the final piece in developing their Draft board. The athletes typically spend the months leading up to this showcase preparing themselves for the very specific testing they will face. The majority of these athletes will select one of many facilities across the nation that specialize in Combine preparation.

For those unfamiliar with Tony Villani and Matt Gates, they operate one of the nation’s most successful NFL Combine training facilities, XPE Sports, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. It isn’t the fancy, high-tech facility you may picture when you think of “Combine Prep.” What is XPE? It’s a high-energy, high-performance facility that, year in and year out, produces the best performances the NFL witnesses at its yearly Draft Combine. Unlike many other facilities that work with Draft Prep athletes, XPE does it with a much smaller number of athletes to keep the trainer-athlete ratio low.

The chart above, taken from a Matt Gates tweet, shows the 40-yard dash event success XPE had in 2022, with only 8% of the total athletes at the Combine being trained at their facility. Needless to say, when you visit XPE during Combine Prep time, you see the world’s best Combine Prep coaches working with some of the best athletes in the world.

I spent two days at XPE during Combine Prep period. To say what I experienced was anything short of amazing would be an understatement, says @MarkHoover71. Share on X

I was blessed to be invited to spend two days at XPE in early February during the midst of the Combine Prep period. To say that what I experienced was anything short of amazing would be an understatement. I walked away with a much more in-depth perspective of what happens inside this “speed laboratory.” While I left with many more details, I wanted to outline my top five takeaways from this eye-opening experience.

1. Combine training is not football-specific training; for the most part, it is task specific.

Obviously, there are football-specific drills being done during this time. However, what jumped out at me during my short visit was how those take a back seat to the preparation for the specific tests the athletes will be evaluated on.

One of the first conversations I happened to eavesdrop on gave some insight into this—a position coach (who may have been employed either by XPE or an individual athlete) was pushing for more on-field skill work. This may not seem like an unusual request at face value—within the landscape of a precision work/rest to peak performance schedule of a high-performance facility, though, it is a potential issue. Everything is scheduled and accounted for in the XPE performance model, including:

• Training
• Rest and recovery
• Nutrition
• Physical therapy

Adding more stress to this could potentially impact the detailed and very task-specific preparation plan.

“Our process takes precedence this time of year,” was the response. “They won’t lose their ability to play football in six weeks.”

The reality is that these athletes are not there to be better football players—while football specific-drills have a place during Combine Prep, the sole purpose of this once-in-a-lifetime preparation period is to prepare for the best performance possible in each of the Combine events. I heard Tony tell his athletes, “This will be the most important and most likely last 40 you will ever be timed in.” The scouts and coaches have watched film: they know what each player is capable of on the field. Draft status—and the financial potential that comes with a top-notch performance—are the primary goals during this period.

As an athletic performance/development professional who works with student-athletes at the high school level, my personal takeaway was that we have to recognize there may be times that we must make training adjustments based on things the athlete may face, even if it’s outside of our comfort zone.

We have to recognize there may be times that we must make training adjustments based on things the athlete may face, even if it’s outside of our comfort zone, says @MarkHoover71. Share on X

A sports coach may demand performance on a conditioning test that we see as pointless or misused. But if the athlete will be judged by it, we need to put aside our bias and do our job by preparing the athlete for it. Most recognize that the best Combine performances are often achieved by players who end up not being good enough at the game to make it in the League. Still, if the gateway to entry is a 40 or a timed 18 100 test, our job is to give the athlete the best possible preparation for it.

2. The level of speed and quickness compared to a high school or college training session is eye-opening.

This sounds like a “thank you, Captain Obvious” statement. And I absolutely 100% expected to see a significant difference in the speed and quickness of potential NFL players compared to high school or even the average college-level player. But the reality of it gave me chills.

When we have an athlete at the high school level run a 4.5 laser-timed 40, it’s a huge moment. We celebrate it, and rightfully so. The number of combine prep guys that ran past me at 4.5 or above (to quote my friend Cody Hughes, who also spent time at XPE this year) “could be counted on one hand.” I’ve never been to a NASCAR event (and I am not a fan), but my friends who go to the races live will say, “The speed and sound the cars make as they pass by give you chills.”

Standing 3 feet or less away from this group of Combine guys as they flew past—you can feel a true 4.2 or 4.3 guy as he passes. The pure force they put out also has a different sound than anything I’m used to. When we sit in the stands or watch these guys on TV, we are watching the top 1% compete against the top 1%. The difference between this level of athlete and what the ordinary high school coach sees on a daily basis is massive.

