Charlie,
how frustrated -if at all- do you get from people, who are not willing to listen and/or try a different approach? Do you feel like you are wasting your time?
I suppose it’s not the first time that something like this happens…
Thanks!
I really like this explanation. Very well put. Note how you don’t have to train everything at once necessarily and if you do all that happens is that you end up performing the event itself.
I have done the fitness training for a world-ranked tennis player. We did hills, circuits, sprints etc he was already very flexible…almost double-jointed.
Frank dick and Allan wells have adivsed British tennis players on speed training/quickness etc
CF do you think that all this multi-directional training simulating the movements in a tennis match are a waste of time and is better spent increasing dynamic power, explosivity, repeated sprint ability, tendon and tensile strength, flexibilty, reactivity and perhaps only using the multi-directional sessions as timed testing sessions to show that functional improvements are on track?
The problem I have with these things is that the best way to get good scores is to practice the tests themselves. And what if you get better at your training and on the court but your results in the tests don’t improve? Does that make your training crap? I’m not entirely sure if you really can objectively evaluate change of direction improvements quantitatively. I’m just not convinced that there is a correlation between these tests and improvements on the court… but if you use them and think there is please share your experience.
TC
This is a very generalised statement about a sample of people who in no way represent the majority.
The application of ‘sport specific’ training in this way is entirely incorrect. Event specific training theory is designed to constantly vary the training stimuli, in order to maintain a constant state of neuromuscular adaptation.
What you are talking about is a case of bad coaching, and are commonly called ‘over-use injuries’.
I mostly get frustrated with myself for overestimating my ability to convince a wide audience in a short time about methods that run counter to what they hear day in and day out.
I hear that is a quality associated with genius!
I’m not sure where in the world you’re located but I am constantly bombarded by this type of mentality. The ignorance that exists in the world is astounding. Charlie stated that he presented to a group who would rather continue doing what is counterproductive than to face a shift in paradigm. These people obviously thought enough of Charlies’ accomplishments to invite him to speak;however as Charlie also stated.
Originally Posted by Charlie Francis
“Of course, nobody wanted to hear that.
They wanted benediction, not contradiction”
These are some very influential people in the coaching meaning there is often no shortage of people who want to listen to them.
I personally witnessed a situation where the efficacy of the highspeed treadmill was questioned. Charlies’ response was met with more than a casual disagreement; upon hearing that their 12,000.00 toy was essentialy useless, they left. I guess because Charlie didn’t jump on the treadmill bandwagon that was proof enough that he has no further valuable information to offer. - Remember that one Charlie?
You say this represents a minority, I say it’s rampant!
Additionally, coaches who train specific events and try to manipulate every possible training opportunity to resemble sport specific aplication of patterns exemplify bad coaching, agreed.
The sad problem is that there is way more bad coaching out there than good.
I also train top tennis players; some of the top juniors in the U.S.; the foundation of our program is strength and speed. The multi directional work we do revolves around technical aspects of movement specifically designed to improve the efficency in which they move. We don’t do many repeated reps 2-3 max in a set. Technique improvement is the primary goal. In the area of speed improvement it is mostly linear done on soft surface and the emphasis shifts between technique, speed endurance, and acceleration / deceleration.
I actually witnessed a very similar situation with CF in NYC back in 2001-maybe the same event? When told he didn’t believe in the effectiveness of such toys/methods, these guys did not return on the second day-at least that was my belief why they did not return for the second day of a two-day seminar.
I remember! The one guy asked: “What’s the best thing I can do with the high speed treadmill?”
I replied: “Unplug it!”
Next day, that crew were no-shows (Sorry, but he did ask).
Charlie,
As you so eloquently pointed out regarding the group more interested in benediction rather than contradiction I thought you and the rest of the board might be interested in this old thread.
Below is an appropriate Supertraining post from the late Dr Siff:
“The expression “thinking outside the box” has become so popular nowadays that far too many people don not appreciate that all boxes to one’s thinking are of their own making and that, if one is determined not to automatically believe all that you learn or are told, then there are no boxes that you need to think outside of.
Or, at least, you will have such a willingness to wear so many different boxes or change your existing box that boxing you into a single static box of one colour will be an exercise in futility. So, let your boxes, if they have to exist, be ever dynamic and “fuzzy” sided. But do realise that, when you no longer need any size or
manner of box, then your life on planet earth will be so different that you will seem a complete alien with few friends who will ever be able to know or value you. You may not even need to be here then!
This, as we know, is not an easy task, because society (especially the politicians, teachers, religious leaders and fitness gurus) all too often does not want too many people to reject Mind-Box building, because this will means that people are truly liberated and not very susceptible to political, marketing, advertising and educational manipulation. Real liberation comes not simply from some paper-written constitution or declaration, but from one’s refusal to build personal boxes which imprison you far more than any jail.
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of any society really manages to be liberated from mental box-building because it so often leads to hostility, persecution, unpopularity (this is often far too much for teenagers to bear), lower school grades, imprisonment, or execution (especially in societies which do not have liberal constitutions).
Even in the very mundane world of fitness and sports training, if you happen to reject building boxes or refuse boxes that others want you to inhabit, then great pressures are brought upon you to conform and toe the party line, especially if your ability to earn can be
influenced by sponsors and advertisers. Anyway, as Supertrainers, you are no doubt very aware of this fact, because our central
philosophy of making people avoid those belief boxes and think for themselves may already have taken you into some very uncomfortable
waters. After all, how can “little ole you” be right and so many prominent gurus and peer-reviewed scientists be so wrong in so many
cases?"
Well said.
R.I.P Mel
This reminds me of a story. I once went to an old man to learn Kung -Fu. He made a deal with me, he said he would teach me only if I came with my cup empty.
I said, “what do you mean my cup?” He replied, “many people want to learn how to fight from great fighters, but few of them come with empty cups. Your cup is your current level of expertise. Right now it’s full of movie fight scenes and your perception of what kung-fu should be. Your cup is worthless! You can only learn when you come with an empty cup.”
Are you sure he wasn’t referring to where he intended to kick you?
Lol, it made sense to me! Guess you had to be there. Basically, he was getting across to me that the reason most people do not learn is because they let their previous “knowledge” filter out what they are being taught.
If you really wish to learn anything, you have to trust the teacher and you have to forget what you already know WHILE you are being taught. Don’t let your past teachings affect your willingness to learn things today…
I guess the treadmill theorists at your conference must have either had quite a bit of stock in high speed treadmills or overflowing cups:)
Well said.
That was what I had to do when I met Percy Duncan. I had to sink low enough to realized that I had nothing to loose to try it his way.
Sometime ago i went for a position as a fitness trainer at a sports club. As a part of the interview process they wanted me to give a demonstration of speed and agility training for tennis players. They had those little hurdles, cones, ladders, wobble boards, core stability balls ready for usage.
I grabbed the olympic lifting bar and demonstrated to the tennis player OL. And explained to the athlete the benefits of the lifts. The interview panel were a bit shocked.
Did i get the position?
Sport specific rules!
Ladders, cones, reactive balls oh yeah.