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In the simplest sense, change of direction tasks consist of decelerating the center of mass and reaccelerating it in a different direction. Change of direction tasks can be categorized into three phases: eccentric, isometric, and concentric. Further, they are tri-planar in nature.

The eccentric phase begins when the foot hits the ground and ends with the amortization phase of the stretch-shortening cycle. At this point, the muscles have fully yielded (absorbed force) and are acting isometrically. The stretch-shortening cycle is about to unleash its stored potential energy, like a stretched rubber band waiting to be let go, springing the athlete into the concentric phase of the movement. This concentric phase represents the reacceleration component of changing directions.

This is a brief, simple overview, but it illustrates the point. We brake eccentrically and explode back out concentrically.

1080 Sprint: The Ultimate Change of Direction Tool?

Before you get your pitchforks and start the witch hunt, I’m NOT suggesting that traditional resistance training does not improve change of direction performance. Of course it does. Resistance training makes muscles big and strong, and big strong muscles tend to serve athletes well.

However, traditional lifting almost exclusively loads the vertical vector. Squats, deadlifts, cleans, lunges, and hip thrusts provide vertical loading. The resistance is gravity, which always pulls downward—even if you’re moving sideways, as in a side lunge.

I love the barbell, but it would be foolish not to recognize the differences between vertical and horizontal loading.

Vertical loading requires vertical force generation to overcome the resistance. Horizontal loading requires horizontal force production.

That’s how simple AND how profound it is.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience horizontal loading, you just don’t get it. You have to feel the difference to understand it.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to experience horizontal loading, you just don’t get it. You have to feel the difference to understand it, says @KD_KyleDavey. Share on X

If you don’t have a 1080 Sprint, don’t worry, there are other ways you can experiment on yourself. Step into a band, like a Superflex, or attach yourself to a cable machine and lunge toward the base of the band, such that it pulls you into the lunge.

When you contact the ground, you have to push your foot forward—as if trying to make your toes pop out of the front of your shoe—in order to decelerate. This is horizontal force production. In a traditional lunge, you’d have to push mostly downward into the ground to decelerate, since the weight pulls you down.

Isaac Newton, equal and opposite, yada yada.

Luckily, I work at an amazing facility that has a ton of gadgets, including a 1080 Sprint and force plates. So, I figured, heck, why not just measure the differences between traditional lunges and lunges with a horizontal tow? I performed what I call bounce-back lunges, both in line with the pull of the 1080 (as in, the machine pulled me forward) and with a barbell under the same load (20 kilograms). I stepped onto a force plate so I could measure the difference between vertical and horizontal forces.

Video 1. Eccentric overload lunges to a force plate, played in slow motion, integrated with Noraxon software.

The seemingly small difference—the horizontal pull versus the barbell—is actually a huge difference. With the horizontal pull of the 1080, you train yourself to decelerate and brake in the horizontal direction—the same direction we sprint in—and, of relevance to this article, the direction we cut and need to decelerate in.

Further, take a close look at the force curves of the two lunges, shown in figure 1. Notice the spike in horizontal forces upon ground contact in the eccentric overload lunge (shown in video 1). This spike indicates an immediate and sharp horizontal braking force applied into the ground. Conversely, the barbell lunge actually begins with negative horizontal force; meaning when my foot hit the ground, I acted to flex my knee and slide my foot backward, as if to push my heel against the back of my shoe. This motion pulls the center of mass forward—it accelerates, instead of decelerates, the body.

In other words, this is the exact opposite of what you’d want in a change of direction movement.

Interestingly, vertical peak force was only slightly higher on the barbell lunge than the eccentric overload lunge, and vertical impulse was actually greater on the eccentric overload lunge.

Unsurprisingly, horizontal peak force and impulse are both greater in the eccentric overload lunge than the barbell lunge.

Understanding the limitations of this n = 1 and reps = 1 experiment, the demands on horizontal rate of force development and absolute force (impulse) appear significantly greater during an eccentric overload lunge versus a traditional barbell lunge.

Thus, I believe the eccentric overload lunge has greater transfer to change of direction and linear movement in general than traditional vertical loading, such as with a barbell, DBs, a weighted vest, etc.

Flowing further into this line of thought, I believe horizontal loading represents an entirely separate category of training that is distinct from vertical loading. Side lunges with DBs and side lunges with the 1080 Sprint are completely different exercises. I believe the stimulus and the adaptations are different. Certainly, the level of task specificity is different.

The Data Difference

One of my upcoming articles for SimpliFaster will be dedicated to the glaring problems with traditional change of direction testing. Namely, most change of direction tasks do not actually measure change of direction at all. Instead, scores mostly reflect sprint speed.

Most change of direction tasks do not actually measure change of direction at all. Instead, scores mostly reflect sprint speed, says @KD_KyleDavey. Share on X

The 1080 helps decipher this with a few key metrics. Using its change of direction mode, you have access to both segments of the test: the run up and the run out, if you will. Moreover, you are able to see the data on each individual step, including the most important one: the actual change of direction step.

If you want to know how much power was generated on that change of direction step, just take a look at the graph. If you want to know how fast the first 10 and the last 5 were in a 5-0-5, that data is generated automatically for your viewing pleasure.

This is particularly useful if you seek to identify asymmetry. For instance, one of our ACL patients completed a simple change of direction task: sprint 5 meters, turn around 180 degrees, and sprint another 5 meters (essentially a 5-0-5, but with a 5-meter run in instead of 10 meters). Note that we set up the test such that she began by running in line with the towing force. That is, the 1080 pulled her forward for the first 5-meter sprint (into the cut), and she ran against the resistance when she turned for the final 5 meters.

This test exposed her operative side.

Note the above screenshot, taken from the tablet the 1080 Sprint comes with. The tablet acts as the remote control for the system. The image shows the data for the ACL patient discussed above. The graph is set to display speed on the y-axis and time on the x-axis. I know it looks complicated, but it really isn’t. Stay with me for a moment.

We are looking at two trials on the graph. The pink line represents the first 5 meters (the run up) on the nonoperative side. The green line represents the run up on the operative side. The black lines represent the final 5 meters of both trials.

The first area I’d like to draw your attention to is where the lines change to black. That junction represents the cutting step where the athlete put her foot in the ground and initiated the 180-degree turn. It took her much longer to decelerate on the operative side (green line) than the nonoperative one (roughly 0.2 seconds versus 0.5 seconds). This is despite having a slower average velocity on the run in when cutting on the operative side.

She ran in slower AND took longer to cut off the leg that was operated on.

Likewise, note the times on each segment of the test, which I’ve placed a yellow box around in figure 2. The 5-meter run in is 1a, and the 5-meter run out is 1b. Both segments were slower when cutting on the operative side, but the run in was particularly slower (1.84 seconds versus 2.11 seconds). Whether this indicates a difference in physical capacity or a mental block, the fact remains that performance was clearly worse on one side than the other at the time of testing.

Lastly, astute readers may note that athlete actually travelled 5.41 meters on the operative side rather than 5 meters. Why would that be?

Two reasons. One is a function of how the system works. The athlete was wearing a belt that was connected to the tow cord. The measurements are based on the action of the belt—5.41 meters is how far the belt travelled, not necessarily her foot, chest, etc.

The second reason is that although the athlete tried to stop on the 5-meter line, she couldn’t do it. The belt actually pulled her forward a bit farther than she planned for, which didn’t happen on the nonoperative side, again signaling an asymmetry.

In this case, we see lower performance in both the eccentric and concentric aspects of the change of direction task (the run in and run out, respectively). Perhaps some athletes are only weaker in one half of the task, and undoubtedly, many athletes will present symmetrically in both aspects. Whatever you find, the data helps you understand where your athletes are right now and can help inform training moving forward.

Great…Data. Now What?

There are mixed opinions regarding the significance of asymmetry. Some seek to correct it, others do not. The jury is still out regarding the impact of asymmetry on performance and injury risk. For those wishing to dive in, I recommend reading everything Dr. Chris Bishop of Middlesex University has published, and everything he cites!

If you do wish to adjust asymmetry, one strategy to do so is to prescribe asymmetrical loads. If the left leg is weaker than the right, do three sets on the left for every one on the right, for instance.

Aside from asymmetry, however, how can we apply the 1080 Sprint to improve change of direction performance? I am a categorical thinker, and thus I revert back to the three components of changing directions identified earlier in this article (eccentric, isometric, and concentric).

Further, because change of direction tasks are tri-planar, I categorize exercises according to their plane of movement. Thus, we arrive at nine categories of exercise on the change of direction training menu:

1. Sagittal eccentric.
2. Frontal eccentric.
3. Transverse eccentric.
4. Sagittal concentric.
5. Frontal concentric.
6. Transverse concentric.
7. Sagittal isometric.
8. Frontal isometric.
9. Transverse isometric.

For simplicity and organization, I’ve grouped the exercises below by muscle action (eccentric, concentric, and isometric).

Eccentric Training

When the foot hits the ground on the change of direction step, a braking force is applied. This braking force acts to decelerate the body in preparation for the direction change. Deceleration is achieved primarily via eccentric contractions of the quadriceps musculature, with aid from the hamstrings and glutes.

Loading vertically and loading horizontally are different experience altogether, and it is my belief horizontal loading is more specific to change of direction than vertical loading. Share on X

As noted above, loading vertically and loading horizontally are different experiences altogether, and it is my belief horizontal loading is more specific to change of direction than vertical loading.

In addition to actually performing change of direction tasks under load, the following exercises are great ways to overload movement patterns and local musculature eccentrically to improve change of direction performance.

Sagittal Eccentric Exercises

Eccentric Overload Decelerations

This exercise is more challenging than it looks. Braking is already a difficult task. Adding an extra pull to overcome is a unique sensation and most certainly challenges strength and control.

This is also a fun one to gamify. You can start by simply telling an athlete to take X number of steps and then stop as quickly as possible, but it becomes more interactive when they have to stop on command. “Run until I say stop.” Play with the time intervals to keep your athletes on their toes!

Eccentric Overload Forward Lunges

This is a standard lunge but performed heading toward the 1080 Sprint. The additional pull skews the forces the athlete produces away from vertical and toward a horizontal direction, as noted earlier in this article.

Eccentric Overload Forward Hops

Very similar in concept to the eccentric overload decelerations described above. Airborne speed increases at a higher rate than usual, thanks to the additional pull. Thus, velocity upon landing is higher than usual, increasing the demand on force output. Upon landing, the 1080 continues pulling, again requiring more force than usual to come to a dead stop.

Don’t overlook this exercise. It is more challenging to do well than it seems.

Crouched Walking

Slow and controlled. This is a single-leg, eccentric quad burner.

Prone Knee Extensions

Again, slow and controlled. This exercise is an eccentric capacity builder in the quads. The 1080 has a nice function by which you can put up to three times more resistance on the eccentric part of the movement than the concentric part. That comes in handy here, essentially making it easy to return to the start position (straight leg) and then increasing the resistance from there.

