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The MuscleLab contact grid is a novel measuring device that virtually turns a training surface—specifically a track or sports flooring—into a measurement zone. The area, ranging from a few yards to about 40 yards, detects foot contact durations. With a contact grid, a coach can estimate jump heights and various stride parameters such as stance time, flight time, and more. This anthology covers the best articles on using the contact grid and includes additional resources that will expand your use of the technology further. The contact grid is an exceptional tool, and you should know that it integrates with other MuscleLab products, including the Dynaspeed and Laser, using a synchronization unit.

Getting Started with the MuscleLab Contact Grid

In this article, Carl Valle covers the essential needs for setting up and operating a MuscleLab contact grid, including software and hardware installation. As one of the technology’s biggest proponents, Coach Valle shares fundamental recommendations on best practices, including testing and training with the system. Regardless of whether you are an advanced user or simply just interested in how the product works, this is a good primer for everyone.

Buyer’s Guide to Contact Mats and Contact Grids

The contact mat and grid market is wide, ranging from simple mats all the way to sophisticated runways. This buyer’s guide is an exhaustive list of providers of hardware and includes key differences between all of the systems available. Before investing a single dollar into testing equipment, it’s recommended that your review the guide to make the right choice for your athletes.

The Top 8 Ways Coaches Can Use MuscleLab

Another Carl Valle article, this piece really shows the range of options that MuscleLab has to offer. In addition to the other products mentioned in the article, Coach Valle hints at the power of synchronizing multiple measurement tools for a deeper dive into the activity that professionals can measure. If you are looking to invest in a jump and speed solution but are cognizant about expanding your options in the future, this article is right for you.

Why High School Coaches Should Invest in Performance Tech

Ryan Denton is a high school coach who shares his story of using the contact grid before expanding further with additional sensors for speed testing. Included in the article are how he was able to raise funds and the necessary time investment spent to learn about other measurements outside typical testing. If you are a high school coach and want to take long term athletic development to the next level, this is recommended reading.

How to Set Up Hurdles for Better Plyometric Training

One of the most popular ways to use the contact grid is to help guide spacings and heights when jumping over hurdles. This article includes videos on what is considered a properly executed jump and what to do in order to measure ground contact times and flight times properly. Regardless if you are already using the contact grid now or curious about using it later for jump training, this article is one of the most in-depth resources on hurdle jumps available.

15 Uses of the MuscleLab Contact Grid

Rob Assise, a jumps coach in track and field, shares a whopping 15 ways to use the contact grid in this article. Not only does Coach Assise include the different exercises but also the details of creating the measurement on the MuscleLab software. If you are on the fence about whether you should invest into the MuscleLab contact grid, this article will likely convince you to move forward.

The Scandinavian Rebound Jump Test: Why Every Athlete Should Use It

The Reactive Strength Index, or RSI for short, is one of the most favored jump tests in sports performance. While it’s easy to perform, this article shows a modification of the test that can improve both its validity and accuracy while making it easier to administer. It doesn’t matter if you are an elite coach needing a scientific solution for measuring elasticity or a new coach wanting to get started, this article is for you.

Athlete Leg Stiffness

Mike Young, a leading expert in performance, covers the necessary ways to train stiffness in his breakthrough video course. Dr. Young, who is a new user to MuscleLab, outlines a scientific and practical way to train plyometrics with the contact grid. If you are serious about training and want to learn, or if you are a user of the contact grid and want better direction in training, this video course is appropriate.

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

Many questions surround the two main components of the sport of running: endurance and speed. This is particularly the case when designing a training program meant for a specific distance. Will more endurance work reduce speed? Should a training week have more speed or endurance work? Should a long run come at the start or at the end of the week? What kinds of speed workouts are important in a marathon training program? When is the right time to begin doing speed workouts? What are the ideal long run distances to do? The list of questions could be endless.

But what is clear is that endurance and speed are the two main qualities necessary to win in any race from the 1500m through the marathon and all the way up to ultra-marathon distances—and getting the perfect ratio of the two elements at any given distance is the key. A 1500m runner will need more speed and less endurance compared to a marathon runner, and vice versa. Perhaps we could roughly put the necessary ratio of speed to endurance this way:

• A middle distance runner will need a ratio of 3:2.
• A long distance track runner will need 3:3.
• A marathon runner will need 2:3.

Applying the ideal ratio to a training program will depend on the intended result. If the focus of the runner is to run a marathon, then more of the training time will go towards building more endurance compared to what it would have been for running a 5K race.

Applying the ideal ratio to a training program will depend on the intended result, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

Stages, Distances, and Surfaces

The pattern of training will be almost the same for the different distances, starting from gradually building the runner’s aerobic capacity before going into the more demanding anaerobic and speed workouts. The significant difference here will be in the volume of the weekly mileage and in the spacing of different runs in a week.

For a runner who has been out of training for a while, or who is new to running, the first two to three weeks of beginning training are often the toughest. It is like beginning to roll a large tire: once it starts to move, it gets easier to keep rolling.

I have worked with runners who started their training by shifting between jogging and walking before they were able to complete a continuous easy run of 30 minutes. Aiming to run/walk for about 40 minutes in a day, three times in a week can be a good start. As the body adapts to running, the number of runs and duration can be increased gradually according to how the runner responds to training.

Aiming to run/walk for about 40 minutes in a day, three times in a week can be a good start, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

From there, it will require a lot of patience as it will take time (in some cases even years) for some to be able to run their first marathons.

One good thing about running is that you can start tackling the shorter and less demanding distances like the 2K, the 5K, and the 10K as you keep building fitness and confidence, until you or your athletes are eventually able to run the half and the full marathon distances.

Coaching is an art that is dynamically changing with advancements in science and technology, and through learning from real experiences of other runners across the world. That is why world records keep getting broken every year.

Some years back, it was common to have coaches advising their runners not to specialize in more than two distances. If you ran in the 400m, you were not allowed to train for and run the 800m. You had to choose on becoming a sprinter (200m, 400m), a middle distance runner (800m, 1500m), or a long distance runner (5000m and 10000m). Road runners fell in a separate group altogether—in fact, it was sometimes argued that a road runner would never be able to be competitive again on a track.

Some years back, it was common to have coaches advising their runners not to specialize in more than two distances, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

I have seen runners progress from the 1500m to the 5,000m and longer on the track and then transition to the road, but I have never seen a runner who has been running on the road come back to do the 5000m on track. A famous coach once told me this after learning that I had run in a 10K road race before as I was seeking to join his group of middle-distance track runners for a speed work session. The same coach must have now seen runners like Mo Farah and Geoffrey Kamworor crossing all the distances and surfaces from the 5000m on track, to the marathon, and back onto the track again.

Of late, a number of runners are beginning to increase their scope from running the 1500m on track up to the half marathon on the road. Examples are Netherland’s Sifan Hassan and Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, the reigning world 5000m champion who just made her half marathon debut by running 1:04:51 at the Istanbul Half Marathon on April 4^th—the fastest debut in history. Interestingly, she will be moving back to the track to specialize in the 5,000m and 10,000m distances going into the Tokyo Olympic Games in July.

Developing Endurance for the Marathon

Always start by building an endurance base that will increase your aerobic capacity. Increase your mileage gradually on a weekly basis. The best way to go about this will be to start with the number of runs in a week before concentrating on the distances.

Always start by building an endurance base that will increase your aerobic capacity, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

With the runners I coach, I often start by basing their training on the duration of their runs rather than on the distance they should cover in their first days of training. Once they get used to 50-minute morning runs they can proceed to 1-hour runs, continuing that way until days when they can alternate 1-hour-40-minute runs with 1-hour runs.

After about a month, when the athletes begin to feel comfortable with their running, we move on to some long runs once in two weeks. At the same time, we introduce double runs on some days to help add up the weekly mileage.

The long runs would range mostly between 25km to 35km, and they are introduced to runners in that order. They start with the shorter of the long runs as they build both their confidence and endurance before moving on to the longer distances.

Competitive marathon runners should cover around 120km in their weekly mileage. Out of my personal experience, I have come to learn that it doesn’t matter whether a long run begins or ends the week—what matters in the end is the weekly mileage.

Competitive marathon runners should cover around 120km in their weekly mileage, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

These first stages of training are heavily targeting the aerobic element, which works on the body’s mechanisms that produce energy with the use of oxygen. It helps in building more endurance and in strengthening the cardiovascular and the respiratory systems. The intended result is a stronger heart and more efficient lungs.

Strength and Anaerobic Training

After building greater endurance, speed and strength training should easily fall in place with a significant reduction in injury risks associated with the harder and faster training. Starting speed training before building a strong endurance base will put runners at greater risk for injures.

Starting speed training before building a strong endurance base will put runners at greater risk for injures, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

Anaerobic means “without air” and refers to training the body to produce energy without oxygen. This applies to exercises at a higher intensity that last less than two minutes, where the body requires immediate energy. The body will rely on stored energy sources rather than oxygen to fuel itself, which includes breaking down glucose.

This will be a time to start hill workouts, fartlek runs, tempo runs, and track intervals.

There are so many ways and ideas to vary hill workouts, but given that the end result of all the variables is to strengthen the leg muscles, quicken strides, and expand the stride length, I often recommend a simple one for my runners:

• Find a slope of about 300–400m.
• Run up moderately and jog down slowly as recovery.
• Perform continuously for 35 to 40 minutes.

Fartlek runs are a perfect way to begin introducing speed workouts. This will be more of a continuous run, but with alerts to push hard and to jog along the way. It is a good idea to start doing a number of fartlek runs before beginning to do interval runs on the track. These runs can be varied according to the stages of training. There are times that runners can run longer and jog less (such as five minutes hard and two minutes jogging), and days where the ratios are more even (such as two minutes hard and two minutes jogging). All will depend on the context of a training week as a whole.

Tempo runs are more of race rehearsals. These are run at slightly slower than a typical 5K race pace. Tempo runs help the body get mentally and physically used to racing conditions. They also help all the aerobic and the anaerobic systems begin getting used to their work in a racing condition. Marathon runners often participate in events shorter than their primary race as part of their tempo run workouts—for a marathon runner, these distances range from 8-15km.

Track intervals are done at a pace faster than the race pace. Marathon runners should do track interval distances ranging from 800m to 2000m. For 800m intervals, the recovery time between intervals should be around two minutes, while for 1600–2000m intervals it should between three to four minutes. Interval training sharpens speed and improves running cadence.

Interval training sharpens speed and improves running cadence, says @kenyanathlete. Share on X

Preparing for Success

The best way to prepare for a marathon race is to give it the full respect the race deserves right from the first day of training. It helps to acknowledge that the marathon is a very demanding distance that will require significant preparation in building sufficient endurance and enough speed.

“To win is not important. To be successful is not even important. How to plan and prepare is crucial. When you plan very well and prepare very well, then success can come on the way. Then winning can come on your way.”—Eliud Kipchoge, the world marathon record-holder.

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

Every once in a while, the topic of strength training with children and adolescents boils up on social media. The other day on Twitter, a strength coach posted a video of young athletes doing squats in an amazing-looking school gym. The comments on the tweet featured the usual myths: Strength training at an early age stops growth, there’s a high risk for growth plate injuries, and it is generally harmful for bones, tendons, and ligaments.

I don’t think I need to go into any more of this nonsense; these myths have been debunked for well over 15 years, probably longer. The benefits and effectiveness of resistance training for young athletes, especially in regard to motor development, are well known in the S&C world.

I’m a huge supporter of resistance training and teaching kids lifting techniques at an early age… I have also wondered if that’s actually fun for them and how I can make it more fun. Share on X

However, one argument against strength training with kids is also often mentioned in the discussion, for which we as strength coaches often don’t really have as clear and convincing an answer as we do for the myth around growth plates.

“Kids should have fun and play games. Lifting weights is certainly not fun for kids.”

I’m a huge supporter of resistance training and teaching kids lifting techniques at an early age, even the complex ones like the Olympic lifts, because of all the benefits for athletic development. However, as a strength coach I have also wondered if that’s actually fun for them and how I can make it more fun. I think, to give a thoughtful response to that, we have to reflect and discuss what “fun” in the context of youth sports actually means.

We use this word very often to describe how we expect training for young athletes to be and what our primary goal in youth sports is. “Fun” is named as the main reason why kids participate in sports; therefore, not having fun (anymore) is the reason kids drop out of sports, very often at an early age. The dropout statistics in youth sports, as well as the decline in physical activity among children and adolescents in general, is alarming, so the fundamental question is why can’t we seem to establish fun in youth sports? And let’s be provocative: If we can’t do that, why are we even thinking about putting kids in a gym and having them lift weights?

When I scroll through social media, where coaches share the content of their programs or drills, it seems like the common association with “fun” is playing games. The weight room is portrayed as the place for hard work, sweat, and grind—doing what’s necessary to play the game. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it doesn’t really help us to figure out if lifting weights is fun and enjoyable for young athletes. Luckily, the majority of strength coaches already understand that kids should not be treated and coached like small adults.

Social Factors and Child Training

The concept of fun in youth sports is hard to grasp and even harder to characterize. We as coaches tend to think that we know what’s fun for kids in sports, but do we really? In a mixed methods study from 2015, a group of researchers used a social research method called “concept mapping” to collect data from kids, parents, and coaches to identify all the elements that make participating in sports fun for kids (Visek et al., 2015). Afterward, those fun determinants were rated and quantified in regard to their importance to fun, frequency of occurrence, and feasibility of implementation.

