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While coaching your sport, have you ever thought I feel like the team isn’t responding positively to my coaching? Or, from that thought, asked yourself the question How I can motivate the team to cohesively perform to the best of their ability?

The best example for a discussion of adapting coaching to a team’s mindset and personality comes from the series The Last Dance, in which Phil Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls to title victories while Dennis Rodman was one of the team’s star players. Rodman was a key player in the Bulls’ dominant string of championships, and Jackson knew this. Rodman, however, was a rebel and liked to do his own thing, having a very distinct, dominant personality.

Phil Jackson had such success with the Bulls team (and specifically coaching Dennis Rodman) because he understood each player’s personality and how to create trust and cohesiveness. Michael Jordan had an all-caps DOMINANT personality on and off the court. Jackson trusted Jordan because he was so passionate, smart, and motivated to lead the team to victory. Though Rodman also had a dominant personality, he was not a team leader—both Jordan and Rodman had powerful egos, and we all know how the story goes in the battle to be the best on a team.

Coach Jackson understood personality traits and how they directly correlated to the team’s performance and path to be the absolute best. Likewise, as a coach you need to know every athlete’s strengths and weaknesses and play to those. Mindset and personality are directly correlated, based on individual traits; as a coach, understanding different personality traits will help you and your athletes achieve success. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each personality type will improve overall communication, with the goal of creating a dynamic relationship between coach and athlete, coach and team, and athlete and team.

As a coach, you need to know every athlete’s strengths and weaknesses and play to those…understanding different personality traits will help you and your athletes achieve success. Share on X

The Four Basic Personality Types

We can categorize personality traits into four types, based off the DISC + Motivator by Tony Robbins Research.

1. Dominant.
2. Influence.
3. Steadiness.
4. Conscientious.

I have had success with this model in terms of understanding both my own personality and my coaching style. Also, it’s important to note that everyone has a mix of all four of these personality traits—one just stands out more than the others due to motivation, environment, relationships, outcomes, decision-making, and more.

In this article, I discuss the correlation between the four DISC + Motivator personality traits, the three coaching styles, and the three athletic characteristics in performance. The combination of these three models will enhance your team’s cohesiveness and performance, regardless of what sport, what level, or where you coach.

I have had to rebuild the “field” portion of our high school track and field team over the last five years. I needed a way to motivate and recruit boys and girls who wanted to throw and/or jump—based off these models, I have been able to expand our field team, which we now call “Flight Crew” and “Throws Crew.” We’ve had more athletes joining and hitting personal records, learning a new skill, wanting to continue to compete in college, and bringing their best on and off the track.

To begin, let’s dive into the four personality traits:

1. Dominant

These individuals tend to be direct, guarded, and driven by an inner need to always lead and be in personal control. They take charge of people and situations so they can reach their goals, and their key need is achieving bottom-line results. These are “lead, follow, or get out of the way” type of people.

Some weaknesses with this personality type include:

• Stubbornness.
• Impatience.
• Toughness (stubborn, needing to always take charge because they feel their decision is the only way to do it).

They naturally prefer to take control of others, and they have a low tolerance for the feelings, attitudes, and inadequacies of anyone else.

Some strengths are:

• An ability to work quickly by themselves.
• Shaping their environment to overcome obstacles en route to accomplishments.
• Seeking maximum freedom to manage themselves and others.
• Using their leadership skills to become a winner.
• Good administration and delegation skills.

An example of this type of athlete would be Dennis Rodman—it was his way or the highway. As a coach, you need to know how to work with this personality type and encourage them to be a team player. However, this trait goes well with “The Competitive Athlete” who I discuss below.

2. Influence

These individuals are direct, personable, outgoing, and energetic. They like to go where the action is, prefer a fast pace, and foster networking relationships. They try to influence in an optimistic way, focused on positive outcomes, whether in a social or a work environment.

Some of their weaknesses include:

• Too much involvement.
• Impatience.
• Issues with being alone.
• Short attention spans.

This causes them to become easily bored when little data comes in, and they tend to make sweeping generalizations.

Some strengths are:

• Enthusiasm.
• Persuasiveness.
• Friendliness.
• Being “idea” kind of people who can get others caught up in their dreams.

Great at persuasion, they influence others and shape their environment by building alliances to accomplish results. These types of individuals love to talk to others, gaining relationships and networks.

Individuals with the Influence personality trait make great coaches. These types of people can listen and communicate well and are passionate and understanding leaders, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Individuals with this personality trait make great coaches. I would say a perfect example of this would be Phil Jackson and his coaching style. These types of people can listen and communicate well and are passionate and understanding leaders. One of the coaching styles, the “Democratic Style Coach,” which I discuss below in the “Different Coaching Styles” section, correlates to this personality trait.

3. Steadiness

This personality tends to be indirect and openly seeks more attention and acceptance. They take follow-through actions and prefer a slower and easier-paced environment (like a classroom or office space). They focus on building trust and getting acquainted with others because they aim for longstanding personal relationships. They don’t like pushy or aggressive behavior.

Some weaknesses include:

• Difficulty speaking up.
• A “follower” mentality, even if they don’t agree.

More assertive types may take advantage of individuals like this, who may give in just to avoid confrontation. Their lack of assertiveness can take a toll on their own health and well-being.

Some strengths are that they:

• Are an easy type to get along with.
• Cultivate stable relationships that don’t jeopardize anyone, especially themselves.
• Enjoy a slower, steady-paced, and relaxed environment.
• Are easygoing and approachable, while also being very structured people, creating plans to match their routine.

The best example of this would be certain teachers who have extremely warm and trusting dispositions, listen to their students, and guide with structure. Routine and structure are a main priority for them, no matter the goal or intention.

In terms of athletes, this may be a very “heady” athlete. They can psych themselves out in competition and are considered “The Practice Athlete” (which I discuss in the “Three Different Types of Athletes in Performance” section).

4. Conscientious

These individuals tend to be indirect and guarded, preferring involvement with the performance of products and services under specific and preferably controlled conditions so the process and result can be correct. Their primary concern is accuracy—human emotions may take a back seat with them.

Weaknesses include perfectionism—if taken to the extreme, this can result in “paralysis by analysis” and take a toll on overall health and well-being.

Some strengths are:

• Accuracy.
• Dependability.
• Independence.
• Clarification.
• Testing skills.
• Follow-through.
• Organization.

They focus on expectations (policies, practice, and procedures) and outcomes. They need to know how things work so they can evaluate how correctly things function.

An example of this personality trait would be an individual who does not like interaction with others as much and who may get anxiety from being around too many people. They like to work in a quiet space—this would be the opposite of a dominant personality, and ironically, both personality traits can be considered very controlling of themselves or others. They do not like being the center of attention or leading a group.

“The Practice Athlete” is linked to this personality trait, as they can crumble when it comes to competition.

Three Different Coaching Styles

Let us now move onto the different coaching styles that tie into those four personality traits. This may help you understand your own coaching style and what can help you and your team be most successful.

The Dictator Coach: You can probably guess what personality trait this is associated with—dominant. Makes all the decisions, doesn’t like to listen to other ideas, very direct demeanor. “My way or the highway” mentality.

The Democratic Coach: The in-between coach, a style that combines the Dictator’s leadership skills and the communication skills of the Holistic Coach. Personally, I believe this is the best way to coach up your athletes—this personality trait is associated with the influencer trait.

Personally, I believe ‘The Democratic Coach’ is the best way to coach up your athletes—this is associated with the Influencer trait, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

The Holistic Coach: Super laid-back, a “let the athletes run the practice” kind of coach. The personality trait would be steadiness. This can be more appropriate once you get to the collegiate/elite level. When the athlete’s own personality and skill levels are developed, you can be more laid-back with them in terms of directness and micromanaging. But again, this all depends on the athlete and the team.

As a coach, you need to know that everyone is different and be able to think on your toes in different environments and situations. Be aware of the different personality traits and act accordingly. How will this athlete react? What makes them tick? Do they need more of a push? Or do they need less coaching up?

I work with track and field athletes and have noticed those with certain personality traits are drawn to certain events. You have your throwers who are totally lax and lighthearted, but they can be very much in their own head. You have your short and long sprinters who are divas and more of a dominant and/or influence personality. I have found jumpers to show more steadiness and/or influence traits; they can keep to themselves and are also very much in their own heads. Our long-distance athletes have more of the steadiness and conscientious traits and are Type A personalities and perfectionists—these may feel uncomfortable leading a team and are usually very bright.

Coach to the athlete’s strengths and teach them when it comes to their weaknesses. Guide them to success; do not force something that doesn’t work and strains the coach-athlete relationship. At the end of the day, communication is KEY. Listen 80% of the time and speak 20% of the time. Ask questions—this will help your team dynamic run smoothly.

Three Different Types of Athletes in Performance

To understand what motivates an athlete, you need to understand what type of athlete you are dealing with. Below are three different types of athletes in performance.

The Practice Athlete: Peaks in practice, looks amazing during training sessions, and then gets in their own head and can’t bring it to perform in competition.

The Competitive Athlete: Can be lazy in practice, will put in effort some of the time, maybe relies solely on talent. But when it comes to competition, they are 100% in and ready to kill it. They thrive in a competitive atmosphere.

The Hard-Working Athlete: Works their hardest in practice AND competition; can bring it whenever and wherever. They have discipline and talent and put them both to great use—these are usually our captains leading the team.

I work with track and field athletes and have noticed those with certain personality traits are drawn to certain events, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Coaches, How Can You Apply This?

Coaching style is developed over time and through years of practice. You will learn and notice different patterns in the personality styles of athletes. Take note and, if needed, try interacting with the athlete in a different way. Maybe they need more coaching and motivation? Maybe they need less coaching because they are heady athletes? Are they male or female? Do you need to change your style as a coach?

If you have athletes who are more introverted, quiet, and not as aggressive toward the sport or competition, try coaching them up as more of a Democratic Coach. Create a positive and self-confident environment. Most of the time, these athletes won’t need over-coaching—if anything, it’s the opposite, because these athletes tend to be perfectionists and very much in their own head. Try more sport psychology tactics and recovery tools such as deep breathing, meditation, visualization, and a relaxed environment. Get them into competition mode.

As for the athletes who are more dominant in their sport and leadership role, sometimes you may have to level out their egos. (I have found this more with males.) This is fine, and maybe they are a dominant individual and potentially need more motivation to practice instead of solely relying on talent. With female athletes, I have seen dominant and influence personality traits transfer over to leadership roles. These are more captain material and can lead the team and communicate effectively.

I have coached both boys and girls high school track and field. With the young ladies, they play sport for a sense of community, less ego, and more socializing. This is opposed to the young boys, who are very competitive, and ego driven.

When coaching the field events, I have the boys and girls train and practice together. I have seen this enhance performance, motivation, team camaraderie, passion, and enjoyment for their sport.

Some things you can do as a coach to create a great cohesive team dynamic:

• Designate an Athlete of the Week.
• Conduct shoutouts on social media and team meetings about their performance.
• Hold team dinners—teach them about proper nutrition and healthy plates.
• Engage in team bonding with games (chase, tag, co-ed relays, field trips, double Dutch, prizes, etc.).
• Host giveaways.

Most importantly, don’t forget that every athlete is different and needs specific coaching to create success and teach them life lessons. Don’t let a coaching ego get in the way; walk the walk and talk the talk as a coach. Be immersed in the sport and have the desire to make your athletes the best they can be on and off the court, field, or track.

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

By Joseph Potts & Cassius Sendish

In many sports, speed is among the most coveted qualities an athlete can possess. Relative to speed, the start is always the slowest portion of a race, with the first 0-10 yards of a 40-yard dash normally ~33% of total sprint time.

We performed an experiment with athletes who had hundreds of training hours performing various resisted sprint methods, with the goal of investigating what kind of impact six weeks of assisted sprint training (commonly called “overspeed”) would have on a well-trained athlete’s sprint-start ability. The prevailing theory is that the body would adapt in a highly specific manner in order to meet the demands of chronic exposure to such a highly specific stimulus (Franklin Henry’s SAID principle).

