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Whether this is new to you or you’re already an expert, I can bet that you’ve been witness to (or victim of) the Dunning-Kruger effect. This unfortunate phenomenon occurs to nearly everyone who gains some knowledge in an area they are passionate about. In 1991, two researchers at Cornell University discovered there is a cognitive bias that occurs when people with limited knowledge or skills in a particular area overestimate their abilities.

In other words, you do not know what you do not know.

In the study, uneducated individuals had higher levels of confidence when compared to professors and professionals. Anecdotally, you see this happen on universities as 18-year-old freshmen absorb newfound knowledge and begin preaching it around campus. In his book “The Death of Expertise,” Thomas Nichols tells a story of a young undergraduate talking with a professor about his theories in physics at a lecture. After a short back and forth, the student says, “well, I guess your guess is as good as mine.” Laughingly, the published author, doctor, and paid professional speaker responds “No, no, no… my guesses are much, much better than yours.”

Over a decade ago, while working on my Master’s thesis covering the impact of warmup modalities on performance, I began connecting the dots between some of my athletic training/sports medicine courses and my desire to be a strength and conditioning coach. At this time in medieval sports performance history, many high school and college programs still utilized bodybuilding splits as their training philosophy. This segmented the body into upper, lower, and individual “muscle” training components. Thankfully for me, through the internet (pre-Instagram), higher level coaches who applied more holistic training styles began to make an impact—long before the phrase “fascia” was on every fitspo’s page, I had read about tensegrity, which describes how the body’s internal structures work together. Physical therapists would use this knowledge to explain how damage in one area can cause pain in other regions, even if unrelated.

As I began working with more athletes, I observed that those who performed large-chained exercises felt and did better than those who stuck to more traditional weight training. Even in strength sports, I was performing full-body splits and making faster and healthier progress than when I did specific lift or body-split days. Since this was my early Dunning-Kruger phase, I was certain I’d discovered the missing link in sports performance training. I could even summarize it into that one specific and unique word: Tensegrity.

One afternoon, talking with an engineering buddy of mine, I was blabbing about how my industry is behind. Many coaches I met did not know about my word of the week. My big, smug smile was met by an eyebrow raise before he let me know that he too knew about tensegrity, providing a much smarter-sounding definition: “tensile strength, or a system of isolated and compressed components within a network of chords that are under continuous tension.” He continued to explain that without it, most bridges, giant towers, and even stadium roofs could not support themselves. Then he showed me an example of tensegrity tables that look like they are floating on wires but can hold HUNDREDS of pounds of weight.

Apparently…I still had a lot to learn.

What Is Tensile Strength

Around 90% of all muscle injuries are strains, meaning the tissue has been stretched or even torn during the loading process.¹ At the top of list of strained muscles sits the hamstring, with between 13%-29% of all professional non-contact injuries.² If an architect kept designing bridges that collapsed under stress, they would quickly find themselves jobless (or in jail).

In the world of professional sports, where millions of dollars are at stake, we do not see the same accountability. As strength coaches and sports medicine practitioners, we cannot control everything—but, we should be able to reduce the risks in our program. Tensile strength is the maximum amount of stress a material can withstand before breaking when its pulled or stretched. This includes soft tissue like muscles, ligaments, and myofascia.

Tensile strength is the maximum amount of stress a material can withstand before breaking when its pulled or stretched. This includes soft tissue like muscles, ligaments, and myofascia, says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

For most objects, the tensile strength can be affected by the direction of load: for example, muscles have higher tensile strength for forces that parallel the fibers as opposed to those that interact perpendicularly. Most human muscle is extremely strong, meaning a strain or tear requires a lot of force happening at the wrong time and place. One study found that just 9mm of a hamstring graft has the tensile strength of 4,360N or 980lbs.³ That is a little bit of muscle for a whole lot of weight.

If the human body is as resilient as it seems, my question is: how in the world are these high-level athletes succumbing to these season-altering injuries every single year?

Tensegrity for the Strength Coach

When most people hear that less than a centimeter of muscle can withstand over 900 pounds of force, they might wonder how injuries could ever happen. Once we add in the knowledge that a foot impacting the ground at max sprint speed has the potential to be over 1,000 pounds on contact, it starts to make more sense. When we think of biomechanics, we can break it down into two categories:

1. Kinetics, which is the study of external forces on the body.
2. Kinematics, which is the study of movement based on these forces.

This concept has been referred to as the kinetic chain by many and it alludes to the adage “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” If a piece of connective tissue (fascia) is unable to manage the load put on it—BAM—there goes the season. This can occur due to existing trauma, repetitive poor mechanics, or an acute situation. Strength coaches must also examine the adaptation timelines of the body. Significant neuromuscular adaptations (strength) can be seen in as few as 2 weeks, with even greater changes each sequential week; and, then, significant hypertrophic changes by the 4^th week.⁴ With connective tissue, on the other hand, changes occur much more slowly, with noticeable changes occurring at the 3- to 6-month mark and significant development typically happening after 6 months.⁵

Our muscles out-pace their connective components by 4 to 6 times, creating a real imbalance in athletes. Even more confounding is that connective tissue also detrains at a faster rate than its muscular counterpart, says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

This means that our muscles out-pace their connective components by 4 to 6 times, creating a real imbalance in athletes. Even more confounding is the current understanding that connective tissue also weakens (detrains) at a faster rate than its muscular counterpart. And as individuals continue to age, their connective tissue becomes less elastic, less oxygenated, and “stiffer.”⁶ For years (decades,) the field of sports performance has placed a heavy emphasis on building up the cardiovascular, nervous, and muscular systems, but buried in-between, around, and intertwined through it all is an undefined “myofascial system.” In true Dunning-Kruger form, we’ve had no clue on the impact fascia plays on kinetics and kinematics, nor its delayed timeline, and therefore did not THINK it played a major part—until now.

How Does Fascia Do That?

In 2009, Brisbane, Australia opened one of the most unique bridges ever built, the Kurilpa Bridge. 470 meters long, this bridge uses a combination of steel masts and cables to create tension across the entire structure, making it stable. The amazing part of this sturdy bridge is that it only weighs 560 tons, whereas the Hohenzollern steel bridge, which crosses the Rhine in Germany and covers 409 meters, weighs an astounding 24,000 tons. If you’re like me, you might wonder: how do these two bridges cover similar distances with a 42 times difference in weight?

The answer? Tensegrity. Which is the same principle that allows humans to manage thousands of pounds of force, throw baseballs 90 miles per hour, and lift 3 times their body weight. But how does it work?

Pressure and tension in the human body is created when inward-pulling by muscles and connective tissue against the skeleton allows for the transfer of forces within (kinetics). Our bones act as posts/masts/struts pushing out against the myofascia, allowing forces to transfer between two anatomical points. If we dive even deeper into the tension system, we see that endomysium surrounds each individual muscle fiber, linking them to create a wave of contractile forces within the entire muscle. Our bones are a constant tension point in the body, while the myofascia acts like an adjustable tensegrity unit.

Our bones are a constant tension point in the body, while the myofascial acts like an adjustable tensegrity unit, says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

To visualize: imagine a bridge with permanent posts (bone) in the ground, and the road (muscle) is supported by steel cables (fascia) anchored to both, creating a stable and strong structure (force management). When a bridge gets longer (bigger kinetic chain), the amount of force distribution becomes more crucial; and, if load is not shared properly, a peak point could cause stress and failure in that area (ergo the hamstring strain).

If we look at high level athletes that suffer season-ending, non-contact injuries—like a hamstring strain—the most likely reason is that a single point in the myofascial network was unable to manage the forces being enacted against it (kinematics). Therefore, the “bridge” collapsed.

Now, the question remains, what do we do with this knowledge?

Row or Sail Across the World?

If you were tasked with taking a boat across the entire world, would you rather row or sail? Roughly 200 people attempt to sail the entire ocean each year, while there has been only ONE person to ever row across all 3 oceans in a single year (and he rode his bike in-between to avoid the long trip around the countries). The obvious answer is that sailing is the better choice—aside from not getting blisters on your hands, sails are able to capture larger forces to move the boat. We can look at different types of training like rowing and sailing.

Rowing is a slower, less efficient, more taxing way to create motion. That being said, it is also a great way to make more precise maneuvers or create motion in environments without a lot of wind. Metaphorically, rowing is like traditional body-split training or rehab, where the kinetic chain use is low, limiting the number of points affecting each other.

Rowing/Kinetics with Low Kinematics (slower direction and positions)

• Bodybuilding Splits
• Low-Dynamic Weightlifting
• Rehab
• Machine Lifting

Video 1. Lifts and exercises characterized by low kinematics.

Sailing, on the other hand, will look more like movements that involve the transfer of large forces across multiple structures to create more force management.

Sailing/Kinetics with High Kinematics (higher velocity, acceleration, in positions and direction)

• Sprinting
• Throwing
• Dynamic Weightlifting
• Catching/Decelerating

Video 2. Exercises and activities characterized by high kinematics.

Now here is the secret all those functional-fascial-holistic-mobility-instatok-fitness influencers don’t want you to know – EVERYTHING IS FASCIAL. You cannot contract a muscle without engaging in fascial elements (such as the endomysium). The problem occurs when we either do not prepare the structure in the kinetic chain to withstand the demands we put on it, or we create movements that have high stress points in weaker areas.