For the study, only participants from soccer—as one of the fastest-growing sports in the world and one with easy socioeconomic access—were surveyed. Anyway, I don’t want to get too deep into the complexity and beauty of mixed research methods and will instead jump to the results, the theoretical framework, and why this paper made me evaluate my view and approach on the whole aspect of fun in coaching kids, not only in the weight room.

The study identified 11 dimensions of fun in youth soccer, which were ranked based on the ratings.

1. “Positive Team Dynamics”
2. “Trying Hard”
3. “Positive Coaching”
4. “Learning and Improving”
5. “Game Time Support”
6. “Games”
7. “Practices”
8. “Team Friendships”
9. “Mental Bonuses”
10. “Team Rituals”
11. “Swag”

Let’s get a bit deeper into the dimensions, their fun determinants, and especially the importance rating. Playing well together as a team, being supported by my teammates, and supporting my teammates, all had the highest importance rating (Positive Team Dynamics). That’s not really surprising. What did get me thinking were the determinants of the second dimension (Trying Hard): trying your best, exercising and being active, and working hard had a higher importance rating than, for example, competing, setting and achieving goals, or making a good play (scoring, making a big save, etc.).

The highest ratings for Positive Coaching got the determinants when a coach treats players with respect, encourages the team, and is a positive role model with clean, consistent communication. Getting compliments, a coach joking around, and participating with the players during practice got the lowest importance rating.

The participants also rated being challenged to improve and get better at the sport, learning from mistakes, and learning new skills with much more importance than going to sports camps or copying the moves and tricks that professional athletes do (Learning and Improving). Determinants that seem to be of less importance for fun in youth soccer are earning medals and trophies, staying in hotels for games/tournaments, traveling to new places to play (Swag), or doing team rituals. Keeping a positive attitude is of way more importance than winning (Mental Bonuses). Getting playing time was rated much higher than playing in tournaments or playing on a nice field (Games).

So, what do we take out of this study? Yes, it has its limitations, and the major one is the sampling of only team sport athletes from soccer, as some fun dimensions would probably look a little different in individual sports like track & field or wrestling. But the results also show us where youth sport participants put their priorities and how they perceive fun.

If we look at the determinants, it becomes clear that it is not primarily the WHAT in youth sports that matters, but the HOW. Enjoyment of sports and fun is predominantly related to the environment and social aspects, the teaching methodology, and positive coaching in general. Fun is therefore more than just playing games; fun in youth sports is a multifaceted combination of positive movement experiences in the sport, as well as in the sporting environment. Training in youth sports, regardless of the sport, is therefore fun when many fun dimensions are covered in a holistic training approach.

Movement and Joy of Training

So, if the WHAT in training is only secondary, at least for the fun factor, then as coaches we can add fun to even seemingly boring exercises or drills through the HOW. If we can accommodate different fun dimensions in strength training with kids and teens, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll feel fun lifting weights, too.

If we can accommodate different fun dimensions in strength training with kids and teens, there’s a pretty good chance they’ll feel fun lifting weights, too, says @eo_performance. Share on X

Let’s see how to make lifting weights for kids actually more fun and apply the fun dimensions in the programming. I figured out pretty quickly that I have to change my way of designing training sessions for kids if I want to make sure to cover more than just the athletic development aspect of strength training with kids and make fun and enjoyment a priority. It all started with defining the gym as a learning environment where positive team dynamics like supporting each other are essential.

When we look back on our school days, we mainly had fun when we:

• Had a positive and supportive relationship with our classmates.
• Actually understood something in math because the teacher explained it in a simple and understandable way.
• Learned something that made sense to us and that we could somehow apply.
• Learned something new that we could demonstrate or explain to our friends, parents, or grandparents.

For example, when I teach Olympic lifts to kids, it’s relatively easy to show them the rough flow of the movement. Kids are pretty good at mimicking movements. But the focus is not on WHAT to do, but on HOW to do it. I have noticed over the years that many young athletes can do many exercises in the weight room more or less well, but a basic understanding of the movements and their purpose is not there. So, the first change I have made in my kids’ training is more emphasis on movement learning and understanding the WHY.

Young athletes should learn to evaluate themselves, process feedback, and also take on a coach’s perspective. If kids understand and know where their body and the barbell have to be in which phase of the lift and WHY it’s important, for instance, to do a quick turnover in the snatch or accelerate the barbell in the first and second pull, then they have already understood a lot about these movements and can evaluate themselves and others.

This approach allows me to always have kids train in pairs or teams on one barbell. The person performing an exercise gets feedback from the partner.

A New Framework for Kids

From a pedagogical perspective, it then makes sense to teach children what good feedback is and how they can support their training partner or motivate them. In this way, I have covered several fun dimensions such as Learning and Improving, Positive Team Dynamics, and Trying Hard, and above all, I have increased the pedagogical training quality in a very simple way.

This probably sounds totally complicated and far beyond the scope of what we as strength coaches are supposed to do. But if we really want to get kids excited about strength training, we have to rethink our training design away from exercise selection and make it more fun-oriented through a holistic approach. Fun is not only created by playing games, but above all by the social aspects of training and positive, athlete-centered coaching.

If we really want to get kids excited about strength training, we have to rethink our training design away from exercise selection and make it more fun-oriented through a holistic approach. Share on X

This can also be planned, especially with the same or even higher prioritization as motor development. It is always very easy to say that sport—and that includes strength training—builds character, but it is not the sport itself that makes young athletes more confident or team leaders. It is an educational framework and a corresponding orientation of the training design for kids and young athletes that leads to character building and fun. As coaches, we should therefore reflect on whether we really achieve these goals with our training and how we can improve our training design so that not only we ourselves feel the fun, but also the children and young people we coach.

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

Reference

Visek, A.J., Achrati, S.M., Mannix, H.M., McDonnell, K., Harris, B.S., and DiPietro, L. “The Fun Integration Theory: Toward Sustaining Children and Adolescents Sport Participation.” Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 2015;12(3):424-433.

Going into my second season as a Minor League Baseball strength and conditioning coach, I had high expectations for what the year would bring. Having time to reflect on year one and think of what changes and improvements could be made for year two was an exciting thought process; however, come March 15, COVID-19 had shut down spring training only a month into the hands-on portion of year two.

Looking back at what is now just a little more than a full year ago (and what I very wrongly believed would be a two-month to maybe three-month period), there were two ways to take this time frame. The first way was to accept that nothing was going to take place in person, at least for a short time period, and rest on your laurels. The other way was to take time to reflect, learn, and connect even more than in a normal year.

Having this time as a reflection period, among other things, I’ve learned and realized plenty about myself. Even more so, I’ve used the time to consider what it is like to be around elite baseball overall and to truly understand and explain the experience better.

Overview

Asset Cost

One of the first things I learned, and will likely always continue to process, is the cost of an asset. Part of what can help you transition into professional sports and constantly improve in the realm is truly understanding the cost of players, coaches, and the overall organizational structure. Although sports are a game no matter the level, professional sports organizations are just as much a business.

This business aspect also separates professional coaches from college and high school coaches. While strength and conditioning coaches are paid more than college or high school athletes, in professional organizations strength and conditioning coaches will not be paid as much as most—if not all—professional athletes they work with.

Referenced below are some of the largest-ever signed contracts from the big four American sports leagues.

Out of the top 100 sports contracts, 96 are in the American big four sports. While these top numbers are quite exorbitant—and honestly, it’s tough to fathom just how much money they really are—this truly shows the value of the assets you work with while in professional sports. Even the league minimum contracts ($563,500 for MLB, $898,310 for NBA, $510,000 for NFL, and $700,000 for NHL) are no small figures.

Looking at the minimums and maximums shows you the range that professional organizations value their players at from a cost perspective. While not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, where college football has most strength and conditioning salaries listed as of this past year, only seven of the Division 1 Football head strength and conditioning coaches were slated to make at or above the minimum American big four sports players’ salary. In total, 11 were slated for $500,000 or higher, 23 for $400,000, and 38 for $300,000. These 38 coaches make up the top 30% of the 130 teams, and this does not even include pay for assistants. Again, while this is not perfectly apples to apples, it should help you better understand the cost of assets.

Knowing and truly comprehending that the athletes you work with in your organization will almost always be paid more than you is a crucial piece to doing a proper job. While it is possible to take risks, they must be well-measured and calculated at all times. No matter what, you will likely always earn less than the athletes you work alongside, and your organization, not your athletes, will pay you directly for the work you do.

Patrick Mahomes signed his mega deal during this time, and other stars in leagues continue to sign large deals as well. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the environment, some strength coaches have been furloughed or laid off because of the pandemic. At the end of the day, both of these things are business decisions and need to be understood and respected. They are part of the risks that come with being in a professional organization; it is a business first.

Expectation vs. Reality

Keeping in mind all that I’ve previously stated with regard to costs can help you understand some of the realities of working in professional sports compared to the expectations you might have when looking from the outside in.

Understand that it is almost entirely unlikely you will ever be your own boss within the realm no matter your title. Someone somewhere will always be above you, whether in your own department or in another. That is the reality of professional sports organizations: They are big, and they are businesses. That does not at all take away from how great they are, but rather serves as a reminder of what the organization truly is that you work within.

Also, when working in pro baseball and especially in the minor league levels, there is a high likelihood of living in no fewer than 2-3 different cities every year. If you want to work in Minor League Baseball, you need not only love the job you do, but also the game of baseball. Games are played nearly daily, and you will likely be away from home most of the year. Sure, spring training might be in Florida near the beach, but do not at all mistake it for spring break. Enjoy any and all family time you have either at home or when they visit. It is very likely that between your off-season home, spring training facility, and season affiliate, you will live in three different places unless you move near your spring training facility.

If you think that you have all of a sudden ‘made it’ as a strength coach just because you have been hired by a professional team, think again, says @sgfeld27. Share on X

Furthermore, while a job in Minor League Baseball is an occupation within a professional organization, for many coaches it is only the beginning of a long journey. If you think that you have all of a sudden “made it” as a strength coach just because you have been hired by a professional team, think again. Making it merely starts with the job you have, and you can quite easily lose it for a short time or forever if you fail to do your job well. The hard work only begins as you start your career, so do not take for granted where you are. Remember what got you there no matter where you are within Minor League Baseball and know there will always be aspiring coaches who want your job. Even if it is only a rung on the ladder, it is the most important rung in that time.

Using the four-coactive model within professional sports, many of the best professional athletes excel at some combination (if not all) of the technical, tactical, and psychological aspects of their sport, yet may lack in the physical domain. Especially in baseball, a highly skillful and strategic sport, this has the potential to ring true where you do not have to be the most physically dominant specimen to reign supreme. All coaches at all levels face pros and cons, and many say that if they had ideal conditions, they would do the job in certain ways.

Not all professional baseball players (let alone all professional athletes in general) will be the greatest physical athlete or have the urge to be. It is normal human behavior. Work with what you have to the best of your ability and do not let that hamper what you can do. And to those who assume otherwise about the professional level, ask around and learn about it—it can be surprising the similarities that are found from level to level.

This paired with understanding the asset cost and risk/rewards of professional baseball means you will not always have the most groundbreaking, new type of programming. Plenty of work may follow some of the more basic programming around, and there is nothing wrong with that. As it is, most great programming is founded on the same basics and principles.

Lastly, in most organizations (colleges, for example), the strength and conditioning staff spends most of the year together in the same location. Professional baseball, however, does not work that way at all. The only time a full strength and conditioning staff is guaranteed to all be in the same place at once is during the busiest time of the year at spring training, and that does not guarantee there will be much overlap or work with the Major League staff. Instead, in Minor League Baseball, the staff you will be with the most is the affiliate staff you are slated to work with. At most, as a full strength staff, you might get up to three or so months together in a year between spring training and off-season camps.

Imposter Syndrome

So, you’ve just landed your first job at a big organization within professional sports. You’ve made it, step one to reaching your goal, or maybe your goal is even complete—now what?

Maybe you are working in an organization with someone you have looked up to or you are in your first year while others there are in their fifth year or beyond. No matter the situation, it is definitely possible to feel like a fish out of water, and you may begin to question yourself some. Understand it is perfectly normal and okay to feel this way—many people do. Josh Bonhotal covers imposter syndrome really well and gives a great understanding of what it truly is.

Realizing you may feel the effects of imposter syndrome is necessary to give you the awareness to work with it. You probably are not even the only one feeling that way where you are. Keir has spoken to this many times, saying to forget about having it as best as possible and just go and do.

At the end of the day, you will never know everything, but be aware of what you do know. Use what you know to be the best you can, and remember you are not alone in feeling doubt. The best thing is to do the job well—it does not have to be perfect. For those who have considered writing or using social media more, the same principle applies here.

Programming Considerations

Time of Year

As a professional baseball strength coach, there is only one time of year where you are guaranteed to be working with your athletes, and that is during the season. That means unless guys are in with you during the off-season, baseball is the priority at absolutely all times, and being healthy and able to perform as much as possible is their number one need.

When looking at programs for different coaches, sports, or times of year, for example, exercises, sets and reps, tempos, and other nuances may change, but principles remain. From an outsider’s perspective, there is the chance that programming could look “boring” or “risk averse” due to the nature of games occurring nearly daily. Flip that when looking at colleges or private sector coaching, where it may look the opposite when they have guys during the off-season.

While there are some opportunities to get guys in during the off-season at the professional level, the norm will be having guys in during the season. When it’s the off-season, unless there is a camp going on, guys will often want to head back home. Like coaches, they are most likely away from home most of the year.

Knowing games will be no fewer than six days per week with upward of about 21 straight days’ worth of games makes programming tricky, but structured, says @sgfeld27. Share on X

Overall, working with the baseball schedule is the biggest hurdle to creating effective programming. Knowing games will be no fewer than six days per week with upward of about 21 straight days’ worth of games makes programming tricky, but structured. While pitchers have a more set schedule of when they will pitch, position players will likely see more game action throughout the week that has to be worked with. All players will practice nearly daily, too.

