“….the spring-mass model leads one to conclude that the usual running technique prescribed by coaches is not a factor in high speed running. The model demands little from the runner in the way of form or running technique. The effects of gravity, force plate measurements and human performance capabilities deny the need for the running techniques used by the “great” coaches. In other words, there is no magic, no secret sauce of sprint training.”
technique+relaxation=a must.
“In other words, there is no magic, no secret sauce of sprint training” but there are basics you must follow and are necessary in sprint training.
Try running with your arms sticking out to the side or are your arms straight down. It most definitely will change the times you run. Technique may allow somebody to most efficiently apply force. Again, I hear this and the studies on treadmills say it is only force, but cleaning up someone’s technique has led to an increase in speed numerous times and I think denying it is pretty crazy. Some people are probably far too focused on it, but to say it is not important at all is probably too great of a simplification.
i was at the track the other night when everybody else is done there. and some guy was yelling at this girl to “come on, push it, push it push it push it”
she was running low knees, splashing her arms, and her shoulders riding up. The more he told her to “push it” the more she pushed, and the tighter she had to run to “push it”.
i can almost promise you the study you are quoting was done in the absence of important variables.
“Technique, a pattern of movement which is technically appropriate for a particular skill and which is an integral part but not the whole part of that skill”.
Does the same coach say that you don’t need you arms at all, too?
James, what do you mean?
There was a big discussion here as well as on the Supertraining forum about all this. Since all this was looked at on a treadmill with the runner stationarry and the ‘ground’ moving, so there’s no allowance for wind resistance etc. It has some value but the conclusions drawn about arms, toes, technique, etc are just off the wall.
At a Harvard lecture, Weyand said: “A body in motion stays in motion”, to which a wag in the audience said: “Not on this planet.”
Even if only vertical forces are important at Vmax (which is not true), you must reach it with horizontal forces… If your horizontal forces sucks, then you will reach lower Vmax and thus: who gives a damn about vertical forces then?
Spring model is OVER-simplification: it says that human body behaves like bouncing ball!!! Again, even if the “ball” bounces at Vmax without the need for propulsion (horizontal forces), it must be accelerated to that speed/velocity. No acceleration, no Vmax, simple as that!!!
Anyway, Weyand, altought proponent of Spring model, brought some great insigths into the mechanics and energetics of sprinting.
what Charlie said, the study is flawed and doesn’t accurately represent true sprinting conditions. if all else is not the same then even the most minute variable could throw of the validity of the whole study, and this happens more than not. so be careful when you read studies.