If we want to master the large forces on the body (kinetics), we have to figure out the ideal solution for the associated movement (kinematics). When an athlete performs an isolated leg extension, the forces on the body will specifically affect only a few structures. Meanwhile, performing a javelin throw will require force to be transferred and amplified from the toe to the finger. The world’s best body builder is specialized to out-leg-extend the javelin thrower. That means an athlete could perform specific leg extensions to strengthen the VMO; however, if they neglect more dynamic movements in the same area, they have created a “weak” link in the chain.

If we want to master the large forces on the body (kinetics), we have to figure out the ideal solution for the associated movement (kinematics), says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

When most trainers use the word “fascial,” I think they mean multi-limb or large-chain exercises. Many of the ones we see online involve a meticulous, multi-step movement that is in stark contrast to a simple machine or bodybuilding style exercise. But creating large chain movements is only half the battle. We know that fascial elements can take more than 4 times as long to adapt as their muscular counterparts, meaning we should not neglect the higher kinematic (displacement, velocity, and acceleration) training styles. This means that not only are large chain exercises important, performing them at speeds and loads that mimic the demands of the game are too. And, unfortunately, neglecting this fact is most likely what happens to high level athletes as they age.

After a grueling season, many take a small break from working out (understandable), but their return to training may have gaps they do not realize. For many, they might simply get in the weight room and lift without much time spent on higher velocity/load styles of training. Others might only spend time doing sprints and cuts, neglecting their own internal weak points that can’t be specifically targeted on the field. Once the season kicks off, and the stress returns, it’s only a matter of time until—BAM—season’s prematurely over.

Is There a Blueprint for a Tensegrity Bridge?

Before a single pile of concrete is poured, engineers must meticulously draw out blueprints that give guidance for creating a sturdy structure. As strength coaches, we do something similar when we create our micro, macro, and mesocycle plans for teams and programs. A major difference is that we do not submit our plans to a committee that double-checks our work to make sure we have everything we need.

Like a city planner checking local code before a blueprint can be approved, we need to understand the expectations of each athlete’s sport, says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

Typically, WE must audit our own training plans and make sure we are filling all the essential buckets—and not only for performance, but also for durability. Like a city planner checking local code before a blueprint can be approved, we need to understand the expectations of each athlete’s sport. Here are the five pillars that a program should consider when “building” an athlete.

1. Load

The greatest load an athlete typically experiences will be during a decelerative moment. Some sports, like soccer, can have over 650 decelerations during a game, with over 70 of them being high g-force (6-8G).⁷ These large forces, occurring hundreds of times per game, mean we need a high capacity of force management in soccer players. We can achieve this either in the weight room with different-intensites of training, eccentric overload, or other traditional modalities.

Combat sports like football, however, have decelerations that can be as high as 40Gs.⁸ Although neither of these loads will be touched in the weight room, improving neurological stiffness and joint control is a great way to improve load management and strengthen soft tissue for the season. Likewise, these athletes should be performing high-intensity decelerations to match the impact and volume they might see in a game. This can involve sprinting to a hard stop, or simple depth drops from large heights.

Football players should be performing high-intensity decelerations to match the impact and volume they might see in a game. This can involve sprinting to a hard stop, or simple depth drops from large heights. Share on X

2. Velocity

Sports with a limited arena size, like volleyball or basketball, are not going to have the same velocity demands that a field athlete would experience. Many soccer and football players are clocked sprinting at over 20 mph during breakaways in a game. When dealing with skill players, we need to make sure they are entering into high velocity sprints during their preparatory phases to help adapt their bodies to the high speed/stress they will encounter.

Likewise, athletes that throw and hit can suffer from a caveat of bodily ailments if they do not prepare themselves. Many people only think about the shoulder or elbow—which are very important!—but if any part of the chain becomes inhibited, the kinematics of movement can change and therefore injuries might be more likely. For example, a female volleyball player can spike a ball at 45-60 mph. A common volleyball injury is a back strain, which can inhibit the way a player rotates and thus puts more strain on the arm itself. Like a bridge, when one cable goes, the next is stressed more and then a chain sequence occurs. To mimic certain velocity components, these athletes can perform throws with weighted balls that allow their kinetic chain to mimic velocities up to a point, without year-round stress on their shoulders or elbows.

3. Displacement

Sports involve covering large spaces, at times quickly and at times slowly. They also involve the body maintaining a position while “stretching” itself to cover more ground or more degrees of motion. If the only time an athlete enters a space—kinematically or literally—is during a game, the likelihood of catastrophe increases. Not only are the impacts of these movements felt by the structures, but the quality of these movements can be inhibited if the athlete is uncoordinated and unfamiliar.

If the only time an athlete enters a space—kinematically or literally—is during a game, the likelihood of catastrophe increases, says @endunamoo_sc. Share on X

Basketball players jump maximally 40-50 times per game, and these are predominantly vertical in nature—but what happens when they are not?⁹ These athletes could benefit from performing horizontal jump variations that still build power, but also improve the variable stressors on tissues and coordination. Likewise, many basketball players jump, defend, and run from a higher standing position than other sports—but what happens when they get low to make a play? Incorporating larger ROM training that strengthens them in unique but realistic positions is also important.

4. Acceleration

American football players perform around 35-40 high intensity accelerations over 3.5ms per game. ¹⁰ Depending on their position, volleyball players can perform 45-90 jumps (accelerations) per game. ¹¹ Training for both the volume and intensity demands of the many accelerations athletes execute should be at the top of the list for a strength & conditioning coach.

We can mimic some of these qualities in the weight room with velocity-based training, but you will not see a barbell move at 3.5ms—you’d be pressed to get 1.5ms. We can also include plyometrics like standing jumps, but these are typically less than 3ms as well. To achieve some of the acceleration demands athletes have, we also want to perform running jumps, which can reach over 9ms, and short, maximal effort sprints.¹²

5. Large Chain

In my opinion, these are the movements most people think about when they hear the term fascial training. A quick TikTok search shows hundreds of videos, ranging from stretching to calisthenics to sumo-stance-heel-elevated-deep-goblet-squats. Regardless of each video’s differences, they all share the common trend of elaborate, large-chain movements. This is because a major principle of tensegrity is it requires a NETWORK of compression and tension to be efficient. The more simple and small chain the exercise—a leg extension, for example—the fewer components are brought in, and therefore the less “fascial” it is.

In my program, we have some movements that we describe as “toes to fingertips.” These can be done slow, high load, low load, and fast, but we aim to do them most training sessions. Many yoga stretches that require a large reach are considered slow. An example of a high-load movement would be a close-grip, overhead squat (if you haven’t tried these, I would highly recommend it). For low-load movements, we implement large kettlebell swings or medicine ball slams. Finally, for fast, this can include everything from sprinting to throwing medballs to throwing baseballs to sprinting while throwing medballs and baseballs—or whatever complex movement you can think of.

Bridging Tensegrity and Fascia

If today was the first time you heard the word tensegrity—but the millionth time you head the word fascia—that’s okay. Both terms relate to the same concept, that humans are complex and resilient when we train them right. No engineer, regardless of how smart they thought they were, built the world’s best bridge on their first draft.

With years of knowledge comes an understanding that things are complicated and we must continue to pursue the best way to get the job done. People will still perform sub-par offseason programs, and million-dollar athletes will have season ending injuries that could be mitigated with a better plan. It’s our jobs to show them the blueprints and start building.

References

1. Delos D, Maak TG, Rodeo SA. Muscle injuries in athletes: enhancing recovery through scientific understanding and novel therapies. Sports Health. 2013 Jul;5(4):346-52. doi: 10.1177/1941738113480934. PMID: 24459552; PMCID: PMC3899907

2. Okoroha KR, Conte S, Makhni EC, Lizzio VA, Camp CL, Li B, Ahmad CS. Hamstring Injury Trends in Major and Minor League Baseball: Epidemiological Findings From the Major League Baseball Health and Injury Tracking System. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019 Jul 30;7(7):2325967119861064. doi: 10.1177/2325967119861064. PMID: 31431899; PMCID: PMC6685122.) (Hui Liu, William E. Garrett, Claude T. Moorman, Bing Yu, Injury rate, mechanism, and risk factors of hamstring strain injuries in sports: A review of the literature, Journal of Sport and Health Science, Volume 1, Issue 2, 2012, Pages 92-101, ISSN 2095-2546

3. Boniello MR, Schwingler PM, Bonner JM, Robinson SP, Cotter A, Bonner KF. Impact of Hamstring Graft Diameter on Tendon Strength: A Biomechanical Study. Arthroscopy. 2015 Jun;31(6):1084-90. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2014.12.023. Epub 2015 Feb 19. PMID: 25703286.

4. Bontemps B, Gruet M, Louis J, Owens DJ, Miríc S, Erskine RM, Vercruyssen F. The time course of different neuromuscular adaptations to short-term downhill running training and their specific relationships with strength gains. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022 Apr;122(4):1071-1084. doi: 10.1007/s00421-022-04898-3. Epub 2022 Feb 18. PMID: 35182181; PMCID: PMC8927009.

5. Brumitt J, Cuddeford T. CURRENT CONCEPTS OF MUSCLE AND TENDON ADAPTATION TO STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2015 Nov;10(6):748-59. PMID: 26618057; PMCID: PMC4637912.

6. MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); (updated Jun 24; cited 2020 Jul 1).

7. Maximum Acceleration And Deceleration’s Significance for an Athletes’ Physical Development.

8. Ellen Kuwana. Neuroscience for Kids. Long-term effects of concussions in football players. May 18, 2004.

9. Pliauga V, Kamandulis S, Dargevičiūtė G, Jaszczanin J, Klizienė I, Stanislovaitienė J, Stanislovaitis A. The Effect of a Simulated Basketball Game on Players’ Sprint and Jump Performance, Temperature and Muscle Damage. J Hum Kinet. 2015 Jul 10;46:167-75. doi: 10.1515/hukin-2015-0045. PMID: 26240660; PMCID: PMC4519207.)