Travel Schedule

Working within a professional baseball organization means working primarily during the season when baseball games are at full speed and completely the main priority. This also means off days need to be exactly that—off. The only exception to a true off day is when that day is also a travel day depending on the league and schedule.

There also will only be one time when travel is not at all overnight: spring training. This time is the most hectic portion of the year, though, as guys fight for jobs and ramp up toward the season. Additionally, all of the minor league players will be in the same place all at once now, as opposed to spread among their affiliates.

Once affiliate teams take shape and seasons begin, the season schedules look more like those of Major League seasons. However, there is one big exception: travel to and from home and road sites. While Triple A affiliates can travel by air for some, like Major League clubs, these are commercial flights and likely the first flights out.

All other affiliates travel by bus when they are on the road, and Triple A ones will also travel this way plenty of times. On the road, the bus is all there is for transportation, so between getting to a gym, lunch, and a game, there is only one option. Add in the fact that bus drivers have schedules they must follow, and there is only so much time that can be allotted to team activities like going to a weight room.

For Minor League baseball, the travel schedule can be one of the bigger challenges to work with when setting a schedule for strength and conditioning. Especially when on the road, there will be challenges to work with to ensure programming is done well. Although it is not travel or controllable, the weather also is a factor in scheduling and travel. Always be ready to adapt at any moment.

Maxing Out Is Overrated

One of the lessons that I took home after interning with Cressey Sports Performance, my first experience around some of the most elite professional baseball players, is that picking days or weeks specifically to use for max testing is not necessary. This lesson still resonates with me because it is something that I never would have considered part of a good program prior to that; truly a 180-degree shift in my mindset. Before that, I had no reason to think it was unreasonable to take time to occasionally find a true 100% and build percentage-based lifting off of that.

Being inside the sport, this also should come down to realizing that you are working with your athletes in season. Using a week when they are playing and the sport is more important takes away from their abilities. Velocity-based training devices provide all necessary feedback to ensure strength training is done well and monitored at all times. Proper monitoring can make testing far less important. Now, this is strictly from the weight room perspective: properly dosing max speed work is a crucial part of an overall holistic program.

As strength and conditioning coaches, it is written in our job title that we help athletes get strong. However, this might be one of the easiest duties of the job. While powerlifters and Olympic lifters are athletes, they are not the athletes we work with, so there is no need to chase maximal strength development. Because of this, constant monitoring with velocity-based training devices gives us all that is necessary, rather than using any in-season time with athletes to max out and test strength qualities.

Optimal, Not Maximal

Knowing the difference between optimal and maximal will help with success in both the long and short term.

At no point during an in-season professional program will you have the opportunity to have a maximal workload off the field. As previously mentioned, baseball is the priority, and that takes the maximal load with games nearly daily. While a true optimal load may never be figured out, the goal remains to optimize as best as possible. Additionally, travel details do not make the demands any easier. Making every session and contact of as much quality as possible should always be the goal.

At no point during an in-season professional program will you have the opportunity to have a maximal workload off the field…the goal remains to optimize as best as possible, says @sgfeld27. Share on X

Creating an environment that allows for two to four quality sessions in a week is imperative to a successful minor league program. Whether it is a weight-room session or a speed session, the goal should always be to work with on-field performance as best as possible. There may be sets or reps left in the tank, and that’s okay—it’s better to have guys feeling good than feeling fully spent. While pitchers may have time to recover between outings, plenty of position players have far fewer days off.

As strength and conditioning coaches, our goal should always involve optimizing athletic qualities and overall performance as best as possible. With a long season filled with games nearly daily, and travel schedules that do not make it any easier, striving to optimize every second in our domain is key.

Soft Skills

Always the Intern

Before I landed a full-time job, I somewhat jokingly thought I would be forever the intern, stuck doing so much of the job’s busy work. Of course, this is far from an uncommon path within our field, which has led others to think up ways to fix this.

While having a professional (or any) job may mean you have graduated from the role of intern, it does not mean your work ethic should change. I will always remember a mentor telling me that when you do get a full-time role at a club, be the person who does more than their job calls for. Be that person, so whenever you leave your job for the next one, the people you left behind realize all you did for your organization, especially in roles that went beyond your specific job duties.

No matter what, no matter how far you make it, never lose the work ethic. There is always someone to work with and/or work for. Never be too big for the little things. Just because the job you have may not be the one you want forever does not mean 100 or more others would not line up to take yours from you in a heartbeat.

Do not lose the drive you have as an intern once you leave that role, says @sgfeld27. Share on X

In professional organizations, between players, staff, front offices, and more, there are plenty of moving parts. There will always be something to do and a way to pitch in. Be ready at any time to help and do not lose the drive you have as an intern once you leave that role.

As Best as Possible, Take Everything in

Working in any big sports organization is unique and working in baseball provides some of the most distinct opportunities and situations. From big league guys with more than 10 years of experience at the top level and close to 20 years playing professionally, to guys within organizations who have been there for 40-plus years, there is a wide range of experience and people to be around. Although some minor leaguers may not even be 20 years old, there is a full spectrum of people and players to work with.

If you are early in your career and have the chance to be near people with 5-10 years or more in, no matter their role, their insight can be absolutely invaluable. It’s not always the easiest thing but learning to listen more and take in as much as possible early on is a phenomenal way to gain insight that can enhance your understanding of professional organization structures.

Depending on your role as a minor league strength and conditioning coach, you may not get to work hands-on with big leaguers, but you still may be in close proximity to them. The chance to be near these pros and see their work ethic up close provides some of the greatest learning opportunities. Taking it all in and learning from it for yourself and your athletes can help lengthen careers. Some of the best lessons athletes learn may not come from us directly, and providing examples can help show them what they have a chance to become.

Furthermore, if you ever have a chance to be around executives or front office people, try to understand the different outlook they have. While we tend to get used to our view as strength coaches from our on-/around-the-field perspective, it is great to understand the overall picture of an organization and realize there is far more that goes on beyond our narrow scope.

Connecting

One of the greatest things that comes with having a job in the professional sector is the instant credibility that you receive as a coach. Deserved or not, having a professional organization give you the opportunity to represent them will most likely result in others automatically believing you are a more credible source than if you were some random strength coach without the same type of backing.

While networking is good, it will really only be worth your time if the connections you make are meaningful and therefore truly help you create a network. Pratik Patel puts this more succinctly than I do, and it is advice that needs to be heeded and understood. Sure, this could be a way to add yourself to a list of possible future candidates when other jobs open up; it is also a way to find other people who might be worth adding to your own staff. It’s taken a while to truly understand what people mean when they say it’s not who you know, but who knows you. (I know without my Cressey Sports Performance internship I would not be where I am today.) Make sure with whomever you meet, barring mentor/mentee relationships, that you can at least provide or attempt to provide good value in return.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the upcoming year will end up far different than years past, when it was possible to meet coaches in the area. Another benefit of reaching out to coaches in the area for the club you are with is you may save money on an away gym by finding a good weight room if it allows. Even if you are unable to get into a weight room, there will still likely be great coaches within the area. Do not discount those who work at high schools, and there are likely many high schools around some smaller areas. Among others, Mark Hoover and Graham Eaton (so long as you can understand his thick New England accent) are great guys to know and learn with.

Use your position to your advantage to know as many great people as you can and learn all you can. Especially with all the travel that the position provides, the opportunities to meet others are ample.

Self and Family Time

Last, and anything but least, are relationships and time with your family and yourself. Without a doubt, these are of utmost importance, even if they do not affect your job directly.

As it is, accepting a career in professional sports is amazing, and no doubt something I will likely always want. However, almost everything comes with a price. Deciding on a career path is a unique decision for each and every situation, and pros and cons change with every circumstance.

In baseball, unless you are at the Major League level (and even for some at that level), you will most likely be away from home for more than half of the year. A normal Minor League year now spans from around Valentine’s Day to beyond Labor Day. Off-season camps can account for another month as well. Between being at the spring training facility and affiliate season, there is a real chance of being in multiple locations that are not home for eight or nine months.

In professional baseball, the climb to a level that can change that is not necessarily overnight, let alone guaranteed to be anywhere close to fast. Cherish every minute you get to be around friends and family, because it is not nearly as much time as you think. Being home because of the pandemic likely reminded you of this.

If you choose to be in professional sports of any kind, you likely are goal-oriented, or at least want to win a championship; however, do not let that ring chase be the only thing of importance. Nobody likely has the ability to keep you as grounded as your spouse, and it is crucial to always remember that. Give your most important relationship the attention it deserves and needs. Take the time to nurture it while on the road and especially when back at home, since that time is limited.

Do not forget to take time for yourself, either. Off days don’t happen often…if all it involves is taking a day to get away and refresh your mind, then do that, says @sgfeld27. Share on X

And do not forget to take time for yourself, either. Off days don’t happen often, and not always when you’re home. You will not always be able to do much, so if all it involves is taking a day to get away and refresh your mind, then do that. Do not forget about yourself or your family, no matter what. Thinking about heading back for the upcoming season makes this feel and seem far different than ever before. Maybe that’s due to being recently married and having a year at home, but it provides a great reminder to not take the time for granted.

Concluding Thoughts

Being a strength and conditioning coach is a great job and holding a strength and conditioning position within professional baseball is an amazing opportunity. It’s an exciting time to have the chance to return for a third spring training here in the very near future.

No job will ever be perfect, and regardless of how much we all talk about the art and science of training, strength and conditioning roles in professional sports are still just jobs within big organizations at a simple, descriptive level. Furthermore, balancing the art of training and the understanding of the business you work in is very important for learning to succeed.

There is no need to fear what you may or may not know because learning will always occur. Understanding where you are and forging strong relationships are among the most important things you can do. This will help lead you to success within the role and help make the job as fulfilling as it can be.

More than anything, though, do not forget to take and enjoy all the family time you have, because it will always be finite.

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

Not long ago, I wrote a post on social media stating, “The acceleration versus max velocity debate bores me these days. The reason you expose an athlete to maximum velocity is because it is the greatest stimulus that can be given to the nervous system.” I was not expecting much feedback from the Tweet outside of responses appreciating the use of the Randy Watson GIF, but conversation exploded both within the thread and outside of it. Before we continue, I would like to outline items I view as axioms.

The reason you expose an athlete to maximum velocity is because it is the greatest stimulus that can be given to the nervous system, says @HFJumps. Share on X

Sprinting Axioms

Sprinting at maximum velocity is a one-of-kind stimulus. The combination of force, ground contact time, and coordination required cannot be replicated. For example, I can achieve the forces via unilateral hops, but the ground contact time will be much higher. I could come close to ground contact times via assisted bilateral jumps, but the jumps would be bilateral, and the forces would be lower. Furthermore, neither of these activities require a coordination demand which is even close to maximum velocity sprinting.

Sprinting at maximum velocity is a one-of-kind stimulus, says @HFJumps. Share on X

Training at maximum velocity also trains acceleration, because one must accelerate to reach maximum velocity. The only possibility for this not to happen is to be placed on a high speed treadmill, but that is even debatable, and not applicable to most.

Training acceleration does not necessarily guarantee maximum velocity will improve. If a person trained by only performing 10m sprints, an improvement in top end speed would be unlikely. However, if the same person also did 40m sprints on another day, then improvements in top end speed would be likely. Yes, there are probably exceptions to this, but in general, training acceleration with an expectation that maximum velocity will improve is a faulty strategy. I know because I have made this mistake more times than I would like to admit.

When it comes to sprint training, instantaneous velocity is a better metric than average velocity. Unfortunately, most programs do not have a device like the MuscleLab Laser or 1080 Sprint which gives this metric. If you utilize timing gates or Freelap, the metric you receive is an athlete’s average velocity between the gates. The advantage of lasers, a 1080 Sprint, or Dynaspeed is that they allow a coach to see the full sprint profile (hypothetical graph below), which gives better data to determine interventions necessary in training.

Repairing Cracks in the Foundation

I think it also necessary to set the table as to why the majority of the information I put out promotes sprinting. I believe the three biggest issues with youth athletic development are as follows:

• Early specialization.
  • A wider base of coordination allows for a higher ceiling. Kids should be exposed to a variety of gross motor patterns, and they will transfer to sport-specific skills.
• Lack of free play.
  • The number of items which keep kids at home and sedentary is constantly increasing. In 1990, if I wanted to play video games with a friend, one of us had to ride a bike to the other’s house. Chances are we would get tired of the game and go outside and play. Now kids do not have to leave the house to play video games with one another, and when they get bored with the game, it is often too much work to go outside and play!
• Youth sports are predicated on a conditioning model as opposed to a high performance model.
  • The youth through high school practices I observe rarely offer athletes the opportunity to sprint with full recovery. Much of the training produces repeatable, but average, output. This puts a limit on the ceiling an athlete can attain.

In the Just Fly Performance Podcast #233, movement and speed guru Lee Taft stated the following in regards to youth learning a skill:

When I teach athletic movement skills…whenever possible, I think athletes have to be taught to react and go full speed so that their central nervous system adapts to the speeds in the limb control that they need. If younger kids are taught to move fast, and we gradually build in the technique, they are going to be okay…. When they get older, if they have had exposure to that speed, they can grow off that.

I think this can be applied when discussing the stimulus of sprinting—give youth athletes exposure to maximum sprinting and develop technique as you go. Before proponents of sub-maximal work go crazy, this can certainly include slowing things down at times to get athletes to feel certain positions and movements! However, especially with younger athletes, maximum intensity should almost always be present multiple times in the weekly program.