The 1080 has a nice function by which you can put up to three times more resistance on the eccentric part of the movement than the concentric part, says @KD_KyleDavey. Share on X

Frontal Eccentric Exercises

Eccentric Overload Side Lunges

Similar to the previous: This is a side lunge, but with the 1080. Rather than returning to the start position—a concentric action—athletes are instructed to stand straight up after descending into the lunge. This minimizes concentric demand and ensures that most of the muscular work is done in the eccentric domain.

Falling Eccentric Side Lunges

Similar to the previous side lunge, but you need to pick up your inside knee and allow the 1080 to pull you over. This increases the demand on force and rate of force development to decelerate yourself, and acts as a bridge between eccentric overload side lunges and eccentric lateral hops.

Side lunges with DBs and side lunges with the 1080 Sprint are completely different exercises, says @KD_KyleDavey. Share on X

Eccentric Lateral Hops

A lateral hop with the “aid” of the 1080 pulling you into it.

Transverse Eccentric Exercise

The transverse plane is the final frontier and something like a combination of the sagittal and frontal planes. I would expect transverse plane change of direction movements to improve as athletes gain competency and strength in the sagittal and frontal planes and their associated exercises. Nonetheless, specifically practicing and training transverse plane movement is still important.

Rotating Eccentric Lunges

The trick with this exercise is to delay trunk and pelvic rotation until the foot hits the ground. If you do that, force is absorbed during the transverse plane movement (rotation). If you rotate in the air and then put the foot down, it’s just a sagittal or frontal plane eccentric lunge.

Concentric Training

As a quick reminder, the concentric portion of a change of direction movement begins when yielding has ceased and the athlete’s center of mass begins moving in a new direction. Concentric force production influences how fast the athlete is able to exit the change of direction movement.

Sagittal Concentric Exercises

Resisted Sprints

I’ve written extensively on resisted sprints . When applied well, resisted sprints are a great tool to increase lower extremity power. Thus, resisted sprints have a place when discussing change of direction. Furthermore, while I’m not a fan of the traditional change of direction tests, I do realize they are nonetheless prevalent in scouting combines. Recognizing that faster athletes do better on change of direction tests, resisted sprints certainly can help athletes improve test scores.

Forward Lunges

Nothing fancy. Walking forward lunges. The horizontal pull forces you to lean forward and project at a more forward angle than traditional lunges. Thus, there are implications for horizontal concentric force production here.

Bounce-Back Lunges

This is essentially an eccentric overload forward lunge, but rather than standing up straight, the athlete is instructed to “bounce back” to the start position. I recognize there is an eccentric component here, but I like the speed and power aspects of bouncing back to the start position against the horizontal pull.

Hops

All varieties of hop are on the training menu here (bounds as well): single, triple, etc. Hops are commonly prescribed, especially in track and field circles. Adding a slight horizontal resistance increases force demands and changes the training stimulus.

Frontal Concentric Exercises

Bounce-Back Side Lunges

Similar to the bounce-back lunges described above, but in a side lunge. Athletes are instructed to “bounce back” forcefully to the start position.

Shuffles

Again, not recreating the wheel here. Shuffling against resistance.

Lateral Hops

Athletes hop away from the 1080 (against resistance) and not toward it.

Skaters

This is a challenging exercise. It’s akin to a depth jump, by which the muscles are given extra load before exploding out concentrically. Don’t sleep on this one.

Transverse Concentric Exercises

Rotating Lunges

If anybody else has a better name for this, I’m all ears. Drop a comment below.

The concept is that the start position of this exercise somewhat mimics the amortization phase position during a 90- or 180-degree change of direction cut, like the 5-0-5 or the pro agility test.

I prefer to keep the plant foot pointed 90 degrees from the direction the athlete is going to turn (toes “straight” ahead). With the foot planted, rotate the pelvis toward the plant foot, creating internal rotation at the hip. This should be the acetabulum rotating about the head of the femur—like a pitcher does during the windup—not the femur rotating inside the acetabulum. These are distinct movements.

If you nail the setup, you are in a low position with your belt buckle pointed to the side of your cut foot, and not straight ahead. This puts you in a position to achieve a full range of motion external rotation at the hip.

To execute the movement, extend and rotate the hip together. If you’re performing this well, you will feel your glutes working, but it will feel different than when doing sagittal work like squats, deads, and thrusts.

Bounce-Back Rotating Lunges

The same rotating lunge described above, but with the bounce-back feature previously described in this article. I recommend not introducing this exercise until athletes are very competent with the rotational aspect of the rotating lunges. It isn’t a good idea to ask them to enter that position quickly and under load until they’ve mastered it.

Rotating Hops

My preference is to wind up or load in the same way described above for the rotating lunges—rotating the acetabulum about a relatively fixed femur—but you can also just explode out while turning, if you like. You can also add the bounce-back feature to this.

Isometric Exercises

Play the video from any of the above described exercises. Hit pause. That’s your isometric exercise.

While that was a bit tongue in cheek, it isn’t far from the truth. I believe isometrics will be most effective if performed at or near the position of the amortization phase—the point at which the direction change is initiated.

Although, to be honest, I don’t consider myself fluent in isometrics. Perhaps there is greater transference if performed at different points of the change of direction task, or maybe it is athlete specific.

In any case, I elect not to create a video for each and every isometric possible. Holding a front lunge toward and away from the resistance, as well as holding a side lunge, seems like viable exercise selections.

Returning to the Data

After your training period, you can return to the baseline testing you did with your athletes to assess their progress. Run another 5-0-5 on the 1080 and see what you get. Perhaps you will find the run in has improved, but the run out has not, potentially indicating eccentric but not concentric improvements.

Having precise and accurate measurements of performance is a critical factor in any objective program, and the 1080 Sprint provides that for changing direction, says @KD_KyleDavey. Share on X

If you work with enough athletes, perhaps you can build a database to establish a set of normative values that you can compare athletes against, providing standards to shoot for.

Regardless of what you do with the data, having precise and accurate measurements of performance is a critical factor in any objective program, and the 1080 Sprint provides that for changing direction.

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

What motivates me? The never-ending quest to provide the athletes under my watch with unique advantages in training that lead to official improvement in competition. “Unique” is a loaded word because I have never created anything brand-new. However, applying “older”/proven methods in an age of training ads on social media is becoming more and more unique.

What do we emphasize at Athletics Westchester?

1. Sprints for mechanics and rhythm.
2. Sprints for acceleration and max velocity.
3. Olympic lifts.
4. Plyometrics.

Meet results are the only true metric that says whether or not programming works. Track and field is a “show me the money” sport. Training groups with quality results, consistency, and improvement shows high-quality coaching. I research those coaches to find out what works for their athletes and practice what I find intriguing with my own. Two coaches whom I have studied are the late Tony Wells (Colorado Flyers) and his protege, Caryl Smith Gilbert (USC). Both put an incredible emphasis on power development and include the speed bound as an essential component of their training.

Over the last 3-4 years, I have sporadically programmed speed bounds with my athletes. Because of the “think time” that the COVID-19 shutdown provided me with, I decided to make a full commitment to speed bound programming. Throughout late summer and fall, we did speed bounds two times per week. Was it effective? Only official meet results could provide that answer.

Thankfully, the Armory Combine provided official competitive opportunities for our athletes. During the late fall/early winter, the Athletics Westchester training group consistently set personal bests in spite of challenging training locations due to COVID-19 and falling temperatures in the Northeast. What was the one constant? Speed bounds.

Putting the Speed into Bounds

Speed bounds are repetitive alternate leg ground contacts over a specified distance AFTER an acceleration. The acceleration is what puts the speed into these speed bounds AND what makes them challenging for the athlete to complete with proper timing and mechanics.

The acceleration is what puts the speed into these speed bounds AND what makes them challenging for the athlete to complete with proper timing and mechanics, says @AthWestchester. Share on X

Before your athletes speed bound, they must first master the bound without acceleration.

Bounding is like a field event. Without consistent coaching, video, and feedback, there is a tendency for these movements to become technically flawed. These technical flaws limit the effectiveness of an exercise with high risks that accompany the high reward.

I recommend coaches first prescribe short bounds without any run in. Athletes respond well to visualization. If you have someone who can effectively demonstrate, begin the training session with that athlete showing the movement as you coach the key points of emphasis. If you do not have an athlete who can effectively demonstrate, show example videos before the training session begins. Or, do both!

In addition, this is an opportunity for you as a coach to practice consistently delivering instructions and important feedback. Even with our most skilled athletes, I show them example videos prior to our bounding sessions and remind them of their why. Here is a great article by Rob Assise that features quality videos of short bounds.

Once they become skilled at the short bound, introduce speed bounds. We use two variations of the speed bound: straight leg and alternate leg.

Speed bounds are described as an acceleration over a given distance (10-30 meters) immediately followed by a bound (20-60 meters). To summarize Coach Smith Gilbert (USC) from the Complete Track and Field Masters Class last spring, speed bounds develop “elastic strength by training the athlete to get off the ground and get back on the ground without braking.” Translation: improved stiffness at ground contact.

These exercises have great carryover to the demands of maximum velocity because they train the body to overcome resistance at a high rate of speed. This is the advantage of the speed bound over plyometric movements without an acceleration. Other than pure sprinting, the speed bound is the closest exercise that applies significant horizontal force at high speeds. In addition, speed bounds require quality mechanics, coordination, and rhythm. These common buzzwords provide a summary of what we try to accomplish: handling and/or enhancing the demands of sprints, hurdles, and horizontal jumps in practice.

Speed bounds have great carryover to the demands of maximum velocity because they train the body to overcome resistance at a high rate of speed. Share on X

In my opinion, the straight leg speed bound is easier for athletes to learn and, therefore, the first we introduce.

The Art of the Straight Leg Speed Bound

AFTER an acceleration of 10-30 meters:

1. While keeping the legs straight (180 degrees or very close to it) and the foot dorsiflexed, continue the momentum established from the acceleration by rotating from the hips. We want the arms fully extended and long. This arm action improves the timing and coordination of the exercise by slowing the movement enough to prevent the athlete from “searching” for the ground too early, which usually results in the dreaded plantarflexion at contact.
2. Emphasize horizontal power through “negative foot speed” and a rigid plant leg. Negative foot speed is the rate at which the foot moves backward as it strikes the running surface. This is a key skill that we evaluate with video after each rep. What we are looking for is not only a downward motion but a rapid backward motion through ground contact. Negative foot speed is what allows athletes to continue their bounding momentum for longer distances.
3. With an emphasis on negative foot speed, the leg “pulling” downward should land at or close to 180 degrees of extension below the center of mass (COM). This rapid and rigid ground contact creates the “power line” that projects the COM forward through the hip extension of the swing leg. The emphasis should always be the downward force, which will naturally move the swing leg both horizontally and vertically. Athletes who emphasize the vertical motion of the swing leg tend to lose momentum and/or have a tendency for their upper body to lean excessively backward. To remind the athlete of the appropriate downward leg action, our cue is always “Pull, pull, pull.”
4. In position 4, we move to the same position as number 1 with the arms and legs switched. This action is repeated over and over for the prescribed distance of the bound.