While the speed and size of these guys were notable, one thing really separated them from the vast majority of athletes I have worked with: not only the sheer force and power they put into the ground as they take their initial steps (linear or lateral steps) but also the force behind their limb movement. No rolling start, long build-up, flailing arms, or less-than-optimal range of motion. These guys PUSHED and ripped through the start, and it shot them by me like they came out of a cannon. Not just once in a while, either. Every single rep, everything they did.

If I could bring any message back to the athletes I work with, that would be the main one. Put force into the ground with the proper angles and mechanics, and let physics do what it does.

If I could bring any message back to the athletes I work with, it would be this: Put force into the ground with the proper angles & mechanics and let physics do what it does, says @MarkHoover71. Share on X

Coming from a high school coaching perspective, another observation I shared with one of the XPE guys was the difference it would make having just ONE of these types of athletes on your high school team. There’s a lot of talk on social media about what type of impact a coach has on wins and losses at that level. While I am not downplaying the importance of coaching, if the school you coach at produces even one player of this caliber per year, you will be a pretty good coach, regardless. If you play against these types of guys, you better have some to match. Otherwise, you may be the best coach in America and probably still won’t win.

3. Watching the current NFL players train with the Combine guys allows you to see what professionalism is.

XPE has turned out a long list of Hall of Fame and high-level NFL performers. While I was on-site, I was able to see several current and former NFL players either working in the drills or actually leading them. While they are all incredible athletes (obviously), one characteristic stood out more than anything: the level of “professionalism” with which, to a player, they all carried themselves.

From one of the NFL all-time reception leaders to the All-Pro Caliber player all the way to the practice squad member or USFL star I was able to observe, they all had “it.” How would I define “it”? That’s tough to put into words, but my biggest takeaway was that “it” is characterized by intense and obsessive attention to detail during training.

I’m sure plenty of great athletes may not have “it” and are talented enough to still be great. The guys I saw at XPE? It was an across-the-board characteristic. Their focus on being in the moment and task-oriented was incredible to see. When they realized they missed a step or did something they didn’t mean to do–whether a coach or other player called them out or not—they self-corrected and refused to take a bad rep. It was inspiring and made me wonder what a force multiplier that would be if high school coaches could somehow make that a more common occurrence at our level.

This also helped me look at the Combine and really see who was ahead of the game and already shared some of those characteristics. I noted a few and asked the staff about those particular guys. They ranged from a potential first-round pick to a couple of Pro Day guys who are long shots. The one common characteristic was that the XPE staff regarded each as a guy who would likely exceed their Draft Day potential and probably play well in the NFL.

I saw the power of Anquan Bolden and his effect on the younger athletes as well. When he spoke? They listened and took everything he said seriously. It was awesome to see him pouring his knowledge into these guys.

Yet another force multiplier at our level is allowing more experienced athletes to step in to teach the less experienced ones. This model of giving back should be standard practice at all levels. Share on X

It also reaffirmed the power we have as coaches—we have the ability to stack that type of learning in our programs, whether it’s having a star varsity athlete teaching our youth players or a college/NFL alumnus coming back to do the same with that star varsity player. Yet another force multiplier at our level is allowing the more experienced athletes to step in to teach the less experienced ones. Our voices are heard daily, for years. This model of giving back should be standard practice at all levels.

4. The areas where performance breaks down from a technical standpoint are common across levels.

Believe it or not, this is not much different for most of the Combine or even NFL guys than it is for the high school athletes I work with. The reaction to the coaching tends to be a bit different. The level of self-organization to improve based on experience does too. But the performance breakdowns, such as poor foot placement, improper mechanics, less than optimal movements, etc., seem to be the same across the board.

For example, at one point, a current NFL player and four middle school players were working on eight-vector cuts: 45, 90, 135, and 0. Tony coached up the same initial mistakes from all five. Of course, the speed and power taking place were vastly different, but as an example, the NFL guy and the 13-year-olds were all stepping too far outside their body on the 45-degree cut when the drill began.

The drills the group did to prepare for a laser-timed sprint also sounded a lot like the drills at my school (at least initially). “Put force into the ground” or “force into form” are cues I heard at XPE as well as when I returned to my coaching job later in the week.