While I try to address these three items through my social media presence and writing, there is no question that I spend the most energy addressing sprinting at maximum velocity. I think specialization and lack of free play are structural issues that require a shift in society. In other words, these are really, really, BIG problems. Incorporating sprinting is something that can be done within our current structure that does not completely fix it, but does make it better.

I think specialization and lack of free play are structural issues that require a shift in society, says @HFJumps. Share on X

Two Loves

Since I promote maximum velocity sprinting, I have been placed by some in the “maximum velocity crowd” of coaches. I have no problem with this, but being pro-maximum velocity does not mean I am anti-acceleration. Sometimes it is okay to have two loves in life. For example, I love Lou Malnati’s deep dish, but I LOVE my mom’s homemade pasta sauce (gravy for the Italian readers). Sometimes, I have them both during the same meal, and that is basically the stuff that dreams are made of. That is what I view a sprint with maximal acceleration where maximum velocity is attained. I call it a max velocity blast.

Having a weekly acceleration-focused day is logical, says @HFJumps. Share on X

Even in a hypothetical piece where I pushed the limits of maximum velocity dosage, I finished with stating that having a weekly acceleration-focused day is logical. Furthermore, one of the most important lessons I have learned in the nuts and bolts of writing track and field training programs comes from Marc Mangiacotti: train acceleration in some way, shape, or form every single training session. This can be done via the exercises listed below, which can be appropriately placed in maximal, submaximal, and regeneration training sessions:

• Sprints of 5m-30m
  • Possible starting positions: two-point, crouch, rollover, kneeling, push-up, three-point, four-point, and block.
• Resisted Sprints and/or Marches
• Jumping
  • Large flexion present in hip/ankle/knee such as a broad jump.
• Multi-Throws
  • My favorite is underhand forward as it allows the athlete to unfold and translate forward.
• Wall Switches
• Wall Push to Vertical
  • Athlete leans into a wall at an acute angle and marches toward the wall, feeling how the pushes into the ground contribute to posture becoming vertical.
• Cusano Hurdle Push
• Low Lunge March
  • In my opinion, this is the best exercise in Chris Korfist’s arsenal (he calls them Chuck Berry Walks), but few will do them consistently because they are not sexy enough.
• Overcoming Ankle Isometrics
• Acceleration-Themed Weight Room Activity
  • Squat, split squat, hex bar deadlift, Olympics from the floor.

Blurred Lines

Where is the breaking point for when a sprint workout shifts from becoming acceleration focused to maximum velocity focused? The standard measurement in track and field training is 30 meters, but that does not really tell the story. Defining if the focus is early acceleration, late acceleration, peak velocity, or exposure to speed decay (what happens post-peak velocity) is probably a better structure, and as one works their way up this chain, the previous item(s) are being addressed.

Like many coaches, I enjoy research and I use it to assist with creating generalizations for program design. However, I also know that individualizing training as much as possible tends to lead to higher achievement. It should be noted that most of my career has consisted of 40:1 athlete to coach ratios where I was responsible for three event groups (sprints, hurdles, high jump). Because of this, I have experience with trying to meet the instructional demands of a large group while maintaining smooth workflow within the various constraints of our facility. So how can one individualize in a large group setting in regard to sprint training?

The difficult part is providing each athlete with technical feedback. There is no question it can be overwhelming, but it is one a coach must undertake because it is a great way to build trust with the athlete. People respond well to people who show interest in them. Programming, at least at the high school level, does not have to be nearly as difficult as most athletes will fit into a relatively general progression. For example, a simple off-season training program for a field/court sport could be:

In addition, on acceleration days, I would include deceleration-acceleration and/or change of direction work after the sprints. On maximum velocity days, I would include curved and/or serpentine running before (and/or after) the sprints. I have noticed athletes respond well to linear sprinting after a rep or two of curve work. Creative coaches could even combine these concepts together: timing 20m coming out of a zero degree cut or timing a 10m fly coming off of a curve. The possibilities are endless.

I have noticed athletes respond well to linear sprinting after a rep or two of curve work, says @HFJumps. Share on X

My guess is a program such as this would meet the needs of at least 80% of high school athletes. For the other 20%, who tend to be veteran athletes in the program, advanced variations such as longer sprints or sprint-float-sprints may be required.

An easy way to determine if variations are needed can be done through observations followed by a simple test. Let’s say that an athlete has been stuck at the same 10m fly time and it does not appear that normal cuing and suggestions are creating an improvement. If the 10m fly included a 30m run-in, the coach can create a new training stimulus and assessment by:

• Giving the athlete an additional 10m in the run-in, making the total sprint 50m
• Creating three timing windows: 20m–30m, 30m–40m, 40m–50m

The test becomes a 30m fly with a 20m run-in. We know most young athletes hit top speed somewhere between 20 and 30 meters, but the comparison of the three splits would give a coach a better idea of where peak velocity is occurring. The reason I say better idea is that it cannot be said where peak velocity is occurring unless you have an instrument which measures instantaneous velocity, which timing gates do not. To illustrate, here is an example of splits from a high school female I have worked with.

The fly zone was 30m with a Freelap cone every 10m. The following was done on the same day. Two reps of each. The times are color coordinated to represent the segment covered. Red: 10m–20m. Blue: 20m–30m. Purple: 30m–40m. Green: 40m–50m.

The fastest split displayed occurred on the last split of the last rep. As a side note, I was surprised by the performance of the first 20m run-in rep, so on the second, I set up another 10m segment to time 50m-60m. The time was 1.43. Based on the average velocities on last repetition with the extra 10 m segment, I can assume that peak velocity took place somewhere between 20m and 50ish-m.

Many would make the assertion that peak velocity must have occurred during the split of 1.33, but that is not necessarily true. The only guarantee about an instantaneous velocity is that it has to equal the average velocity at one or more points during the interval (this is the Mean Value Theorem in calculus). In other words, peak velocity could have occurred during an interval with a lower average velocity. An example similar to this is as follows:

• Two cars travel a 100 mile distance.
• The first car travels the entire distance at a constant velocity of 100 mph. The average and peak velocity are 100 mph. The time taken to cover the interval is one hour.
• The second car travels the first 50 miles at 200 mph, but the second 50 miles at 25 miles per hour. The peak velocity is 200 mph, but the average velocity is 44.44 mph. The time taken to cover the interval is 2.25 hours.
• Therefore, the second car has a higher peak velocity (200 mph versus 100 mph), but a lower average velocity (44.44 mph versus 100 mph).

The takeaway from this is that a coach can use this type of test once every four to six weeks to help determine where peak velocity may be occurring, and then target that interval, and possibly go beyond it, during training. In the example above, I walked away confident that the athlete received training at maximum velocity, and it helped me construct future training sessions for her next block.

We all can only do the best we can with what we have, says @HFJumps. Share on X

Common arguments against using a fly 30 meter with a 20 meter run-in are:

• I do not have the space!
  • A real issue to be sure (especially in the winter months). We all can only do the best we can with what we have. However, I would try to find a way to make it work outside when the weather cooperates.
• I am afraid of athletes getting injured.
  • Another legitimate concern, but if training is progressed at a reasonable rate, the risk would be minimized. Coaches need to analyze the risk versus reward in their setting. I tend to go resort back to ensuring athletes will be able to handle the demands of maximum velocity if they are faced with it in competition.
• I do not have the time.
  • If you are already performing sprints with your athletes, I would beg to differ. A workout of 4 x 20m would take about 10-12 minutes. 2 x 50m would take the same amount of time. It would also not have to be done for every single athlete—just those who have made it through your progression and may need alterations to get through a plateau. If you think it would take more than 12 minutes in your setting, I would consider omitting a lift or plyometric once every four to six weeks to perform the test.
• I do not have the equipment because of budget concerns.
  • Timing with software like Dartfish is not friendly in a big group setting, but it is budget friendly, and can be done for the small number of athletes who are in need of greater stimulus.

Why Maximum Velocity Matters

I have had numerous conversations with field and court sport coaches who are all about sprinting, but only work up to 20m or 30m. Their reasoning is that their athletes will rarely sprint beyond 20, so why train beyond it. I typically respond by asking how many times they have seen an athlete in their sport with a barbell on their back during the game.

A coach cannot argue against maximum velocity training because it is not specific, but think squatting/deadlifting/pulling/pressing is the answer to every question. Training is often at least a generation or more removed from sport, and often includes items which are an incredible stimulus, but do not occur in competition. We need to be okay with this from both a weight room perspective and a sprint perspective!

Another argument I receive as to why sprints over 30m are not necessary is based off of research done by Ken Clark’s group on the 40 yard dash at the NFL Combine. The study found athletes reached 93-96% of their maximum velocity within the sprint by 20 yards. Similar findings are shown from Nagahara’s group in a study of 18 male participants who hit 95% of maximum velocity at 23.1m. It is worth noting that the participants in the study had 100m bests in a range of 10.54–12.30 (mean +/- standard deviation of 11.28 +/- .36), which corresponds nicely to high school males!

The argument given is if athletes are hitting 95% of maximum velocity prior to 30 meters, isn’t sprinting to 30m enough? In my opinion, the answer is a resounding no, and here is why.

Both the aforementioned study by Nagahara and another (21 males, 100 m bests 11.27 +/- .27) give vertical forces of each step over the course of a 60m sprint. The results show logarithmic growth, meaning that forces are increasing at a decreasing rate. The visual below will help make this clear, as the velocity curve shown earlier is also logarithmic.

In both studies, vertical forces began to level off between steps 13 and 15, meaning that beyond this, increases in force were relatively small. For spatial reference, most high school males will hit the 20m mark between 12 and 14 steps, and the 30m mark between 16 and 19 steps (exceptions exist of course).

To digest what I will outline here, it may be helpful to view every step in the sprint as an individual repetition. If we were dealing with an athlete in the study that was near the upper end in terms of 100m performance, and the workout of the day was 20 meter sprints, he would not get any repetitions of steps where forces begin to level off. If the workout was 30m sprints, he would get around four. If it was extended to 40m sprints, around eight or nine total. The point here is that just beyond 20 meters is where forces and contact times are starting to provide a unique stimulus, and athletes should be exposed to that stimulus! While there is merit for sprints of 20m and lower (improving acceleration is important), not going beyond that distance is definitely leaving something on the table!

While there is merit for sprints of 2m and lower…not going beyond that distance is definitely leaving something on the table, says @HFJumps. Share on X

So now you may be thinking that 30 meter sprints would be enough. To quote Lee Corso: “Not so fast my friend,” and here is why. The studies stated vertical forces began to level off at step 13 and beyond, following the logarithmic model. However, in a mean vertical force versus percentage of maximum velocity graph, Nagahara’s group showed this relationship follows an exponential model.

The graph below shows an exponential curve to provide a visual, but it IS NOT an accurate depiction of what was found in the study. For our purposes, we just need to understand the exponential behavior of vertical force as the percentage of maximum velocity increases. The function below shows mean vertical force increasing at an increasing rate (the slope of the curve is getting steeper as the percentage of max velocity increases).

The reason why this is important is that if athletes do not get higher percentages of maximum velocity (especially 90% and above), they are missing out on the exponential increase in force. As stated earlier, one of the Nagahara studies found the participants hit 95% of maximum velocity at 23.1m. Like before, if sprints are capped between 20m and 30m, the exposure to the portion of exponential increase in mean vertical force is minimal.

Parting Thoughts on Peak versus Acceleration

We also need to take exceptions into consideration. Let’s say there are two athletes who have made it through a sprint progression up to 30 meters and Athlete A reaches 100% of maximum velocity by 25m, but Athlete B reaches 95% of maximum velocity at 30m. Here the same workout is giving the two athletes different stimuli, and the reality is Athlete B is getting short-changed.

This example is also why it is important to attempt to determine where an athlete is hitting peak velocity—so workouts can be designed up to and beyond that point. Acceleration work is extremely important, but exposure to steps at 95+% maximum velocity matter, both in the lead up to peak velocity and the time after as speed begins to degrade. The forces, contact times, and coordination demand cannot be replicated.

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 most important questions we must answer when it comes to physical training for golf is which characteristics will have the most impact on improving a golfer’s health, safety, speed, and overall performance. As mentioned in my previous article, the game of golf is fast, and it’s getting faster every year. The speed increases seen at the junior level will soon creep up into the college game and developmental tours, and those with the most elite speed will not only be occupying the winner’s circle on the PGA and LPGA Tours, but dominating the playing field as well.

Bryson Dechambeau has certainly put a notch in the belt of this argument by dominating the U.S. Open. It was a course designed to penalize the longest hitters, and yet it gave him and Matt Wolff, another young bomber, a clear advantage over other competitors. Dustin Johnson, another lengthy driver, walked away with The Masters this past fall, as well as the Fedex Cup, the highest purse in golf.

When it comes to physical preparation, time in the gym must neither take away from sport-specific practice, nor cause players to need to decrease their practice time because they are fatigued or cannot perform at their best. Efficiency is super important to maximize both on- and off-course improvements due to the high practice time demands of elite golf.

Therefore, analyzing and assessing the physical performance metrics of a golfer is just as important as in any other sport. The downside is that, unlike sports with more established histories of training, the fitness world is still incredibly new to the golf community, let alone true performance training.

Our goal at Par4Success is to develop the most comprehensive and predictive model of performance assessments and training programs for golfers. To date, we have one of the most comprehensive and longitudinal databases of athletes across the age range of golf.

Jumping, for Golf?