Here is a sample video of an Athletics Westchester athlete completing a straight leg speed bound of 40 meters after a 20-meter run in. His emphasis on downward force produces excellent negative foot speed and consistent rigid ground contacts that allow him to maintain momentum through the entire rep. My only suggestion would be for this athlete to complete the drill with longer/extended arms.

Video 1. An Athletics Westchester athlete completing a straight leg speed bound. My only suggestion would be for him to finish the drill with longer/extended arms.

Once the straight leg speed bound becomes efficient, we introduce the alternate leg speed bound.

The Art of the Alternate Leg Speed Bound

AFTER an acceleration of 10-30 meters:

1. With knee flexion at 90 degrees and the foot dorsiflexed, continue the momentum established by rotating from the hips. We keep the arms straight for the same reasons as for straight leg speed bounds.
2. Again we see the importance of negative foot speed. I feel this is a greater challenge with the alternate leg version, as many athletes become impatient during flight and move their foot/shin well out in front of their knee. Once this happens, the timing, rhythm, and coordination get disrupted, and the athlete’s alternate leg bound becomes an ineffective hybrid without negative foot speed or rigid ground contact. Although the athlete is moving fast due to the acceleration, the rhythm of the drill must be methodical. This is a challenge that you and your athletes will have to work through.
3. The power line is present. With the emphasis of downward force and negative foot speed, the foot should strike under the COM with a leg that approaches 180 degrees at contact. If the plant leg shows significant flexion in this portion of the movement, it is a sign that the athlete is contacting the ground in front of their COM. What should you emphasize to correct this? Negative foot speed. This is where video feedback is critical since these key positions are challenging to see in real time.
4. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Quality downward force and negative foot speed combined with the stretch reflex of the swing leg allow for an effortless back side to front side recovery. We tell our athletes to simply “flick the shin” under the knee. This action is repeated over and over for the prescribed distance of the bound.

Here is a sample video of an Athletics Westchester athlete demonstrating an alternate leg speed bound of 50 meters from a 30-meter run in. His patience between each bound allows him to complete the rep with excellent coordination, timing, and rhythm. In addition, the downward force with negative foot speed produces consistent rigid ground contacts that allow him to maintain momentum through the entire rep.

Video 2. An Athletics Westchester athlete completing an alternate leg speed bound. He demonstrates excellent coordination, timing, and rhythm.

Apply the Speed Bound to Your Practice Plan

Now that the what and how have been explained, the inevitable volume question must be answered. Below are some recommendations of how our training group incorporates speed bounds. Simple summary: quality > quantity

1. Start short and gradually increase the distance for acceleration, as well as the distance of the bound, as the athlete improves.

• Beginner: 10-meter acceleration followed by a 20- to 30-meter bound for 4-5 repetitions.
• Intermediate: 20-meter acceleration followed by a 35- to 45-meter bound for 5-6 repetitions.
• Advanced: 30-meter acceleration followed by a 50- to 60-meter bound for 6-8 repetitions.
• All reps require as close to full recovery as possible. For us, that equals 3-5 minutes.

2. Our recommended surface area is turf or grass in order to limit the potential for injury to the foot, ankle, shin, and knees.

3. We speed bound 1-2 times a week during our preseason and once weekly during our early competitive season, and we eliminate the exercise as we prep for the championship portion of our season. Always provide at least two days between speed bound workouts to give the athletes enough time to recover.

4. Our speed bound workouts normally take place on the same day we emphasize acceleration. Since we ask our athletes to accelerate as part of their bounds, emphasizing this skill before speed bounds creates a “part, part, whole” transition from the beginning to end of practice.

Since we ask our athletes to accelerate as part of their bounds, emphasizing acceleration before speed bounds creates a ‘part, part, whole’ transition from the beginning to end of practice, says @AthWestchester. Share on X

How Do We Know Speed Bounds Work?

Although we do not own a contact grid, we can still measure improvements in acceleration and max velocity in practice to evaluate the effectiveness of speed bounds. However, the best indicator is official competition. Meet results are truly the only metric that says whether or not programming works. Our training group was fortunate to produce some quality official meet results even though training options were limited due to COVID-19 restrictions and some cold temperatures in New York.

Every performance listed below is a personal best for each athlete, and I feel that the speed bound played a significant role.

Rely on Proven Methods

Speed bounds take time and patience to master. They are worth the investment because they will help your athletes become more powerful, mechanically sound, and resilient. In addition, they will help you become a better instructor because they demand your ability to clearly communicate, provide feedback, and troubleshoot.

Meet results are truly the only metric that says whether or not programming works. Share on X

All of these challenges are opportunities to provide athletes with exercises that are proven methods by master sprint coaches of the past and present. The “art of the speed bound” is one of those proven methods. Learning, teaching, and applying the speed bound is the “art of coaching.”

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

Out of the five key training principles—specificity, overload, individualization, variation, and reversibility—perhaps the one that I gave the most attention was specificity: Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands or SAID. This states that the body will adapt to better tolerate the specific stress placed on it. Very simply, this means that if you want to sprint faster, then you need to sprint in training.

The most specific exercise for a sprinter will be sprinting the race distance while fresh, as this most closely replicates the demands of the competitive exercise. This point was nicely emphasized in a recent tweet by Carl Valle, when he wrote “While a good array of drills can be helpful, eventually you have to run the 100 or 200m, not the 50m wicket or 30m hands up drill.” It is worth noting that Carl advocated that drills can be helpful and may have their place.

There is a difference between including general training in your training program and training exclusively with general means. I have been more present on social media since the pandemic began, and one of the things that has struck me is the lack of nuance in some of the opinions being shared, with the point often appearing to be that general training has no place in a sprint program. My view is that including general training means is not necessarily a problem, but excluding specific training is.

My view is that including general training means is not necessarily a problem, but excluding specific training is, says @davidmaris958. Share on X

With this in mind, I will discuss some general means of training and how they may be of benefit to a sprinter.

Cracking the Code of Tempo Running

Tempo running has become a divisive topic recently, yet I think it is a very vague label that can encompass a variety of activities. In the Key Concepts Elite publication from 2008 by Charlie Francis, he alluded to intensive tempo runs being those completed at 76%-94% intensity, and extensive tempo runs being those performed at 75% or less. Therefore, according to this definition, anything less than 95% of maximum is considered a tempo run.

As a side note, Brendan Thompson and I recently had a discussion about how intensity is defined either as a measure of effort or a measure of maximum pace. But for the purpose of this discussion, I will use the definition used by Francis in his literature. Therefore, if an athlete has a 100-meter personal best time of 11.0 seconds, 75% would be 11/0.75=14.67 seconds.

An additional issue with defining efforts in terms of intensity of maximal speed is that what is maximum speed on one day may not be maximum speed the next, so theoretically, what may be a tempo run one day may be speed work the next, or vice versa. I digress slightly, but this point emphasizes the need for nuance and clear definitions when discussing topics like this.

There are those who think all tempo is an absolute waste of time, but I believe it is naïve to think that no positive contributions can ever be made toward sprint performance by running at 94% intensity, but running at 95% will bring about positive adaptations. Of course, as a sprinter there are times when it is absolutely appropriate to run at 95% intensity or above. But, as I alluded to, just because these high-intensity efforts are essential to optimizing sprint performance, it does not mean that runs at below that threshold have no value.

A limitation of high-intensity sprinting is that not very much of it can be done before quality diminishes and injury risk increases. One benefit of tempo running is that a greater volume of work can be completed, and it therefore allows an athlete to practice a higher number of ground contacts. Motor learning requires repetition, and lower intensity running offers this opportunity.

One benefit of tempo running is that a greater volume of work can be completed, and it therefore allows an athlete to practice a higher number of ground contacts, says @davidmaris958. Share on X

One mechanism that may explain the learning effect from repetition is myelination. Myelin is a fatty sheath that surrounds neurons, and each time an action is performed, the neurons that have been activated to bring about that movement become insulated by ever so slightly more myelin. This allows, with the repetition of sound technique, the more optimal neural pathways to become the preferred pathways, therefore ingraining more optimal mechanics.

Ultimately, in sprint races, with the possible exception of 55- or 60-meter races, there is an element of fatigue that will impact the athlete, making it impossible to maintain peak velocity. By challenging the athlete to run under fatigue, we strengthen various mechanisms that may reduce the extent and rate by which the athlete’s velocity degrades. Repeated efforts using incomplete recoveries can facilitate having an athlete run in this fatigued state and therefore challenge these mechanisms.

Developing a greater resistance to this fatigue has the added positive effect of increasing an athlete’s work capacity. This means a sprinter’s fitness now allows them to perform a greater volume of high-intensity sprints before reaching a point where the intensity diminishes too much for the work to provide a specific stimulus. This then potentially allows for a greater training stimulus to be produced, which can therefore deliver a greater stress and adaptation.

A further potential mechanism by which tempo running may assist a sprinter, which Charlie Francis alluded to, is by increasing the capillary density within the muscle tissue, providing two potential benefits.

1. The increased blood flow allows for fresh nutrients to be supplied to the tissue and for the removal of waste products, aiding in repair and regeneration.
2. The increased blood flow to the area allows for the temperature of a muscle to be elevated for longer, therefore making it easier to warm up and to stay warm between efforts.

The elevated tissue temperature has a further benefit, in that it heats the motor neurons, which may lower electrical resistance. This therefore allows it to take on characteristics more like a white type II fiber, enabling neural signals to be transmitted more quickly.

A very simple benefit of tempo running is the opportunity to expend more calories, which can have an advantageous impact on body composition by lowering an athlete’s body fat. Very simply, body fat (beyond the low level required for health and physiological requirements) is nonfunctional mass, not assisting the sprinter in moving down the track, but acting as a dead weight. Newton’s second law states that force is a product of mass and acceleration; thus, if an athlete is lighter but able to produce and apply the same magnitude of force, they will accelerate more quickly.

I think there is some merit in occasionally making the training environment more challenging than the competition environment, within reason, says @davidmaris958. Share on X

Finally, although the term “mental toughness” gets a bad rap, I think there is some merit in occasionally making the training environment more challenging than the competition environment, within reason. Completing runs of race distance or longer, with incomplete recoveries, can be difficult. By comparison, completing the race distance for a single effort in competition can feel easier and less daunting, potentially placing the athlete in a more optimal psychological state when in the competitive environment.