Also, while I was there, I was told there was an athlete who could be great, but “They don’t push themselves enough, and it hurts them.” Sound familiar to everyone who’s ever attended a middle school or high school workout? Probably.

One common factor exists with every athlete, from the youngest you work with to the 13-year NFL vet—they are still not a finished product, says @MarkHoover71. Share on X

The bottom line is that one common factor exists with every athlete, from the youngest you work with to the 13-year NFL vet—they are still not a finished product. This is an important point that I brought back to our athletes. If Courtland Sutton is still working hard to be a better player, then there is no excuse for us to believe we have achieved all we can as athletes while in high school.

Another thing that leaped out at me was how many of these high-level players struggled with some of the most basic movement skills compared to others in their group. I’m fairly certain this is because their pure athletic ability was enough at their previous level, so they could get away with neglecting some of the basics. Many of these guys were so athletic that worrying about the small things seemed redundant. It got me thinking about what would be possible with a team of athletes for whom, regardless of talent, basic movement skills were the priority. I think that thought alone could be a powerful tool for any high school coach who would choose to embrace it.

5. Your athletes are not always entirely YOUR athletes.

This is a well-known reality for all high school coaches—we deal with athletes being pulled in all directions. Club coaches, parents, sports coaches, private trainers…the list goes on. I didn’t realize until my visit how much of an issue it was even at this level.

The trainers and coaches preparing athletes for a chance to play at the premier level of their sport still deal with private coaches pulling athletes into their sphere of influence. They also have position coaches (as stated above) who are anxious to get their influence in. Then there are agents and (believe it or not) parents or friends…and they all want to have their input. While I was at XPE, an athlete who had been contacted by a private skill coach during the Combine training decided to do extra sessions outside of the XPE world. That private trainer blasted it on social media, which luckily alerted the XPE crew and the player’s agent, both of whom made sure the athlete knew what a bad idea it was.

Just like we, as high school coaches, are not really able to order the kids not to play club during a varsity season or not to attend a personal trainer, etc., this remains just a strong suggestion even for this level of athlete. In this case, the athlete understood what was at stake, but often our athletes either don’t buy into what we say on the issue or don’t care. That’s just part of the landscape. However, the diplomatic, fact-based discussion that was had showed us a very important lesson: We can’t force athletes to stop doing these things; we just have to do our best to educate and inform about the potential adverse outcomes of working outside the plan.

The Most Important Takeaway

The most important takeaway of spending a few days with elite trainers preparing elite athletes to play an elite professional sport? It was how much I learned from being a fly on the wall that I could bring back to my athletes.

The most important takeaway of spending a few days with elite trainers preparing elite athletes to play an elite professional sport? It was how much I learned that I could bring back to my athletes. Share on X

The things I was able to add to my toolbox that will benefit the players I work with were numerous. It was an eye-opener for me, to say the least. Obviously, there will be a curve as to how I will use the exact methods when working with a younger level. However, the basic principles that XPE uses to help their athletes blow the doors off the Combine every year are the same.

I would encourage you to get to know Tony, Matt, and the rest of the XPE crew. Seeing them work their craft was truly a thing I will never forget. From the warm-up to the guys hitting PRs on the ShredMill and transferring those to insane fly 10 times, it was an amazing experience.

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

Too many people complicate their conditioning work and intervals by trying to get their athletes into the “fat-burning zone” or train at their lactic threshold, etc. The only thing is, those will be different for different people, and each prescribed interval session has a different effect based on how fit your athletes are at the time.

As a university strength and conditioning coach, I have to write conditioning programs for six different sports (12 teams). I dove into the research, read many books on the subject, and thought I was an expert in cardiovascular health and improvements. Then I tried to apply these specific protocols with the different teams, hoping each team would increase their fitness to the specific level required by their sport.

Do you know what happened?

Not that!

The prescriptions were too confusing and too hard to follow. I tried individualizing their conditioning work using the Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) protocol by basing their distances and interval times off their most recent fitness testing scores (Yo-Yo, mile run, Bronco, etc.). Most athletes didn’t do the workouts at all or just went for a 5-kilometer run instead. So, after all that hard research (which is great knowledge to have moving forward), at the end of the day, simplicity wins (Keep It Simple Stupid—KISS). Shocker.