One of our assessments is a standard countermovement jump. Many golfers, especially our older golfers, laugh at this concept: “I play golf specifically so I don’t have to jump!” While initially we believed it was simply a good substitute for general lower body strength and power, new understandings of the physics of the golf swing have proven why this test is so valuable.

Ground Reaction Forces in Golf

One of the biggest advancements in physical and technical training for golf has been the adoption of force plate analysis by many instructors and biomechanists, similar to its adoption for advanced analysis in track and field and team sports athletes. The golf swing is a unique movement in that it utilizes all three planes of motion while remaining relatively stationary. There is no mound to project oneself down, nor is there a ball to chase, at least while you are performing the sport’s main action. Subtle adjustments to the swing plane don’t need to be made at a moment’s notice like the swing of a baseball bat or tennis racquet, and there’s no running start like the javelin throw.

The golf swing is a unique movement in that it utilizes all three planes of motion while remaining relatively stationary, says @bprengle. Share on X

After analyzing millions of swings, instructors, biomechanists, and performance coaches have come to understand the importance of the timing, duration, and amount of the three ground reaction forces—vertical, horizontal, and torsional. Trends have started to show amongst players, both male and female, with elite club speeds (greater than 130 mph for males and greater than 105 mph for females).

For years (really, up until recently), golf instructors focused their efforts on hand position, club position, shoulder tilt, and countless other body movements that are simply the result of an athlete’s interaction with the ground. Put simply, the focus was on kinematics and movement, instead of kinetics and forces. Now, armed with a better understanding not only of physics but also of the specific motions and forces that occur during the swing, we are all coming to realize how subtle changes in these forces can have drastic impacts up the body’s kinetic chain, even influencing the path of the club itself.

Physics Primer

You have three options when it comes to interacting with a (relatively) stable and sturdy ground. You can push down into the ground or perpendicular to the surface, which we would call a vertical force. You can also push parallel to the surface in two directions. In relation to your body, the horizontal force would be side to side. What we deem a torsional force is really just a forward force with one foot (heel to toe) and a backward force with another foot (toe to heel). A common, simple way to understand these if you’re not already familiar with them is by using a swivel chair as shown in the videos below.

Videos 1a and 1b. What we deem a torsional force is really just a forward force with one foot (heel to toe) and a backward force with another foot (toe to heel). Using a swivel chair helps athletes understand this.

Forces in the Golf Swing – Why the Vertical Jump?

Of the three ground reaction forces, by far the biggest from a pure force production standpoint in the golf swing is, somewhat counterintuitively, the vertical force. For example, very high horizontal forces on one leg will be in the 400-500 Newton range, and extremely high toe to heel forces will be in the 200-300 Newton range. Even very low vertical forces will be more than 600 Newtons, with many high-speed females exerting more than 900 Newtons just in their lead leg, and high-speed males producing well over 1,300 Newtons! While all three forces play a critical role in optimizing a player’s swing and speeds, by far the factor that contributes the most of the three is the vertical force, purely from a force production standpoint.

Interesting Database Findings

Long before we had our force plate analysis system, we were seeing a trend in our athlete testing database, which hosts more than 1,200 data points from golfers aged 9 to 79. As I mentioned previously, we test all our athletes on a vertical jump test. Validity of the jump mat aside, we saw a slight trend that increasing vertical jump height in our countermovement test related to changes in club speed. Sadly, it was not consistent enough to latch onto as an integral and key part of our programming.

While sifting through the numbers one day, a simple idea came to mind—what if, like in many other sports, a value was calculated that took into account an athlete’s body weight and their jump height? Golf is also a fairly unique sport in that many different body types are asked to do the exact same thing, and many different body types can be successful in this sport with that same task. Compare this to a sport like football, where one body type is not remotely ideal across the position spectrum, and while players can be grouped, you’ll never ask an offensive lineman to run a downfield comeback route. In contrast, every golfer must hit their shots off the same tee box during a competition.

Simply calculating an athlete’s peak power, which factors an athlete’s weight with their jump height, produced our single greatest relationship between changes in that athlete’s club speed. Share on X

Sure enough, simply calculating an athlete’s peak power, which factors an athlete’s weight with their jump height, produced our single greatest relationship between changes in that athlete’s club speed. Furthermore, it was our strongest differentiator between athletes with similar characteristics but different swing speeds. For example, given two high school female athletes with similar scores on golf-specific mobility tests (which have been well established by Titleist Performance Institute and others) and similar playing levels, the athlete with the higher “jump score” was almost guaranteed to swing faster. Further, and where a big shift in our training focus occurred, was that this jump score was the biggest predictor of increases in club speed for each individual golfer. Based on statistical analyses, an improvement of 1,100 watts of peak power calculated by the jump score guaranteed at minimum a 1 mph improvement in swing speed, regardless of age, technique, and skill level.

More Database Proof

The entire point of sports science, in our opinion, is to improve decision-making when it comes to programming both on a micro and macro level for athletes, and a benefit of a database this large is to start differentiating between high and low performers. Looking further into our jump power score, we wanted to see if having a certain level of power could almost guarantee a specific club speed. If these measurements are actually valuable, then the highest jumpers will also have the highest swing speeds.

When looking at the top 95th percentile of jump scores for males (which ended up being over 9,000 watts), this group’s average swing speed was 118.8 mph, with a range of 99.9-133.1 mph. For our entire sample of 700 male golfers for whom we calculated a jump score, the average swing speed was 98.7 mph, lower in fact than even our slowest male with a high-end jump score.

For the females, with a sample of 312 ladies for whom we calculated a jump score, the average swing speed of our top performers (jump score over 7,000 watts) was 96.4 mph, far above the average for the entire data set of 84.1 mph. Our minimum swing speed in the high-end jumping group was relatively lower than their male counterparts, at 77.3 mph. This means the relationship was not as concrete for the females as the males when it comes to having both high-end (for this population) jump power and swing speed.

To give an idea of where this puts athletes in terms of weight and jump, a 185-pound athlete will need to jump 28 inches to reach the 9,000-watt threshold. As you can see, for most sports this is a relatively low threshold.

Isn’t This Obvious? Almost Every Sport Tests and Emphasizes Vertical Jump!

While it is accepted in most sports that jumping is a vital performance metric, sadly this is not yet the case in the golf community. Part of our interest at Par4Success in joining forces with SimpliFaster was hopefully to draw more golf performance training professionals into the realm of track and field and team sport performance measurement and evaluation. Lower body power tests such as a vertical jump are not standard operating procedures in most golf fitness analyses but are rather substituted for things that look far more “golf-like” and make sense to the average golfer for looking enough like a swing to probably be helpful. It is also our goal to combat the utter lack of data that exists for these golf-like movements and drive the industry toward accepting data-backed outcomes as the main determinants of performance.

The beauty of using our scaled score was that it also brought up conversations with our athletes about their weight. For our juniors, it drove a bigger emphasis on fueling their high activity levels in order to produce good muscle mass and protect their bodies. With many of our juniors playing and practicing four or more hours per day, they burn a serious amount of fuel, especially in hot and humid North Carolina. Without the proper caloric intake, we saw a stall of weight gain, or even worse, weight loss. Despite the players’ best efforts in the gym, their speeds were not increasing. After even a few weeks of focusing on basic nutrition concepts, we saw an increase in speed and energy levels and a decrease in common overuse injuries like low back pain and wrist pain.

For our adults, our conversations turned into ways to keep their entire body healthy. We wanted to make sure their nutrition backed up the efforts they regularly put into the gym. For them and our juniors, there seemed to be a tipping point in our data where more body mass was beneficial up to a point—Bryson Dechambeau is certainly doing his best to find out where that line is! Focusing on better nutrition, while some folks lost weight, aided in producing better recovery from workouts, better improvements in jump height, and overall better scaled jumping scores, which saw an improvement in swing speed as well.

Mass = Gas?

This phrase is gaining popularity as more data is collected on the relative sizes of the fastest pitchers and hitters on the planet in baseball, and many golfers are asking questions about gaining mass based on Bryson’s recent success and the subsequent attention drawn to the hulking figures that compete in the sport of long drive.

During our initial data investigation, what also stood out when it came to weight was an overall positive correlation between weight and swing speed in our junior athletes, but a negative correlation between weight and swing speed in our adult and senior golfers. However, once we settled on the jump score, it became effortless to determine if weight gain was useful for golf performance or not. If an athlete gained weight and jump height either remained the same or even increased, then a higher power output would be recorded, and we would see a corresponding improvement in swing speed. However, if jump height decreased by too much, almost regardless of weight gain, then the power output would decrease and, usually, we would see a corresponding decrease in club speed.

When communicating this to athletes and other golf performance professionals, mass does not in fact equal gas. It is only the amount of mass that can be accelerated that will lead to gas. Share on X

When communicating this to athletes and other golf performance professionals, mass does not in fact equal gas. It is only the amount of mass that can be accelerated that will lead to gas (assuming technical timing and force production metrics are still met in the golf swing).

Improving Vertical Power in Golfers

Things are only worth measuring if action can be taken to improve them. There are three simple ways to increase vertical force output that most team sport strength coaches are probably familiar with. Sadly, these methods are seriously underutilized in the golf fitness world.

Scroll through a social media feed related to golf fitness and you will not see a significant number of posts focused on increasing maximal force output, improving rate of force development, or utilizing the stretch-shortening cycle. Since most performance coaches are familiar with these methods, the scope of this article will focus on how they relate to golfers and hopefully get other golf fitness professionals to think about their own methods in a new light.

1. Maximizing Force Output

The majority of golfers have next to no physical training background, and many of those who do are not emphasizing the right physical characteristics. A typical golfer’s fitness routine includes, incorrectly, a significant amount of cardiovascular exercise and high rep exercises in an effort to reduce fatigue felt during a 4- to 5-hour round of golf. While being able to walk 18 holes multiple days in a row is important for the competitive player, this can easily be accomplished with sufficient practice time on the course. Much more important is maximizing lower body force outputs, also known as maximum strength.

Two of the most common problems we run into with golfers are the overuse of the low back and a lack of both relative and absolute strength.

First, similar to my previous article about the hip hinge for golfers, it is important to make modifications to the squat exercise such that the athlete does not further fatigue and over-use their low back any more than they already are in their sport-specific practice. While strengthening the low back is important, I find it hard to believe many performance coaches would argue a loaded squat is the best way to do so.

We frequently use goblet squats as a main movement or warm-up to get our athletes to disengage their low backs as a prime mover during a squat. It is advantageous in golf to have a mobile spine, especially into lumbar extension, and many athletes new to squatting will attempt to use this strategy to move the load. Again, taking into account sport-specific versus general adaptations, it is usually our goal in the weight room to minimize lower back involvement as a main mover, especially for lower body exercises.

Goblet squats can certainly be loaded heavily, but after a certain point a landmine squat variation or, if appropriate mobility and stability exist, a front squat variation can be used. A previous SimpliFaster article went into great detail about how to improve and coach athletes into better front rack positions, which was spot-on with what we see in the golf population. Many golfers have tight and weak thoracic spines, so while we work on building a better base before loading those tissues with a true front squat, we also love using a zombie squat. The back squat is also a staple in our programs but only if an athlete can create the correct amount of external rotation at the shoulders to have proper bar placement.

Videos 2a and 2b. Many golfers have tight and weak thoracic spines. We work on building a better base before loading those tissues with a true front squat, and we also love using a zombie squat.

Inspired by the work of Matt Rhea and others in the world of sprint performance, we have set ourselves on a journey to determine a ceiling effect of squat strength as it relates to improving speed and power output. Despite our large number of participants and their dedication to their programs, the number of athletes who can squat the proposed ceiling effect of 1.7x body weight is so small it is not a general concern for us! However, we do not work with many World Long Drive professionals, with men moving a driver at 140+ mph and women at 115+. These athletes almost always have a background in powerlifting, weightlifting, or other rotational field sports such as shot put or discus.

Lastly, single leg strength must be analyzed, especially due to the different demands placed on the trail leg versus the lead leg in the golf swing. We have run into many cases where the golfer struggles to increase speed or deals with frequent back pain because their lead leg is weaker and less powerful than their trail side. In the golf swing, especially vertically, the lead leg generally produces anywhere from 300-800 Newtons more force than the trail leg. Currently, in our research and programming, any athlete who exhibits less than 95% limb symmetry in our jump tests gets flagged, and as always, our goal is to quantify how a specific training program can reduce these asymmetries and improve golf performance.

2. Increasing Rate of Force Development

Many other articles have explained in much greater detail the shortcomings of this concept, but I will use this term until another is created. Most importantly for the golf swing, there is a finite amount of time during which force can be applied to the club, and there are only small improvements you can make to change that amount of time. For example, increasing a golfer’s thoracic rotation may help them create more shoulder turn, but this may provide only an extra 10 degrees of arc in which to produce force—in the grand scheme of things, this is very small.

Therefore, the amount of force a golfer can apply only matters if they can apply that force during that short amount of time in the golf swing. Impulse is becoming a more important metric by the day when using 3D force plate technology to analyze a golf swing. If a golfer can create 4,000 Newtons of force generally, but they can only express 800 Newtons of it during the downswing, it would be much more time efficient, safe, and effective to work on expressing that force quicker than it would be to try to add more force!

All sorts of jumps and medicine ball training (but only under 8 pounds—anything else would be too heavy (just kidding)) can be useful to improve a golfer’s rate of force development. Many golfers enjoy this type of training as well because the application to the golf swing is much more evident than when performing a back squat. Debates can be had about the weight of the medicine ball that athletes should use, especially when the heaviest of clubs doesn’t even weigh 1 pound, and this is another question we hope to answer through our research at Par4Success. One of our most recent 12-week in-house studies investigated the improvements made by junior golfers who emphasized rotational med ball work or more sagittal plane upper and lower body power development. Let’s just say the results were so surprising we are running the study again with different athletes to confirm the results!