Simple Bike Routines and Pool Use

In certain scenarios, athletes use a bike for intervals of different durations and intensities and/or use the pool to either swim or perform aqua jogging. Aqua jogging is essentially performing a running type action, often with a floatation device, which assists in keeping the head above water. Again, the intervals in the pool may vary in intensity and duration, although going too easy while aqua jogging does make it difficult to keep the head above the water.

The bike and pool offer many of the same benefits as tempo running, though not all. They provide the opportunity to work under fatigue, expend calories, and complete workouts that may feel more challenging than the competitive exercise. A potential advantage of using a bike or a pool to meet these objectives is that they can be targeted without the risk of compromised running mechanics, which could lead to poor motor patterning come race day.

I mentioned myelination earlier, and just as good mechanics can be reinforced via tempo running, so too can poor mechanics if sound technique is not maintained throughout the session. While good mechanics cannot be reinforced in a bike or pool workout, neither can suboptimal mechanics. Due to the fact that bike and pool workouts are removed from running and sprinting and because they are non-weight-bearing, they can be completed in many cases when an athlete is managing an injury that does not allow them to perform sprints. Therefore, certain aspects of fitness can be targeted and maintained, or even improved, while the athlete recovers from their injury.

Strength Training Is the Lifeblood of Durability

Perhaps one of the most commonly used general training means by sprinters away from the track is resistance training. The athlete can use either their own body weight—for example, push-ups and pull-ups—or an external load to create resistance, as is the case with Olympic lifts, squats, deadlifts, and bench press. They challenge their physiology in order to produce enough force to resist and/or overcome the load.

It’s not unusual to see in a sprinter’s training that the time spent in the weight room equals the time spent on the track. I believe that sometimes the importance of resistance training is overstated; however, it can serve some purpose for many athletes.

When a tissue is overloaded, it experiences microscopic tears that, when given appropriate nutrients and adequate recovery, repair slightly stronger than before, allowing it to tolerate higher forces. This can be of value to a sprinter in terms of ensuring tissues are resilient enough to withstand the forces placed upon them through sprinting; the caveat being that sprinting mechanics need to be within an optimal enough range that tissues are not overly compromised throughout the running action.

Jonas Tawiah Dodoo has a saying, “gym to jump,” which essentially means the nervous system is placed in a context where it needs to override inhibition in order to produce adequate force to complete an exercise, such as a heavy squat or deadlift. This allows those force-producing capacities to become available in more specific contexts, such as sprinting.

More force production capacity means either less time spent on the ground to achieve the force threshold required to get back off the ground—and therefore a shorter ground contact and an increased stride frequency—or greater impulse, a product of force multiplied and time, produced in the same time interval, leading to a greater displacement of the sprinter’s center of mass, and therefore a longer stride length. When considering that velocity is a product of stride length and stride frequency, it is easy to see how this may bring about a benefit to a sprinter’s performance. I think it is important to note that this is not the only means to improve the force production capabilities of an athlete while sprinting, and I will address other options later in the article.

Additionally, while not an area I’m particularly familiar with, many of Frans Bosch’s exercises use resistance training to challenge coordination. This may improve the capacity of an athlete to fire and relax the required motor units in the appropriate sequence, at the right time, thus leading to improved technical competency and more efficient sprinting.

Medicine Ball Training for Bridging the Gap

A medicine ball is a fairly versatile piece of equipment that allows for various exercises to be completed. Perhaps the two most common uses of the medicine ball in a sprinter’s training are to develop force application and strengthen the muscles around the athlete’s midsection.

With regard to force application, various exercises sit at different points along what is known as the force-velocity curve. At one end (force), there are movements such as deadlifts and squats, whereby a lot of force is produced to complete the movement, but they do so at a slow velocity. At the other end (velocity), there are exercises such as sprinting, where the absolute force produced by the athlete’s musculature may be less (though through the elasticity of the athlete’s tissues, forces of around five times body weight may be managed), but they’re done with greater velocity.

Med ball exercises satisfy a point on the force-velocity continuum that is difficult to address with traditional weight room exercises, which are too slow, says @davidmaris958. Share on X

The use of medicine balls to improve force application generally centers around throws, and there are various options that can be implemented in training, such as forward throws and backward overhead throws starting with the ball between the athletes’ legs. These are used to develop coordination and, to a degree, the expression of strength through forceful hip extension. These exercises satisfy a point on the continuum that is difficult to address with traditional weight room exercises, which are too slow, or by sprinting, which is further toward the velocity end of the spectrum.

As mentioned, medicine ball exercises can be used to strengthen the musculature around the center of the athlete’s body. These may assist in the maintenance of good posture and the avoidance of leakage of force while the athlete is performing the competitive exercise. Exercises that encourage the athletes to “brace their core,” such as marches or hurdle walkovers with a medicine ball held above the head or extended in front of the body, may be used to strengthen the athlete’s musculature in this area with the hope that it transfers to maximum effort sprinting.

Plyometrics – Jumping to Complement the Training Process

Jumps and plyometric activities are often parts of a sprinter’s training program, and they can serve several purposes. I think it is worth discussing the definition of plyometrics, since when created by Verkhoshansky, this “shock method” involved athletes landing and then taking off with a ground contact time in the range of 0.1-0.2 seconds. However, the American definition appears to categorize any kind of jumping as a plyometric.

There are various exercises within this category. Some are quite intense—such as hurdle bounds, skips for distance, and speed bounds­—and some are less intense, like the low-level hops, jumps, and skips I have borrowed from Dan Pfaff’s multi-jump series called Rudiment. I often use Rudiment as the final part of my warm-up before I do a high-intensity sprint training session. It was also something I used throughout a recent return to sprinting after a calf issue.

My feeling is that the series of jumps was less stressful on the connective tissues around the foot, ankle, and lower leg than sprinting itself, yet it placed enough stress upon them to build some tolerance. From a technical perspective, I think this series assists in rehearsing a good ground contact position by emphasizing a flat landing with the foot landing underneath the hips. This can help a sprinter move more efficiently, benefitting performance directly, but also indirectly by decreasing the risk of injury, allowing for more consistent training, and therefore superior results.

As discussed with throws, there are various activities across a force-velocity continuum, and jumps tend to sit toward the velocity end, satisfying a point on the curve that resistance training may not be able to. Triple extension appears to be a contentious issue, but throughout sprinting there is extension of the joints at the hip, knee, and ankle to some extent. Jumps and plyometric activities can provide an environment to rehearse this movement under load and time constraints, with the more intense variety providing an opportunity to enhance force production capabilities.

It is worth noting that it can become easy to use jumps as a filler type of activity, but it is important to recognize that an exercise may be part of a series that can be progressed or regressed as appropriate for the athlete completing the training. Additionally, it may be worth considering that exercises may be categorized via vector bias. Some jumps may be more horizontal in nature and some may be more vertical.

Acceleration involves relatively more horizontal displacement compared to upright running, which involves relatively more vertical displacement. Therefore, when organizing training, it may be sensible to group horizontal plyometrics with acceleration activities and vertical plyometrics with upright running activities. For more information regarding the implementation of jumps in training, I recommend reading Brendan Thompson’s recent article on the topic.

Stretching Is Training – Don’t Forget!

As with many of the other general training categories, you can break stretching down into further subcategories. Static stretching, where the position is held for a specified duration, and dynamic stretching, where the joint is taken through a range of movement without a position ever being held still, are probably the most common. Proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, or PNF stretching, is another technique in which the tissues are taken toward the end of their range of motion before they perform a contraction pushing against a resistance, which allows greater range to be achieved throughout the subsequent relaxation.

Most athletes at some point use stretching as a part of their training, which can assist the athlete via several proposed mechanisms. Primarily, stretching may lengthen the fascicles in the muscle. It may also improve the athlete’s circulation, which could bring about some of the benefits alluded to in the section about tempo running regarding nutrient supply and removal of waste products from a tissue, as well as maintenance of muscle temperature.

At which point do we consider an activity to no longer be specific?, asks @davidmaris958. Share on X

Another benefit is that stretching may adjust the perception the nervous system has of a range of motion. If tissues surrounding a joint are not taken through a large range of motion, then once they reach uncharted territory, the nervous system will bring about contractions in those tissues as an inhibitory defense mechanism in order to prevent the tissues being stretched further due to the perceived threat of damage. However, through a well-implemented flexibility program, the tissues can be taken through a greater range of motion, while the nervous system is re-educated to recognize that this poses less of a threat, therefore allowing for greater relaxation in the tissues and subsequently more flexibility. In the appropriate tissues, these ranges of motion may assist the sprinter’s performance, as discussed by Craig Pickering in his article “Training the Masters Sprinter,” where he mentions the evidence to suggest that greater hip flexion correlates to superior sprint performance.

Stretching, along with other modalities, may fall under the umbrella term of self-therapy. This may include foam rolling, the use of a ball for trigger pointing, voodoo flossing, and use of newer gadgets such as Normatec boots or massage guns. There are various mechanisms through which these activities may assist in optimizing tissue quality and relaxation, and many are popular with athletes today.

Parting Thoughts on General Training

As discussed, there are various nonspecific training means that coaches and athletes have used to produce successful results. Of course, there is always the argument that athletes may have been more successful if elements of their training program had been different. But this is something impossible to know the answer to, given the physiological, psychological, anatomical, or mechanical effects (a non-exhaustive list) that changing one variable could potentially have upon the athlete.

I debated including a section on resisted and assisted sprinting, as it is nonspecific in certain aspects—such as surface, if running on a hill, or the fact that a harness may be used—but I decided that these kinds of tasks were perhaps not general enough to warrant discussion in the scope of this article. It raised the question: At which point do we consider an activity to no longer be specific? Sprinting 101 meters is less specific than sprinting 100 meters for a 100-meter sprinter, but is it still specific? It’s a crude train of thought, but hopefully it highlights my point. Perhaps this threshold is something the community could do a better job of defining.

I think we often focus on differences in approaches as opposed to common themes, and a common theme amongst all successful sprint programs is that the athletes sprint, says @davidmaris958. Share on X

I mentioned in my article, “9 Lessons I Learned from Speed Experts,” that I felt sometimes we are too quick to point out the flaws in the approach others take as opposed to looking for what we may be able to learn from them. By the same token, I think we often focus on differences in approaches as opposed to common themes, and a common theme amongst all successful sprint programs is that the athletes sprint. Admittedly, the volumes and frequency at which they sprint may vary, sometimes greatly, but specific qualities are addressed. The specific training is often supplemented by more general means and should a needs analysis of an athlete determine there are areas that need to be addressed, hopefully this article can provide some insight into the various tools that may be appropriate to fill those gaps.