10. Delves, R.I.M., Aughey, R.J., Ball, K. et al.The Quantification of Acceleration Events in Elite Team Sport: a Systematic Review. Sports Med – Open7, 45 (2021).

11. Lima RF, Silva AF, Matos S, de Oliveira Castro H, Rebelo A, Clemente FM, Nobari H. Using inertial measurement units for quantifying the most intense jumping movements occurring in professional male volleyball players. Sci Rep. 2023 Apr 10;13(1):5817. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-33056-8. PMID: 37037981; PMCID: PMC10086049.

12. Shaw KP, Hsu SY. Horizontal distance and height determining falling pattern. J Forensic Sci. 1998 Jul;43(4):765-71. PMID: 9670497.

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We have all mindlessly scrolled through our Instagram, Twitter, or Tik Tok and come across “sport specific” exercises posted by a fitness influencer. Some of these exercises or methods posted might have some value, but there is a subset that are over the top and utterly ridiculous. Think of a basketball player standing on a Bosu ball while dribbling and claiming to be working on balance or an athlete Icky-shuffling through an agility ladder and saying they are working on speed. These exercises, of course, would have no transfer to balance or speed relating to their sports—it is simply eyewash that delivers zero transfer.

The social media landscape is a great place for coaches to share ideas and interact with each other, so by no means am I suggesting social media is bad. But, with that being said, when scrolling through those platforms, be wary of nonsense and exercises that could have no potential transfer to the athletes’ sport. When laying the foundation for an athlete’s training, coaches often follow the principle of general to specific. This poses two simple questions;

• What is general?
• What is specific?

This article will aim to clear the murky water and guide you on this road of general and specific preparation, focusing on specific methods to train acceleration and horizontal force production.

What is Specific?

General training should eventually bleed into more specific training for more advanced athletes. This leads us to the question of what even is specific training? What classifies as a specific exercise? When should this shift even occur?

Specific training, in my opinion, is taking a characteristic of sport or competition and replicating some aspect of it in training. For example, we know that acceleration has a horizontal direction of force component, so we may find exercises that promote horizontal force output.

Video 1. Hip extension progression and regression.

In their book Supertraining, Yuri Verkhoshansky and Mel Siff describe the concept of dynamic correspondence as a term used to describe the transfer of exercise. The principles that make up dynamic correspondence are:

• Amplitude and direction of movement.
• Accentuated region of force production.
• Dynamics of effort.
• Rate and time of force production.
• Regime of muscular work.

These principles are surely valid, but I think there are some other factors that should be considered when looking to program specific exercises. For example, ground contact time (GCT), horizontal or vertical force application, and power output, just to name a few.

As stated earlier, we just want to take some characteristics of sport and try to implement this into our training. Let’s take a look at acceleration, for example, since acceleration is present in nearly every sport. Some key components of acceleration are:

• Hip extension.
• Horizontal force output.
• Concentric muscle action upon zero-step.
• Ground contact times that range around .25 seconds.

With these factors in mind, we can select exercises to target these qualities of acceleration. As we get closer to sport we want exercises that promote aggressive hip extension (as shown in the hip extension progression/regression video). Early on in an athlete’s off-season training, we may use lifts like trap bar deadlift, barbell back squat, or other bilateral/unilateral variations. But as we get closer to sport, we will want a stimulus that is more ballistic (higher velocity movement) and on an acceleration focused day we will want something with a horizontal focus.

As we get closer to sport, we will want a stimulus that is more ballistic (higher velocity movement) and on an acceleration focused day we will want something with a horizontal focus, says @nolan_dreh99835. Share on X

Video 2. Example of a French Contrast variation that can be implemented closer to competition.

This is where tools like the prowler, SHREDmill, and Optimal Human Motion (OHM) have been so useful.

Video 3. Exercises that transfer to acceleration using the prowler, SHREDMILL, and Optimal Human Motion.

These tools allow us to train horizontal strength at higher velocity than vertical weightroom movements like traditional squats and deadlift variations, while being able to work on technical qualities of acceleration! I am not saying that squats and deadlift lifts do not have value. I think those lifts provide a great way to get stronger and make structural changes, but eventually we need to put force in a horizontal manner.

Many of the athletes that we train are great at producing force vertically, but they lack the ability to translate that force horizontally (hence shifting training emphasis to be more specific in a horizontal manner!). There can be various reasons for this: lack of limb velocity to switch efficiently (which presents as the athlete striking straight down into the ground instead of being able to reposition the limb and whip it back into the ground), energy leaks in the lower limb, and even tight hips from too much squatting.

Many of the athletes that we train are great at producing force vertically, but they lack the ability to translate that force horizontally, says @nolan_dreh99835. Share on X

Next, let’s look at the zero-step in acceleration—this is characterized by going from a static to a dynamic position (concentric muscle action). Again, you may start with exercises that are more vertical in nature, such as isometric squats, isometric deadlifts, and non-counter-movement jumps. The next transition would be to use exercises that are more horizontal. You can also set the athlete up in specific angles to mimic the horizontal force vector they would experience. Below are examples of two exercises that mimic the vector of a block start for a track sprinter—obviously, you can set the athlete up in the most specific position possible for their sport.

Video 4. Example of an acceleration-specific tri-set aimed at improving force, power, and technical abilities in the block start.

The overcoming block start will yield high force directed in a horizontal manner, while the horizontal banded block start will yield more power due to the higher velocity—thus, allowing you to surf the force-velocity curve. Following these exercises up with a free block start can aid in the transfer of the other exercises, as the athlete is now able to apply selected cues and skills from the other exercises and apply it to their actual skill (in this case, the block start).

Ground contact time (GCT) was another consideration. We know that in acceleration, our ground contact times are longer than at top speeds. We can now look at our plyometrics in a more specific manner with regards to GCT. If we know that the first few steps in acceleration are around .25 seconds, we can find plyometrics that eclipse or equal that GCT.

Hurdle hops are a common plyometric that coaches will implement—I think hurdle hops are great, but the height needs to be considered. If hurdles are set too high, some athletes will deform (not remain elastic) and spend too much time on the ground. The exercise then turns into something completely different, no longer working the elastic qualities we want to target. With technology like Swift EZEJUMP mat, we are able to get valuable data like GCT to make decisions on the height of hurdles or boxes.

Further consideration can also be made in regards to joint angles: typically, higher hurdles and horizontal jump variations are going to yield deeper joint angles.

Video 5. Drop to broad jump with jump mat to track GCT.

Methods to Implement Specific Training Means

All of this information is great…but how is this practically applied to a training session? There are various methods that can be used. Two of my favorites are French Contrast and performance patterning, both popularized by Cal Dietz. These two methods allow the force-velocity curve to be surfed, and the performance patterning allows a balanced approach to the posterior chain by building the posterior-focused exercises into the sequence with the anterior-dominant exercises.

Video 6. Horizontal-focused performance patterning for acceleration deficient athlete—exercises in this method are designed to transfer to an athlete’s acceleration.

The other benefit of these methods is the alactic repeatability, with the athlete being conditioned to constantly produce high force and power outputs. I use the French Contrast method before going into the performance patterning, purely from the standpoint of the added in-set volume. Of course, the athlete should have a solid foundation of general preparedness built up before engaging in these more specific training means to reap the full benefits.

These methods are very flexible and coaches can get very creative and begin to work different movement patterns. Below you’ll see an example of a lateral emphasis French Contrast that we would use closer to competition for a field, court, or ice-based athlete. 

Video 7. French Contrast sequence in the frontal plane for an athlete close to competition. 

Hopefully, you can now see how in-depth prescribing specific training can get. Remember, we just very simply broke down acceleration and a couple of its characteristics and tailored exercises to be more specific to aid in improving acceleration. You can do this with a lot of skills present in sports—just understand the level of athlete you are working with and their deficiencies.

What is General?

Having first jumped ahead to specific preparation, now let’s backtrack—general preparation is designed to uplift general qualities. When I reference general qualities I am referring to strength, power, speed, and conditioning. The whole purpose of training general qualities is to support the specific skills you need to succeed in your sport.

Putting this into context, an offensive lineman in American football would want to increase their strength to be able to support their skill of blocking a defensive lineman. The word support is key in this context. As physical preparation coaches, we need to understand the tactical and technical sides of sport are what determine success—just being strong or fast is not enough.  An offensive lineman could bench one thousand pounds, but if he doesn’t have the skill to kick-step, position hands, or be physical at the point of attack it does not matter: they will not be successful in the game, no matter how strong they get.

What does general preparation look like and how should it be implemented? General preparation should look “general” for lack of a better term. In terms of the weightroom, movements should be basic in nature; squat, hinge, push, pull, and rotate. Consider this the foundation of your house. The bigger the foundation, the more potential room to support the specific skills of your sport.

When it comes to implementing general training, there are some methods I like to use. Dr. Michael Yessis' 1x20 program is a great way to keep training extremely simple, says @nolan_dreh99835. Share on X

When it comes to implementing general training, there are some methods I like to use. Dr. Michael Yessis’ 1×20 program is a great way to keep training extremely simple. The 1×20 program is an effective method for athletes with a young training age for a couple reasons:

1. It exposes athletes to various different movements: hinge, squat, etc.
2. The idea of progressive overload and trying to get the most adaptation out of one set is an interesting idea for athletes with a young training age.