We put much of our effort toward developing basic skills such as jumping and landing that will in turn create better jump heights and impulses during the golf swing, says @bprengle. Share on X

Plenty of other resources talk about jumping and plyometric progressions. My addition to this body of work is to say that most golfers do not have extensive multi-sport history—it is a sport like few others in its drive for early specialization. Much of our effort is put toward developing basic skills such as jumping and landing that will in turn create better jump heights and impulses during the golf swing. Start simple, and you will often see better-than-expected results.

3. Utilization of the Stretch-Shortening Cycle

One of our future areas of interest is determining the differences in high- and low-swing speed players with regard to their reactive strength index (RSI) and eccentric utilization ratio (EUR). While these tests have been used to drive training recommendations and differentiate athletes in jumping and team sports, little to no work has been done to evaluate these and other measures of the use of the stretch-shortening cycle of the lower body in golf.

One popular measurement uses biomechanical sensors to determine a golfer’s X-Factor Stretch. X-Factor is the difference between the golfer’s hip angle and torso angle in relation to their position at address, and the X-Factor Stretch is the difference between a golfer’s peak X-Factor and the measurement at the top of their backswing. As evidenced by research from Dr. Phil Cheetham and others¹, X-Factor Stretch is a determinant in club speed differences in amateurs compared to professional players—pros tend to have a much higher and more consistent Stretch value than their amateur counterparts. This is an interesting line of research in that it looks at, from a physiological standpoint, the stretch-shortening cycle utilization of the trunk in the golf swing, whereas most tests are focused on the SSC utilization of the lower body, specifically the ankles and knees.

Again, the golf swing is relatively static compared to other sport movements, and it is also unique in that almost the entire speed of the movement is determined solely by the athlete and nothing else—there is no reactionary component to it. Some research has looked at classifying golfers into different categories based largely on their swing mechanics and tempo in an attempt to drive training into either high-speed or low-speed plyometrics. What is interesting is that relatively high swing speeds can be achieved in a lot of different ways. Hopefully, we will find more answers to these questions backed by evidence-based performance tests.

The golf swing is unique in that almost the entire speed of the movement is determined solely by the athlete and nothing else—there is no reactionary component to it, says @bprengle. Share on X

Changing the Game of Performance Training for Golf

For team sport athlete coaches, I don’t think most of this information should come as a surprise to you—the vertical jump is a well-established means to testing your athletes’ explosive capabilities and even fatigue levels during hard training blocks. In fact, it is such a basic test that years of research has been spent on creating better tests!

For those in the golf fitness realm, I beg you to begin collecting objective data that will guarantee success for your clients. The game of golf is only getting faster and spending precious training time on BOSU balls and with low load rotation belt movements promising improved “feel” in the golf swing will not prepare your athletes for what the game is going to become in five years or less.

You may be lucky to come across an athlete who is so naturally powerful and flexible that you will still see improvements even though training time is spent on exercises with little carryover to the physical requirements of swinging a golf club, but these athletes are once in a lifetime. In order to reach their potential, I would staunchly argue that they would make even further improvements if training time was spent on evidence-based techniques designed to improve the three major ways to improve vertical force I outlined above.

Lastly, if you are a golfer who stumbled upon this article, I hope it encourages you to learn more about your body and how it affects your golf swing. If you want to improve your performance on the golf course, I would highly recommend utilizing a program that not only trains vertical power production but measures it as well.

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.Cheetham, P.J., Martin, P.E., Mottram, R.E., and St. Laurent, B.F. “The importance of stretching the ‘X-Factor’ in the downswing of golf: The ‘X-Factor Stretch’.” Optimising Performance in Golf. 2001:192-199.

Some stereotypes are real. As a born and bred Parisian, I do not always carry a baguette under my arm (although I would if it weren’t for dietary concerns), nor do I own a beret. However, yes, I can’t start my day without a strong black coffee, and most of all, like many of my fellow Parisians, I love to debate.

In the strength and conditioning community, debating is second nature. How to increase strength, the ideal post-workout shakes, or which gradient is best for blood flow restriction—every subject seems to have its share of fiery, opinionated comments and ongoing investigations.

The warm-up, though, is not a sexy subject. Talking shop about your warm-up routine is a hard sell. Unlike strength, power, or speed, the warm-up is rarely attributed to the success of an athlete; and since it doesn’t involve rankings or records, it does little for egos.

Considering that an athlete’s training regimen ultimately plays a part in their success, the warm-up should be a main concern. Share on X

However, considering that an athlete’s training regimen ultimately plays a part in their success, the warm-up should be a main concern. Indeed, no athlete trains strength or aerobic stamina every session, but every single training includes a warm-up. If you do the math, there is a high likelihood of your athlete spending more time warming up than developing any single particular physical quality over an entire season.

So, why not give the warm-up the debate it deserves?

Practice with a Purpose

In team sports, ask any player to describe the warm-up and the most common responses will likely be boring, routine, useless, and long. The main reasons for these perceptions are that—because of the warm-up’s constant occurrence day after day and its lack of recognition as a critical aspect of physical development—many of us give up on making this moment a learning experience for the player.

Instead, we default to what we feel comfortable with and what is easy in organizational terms. Out on the pitch? Let’s do running mechanics and pretend we don’t see that players just go through the motions in meaningless gesticulations. In the gym, we distribute foam rollers and massage balls because it’s better than nothing. We often give our players an implicit message whether we mean to or not: We tell them that the unique goal of the warm-up is to reduce injury risks through some sort of activation.

Warming up, in fact, has at least three main goals: pre-activation, mental and sensory preparation, and potentiation.

1. Pre-Activation: Preparing the Body

The first role of a warm-up is to prepare the body for the physical activity that will follow. Almost all studies on the warm-up are only concerned with that aspect. A well-designed warm-up can confer a number of physiological responses that could potentially increase subsequent performance. Those physiological responses can be categorized as:

• Temperature related
• Non-temperature related.

The narrow scope under which the warm-up has largely been studied resulted in practitioners designing warm-up routines aimed at three main purposes:

1. Raising temperature (light sweat).
2. Raising oxygen uptake (higher breathing rate).
3. Increasing range of motion (open up articulations).

What would be guaranteed to easily hit those three targets? Some slow aerobic work topped up with a little bit of stretching…and that is how many warm-ups can still be described today.

The problems with such a simplistic approach to warm-ups are numerous. First, its low level of specificity to the sport and the particular type of session it is supposed to prepare the player for make it a poor strategy for positively impacting execution and/or motivation. Second, this type of warm-up routine is generally repetitive. Thus, players quickly reach a high level of habituation and instead of increasing their readiness to train, the stimulus actually does the reverse: monotony and boredom decrease neural activation.

Some of those shortcomings are addressed by a much better protocol: Raise, Activate, Mobilize, and Potentiate (RAMP).This protocol, created by Ian Jeffreys, is composed of three phases:

1. Raise – Activate: Increase muscle temperature, core temperature, blood flow, muscle elasticity, and neural activation.
2. Mobilize: Focus on movement patterns that will be used during the activity.
3. Potentiate: Gradually increase the stress on the body in preparation for the upcoming competition/session.

The RAMP protocol puts some emphasis on specificity, which is lacking in the more traditional approach. By focusing more on movement quality during the warm-up, the subsequent quality of the session may be raised—which, over time, can add up to significant improvement in performances.  Here the focus is not on flexibility but on mobilization, or actively moving the body through the movement patterns and ranges of motion athletes will be required to master for their sport and for their performance capacities.

By focusing more on movement quality during the warm-up, the subsequent quality of the session may be raised—which, over time, can add up to significant improvement in performances. Share on X

Much better, yes, but not perfect. If the RAMP protocol seems to address the question of warm-up as activation convincingly, this isn’t the sole purpose of a warm-up.

2. Mental and Sensory Preparation (Get in the Zone)

A well-designed warm-up should not just prepare bodies, it should get the player into a state of focus and receptive to learning experiences. In order to achieve such a state, it is fundamental that a warm-up protocol includes mental and sensory preparation.

In the 1960s, American neuroscientist Paul MacLean formulated the “triune brain” model, which is based on dividing the human brain into three distinct regions:

• Reptilian or primal brain (basal ganglia).
• Paleomammalian or emotional brain (limbic system).
• Neomammalian or rational brain (neocortex).

According to MacLean, the hierarchical organization of the human brain represents the progressive acquisition of brain structures through evolution. The triune brain model suggests that the central grey nucleus was acquired first (assumed to be responsible for our primary instincts), followed by the limbic system (responsible for our emotions or affective system), and then the neocortex (assumed to be responsible for rational thinking).

The reptilian brain is dedicated to survival, and to basic needs. Part of this primal brain is called the reticular activation system. The reticular activation system (RAS) participates in the fight-or-flight response. Recent findings on the nature of the activity generated by the RAS suggest that arousal is involved much more in perception and movement than previously thought. The reticular activation system is a cholinergic system, which means that its activation involves the production of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACH). Acetylcholine is used in muscle contraction and in the brain, where it helps regulate the central autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic) and plays an essential role in memory, attention, and motivation.

If you want to avoid repeating yourself countless times throughout the session—as well as avoid the numerous mistakes often made at the start of a session (that we attribute to concentration)—the secret is to start by activating the RAS. Activating the brain by stimulating the RAS is possible through the vestibular or visual system. For example, when we yawn, we essentially activate the ligaments of the tongue that are connected to the vestibular system. Yawning or pushing your tongue against the palate thus “wakes up the brain.”

Getting your players to yawn during your warm-up probably won’t attract praise from the coaching staff, so another solution is to reproduce the infinity sign through infinity walks. Getting the player to walk, then run, then do running mechanics drills following a figure-eight pattern while keeping their eyes on a specified target is a great way to start a field session. Juggling while performing some easy movement (lunging, squatting) can be another option. Finally, playing some reaction games such as “shadow bowing” or “finger fencing” would do the job in an entertaining way.

Next comes the limbic system. Here again, an essential role in the movement should be emphasized. Responsible for emotions, this part of the brain determines the athlete’s state of mind and the resulting quality of movement. For the coach, being able to generate a state of motivation in the athlete is one of the critical aspects of the successful learning of complex motor tasks. Without an optimally functioning limbic system, all learning will be fleeting.

The corpus callosum, which connects the two cerebral hemispheres, is a key structure in activating the limbic system. The best way to ensure athletes are in the right state of mind—one where cortisol production is under control—is to include tasks in the athletes’ warm-up that require “crossing the center line.” Animal walks, bear crawls, and other crawling motor activities activate this region of the brain, connecting the two hemispheres, and should be a part of any warm-up routines.

Training sessions are learning experiences designed to make an athlete better. We know that in a state of “fight or flight” and under too much sympathetic activation, our learning abilities are reduced to a minimum. We know as well that being overly relaxed isn’t exactly the best way to get the most out of the training content. When players show up to a session, the state of their central nervous system influences how meaningful the practice will be to them.

The warm-up is the airlocked entrance separating the learning experience from the rest of the athlete’s day. Letting them carry over disappointment, anxiety, euphoria, or anger into the training session—all emotions that a team selection meeting can easily trigger, for instance—can largely annihilate any positive physical or technical adaptations. It is the duty of the warm-up protocol to include mental preparation tools aimed at refocusing players on the now and rebalancing parasympathetic and sympathetic systems.

It is the duty of the warm-up protocol to include mental preparation tools aimed at refocusing players on the now and rebalancing parasympathetic and sympathetic systems. Share on X

It is also paramount that the warm-up strategy activates the RAS and provides some sensory stimulation. Some may argue that this sensory activation is really where injury reduction takes place. Often, non-contact injuries result at least partly from a discrepancy between mechanoreceptors expectations in terms of the amount of vibrations about to enter a muscle or joint and the actual amount of vibration (this goes beyond the scope of this article); simple sensory stimulation can help fine-tune the receptors to the environment.

Before trapping the vast number of precious mechanoreceptors present in the foot in a tight boot, thus reducing to a minimum the quantity of information received through vibration, it is a good idea to get the player to spend some time barefoot. The information fed back to the brain by the feet is critical to the optimal execution of movements such as running, jumping, landing, changing direction, and kicking.

The tight shoes used in most sports make it hard for the feet to capture quality information; however, it is possible to “prime” those mechanoreceptors beforehand, making them more receptive to vibration changes. A few simple plyometrics drill such as single leg hops, landings, and bounds on three to four different textures, from hard to soft (box, grass, mat, sand, for instance) would ensure the players’ feet are fully activated and ready to contribute to the quality of further movements.

3. Physical Potentiation (Revving up the Engine)

How the warm-up ends is another critical aspect that is easy to overlook. How does a warm-up protocol that finishes with five minutes of stretching carry over and impact a high-intensity running session? How can another set of A-skips assist the player to smoothly transition to a tactical session?

After preparing the body, the mind, and the sensory system, a good warm-up should directly contribute to the success of the following session by nimbly bridging the gap between activation stimulus and the session’s targeted outcome. Ultimately, a well-designed warm-up should make the remainder of the practice seems easier.

Ultimately, a well-designed warm-up should make the remainder of the practice seem easier. Share on X

When the warm-up precedes a strength, power, or speed session, the physiological effects of potentiation can be used. Potentiation results from the phosphorylation of myosin regulatory light chains that enhance the actin and myosin function of the muscle. To achieve a potentiation effect, the exercises that conclude a warm-up protocol should drive the neuromuscular performance from an overflow of the H-reflex, thus increasing the athlete’s performance.

