What are the cross-over benefits of improving your CNS to fire more quickly through sprint training? Should the CNS be thought of as general, and any improvements in CNS firing speed result in an overall improvement in the firing speed of the body?
For instance, will sprint training lead to benefits in boxing because you’ll have the capacity to fire off punches at a greater speed and force? What are the other benefits of training your CNS through sprint training other than the running aspects in sports?
I’ve definitely noticed this crossover effect with lifting (although this isn’t your exact question). As CF noted with BJ and as I’ve seen in myself, my bench has gone up with little to no training (maybe 2 or 3 sessions a month the last 2 or 3 months), as have my squats. There is no explanation for this besides the sprint work, as I have no increased my GPP or anything else in the upper body, just my sprint training, some medball throws, some plyos, and weights when the time is available.
I’m the kinda guy that will play any sport given the chance and I play in a competitive men’s slow pitch softball league. I have been in sprint training mode for about 5-6 weeks now and after about the first three I noticed a difference in my bat speed but the biggest difference I noticed was a huge gain in my throwing strength. I didn’t expect to see any change but since I just started learning about this whole CNS adaptation stuff and started applying it, I have noticed a drastic difference.
Actually, no, lol, I didn’t do any medicine ball stuff or any ab work specifically. However, my sprinting mechanics before coming to this website were pretty awful (just staying as long as I could and accelerating as long as possible until I was dead). Since I have started reading about this whole hip height stuff and knee drive I finally incorporated it and my lower abs were constantly sore for about two weeks just getting use to it. That would be my only ab work =) lol.
For instance, will sprint training lead to benefits in boxing because you’ll have the capacity to fire off punches at a greater speed and force? What are the other benefits of training your CNS through sprint training other than the running aspects in sports?
To a great extent yes. Both from a tonic influence and from a training influence. I do boxing training and oftentimes I will do so after a sprint workout. It’s always amazing how much faster I move for a perceived level of effort.
The same thing can be experienced if you take basketball players and run a brief session of max speed sprints then put them on the basketball court. Things seem to go in slow motion, the court seems very small and the working effort to cover ground is substantially reduced.
Another example is how boosting the running speed will also improve agility. The 2 are fairly dissimilar yet speed is more like the glass that agility drinks from…increase the size of the glass and you increase everything.
There are five principles of developing sport-specific strength based on the perspective of dynamic correspondence:
The Amplitude and Direction of Movements
The Accentuated Part of the Working Amplitude of Movement
Dynamic Effort
Speed of movement is critical.
The Speed of Displaying Maximum Effort
The common goal is to teach the athlete to develop more force in less time.
Regimes of Muscular Work
In this case, the amplitude of movement, dynamic effort, and speed of displaying maximum effort in the organism are intensified and enhanced holistically.