When implementing the 1×20, you will begin to realize less is truly more! Athletes with a young training age that begin resistance training will see gains in strength, power, and speed relatively fast with simple progressive overload.

With this population, advanced methods are not needed to continue to see strength, power, and speed gains. There is no need to perform exercises with accommodating resistance or other special means. Keep it as general as possible for athletes with a young training age, allowing them to grow with the basic exercises before advancing to more specific training means. There is no need to throw novice trained athletes into advanced methods early on, as you are robbing them of their future development by using the higher intensity methods too soon.

We have also used the 1×20 method with our older athletes who are typically used to higher-intensity programming. This allows for less stress to be applied in the weightroom, which in return has helped performance gains in terms of acceleration, max velocity, and agility. This is critical, because in terms of an athlete’s career, specific improvements in qualities that will directly carry over to the field are more important. For example, if an American football player can squat 400 plus pounds, should their training continue to be tailored towards strength? In my opinion, the answer is “probably not.” Yes, the quality of strength should be touched, but it should not be a sole focus. So, 1×20 could be used as a maintenance program to preserve strength while shifting more of the stress and focus to field-based performance (acceleration, max velocity, and change of direction).

No matter what method you choose, hopefully you realize that general training is not trying to replicate anything specific from sport, but is instead keeping it simple. Hopefully this article helped show you how to dissect movements and practically apply exercises and methods to yield the results you desire.

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

When designing a comprehensive speed program for athletes, the most important question to ask yourself is “will this help bridge the gap from training to sport?” Using specific training modalities to jump higher and run faster are important—athletes need to train for positive adaptations—but if those positive adaptations are not showing up in competition when it matters most, then you are missing the point of an effective training program.

At FSQ Sports Training, a private training facility in a rural town just outside of Pittsburgh, PA, my coaching staff and I work with over 1,000 different athletes each year, ranging from professionals to youth league players (including over 20 teams throughout the year). Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, competitive cheerleading: you name the sport, there’s a good chance we train it! And for 10+ years, we have been utilizing curved sprinting in our program with every single one of our athletes.

When SimpliFaster reached out to me to put this project together, I did a Google search on “Curvilinear Sprinting” to see what was out there. I could not believe the lack of resources regarding how to implement and progress curved sprinting. There is a massive surplus of information regarding straight-line speed and change of direction. But if coaches are only focusing on straight-line speed OR change of direction, are we fully preparing athletes for sport?

Athletes need to train more than perfect straight lines. Movement is not black or white, there is a ton of gray area, and curved sprinting variations help cover everything in between those straight lines. Athletes need to TRAIN THE PLANES!

Athletes need to train more than perfect straight lines. Movement is not black or white, there is a ton of gray area, and curved sprinting variations help cover everything in between those straight lines, says @T_Cortazzo. Share on X

“But Tim, the shortest distance from Point A to Point B is a straight line!” Correct. Now imagine a 400m race in the Olympics, but the track is square instead of rounded. The racers fly through the straight-away, only to slow down and come to a complete stop at the corner of the square track. They re-accelerate down the next straightaway, come to a complete stop again at the next corner…and this is without any impediments on the track! Not only would this race be slower, but the amount of energy exerted would be significantly higher. Athletes are problem-solvers—they adapt in real time, quickly searching for the most efficient way to accomplish the task. The athletes who do this the best in their sport have what we call “game speed.” And curved sprinting is one of the keys that help unlock game speed.

Video 1. Examples of curved sprints from a range of different sports. 

“Specificity” Matters

Before I go into more detail regarding how we program curved sprints, I need to touch on the SAID Principle. The human body’s response to physical activity will be specific to the type of activity performed. Let’s say that your athletes spend all off-season pulling sleds and testing fly times: they will most likely improve their acceleration and top-end speed. But if that is ALL you program, you are creating faster, single-plane robots.

I am not advocating for throwing resisted sprints and flys out the window, we use them consistently year-round—but, athletes need a broader range of tools to be more effective in their sport. So, if athletes sprint in curved patterns in their sport, coaches need to include that aspect as part of their training programs to better prepare their athletes for the rigors of competition.

“Speed is the tide that lifts all boats.” — Tony Holler.

I agree with Coach Holler 100%. And I am sure he would agree with me that those same boats are sinking if the athletes can’t harness and use their newfound speed to their advantage in competition.

If athletes sprint in curved patterns in their sport, coaches need to include that aspect as part of their training programs to better prepare their athletes for the rigors of competition, says @T_Cortazzo. Share on X

Implementing Curved Sprints

Here is exactly what we do with our athletes—we implement curved sprinting the same way we implement linear sprinting and change of direction. We keep it simple and progressive! We start with lower intensities at lower volume—and the best place to get lower intensity and lower volume work is in the warm-up.

The goal of any warm-up should be to gradually prepare the body for higher intensities. So, if the sport requires high-intensity curved sprinting, I think there is a ton of value in establishing movements and positions at lower intensities prior to competing. The idea is no different than warming up with an unloaded or lighter barbell for squat or bench, or using certain exercises like a skip to prepare the athlete for sprinting at high velocities. When starting off-season training, we immediately add curved-sprint warm-up variations and continue to revisit them year-round.

Video 2. Warm-up variations that prepare athletes for curved sprinting and “using their edges.”

We like to begin incorporating curves into our warm-ups with forward and backward “Snake Runs,” “Figure 8s,” and “Crop Circles.” We also love the idea of using multi-directional, single-leg hops to begin to acclimate the athlete to using their edges and dealing with forces both medially and laterally. Emphasis should be placed on getting comfortable with leaning at different angles and using the inside and outside edges of the feet. Programming this in our warm-up is preparation for higher intensity and added volume down the road.

Progressing Curved Sprints – Smaller Radii

The smaller the circle, the smaller the radius. Smaller radius curves will decrease the speed of the drill relative to an athlete’s max velocity. However, small-radius curved sprints will require more bend and lean, and that will create more intense ranges of motion for the athlete’s feet, ankles, knees, and hips to operate. If your athletes are new to drills involving curved sprinting, this may be uncomfortable. Hence, the need to first implement these exercises with closed, pre-determined drills at lower speeds and lower volumes, like I recommended doing with warm-ups.

Small-radius curved sprints will require more bend and lean, and that will create more intense ranges of motion for the athlete’s feet, ankles, knees, and hips to operate, says @T_Cortazzo. Share on X

We start early in the off-season training program and progress with added intensity and added volume as the rest of the program progresses—just keep in mind the overall daily and weekly volumes of straight-line sprinting, changing direction, and curved sprinting.

Performing closed drills allows each athlete to get comfortable with how fast they can sprint and how much they can lean. This also gives the athlete the opportunity to experiment with controlling when to speed up and when to slow down. Ultimately, that is where game speed is so critical. The more comfortable the athlete is while leaning at a diverse range of angles—and the more they understand when they can speed up and when they need to slow down—the more effective the athlete can be moving in space in their sport.

Video 3. Athletes performing a range of sprint drills and races on curves with smaller radii. 

Progressing Curved Sprints – Larger Radii

The larger the circle, the larger the radius. Broader curves (larger radius) will increase the intensity due to a higher velocity of the drill. With larger radius sprints, less bend and lean will be required. Less bend and lean will allow the athletes to more easily gain speed as they sprint the path, and they will only need to slow down if the path deviates into a different direction or tighter curve.

The bigger the radius, the more closely it will be associated with a straight-line sprint. In our speed program, as we progress the athletes’ linear sprinting out to longer distances and faster velocities, we also progress their curved sprinting to longer distances and faster velocities progress in tandem.

Video 4. Athletes who have progressed to longer curved sprints with broader curves. 

We use a ton of different variations for both larger and smaller radii curved sprints. Some of the drills involve accelerating into and throughout the entire curve; other drills involve sprinting in a straight line and increasing to a faster velocity before then slowing down into a curve. We also love the idea of redirecting and changing direction completely while in the middle of a curve.

I highly recommend adding in competition, which will instantly increase the intensity of the drill. We consistently put our athletes into situations where they can race and chase each other, says @T_Cortazzo. Share on X

I highly recommend adding in competition, which will instantly increase the intensity of the drill. We consistently put our athletes into situations where they can race and chase each other. Opportunities are endless with curved sprinting. Taking the sport into consideration also influences the types of drills that we use. For example, if working with a football team, we recreate the tighter curves of a defensive end rushing the quarterback, a wide receiver running a Speed Out, or a running back running a sweep. Every single athlete on the team benefits from sprinting curves at multiple angles and radii.

In curved sprinting, the size of the circle makes a radiical difference (I have two kids—I can make a radii dad joke if I want).

Final Progression – “Open” Drills

Use closed drills to acquire or improve a skill…then use open drills to enhance the improved skill. People talk all the time about certain skills being “Second Nature.” Tying your shoes, writing, brushing your teeth. If you’re reading this, I hope that all of you feel that these skills are “second nature.” Well, if you have kids, you realize that none of those skills are second nature at first. Those skills are things that my 5- and 3-year-olds work on improving every single day. And then suddenly, one day, these skills seem to work on autopilot. Developing athletic skills works the same!

Using closed drills to help with posture, body positioning, foot positioning, etc. will help athletes acquire new skills or help improve skills (obviously dependent on the legitimacy of the modalities being used and the expertise of the coaching involved). Closed drills slow everything down and allow the athlete to feel what they are doing and focus specifically on one thing; and, regardless of how naturally gifted each athlete is, there is merit to everyone using closed drills. Professional athletes use closed drills in training and practice every single day.