I suspected we would see some minor improvement in the athletes’ sprint-start abilities, but I think we were all shocked at the level of improvement that was evident after the midway and post-intervention testing. I originally thought a 5% betterment would be phenomenal.

I think we were all shocked at the level of improvement in the athletes’ sprint-start abilities that was evident after the midway and post-intervention testing. Share on X

I hope the results seen here lead practitioners to consider both the role that the CNS plays in an athlete’s ability to actually harness their power and strength in on-field scenarios and the effect that kinetic loads can play on both ends of the speed-strength spectrum, and everywhere in between.

Our Materials and Methods

The subjects who participated were former collegiate football players (now considered professional football prospects), with an average height of 70 inches, an average weight of 198 pounds, and an average age of 22.5 years.

Baseline testing and all measurements throughout the six weeks were performed with two Brower Timing System gates in order to mitigate the human element from timing. Athletes utilized a staggered two-point stance commonly seen during sprint activity. The lead foot was placed 18 inches from the first laser. This distance was chosen because it allowed the athlete to raise their arms and assume a running posture without prematurely triggering the laser timing system.

Videos 1 & 2. Pro football prospects at TopSpeed Strength and Conditioning performing overspeed sprint starts and decelerations in training protocol.

For the application of assisted sprinting speeds, we used a 1080 Sprint unit. Athletes wore a waist harness and were assisted through the 0-5-yard zone by 12-15 kilos of tension. Assistance was raised or lowered as necessary for the athlete to achieve ~15% higher speed output than their baseline. This number was recalculated after midpoint testing, and future assistance was applied as necessary for the athlete to achieve ~10% more speed than their midpoint score. Volume remained constant throughout the six-week program as the athletes performed three sets of three reps once per week.

Objective Results

From a time perspective, the athlete’s ability to cover 0-5 yards out of a stationary position decreased from an average of 1.12 seconds at baseline, to 1.05 seconds at the midway point, and finally to 1.01 seconds at the final retest. This represents a percent change of 9.8%.

In miles per hour, the results indicated that the athletes went from an average of 9.19 mph during baseline testing, to 9.76 mph at the midway point, and finally to 10.08 mph at the final retest, representing a percent change of 9.7%.

Discussion Points

The results of this pilot program should warrant further research on the subject matter. Future studies could:

• Use larger cohorts to investigate whether the improvements seen with the application of overspeed methods are primarily neuromuscular or physiological in nature.
• Track how long the effects last after the cessation of chronic exposure.
• Assess what changes occur with various ranges of time and exposure.
• Measure the effect differing levels of intensity have on the various stages of sprinting.

Regardless, it appears that adding the overspeed training element seemed to have a profound effect on a highly trained athlete’s ability to move faster than they were previously capable of out of a stationary position.

Given that each athlete included in these results had 5+ years of post-high school level resistance training, these results should be cause for consideration among sports performance coaches regarding the application of overspeed methods with highly trained athletes under their care.

These results should be cause for consideration among sports performance coaches regarding the application of overspeed methods with highly trained athletes under their care. Share on X

However, these methods do not come without a substantial risk of injury. For example, in one instance among the athletes in this study, the plant foot slipped during deceleration while the athlete was still under pull-stress from the 1080 Sprint unit. Fortunately, there was no injury in this case, but it did illustrate the heightened risk of hyperextension or worse that could occur during a similar event.

Maximizing Acceleration Ability in Well-Trained Athletes

Due to the apparent high transfer to the betterment of the athlete’s ability to accelerate into a sprint, the use of overspeed training methods may be appropriate for well-trained athletes who have found their acceleration capacity to have plateaued while using traditional resisted sprinting methods.

While weightlifting and resisted speed training methods may be the appropriate approach for high school athletes and collegiate underclassmen (age range 14-19), strength and conditioning professionals may want to seriously consider the integration of overspeed methods for maximizing acceleration ability in athletes with a higher (20+) training age.

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

Cassius Sendish is the Assistant Director of Sports Performance and Combine Coordinator at TopSpeed. He returned to TopSpeed in a coaching capacity, earning his performance specialist certification with EXOS, after spending the previous three years coaching football at the University of Kansas.

Coach Sendish graduated from the University of Kansas in 2015, earning two degrees while playing football. A two year letterwinner for the Jayhawks, he started all 24 games in his career and served as team captain en route to earning All Big-12 and Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2014. After his stellar collegiate career he spent time with the Cleveland Browns and the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.

As a runner, there is little you can do to significantly improve on your fitness level three weeks out from a marathon, but there is a lot that can happen to ruin your race day—or even your reputation, if you are an elite runner and happen to stop at a roadside stand and buy a contaminated burrito containing the type of WADA-prohibited substances that can get you banned for years.

Though you may never have an experience exactly like what allegedly happened to the USA’s 1500m and 5000m national record holder, Shelby Houlihan—who had great hopes of winning a medal for her country in the Tokyo Olympic Games but is now suspended from competing—these crucial last three weeks arguably need more attention and focus than all the other months of continuous training.

The crucial last three weeks (before the race) arguably need more attention and focus than all the other months of continuous training, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

In a typical long distance training program, weeks of hard training are followed by a recovery week (or two) allowing the body to re-energize and avoid stagnating in a running plateau. But, as race day approaches, a runner has to make sure they are in their best form and healthy on their race day.

Fartlek runs and track intervals are some of the runs that usually remain in a plan up to the last week of training. In most of the big long distance training camps in Kenya, while the rest of the group is doing a 40-minute fartlek run (say, two minutes hard and one minute easy for 13 repetitions), runners with their race days coming close go with the group but do the workouts for just eight or nine repetitions.

According to several studies, runners who overtrain by doing a lot of weekly mileages are relatively more prone to upper respiratory illnesses (as well as physical injuries) compared with recreational runners. Specifically, research from Peters and Bateman on ultramarathon running and upper respiratory tract infections found “symptoms of URT infection occurred in 33.3% of runners compared with 15.3% of controls, and were most common in those who achieved the faster race times,” in an epidemiological survey.¹

Also, there is a belief that whether one fills their thoughts with their fears or their desires, that’s what will more likely happen to them. This seems to be true for many runners—they can go down with the flu or a bad cold in the days leading up to their goal race or get injured on their last tough workouts.

These negative outcomes can be avoided if training is slowed down at the right time and the athletes maintain a proper, healthy diet.

Planning to Succeed on Race Day

The last few weeks before a race is a time when runners can panic and try to squeeze in a few hard, last-minute workouts, hoping to perfect their form and compensate for everything they failed to do at the right time ahead of their race. But instead, they still end up with poor performances—perhaps even poorer than they would have performed had they stopped training altogether.

The general rule during the tapering period is that runners should aim to reduce their weekly running mileage to around 80% of what they have been doing.

On the other side of the coin, when a runner reduces their training load drastically within a short time, they are going to end up with a poor performance on race day as well. A runner will lose about 6% of their VO2 max when they stop training for two weeks. They will lose their muscle power too.

The point of the tapering period is to try and balance between recovering and keeping your body in good form. From an economical point of view, it would be better to be a little bit undertrained on race day than overtrained.

Some effects of overtraining toward your marathon race:

1. You become easily susceptible to illnesses, especially common colds.
2. Your body will not be well recovered ahead of your race.

Some effects of drastically reducing your training too early:

1. Your body will feel lethargic due to the change in your routine.
2. You may gain some weight, which can be costly during the race.
3. You reduce muscle power and VO2 max.

What to Avoid in the Last Few Days Before Your Race

Any coach who is a former runner will tell you that if they were able to rewind and begin running again with the knowledge they now have, they would be prepared to have incredible performances.

There are a few seemingly minor things that can cost runners time in their races, such as tying their racing shoes loosely, not visiting the toilets before their start time, using inappropriate running attire and shoes, and other avoidable mistakes.

The most common mistakes runners make are:

• Trying new food types. It is always better to stick to the food you are used to during training instead of trying anything new during or a few days before the race. The wrong food can cause a lot of trouble, from stomach discomfort to headaches to even lack of energy during the race.

It is good to find out what kinds of food work best for you during race day by trying them on your long runs way before your goal races.

• Bathing with new soaps and/or using new perfumes. A study by Caress and Steinemann found 30.5% of the general population reported scented products on others irritating, 19% reported adverse health effects from air fresheners, and 10.9% reported irritation from scented laundry products vented outside.² There are perfumed bathing soaps that may cause allergies that can result in mild headaches and sneezing.

• Unnecessary travels and movements. In the last few days before your race, it is crucial to get your priorities right. Some things can wait until you are done with your race. Otherwise, you will compromise your ability to relax and hydrate. You may even be forced to eat from a roadside kiosk while traveling and end up blaming what you ate after a dismal performance on your race.

Here are few ideas to keep yourself busy and prepare in the days leading up to your race:

• Test your racing shoes in a tempo run a week or two beforehand. If someone offers you a highly rated racing shoe at the start line of your goal race, just thank them and use your old shoe. There is so much that can go wrong with a shoe you haven’t tried before your race, from getting blisters to a change in your running rhythm that may force you to drop out.

• Make sure you have all the items you will need during the race, including running kits and hydration plans. To avoid long queues when picking up the racing bibs, it is always good to ensure that you have done everything you need to do at the earliest time possible so that you have plenty of time to relax as you wait for your race.

• Plan how you will arrive at the race venue on time. I won’t ever forget a half-marathon in 2017 where I arrived at the starting line just as the gun was going off. We were three runners in a car traveling to participate in the Mississauga half-marathon in Toronto, and we were late. We passed a police car that put on its siren, followed us, and pulled our vehicle over. The driver—who was a Toronto-based runner—went out to explain why we were speeding; luckily, the policeman understood and let us go.

We changed to our running kits in the car and ran even faster than we would do in the race from the parking lot to the venue’s race start. We could hear the countdown of the last 10 seconds as we approached the start, behind the masses of runners. It took us almost the first 2 kilometers of the race to finally push through the joggers and reach the leading pack.

From that experience, I learned to always plan early and arrive at the start line on time.

• Load carbohydrates and hydrate well. To be on the start line feeling strong and confident, you need to be well-hydrated and have eaten the right energy-giving foods. This can only happen in the days leading to the race.

Keys for Mental Preparation Leading Up to Race Day

The athletes who know they can win are the ones who do win, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

Race winners often visualize themselves winning their races before they run them—the athletes who know they can win are the ones who do win.

• Be realistic about the time you aim to run. Know the pace you are supposed to use so that you do not start your race too fast and end up not finishing it. It is not just about knowing and waiting to win; it includes knowing how hard you will have to push to win, how you will run your race, and what realistic steps you are taking to achieve that. The times you run in your tempo runs and track intervals should help inform you where your form falls at the moment. Some GPS-enabled watches are also able to predict your potential.

• Remain calm. Like the age-old question on what came first between the chicken and the egg, it is not clear whether runners who appear calm in their races always triumph because they trust in the training they already did, or simply because they are calm during their races.

• Have something to motivate you. Marathons are never easy, and if a runner has nothing to motivate them other than just having fun, then chances are high that they will drop out before finishing.

Look at the bigger picture of accomplishing what you set out to do in that marathon and what it will mean to your life—this will add purpose to your race. Training for a marathon brings physical and mental benefits, so why just train for it and not finish it?

Looking back at everything you have done—the time and resources you have spent in preparation for the marathon—will also serve to push you to the finish line.

• Have confidence in all the training you have done as preparation. Most road races post their course elevation and maps on their websites, which helps keen runners do specific training that will suit the course.

While the last three weeks is not the right time to check on the elevation and design a training program to address that, it is a time to reflect on what you have already done in training and note that all parts—from strength to speed and endurance—have been covered.