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

I recently traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, to lead a weekend of speed training with a variety of athletes, most of them lacrosse players. I planted seeds with those kids, encouraging them to spend their time away from their sport building athleticism. I explained that athleticism has nothing to do with the skills of a particular sport: it’s power, speed, and explosiveness. Athleticism is—in the words of Mike Whiteman—”the ability to lift heavy, sprint fast, jump high, and jump far, transforming athletes into apex predators.”

While coaching in 100-degree weather there in the desert, several guys on my track team back in Illinois practiced on a beautiful 40-something degree day. Others had the day off. Four were set to run Saturday night at the Palatine Distance Night. Around noon on Saturday, I got a text from one of those athletes with the off-day, Mason Eskridge. Mason had shown up at the track, on his own, to work on block starts with his teammate Lavell Patterson. Mason and Lavell are seniors—my two fastest sprinters.

Accompanying the photo above, Mason’s text simply read: “Me and Lavell working while you’re out of town” (followed by three emojis: cat, lightning bolt, lightning bolt).

“So proud of you guys!” I replied. And I couldn’t stop thinking about the text and this beautiful picture.

As coaches, teachers, and parents, we work and work and work. We make the rules; we enforce the rules. We provide motivation. We give and give and give and feel good about our sacrifices. We help kids to set goals and then drive them to accomplish those goals. Then, however, we tend to complain that kids are not self-motivated or self-driven and lack maturity.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your athletes or your own kids is to step back and let them build their own house. Sometimes it is important to find ways to not be so indispensable, says @pntrack. Share on X

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your athletes or your own kids is to step back and let them build their own house. Sometimes it is important to find ways to not be so indispensable. Maybe our goal as coaches, teachers, and parents is to teach ourselves out of a job.

Flashback: April 19, 2021

After missing the 2020 season, our first meet of 2021 was cold, wet, and miserable. Our football players were in their final week of the season and didn’t attend this meet at Minooka High School. We only took 14 sprinters—11 of our 14 cats were running in their FIRST-EVER track meet. Our relay teams showed up without batons. Some guys reported to their race forgetting their spikes. In the fast heat of the 100m, the gun went off six times before my guys figured out that the race had been recalled. One guy ran with his uniform on backward.

When my son, Alec, heard about this comedy of errors, he suggested I might have to leave my camera at home and coach a little more this year.

Alec always makes me think. I love photographing track meets—I can make meets look better (much better) than they really are, and great pictures are central to the promotion of my track program.

Aside from documenting the meets and promoting the program, there’s another reason I take pictures—I want to send the message to my athletes that they are responsible for themselves. I coach and prepare them during the week. I’m there to help at meets—but I’m not responsible for their batons, their blocks, their spikes, or putting their uniform on correctly. They are responsible for warming up, achieving one perfect handoff, picking up their hip numbers, and reporting to their race at the right time. And, of course, they are ultimately responsible for their own performance.

I want them to learn to build their own house. Me playing photographer speaks loud and clear to them: You own it.

A Few Sentences on Balancing Parenthood and Coaching

One weekday, we had a meet at Oswego High School, and our assistant coach, Andy Derks, told me he would be late to the meet. His daughter, Maddie, had her first middle school cross country meet the same day, and he wasn’t going to miss it. Not only did this send a fantastic message to Maddie about her father’s priorities, this also spoke volumes to our distance crew. You see, Andy Derks has done the work to make his athletes less needy and more self-sufficient—not only could Andy step away from his D-Crew for the first hour of a meet, he could step away for a month.

His athletes have learned to build their own house.

My Parenting

As I mentioned previously, coaching is synonymous with teaching and almost synonymous with parenting. (You can choose your team; you can’t choose your kids. And, your athletes graduate…but your kids are yours forever!)

Teaching, coaching two to three sports, and raising four kids will make you prioritize as a parent. (I wrote about survival tips for parenting and coaching a few years ago here.) While it sends an important message to your kids when you make a point of seeing them compete as Andy did, attending EVERY activity is impossible. Attempting to attend every activity would ruin your life (and may not be so good for your kid, either).

You see, as important as it is to be there for your kid, it’s equally as important to not be there.

You see, as important as it is to be there for your kid, it’s equally as important to not be there, says @pntrack. Share on X

Two stories come to mind:

1. Back in 2004, my son Troy was one of the top-ranked seventh-grade hurdlers in the Harrisburg (IL) area. I had my own track meet and could not attend his Regional meet on May 6. Troy hit a hurdle, fell, and broke his arm. My wife, Jill, was there and took care of business. The next year, on May 6, I attended Troy’s eighth-grade Regional meet. Troy was favored to win the race but hit a hurdle, fell, and broke his arm. Again. Same day, same race, same arm. I literally got sick to my stomach. This time, I took care of business. (And, two years later, bribed with a pug puppy, Troy resumed hurdling).
2. As a junior at Harrisburg, my son Alec was a great basketball player. I think I saw all his games. At Christmas, he was averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds before quitting the team due to bizarre circumstances beyond his control.

The next season, playing at Franklin, Alec entered the basketball season with a football injury (a snapped tendon in his finger). Before his first game, he dislocated his shoulder. With everyone returning, Franklin went out to a 20-0 start and was ranked No. 1 in Tennessee. During the first half of the season, Alec came off the bench and never looked like his old self. It was hard for me to watch, and eventually my wife and I decided that it might be best for us to miss a few games.

On a Friday night, Franklin played at their rival, Brentwood. Alec hadn’t scored in the previous game, and my wife and I didn’t make the trip to Brentwood. The game happened to be televised in the Nashville area, and Franklin’s starting center sprained his ankle early in the game. Alec replaced him and, within seconds, stole a ball and turned it into a thunderous dunk at the other end. I think I jumped as high as the ceiling in our small living room. Alec went on to play like his old self for the rest of the season, arguably the team’s best player through that stretch.

I missed Troy’s first broken arm in 2004 and Alec’s incredible dunk in 2005. Would my attendance at either of those events have altered the outcome? Do Troy and Alec look back at those events wishing I would have been there?

I think not.

My Own Racing Days

My parents had four kids, and my father coached multiple sports.

As a seventh grader, I was a tall kid but the slowest guy on my track team. In my first meet, I was listed as seventh out of seven to run the 440. More than 20 kids were thrown into the race on a cinder track in Streator, Illinois. I ran as fast as I could. I remember some of my teammates laughing at me out in the lead. The last segment of the race hurt like hell, but I came in fourth, running 67.1 (the second best on our team).

My parents were not at the meet, and I’ll never forget telling my dad what had happened. I told him the whole story though the car window before getting in. Their absence didn’t detract from the feeling of that race—in fact, doing it on my own, sharing it in my own words…I think that enhanced the experience.

Total Absence

My dad, Don, was born in a tent. One of five children; raised by working-poor parents. He lived in government housing, and to say that sports became the focus of his life is like saying that fish become fond of water.

Encouragement came by way of a Hall of Fame coach Gay Kintner of Stephen Decatur High School. In 1951, Kintner gave my dad a basketball and told him, “Holler, wear this thing out. You are going to be one of my great ones.”

My dad went on to play college basketball and baseball at Millikin University. How many games did Don Holler’s dad attend? Zero. Not one, not at any level. Zero. (My grandmother attended just one high school game, and as luck would have it, my dad got sick before the game and didn’t play.)

Not only did my grandfather not attend any of my dad’s games, he actively campaigned for my dad to quit sports and get a job, going so far as to hide my dad’s ball glove one time on the day of a game.

Even in the absence of any encouragement from his parents, my father still loved sports.

The inflection point for my father came from his high school basketball coach, who gave him a basketball, encouraged him to play, and told him he could be great. Gay Kintner told my dad to build his own house. And he did: Don Holler is now in three Halls of Fame (Millikin University, Aurora University, and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association).

After his playing days were done, he spent the next 47 years being Gay Kintner to hundreds of athletes.

Be There, but Also Don’t Be There

Coaches, teachers, and parents have a strange job. We must be there for our kids. We must give them guidance and instruction. We must encourage the good, discourage the bad, and set an example.

Then we must step away and let them learn to fly.

If we’re doing it right, even when we’re 1,500 miles away in the desert or just at a different event closer to home, we will still always be there—even when we are not.

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

One of the biggest roadblocks to proper speed development is an injury. Athletes need to stay healthy (and happy) in order to progress towards faster times and better outcomes in their sport. Over 50 percent of athletes report playing a sport while injured,¹ and a common nagging injury that athletes deal with is plantar fasciitis. This pain in the foot needs a better solution than what we now have because over a million patient visits each year are due to plantar fasciitis.² An athlete can’t afford to lose precious training and playing time to this issue for which, I believe, we consistently look for answers in the wrong places.

One of the biggest roadblocks to proper speed development is an injury, says @TomBroback. Share on X

As with many injuries, plantar fasciitis is a condition caused by great amounts of stress repeatedly applied to an area of the athlete’s body, leading to breakdown, dysfunction, and pain. This is medically referred to as Davis’s law, and has many practical applications for helping athletes rehab from nagging injuries. Using an external device like an orthotic or a different shoe is a temporary solution to this issue, as it addresses symptoms (i.e., pain) but not always the underlying cause of the issue. For so long, we have looked to external support to help reduce the pain and frustration of plantar fasciitis.

If an athlete uses this solution, however, they are forever going to be dependent on that external device to alleviate the overwhelming stress on their feet. As a therapist who helps patients understand and value physical freedom, this seems like a terrible route to ponder as the primary solution.

A Prescription with No Expiration

A new wave of understanding is sweeping over health and fitness regarding the importance of foot strength and the connection between the foot and the rest of the body. I find it incredibly important that we apply these principles to athletes in pain because of how highly they need to value their physical health and longevity. The human body was designed to be robust and meet the demands of our lifestyles and perform all kinds of actions, from walking to running to jumping. Searching for external means of support as a long-term solution is, in my opinion, detrimental not only to performance but to health as well.

Searching for external means of support as a long-term solution is, in my opinion, detrimental not only to performance but to health as well, says @TomBroback. Share on X

One of the largest concerns from a physical therapist’s perspective is the chronic use of orthotics. You would never prescribe someone to use crutches for the rest of their life, or a walking boot, or an arm sling. Yet the healthcare system at large neglects to implement an expiration date for these devices. Using orthotics is a poor temporary solution for a much larger problem that is exacerbated by prolonged use and underutilization of more active treatment techniques like improving strength, mobility, balance, and coordination.

Shoes for the Sport

The nature of athletic footwear is another reason that orthotics cannot be valued as the only solution to address plantar fasciitis. It is during athletic events that we want an athlete to be at their very best—trying to cram an orthotic into a soccer cleat, a basketball shoe, or track spikes is a terrible idea. Have you ever tried this? This can restrict the freedom of movement that the 33 joints of each foot require for optimal performance.