The potentiation effect can be elicited through three main methods:

1. Ballistic
2. Plyometrics
3. Tension overload

The ballistic method uses light load and focuses on the maximal acceleration phase of an object’s movement while limiting deceleration. Commonly, this is achieved through the use of various medicine ball throws. From experience, it works very well as part of a circuit to finish off the warm-up before an upper body strength or power session.

The plyometrics method uses jumps, hops, and bounds, where the focus is placed on rate of force development or the maximum amount of forces in short time intervals. It is great to use as a contrast with the exercise it aims to potentiate in a power or strength session. For example, take a lower body power session where the main lift is a power clean, and the rep/set scheme is 6×2 @ 85% of 1RM. Before the first attempt, including four sets built up (2 @ 50%, 2 @ 60%, 2 @ 70%, 2 @ 80%) interspersed with three hurdle jumps or high box jumps can do the trick.

The tension overload method focuses on maximal tension, where the goal is to fire up the central nervous system before performing an explosive movement. The best way to achieve this stimulus is through the use of heavy isometrics. Like the plyometrics method, tension overload works really well as a contrast.

Properly chosen potentiation exercises have been shown by numerous studies to increase performance in the subsequent exercise performed. If your gym session starts with a main lift, or if you are out on the pitch about to work on accelerations, using such a tool to get more out of your athlete is a no-brainer. Among the reported benefits of a potentiation strategy are increased power, increased arousal, and lower perceived fatigue. However, benefitting fully from the potentiation effect isn’t just a simple addition. Studies report highly individual responses as well as possible excessive additional fatigue (especially in less trained athletes).

The timing is another very important aspect of the success of a potentiation strategy. Indeed, you may have the perfect exercise combination in mind, but if your head coach likes getting his speech done after your warm-up, this is going to be a problem. Logistics are another limiting factor: the best possible potentiation exercise choices may not be realistic. Olympic weightlifting may work best to spark up your athletes before a power-orientated session on the field but taking barbells and plates onto the pitch would give the head groundskeeper a heart attack and damage the training field. When on the road, it is also often the case that access to equipment is restricted. Finding medicine balls to get a potentiation circuit done can be quite tricky.

When the training session is aimed at aerobic development or is a long, highly specific tactical session, performances could be increased by including breathing exercises at the end of the warm-up.

Nasal breathing cleans the air as it enters the body, produces nitric oxide (NO), and while utilizing nasal breathing, the same amount of work can be performed at a lower energetic cost.  The release of NO helps control blood flow by diffusing to the underlying smooth muscle cells. The strong vasodilatory effects of NO lead to increased oxygen uptake, reduced pulmonary vascular resistance, and arterial oxygenation.

The benefits of increased NO productivity include increased aerobic capacity, reduced hypertension, improved insulin sensitivity, and glucose tolerance. Also note the existence of a positive effect on capillarization and angiogenesis. An added benefit of NO is that it increases neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons are formed in the brain. These physiological conditions can positively influence the performance of an athlete. More studies are needed to fully validate its use as a true potentiation strategy, but nasal breathing could well be a potent tool to add to your warm-up protocols.

More studies are needed to fully validate its use as a true potentiation strategy, but nasal breathing could well be a potent tool to add to your warm-up protocols. Share on X

Putting It All Back Together

A good warm-up does not go unnoticed, and an indifferent one is a real missed opportunity to get more out of each and every session. Before diving into the core of a learning experience—whether to elicit a physical, technical, or tactical improvement—not only does the body need to be adequately prepared, but the sensory system does as well. Mental preparation is equally necessary to ensure athletes are fully engaged and train with purpose. Finally, when it is deemed appropriate, the warm-up can serve as a ramp, propelling a player’s performance through the use of potentiation or breathing exercises.

An easy way to ensure we take full advantage of a warm-up protocol is by making sure it connects athletes to the now, to the environment, and finally to the specific stimulus of the training session.

Maybe you think that a full hour of preparation before getting to the beginning of a session is unrealistic, or that the protocol proposed is a nice philosophical piece but unlikely to be transferable to the reality of day-to-day operations. I hope I can change your mind with a couple of practical examples.

An easy way to ensure we take full advantage of a warm-up protocol is by making sure it connects athletes to the now, to the environment, and finally to the specific stimulus of the training session. Share on X

After using this protocol for a few weeks, some observations I have made:

• Objectively, the number of technical errors (dropped balls and kick negatives) recorded at training seemed to decrease, though more data is needed before assuming any statistical significance.
• Subjectively, the players enjoyed the process and reported feeling more energized and powerful during practice.

It hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride, however, and the first few times the extensive protocol received criticism from both players (the “in and out” mentality being strongly voiced) and coaches, who struggled to accept the additional lag between the meeting or video session and practice.

As a happy medium, I use this protocol only before the first session of the day where sensory and mental preparation is the most needed, and now no one wants to go back to the old way!

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

Developing a particular aspect of your year-round programming is similar to developing a recipe for a dish. You have many different ingredients that you combine in different ratios and proportions. Many of the ingredients will be used year-round but in different amounts. The training periods of the year include the post-season, early off-season, late off-season, pre-season, and in-season portions.

The post-season is the time directly after the season has completed. I believe the post-season is an extremely important time to build the foundation for the rest of the off-season. This is a crucial step in the complete off-season program that may often get overlooked. I want to cover the goals of our post-season training in this article to give some insight into how our program is constructed.

I believe the post-season is an extremely important time to build the foundation for the rest of the off-season, says @bpatel515. Share on X

We typically give 1-2 weeks off from all sport-related activities and then will go through a week of testing before beginning training. Post-season training will typically last 3-6 weeks depending upon how long the season was, the training age of the group, and injuries that occurred during the season. The goals of the post-season are the following:

1. Restore range of motion that was lost during the season.
2. Build work capacity for the off-season so higher volumes of training can be handled.
3. Reinforce technique in the major primary lifts.
4. Rehab any injuries.
5. Build connective tissue strength through higher eccentrics, isometrics and longer duration movements.
6. Teach proper position of movement skills.
7. Establish mentality of the team for following season.
8. Establish individual goals for physical improvement.
9. Build a flexibility reserve.
10. Teach movements/exercises that will be performed during the off-season.

I want to make sure that these areas of training are covered first and foremost before we begin to work on developing max strength, speed, power, and specific conditioning. A good recipe must always start with laying the ingredients out first.

Goal #1: Restore range of motion that was lost during the season

Due to the nature of sports and the length of the season, many athletes can lose joint range of motion during the season. Very few sport movements are done through a full range of motion, especially in the lower body. When a large volume of these movements occurs during the season (repetitions) in a shortened range of motion, the body starts to adapt to these ranges and becomes less efficient in getting into the greater positions of extension.

Due to the nature of sports and the length of the season, many athletes can lose joint range of motion during the season, says @bpatel515. Share on X

It’s important that we as coaches address these issues and start teaching our athletes how to move their joints through a full range of motion to re-establish optimal mobility/stability relationships at each joint. This is done to minimize compensations and restore ideal movement patterns before engaging in a more intense off-season program.

Goal #2: Build work capacity for the off-season so higher volumes of training can be handled

Specific work capacity for physical development tends to decrease in-season because the majority of time is spent on developing specific work capacity for sport skills. It’s important that we re-establish a good fitness base in the post-season before engaging in longer training sessions during the off-season where multiple strength qualities are trained in the same session throughout a microcycle (speed, power, strength, etc.).

If an athlete cannot handle the stress of training, proper adaptations cannot be attained which may result in illness, injury, or over-training. Therefore, it is essential that work capacity and the ability to handle greater volume are addressed during the post-season before throwing a ton of volume at athletes.

Goal #3: Reinforce technique in the major primary lifts

During a late-season push towards the playoffs, strength training sometimes can be reduced in an effort to try and “peak” athletes for major competitions. This may mean that primary movements (squats, presses, deadlifts, etc.) may not be trained. Then add in the off weeks at the conclusion of the season and some athletes may not perform these movements for 3-4 weeks.

The power lifts and Olympic lifts that constitute many coaches exercise menus as “core,” “primary,” or “foundational” movements need to be re-taught, so that technique is reinforced prior to heavier loading. These are technical movements that require the coordination and synchronization of multiple joints and muscles simultaneously. They need to be rehearsed and performed on a continual basis so athletes understand the movements and feel confident with their technique with lower loads before loads are increased. Re-teaching also allows your older athletes to help coach the younger athletes which can be beneficial for team building purposes.

Goal #4: Rehab any injuries

This is an important step in the post-season prior to engaging in higher volumes of training.  A long season can cause a number of little injuries that can be played through or managed while still trying to compete. But once the season is over, it is vital that these injuries are taken care of to ensure that another injury in the same area will not occur again. According to Gray Cook, previous injury is the number one predictor of another injury. It’s crucial that athletes take care of their injuries so the body won’t compensate and cause another injury.

It's crucial that athletes take care of their injuries so the body won't compensate and cause another injury, says @bpatel515. Share on X

Having a skilled athletic trainer or physical therapist who knows biomechanics and understands how the body can compensate will play a huge role in rehabbing these injuries. The strength and conditioning coach and trainer or therapist should be communicating about how best to handle the athlete so they can continue to train and work around their injury while rehab is occurring simultaneously.

Goal #5: Build connective tissue strength through higher eccentrics, isometrics, and longer duration movements

Muscles adapt faster than tendons and ligaments, and for proper long-term training to occur during the off-season the connective tissue needs to be prepared to handle sufficient stress prior to heavier loading. Jumping quickly into adding heavier loads or higher speed contractions in training is a sure-fire way to aggravate joints and slow training down.

Training is a progressive process and requires the connective tissue to be resilient enough before volume, load, and speed are introduced. The most effective way to prepare the connective tissue is through the use of slow eccentrics, isometrics, and movements with a longer time under tension. Slow eccentric tensions are very effective for strengthening tendons because in eccentric movements one can generate greater muscle tension than one’s max in concentric movements. In other words, one can lower greater weight than one can lift.

Training is a progressive process and requires the connective tissue to be resilient enough before volume, load, and speed are introduced, says @bpatel515. Share on X

Tension, if not excessive, stimulates tendons to grow stronger (lay more connective tissue fibers and line them up right). The cumulative muscle tension that can be generated in a given number of reps is greater in eccentric and isometric movements than in concentric or natural movements (combined concentric and eccentric, with the amount of resistance determined by the concentric movement). Once the connective tissue has been properly prepared, plyometrics, movement training (linear and lateral), and heavier loads can be introduced (higher speed eccentric contractions that take place in plyometrics, sprinting, and agility training place a high load upon the tendons).

Goal #6: Teach proper position of movement skills

Teaching proper movement skills of dynamic activities that will occur during the off-season training is necessary in the post-season. I’ve found that by teaching athletes where their weight should be distributed and how to push into the ground during certain exercises gets them to understand how to better use their bodies and also develops body awareness. I teach these movement skills through the use of isometric exercises.

Some of the benefits of isometric exercise are listed in goal #5, but they also allow the coach to teach the athletes and fix the athlete in the moment of the exercise, which can be difficult during a dynamic activity. Using exercises such as split squat holds or squat holds can teach the athlete how and where to distribute their weight on their feet, how to position their hips and torso, and which muscles are active during the movement. This can help when progressing to sprinting, changing direction, and jumping exercises

Goal #7: Establish mentality of the team for following season

The post-season is a time where the returnees (the previous year’s freshmen, sophomores, and juniors) have a unique opportunity to lay the foundation for what kind of team they will be the following season. The seniors are gone and new opportunities arise for leaders to emerge and for individuals to step up and accept larger roles.

Typically, there won’t be a large amount of time to practice so the strength and conditioning coach will play a large role in developing the work ethic and discipline, and will cultivate the message that the coaching staff wants to send as they prepare for the next season. The mentality that I look to establish in my teams is one that preaches togetherness, communication, a high degree of effort, consistency, attention to detail, a sense of urgency, and a positive attitude. These are the things that the team can hold onto during times of adversity and can help mold individuals to achieve more. Do not overlook the importance of this.

Goal #8: Establish individual goals for physical improvement

Setting goals in the post-season gives athletes a map of where they want to go. Goals are used to help plan, guide, and motivate athletes throughout the off-season. I have my athletes set goals for themselves and then we meet to determine how to achieve them, if they are realistic, and what it’s going to take to make the goals a reality. It allows me as a coach to understand where they want to go and what they want to achieve. It also helps me understand how to motivate each individual athlete and what works for them. Goals can be a powerful thing for motivation and are necessary to facilitate improved performance.

Goals can be a powerful thing for motivation and are necessary to facilitate improved performance, says @bpatel515. Share on X

Goal #9: Build a flexibility reserve

A flexibility reserve is essentially possessing more flexibility than is needed to perform regular movements needed for the sport. This reserve comes into play when executing movements that require greater range of motion and allows athletes to perform these movements with greater speed while also giving the athlete more wiggle room when it comes to range of motion that is typically lost in-season. Most sport specific movements tend to occur in a shortened range of motion and rarely require the need to get to end ranges.

When you perform a high volume of movements (reps from practice, games) and don’t put your joints through their full available range of motion, the body starts to adapt and lose some of that end range of motion. My goal in the post-season is to start to develop a flexibility reserve which is essentially regaining any range of motion that was lost in-season. This allows us to increase the available range before increasing training volume in the off-season and before the upcoming season begins.

Goal #10: Teach movements/exercises that will be performed during the off-season

Not every athlete is fortunate enough to train at school year-round, and they most likely will be training on their own with the program that is given to them by their strength and conditioning coach. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you send your athletes home for the summer or off-season knowing how to perform the exercises you give them.