At the end of the day, simplicity wins. I now prescribe minute intervals as conditioning for both my athletes and my non-athlete clients, says @chergott94. Share on X

What I have settled on now, especially in-season for our athletes as a measure of top-up to their fitness levels, and what I prescribe to all my non-athlete clients are minute intervals. Short, to the point, and deadly.

How It Works

There are three protocols.

1. The first is very high-intensity work with longer rests (anaerobic alactic). The athletes push as hard as they can (maximal effort) for 10 seconds. Then they rest for 50 seconds (the remainder of a minute) and repeat for the number of sets you want for them (more on that later).
   • I recommend most of my teams hit the bike for this sort of protocol, as they can push harder on a bike than if they were running outside or on a treadmill. Regardless of sport (rugby, soccer, basketball, etc.), it gets them off their feet and hammering the intervals as hard as they can.

2. The second is high-intensity work, but starting to hit that lactic feeling in their legs that many sadistic folks crave. They push hard for 20 seconds and rest for 40 seconds. Repeat for the number of intervals you want.
   • These are really easy to run in a shuttle fashion. I often get my athletes to set a distance (e.g., 10 meters) and run back and forth as many times as they can in that time. That way, they get some change of direction work, reducing hamstring injury risk (instead of sprinting all-out for 20 seconds in a straight line).

3. The third session is for sure giving them jelly legs as they push moderately hard for 30 seconds, then rest for only 30 seconds before repeating. So, the work isn’t as high as the other two, but the rest is shorter to compensate.
   • I recommend my teams hit the bike, or they can shuttle these as well. These intervals could also be done as hard tempos, but once again, for the sake of the hamstrings, a shuttle is best (e.g., 10m–20m) or hitting the bike.

As you can see, each interval adds up to a minute (hence the name). I love these intervals for many reasons, but the simplicity of the timing is great because even if the athletes don’t have a timer app on their phone (which everyone does nowadays) or they forgot their phone altogether, they can simply look at a clock, watch, etc. and easily keep track of the time.

Second, they can do these on any equipment they have—rower, bike, treadmill, stair climber, jog outside, shuttle runs, etc. Any and all modes of cardio equipment will get the job done. As mentioned before, having athletes hit the bike allows them to push harder, which is more beneficial for the 10:50 protocol while also reducing the joint stress for impact sports (soccer, rugby, basketball).

Sprinting is good for conditioning and is obviously more “sports-specific” for running sports. Still, as mentioned above, I recommend putting these into a shuttle format so that athletes aren’t just all-out sprinting for 20–30 seconds (which would be close to 200 meters). This will reduce hamstring injuries for sure, and if there is one thing we all know, if an athlete gets hurt doing your conditioning work, that is bad news for you!

Next, these minute intervals are very easy to start with for programming. As for the specific number of intervals, I usually start my athletes off with 10. It is a nice round number, and that also means it only takes 10 minutes to complete (which doesn’t sound that intimidating until you are four intervals deep and have six to go). Another reason I love the simplicity of the format is that the athletes can just do as many intervals as they have time for. If they only have five minutes to hit conditioning after their lift, they just do five. It’s as simple as that!

Lastly, progressing the intervals is a very straightforward process. An easy way is to simply add a rep each week or so. So, week one, you do 10, week two, you do 11, and so on.

You can also play around with which option you prefer based on their training schedule. If they do their conditioning work three times a week, you could do the 10/50 on Monday, 20/40 on Wednesday, and 30/30 on Friday. Boom! Simple.

Now, if they only do conditioning twice a week, they could still rotate through by hitting 10/50 on Tuesday, 20/40 on Thursday, and then 30/30 on the following Tuesday. This would lead them back to the 10/50 that Thursday. That way, they still hit all three interval sessions, but they are just spread out more.

Which Methods Is Best for Me?

This is a question I often get asked by my athletes and clients; as always, the answer is that it depends. Primarily, it depends on what area of their fitness is lacking the most for your athletes individually.

• Do they get tired easily at the beginning of a high-intensity shift or play? Then maybe ramp up the 10/50 protocol, so they have the alactic capacity to push each time.
• If their legs get that burning feeling after only 10–15 seconds of work/play? Then give the 20/40 a go to try and push that feeling until later so you can perform more optimally longer by pushing your lactic threshold a bit higher (increase lactate clearance ability).
• And lastly, if they find that halfway through their shift or by the end of the shot clock they are gassed, then the 30/30 will help with that by increasing lactic tolerance. (Because after a hard 30 seconds, it will build up, but we want to make sure they can push through it.)