The availability of sport-specific footwear is currently limited for athletes. While there are plenty of colors, patterns, and sizes to choose from, the functional design of many cleats and sneakers is constrained. While the barefoot, foot-shaped shoe wave has had a dramatic impact on the running community, it has yet to make a dent in sports like soccer, basketball, and football. Flip your shoe upside down and put it underneath your foot. Does it look like there is enough room for your whole foot?

Due to this limitation, it is imperative that athletes take care of their feet outside of their sport, as they cannot currently alter the footwear required by their sport. In order to prepare for the stress and demands of running, cutting, and jumping, an athlete’s foot needs to be strong, mobile, and adaptable to imposed demands. We are not going to get this through having a lazy foot that is stuck in a shoe with a clunky orthotic all day; but we can through proper strengthening, balancing, and by allowing the foot freedom to act like a foot.

It is imperative that athletes take care of their feet outside of their sport, as they cannot currently alter the footwear required by their sport, says @TomBroback. Share on X

3 Drills, 5 Minutes, Endless Results

Every coach has constant competing demands for time. While I don’t think you need to overhaul your entire practice or workout to address some of the limiting factors in foot health, I do think dedicating five minutes per day to a few of the below exercises can be a game changer. They enable athletes to stay healthy and to avoid resorting to external means of support and structure for their feet.

Lacrosse Ball Rollout

Have your athletes roll their foot on a lacrosse ball for one minute on each side. They should be able to put a good portion of their body weight into the ball to get the full effect. While this works on the mobility of the foot joints, it also gives the athletes time out of their shoes. The more an athlete completes this drill, the more they will appreciate the time to work on foot mobility. Every person appreciates the feeling of kicking their shoes off at the end of the day. Make this happen at every practice.

Toga

Coaches are great at encouraging work on the full range of motion for joints like the hip and knee, but not always with the toes. Taking time to bring each toe into full flexion and extension will allow athletes to keep this necessary motion to walk, run, jump, and perform at their best. This drill should take 20–30 seconds for each foot.

Single Leg Balance

Single leg balance is critical for athletes, as many sporting movements are completed on one foot. This can be done on a balance beam, a 2×4, or even the ground, and will allow each athlete to connect their sensory and motor receptors to their brain to improve their proprioception. In other words, athletes will understand how their body moves in space. One minute of balance work for each side. This drill can be progressed by closing the eyes, working on head turns, or playing catch with a partner.

Altogether, that is five minutes of work where an athlete can prioritize foot strength, health, balance, and freedom. This can be included in the warm-up or at home for extra work. As Eric Cressey always says, small hinges swing big doors.

Optimal Foot Performance

In his book Anatomy For Runners, sports physiologist and biomechanics expert Jay Dicharry notes that the big toe provides 85% of the primary support.³ When this relationship between the ground and the big toe is skewed, it can lead to lower extremity problems like plantar fasciitis. We can best minimize this by altering our footwear and going barefoot as often as possible at home. The last time we want our stability to be affected is during competition. Although it comprises a small portion of our day, it is vital that our feet can perform as optimally as possible during this time.

The last time we want our stability to be affected is during competition, says @TomBroback. Share on X

Dicharry also notes there is ample research showing that assigning footwear based on foot type does not have an impact on performance or injury.⁴ Are we trying to make a simple solution complex? Does it make more sense to do less with our shoes and orthotics and more with our feet? I think so. And it seems the research is pointing us in that direction. None of us have all the answers, but new research is helping us get closer to optimal health, speed, and performance.

There are still many great questions and unknowns out there when it comes to acute and chronic foot pain. Although frustrating at times, it makes sports medicine an absolutely fantastic field to be a part of. Different sports will have different demands for the role of a shoe and foot. One size won’t fit all (no pun intended). What matters most is what you are doing with your feet most of the time. Keep that in mind as we work to eliminate athlete’s foot pain in order to run faster, jump higher, and perform better.

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

References

1. SafeKids Worldwide. Changing the Culture of Youth Sports Report. SafeKids.org. Published August 2014.

2. Buchanan, B.K. and Kushner, D. “Plantar Fasciitis.” In: StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; 2020.

3. Dicharry, Jay. Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention. Skyhorse Publishing; 2012.

4. Dicharry, Jay. Anatomy for Runners: Unlocking Your Athletic Potential for Health, Speed, and Injury Prevention. Skyhorse Publishing; 2012.

Arriving a little late to the triphasic training party, I began using this methodology with my high school teams and athletes about five or six years ago. I was happy with our strength programming but am always looking for ways to improve what we are doing and enhance our performance. The time had come for a change. After researching triphasic training a little more, it seemed like it could be a good transition into tweaking our programming while ultimately increasing the power of our athletes—we were getting really strong but were moving those weights very slowly.

Triphasic seemed like a logical step to take in training to increase our power. With this post, I’m going to explain a little bit about what triphasic training is and how I apply it with my athletes.

A Little History

I started down the triphasic path by reading about it online and watching interviews with the method’s creator, Cal Dietz. It quickly became clear to me that I needed to buy Cal’s book, Triphasic Training Manual, to fully grasp this system. I’ve known Cal for a long time—I was an intern with the strength and conditioning staff at the University of Minnesota in the early ’90s. I would periodically stop by the weight room when I was back on campus and met Cal when he was a grad assistant. After he got hired full-time at the U of M and started putting his stamp on things there, it was always a learning experience for me when I would visit.

Cal is always open and excited to share what he is currently doing, and to be honest, half of what he told me went right over my head. But one thing was always clear: he spent a ton of time researching and really pushed the envelope on being cutting edge in the field of strength and conditioning. And he tested everything. Whether or not I truly understood all the science behind what he was doing, I knew this was a coach I could trust. If he said something worked, it worked.

For those who may be unfamiliar with triphasic training, the method basically incorporates specified rep tempos, focusing on a certain phase of the movement or a certain type of muscle contraction:

• Eccentric (lowering the weight)
• Isometric (stopping and pausing the weight)
• Concentric (lifting the weight)

Now, slow eccentric training and isometric workouts have been around for over a hundred years. Charles Atlas’ “Dynamic Tension” workout program, which gained popularity in the 1920s, was an isometric training program. Cal fully admits he didn’t invent this type of training, but I think he certainly deserves credit for putting these things into a usable system that can be easily applied.

Triphasic started, as Cal tells it, with two of his throwers at the University of Minnesota. These two athletes were virtually the same in every way: same age, same size, same background, and the same strength maxes. They were practically identical. One puzzling difference, however, was their performance in the throwing circle. One was a nationally ranked shot putter throwing 65’ while the other was just average in the Big Ten throwing 55’. After doing all kinds of testing with these two athletes, he concluded that the difference came down to power output; more specifically, the rate at which power could be generated.

Further study revealed that the rate and speed of the eccentric contraction had a direct correlation to the rate and speed of the concentric contraction of that rep. The faster the eccentric contraction (under control), the faster the concentric contraction. The opposite was true as well: the slower the eccentric contraction, the slower the concentric contraction. You cannot counter a slower eccentric with a faster concentric. It doesn’t work that way. Fast “up” requires fast “down.” And since Power = Work ÷ Time or Force x Velocity or Strength x Speed, weights moving at faster speeds result in higher power outputs.

The rate and speed of the eccentric contraction had a direct correlation to the rate and speed of the concentric contraction of that rep, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

So, triphasic training was basically born from the goal of developing the strength needed to decrease the total time spent performing reps (eccentric time + concentric time). That is done by focusing on bar speed while also developing strength in all three phases of a repetition:

• Lowering the weight
• Stopping and changing the weight’s direction
• Lifting the weight back up

The focus of lifting weights is commonly just that—the actual lifting of the weight, or concentric contraction. Triphasic trains all three aspects of the movement and results in greater power output and greater carryover to the field of play for the athletes.

*Note: Other goals of triphasic training are to create stress on the body and central nervous system and to train the CNS for its role in muscular power output, but those are aspects for another post.

Farmington’s Plan and Schedule

The nice thing about triphasic is that the principles can be applied to existing programs. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, or totally abandon what you are doing and start from scratch with something new. You can keep what you are doing and adjust it with triphasic. In my first programming attempt with it, I basically took one of my current off-season programs, kept all the exercises, and just started tweaking the weeks. I added the rep tempos and adjusted the intensities and volumes for each workout.

The nice thing about triphasic is that the principles can be applied to existing programs, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

A full training macrocycle is typically 3-4 months but can be extended longer. Within that macrocycle, there are 4-5 mesocycles, each lasting several weeks:

1. GPP (General Physical Preparedness)
2. Eccentric Focus
3. Isometric Focus
4. Concentric/Reactive/Peaking
5. Testing

In Farmington, we are on trimesters for our physical education classes. Here is a typical macrocycle for our weight training classes:

One nice thing about being on trimesters as a PE teacher and strength and conditioning coach is that the time frame and calendar match up very closely with our sports seasons. Off-season athletes in our strength and conditioning program follow the same schedule (and lifting workouts) as our classes. The schedules for in-season teams are close to this, but adjusted slightly based on the length of the season, post-season expectations, and competition schedule, among other things.

After buying the triphasic book and getting a handle on the science behind the process, I decided to jump right in and start programming our eccentric block. I’m a big believer in doing the same things that I ask my athletes to do. I think it helps tremendously to know what they feel during workouts because it’s much easier to coach if I’ve felt those same things myself. This was especially important when starting triphasic, so I did all the workouts a week before my athletes did them. At the same time, I poured over and re-read the eccentric chapters again until I was confident things were ready for my own lifters and that I could effectively communicate expectations and outcomes.

I think it helps tremendously to know what the athletes feel during workouts because it’s much easier to coach if I’ve felt those same things myself, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

After two weeks of the eccentric block, I did the same thing when we switched to the isometric block for the next two weeks. I performed the workouts myself a week ahead of time, made adjustments, and did a lot of re-reading of the isometric chapters in the book. We then followed that up with the concentric/reactive/peaking block and tried some new approaches, some of which worked and some of which did not. I’ll get more into that shortly.

Here are nine key takeaways from the first full run-through:

1. Slowing things down. My original plan was to use this advanced training approach only with my advanced and experienced lifters. I quickly realized that triphasic is fantastic for beginning lifters. Beginners always seem to rush things in the weight room and are in a hurry to get things done. Slow eccentrics literally slow things down, giving them plenty of time to think about how they are moving and what they are feeling. This forces them to focus and concentrate on the movement a lot more. It also provides a great opportunity to emphasize working through a full range of motion. It’s hard to cut reps short if you are lowering the weight for five or six seconds. As a result, 6-8 second eccentric squats have helped our depth and form tremendously.

2. DOMS? I was fully prepared for some terrible soreness from all the eccentric work—it didn’t happen. In fact, two weeks was so tolerable that I added a third week to our eccentric block and have kept it ever since.

3. Iso challenges. Feeling confident after the eccentric block, I was crushed by the isometrics. They were way harder and caused way more muscle soreness than what I was expecting. The same was true for my athletes. Two weeks of isos is plenty.