Making the Last Three Weeks Work for You

Like all the other training phases, the tapering period should have a program that takes into consideration the areas to cover and sharpen, and a few areas to scrap. I usually plan the last long run to occur just before the tapering period, so that the aerobic and mental effects will still be relatively fresh and effective on race day after I eliminate this from the last three weeks.

I usually plan the last long run to occur just before any tapering period, so that the aerobic and mental effects will still be relatively fresh and effective on race day, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

Inside the final three weeks, I discard all workouts that put a lot of stress on my body, such as hill workouts and long runs that take more than one hour and 40 minutes. The longest long run within the last two weeks will be no more than one hour 20 minutes, and then not more than one hour in the last week.

Gradually lessen and shorten speed intervals—the overall reduction in training load, plus quality nutrition and an effective hydration plan, should get your body feeling great on race day.

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

References

1. Peters, EM and Bateman, ED. “Ultramarathon running and upper respiratory tract infections.” South African Medical Journal. 1983;64(15):582-584.

2. Caress, SM and Steinemann, AC. “Prevalence of multiple chemical sensitivities: a population-based study in the southeastern United States.” American Journal of Public Health. 2004;94(5):746-747.

How do you get there from here? Perhaps, as a coach or an athlete, you have been in this place: you’ve become frustrated with what you are doing because you know roughly where you want to go, but can’t seem to get there. And whatever you are doing here and now just isn’t working.

Performance ceilings are a common challenge, either in terms of training or competitive goals; if nothing you do seems to be leading to improvement, what can you do to break through?

If nothing you do seems to be leading to improvement, what can you do to break through? Share on X

Then

As an athlete, I recall a here/there period of time in the context of power-speed development. In the pre-competitive phases, we performed a diverse package of leaps, bounds, and hops two to three times per week. Leg exchanges (a bouncy advancing lunge with an alternating stride pattern) were an oddity in the mix. Although they didn’t imitate running, we were told that stride development would benefit. We might have done two or three variants in a session.

Video 1. Split-leap exchanges with the athlete advancing horizontally.

Video 2. Lunge-leap combination.

A related exercise group were lunge walks, a slow and almost goofy walk combining a low lunge and tall unilateral stance. We used these as activations or inserts. The common factor for me was that I could not perform any of the slow variations without falling over or clenching so strongly that I could barely move or breathe.

I became competent with the leaps and bounds, but for one factor: increased ability in these exercises did not translate to targeted skill improvements. Neither takeoffs nor sprint times showed any improvements for all the time invested. On assessments such as five hops, distances stayed much the same and left-right imbalances were still obvious. I looked smoother and improved my capacity, but of course in power-speed sports there are no bonuses for looking good.

Others within the group improved, but my here never inched towards there. I tried to hit the ground harder, thinking it would add to takeoff landing and takeoff intensity. My ankles and feet were in pain. I tried more, with additional sessions…recovery suffered, sleep became fragmented, everything hurt. There was drifting away—this was a downward spiral of dissatisfaction and injury.

In hindsight, clues to why this was happening were in the slower work, with the faster work showing the outcomes. I did not have the language or understanding to figure it all out and was in a situation that was unable to provide options. It was FOFY (find out for yourself) time.

I did not have the language or understanding to figure it all out and was in a situation that was unable to provide options. Share on X

Chronic ankle sprains (mostly from basketball) had left me with poor static balance and dynamic stability.¹ Out of anxiety, I avoided uneven terrain (even cracks in the pavement), lateral work, and quick directional changes. From another perspective, the program was good, probably ahead of its time…but if the athlete is not ready for the program, there will be little development. In this situation, I was not ready and did not have the full capability to manage the complexities of the program or the need for speed over the ground (see Frans Bosch’s Anatomy of Agility for more on the constraints-led approach).

Out of puzzlement and wanting to diminish growing negativity, I began to work on slow lunge and split squat variations (for me, lunges have an airborne phase for one or both feet rather than being statically anchored). The two exercises morphed into an up-down hybrid (see illustrated self-portrait below).

At first, I needed wall support and was very tense with co-contraction anxiety. The issues with stability and balance were immediately obvious, and with the slower work there were no places to hide or compensate. Looking down at my front foot, I could see that the tibialis anterior was twitching all over the place—something I called the “Tibs Dance.” My torso and hips would twitch and sway side-to-side, unable to find a stable center, and my feet were passive paddles.

What the hybrid lunge challenged me to do was develop stabilizing networks, from foot to hip to torso, and enable these to work with higher force-velocity components. One insight I gained was that it was all the little stabilizers that were limiting development—I had to shift perspectives from training big muscle movers to also including stabilizers and synergists. I had to learn to move with ease while balancing.

We are increasingly living in a manufactured world of smooth terrains and firm surfaces. Humans are built to deal with variable terrains and unstable surfaces at speed, but only if they train the skills. Only if they reduce their own joint and movement variability for a particular skill set. I had avoided this for years.

Humans are built to deal with variable terrains and unstable surfaces at speed, but only if they train the skills. Share on X

Chronic injuries teach us that restoration of function is more than being pain-free; we need to reframe our mechanics, rewire our headsets for neuromuscular enhancement, and reformat our physiology so that the big muscle chains cannot overwhelm the stabilizing networks. In the storyline, the rush to resume training and the pressures from systems to resume competitions were always doomed to ceilings and chronic pain. We carry our injury patterns forward unless there is an intervention for change. This was personally tough to accept, but pain can be a powerful motivator.

Now

Circumstances have changed for coaches and athletes since the timeframe of that story. The internet makes more information readily accessible and coaching education is better and more collaborative. There is more applicable research becoming available, coupled with insightful analyses. We can also do more of what I would call “cultural crossovers” from sport to sport, gathering up little nuggets of insight. Further still, there is more opportunity to tap into systematized training as opposed to cherry-picking isolated exercises or copying the patterns that someone did in the past that might have worked.

However, we have also learned that things like pandemics change access and interaction. We need better critical thinking skills to weed out speculative or faulty training suggestions from the mass of information we are bombarded with. We are all learning that fact checking needs to be a part of the decision-making process to ensure that performance and prevention needs are not lost. In some ways the “here and there” conundrum can still emerge and frustrate us.

Lunges and split squats have retained their validity over time. They offer that assessment-remedy framework that I tapped into in the past. I look at them as complementary work, bridging a gap between slow and fast as well as bilateral to unilateral supports. Today, as a coach and mentor, I divide complementary work into subsections of preparation. Preparation, to my thinking, runs parallel to training and competition readiness and never leaves the program. What I was doing in those ages past was what I would now term “preparation to move.”

Lunges and split squats have retained their validity over time. Share on X

The hybrid lunge mentioned in my story has a major limitation: diminishing returns on time invested once the foundation of balance and stability have been developed or reformatted—they turn into air squat equivalents and dozens of reps. The traditional pathway would add external overloads to the bodyweight work, but these too come with both limitations and precautions. As a coach, I needed a better way to bridge the gap between foundation body repetitions and higher force-velocity skills.

My solution, taken from historical conditioning formats, other sports, and athletes themselves, was to devise ways of increasing force within the body rather than by imposing external loads. Research informs us that isometric tensions can have positive effects on muscle fibre recruitment and tendon function. By using bracing and anchoring formats, the benefits of isometric tension can be applied to a range of motion. I call these exercises “polymetric” for the multi-dimensional tensions being used through a range of motion.

Anyone who has used a tool like a wrench on a stubborn nut or bolt knows that bracing the body from the anchored feet on up through the torso and shoulders will produce far greater force than not anchoring and using only the arm. That same wrench situation suggests that the hips and core are furiously working as the bracing link between the feet and hands. Throwing and racquet sports use that same anchor-brace idea in a finger snap of time. Applying the same principles to lunges and split squats provides far more benefit than simply moving up and down. What an athlete can do is add agonist-antagonist tension, a great deal of tension towards max, by squeezing or pushing against those anchors with the big movers of the hips and legs (think ham-glute against iliopsoas-rec femoris).

Polymetric work is hard work!

Anchoring a split squat posture and adding 80% (or more) squeeze-push tension challenges the stability networks to work at much higher intensities alongside the chains establishing the pose. Because of the narrow base of support, the lateral stabilizers of the feet, legs, and spine all need to coordinate how they operate to prevent sway and shudder. As the central movement chains and synergists flex and extend against resistance, stabilizers are co-contracting to keep the joint systems in alignment.

These stabilizers learn to “pre-flex” before transitions to reduce muscle slack and retain those capabilities and sensations as “preparation to move” shifts to higher forces and velocities.³ The beauty of this arrangement is that the whole action becomes self-regulating. If there is an area or particular set of stabilizers that are not functioning in alignment, not at the same tension levels, or fatigue more quickly, then wobbles or disruptions will attract attention and can be remedied.

The ankle, for example, is a frequent “weak spot” in anchoring tension exercises due to injury, faulty movement patterns, and imbalanced development. The larger muscle systems above it simply overwhelm the lower leg stirrups and anchoring muscles of the foot. Some remedial pre-preparation work may be required, as with injury patterns, but for most athletes a shift in focus to the ankles and feet while performing the whole action will be enough to initiate change. The observation of a wobble during an anchored lunge will be the same or similar with the performance skill—the difference is that imbalances may be hidden due to the speed of motion or because we are not sure what to look for or we have learned to effectively mask the faulty pattern. In slower, high tension activity, every imbalance shows itself.

Three Pathways

Working backwards from the hundreds of dynamic landings and plyometrics that challenge force-velocity capabilities, the “preparation to move” selections ensure that the systems that are providing most of the power in landing and takeoff skills are not having to compensate for relatively weaker or imbalanced mobility-stability networks. From this perspective, mobility and stability are on a continuum where we can slide along an axis to find out what works for us.

Mobility and stability are on a continuum where we can slide along an axis to find out what works for us. Share on X

As I found when exploring the hybrid lunge, many variations and postures can be created out of one exercise. The key is in finding variants that suit the needs of the athlete, coupled with the challenges of the target skills. The three pathways outlined here are starting points I suggest with athletes so that their needs are addressed and “cookie-cutter” approaches are avoided. It’s a bit of a Goldilocks process of finding the conditioning and preparation directions that are “just right.”

The profiled exercise is an adaptation of a split squat that capitalizes on anchoring and bracing polymetrics to produce great forces while requiring attention to stability. The exercise is called a Watson Squat (with a nod to Matt Watson of Plus Plyos, who provided great feedback in the development of anchored exercising). This split squat has the rear foot positioned up the wall about 30-45 cm (12-18 inches). Because there is a baseline pressure required to hold the position while moving, there are stability networks and mobility chains that never rest. Additionally, pressure against the anchors can be ramped up to near max as extensors and flexors work against each other.

1. Mobility-Stability Combo

The middle of the mobility-stability axis tends to be suited to athletes needing to correct imbalances that are limiting development. We all have imbalances: left-right, top-bottom, front-back, and joint-specific. What we can do is minimize their impact on force-velocity development by enhancing mobility (strength through a range of motion) along with stability at each point along that range. Athletes can select a few key exercises and work them at high intensities to challenge both mobility and stability to remedy imbalances. This strategy also keeps the reps manageable and the focus on consistency.

Video 3. Matt Watson demonstrates “The Watson Squat.”

The Watson Squat works well here as the athlete learns to move through a range of extension and flexion with push actions for both up and down motions. Maintaining stability and knee alignment with the front foot is usually an initial challenge that is remedied within 8-10 sessions due to neuromuscular factors developing in tandem with the mechanics. A typical set structure will be 8-12 reps at about 70% max voluntary intensity that shifts to 5-8 reps with 80%+ intensity.

Maintaining stability and knee alignment with the front foot is usually an initial challenge. Share on X

2. More Stability

Through exploration or observation—as with myself not being able to hold a posture—athletes may find that stability is a key limitation. This involves mobility issues, but often needs added neuromuscular emphasis. Smaller tendomuscular groups involved in stability networks often gang together to form strong blocks of tension, as happens with the intrinsic muscles of the feet. This capability needs to be trained and then refined for capacity so that the larger chains do not overwhelm the stabilizing effect that is part of consistency.