As you can see, there are many options for progress and variability with the minute intervals, which is why I like the method so much, says @chergott94. Share on X

As you can see, there are many options for progress and variability with the minute intervals, which is why I like the method so much. At the end of the day, each of these will give your athletes a killer session—they won’t enjoy them much (sorry), but they will give them the fitness levels and cardiovascular gains they seek.

So pick your modality, pick your option, and get after it!

Peace. Gains.

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’m so excited to be welcoming Boo Schexnayder back to The Seminar this July—his presentation at Union Fitness last spring on return to play was fantastic, and this year we’re bringing him back to talk about what many would say is Coach Boo’s bread and butter: how to make athletes faster. His resume is second to none and only eclipsed by how great a person he is and how willing he is to share to help coaches get better. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

CVASPS: What are a handful of the mistakes you routinely see made by strength and conditioning coaches in the United States and around the world, and what specifically do you feel should be done differently to correct these issues?

Boo Schexnayder: I am hesitant to make critical statements about a profession in general, but I think there are some directions that S&C coaching culture has taken us in that can be improved. First, we have yet to move from a muscle-based model to a neural-based model.

There are some directions that S&C coaching culture has taken us in that can be improved. First, we have yet to move from a muscle-based to a neural-based model, says @BooSchex. Share on X

These athletes are talented not because of the characteristics of their muscles but because of the effectiveness of the nervous system in activating muscle—and few of our training constructs are designed with improving recruitment and rate coding in mind. As a result, speed and power are very misunderstood, strength training is not quality-based, and rehabilitations take far longer than they should. Knee-jerk reactions to new technology and research also produce an array of problems.

CVASPS: What advice would you give a coach to improve their knowledge as a process of continuing education? By which I mean, can you point our readers in a few concrete directions to find the scientific and practical information to improve the methods used to improve performance?

Boo Schexnayder: I feel strongly that mentorship may be the most productive means of professional improvement for young coaches. While it does limit the diversity of viewpoints you are exposed to, it’s a good way to get into the ballpark quickly as a young coach. I think it’s important to recognize that 5% of your training program should act as a working laboratory because the answers you find on your own are always the most meaningful.

Lastly, all professions, including ours, tend to become inbred. We talk to each other too much and fail to reach outside the commonly accepted boundaries of our professional coaching culture into other fields. I think there is a lot to learn that can be applied by studying other sports, the medical and therapy fields, psychology, philosophy, engineering, history, and so many other fields that would view our problems and potential solutions in an entirely different light.

CVASPS: For readers unfamiliar with your history, can you provide some background on your niche in the world of athletics, the educational/career path you took en route to your current role, and any notable publications, courses, or products you have available that you’d like to direct readers toward to dive deeper?

Boo Schexnayder: I started as a high school coach, coaching football and track, and eventually moved into collegiate track coaching, coaching a year at Blinn (Junior) College, three years at Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette), and then 13 years at LSU. During that time, I had a good bit of success turning out winning athletes at the national and world levels. I was fortunate that my success opened some doors for me, so I also became very involved in clinics and coaching education and began working with potential NFL players in Combine prep.

I left LSU in 2007 and continued international-level coaching and coaching education projects, and I began consulting in various sports and levels. I returned to LSU for another five-year stint as strength coach for track and field in 2017 and retired from the university in 2022. I continue to do a lot of clinics, write a lot of curricula for coaching education programs, mentor lots of younger coaches, teach coaching education courses, and perform consulting work for many NCAA programs, professional sports teams, and a few foreign countries. I operate a website, sacspeed.com, where you can read articles I have written and learn more about me and the materials I have to offer.

CVASPS: Can you provide a sneak peek at the topic you will be covering at The Seminar and a few valuable takeaways on the presentation for those who may not be able to attend?

Boo Schexnayder: The topic is “Critical Factors in Speed Development.” I plan to get very detailed about speed/power development programming. I think 75% of athletes never reach their genetic potential for speed, and I’ll explain why. I’ll look at effective speed training practices and the common programming mistakes we make. Speed development training is generally undervalued as far as the way it increases the effectiveness of the strength (and other) programs, so we’ll examine speed training not only as a way to get faster but also as a way to increase the overall effectiveness of the program.

