Vancouver 2003 DVD Review
Formerly Vancouver 2002 Review (The title seems to have changed!)
Introduction:
This DVD was shot during Charlie’s training seminar in Vancouver in 2003. It covers the theory related to speed training from the perspective of both track and team sports.
Content:
The film begins with Derek Hansen introducing Charlie to the audience. Charlie then kicks off with discussing how to identify exactly what kind training is required for a particular sport. Volume and athlete output are discussed with respect to training age (how long an athlete has been training). Next alactic threshold, lactic threshold and aerobic metabolism are discussed with relation to how training should be structured and Charlie debunks a few myths regarding this topic.
Next Charlie introduces the idea of “From Left to Right” and explains how training should be structured with regards to the order of getting in shape and training age. The next PowerPoint slide discusses how each training component affects performance. A question from the audience prompts a discussion of speed training volume. Charlie then moves onto explaining the place of special endurance during training, especially with regard to team sports. Here you get to hear Charlie let rip with his stories of incompetence within team sports as well as the misconception his own athletes had deciphering between what was really important in their training. Throughout the seminar we get to hear more of these stories and they are a real highlight of the film! Charlie’s story telling ability really shines here.
Having finished with special endurance Charlie then moves onto plyometrics providing more examples of stupidity by some of the world top “experts” before proceeding to discuss the theory behind how training should progress in the long term. At this point periodization is discussed and the idea of vertical integration is explained in depth. After a question and answer session on the topic Charlie briefly describes his training plan for Ben Johnson during the 1988 Olympic year and how training should be set up on a weekly basis.
The adaptation periods for each training component (med ball, tempo, maximum weights etc) are then discussed along with how exercises and activities stack up on the intensity scale.
The discussion then returns to progression from beginner to elite athlete and how training should be altered respectively especially with respect to top speed work and special endurance. Here we get some more great stories and discussion of Olympic weight lifting.
The final 15 minutes regard running mechanics during top speed and starting. Charlie discusses this subject with regards to physiology as well as neural phenomenon. Stride length and stride frequency are also discussed as well as Charlie’s perspective on some modern research on the subject.
Conclusion:
Simply put this is a brilliant DVD. It is the seminar you always wanted to go and see. Charlie’s presentation style is engaging and the 2 hours and 19minutes flies by. If you are interested in the theory of sprint training you have to see this. This is absolutely essential for anyone involved in coaching sports that require sprint training. Athletes will also find that the information will help them evaluate whether the training they are doing is constructive or simply junk mileage.