Adding in open drills is where the real magic happens. It’s where you see those improved skills that you drilled repeatedly come to life, says @T_Cortazzo. Share on X

Video 5. Open drill variations and games that promote curved sprinting actions.

Adding in open drills is where the real magic happens. It’s where you see those improved skills that you drilled repeatedly come to life! Open drills can be both general and sport-specific. We love to use fun, general “Tag”-based games like Sharks & Minnows and Capture the Flag. We also tailor drills to the sport team we are working with. Our football teams play a ton of “Goal-Line Tag,” where an offensive player tries to score a touchdown on a defensive player without getting two-hand touched. Our basketball teams use open drills involving playing offense or defense around the 3-point arc. We have a wide variety of variations that emphasize larger radii or smaller radii curved sprinting.

Final Thoughts

Curved sprinting is an absolute must for reducing the risk of injury in healthy athletes and for return to play purposes with previously-injured athletes. The forces and stress of sprinting and changing direction can only be created by sprinting and changing direction. The same rules apply for curved sprinting. Return to play situations should be programmed with the exact same progression discussed in this article: start with low intensities and low volumes by adding various curves into the warm-up. Then, progress to longer distances, faster velocities, higher intensities, and higher volumes.

Finding a way to test for improvement is also an absolute must. There really is no perfect way to test progress for curved sprinting, simply because there are so many variations that are possible. And, like all testing, the question becomes whether the athlete is getting better at the test or are they improving an attribute? It’s perfectly fine to come up with your own creative test regarding curved sprinting, just make sure it’s repeatable. I like the idea of using timing gates and sprinting one of the painted curved lines on the field/court: it’s easy to recreate without having to perfectly measure out radius, angles, distance, and so on.

Make sure to check out the videos above to see how we utilize curved sprinting in our programs! If you are looking for more information regarding curved cprinting or anything else related to Athletic Performance, please give me a follow on social media @T_Cortazzo or send me an email [email protected]. You can also join my newsletter at the link here—I talk about simple, practical, applicable ways to help your athletes run faster, jump higher, and get stronger. Would love to see you 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

Elmhurst University embodies tradition. Historic brick buildings dating as far back as the Reconstruction era, refined tree-lined walkways, and nostalgic classrooms with old school ceiling panel lights and periodic tables posted on the walls. In this rarefied air, the December 2024 running of the Track Football Consortium teetered on a fulcrum of convention and disruption.

Fitting—that’s also the pivot point of sport.

Well-drilled technical skills and tactical pattern recognition veering into bursts of dynamic how you like me now creativity. Discipline, preparation, and standards offset by the untamed will to throw caution to the wind and let it effing rip.

How do you know what to do in the moment? How do you know what impact that decision will make? When should you stay conservative and “fall to the level of your systems” and when do you burn the boats and go with your gut?

How do you know what impact your decisions will make? When should you stay conservative and *fall to the level of your systems* and when do you burn the boats and go with your gut? asks @CoachsVision. Share on X

Coaching is problem-solving and Problem #1 for those in attendance at TFC 2024 was choosing which speakers to see in the first place, with 18 presentations spread across six time blocks in three separate buildings. For me? Start with a well-thought-out plan and be prepared to audible.

I don’t mind admitting: very little went according to plan. And, like every other coach in attendance, due to the realities of time and space, I automatically missed twice as much as I saw… yet here I am, compiling takeaways and preparing to act based on a busted scheme and what is, from the outset, incomplete information.

Which may in fact be the meaning of it all.

Question #1. Are You Capable of Managing Uncertainty? Are You Sure?

“When you run, you do anything you can to seek a horizon.”

First—Orientation. Chris Korfist identifies this as the brain’s primal directive. In the chaos of an explosive sports action—before setting off an entire chain of events—you begin by creating order. Locate a horizon, then seek stability.

Korfist says that the fastest accelerators harness speed itself to create that stability—speed can be an organizing principle. Korfist now focuses intently on that moment when the foot first hits the ground, with an athlete’s ability to be the fastest in their first 3 steps a crucial differentiating skill (“how can we get more players to 6.0 m/s by step three?”). For everyone else, though, finding stability is what then leads to the next propulsive step forward.

Video 1. TFC co-founder Chris Korfist: “You go to where you’re strong.”

Les Spellman elaborated on this phenomenon in coaching terms—as a young coach, his first orienting step was an obsessive quest to learn everything about drills, everything about progressions, everything about applying technologies like GPS and 1080 Motion.

You go to where you’re strong.

Over time, Spellman has come to view his role as a coach more through the lens of his ability to solve problems, make better decisions, and manage uncertainty in order to create positive outcomes. He’s asking different questions. From a bold YES in response to being asked “can you make me faster?”…Spellman now asks questions that are far more open-ended.

Do I know what I need to know to help you play your sport better?

How can I help you stay healthy enough to perform consistently at a high level?

Over time, @les7spellman has come to view his role as a coach more through the lens of his ability to solve problems, make better decisions, and manage uncertainty in order to create positive outcomes. Share on X

Video 2. Les Spellman on the pyramid from data collection to wisdom.

Those complex questions require more than a knowledge of shin angles and plyo progressions and force-velocity curves. They require accurately identifying problems and dealing with information that will, by definition, be incomplete and filtered through biases. Those questions require a paradoxical willingness to boldly master uncertainty.

Importantly, though, Spellman’s pyramid is built from a base of data and information gathering, those first steps he pursued so diligently as a younger coach—can knowledge and wisdom exist without that early foundation? Can you truly be creative on the field and solve movement problems without laying those essential bricks of movement competency, speed, power, competitive will, and game understanding?

What is your mindset when complications arise? What strength do you fall back on to orient yourself? Is that position of strength helpful in that chaotic moment…or is that position now an anchor holding you back?

Video 3. Dan Casey paraphrases Bill Walsh: “Be bold. Remove the fear of change from your mind.”

Using Bill Walsh as his North Star, Dan Casey emphasized the importance of the hall-of-fame coach’s mantra to look for opportunity rather than ordeal when faced with a challenge. LFG or woe is me—you choose. Not only is that mindset crucial for problem-solving in general, but the very nature of addressing unexpected difficulties allows for unpredictable solutions—for unique opportunities—you would never have considered had everything continued along a smooth and steady course.

“Don’t complain about what you don’t have,” Casey said. “Identify what you do have and work with it.”

Question #2. Does Our Preparation Equip Us for Game-Defining Moments?

Absolutely! …right? I mean, we’re on the field, we’re in the weight room, we’re clocking sweat equity, we’re doing work.

Guided by…? Habit? Tradition? Limitations? Convenience? Killing time?

Brad Dixon dove into what was needed to not just develop faster and more explosive athletes, but which types of preparation would best equip his football players for the demands of the sport. In a game of collisions, can you manage that impact—that sudden and uncertain force—without give?

Dixon shared demos of “plate catches” learned from Dan Fichter, with players catching a falling bumper plate to learn how to manage gravity and load without folding; he shared altitude drops into different stances, preparing athletes for those game-defining moments of contact.

Video 4. “They have a 405lb squat but they can’t get out of their football stance”—Brad Dixon on athletes who can’t deal with slack in a system.

Video 5. Drops and catches to prepare the upper and lower body for game-relevant contact.

Early on in his Day 2 presentation, Spellman asked that very question—does our preparation equip us for game-defining moments? The unrelenting consequence of scaling up the pyramid towards wisdom is that instead of yes/no absolutes, questions tend to lead to follow-up questions and the next shifting unknown.

Does speed help us win games? Good question. What, then, is speed? Good question.

Video 6. Les Spellman on how he has come to redefine speed as it relates to team sports and the game-defining moment of creating separation and space.

Creating separation, closing space, attacking a gap…where do the first bricks in those foundations come from? Preparing for the chaos of sport does not mean to coach chaotically.

With upwards of 1200 student-athletes coming through his high school program, Adam Vogel broke down decision-tree modeling and the tiers, phases, and systems he has in place to develop stronger, faster, more explosive, and more resilient kids who participate in school and after school, in-season and out-of-season, across an entire range of sports and developmental levels, with total numbers that could create a sense of drowning in overwhelm.

Within all of the structures and systems Vogel uses to give shape to what could otherwise be a chaotic influx of student-athletes, he still locates opportunities to individualize where he can by identifying the assets he has and working with them. That, and refusing to stay rooted in anything that’s not working.

“Find people that make you think differently,” Vogel advises.

Question #3. What Happens When the Roots of Your Coaching Tree Tangle with the Half-Life of Knowledge?

The Elmhurst campus wasn’t the lone bastion of tradition at the conference. Now over a dozen years in—boasting its largest ever in-person audience—TFC too has become a tradition, with recurring norms and self-referential cycles. Multiple speakers posted slides referring the “FTC Endless Feedback Loop”—these loops, these patterns, these recursions create stability in complex systems.

Past attendees have become current speakers, delivering presentations that hinge on their own applications of TFC learnings; meanwhile, TFC’s original rebel talents quote and confirm each other’s work in ways that are now more an act of homage than revolution.

During one break between presentations, Tony Holler talked about how the next generation of Feed The Cats track coaches are better than he was, in no small part because they were early adopters and didn’t waste any steps slogging through the same years of old-school tradition.

Speed can be an organizing principle.

Video 7. The branches of Holler’s coaching and family trees intertwine, with his sons Alec and Quinn presenting on coaching hurdle technique and training key technical skills for the 4x100m relay including lane ownership and the Bang Step.

Oh, the kids these days.

