The assumption that “all sprinters sprint” may not be true either in some cases. Well, it may be at the D1 collegiate level, but I’m not sure. But, at my high school, the sprinters ran long distance for training. Mile warm up and Mile cool down every day of the year. Even the week of and the day before state! The fastest I ever went in practice was 110 hurdle practice, the only time I ever actually sprinted. Other than that the fastest I went each week was a workout we had- 10x100 w/ a 50 walk back workout which all the guys ran in about 13 seconds. A 48 second 400 runner, a 15"6 pole vaulter and a 50. 400 guy, and me (14.598 110). Here is how the training affected us. The 15"6 vaulter jumped his PR as a junior before all this ridiculous training. As a senior, after the “new training” he now needs surgery for tendonitis he accrued in March that has yet to heal in early July. The 50. guy was 3rd in the state as a junior in 2008. As a senior in 2009 he failed to even qualify for state in the 400. I had 6 injuries in the 08’-09’ school year ranging from August through March. 3 hamstring pulls, popliteus tendonitis, achilles tendonitis, and “bone edema” in my foot. I did, however, somehow manage to PR with a 14.598 in May probably due to the 7000 hurdles I cleared from November to March. We sprinted in our races and that was just about it. Our season started in March. From August 08’ until February 09’ I remember 2 workouts that actually required me to “sprint”! I really hope a situation like this doesn’t exist anywhere else, but it very well might. I’m just trying to point out that an obvious assumption such as “all sprinters sprint” may not be so obviously true spare the actual races.
I’ve heard of it at a high school in my region. I did politely suggest that perhaps their sprinters would benefit from more sprinting and less jogging.
Technology is in the works that will regulate this very aspect of the training. That’s all I am at liberty to state at this time, however, so please forgive me for not providing any more details.
No question that these sort of asinine coaching tactics are used abroad the continent. Hence the root of much of my criticism of the North American sport training institution, its coaches, and academia.
For the purposes of this discussion, however, Fogelson and I have been operating within the context of high level athlete coaching/training as this is essentially the only situation in which performances are stable enough to draw solid comparisons.
It is in this context that I am stating sprinters sprint because I am referencing what is universally agreed upon by the highest level coaches.
I have found that technology like this (tendo or contact mats or…) are good for escavating good performances for a given exercise but can put you in a big hole if you use it to regulate total load (if the athlete is watching the results). Often the athlete sees their outputs and ends up hammering the session with supramaximal output leaving them more trashed than they probably should be (ends up looking like a Joe Defranco ‘Strong’ workout). This might be good in some situations (majoring in general studies) but doesn’t always fit well with the stress of a chem or pre-med curriculum…
Agree; however, the technology I am speaking about is of a level of sophistication that it monitors, in real time, adaptive reserves for specific regimes of work.
It’s absolutely fascinating.
That sounds cool and it’s about time…
Technology is all good, but all in all it is only a guide. A guide that is great for monitoring. However, nothing will replace a good coaches discerning eyes. IMO that is “the art”.
James,
you said you have one guy SL squat instead of back squat because he “doesnt like squatting”. What if he “doesnt like explosive med ball throws and various jumps” so you are only left with sprinting and your general strength movements. What do you replace the explosive med ball throws and various jumps with? An OL movement? or do you make him do the throws and jumps?
I should have clarified that there’s more to it than likes/dislikes.
What we’ve found is that, despite various efforts on my behalf, he begins to experience discomfort in one of his knees when he squats for any period of time, concurrently along with speed work/spp and so on. As a result, he asked if we could avoid squats.
We are critical about lifting/sprinting/jumping mechanics so you can rest assured that his issue with squatting has nothing to do with execution.
So we simply dropped the squats in favor of the split squat with the rear foot elevated.
It must also be noted, however, that this particular athlete is freakishly gifted. Having never placed a barbell on his back until he arrived here with us- he was performing routine repetitions with over 140kgs in no time.
So as Charlie has long since alluded to- the strength was there- it’s just a question of how it is demonstrated.
I’ve never had an athlete with an aversion to throws or jumps; however, I have had to make adjustments for certain injuries that render throws and jumps contraindicated.
The adjustments are specific to the nature of the injury, however.
James, that makes more sense. Thanks for the clarification.
You got it.