Using the Twist Watson Squat introduces the need for constant stabilizing adjustments. In this variant, the tension through the anchors remains much the same, usually at about 60-70% voluntary max to begin with. The torso twists create challenges to the feet, legs, and hips. The lumbar-ham-glute connection is also getting more attention due to the postural tilt.

3. More Mobility

Situations where there is a strength imbalance between the big movers and the stability networks are quite common. A traditional approach is to isolate groups or regions for designated work. The focused emphasis is useful, if not necessary, for rehab and restoration following injury. The limitations are longer-term carryover and time. With areas like ankles or knees, where ligament laxity may require supportive tendomuscular work, ongoing pre-preparation is warranted.

Situations where there is a strength imbalance between the big movers and the stability networks are quite common. Share on X

“Preparation to move” domains employ more integrative whole-body work so that areas like the hips and core are also involved. As with the original story, the ankles can be a direct issue, but if the hip abductors and rotators are weakened, they will not offer full support during dynamic skills. Doing some anchor-brace work can be of huge benefit in this instance, as reps and intensities can be applied for max benefits.

One variation of the Watson Squat that works well is to lower the rear leg to the corner of the wall. A Corner-Braced Watson Squat changes dynamic posture slightly, but also allows for both squeeze and push intensities to be applied. Adding capacity to capability at high intensities challenges the various movers and stabilizers to adapt and to recruit muscle fibres to a higher degree. The other advantage of the corner brace variation is that the rhythm is more easily changed from slow-mo to fast without altering the basic mechanics. The stability networks also learn to deal with quicker transitions: a bridge towards more dynamic work that refines how faster eccentric loading is managed.

Takeaways From Then and Now

The original storyline offered a glimpse at how stepping away from the workout format to correct imbalances and restore function was a rudimentary step toward preparation for the training system that was to fuel performance. Without that effort, the performance ceiling would remain simply because historical constraints were carried forwards into the training formats. Interventions with mobility and stability work altered how the body responded to movements, balanced strength deficits, and created new patterns allowing skill development with joint protection.

That story began with the reflection that a valuable lesson was learned; and, in fact, there were more than one. One important insight was an awareness of body plasticity: the ability to modify how the body responds and adapts. Most of us, if asked, believe that a great deal of “who we are” is genetically set, and relatedly, that talent is for the few. Plasticity shows us that most of who we are can be modified and adapted to a variety of demands…that’s what training does.

The overlapping lesson was one of self-responsibility. Taking charge and owning the directions for growth is something we can embrace at all ages. Sport development, as with other cultural expressions, is a great place to form and refine this quality. The opposite of self-responsibility is not irresponsibility as you may think: it’s dependency. Although the original story had youthful flaws in terms of communication, it was also an exercise in self-responsibility. David Hemery, the 1968 gold medallist in 400m hurdles, pointed out in his survey of world-class performers that controlling your own destiny is a shared trait.⁴ The alternative is to show up and let things happen, or to expect a program to magically transform “here” into “there.”

Taking charge and owning the directions for growth is something we can embrace at all ages. Share on X

Finally, it needs to be said that lunges and split squats were not some special or secret remedy for breaking through a performance ceiling. As noted, the clues to why the limitations existed were more obvious in slower activities. It is not the exercise providing the answers, it is the sensory information we get from the exercise that creates a decision-remedy pathway. Our bodies are laced with sensors telling us where we are and how well we move. Learning to listen to our bodily information, processing it, and deciding how to proceed is the biggest lesson of all; and it is something we can carry from “here” to “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

References & Additional Reading

1. De Mers, M.S., Hicks, J.L, and Delp, S.L. Preparatory Co-Activation of the Ankle Muscles May Prevent Ankle Inversion Injuries. Journal of Biomechanics. 2017;52:17-23.

2. Bosch, F. Anatomy of Agility: Movement Analysis in Sport. 20/10 Publishers. 2020.

3. Van Hooren, B. and Bosch, F. Influence of Muscle Slack on High Intensity Sport Performance: A Review. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2016;38(5):75-87.

4. Hemery, D. Sporting Excellence: What Makes a Champion? Harper Collins. 1991.

In almost 10 years, my search for the ideal recipe for optimized recovery has had the scent of an epic…the quest for my Holy Grail, so to speak! I’ve tried crazy, futuristic technologies including floating tanks, hyperbaric chambers, lasers of all kinds, and gadgets worthy of James Bond. I’ve attended lectures from great doctors and famous scientists and started talking about biohacking with engineers straight out of Google’s “dream factory.” In this quest, I’ve also had to oust snake oil vendors and other new druids peddling magic potions and fancy powders.

Many times, I have found myself grappling with questionable practices so folkloric that one would almost excuse the quasi-total absence of their scientific basis. Perhaps you have experienced the same story? Or are you still outside, with your sleeves rolled up, determined to find this elusive recipe?

Good luck.

Each individual is different, and each athlete is a complex system in their own right. As Louie Simmons said, everything works, but not forever. Varying recovery techniques may be as important to keeping an athlete on their feet as varying workouts. Strength session and the troops are sent to take cold baths; endurance session and the same recovery modality is used again. Morning or evening, preseason or final week. Let’s stop for a bit. We can do better if we take the time to rethink how we prescribe recovery.

Cold Is Not the Answer

Since 1978, two things haven’t changed: the music of the Bee Gees continues to loop in discotheques and the RICE protocol (rest, ice, compression, elevation) continues to be systematically applied for the treatment of sports injuries. Ice is a standard treatment for injuries and muscle pain because it helps relieve pain caused by injured tissue. Pulling the cold baths and icing cards from the magic hat of recovery techniques to apply in all circumstances was once my favorite trick. It was forgivable a decade ago, but it is now clear that ice and complete rest delay healing rather than help it.

It is now clear that ice and complete rest delay healing rather than help it. Share on X

A recent study observed athletes required to exercise so intensely that they developed severe muscle damage causing extensive muscle pain.¹ Although the cooling delayed the swelling, it did not speed up healing of the muscle damage. Furthermore, no evidence was found that ice and compression accelerated healing compared to using compression alone.

When muscles and other tissues are damaged, whether it is the result of injury or intense training, inflammatory cells rush to injured tissue to start the healing process. These inflammatory cells, called macrophages, release a hormone that is particularly important in the recovery and reconstruction of damaged tissue: insulin-like growth factor (Insulin Growth Factor 1, or IGF-1). The use of ice to reduce swelling tends to delay healing by inhibiting the body from releasing IGF-1.

That people are less concerned with IGF-1 than with the feeling of pain and swelling when an injury is fresh is understandable, especially if the athlete cannot be recovered in a short period of time. But cold exposure as a systematic, post-workout recovery strategy is absurd—especially in the preseason, when the goal is to induce adaptations requiring a large amount of inflammation (such as building muscle mass). IGF-1 is a potent anabolic agent and plays a central role in muscle and metabolic adaptations to exercise. Spending long minutes in a cold bath right after a hypertrophy session is a bit like having a Diet Coke with your Big Mac and fries. It doesn’t help the matter.

Applying ice to damaged tissue (and again, intense muscle training leads to damage, not just collisions) causes blood vessels to constrict in exposed muscles. This effect is not simply present during the application of ice, the blood vessels do not open for many hours after treatment. Vasoconstriction in muscles damaged and fatigued by exercise is a dramatic outcome in an attempt to optimize recovery. Cytokines and other inflammatory agents no longer have access to the area that requires their action, and the nutrients ingested will not reach their destination, compromising muscle glycogen stores. Moreover, the lymphatic system is slowed down and metabolic waste accumulates locally. Overall, this decrease in blood flow is a hindrance to recovery.

Cold exposure as a systematic, post-workout recovery strategy is absurd—especially in the preseason, when the goal is to induce adaptations requiring a large amount of inflammation. Share on X

Cold baths and icing are big favorites for intra-games activities in tournament-style sports, such as Sevens rugby. Cooling can help reduce pain, but it interferes with an athlete’s strength, speed, endurance, and coordination. A medical journal presented 35 studies on the effects of cooling, and most reported a decrease in strength, speed, power, and agility immediately after cooling.²

So, is it worth the effort?

Adiponectin and Overtraining Syndrome

I am not sick of the cold, make no mistake! Cold has multiple positive effects on recovery.

An interesting aspect of winter numbness is that it stimulates the production of adiponectin. This hormone, synthesized in adipose tissue, is involved in the regulation of glucose. Adiponectin increases muscle uptake of glucose—without a parallel increase in insulin—which reduces blood sugar.

Adiponectin is also the most potent anti-inflammatory adipocytokine. It strongly suppresses the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-F, and recent studies show that it induces the production of various anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-10. This hormone, capable of increasing insulin sensitivity and endowed with anti-inflammatory properties, is said to have a considerable antidepressant and anxiolytic effect. When you consider the following sequence…

…the potential impact of adiponectin becomes clear. The concept of overtraining is complex, and there is still no consensus on its definition. Perhaps this is a gross exaggeration or perhaps this is an avenue to explore, but in view of the effects of adiponectin, cold therapy offers itself as a possible solution for the victims of overtraining.

Cold Exposure and the Immune System

Engaging in a cooling activity is also a great way to fight bacterial infections, seasonal viruses, and other temporary illnesses. Exposure to cold causes an increase in the number and activity of natural killer cells, as well as interleukin-6 available in the bloodstream, which strengthens the integrity of the immune system.

The cold contributes to better immunity through an additional phenomenon, the expression of the target of rapamycin (mTOR). Exposure to cold inhibits mTORC1 and starts a process of autophagy, in which the body destroys some of its own cells. This mechanism eliminates damaged cells and thus strengthens the immune system. Cold therapy at the time of the first symptoms, although counterintuitive, can therefore help to fight more effectively against an infection or a virus such as the common cold.

The use of cold should be prescribed for specific conditions:

• Urgent weight loss.
• Overtraining.
• Fragile health or immune depression due to a particularly grueling period (multiple long trips, congested schedule, etc.).

On the other hand, when the development of physical qualities or daily post-session recovery is the objective, you should generally avoid this strategy. (I hope I haven’t…cooled you off on the practice completely.)

Heat Shock Proteins: Role in Recovery

Swap your fleece suit for a swimsuit, and let’s explore the effects of heat exposure. The Native Americans adopted the sweat lodge; Scandinavians swear by their saunas; the soothing bubbles of a Jacuzzi or the steaming fog of a steam room are attractive after a week of hard work…there are many good reasons for this. Fifty years of scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of regular exposure to a hot environment.

Fifty years of scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of regular exposure to a hot environment. Share on X

There are several mechanisms at work here, and a primary one is heat shock proteins (HSPs). For 98% of human history, our ancestors were regularly exposed to heat. It was only with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and the crutch-turned-innovations that followed that we stopped suffering from the heat, at least in “developed” countries. Unless you are a runner who exercises in the African dunes or a diehard CrossFitter voluntarily exposing themselves to a risk of rhabdomyolysis, it is a safe bet that your training sessions (in their majority) take place either in an environment where the temperature is controlled or at a time of day when the temperature is milder.

The result? Your HSPs have gone into sleep mode, and with them a powerful way to regulate your immunity and deal with internal and external stressors. HSPs protect cells against stress. Secreted during and after physical exercise, they have several functions. Some researchers believe that increasing levels of peripheral HSP70 molecules participate in the perception of fatigue.

HSP70 plays a role in muscle repair by restoring the recruitment of muscle cells involved in the inflammatory response. Several studies report an association between muscle strength output and HSP70 levels, and the main function of HSPs at the muscle level is to support regeneration processes. Exposure to heat stimulates the same adaptations and can be used to mimic the regenerative effects of physical exercise at a lower energetic, mechanical, and psychological cost.