(In my session at The 2023 Seminar) I’ll examine speed training not only as a way to get faster but also as a way to increase the overall effectiveness of the program, says @BooSchex. Share on X

I’ve also observed over the years that many coaches design effective speed training that looks great on paper but doesn’t work well. Speed acquisition doesn’t happen because other portions of the program are set up in an incompatible way. I’ll go into detail about how to avoid these common mistakes. We’ll even touch on how these philosophies can be applied in the rehab field.

CVASPS: I hope you enjoyed this brief look into the thoughts of Coach Boo and understand why I’m so excited to have him back on the docket for The 2023 Seminar. Join us at PLAE HQ in Canton, Georgia, on July 21 and 22 for what is going to be an absolutely fantastic event. For more info, tap the link here, and be on the lookout for the next installment of our presenter Q and A’s here on SimpliFaster.

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

Force plates have been growing in popularity in the performance and rehabilitation world due to their unique metrics that may inform player safety and preparedness. Their popularity has expanded beyond research labs now that well-known companies like Vald and Hawkin Dynamics have integrated software to make the user experience much more approachable. Kinvent is newer to this market.

At the end of the day, all force plates measure force; there are, however, little nuances with software that may make one brand desirable over another based on preferences and operations, says MuyVienDPT. Share on X

Kinvent is an interesting addition in the sense that it began with a clinical approach to its software and hardware. In contrast, brands like Vald started from a performance-driven perspective and just recently branched out to the clinical side with Vald Health. Yes, at the end of the day, all force plates measure force; there are, however, little nuances with software that may make one brand desirable over another based on preferences and operations. This review will give you an idea of what to expect with the Kinvent KForce plate and help you decide if this is the right purchase for your current operations.

Technical Specifications

The elephant in the room cannot be ignored: you cannot perform jumps on KForce plates. Due to reports of calibration, collection, and syncing issues with the generation 2 plates, the company removed the feature for new users. If prior users with the function attempt to jump on them, the company won’t cover any damages or malfunctioning of the plates caused by the jumps. Although the company offers the more expensive Delta force plates, the removal of the jumping ability still leaves users with more to desire, given that the company sells a “jump frame” for these force plates and more than doubled the load capacity. If these could handle jumps, these would be a bargain at the current price range (as were their generation 2 plates before all the issues).

Because of the inability to assess jumps, I don’t recommend KForce plates for performance coaches or rehab specialists in high performance. However, they do perform well for the majority of rehab specialists and fitness specialists who find data from stationary movements valuable.

Given its relatively low price, these third-generation KForce plates offer a good middle ground for those looking for a device to measure non-impact forces, balance, and weight shift. Share on X

With the removal of jumps, it is hard to decide whether to compare these to force mats or force plates (figure 1). They are cheaper than force mats, yet more practical and applicable, but they are less useful than their more expensive competitors. Given their relatively low price, they offer a good middle ground for those looking for a device to measure non-impact forces, balance, and weight shift (figure 2). However, the customer must determine whether they desire that middle ground.

The removal of the jump assessment is a large disappointment—however, users can still utilize the increased load capacity with isometric mid-thigh pulls. Their previous load capacity was not high enough for elite athletes and was not at the standard capacity of their competitors. Additionally, their sampling rate is now as high as competitors, with an upgrade from 75 Hz to 1,000 Hz; 1,000 Hz is recommended for human movement assessments.¹ Kinvent suggests the sampling rate can be programmed up to 4,000 Hz; however, most users will not need that high of a sampling rate.

Kinvent’s battery life continues to be legendary, and they have upgraded it from the generation 2 force plates. To give an example, I’ve heavily used the generation 2 force plates for nine months and only had to charge them twice. The batteries never completely ran out, either.

These generation 3 force plates carry on with this trend, as no charge has been required for more than a month. USB-C ports have also been added, which is very welcome since most devices use the same cord. The package arrives with two charging cords; however, users in the United States will have to purchase the standard United States outlet adapters.

Kinvent’s battery life continues to be legendary, and they have upgraded it from the generation 2 force plates. These generation 3 force plates carry on with this trend, says MuyVienDPT. Share on X

The biggest complaint with the generation 2 force plates was their inability to sync consistently. Errors occurred several times, with one or both force plates losing sync with the tablet before, during, and right after tests. This was extremely frustrating, as users were advised to reinstall the app, restart the plates, recalibrate the plates, or even all of the above. This is not good when you have lines of athletes waiting to be tested or a busy clinic full of patients who need your attention, or you need to keep reps consistent for research.