Spellman touched a common nerve in his Day 2 presentation, getting nods of affirmation in-person and across social media when he talked about deciding to pause his internship program because all the younger coaches who applied came in so sure they knew everything already.

Video 8. “You go from high confidence early on…then get smacked in the mouth.”

You go to where you’re strong.

By voicing that common brush with personifications of the Dunning-Krueger effect, Spellman also unintentionally drew the lines of a new old-guard—those rebel talents now tasked with the challenge of shepherding in the next generation of coaches.

Closed systems collapse in on themselves—so, how do you branch out?

Dan Casey emphasized that well-beyond Bill Walsh’s innovations with the West Coast Offense and personal accolades as a coach, his greatest legacy could be found in the fulness of his coaching tree and the manner in which he devoted himself to helping his coordinators and assistants thrive and achieve greater success outside his program.

Video 9. Casey reflects on his personal evolution in terms of communicating with his assistants: “I thought I was holding everyone to a high standard, but what I was really doing was I was starting to get into a dangerous zone of criticizing people in almost a personal way.”

These coaching trees are filled with believers, and Spellman pointed out how our biases dictate the content of what we learn: “Once you develop a belief, you find what supports it.”

First—Orientation. You go to where you’re strong.

There is, however, a pivot point—Spellman discussed “the Half-Life of Knowledge,” asking “how long does it take for 50% of something to be proven untrue?” That tipping point, where what once appeared stable instead collapses under its weight.

“Respect the past without clinging to it,” Casey said, while being forthright about how he can look back at things he published with high confidence 7-8 years ago…but which he now has the wisdom to recognize as being entirely wrong.

What will be the half-life of the knowledge shared in Chicago? Chris Korfist admitted to committing FTC heresy with his prioritization of acceleration over max velocity, Spellman focused on game speed over pure linear mph, and the next branches of the TFC coaching tree will question, adapt, and in time reject some of what was once accepted as true.

Before that inevitable disruption, Tyler Germain closed out TFC 2024 with a presentation rooted in what he’d initially learned by attending TFC in 2019, prior to taking his first head coaching position. With Tony Holler nodding support from the front row, mentor and student, Germain touched on the essential source of community among track coaches: “There’s no defense in track and field. My success is not dependent on your failure.”

With @pntrack nodding support, mentor and student, @TrackCoachTG touched on the essential source of community among track coaches: *There’s no defense in track and field. My success is not dependent on your failure.* Share on X

Video 10. “It was driving me crazy, but I didn’t really know why until I met Tony and I was like, oh I get it now, this is why kids don’t want to come out for track.”

That unguardedness characterized Germain’s presentation—and the broader sense of community among TFC participants. Germain’s distillation of the FTC Endless Feedback Loop is to “keep training fun, relevant, and brief” and build momentum by prioritizing speed. Doing so, in just a handful of years, he has doubled the size of his school’s track program from ~70 to over 140 athletes (and knocked off a perennial state champion in the process).

Speed can be an organizing principle.

From a clinic in Chicago in 2019, five years later the Butterfly Effect is that a high school track program in Michigan has doubled in size. Unpredictable. Come 2029? “Chaos” was defined by Edward Lorenz as when the present determines the future, but the approximate present does not approximately determine the future. The future, then, will be determined by the management of that uncertainty.

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

Thunder cracked as we reached the summit of Longs Peak. After the grueling 7-mile ascent, with its 5,100-foot elevation gain, we arrived just as the daily storm rolled in. No matter the season, storms are a constant threat in the Rocky Mountains and this July day was no exception. Anyone familiar with mountainous terrain understands that the summit during a thunderstorm is the last place you want to be—the mountains teach harsh lessons about properly timing your ascent and peak. Whether we started too late or maintained too slow a pace became irrelevant: we had peaked at the wrong time.

I have always been in the mountains. Born in Greeley, Colorado—as my Dad was finishing his doctorate at the University of Northern Colorado—I’ve kept a connection to those high peaks that runs deep. Despite years of climbing experience, and working as a climbing guide in college, I had never attempted a “14er”: one of Colorado’s legendary peaks towering above 14,000 feet.

Reflecting on this ascent got me thinking about how, as coaches, we must be strategic and pragmatic with our seasonal objectives in order to not top out too soon. Our season’s structure should align with our ultimate goal. Like mountaineers planning their summit attempt, timing becomes everything, whether that goal is advancing from regionals or achieving victory at the state or national level. Whatever that goal, a common phrase in the outdoor industry can be applied to coaching as well: “Proper prior planning prevents (p*ss) poor performance.”

It’s our responsibility to plan an effective and safe top-out when it matters most.

Like mountaineers planning their summit attempt, timing becomes everything, whether that goal is advancing from regionals or achieving victory at the state or national level, says @DillonMartinez. Share on X

The challenge of timing athletes’ peak performance can appear daunting. However, both research and the experience of elite coaches offer valuable guidance. Studies demonstrate that a properly executed taper can enhance competition performance by approximately 3%, with improvements ranging from 0.5% to 6.0% (Majika, 2012; Meur et al., 2012; Bosquet et al., 2007). Just as a mistimed summit attempt leaves climbers exposed to danger, an improperly planned competitive peak leaves athletes vulnerable to underperformance when results matter most.

Understanding the Taper

Athletes’ performance potential balances between fitness and fatigue. Throughout the season, both elements increase, but fatigue often masks the true fitness, strength, and speed gains accumulated during training. A proper taper reduces fatigue while maintaining, or even increasing, these performance aspects; this, then, allows athletes to access their full adaptive potential when it matters most.

A proper taper reduces fatigue while maintaining, or even increasing, these performance aspects; this, then, allows athletes to access their full adaptive potential when it matters most, says @DillonMartinez. Share on X

Recent research examining elite sprint coaches’ technical practices reveals that successful tapering transcends simple volume reduction; it requires systematic progression toward competition-specific intensity (Agudo-Ortega et al., 2024). Agudo-Ortega et al. (2024) surveyed numerous professional track coaches who all had experience working with Olympic-level sprinters. Of the hundreds of research articles I have reviewed while working on my doctorate (which focuses on speed coaching), this work by Agudo-Ortega et al. has been one of the most thought-provoking—I highly recommend taking the time to read it.

Upon review of the data, the researchers discovered that all the coaches who participated in the study implemented some form of tapering phase into their competitive season, though their approaches varied in duration and structure. To get a better understanding of these differences, lets first look at some basics of the taper.

The Physiology of Fatigue: Why Tapering Matters

Understanding fatigue’s multifaceted impact on athletic performance illuminates why proper tapering proves essential. Taylor et al., (2016) produced a foundational article that outlines the effects that fatigue, in its many forms, imparts on the muscles. Fatigue manifests through several distinct mechanisms, each significantly affecting performance:

1. Neuromuscular fatigue—at the neuromuscular level, fatigue diminishes motor unit recruitment and reduces power output, typically requiring 24-72 hours for full recovery.
2. Metabolic fatigue depletes energy stores and compromises energy systems, necessitating 12-48 hours of recovery.
3. Structural fatigue, characterized by micro-damage to muscle fibers, can take 48-96 hours to resolve.
4. Central nervous system fatigue and hormonal imbalances, perhaps most significantly, can require 72-120 hours for complete recovery.

Athletic performance deteriorates under fatigue through several key mechanisms. A decline in neural efficiency presents as a primary concern. Research indicates that athletes who experience central nervous system fatigue exhibit a decrease in the rate of force development, reduced motor unit synchronization, and diminished neural drive (Tornero-Aguilera et al., 2022; Taylor et al., 2016). These deficits result in slower explosive movements, less coordinated actions, and decreased maximum force production—the specific qualities that are crucial for athletes to perform at their best.

Research indicates that athletes who experience central nervous system fatigue exhibit a decrease in the rate of force development, reduced motor unit synchronization, and diminished neural drive. Share on X

A compromised metabolic system further compounds these issues. The seminal piece by Sahlin (1992), does a lot to explain how metabolic fatigue impacts our athletes. Sahlin points out that training-induced fatigue affects multiple energy systems, with phosphocreatine stores showing depletion, glycogen reduction, and compromised aerobic efficiency. These deficits directly impact immediate energy availability, sustained power output, and recovery capacity between efforts.

The Art and Science of Training Phases

Now that we understand how fatigue occurs and its impact on athletes, we can begin to strategically plan our training phases. Just as a composer creates a symphony through carefully designed movements, each adding complexity and depth to the piece, elite coaches develop their training programs in structured phases that work in concert with one another. Their approach reflects the natural progression of athletic development, moving from fundamental strength to explosive power, and ultimately to performance tailored for competition. But the original motif of the piece, to a well-trained ear, will be able to be heard throughout each movement.

Movement One: Starting with the Base (the trailhead)

Tackling Longs Peak with my brother-in-law and a friend, we started well before the sun was up. The general idea of starting the hike so early was to ensure ample time to climb, hang out at the summit, then start the trek back before the afternoon storms came in. With that thought in mind, we took our first steps on trail at 3am—we had a plan and were able to start exactly when we’d hoped, with clear skies and no one else around. The first few hours were easy going—the incline was not yet severe and the altitude hadn’t started to get the best of us…

Much like the initial portion of that hike, the start of my track season is almost painfully gradual. For my high school sprinters, the first two weeks of the season are extremely low volume. In fact, we don’t even have practice on Tuesday or Thursday for the first two or three weeks of the season. This is because I do not view my track athletes as only track athletes.