Post-Training Heat Exposure Increases Physiological Adaptations

More interestingly, heat exposure and exercise can be combined for even more benefits. The production of HSP results in a type of preconditioning of cells. With this preconditioning, subsequent stressors do not have the same impact as the initial event. Therefore, preconditioning or priming (thermal shock priming) can be used to “train” the internal environment. Exercise is one of those preconditioning stresses and exposure to heat is another.

Combining training with a hot environment could potentially be beneficial for performance, providing a protective thermotolerance effect against any subsequent heat stress during exercise. Share on X

Combining training with a hot environment could potentially be beneficial for performance, providing a protective thermotolerance effect against any subsequent heat stress during exercise. This is because the combination of exercise and heat exposure can cause greater expression of HSP than either treatment alone. A recent study has approached this reflection from a new angle, suggesting that whole body heat stress after training additively improves endurance training-induced mitochondrial adaptations in skeletal muscle.³

In other words, post-exercise heat exposure increases physiological adaptations. Basking in a warm post-workout environment increases blood flow to the skeletal muscles, keeping them supplied with glucose, fatty acids, and oxygen while removing by-products of the metabolic processes.

When heat exposure becomes a routine, this hyperthermic conditioning reduces the use of muscle glycogen by a whopping 40% to 50%, possibly due to the increased blood flow to the muscles. One study has shown that a 30-minute sauna session twice a week for three weeks after training increases the time it takes for participants to run to exhaustion by 32%.⁴ This improvement in performance is accompanied by a 7.1% increase in plasma volume and a 3.5% increase in the number of red blood cells. More red blood cells equal increased oxygen supply. Heat acclimatization increases the number of red blood cells through erythropoietin (EPO) because the body tries to compensate for the corresponding increase in plasma volume.

Heat Exposure and Hypertrophy Gains

The benefits of heat exposure as a post-exercise recovery method don’t stop with endurance performance. Exercise can induce muscle growth. Heat induces muscle hypertrophy. Put in synergy, they induce hyper-hypertrophy. Heat acclimatization reduces the amount of protein breakdown and increases net protein synthesis and, as a result, muscle hypertrophy. Perhaps neither endurance nor hypertrophy is important to your sport? No problem. Heat therapy provides better post-workout recovery with three other notorious effects:

• Prevention of protein breakdown.
• Massive increase in growth hormone release.
• Improved insulin sensitivity.

Heat therapy provides better post-workout recovery with 3 notorious effects: prevention of protein breakdown, massive increase in growth hormone release, and improved insulin sensitivity. Share on X

Oxidative stress is a main cause of protein degradation. For this reason, any means that can prevent exercise-induced oxidative damage and repair damaged proteins, while maintaining exercise-induced protein synthesis, results in a marked increase in protein synthesis (anabolism). Intermittent heat exposure elicits a hormetic response (a protective response to stress) in which secreted HSPs work to prevent damages by directly removing free radicals and supporting cellular antioxidant capacity through their effects on glutathione maintenance. HSPs, moreover, repair misfolded and damaged proteins, thus ensuring the structure and function of muscle cells.

Hyperthermia and Growth Hormones Release

Hyperthermal conditioning increases anabolism and promotes recovery through massive induction of growth hormone. Many of the anabolic effects of growth hormone are primarily mediated by IGF-1, which is synthesized in response to growth hormone. There are two important mechanisms by which IGF-1 promotes skeletal muscle growth: It increases protein synthesis through activation of the mTOR pathway, and it decreases protein degradation via inhibition of the FOXO pathway. An increase in circulating IGF1 levels is associated with improved recovery after intense exercise, accelerated tissue regeneration, and increased performance in strength and power.

Exogenous administration of growth hormone and IGF1 is prohibited by WADA, and it is an offense to possess them. In the event of injuries or exacerbated fatigue, or even to speed up muscular adaptations to training, there’s no need to forge solid links with such and such cartel supplying prohibited products! Two 20-minute sauna sessions at 80 degrees Celsius separated by a 30-minute cooldown period results in growth hormone levels twice as high as the initial value.

Meanwhile, two 15-minute sauna sessions at 100 degrees Celsius interspersed with a 30-minute cooldown period increases growth hormone levels fivefold.

What is perhaps more surprising, however, is that repeated exposure to intermittent whole-body hyperthermia has an even more profound effect on stimulating growth hormone. One study shows that immediately after two one-hour sauna sessions a day at 80 degrees Celsius for seven days, starting on the third day, growth hormone levels were 16 times higher than pre-study levels.⁵ The effects of growth hormone usually persist for a few hours after the sauna.

It is also important to note that the combination of hyperthermia and exercise induces a synergistic effect on growth hormone. Inviting your athlete to relax in the sauna after a hypertrophy session can boost the muscle mass and strength gains even further. More results without the need for more repetitions means less fatigue and better performances in the long run.

Heat Exposure’s Effect on Insulin

Intermittent exposure to heat stress can also have an impact on the production and sensitivity of the insulin hormone. Insulin resistance is a common problem in athletic populations—especially in explosive sports—resulting in impaired glucose uptake and diminished performances. Resistant, diabetic mice were subjected to 30 minutes of hyperthermic treatment, three times per week for 12 weeks. Researchers reported a 31% decrease in insulin levels and a significant reduction in blood sugar, suggesting re-sensitization to insulin.⁶

Of course, your athletes are not exactly like obese, diabetic mice (at least, I hope not). However, the mechanism by which heat exposure affects insulin also applies to them. Hyperthermal therapy specifically targets skeletal muscle by increasing the expression of a type of transporter called GLUT 4, which is responsible for transporting glucose into skeletal muscle from the bloodstream. Decreased absorption of glucose by skeletal muscle is one of the mechanisms leading to insulin resistance. Heading straight to the post-workout sauna helps ensure optimal glucose transport to the muscle and decreases muscle breakdown—a winning combo that helps optimize recovery.

Heading straight to the post-workout sauna helps ensure optimal glucose transport to the muscle and decreases muscle breakdown—a winning combo that helps optimize recovery. Share on X

Immediate, post-workout heat exposure strengthens the immune system, increases muscle adaptations, and improves aerobic performance. It guarantees a life-saving anabolism for muscle mass and the integrity of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, while optimizing insulin sensitivity, restoring muscle glycogen reserves, and stopping the degradation of cellular proteins. It’s difficult to name a recovery strategy that offers more benefits—and when we compare this list to the supposed effects of the cold, we understand that the sauna is often preferable to the ice bath.

What About Contrasts?

Cold has its advantages; hot has its own. Logically, there is a strong temptation to combine them to win on both counts. The “contrast” technique—changing from cold to hot and then from hot to cold over several cycles of varying lengths—is widely used as a post-workout recovery method in team sports.

Subjectively, this practice is the most enjoyable for the majority of athletes. On the other hand, physiologically, it is not that easy to kill two birds with one stone. Indeed, if prolonged exposure to cold and heat is able to change muscle temperature, this is not the case with contrast where only a fluctuation in body temperature has been reported. Studies on the potential benefits of contrast therapy on recovery post strenuous exercise are rather equivocal, with the main positive findings being a stronger muscle-swelling reduction when compared to passive recovery. However, studies looking at contrast versus cold water immersion therapy are rare, and all conducted so far show both types of immersion therapy induce superior recovery than just doing nothing, without one being much more potent than the other.

In a review of the different immersion therapies, Ian Wilcock, John Cronin, and Wayne Hing suggest that the majority of the benefits of such recovery strategy come from the hydrostatic pressure of the water, independent of the choice of temperature.⁷ If we stick to these conclusions, as long as your athletes casually wade for several minutes, going from hot bath to cold, the benefits will be the same regardless of the temperatures used. The physiological effects of contrast baths for the treatment of injuries have been well documented, but their physiological rationale for improving recovery is less clear.

Most of the experimental evidence suggests that immersion in hot and cold water helps reduce injuries in their acute stage, through vasodilation and vasoconstriction, thereby stimulating blood flow and reducing swelling. This blood-bypassing action may be one of the mechanisms for eliminating metabolites, repairing exerted muscle, and slowing metabolic processes.

While mild, benign, and probably quite positive, hot- and cold-water immersion is not a substitute for long-term exposure to cold or heat. Share on X

To date, very few studies have focused on the effectiveness of hot- and cold-water immersion for post-exercise treatment. While mild, benign, and probably quite positive, this recovery strategy is not a substitute for long-term exposure to cold or heat. The comfort of contrast baths makes them a consistent choice for following a session of low-to-moderate intensity and volume, or for fit players who don’t need a lot to get ready session after session.

So, in the face of such a quantity of information, it may seem kind of difficult to make the right decision as to when to turn up the heat or immerse in the cold. Hopefully the charts below can offer an easy guideline when in doubt.

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

References

1. Roberts LA, Raastad T, Markworth JF, et al. “Post-exercise cold water immersion attenuates acute anabolic signalling and long-term adaptations in muscle to strength training.” The Journal of Physiology. 2015;593(18):4285-4301.

2. Higgins T, Greene D, and Baker M. “Effects of Cold Water Immersion and Contrast Water Therapy for Recovery from Team Sport: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2017;31(5):1443-1460.

3. Gryka D, Pilch W, Szarek M, Szygula Z, Tota Ł. “The effect of sauna bathing on lipid profile in young, physically active, male subjects.” International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. 2014;27(4):608-618.

4. Mero A, Tornberg J, Mäntykoski M, and Puurtinen R. “Effects of far-infrared sauna bathing on recovery from strength and endurance training sessions in men.” SpringerPlus. 2015;4:321.

5. Kukkonen-Harjula K and Kauppinen K. “Health effects and risks of sauna bathing.” International Journal of Circumpolar Health. 2006;65(3):195-205.

6. Scoon GS, Hopkins WG, Mayhew S, and Cotter JD. “Effect of post-exercise sauna bathing on the endurance performance of competitive male runners.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2007;10(4):259-262.

7. Wilcock IM, Cronin JB, and Hing WA. “Physiological response to water immersion: A method for sport recovery.” Sports Medicine. 2006;36(9):747-765.

Wearable electronic devices have inundated the consumer market for over a decade, with numerous products available for the sports performance enthusiast. Millions of FitBits have been purchased since 2014, conferring metrics for heart rate, movement, and sleep quality; meanwhile, the recovery monitor WHOOP is popular within the CrossFit community to guide training readiness via heart rate variability and sleep analysis.

I view these tools as conveying “metadata” about an athlete; by which I mean a measure of overall physical condition based upon heuristics tied to the activity of the heart (which Soviet sports scientists studied and implemented decades ago). Another category of wearables, either situated on the body or on the barbell, includes velocity sensors for which the present moment is a golden age of affordable options with excellent data fidelity. The purpose of this review, however, is to discuss a third type of sensor designed to provide highly specific metrics for a single sport: the PlayerMaker Uno, a wearable soccer tracker.

I provide private strength and conditioning services to youth athletes who compete in a variety of sports including wrestling, American football, soccer, and track. It’s a unique environment in that my current group has remained largely intact for the past three years, thus allowing me the chance to closely monitor and plan their training long term. I rely on equipment such as force plates and contact grids to collect data on the effectiveness of my methods, and while we already use sensors for sprinting, jumping, and lifting, I simply wasn’t aware of tools to measure performance on the pitch. Therefore, when the opportunity arose to try out the Uno, I immediately took it.

Unboxing

If you have purchased a new phone within the last 10 years, you will already be familiar with the packaging of the PlayerMaker. Sleek and compartmentalized, even without a quick start guide you would find yourself quickly getting started.

The two devices, one for each foot, are housed in a flip-top charging case in the same style as popular wireless earbuds today. Attach the supplied USB-C cable to the case to charge the sensors for a few hours (the case itself will not charge the sensors when removed from an electrical connection). Once the case lights are orange, the devices are ready for pairing via Bluetooth.