4. One M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i. People count too fast when they are under load, myself included. What should have been a six-second down count or pause usually ends up being closer to four seconds. Timer apps or partners counting for each other work better. To counter this now, I actually program our tempos a second or two longer than what I want. If I want a six-second eccentric, I’ll program it for eight. If I want a three-second iso pause, I’ll program four or five seconds. That way if they count a little fast, they end up getting what I want. If they go the full prescribed length of time, it’s bonus time under tension for them.

5. Ease of use. Slow eccentrics are pretty straightforward. They can also be used with Olympic lifts but in a limited fashion.

6. Room for creativity. There are more options for isometric pauses and they can be implemented in numerous ways.

7. Concentric speed. I need to constantly be preaching about concentric bar speed and moving as fast as possible.

8. Removing constraints. My athletes were super excited to get back to full-speed reps with the concentric/reactive/peaking block after finishing the eccentric and isometric blocks, and the weights were flying after putting it all together. Everyone is always amazed at how easy things feel at that point with weights they had previously considered heavy.

9. Simplify the labels. Cal’s four-digit tempo labeling system was reduced to three-digits. The four numbers in the system’s sequence represent time in seconds for each segment of a repetition:

• For example: 1:0:1:1 = Eccentric time: Isometric pause time: Concentric time: Time between reps. So, 1:0:1:1 would be: lower for one second, no pause, up in one second, one-second pause at the top, then start next rep.

I decided to drop the fourth number (pause at the top between reps), so 1:0:1:1 became 1:0:1 for us. I felt that starting out with the extra number was not needed and seemed overly confusing early on, giving my athletes too many things to think about. Taking it out simplified things greatly. If we eventually got to cluster sets, I could add that back in.

Eccentric Block

I’ve adjusted our eccentric block slightly over time. We now incorporate slow eccentrics with all lifts (or as many as possible). Our workouts consist of three primary lifts of the day that we always start with (because we have three stations to lift at) and I call these our Big Three. They’re a squat movement, an Olympic lift or variation or deadlift variation, and an upper-body push or pull. I initially started doing slow eccentrics with one or two of the Big Three. It was difficult and did apply more stress because of the extended time under tension, but it wasn’t overly stressful and certainly wasn’t too much for my lifters to handle. So, the next time through the entire training cycle, I decided to apply the slow eccentric to as many lifts as possible in our eccentric block: all of the Big Three lifts, as well as our auxiliary lifts if possible (3-4 movements per workout).

Below is an example of what our three-week eccentric block looks like and how we progress over that period. In a typical three-day training week, Mondays are usually our medium day, Wednesdays are the week’s heavy day, and Fridays are a higher volume day with lighter weights. I apply that approach for this training block as well, but I always start with the first day of the full block as very light. Day 1 of a new training block is always a learning experience, so I ease my lifters into that first day and then build from there.

Day 1 of a new training block is always a learning experience, so I ease my lifters into that first day and then build from there, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

Key points for slow eccentrics:

• The concentric contraction on every rep must be performed as fast as possible. I cannot stress this enough. “Fast up” is a common coaching cue that I constantly use during this block. Now, is the weight actually going to be moving fast? Probably not, due to fatigue, but intent is the key. You have to be making a conscious effort to try and move the weight as fast as you possibly can.
• A VBT device could be of use to help with concentric intent, but note that the velocities will be slower at the prescribed intensities because of the fatigue caused by the slow eccentric speed and time under tension.
• Slow eccentrics can be used with Olympic lifts, lowering slowly to the prescribed starting position for the initial pull. With hang cleans for example: stop above knee, below knee, or mid-shin. Eccentric times will be shortened for these because of the smaller range of motion.
• Do not use more than 85% of your one-rep max and use a spotter. Light weights can still feel heavy after several very long reps and sets.
• Be consistent and disciplined with counting the tempos. It can be easy to end up counting fast when under a heavy load and stress.

Isometric Block

I was feeling really good with how the eccentric block went and finished up. My athletes were also feeling really good, but also extremely happy to be finished with it and ready to move on to the isometric block. In my personal test run with the isometric block, I found it to be more taxing and resulted in more muscle soreness. My athletes did as well, so extending this block from two to three weeks was not going to happen. Just like our approach to the eccentric block, I try to include isometric pauses with as many lifts as possible for each workout.

In my personal test run with the isometric block, I found it to be more taxing and resulted in more muscle soreness, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

There are several purposes for the isometric holds or pauses. One is to develop strength specifically at the point in the lift where the weight changes direction, or the point where eccentric switches to concentric. If you can improve the strength at that spot, the lifter should theoretically improve their ability to transition into that concentric phase quickly and more powerfully, increasing the power output of that contraction.

Another purpose is to remove the stretch reflex. Starting the concentric contraction from a dead stop makes the lift a little more difficult, similar to doing a box squat, in that the lifter does not get the aid of the stretch reflex from the muscles involved. More effort is then required to start the weight moving, which will increase strength and power development at that point where the weight is paused when switching back to normal speed reps.

The third (and most overlooked) purpose is using isometric pauses to train deceleration. Bar speed is critical during this isometric block. The eccentric contraction should be done as fast as possible, and then the lifter should be slamming on the brakes to stop the motion as quickly as possible. Lowering the weight slowly and slowly going into a pause defeats the whole purpose of using isometrics for triphasic training. It has to be done fast and the weight has to be stopped fast. That ability to quickly decelerate has a huge carryover to athletic performance in terms of improving agility and change of direction capabilities. I find myself using the cue “Down fast and stop fast” constantly during this block.

Key points for isometric pauses:

• Speed is critical when performing isometric pauses: eccentric speed, stopping speed, concentric speed. Everything about a rep with isometric pauses has to be as fast as possible (except the pause).
• A VBT device can be very useful in reps with isometric pauses, mainly for tracking eccentric speed. Concentric speed will be slower than normal because of fatigue from the pauses and stretch reflex being removed. Intent is key here, just as it is with slow eccentric reps.
• Isometric pauses can be utilized multiple ways with Olympic lifts. They can be used to hold in the hang position (above knee, below knee, mid-shin) prior to the initial pull. They can also be used after the catch, holding at the bottom of the front squat or overhead squat position.
• Multiple pauses in the range of motion can be used to train deceleration and stopping ability in one repetition. For example: three two-second pauses at one-third of the way down, two-thirds of the way down, and at the bottom, then fast back up.
• Exerting force against an immovable object can be a different but effective way to include isometric pauses. Rack pulls, rack squats, and rack presses, where you are pressing or pulling an unloaded barbell against the spotting arms with as much force as possible, are examples of this.
• Do not use more than 85% of your one-rep max and use a spotter.
• As with eccentrics, consistent and disciplined counting is very important. Don’t count too fast because of the stress of holding the load in one position with no movement.

Concentric/Peaking Block

The first week of this block is what I call our “Off The Leash” week. No more restrictions, no pauses, nothing slow. Full speed reps. My athletes are always excited to get to this point, and the weights are flying. The discipline of following the program and rep tempos all comes together in this block and the payoffs are huge. Lifters are always shocked at how easy the weights feel when we get to this point, and this is when they really believe in the process. Buy-in from that point on is very easy.

The discipline of following the program and rep tempos all comes together in the peaking block and the payoffs are huge, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

In the Triphasic Training Manual, the concentric/reactive/peaking phase is actually two separate training blocks. Low reps with heavy weights follow the isometric block. Then, the true peaking for sport phase incorporates light weights with maximum speeds, along with some advanced training methods like French contrast, oscillatory reps, and others. With our physical education classes being on trimesters and off-season athletes being on a similar schedule, we only have time to move to a couple heavy weight weeks before finishing up. We do not include the really fast rep weeks, just because we don’t have enough time. If I had another 4 weeks, I would include that final peaking phase. With some of my in-season teams though, we do get to that at the end of the season—especially in the winter, because that’s a longer sports season for us in Minnesota compared to fall and spring.

In the book, the French contrast method is discussed extensively for peaking. This is something that seems to be very complicated and is something that I would only use with my very advanced lifters. Just doing contrast sets with two exercises has been very difficult for my athletes to do correctly in the past. Doing that with four very distinct and different movements seems almost impossible for us. Group sizes and training spaces combine to create limitations for our ability to do French contrast.

I think most coaches have their own established process for peaking, so I won’t get into the details of that in this post. One key point is to avoid going to muscular failure at any point. Below are the recommended sets and reps for various intensity levels. Quality reps are the number one goal during this block. Going to failure basically destroys the quality of everything that occurs after that point.

Going to failure basically destroys the quality of everything that occurs after that point, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

Final Thoughts

Over my coaching career, I’ve seen numerous trends come and go when it comes to programming and training methodology. I have changed my own programming over the years as well. Some were big changes, but mostly small things here and there like everyone else. Implementing triphasic training principles, though, has been the biggest game-changer for my athletes since I started in the field in the early ‘90s. Not only have our strength gains been tremendous, but the speeds at which the weights are moving have increased dramatically. Moving really heavy weights at really slow speeds is not very beneficial for athletes. We were getting very good at that. Triphasic has solved that problem for us and has resulted in powerful athletes that are now having more success in their sports as a result.

Implementing triphasic training principles … has been the biggest game-changer for my athletes since I started in the field, says @FarmingtonPower. Share on X

Final Recommendations:

• You have to sell your athletes on trusting the process. Triphasic takes patience and discipline, but if done correctly, the lifter will reap the benefits at the end when everything comes together.
• Every rep has to be performed concentrically as fast as possible throughout the entire macrocycle. Intent is key.
• During the isometric block, eccentric lowering has to be done as fast as possible and stopping the weight has to be done as fast as possible. Slow speeds during these reps will not help achieve the desired outcomes.
• Do not train to muscular failure. Heavy weights during the training blocks will be difficult at times but should be doable. It’s even more important during the concentric/peaking block. High quality, fast reps are the goal. Training to failure will sabotage everything after that.
• Triphasic is fantastic for both beginning lifters as well as advanced. Everyone can use it and will benefit from doing so.
• There really are no right or wrong ways to apply the triphasic training principles. They can be very flexible, and coaches can apply them in ways that work best for them and their situations. Continuous tweaking and modifying can always occur. Don’t be afraid to experiment.
• We use the full triphasic macrocycle four times in the training year for each sport season/trimester and in the summer. Both in-season and off-season athletes use it.

Hopefully this is enough information to at least get you started with using the triphasic training method. It really is a low risk/high reward change in weight room programming that can be easily applied. I highly recommend trying out a full macrocycle to see how it works. After that, I’m confident it will become part of your regular lifting approach.

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

Jumps often get the short end of the stick in a high school track and field program, as many schools are short-staffed and lack a coach who specifically teaches the horizontal jumps. In situations where there are inexperienced coaches in these positions, they may not yet know how to teach or create momentum for the athletes in the jumps program.