Last year (2023), both the boys’ and the girls’ basketball teams played in the state championship game, then athletes from those teams reported to track practice the following Monday. If I planned my track season in a vacuum, my athletes would never recover from the long basketball season, let alone the taxing effect that sprinting has on the central nervous system. Our athletes are not ours alone: we need to consider their entire year when we plan our season rather than seeing our season as the macrocycle. Below is an example of my first three weeks of the track season. In a previous article, I explained how I use time under tension (TUT) to plan out my entire season (for a refresher, you can find that piece here).

Our athletes are not ours alone: we need to consider their entire year when we plan our season rather than seeing our season as the macrocycle, says @DillonMartinez. Share on X

Notice how we don’t go from practicing three days a week right to five days a week. We start with three, then four, then five. This ensures adequate time for the body to adjust to the novel stimulus of the new season before we hit it hard starting on Week 4 (although hard for us is subjective).

I don’t go about the base phase in this manner because I am a wizard and thought of this all on my own—this is simply what the research has shown as best practice. Other examples of some methods that lend themselves nicely to the base phase as identified by the literature are:

• Tempo runs of 200m or so at 60-70% of max speed that focus on perfect technique with 2 minutes of rest (as identified by 85% of coaches in the Agudo-Ortega study).
• Hill runs, with athletes performing eight to ten 60m ascents at 70% effort, naturally enforcing proper mechanics while building strength and endurance.
• Whole sessions focusing on technical progression and movement pattern development that will prove crucial in later phases (stay tuned for a dissertation coming out in May focusing on how successful speed coaches teach sprinting as a specialized skill).

Movement Two: Crafting Power and Precision (the Push Above the Trees)

As dawn broke and we emerged from Goblin’s Forest, the real work of our hike began. The well-maintained trail gave way to increasingly rocky terrain, and the protective canopy of trees disappeared, leaving us exposed to the elements. This transition marked our first serious test—a steep series of switchbacks that demanded more from our legs and lungs as we pushed toward Chasm Junction. The thin air above 11,000 feet forced a new awareness of our breathing and movement efficiency. Gone was the gentle warm-up of the forest trail; now each step required more precise placement and greater energy expenditure.

This section of the climb mirrors the transition my sprinters face as they move from their base phase into more demanding training. Just as the mountain demands more from climbers above the tree line, this phase asks athletes to step out of their comfort zone and face new challenges. The protective “cover” of basic conditioning gives way to more specialized work, and just like those early morning switchbacks, each training session now requires greater precision and intensity.

As athletes master the fundamentals outlined in the first phase, my high school sprinters progress to more specific training strategies that will elicit a more profound response. The focus shifts from base strength, technique, and low-volume exposure to explosive power production. This is a transformation that requires both precision and patience on the part of the coach and the athletes.

The week’s structure maintains its rhythm, but changes its tune. We are now at 5 days a week. Speed endurance work is going to be introduced for the first time of the season, and speed work is going to be stretched out ever so slightly. Instead of 10m flys, we will do 15m flys. Instead of 20m pushes out of blocks, we will run two 40-yard dashes.

As stated, speed endurance work intensifies during this phase. Because the athlete’s body has built up some familiarity with the new stimulus, more volume can be added safely. This is in line with what every elite coach in the Aguado study emphasizes as important during this phase of the training cycle.

Movement Three: Adding a Gear (The Boulder Field)

After 5.5 miles and 3,300 feet of elevation gain in the hike, we arrived at the Boulder Field. This iconic section of Longs Peak offers a deceptive reprieve; while the elevation gain eases, each step requires deliberate focus as you navigate the maze of car-sized rocks. A single misplaced foot could end your summit bid, yet there’s a psychological boost in reaching this milestone. The hard push above the tree line is behind you, but the technical challenges of the Keyhole Route still lie ahead.

This phase mirrors the first taper in our sprinting program, where we begin to capitalize on the previous weeks’ work. Just as hikers must balance their desire to move quickly through the Boulder Field with the need for precise foot placement, we now shift our training focus from volume to quality. Meet schedules become a crucial consideration, requiring us to adjust our training stimulus accordingly. Our speed endurance work transforms into three technique-focused “shakeouts” of 150m at a controlled 90% pace. This represents our first significant volume taper—dropping to 45 seconds of Time Under Tension (TUT), a 56% reduction from the previous week. The taper continues progressively, reaching 75% in week 7 and 93% in weeks 8 and 9.

Movement Four: The Final Push (Keyhole to Summit)

After the Boulder Field comes the most technically demanding section of the climb—the infamous Keyhole formation. Passing through this distinctive notch in the rock marks the point of no return. The relatively straightforward hiking ends, and true mountaineering begins. Like our transition into championship season, each section beyond the Keyhole demands perfect execution under increasing pressure.

The Narrows comes first: a ledge traverse where focus is paramount. Hikers must move efficiently while maintaining absolute precision, much like our athletes during the reload phase of weeks 10-11. Here, we dramatically reduce volume to just 21% of our peak week, but maintain laser-sharp technical execution through short, crisp sessions like our 20m flys and precise relay handoffs. Like traversing the Narrows, there’s no wasted movement—every step must have a purpose.

Then comes the Trough—a steep gully of loose rock that tests resolve. This mirrors our regional and sectional weeks (week 12), where we further reduce training load to just 5 seconds of Time Under Tension. Just as climbers must carefully pick their line up the Trough, we strategically decrease volume while maintaining enough intensity to keep our athletes sharp. A misstep in either environment could prove costly.

Finally, there’s the Homestretch—the last steep pitch to the summit. Like our state meet week (week 13), where we cut to just 3.5 seconds of TUT (a 92% taper from peak), this final section demands everything you have left while requiring perfect technical execution. Just as a climber must execute precise movements on the exposed granite slabs despite fatigue and elevation, our athletes must perform at their absolute best when it matters most.

Just as a climber must execute precise movements on the exposed granite slabs despite fatigue and elevation, our athletes must perform at their absolute best when it matters most. Share on X

The parallel continues to timing—summit the peak too late, and afternoon storms threaten success. Peak your athletes too early, and months of preparation may fall short of their potential. But when timed right—when you hit the summit under clear skies, or when your athletes step onto the track at the state meet fresh and fast—all the calculated preparation pays off.

Adapting Principles to Specific Sports

But what about other sports? While the fundamental principles of tapering remain constant, their application must be as unique as the sport itself.

Football: The Season-Long Summit

Football presents a unique challenge in performance peaking. Imagine climbing not one mountain, but a range of peaks that stretches across an entire season. The goal isn’t simply to reach one summit, but to maintain elevation while preparing for the highest peaks during playoff season.

Last winter, Tom Lee, the head football coach at Aquinas High School (State Champs in 2021, 2022, and 2023), was helping me run off-season speed work with a mix of football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, and track kids. I asked him how he prevented burnout throughout the long season, to which he smiled and said: “People wouldn’t believe how little we practice.”

This concept of minimizing practice time while maximizing effectiveness has fascinating applications in football. Consider a system that begins with focused 90-minute practices in the preseason, built around just three core elements:

• Positional skills
• Team execution
• Special teams

As the regular season progresses, practice time could drop to 60 minutes, with one day per week dedicated entirely to film study and recovery. The weight room focus shifts from general strength to purely explosive movements with light weight. When playoffs arrive, this minimalist approach tightens further—45-minute practices that eliminate everything but essential game-speed reps, explosive lifting sessions early in the week, and increased recovery time. This strategic reduction in volume allows players to maintain peak power output when it matters most, while the maintained intensity of shorter sessions keeps skills sharp. The keys to this approach aren’t revolutionary methods, but rather the disciplined removal of non-essential work; understanding that in a violent sport like football, less can truly be more when that “less” is precisely what the athletes need to succeed.

Basketball: The Tournament Gauntlet

Like a climber transitioning from the relative stability of the Boulder Field to the exposed Keyhole Route, basketball teams must navigate their own technical crux during tournament season. The physical demands shift dramatically, from managing regular season games with recovery days between, to potentially playing three or four high-stakes games in rapid succession. Like we had to carefully manage our energy through each challenging section of the Keyhole Route, basketball coaches must orchestrate their team’s energy expenditure with precision, knowing that each game could require maximum output.

This tournament gauntlet demands a unique tapering approach, one that differs significantly from our track model or football’s season-long crescendo. Think of it as preparing for multiple summit attempts in quick succession, each requiring peak performance. Recent research suggests that successful basketball programs often implement what I call a ‘stepped taper’: reducing practice intensity by 40% two weeks out, then another 30% the week of tournaments, while maintaining short, explosive sessions that mirror game intensity. These sessions typically last no more than 45 minutes and focus entirely on tactical execution and shooting rhythm, like a climber rehearsing crucial moves before a difficult pitch—every movement must serve a specific purpose.

Back to the Track

As I extensively outlined above in my program scheduling, track and field represents perhaps the purest application of tapering principles, where success or failure becomes immediately measurable in hundredths of seconds or fractions of inches. Agudo-Ortega at al., (2024) point out that elite sprint coaches have developed remarkably consistent patterns in their approach to peaking, though their specific methods show interesting variations.

The foundation of their success lies in technical preparation. Every single elite coach in the study (Agudo-Ortega et al., 2024) emphasizes technique work before sprint sessions, treating it not as a mere warm-up, but as deliberate technical preparation. They progress through a careful sequence: muscle activation, mobility work, technical drills, plyometric preparation, and finally progressive sprint build-ups.

As Agudo-Ortega et al. (2024) uncovered, the duration of the taper itself shows fascinating variation among elite coaches. Some prefer a 15-day taper (35.7%), others opt for 10 days (21.4%), while another group extends the taper to 30 days (21.4%). I used 20 total days of taper in the program outlined above. This variation underscores a crucial point: the optimal taper length must be individualized based on event specifics, training history, recovery capacity, and the competition schedule.