The App

The user interface is well designed, nice to look at, and easy to navigate. The only drawback is that Android devices are not supported at this time, but the company says that will change later this year. To ensure the connection is made to the appropriate sensors, the app will display the last four digits of the MAC address of each device, and those characters should match what is on the respective label of each: the blue sensor is for the left, and the red is for the right.

There is the option to select the left, right, or both. During the connection process, any available updates will be downloaded and installed.

The PlayerMaker Uno user interface is well designed, nice to look at, and easy to navigate. Share on X

I encountered one issue during connection that I can see being a common one for new users: once the sensors have been associated with an account, in order for a different account to use them, the sensors must first be deleted from the original account. The troubleshooting guide on the PlayerMaker website describes this exact scenario and the resolution, which I discovered in about 10 seconds of searching. That experience left me very impressed with the company’s troubleshooting guide.

An additional consideration is the data itself and who has access. PlayerMaker provides the option to automatically email activity reports to user-specified addresses. In addition, control over viewing and editing activities can be restricted to the player only or to the coaching staff. These features enable a variety of workflows whereby the player can have as much or as little involvement in the analysis of their stats as they would like.

Field Test

The workflow is simple and intuitive: each time the sensors are removed from the case, inserted into the straps, and attached to the cleats a new session will be recorded. Once they are returned to the case, the app will receive data about the most recent session. All historical data is automatically saved for you and available for viewing so long as your internet connection is active.

All historical data is automatically saved for you and available for viewing so long as your internet connection is active. Share on X

At this point it’s important to cover a couple of details that were not apparent when I began. First, I ran a quick 100m (well, not quick, but slow) to ensure that everything worked as intended. When I attempted to download the data, the app informed me that the minimum distance tracked is 300m. Ok, no problem, I ran 400m and repeated the download: this time I found out there’s a minimum time requirement for activity tracking of 10 minutes. This was a little annoying considering that the Activities menu could easily display the requirements for creating your first activity. On the other hand, it’s also entirely reasonable to expect that anyone practicing or playing soccer would meet the minimum requirements.

The elastic bands housing each device are of course suitable for a range of cleat sizes. During purchasing, you have the option to select:

• Medium (3.5-8.5 Men’s US/3.5-9.0 Women’s US)
• Large (9-13 Men’s US/9.5-12 Women’s US)

My testing included men’s sizes 9 to 13 without any issues. The sensors can be inserted before or after the strap is wrapped over the cleat, which makes removal and insertion of the sensor a separate step from adding or removing the strap. This is a smart and time-saving design feature because it is likely the strap would always stay on the cleat, and the sensor would be swapped in and out for practice and games. For those who use different cleats for training versus competition, it would be worthwhile to purchase additional straps.

Metrics

A variety of metrics are stored for your review. I won’t cover all of them here, but I want to highlight a few of the more salient. It’s also a good time to mention that PlayerMaker offers a team-based kit called Squad that gives greater control over monitoring and data collection than the Uno. With that in mind, if there is an option the Uno doesn’t support, it may be that Squad does.

PlayerMaker also offers a team-based kit called Squad that gives greater control over monitoring and data collection than the Uno. Share on X

1. Distance Covered. To accurately assess the weekly physical demands from training and competition it would be valuable to know just how much running volume an athlete accumulates. We care about plyometric touches, strength training volume and intensity, the velocity of power movements, the volume and intensity of sprints, yet we assume the training load of a match is some mixture of walking, running, and sprinting for 90 minutes. What is accomplished within that time can vary considerably—perhaps not in the Premier League, where the action is relentless, but in your local club or high school I assume most players could not quantify their aerobic output in an absolute sense (e.g., 4km, 8km, 12km) or the proportion dedicated to sprinting.
2. Sprint Distance. As a helpful companion to the distance metric, this tracks the portion of the Distance Covered metric that was run at a speed of 5.5 m/s or higher. The ratio of Sprint Distance to Distance Covered could be used to gauge the intensity of the match; the closer to 1, the greater the proportion of time spent moving at higher speeds.
3. Work Rate. As it turns out, the application already tracks a metric called Work Rate, which is the ratio of the Distance Covered divided by the time of the activity. I give a lot of credit to the designers for providing exactly the information that athletes would most want; it’s very reassuring when the data I wish for is actually already there.
4. Maximum Kicking Velocity. As with all ball-related measures, this information is available separately for the left and right foot. Unless you are Son Heung-Min, it is likely that you have a non-trivial difference between your dominant and non-dominant legs. The larger the discrepancy between the two, the greater the benefit of a training intervention to improve the weaker leg. The same rationale can be applied to touches and releases (passes), both of which are recorded for each side.

Unless you are Son Heung-Min, it is likely that you have a non-trivial difference between your dominant and non-dominant legs. Share on X

The sensors themselves are inertial measurement units (IMUs). To better understand what data they generate, I reached out to PlayerMaker and they responded helpfully. Because it can be distinguished when the foot is in the air or on the ground, the flight and ground contact times for each leg are known and therefore the stride length can be calculated. From here it is easy to begin speculating on novel applications beyond soccer.

Applying the Data

Keep in mind that all metrics would be expected to demonstrate improvement over time, especially if starting with younger ages. There is perhaps a decreased need for monitoring a more developed player, which is why I would begin using this sensor with players who are old enough to manage the application but also young enough to benefit from and be motivated by the results.

The information obtained from any sensor package is only as valuable as the efficacy of the decisions that are made with that information. Having more and more data does not necessarily increase the quality of decisions, but not having it can certainly harm them. For instance, there is an overwhelming amount of data published daily on the stock market, which is useless on its own and must be interpreted by an analyst or software algorithm that will decide what to do.

Having more and more data does not necessarily increase the quality of decisions, but not having it can certainly harm them. Share on X

Absent data, you can only make guesses or copy the actions you see other people taking; on the other hand, relevant data might make you a cryptocurrency millionaire or at least help your athletes perform better. Furthermore, information, in a technical sense, relates to those facts that are not already known. If the PlayerMaker reveals that a striker favors their dominant leg, this is unlikely to convey anything novel to the player or the coach. However, if it is shown that the kicking velocity of the non-dominant leg is increasing over time, that may justify whatever training has been assigned to accomplish that outcome.

Rapid-Fire Athlete Q&A

The following is a brief exchange with one of my athletes, Pavan Nawbatt of the Santa Clara Sporting ‘05 boys team, part of the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). I asked him to try out the PlayerMaker and send me some feedback.

Me: Is there an issue you think the PlayerMaker could help you with?

Pavan: The percentage of left-right usage is important. I favor my right, but the app showed the ratio was higher than I expected.

Me: Do you feel you have the ability to use the information on your own?

Pavan: Absolutely—the reports are straightforward and easy to understand.

Me: Did the app tell you anything you did not already know?

Pavan: Yes, the maximum velocity of my shots.

Me: Is there anything you wish the app could tell you that it doesn’t?

Pavan: Nothing I can think of.

Me: Do you think this device would be more useful for you today or when you were younger?

Pavan: Definitely now because I understand the data, the app, and what to do with the results.

Final Recommendations

Given that a high level of soccer performance is achievable without PlayerMaker, it is certainly the case that such a device is not required to improve performance. What is less clear is the degree to which a youth soccer program with far fewer resources than a professional organization might benefit from athlete monitoring. Moreover, empowering individual players to measure and monitor their own outcomes is appealing both from a technological and a self-determination standpoint. For $166.83 (shipping included), the distance and speed metrics alone are worth it.

Empowering individual players to measure and monitor their own outcomes is appealing both from a technological and a self-determination standpoint. Share on X

Wrist-based devices such as the Apple Watch, Fitbit, or WHOOP would almost certainly be disallowed by an attentive referee during a match; for the same reason, such devices pose a risk to teammates during training and should be avoided. With the PlayerMaker largely out of the way on the outside of the ankle, this is the best possible location for safety and to measure stride and striking data. Indeed, PlayerMaker informed me that their device has been accepted into the FIFA Innovation Program as the first instance of wearable technology.

Anything that reveals new dimensions to an otherwise routine activity has the potential to regenerate curiosity and commitment, especially for a player who may feel stuck. In a perfect world, every coach has the time and ability to develop every player under their care to the best version possible; in reality, however, we mostly do the best we can with the time and knowledge available to us. No one is more responsible for a player’s development than the player themselves, so I like the idea of putting tools into the hands of the person most interested in their own success.

No one is more responsible for a player’s development than the player themselves. Share on X

While I would not anticipate radical changes from the addition of any of the popular wearables available today, sports performance is about the accumulation of incremental improvements over time. To that end, one application of the distance tracking feature I envision is a more accurate calculation of caloric needs based upon the actual effort expended. I’m a firm believer that you can’t improve what you don’t measure, so it’s exciting to see a consumer-level device ready for those who want to take another step forward.

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

Within the last few years, golf club head and ball speed have gained large amounts of attention. Recently, Bryson Dechambeau attempted to drive a par 5 at the Bay Hill Invitational, achieving 194 mph ball speed; meanwhile, many other tour pros are pushing the envelope on driving distance.

Evidence suggests that distance is not only about viral social media videos, but also related to performance. Golfweek published data in 2018 and reported that for the 18 players who had a scoring average of less than 70, average driving distance was 302.57 yards—those with a scoring average above 70, however, averaged around 290 yards off the tee.¹

Evidence suggests that distance is not only about viral social media videos, but also related to performance, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

Clearly distance is an advantage at the highest levels. But what about the amateur game? In their 2020 distance report, with over 26 million shots, Arccos notes that “data suggests there’s a strong correlation between distance and handicap. Better players hit it farther across all age brackets. The best players are typically around 60 yards longer than the highest handicap group, and while the rates of decline are similar, better players are most typically longer players.” ²

In the world of competitive golf, physical training is now a must for success. Many top players in the world are traveling with teams of experts to help them optimize their training, swing mechanics, and other aspects to perform at the highest level. A large part of this is training for greater driving distance.

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Video 1. Jon Rahm performs power training. (Video Credit: Spencer Tatum)

These players, however, have nearly unlimited funds and golf is their full-time job.

Where does that leave the amateur golfer who is already struggling to find time in a week to play a round or practice? How do they find the time to do advanced power and strength training in addition to the time commitment of golf? Many of these golfers only have a small amount of time each week to dedicate to their training, so what should they be doing with their limited options?

Overspeed for Golf

Due to the limitations mentioned above, training programs that are shorter in duration and easy to do at home are becoming commonplace in many strength training situations. Golf is no exception to this rule. With the connection between club speed, ball speed, and distance with regards to golf performance at every level, targeting a golfer’s ability to improve these components is essential. Consequently, overspeed training has become very popular in the last five years.

Training programs that are shorter in duration and easy to do at home are becoming commonplace in many strength training situations, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

Basically, overspeed training means making the body move faster during a known movement to reset the normal neuromuscular reaction speed of the body. This method is commonly used in track and field sports, baseball, and now golf. In golf, overspeed methods involve using specifically weighted clubs swung at various velocities during specified training regimens.

Ideally, golfers would be able to do a little bit of everything; when given the choice, however, the benefits of overspeed training are clear and can help golfers maximize the limited time they have while also getting incredible results.

Top coaches are stressing the importance of learning to swing fast both as an adult and as a junior based on these benefits. The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI), the world leader in the certification of golf fitness professionals, has been at the forefront of the speed movement in golf. Amongst many areas of golf fitness, TPI has demonstrated a high success rate in developing champion golfers and teaching the skills necessary for speed creation. Their teachings involve the concepts of overload vs. overspeed training, athletic windows of opportunity, muscular loading, and The Big Break Theory.

The Big Break Theory suggests that the longest hitters in the world seem to have a history of speed training in the opposite direction. These players would train the left side of the body if they were a right-handed golfer, and vice versa. It is important to note that this theory focuses on velocity training on the opposite side and not solely strength training on the opposite side. The theory is that an athlete will only accelerate to the point of which their body knows it can safely decelerate and stabilize. Therefore, the stronger and faster the decelerators are, the faster one can develop their ability to accelerate.