You can set-up an on-line database of exercises (YouTube) or write a description, but everybody knows that compliance will be higher if athletes know how to perform the movements that you ask them to perform. Use the post-season period to teach and reinforce proper technique in movements that you will ask them to perform.

Use the post-season period to teach and reinforce proper technique in movements that you will ask them to perform, says @bpatel515. Share on X

The off-season is the most opportune time period to increase general and specific qualities that are needed for sports. To make the most out of your off-season training, you must set your athletes up for success by strategically taking advantage of the post-season period.

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

Groin pain is a common occurrence in multidirectional field sport athletes. According to a 15-year prospective UEFA injury study, groin pain accounts for approximately 12%-16% of all time-loss injuries in men’s football (soccer).¹ The complex anatomical nature of the region makes groin pain challenging to diagnose, manage, and rehab, with high recurrence rates of ~20% for many football athletes.^2,4,5 The interactions and interconnections of muscles, ligaments, and tendons around the hip and pubic symphysis make it difficult to differentiate which structure is pain sensitive and which is the primary cause for pain.^2,3

This trend in injury rates and severity highlights the complex nature of the region and the historical inconsistencies that have existed when it comes to diagnosing and defining groin pain. Share on X

While the UEFA study does show the rate of hip and groin injuries have decreased slightly, (figure 1), the injury burden (figure 2) remains unchanged, even suggesting a slight increase in injury severity. This trend in injury rates and severity not only re-emphasizes the complex nature of the region, it also highlights the historical inconsistencies that have existed when it comes to diagnosing and defining groin pain.

Groin Pain Terminology and Diagnosis

Until recently, there had been poor agreement on the diagnosis and terminology of groin pain. The Doha agreement²offers a global, standardized framework for groin pain and has been a positive development for consistency of diagnosis and terminology. The clinical entities as defined in the Doha agreement (see figure 3) can be used by practitioners to assist with clinical examination, exercise prescription, and return to performance guidelines. Another resource on groin pain diagnosis is this video from FIFA, which can help practitioners understand clinical differences during physical examination or when diagnosing different clinical entities of groin pain.

The most common type of groin injury is acute adductor-related pain (figure 4), which is likely to occur during activities such as change of direction or kicking. Despite acute pain being more common, it is gradual-onset or longstanding pain that is a greater cause for concern. Recent evidence suggests insidious onset pain may be responsible for a high number of undiagnosed or unrecorded groin injuries, which has resulted in athletes playing through pain or discomfort. These types of groin injuries are complicated, with the athlete often presenting with pain across multiple anatomical sites, acute pain at the tendon insertion, and possible boney edema on imaging (see figure 5).

If an athlete presents with such symptoms, or any clinical findings as defined within the Doha agreement, evidence recommends a comprehensive examination of the entire hip and groin region. It is worth noting that no current evidence suggests imaging can further assist with diagnosis or return to performance timeframes. This is important to consider when assessing an athlete with long-standing groin pain, as imaging is a common procedure but can often lead to overinterpretation of results. Rather, evidence supports groin pain diagnosis and prognosis be guided by the individual athlete’s symptoms, clinical presentation, and functional restrictions.

While imaging is a common procedure…evidence supports groin pain diagnosis and prognosis be guided by the individual athlete’s symptoms, clinical presentation, and functional restrictions. Share on X

Risk Factors of Groin Pain

While injuries are multifactorial and unpredictable, a good level of evidence suggests the factors shown below may lead to an increased risk of groin injury.

Other factors often associated within the literature include:

• Pain on hip adduction squeeze test.
• Reduced hip internal rotation.
• Reduced bent knee fallout range of motion.

It should be noted that there has been some conflicting evidence when discussing range of motion impairment and its association with groin pain.

Monitoring and Managing Groin Pain

As mentioned previously, the major concerns for hip and groin injuries are either insidious onset pain at multiple anatomical sites or long-standing groin pain that results in performance decrements. The key to successfully managing groin pain is to develop a monitoring framework that attempts to mitigate the risk of athletes developing insidious groin pain. Wolin et al. developed a framework of a monitoring system, useful for the early detection and management of groin pain⁸ (see the original framework here).

Before applying this framework, you should consider the context of your sport and the strength qualities and capacities that your athletes require for success.

Best practice would be to establish baseline strength data and perform an internal reliability test using a strength testing apparatus such as the ForceFrame from VALD Performance. O’Brien et al.¹³ has provided a great overview in this paper of validity and normative values in males athletes using the ForceFrame. Baselines can be leveraged to monitor individuals or groups and easily detect any minimal changes in lower body strength. A recent report from VALD Performance demonstrated hip adduction normative values for European football players across a longitudinal period (figure 7), which is often used by practitioners to understand and compare baselines across their athlete cohort.

Performing a groin squeeze is a useful way to monitor pain levels and strength decrements that may persist following a match. It is important to determine what constitutes a meaningful change per athlete, per test—this paper from Thornton et al. provides a great overview of different strategies to determine what constitutes a meaningful change.¹⁰One example would be to visualize an athlete’s mean score +/- 1 standard deviation on a longitudinal graph. By viewing the data longitudinally (as seen below in figure 8), you can understand the athlete’s normal response to training and game stimuli.

As demonstrated on the above graph, this athlete had three instances where strength levels dropped below their normal variance. If associated with pain or a performance decrement, it would be important to follow up with a physical examination and/or an intervention; the latter may be manual or exercise therapy.

The most important component is to reassess and determine whether there has been a positive change to the strength levels of the athlete, which means they would continue to train, or if there is still residual strength loss. If there has been strength loss, a decision will need to be made on whether the athlete requires a modified training load and strength exercise prescription. An example of how this monitoring protocol based on the framework from Wollin et al. would be implemented for a six-day turnaround in field-based sports can be found below (figure 9):

Example Case Study: Iliopsoas-Related Groin Pain

The following case study depicts a multi-phase return to play strategy, which aims to highlight various strength and monitoring methods that can be used to help athletes successfully return to game demands.

Athlete

28-year-old male football (soccer) athlete

History

Gradual onset lower abdominal and right anterior hip pain. Pain usually present at the start of a training session but decreases once “warmed up”; some discomfort with kicking long. Pain increases post training session for approximately 24-48 hours.

Examination

Palpation pain over anterior thigh/lower abdomen. Pain provocation on resisted right hip flexion VAS 5/10 with crossover sign and resisted sit up VAS 6/10. Hip flexor range of motion slightly restricted on right compared to left with some discomfort. Right hip internal rotation restricted but no pain with FADIR; bent knee fallout clear.

Manual therapy able to improve hip flexor range of motion and increase hip internal rotation. Pain decreased but still present with hip flexion 3/10 and sit up 4/10.

Hip profile strength testing was performed to assess any further strength deficits that may have occurred due to the onset of groin pain and decrement of performance. Figures 10a and 10b illustrate the difference in hip profile strength following the athlete’s presentation of symptoms—a significant reduction in hip flexion, extension, and adduction strength was found in comparison to previous baseline data.

Given the symptoms, palpation tenderness, resisted hip flexion pain, and strength loss, the athlete was diagnosed with iliopsoas-related groin pain as per the Doha agreement guidelines. Due to the severity of pain, performance decrement, and strength loss, the decision was made to stop the athlete from running and kicking and to proceed with conservative management. The key components that were identified as having to be addressed during the reconditioning process were:

1. Decrease hip flexion pain.
2. Improve hip extension range of motion.
3. Improve hip flexion, extension, and adduction strength.

These key components helped create the framework for development of a criterion-based reconditioning strategy for the athlete, which was broken down into four main phases, as listed below.

Phase 1:

This initial phase focuses on hip profile strength accumulation and movement competency. A low level of pain is allowed during this phase of exercise, with the recommendation being below 3/10 on the visual analog pain scale (VAS). Another important consideration is load modification; removing running and kicking addresses the most pain provocative movements and reduces the load on the tissue to allow for strength accumulation. Some running drills can be used to maintain low-level stimulus on lower limb muscle and tendon structures, which can act as a bridge for the athlete to return to run progressions.

Progressing to phase 2 will depend on findings from the athlete’s presentation and clinical examinations. Using both the HAGOS score and ForceFrame, practitioners can objectively assess hip profile strength and create an individualized exercise prescription.

Phase 2:

The time taken to achieve phase 1 criteria will heavily dictate how quickly you can progress the reloading of linear-based running. The longer an athlete is unable to run, the slower their progression back to normal sessions and weekly volumes will be. This paper¹¹ investigated the impact of workloads on subsequent injury. Further contributions from Matt Taberner on the control-chaos continuum¹² also demonstrate how practitioners can interlink the progression of GPS variables while simultaneously increasing perceptual and cognitive challenges throughout the rehabilitation process.

During phase 2, individualized strength exercise prescription (refer to figure 13) is determined based on the athlete’s strength profiling and their strength improvements. Linear running and agility intensity and complexity will progress as comfort allows. Integrating skill- and technical-based development with the assistance of sport coaches is another important consideration for practitioners in this phase, as it provides a good link to the skill integration that follows in phase 3.

Improvements in hip flexion, adduction, and extension strength should continue, and the progress of this is easily measured by the ForceFrame. Pain provocative movements, such as agility and running, should begin to feel comfortable for the athlete.

Phase 3:

The priority in this phase is the athlete’s reintegration into team skills, leveraging both the technical and tactical components of team training to condition the athlete. Monitoring strength and exercise prescription progress during this phase is pivotal, as it helps the athlete in building tissue resilience that will withstand the increased loads of high-intensity running and agility. Individualized conditioning can also be supplemented to build training volumes as required. Skill and technical developments can continue as per phase 2 of team reintegration.

End of phase 3 criteria should see the athlete maintaining hip profile strength, as measured on the ForceFrame. This strength will help guide running speed and agility progressions, all of which they should perform pain free.

Figures 18a-18c below illustrate the change in strength from pre-groin symptoms to the end of phase 3, which shows large improvements in all hip profile strength measurements for both limbs. Interestingly, the athlete demonstrated a decrease in external rotation strength when compared limb to limb, but following further assessment of previous raw values, the right leg external rotation strength was within the athlete’s normal variance.

The fourth phase is the most important assessment of the athlete’s physical capacities to determine their return to peak performance and competition. During this phase, it is important to assess how the athlete responds to increases in running intensity, agility, and skill integration. Exposure to adequate training loads, maximum-velocity running, and full contact training is essential for the successful return from injury. Not only should the athlete experience all conditioning progressions pain free, they should maintain individualized hip strength protocols. These should align with regular lower body strength and power exposures, as all will assist with tissue resilience and continued adaptation to training and game loads.

Conclusion

Hip and groin injuries in football athletes are a common occurrence. Most cases are complex and multifaceted, which highlights the importance of an athlete’s management and rehabilitation plan. The development of a comprehensive monitoring framework is important to inform individual variations to training and game stimuli. The combination of a thorough clinical examination as guided by the Doha agreement and hip strength testing using tools such as the ForceFrame is pivotal to inform practitioners and guide key decision-making processes during multi-stage rehabilitation of hip and groin pain.

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. Werner, J., Hägglund, M., Ekstrand, J., and Waldén, M. “Hip and groin time-loss injuries decreased slightly but injury burden remained constant in mens professional football: the 15-year prospective UEFA Elite Club Injury Study.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;53(9):539-546.

2. Weir, A., et al. “Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;49(12):768-774.

3. Falvey, É. C., King, E., Kinsella, S., and Franklyn-Miller, A. “Athletic groin pain (part 1): a prospective anatomical diagnosis of 382 patients—clinical findings, MRI findings and patient-reported outcome measures at baseline.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2016;50(7):423-430.

4. Waldén, M., Hägglund, M., and Ekstrand, J. “The epidemiology of groin injury in senior football: a systematic review of prospective studies.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015;49(12):792-797.

5. Orchard, J. W., Seward, H., and Orchard, J. J. “Results of 2 decades of injury surveillance and public release of data in the Australian Football League.” The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013;41(4):734-741.

6. Thorborg, K., et al. “Clinical examination, diagnostic imaging, and testing of athletes with groin pain: an evidence-based approach to effective management.” Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2018;48(4):239-249.

7. Serner, A., et al. “Mechanisms of acute adductor longus injuries in male football players: a systematic visual video analysis.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;53(3): 158-164.

8. Wollin M, et al. “In-season monitoring of hip and groin strength, health and function in elite youth soccer: Implementing an early detection and management strategy over two consecutive seasons.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2018;21(10):988-993.

9. Oliveras, R., et al. “Field-based evaluation of hip adductor and abductor strength in professional male ice hockey players: Reference values and influencing factors.” Physical Therapy in Sport. 2020;43:204-209.

10. Thornton, H., Delaney, J., Duthie, G., and Dascombe, B. “Developing Athlete Monitoring Systems in Team Sports: Data Analysis and Visualization.” International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2019;14(6):698-705.

11. Stares, J., Dawson, B., Peeling, P., Drew, M., Heasman, J., Rogalski, B., and Colby, M. “How much is enough in rehabilitation? High running workloads following lower limb muscle injury delay return to play but protect against subsequent injury.” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2018;21(10):1019-1024.

12. Taberner, M., Allen, T., and Cohen, D. “Progressing rehabilitation after injury: Consider the ‘control-chaos continuum’.” British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;53(18)1132-1136. bjsports-2018. 10.1136/bjsports-2018-100157.

13. O’Brien, M., Bourne, M. N., Heerey, J., Timmins, R. G., & Pizzari, T. (2019). “A novel device to assess hip strength: Concurrent validity and normative values in male athletes” [accepted manuscript].