The optimal taper length must be individualized based on event specifics, training history, recovery capacity, and the competition schedule, says @DillonMartinez. Share on X

Monitoring and Adjustment: The Art of Listening

Similar to how an experienced mountaineer reads the mountain’s subtle signs—such as the changing wind patterns, the feel of the rock, and the shifting weather—successful coaches must develop an acute sensitivity to their athletes’ readiness. Think of it as creating your own weather station at base camp—the objective data (such as heart rate variability, jump testing results, and velocity tracking) are your barometer readings and wind speeds. Equally crucial are the subjective measures—your athletes’ mood, movement quality, and perceived readiness, these are like those subtle environmental cues that experienced climbers interpret instinctively.

The mountain teaches us that conditions can change rapidly and require immediate adjustments; similarly, the taper period demands constant vigilance and readiness to adapt. When I watch my sprinters during their final preparation phase, I’m not just looking at stopwatch readings or counting repetitions, I’m listening for the rhythm of their footfalls, watching the crispness of their movements, sensing whether they’re hitting their crescendo at the right moment.

When I watch my sprinters during their final preparation phase, I'm not just looking at stopwatch readings or counting reps, I'm listening for the rhythm of their footfalls, watching the crispness of their movements. Share on X

As a conductor fine-tunes each section of the orchestra before the performance, we must listen not just to the individual instruments, but to how they harmonize together. This artistic element of coaching, this ability to read and respond to both data and intuition, often makes the difference between a successful peak and a missed opportunity.

Real World Example

In my previous article, outlining my plan for the 2024 Wisconsin Track season, I laid out my ideas on prioritizing speed and my method of using time under tension to plan out my season’s workouts. I briefly mentioned the taper aspect of my plan, but didn’t spend nearly the amount of time on it as I did here. The examples provided were my exact 2024 track season plan.

How did it go?

To put it simply, the plan worked. The fastest 10m fly times of the season (both average and individually) were recorded on our final day of practice before we ran at the state meet. We then went on to run our best races and times of the year when it mattered the most. As a coach, that is all that I could hope for.

The Final Descent

That day on Longs Peak, we were forced to make a hasty retreat from the summit as lightning crackled around us. The descent was treacherous—every step calculated, every movement precise, despite our urgency to escape the incoming storm. Yet even in that moment of intensity, there was a lesson: sometimes our greatest achievements come with imperfect timing, teaching us to be even more precise in our future planning.

Just as mountaineers learn from each summit attempt, coaches evolve through each season. The science is clear: A well-executed taper can unlock performance improvements of up to 6% (Majika, 2012), but achieving this requires both art and science. Whether you’re coaching football players through a grueling season, preparing basketball teams for tournament gauntlets, or fine-tuning track athletes for championship performances, the principles remain consistent: systematically reduce volume while maintaining intensity, monitor both objective and subjective markers of readiness, and individualize your approach based on your athletes’ needs and responses. The success of my 2024 track season wasn’t just about the training plan, it was about timing our summit attempt perfectly.

Like that successful summit attempt, peaking athletes require careful planning and precise execution. The mountain showed that it is not enough to simply reach the top, you must get back down safely. In athletics, this means understanding that peak performance is not a single moment, but a window we need to sustain through championships.

References

Agudo-Ortega, A., Salinero, J., Sandbakk, Ø., De La Cruz, V., & González-Rave, J. (2024). Training practices used by elite sprint coaches. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 1–16.

Bosquet, L., Montpetit, J., Arvisais, D., & Mujika, I. (2007). Effects of tapering on performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39(8), 1358–1365.

Meur, Y., Hausswirth, C., Mujika, I. (2012). Tapering for Competition: a review. Science & Sport. 27 (2), 77-87.

Mujika, I. (2012). Endurance Training – Science and Practice (2^nd Edition). Physiology and Training.

Taylor, L., Amann M., Duchateau, J., Meeusen, R., Rice, C. (2016). Neural Contributions to Muscle Fatigue: From the Brain to the Muscle and Back Again. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(11), 2294-2306

Tornero-Aguilera, J., Jimenez-Morcillo, J., Rubio-Zarapuz, A., & Clemente-Suárez, V. (2022). Central and peripheral fatigue in physical exercise explained: A narrative review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 3909.

Sahlin, K. (1992). Metabolic factors in fatigue1. Sports Medicine, 13(2), 99–107.

Achilles ruptures are one of the most devastating and compromising soft tissue injuries that an athlete can sustain. These often require extensive rehabilitation and a difficult return to play (RTP) process that can take several years to fully restore. Rachel Dincoff is an elite discus thrower who is currently training for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic games—following her All-American career at Auburn University, Rachel has competed at the highest levels of her sport, including the 2020 Tokyo games.

While training for her spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics, she sustained an Achilles rupture in training which derailed her goals for the Paris games. Moreover, due to several complications with her injury, she would go on to have three separate procedures in an effort to repair her Achilles. Safe to say, it’s been no easy path.

Initial Intake: Subjective Understanding, Objective Knowing

I had the privilege of being introduced to Rachel about 9 months after her last surgery. At this point she had regained most basic functions and was relatively pain free, but there was still quite a bit of ground to cover. Between myself and a handful of other individuals, Rachel had assembled a great team in place to attack her recovery from all angles.

My role in the team was developed around providing hybrid applications of soft tissue therapy and restorative strength training applications—our initial goals were to improve the local tissue quality and circulation, restore proprioceptive acuity, and improve isolated strength, capacity, and function.

This hybrid role of soft tissue therapy and strength and conditioning has provided me with a wide skillset for working with injured athletes. While this versatility has been widely beneficial for me, it can also create some interesting challenges in programming. In addition to my role within the team in place, I determine my work priorities based on criteria and information received during our initial intake process.

My athlete evaluation and assessment process utilizes an array of inputs that I collectively look at as gathering “a subjective understanding, with an objective knowing.” In other words, I want to understand the athlete for who they are and what got them to where they are, but also know what their physical capabilities are and where those capabilities are in relation to where they need or want to be. The subjective understanding is gathered mostly from my athlete intake (interview), which allows me to get to know the human as much as the athlete. Additional subjective inputs include movement evaluation, tissue quality, and reported pain levels.

My athlete evaluation and assessment process utilizes an array of inputs that I collectively look at as gathering ‘a subjective understanding, with an objective knowing,’ says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

The objective criteria, which is predominantly collected through Hawkin Dynamics force plate diagnostics, provides me with clear confirmation on where the athlete is physically, and therefore helps to guide and confirm decision making and planning.

Local Strategies & Global Re-Integration: Force Follows Stiffness

For injured athletes, I organize my training approach broadly by viewing it as working from isolated to integrated. With significant injuries such as Rachel’s, we need to have a direct and local application for improving the injured site. For me, this is where the manual therapy and soft tissue applications have become tremendously valuable. With the local strategies, we want to consider these being primarily focused around improving local sensorimotor function (nociceptive downregulation, proprioceptive acuity), improving local circulation and fluid dynamics, and addressing structural items such as scar tissue formation and trigger point formations.

For injured athletes, I organize my training approach broadly by viewing it as working from isolated to integrated, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

While these may be things that contemporary strength coaches scoff at, it’s important to recognize the significance of addressing the tissue and adjacent qualities. For instance, disproportionate scar tissue formation can promote a mechanical phenomenon known as stress shielding. Stress shielding, which Dr. Keith Baar has spoken about in great length, is when a stiffer material resists applied loads to protect surrounding tissues from excessive force. A good heuristic for understanding this is thinking about it as “force follows stiffness.” When there is incompatibility across local tissues—for instance the medial and lateral aspects of the Achilles tendon—we will get disproportionate loading across those fibers. This can reinforce pain sites, compensation patterns, and ultimately result in overloading certain areas while concurrently underloading other tissues.

But repairing the isolated site isn’t the complete solution, as we then need to consider how the injured area is re-integrating back to the body. This is where the global strategies are applied, which for all intents and purposes, are developed from conventional strength and conditioning principles. While I find tremendous value in the local strategies and soft tissue applications, we cannot ignore the fact that all major adaptations are going to be found in high force loading and high velocity movements.  That is to say, we utilize the soft tissue applications primarily for the sake of creating an optimal window for loading, but then we follow it with just that: apply high force loading.

While I find tremendous value in the local strategies and soft tissue applications, we cannot ignore the fact that all major adaptations are going to be found in high force loading and high velocity movements, says @danny_ruderock. Share on X

In addition to high force and high velocity movements, these global strategies will also speak to the fascial-based concepts I’ve ascribed to over the years. In a simple sense, this is how I view “re-integrating” the injured area back to the body. The soft tissue work is important, high force and high velocity loading are essential, but if we never re-connect the anatomy, we are going to leave a lot on the table.

The heuristic here is to “load patterns,” which is a concept I’ve adopted from Stu McMillan and ALTIS. A quick background on this if you’re unfamiliar with this model, our shapes are the primary positions we observe in sport and patterns are “the connection of shapes in space and time.” The signatures component, which I’ve added, is the individual or unique expression of patterns, typically with regard to injury. So, from this lens of shapes, patterns, and signatures, loading patterns is akin to fascial-based loading, which in my belief is extremely important and often overlooked in RTP models.

To see more on how we approached Rachel’s situation, including her movement breakdown, our programming, and force plate diagnostics, be sure to check out the latest module for the SimpliFaster RTP Case Study Series here!

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