The Big Break Theory suggests that the longest hitters in the world seem to have a history of speed training in the opposite direction, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

While this theory can be qualitatively supported by looking at those individuals who utilize this type of training to their benefit, pinpointing the exact modality of improvement or injury prevention that may result is not as clear. The purpose of this article is to explore some of the research that may help bring clarity to the Big Break Theory of opposite side velocity and power training, while also sharing some initial findings in a lab measuring forces after a training protocol focusing on high velocity dominant and nondominant side training.

1. The Trunk

The trunk and core play a key role in the transfer of energy during a variety of rotational hitting and throwing sports. Training the trunk to provide stability as well as power throughout rotational movements appears to be a key component of any speed-type training program. Golf-specific training programs should utilize the core in a variety of movements and contraction types to achieve the stability and movement needed to transfer energy throughout a swing.

Stuart McGill and his colleagues provided an article in 2003 related to the need of muscle activations to assure stability in the lumbar spine.³ They suggest that:

The collection of works point to the notion that stability results from highly coordinated muscle activation patterns involving many muscles and that recruitment pattern must continually change depending on the task.

McGill did suggest that, most often, the rapid increase in joint stiffness suggests that large muscle forces are rarely required to ensure sufficient stability. Furthermore, the suggestion is that athletes must be able to maintain sufficient stability in all activities, with low but continuous muscle activation. This suggests that higher velocity training at low forces may be a wonderful way to improve the functionality of this core musculature. In fact, the authors suggest that:

Any exercise that grooves motor patterns that ensure a stable spine, through repetition, constitutes a stabilization exercise.

One may argue that the golf swing is not so much about stability as it is about the movement of various joints at the correct timing and magnitude. These authors mention that stability is a moving target and continually changes as a function of the torques needed to support postures, and the necessary stiffness required in anticipation of needing to move quickly. This statement is clearly one that supports the need for the intricate ability of the trunk during the golf swing.

One may argue that the golf swing is not so much about stability as it is about the movement of various joints at the correct timing and magnitude, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

The question then becomes: how does one train the trunk to enhance these traits if they are so imperative to the golf swing?

A lot of research has been done on this topic related to baseball, which can provide some insights to the world of golf training. Baseball, like golf, is filled with athletes who spend much of their time rotating to one side of the body. Not surprisingly, core and trunk musculature has been shown to become stronger on one side compared to the other in these athletes. Glen Fleisig has spent his lifetime studying baseball throwing and hitting as a way to understand performance and injury risk. When he discusses the role of the trunk, he is very specific about the need for opposite side training for these athletes.⁴

Even though trunk rotation is asymmetric in baseball players, core training programs for trunk strength and flexibility always address activities in both directions of movement, performing the same exercises in the counterclockwise and clockwise directions. The authors of this study support this practice to optimize the athlete’s core stability. Overdevelopment of musculature in one direction will have increased unopposed torsional stress on the spine.

Dr. Fleisig clearly suggests that nondominant training is important to these unidirectional athletes and that they need to spend time doing rotational movements to the opposite side for the trunk to not be overdeveloped in one region. While there are many ways to accomplish this in a gym setting under the direction of a trainer, one simple and effective means is for golfers to spend time swinging the golf club to the opposite side.

2. Nondominant Training for Performance Improvements

There is some research suggesting the way in which our body might transfer training effects from one side to the other. A few studies will be presented here.

The first study followed two groups of competitive soccer players: one that trained with the non-preferred leg and one that trained only the preferred leg. At the end of the testing, the group who experienced the nondominant training had improvements in all tests, while the control group did not improve.⁵

The authors present a few narratives as to why these results were so strong and consistent among the nondominant training group. One suggestion was that there was more attentional focus placed on the nondominant training, potentially resulting in more motor learning because of the dynamic systems theory. They further argue that the learner of the skill is better equipped to pick up more relevant information from their environment during the task when they can use both the dominant and nondominant limb.

The learner of the skill is better equipped to pick up more relevant information from their environment during the task when they can use both the dominant and nondominant limb, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

While it is difficult to pick out the exact mechanism of the improvement, the nondominant training leads to improvements in the dominant side. Thus, the nondominant swings may be a mechanism of the golfer learning the skill and feeling the proper movements and sequencing of the golf swing for successful shot making, similar to these soccer players. This is especially true when considering the learning of a higher velocity swing. Maximizing the motor learning component with nondominant swings, as seen in the soccer study, is an important piece of the speed training puzzle.

Another golf-specific example is a study performed in 2016, which compared a variety of training methods for golfers to increase driving distance. They reported that the group that trained both nondominant trunk and arm musculature improved more than the groups who did nothing, or who just trained the core.⁶ This shows another benefit for nondominant training to improve driving distance.

3. Is Asymmetry Important?

Some argue that those who need a stronger side for the performance of their specific sport skill would benefit from that side being stronger during performance; others, however, suggest that though this may be true, reaching high levels of asymmetry may increase risk for injury.

So, what is an appropriate level of asymmetry?

That is the golden question, and difficult to answer. Matt Jordan, the director for sports performance at the Canadian Sports Institute, suggests that we should be potentially worried when that asymmetry gets above a 10-5% value in athletes during various jumping/landing tasks. Others have also supported a similar number of asymmetry greater than 15% being a potential risk factor for injury.⁷

Research has shown conflicting results, but studies have shown an increase in injury risk with elevated levels of asymmetry. Edouard showed that handball players with imbalanced shoulder strength had an elevated risk of developing injuries.⁸ Another study in footballers showed that those who were injured scored much higher on tests of asymmetry (61) than their non-injured counterparts (30). ⁹

Studies have shown an increase in injury risk with elevated levels of asymmetry, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

At the trunk—an important piece of the golf swing discussed earlier—research has shown an increased risk of low back pain found in those with an obliquus internus asymmetry. There was an average risk increase of almost 20 (2.4–167.9) and a linear relationship between length of time of low back pain and the level of asymmetry (r=0.75). ¹⁰

Finally, a study on the ability of professional cricket players to accelerate and change directions (a common need in a golf swing), were inhibited by asymmetry. The cricket players could not accelerate and change directions as effectively when asymmetry existed.¹¹ One could argue that asymmetry should not only be present in cricket athletes who throw and hit with one side of the body but should be encouraged for performance improvements. Instead, this asymmetry was a limiting factor of their speed and accelerations in movement. Golf would be much more like cricket in terms of the movement sequencing of hitting and throwing from one side—as such, speed and accelerations in golfers might also be influenced by asymmetry.

It is also worth re-visiting the work done by Dr. Fleisig, which suggested that when asymmetry is present in baseball swings and throws, torsional stress on the spine will increase in the presence of that asymmetry. Thus, golfers would benefit from a training program that included both directions of rotation for strength and velocity training.

Golfers would benefit from a training program that included both directions of rotation for strength and velocity training, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

4. Muscle Activation and Contraction Types

Most movements in sport require all different types of muscle contractions: concentric, isometric, and eccentric. When training athletes, many coaches will utilize the triphasic approach and incorporate all these contraction types during a training program. It is unlikely that expert strength and conditioning coaches would only target the muscles in the exact way used during the movement. Good training will utilize all different phases of muscle contractions, even going as far as focusing periodization on each of the different phases individually. Many have seen great benefit from this approach to training.

Thinking back to our recreational golfer already in a time crunch, how would they go about training this way?

There are many successful ways to train in these triphasic methods, but could it be possible that a nondominant swing or throw or backwards running might be a way an athlete with limited time could incorporate some triphasic training into their fitness routine? While not the only or best way, and not the methods typically used to create complete symmetry between sides, it can be a way to utilize different muscle contractions during their power and velocity training. Considering the recreational golfer, there might not be any other time to stress the neuromuscular system, and nondominant swings might help get some varied training into their routine.

One plausible explanation for some of these potential benefits from nondominant triphasic training might be the increases in EMG activity during concentric contractions compared to eccentric.¹² Once again, as we think to our recreational golfer, if the goal of speed training is to really charge the neuromuscular system, incorporating concentric contractions would stand to increase the activity of the muscles utilized in the task. While there are several ways this could be done, utilizing a left-handed golf swing might be a simple way to generate increased muscle activity for a right-handed golfer.

Utilizing a left-handed golf swing might be a simple way to generate increased muscle activity for a right-handed golfer, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

5. The Feel of Swinging Fast

If you are at all familiar with the world of golf coaching, the idea of drills and swing aids to help a golfer “feel” a movement pattern is commonplace. Francesco Molinari at the 2019 Masters used what looked like a cross between a countermovement jump and a golf swing. Alex Noren and Justin Rose are two more examples of using an extreme swing rehearsal drill to achieve a position, helping to get in the correct position on the downswing and through impact.

The feel of the golf swing is a crucial part of improvements in mechanics, sequencing, transition of forces, hand position, etc. To this end, I stumbled upon something in a recent data collection in my lab that made me think of this in the sense of dominant and nondominant swing training.

The feel of the golf swing is a crucial part of improvements in mechanics, sequencing, transition of forces, hand position, etc., says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

A new, yet athletic, golfer came into my lab. I included him in a study on the use of SuperSpeed training clubs. SuperSpeed training clubs are three different weighted clubs designed to help golfers increase swing velocity. Two of the clubs weigh less than an average golf driver and one is heavier. Subjects swing these clubs at max velocities through a series of drills and training protocols. In addition to golf, SuperSpeed also has weighted bats used similarly for baseball. I started by having the golfer hit some balls on 3D force plates before going through the SuperSpeed Level 1 protocol.

For golfers, when looking at timing of vertical ground reaction, the peak force should occur prior to impact more in the range of club vertical or club parallel on the downswing. This ensures the golfer has transferred their force first through the ground and then up the kinetic chain through the rest of the body and to the club. Looking at his pre-training data, it was clear that the timing of his lead leg vertical force was maximized right around impact, which is too late according to much of the research that would look at the kinetic sequencing of the ground reaction forces.

After going through a warm-up, he took his first swings with the SuperSpeed clubs. On the first swing, his kinetic sequencing was improved drastically. The peak vertical ground reaction force occurred between club parallel and impact with the ball.

His second swing saw an even greater improvement as the peak vertical ground reaction force was almost directly in line with the club parallel on the downswing. Additionally, his maximum force had increased by nearly 25 percent. This resulted in a kinetic sequence that is much more indicative of speed and proper ball striking. This continued throughout all the swings with the SuperSpeed clubs.

The final test was to see what kind of transfer would occur when the golfer went back to swinging his own driver. Figure 4 shows those results, and when compared to Figure 1, shows a peak vertical force that was 32% greater than the pre-training and a peak that is occurring at or around club parallel instead of later than impact; a drastic improvement in both magnitude and timing of force.

After 6 weeks of the Level 1 training (including both dominant and nondominant swings), we observed:

• His kinetic sequencing was improved.
• His maximum force had increased.
• His driver swing speed had increased nearly 15 mph.

These outcomes can be attributed to neuromuscular training, but I also think it should be noted that this type of swinging can be a type of “feel” drill for a golfer: a simple, quick, and effective way to help golfers feel what it is to move that force forward to the lead leg.

There are numerous ways to do this, evidenced by various drills presented on golf forums and used by coaches. In this case, I did not provide any cues but instead just handed him the club and he was able to improve his kinetic sequencing in a matter of moments. The practice of swinging both dominant and nondominant with SuperSpeed is one way that a golfer can utilize a feel drill while swinging a club to improve vertical force production. This golfer did nothing more than make approximately 100 swings a week, at a time commitment of about 45 minutes for the entire week. This was 100 feel drills of getting that force forward onto the front leg—not 1000 drills, or 1000 swings at maximum velocity, just 100.

What Does All This Mean?