Users also had to completely close and re-open the app to test a new user because the force plates would not sync once one user was complete. All that negative feedback led the engineers to focus significantly on the device’s connectivity, and generation 3 units are much improved in that area. An app restart is still needed at times when switching between users, and the force plates still lose sync—however, these errors occur far less frequently.

Hardware

In regard to the hardware, the force plates are a great size—they even accommodate size 15 shoes—yet they remain light and small enough to carry in a backpack (figure 3). This makes them versatile for many athlete and patient populations while also accommodating those who may have concierge services or travel to local teams for monitoring and screening.

Figure 3. Pictured are size 15 shoes on the third-generation force plates. Although they may be perceived as small, large-footed athletes can still perform all the compatible tests without issues.

Although the technical specifications have been upgraded from the second generation, the build quality did not significantly improve (figure 4). The formerly robust and durable surface was replaced with a thinner plastic that does not seem like it can handle impacts over time. The power button was replaced with a rubber button that may be more aesthetically pleasing but is not very pressure-sensitive. Users will have to push the button hard to feel the “click” of the actual button underneath and may sometimes even need to push it with a pen. The LED lights on the top and side remain from the generation 2 version, making it easy for users to see if the plates are on, synced, or charging.

The new Kinvent force plates are a great size—they even accommodate size 15 shoes—yet they remain light and small enough to carry in a backpack, says MuyVienDPT. Share on X

Of note, I evaluated two sets, each made with slightly different materials (figure 4). One came as a part of a kit, and the other came as a standalone set. Overall, the force plates that came with the kit feel more robust and of higher quality. It is undetermined if two different types will exist or if the company will commit to manufacturing just one type.

The Software

A short time before the generation 3 release, Kinvent released the K-physio app and discontinued support for their KForce app. The K-physio app is a significant upgrade and is what all Kinvent users will want. It gives you a host of metrics, such as center of pressure, impulse, peak force, and rate of force development at specific time intervals. The software comes with three different options. The starter package is the best option for KForce users since it gives you access to the most popular tests that these force plates can measure.

The software provides great data visualization, and you can easily save test results to a customized PDF, depending on the software package purchased. This is a nice feature, but it has room for improvement given that competitors allow users to customize exactly which metrics and groups to show/hide—this is important when data is delivered to stakeholders.

While they offer a web platform for desktops, it is lacking (figures 5 and 6). Users who access their data will be missing out on 90% of the mobile app’s functionality. Among the missing features at the time of this review are inabilities to:

• Delete test sessions.
• Edit users.
• See advanced metrics (for jumps).
• Customize reports.
• Make/sort groups.

Most importantly, there is no ability to administer a test.

The desktop app does not pick up or allow the entry of participants’ demographic info. This hinders the daily operations of rehab specialists who need to document and multitask on their laptops.

Training on these plates is a strong point since they offer excellent games. Karl the Kangaroo is their mascot, and the games are goofy enough to get anyone smiling and competitive about it. Users can adjust the difficulty, amount of anteroposterior weight shift, and amount of mediolateral weight shift. I’ve had more than dozens of postoperative athletes, within and between session changes to squat weight shifting, who have been quick and effective with these games.

Lastly, the software is fast-evolving, and Kinvent’s developers seem to release a fix or brand-new feature each month. Although there could be improvement based on the above summary, the software team acts quickly and will likely enhance features even more after the publication of this review.

Score: 7.5/10

These force plates were made for those in clinical settings who, at most, want to measure squatting, balance, and isometric strength objectively. The build quality leaves much to be desired compared to Kinvent’s previous iteration. Still, the new hardware brings technical specifications up to date with their competitors at a relative bargain price.

These force plates were made for those in clinical settings who, at most, want to measure squatting, balance, and isometric strength objectively, says MuyVienDPT. Share on X

The software provides and visualizes enough data for users to make well-informed decisions but lacks the advanced analytic functions of its competitors; the desktop version is severely lacking. Overall, I recommend this more for those in a clinical setting, but anyone working with athletes should look into Kinvent’s Delta force plates, Vald’s Force Decks, or Hawkin Dynamics’ force plates, since they offer the ability to test jumps.

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

Reference

1. Beckham G, Suchomel T, and Mizuguchi S. “Force plate use in performance monitoring and sport science testing.” New Studies in Athletics. 2014;29(3):25–37.