My goal here is to teach high school track and field coaches how to create your “flight crew” and optimize success for the athlete and team. Our track and field coaches at Holy Trinity High School like to use a testing system in the beginning of winter season to assess the potential for athletes to jump. For the purposes of this article, I’ll focus primarily on the long jump.

Where to Begin

Our first task as coaches is to figure out which of our athletes would be best at the long jump. We do this by implementing our jump test in the beginning of winter season. We also ask if there are any athletes interested in long jump once we have completed our jump assessment with the entire team, which I will discuss in detail.

Jump Testing/Assessment:

• Broad jump
• Single-leg jumps
• Bounding
• Vertical jump

Have the athletes perform these plyometric movements after a proper warm-up and have the entire team be a part of this, not just your prospective jumpers—as the coach, you will then have a better visual of your athletes and their capabilities. You will be able to distinguish if an athlete has hops, if they are springy and bouncy (like a pogo stick), if they are capable of jumping on one leg, and if they have coordination and rhythm. Sometimes you think your short sprinters will be good jumpers, but this may not be the case. Some of those sprinters will bypass the board and run right through it…every time.

Although long jump used to be an event where sprinters could have some diversification from the sprints, athletes now specialize in the long jump and can pursue collegiate careers in the event. Once you have your jumpers chosen, the next step is to get them on the runway and figure out steps from the board. Regarding youth/high school athletes, you want to start with minimal steps in their approach, simply because they lack the speed, spring, and power. The younger athletes should start to jump from 8 feet before the board, and then as they continue to progress have them move to 12 feet off the board.

I believe the most challenging part about starting with a youth jumper is figuring out which leg to jump off of (takeoff leg). I have an ambidextrous jumper who feels most confident jumping off of his left leg; however, he starts the approach with the right foot back. Usually that means the athlete will jump off of the right leg, but oddly enough he jumps off the left leg. He hit a personal record recently of 18.6 feet—my favorite saying is if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Have the athlete face away from you and lightly push them, noticing which foot they step forward with to stop themselves from falling. That’s the leg they feel most comfortable jumping off of. Share on X

As human beings, we have our strong leg and our coordinated leg. What I do is have the athlete face away from me, and then I lightly push them, noticing which foot they step forward with to stop themselves from falling. This is usually the leg they will feel most comfortable jumping off of.

Once we figure that out, we like to start by having the athlete run backward from the board (8 or 12 feet, depending on athletic capabilities). With my novice jumpers, I count six steps off of their takeoff leg. If the athlete jumps off of their right leg, then the right leg starts back. Once the right leg swings through, count 1 and so on (12 steps total). Once that right leg strikes on the sixth step, that is where you place a marker. My more experienced jumpers vary from 8-12 steps off of their jumping leg.

Next, have the athletes run from the marker back to the board to make sure they are somewhat close to the board. The approach is the most important part for a jumper—once they take off, there is not much you can do to enhance the jump while they are in flight. You will notice with novice long jumpers the approach may be wonky; this is due to speed, timing, rhythm, and coordination. Try not to move the marker too much, especially in the beginning, as they must develop their speed and technique. If they do not have speed approaching the board, they will not go far in terms of distance.

Projectile motion is very important:

• Where they place their foot on the board (shin angle).
• Weight distribution.
• Velocity.
• Height.

Explain this to the athlete in a clear and simple way. I like to cue run fast, hit the board, jump and aim for the trees.

Allow the athletes to test out which leg they feel most natural and strongest jumping off. Figure this out in the beginning and then nip it in the bud so they don’t get confused. From here, it is all about repetition—the approach will change once they can apply more speed and force down the runway. Once this happens and they are consistent with hitting the board, you can increase their steps. For example, if I have my novice jumper doing six steps off of the right foot, next I increase that to eight steps off of the right foot, gaining more speed and control, and with that an increase in flight and jumping distance.

Once you have found their measurements, mark that off with colorful tape and initial it with their names so the jumper knows exactly where to start (always carry a measurement tool and tape for your athletes). Know the measurement so that when the athlete is in competition, all they have to do is place a marker down at the start of the approach. Use colorful and bright tape, as it makes it fun for the athletes, and they get to have a decision about something they enjoy.

Where to Begin (Part 2)

Actually, before all of the above, you first need to understand safety while coaching and what to teach your athletes.

• Always rake the sand pit after a jumper. The last thing anyone needs is an injury due to a divot in the sand.
• When raking the pit, sand should be level and slightly wet to avoid dust. (If outdoors, this is never an issue.)
• The pit should be deep enough—no less than 15 inches to avoid jarring when landing.
• The edges of the pit should be well designed to avoid injury, but also so that sand doesn’t scatter out of the pit.

A long jump pit should be designed by an open area or grass and away from any walls, trees, fences, or other obstacles. Brooms and rakes should always be available and well kept, but these tools should always be away from the pit and never lying around. Lastly, no jump is ever made while there is another athlete jumping, and the runway is ALWAYS clear and swept (Fundamentals of Track and Field, p. 132).

Training Model for Long Jumpers

• Jumps (2-3x/week, this may include meet days)
• Sprint training (2-3x/week)
• Plyometrics (1x/week)
• Lift (1-2x/week)

Our jumpers also train in the short sprints and in our lifting program, as they usually compete in a short sprint event as well. Surprise—the acceleration and max velocity of a sprint translates to the long jump. Acceleration work and basic strength are always the focus in the beginning of the season: from there, we build, and it will all translate onto the track and the runway. This goes for any athlete, really, and our training philosophy is you can’t have a powerful weak person. It just doesn’t work. So, it is very important to keep your jumpers fast, powerful, and strong.

Our training philosophy is ‘you can’t have a powerful weak person.’ It just doesn’t work. So, it is very important to keep your jumpers fast, powerful, and strong, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

In terms of skill and technical work, we usually have our jumpers practicing long jump 2-3 times per week. I have noticed over the years with high school jumpers that a lack of strength will inhibit vertical forces applied to the jump. The cueing I use for that is be a pogo stick; also, helping the athletes understand to be patient for take-off, let the board come to you. Remember, there are a lot of contributing variables that high school coaches must accommodate for—weather, pandemic, weight room availability, missed practice days, planned days off, meet schedules, and more—so pick what will be most beneficial for the jumper.

Create buy-in and really focus on the athlete and what they need in order to be successful. It is the same process as with my throwers: Establish a culture where the athletes enjoy what they do as an event. They need to know that you, as the coach, are invested in them and are there to optimize their performance. We call our jumpers the Flight Crew, and they absolutely love it.

Breaking Down Technique

Long jumpers need to work on their technique for the approach, as well as the takeoff.

1. The Approach

High school jumpers commonly begin their approach with either a rolling technique or from a crouching position. Both styles work, so it just depends on the athlete and their experience with long jump.

The stronger jumpers typically start in a crouching position. Could this be because you often have sprinters doing long jump, and this mimics the start of a sprint? Possibly. For the rolling/rocking start, the jumper extends and rocks back and into the approach to gain momentum.

Don’t force the jumper into a position where it ruins their approach—let them play around with it in the beginning and then have them stick with one. It’s all about routine and repetition, so that when the jumper is in competition, the approach doesn’t negatively affect their performance.

2. Take-Off and In-Flight

There are two different techniques that happen during flight with youth long jumpers:

• The hang technique.
• The hitch-kick technique.

When I first started teaching the long jump, I don’t even touch on the topic of what to do during flight because it takes away from the athlete’s run-up. Again, everything built up starts on the ground, and what happens in flight is due to the approach—there is not much you can do once in flight.

Let’s start with the hang technique: Once takeoff happens, the lead leg is extended and brought backward to join the takeoff leg, both extended. The arms then circle downward, backward, and then upward and forward—the arms are momentarily above the head (hence the “hang” position). The arm action assists in driving the athlete forward, beyond where the feet make contact with the sand (Fundamentals of Track and Field, p. 132). The hang technique is usually what you see with novice and youth long jumpers. (See figure 6 below.)

You are likely to see the hitch-kick technique with more experienced high school long jumpers. After takeoff, the athlete assumes a momentary stride position in flight. The leading leg is rotated backward into its extended position; both legs are then flexed and brought forward for landing. The arms rotate forward and then backward, balancing the action of the legs and thrusting the athlete forward in the landing. This creates a cycling action (Fundamentals of Track and Field, p. 133).

Drills for Your Flight Crew

Below are a few drills that I believe help in the development of a high school long jumper: acceleration/short sprints, bounding, hopping, broad jump, adding cones or hurdles at the board to create patience in takeoff, video analysis, and repetition.

Cones at the Board

Use cones at the board to help the athlete focus on patience for takeoff. The athlete starts at their normal marker, which you have established based on their speed. They plant the whole foot, with toe slightly ahead of knees and hips, setting up the pelvis in an optimal position for takeoff.

Straight-Leg Bounding

With straight-leg bounding, focus on the eccentric movement—quick and strike back down to the ground. This is good for a warm-up prior to jumps to get the hamstrings prepared and decrease injury risk. It also helps with coordination and rhythm. Be sure that athletes keep proper posture alignment.

Acceleration

Acceleration is exactly what the jumper must achieve in the beginning of the approach. Use wicket drills with falling or two-point starts. These help build their max speed.

Hurdle Jumps to Gain Height in Flight 

Like the cones at the board, hurdle jumps help create patience with takeoff. They apply the vertical focus of the jump. Look for full extension at the hip joint of the takeoff leg.

Creating the Conditions for Flight

In order to develop a solid flight crew, create the environment, do your research, and study the event. I wanted to make it easier for coaches to have access to easy descriptions and examples of how to optimize performance within specific field events. These were the training methods and principles I have applied, and I have seen positive outcomes as a result.

Personally, a goal of mine was to create an environment for our jumpers and throwers where they could excel and be proud to be a part of the field events. I believe they get the back end of the stick, especially within the high school track and field setting, and I wanted to create buy-in and set a positive and motivating environment so the kids WANT to be at practice and compete.

A goal of mine was to create an environment for our jumpers and throwers where they could excel and be proud to be a part of the field events, says @bpfitcoaching. Share on X

Who knows, maybe you will inspire one of your athletes to pursue a collegiate career! I was a javelin thrower, and sometimes when you’re a thrower or jumper, you can feel like an outcast on the team—always separated. This is why we have created The Flight Crew, The Throws Crew, and Athlete of the Week to commend their hard work and dedication.

Do your diligence as a coach and, most importantly, KNOW your athletes and what makes them tick. I have some jumpers who need more coaching than others—pay attention to what your athletes need, keep it simple, and optimize their performance.

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Reference

Carr, Gerry. Fundamentals of Track and Field. Human Kinetics. Second Edition. 1999.