It is important to note that, first and foremost, club head speed and training for those increases does improve enjoyment and success of golfers of a variety of skill levels. With that as the main goal, it is essential to know what the most safe and effective methods of training club speed are. As mentioned previously, in an ideal world all golfers would utilize speed and power training as a part of all of their training. Unfortunately, that is not often an option for a vast majority of recreational golfers—they must choose how to spend their limited time, and when left with one choice, they need to choose swinging fast and safe.

Club head speed and training for those increases does improve enjoyment and success of golfers of a variety of skill levels, says @StandifirdTyler. Share on X

As such, simple plans of swinging clubs at high rates of velocity, when carried out correctly, provide a means to train club speed for those who do not have the time to devote to an entire power-building plan. The suggestions in this piece point out the importance of The Big Break Theory as outlined by Dr. Tom House and TPI. The research presented here offers some evidence as to why nondominant training should be incorporated as part of a power and velocity training protocol. This can look like single leg and arm exercise in the gym, plyometric-based training focused on single limbs, or it can be as simple as swinging a golf club on the nondominant side.

While training for club head velocity, remember that to swing fast you must swing fast. Also remember the importance of your Nondominant side as a potential means of reducing injury risk and seeing larger improvements in your club head speed.

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

References

1. Dusek, D. “By the numbers: Distance off the tee really does pay dividends.” Golfweek. 2018.

2. 26 Million Golf Drives Analyzed: Has Driving Distance Increased? Arccos. 2020.

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What happens when, out of the blue, a top NFL athlete shows up at your door?

At first, it’s thrilling—your mind instantly races to images of fame and grandeur. Your picture could be in a blog or on YouTube, showing how you trained this NFL player to even greater success. Shortly after indulging this grand illusion, however, you realize that it could also go the wrong way.

What if the player doesn’t see any progress from the training and word gets out that you, in a word, suck? Or, worse yet, your training could lead to a costly injury. Coupled with those concerns, you start to question if he actually can get better. After all, this guy is in the NFL—shouldn’t he be at the pinnacle of his athletic ability? When all of these emotional thoughts pass, you realize it is time to do what you always do: solve the problem.

This was my situation.

How it Started (or, Why Are You Here?)

I’ve been training athletes for 30 years and have trained and worked with all levels of athletes, but there has always been a context as to why someone shows up at my door. Those reasons tend to range from direct recommendations and referrals to athletes who read my articles online to others who heard me on a podcast. With any new client, my usual process is to go through a formal assessment, which includes a video analysis looking for gait compensations and power leaks, as well as some basic data from the 1080 Sprint (including velocities and power outputs). Then, we create a plan of attack to get the athlete to their goal.

This time, it was different.

Chicago Bears wideout Thomas Ives had been working with me since his sophomore year in high school—we navigated through an issue with scoliosis and developed good numbers to get him to college, where he had a successful career at Colgate. From there, we built to a point where he put up such impressive NCAA numbers he ended up on the Bears. Thomas told me he was going to bring by a couple players who wanted to train…and next thing you know, he and two other guys walk up to my door: David Montgomery and Deshaunte Jones. David was just finishing his rookie season as the Bears’ running back, and Deshaunte had recently graduated from Iowa State, posting impressive stats as a wide receiver and hoping to land a roster spot in the NFL during the worst year to do so, thanks to COVID-19.

Formal assessment? Nope, they wanted to train, that day. I was going to have to improvise. I tried to stay within my protocol by asking the same question I ask everyone who shows up: Why are you here?

That’s an important question on many levels:

1. It starts our journey together, and I can explain how I can help on that journey.
2. I know what is important to them, so they feel like we are always working on what they feel is necessary.
3. With high school athletes, when I require a parent present, I quickly find out if it is a parent’s will for them to be there or if they truly want to be there. (And if it is the former, I know our relationship will be a short one.)

In this case, both David and Deshaunte came right out and said they needed to be faster. Both were looking to improve their 40 times—the year before, David had dropped in the draft with a poor 40, and it was a stigma that he wasn’t very fast.

Easy enough, I figured. So, we went out, and I filmed all three in a run on my iPad using Coach’s Eye. The cue is to run from driveway to driveway, which is about 20 meters full speed. I shoot from both the side and the front. I can then show what I think could be improved and also what a good repetition looks like. I know that sprint mechanics come in all different styles, but there are certain markers that I look for.

I know that sprint mechanics come in all different styles, but there are certain markers that I look for, says @korfist. Share on X

With David, here is what I saw: an excessive push from his left leg toe-off (which is the point where his foot is about to come off the ground). His push brings his knee behind his butt, and the knee completely extends. The impact of the hard push tilts his pelvis, so his knee lift is not as high—this impacts his ability to wind up, punch the ground, and get more force on the initial impact of the ground (which is called tangential force). According to Ken Clark’s research, this is the key factor to running speed.

In the image above, some of David’s angles are better. But what I see is a straight leg and a low carriage of the swing leg. If we can get the foot to do more work than the knee, he will become more efficient by having more horizontal push. You can also see his torso slightly winding, which could be a compensation from a foot that doesn’t find its way through the whole process.

If we can get the foot to do more work than the knee, (the athlete) will become more efficient by having more horizontal push, says @korfist. Share on X

After our session, I watched David’s Combine 40 on YouTube—his hip tilt was more prevalent on his runs, which can really slow an athlete’s last 15 yards.

Training on the Fly

I like to use my ankle-rocker jump and data from the 1080, which gives me a good idea of how athletes deal with slack in their system. Do they jump and snap up in the air, or is there a bunch of movement to get to a point to jump? Do they throw their body into the air with their back, or do they drive with their legs? David was pretty good at the ankle-rocker jump, so we eliminated it from the menagerie of exercises.

Most importantly, the 1080 gives me a time for the 20-meter distance we are running (and I use 20 meters because my driveway goes up a hill after that mark). I also get average and max velocity, average and max power, and average and max force. With this digital data, I can track improvements. Additionally, I can also see if one leg is doing more than the other.

David’s first run at 1 kilogram of tension in the band (so the line doesn’t have so much slack) was:

• 3.33 for 20 meters.
• Peak velocity of 8.05 m/s and average speed of 6 m/s.
• Peak power of 339 watts and an average of 192 watts.

Some of the traditional training methods like squats and power development were obsolete with David. As a high school athlete in Ohio, he was All-State in the shot, discus, and 4×100, so I knew he had power. I used my GymAware to measure bar speed metrics, and he was off the chart: In a single leg squat, he moved 300 pounds as fast as he moved 135.

In fact, I thought that if I made him stronger, it might slow him down. With his lower body power pushing as hard as it did, he may not have had the pelvic control to control his push. Sometimes, when the push is stronger than the ability to control the pelvis, this causes the pelvis to tilt—which would then push his leg farther back, and he would not have the time to bring his swing leg through and create an early contact. These factors led me to get rid of any weight room work in my plan.

On the other side of the spectrum, however, what if we made the unweighted limbs move faster? What would happen if I pulled him at supra-max speed with the 1080 Sprint? This would force him to turn over at a faster rate, and he wouldn’t have time to have a big push out back to destabilize his pelvis. And he would have to become more reactive in bringing the swing leg forward.

To accelerate this process, I started out using 1080 assistance to pull him over mini hurdles. Now, if he tried to push back he would hit a hurdle—this gave him a target, and no one likes to hit a hurdle. As I lengthened the distance, I increased the speed so the frequency would remain the same. To make it more difficult, I put thin mats in between hurdles to challenge his pattern and eventually added water bags.

He also worked out with Exogen sleeves on his calves. I do it a little different by just loading one leg: at supra-max velocity, if one leg is loaded and the other is free, it forces the unweighted limb to cycle faster. This design works really well (research on the concept will be published soon). When David’s pattern started to change, we went out to the street, and he would get towed for longer distances with the 1080.

I do it a little different by just loading one leg: at supra-max velocity, if one leg is loaded and the other is free, it forces the unweighted limb to cycle faster, says @korfist. Share on X

The drills I programmed along with his speed workouts were bent-knee prime times and the Frans Bosch single-leg runs. I use the bent-knee prime times to push the toe-off split. I use the single-leg runs to work on the leg that is in the air. To challenge the timing of the drills, we added overspeed and water bags as well.

Since we train twice a week, the other workout day was an acceleration day. This was our most competitive day because we tracked data via the 1080 for time, velocity, and power. As I said before, David has incredible power—the staff at 1080 couldn’t believe his numbers at the end of the summer.

His unweighted numbers, on the other hand, weren’t that great. The question became how can we transfer his force against weight to unresisted power? It was fun to go through different settings and see improvement, especially when we would go back down to the lowest setting on the 1080 and feel really fast. I liked making slight adjustments from a heavier to a lighter weight to see if he could keep the power that he had at the higher weight.

Just as important was assessing David’s power output in different situations. Power production in football isn’t as simple as an orange wire hanging off a comfy Spudz belt coming straight behind your hips. With some workouts, we connected the 1080 to his shoulders or his thighs to challenge his body to continue to move forward after contact was made. We also did diagonal runs, where he kept his shoulders and hips square as he ran diagonally in almost like a bounce after contact.

With some workouts, we connected the 1080 to (the athlete’s) shoulders or thighs to challenge his body to continue to move forward after contact was made, says @korfist. Share on X

Adding Variety

As a change-up to the direct force, I needed to have something like a water bag-type exercise to teach his body to self-organize. Since a start with a water bag doesn’t have quite the same impact as sprinting, I borrowed from Dan Fichter/Frans Bosch and created an unstable environment by connecting two jump stretch bands to a dowel with some eye hooks. The athlete holds the bar in front of their face and the coach hangs on from behind.

When the athlete accelerates, all of their foot imperfections will push in different directions, and their torso will have to compensate. Eventually, the body learns to use its feet better, regardless of the environment. We have had some of our biggest gains after implementing this in our workouts, and athletes will either bound or single-leg bound in this fashion.

Video 1. David Montgomery performing unstable push exercise with jump stretch bands and manual resistance.

Another change-up was doing an acceleration/resisted run from a vertical position. This requires a lot from the hamstrings. Additionally, sometimes a ball carrier gets stood up after contact and will need to learn how to accelerate from that vertical position.

David, Deshaunte, and Thomas all felt that the sensation of pulling mirrored how fatigue felt in a game, so as we got closer to the season, they really increased their volume. In some cases, we executed as many as 20 heavy pulls, since David wanted to be ready for a normal game load of 20 carries.

On our last night before they left for camp, we had a marathon workout. It was a beautiful July night, with minimal traffic on my street. They wanted to see the results of 2 1/2 months of training. Quickly, the trash talking started, and everyone wanted to end the summer as King of the Street. Deshaunte took five pulls to warm up and his numbers came on strong. By the end of the night, here are the numbers David produced:

• His 20-meter time was 3.05, a decrease in time of .28.
• Max velocity was 9.1 m/s with an average of 6.57 m/s. This was an improvement of 1.1 m/s in peak velocity and .57 m/s average.
• Power output was peak 446 watts and an average of 220 watts. This was an improvement of 107 watts and 28 watts, respectively. That last number is very difficult to change.

For our year anniversary, we did a video to see the difference. I have the entire frame-by-frame analysis on trackfootballconsortium.com.

In image 5 above, on the left, David lands on the outside of his foot—which can work, but he won’t be able to produce force in the first portion of the contact (as Ken Clark often discusses). His contact will be longer, and he will need to produce force in the back half of his contact.

But I am concerned with the swing leg. It is what I call “late in the gait.” His swing leg is behind his stance leg. This creates a timing issue. His swing leg will never have the time to get the knee high enough to not land early. And, the increased knee height and limb speed will allow the leg to create greater tangential force.

He has a slightly greater split, which will allow for greater T Force—but you can see his center of mass is much higher than before. This increased vertical force will allow for more to happen in the air, including faster limb speed.

Video 2. “Before”—David Montgomery sprinting in May 2020.

Video 3. “After”—David Montgomery sprinting in May 2021.

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