Complete Speed Training Newsletter #61

Welcome to Issue #61 of the Complete Speed
Training Newsletter

Our scheduling has been thrown off a little bit
lately due to a hectic schedule.

However there are a few things I wanted to talk
about, in particular a must have resource on
program design for track and field, something that
should serve as a foundation of knowledge for
athletes in any sport. You only have until the end
of the day today, so read more about it below.


This week's topics include:

1.) The Importance of Goal Setting
2.) Brand New Program Design Resource for Track
and Field
3.) Fast Workouts for Full Recovery



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1.) The Importance of Goal Setting

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This week I want to digress a bit from our regular
series on program design. Instead I think it's
important to look at goal setting in regards to
the athlete's goals as opposed to setting goals
for the speed program itself.

Whether you coach a team of 50 athletes, just
your son or daughter or run groups at a facility,
getting athletes to both write and verbalize
their goals is an important part of the overall
process. Like any aspect of life, if you don't
know exactly where you want to go, you'll have an
extremely difficult time getting there. So if you
do coach a big team, don't make that an excuse. I
regularly find the time to a 4 - 5 part series of
goal sheets/meetings with a group of over 40
athletes.

You'll be amazed at what your athletes have going
on inside their heads. Many of your athletes, even
the ones who never speak at practice, have
incredibly detailed (and lofty) goals. Some of your
most talented athletes have a surprisingly low level
of self confidence. But if you don't sit down and
assess these goals with your athletes, you'll never
get this inside information.

I believe the coach/athlete relationship is
underrated. Top coaches take the time to learn
something personal about each one of their athletes.
Even if its one small detail, that can make a huge
difference in that athlete's success and life. Your
goal setting meetings are a perfect opportunity to
get to know a little about each athlete.

And you can use that to your advantage. When an athlete
is struggling in a workout, being able to specifically
mention something they talk about in their goal sheets
will have an immediate impact on their psychology. When
athletes feel like you know and care who they are as
people and not just another name and face amongst the
masses, I find they are less likely to goof off, take
short cuts, get in trouble and make excuses. Because
you know what their goals are, they can't escape that
accountability.

So here are my top 3 keys to effectively establishing
seasonal goals with your athletes:

1. Progress from simple to complex (sound familiar?)

Start out with simple goal sheets that only
contain a small amount of information. Most athletes
aren't really sure what their goals are so you
don't want to overwhelm them. By progressing, it
will be easier for them to get clear on what they
want. Many times, kids will be hesitant to state
their real goals because they fear success, not
failure.

Once you meet with your athlete and discuss the
first series of basic goals and expectations, you
can give them the next goal sheet where they have
to analyze their goals and get more specific. It's
up to you how many goal sheets you want to give.
Often I will only use 2 sheets with my young athletes,
where my experienced athletes will sometimes
complete 4 or 5 sheets. And believe me, some athletes
take this very seriously. I've had the hardcore ones
write 7-8 pages papers on their goals. I'm not sure
if this is good or bad, but I can't count how many
times an athlete has said, 'I spent more time on
this than any paper I've ever written for a class.'

I'm never sure how to respond to that!

2. Make them accountable

Our goal meetings are an important part of the
process so I expect it to be take seriously.
Therefore I have certain parameters that must
be met before I will accept one for review.
First, all responses must be typed and in complete
sentences. I accept sheets and set up meetings on
a first come, first serve basis. This is great
because there becomes a feeding frenzy of athletes
trying to get their sheets turned in. Star athletes
want to be first to have their meeting because,
well, they want to be first in everything. They'll
even compete for who writes the longest goal list.
Everyone else looks at it as an opportunity to
show commitment and effort and earn points with
the coach. So when I post the order of meetings,
no one wants to be down at the bottom of the list.

Athletes who don't turn in sheets or try to hand
me a hand written sheet get put on the 'Incomplete'
list, the team equivalent of being in the leper
colony.

3. Follow up

I have a lot to do so doing hundreds of goal
meetings a season is a challenge. But its worth
the effort. But nothing undermines that like
expecting athletes to be accountable, then not
finding the time to hold meetings. My goal meetings
have to be short, I limit most to 5 minutes. I'll
grab kids when I can. Maybe a meeting will be in
the weightroom, another at the track or on the field.
I do it when it works out, but I make sure to do it.

In these meetings you're going to learn a lot
more than how many touchdowns Johnny wants to
score or how Mary wants to be league MVP. You're
going to learn personal information and get glimpses
into who the kids are as people. It is critical that
you use this information to your advantage.
Sometimes I'll use it publicly, sometimes in private
conversations. But I always make sure that I try and
say something relevant to that specific athlete as
often as possible. I carry all the goal sheets
around with me in a big purple 3 ring binder. It's
one of my most important coaching tools.

So use these tips with your athletes. It's going
to help you develop your team into a family, and
give your individual athletes specific things to
shoot for each and every day. When they forget,
you'll be there to remind them and then they'll
do anything for you.

So now that your athletes know where they want
to go, click here to make sure you have the tools to take them
there.

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2.) Brand New Program Design Resource for Track
and Field

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Over the past 12 months I've been involved in a
project with the absolute best track and field
coaches in the world.

Our goal is to bring the most comprehensiveseries
of program design informational resources
in the history of track and field to coaches at
every level of the sport. By providing *all* coaches
with the proven training design techniques of world
class coaches, you will be assured that your program
will be taken to levels you never thought possible.

My problem with many track and field program design
resources is that they are geared toward collegiate
and post collegiate coaches and athletes. I love
this series because its easy to understand for the
the high school coach, the middle school or youth
coach.

Until midnight tonight, Monday October 30, we're
holding the world wide launch for this series of
resources. All of our authors have earned the
distinction of being USA Track and Field Master
Coaches. This is the highest level of recognition
in the sport.

Now, we're only selling 500 copies as part of our
launch deal so you'll have to move fast if you want
to get a copy. That may seem like a lot of copies,
but when you consider how many athletics coaches
and athletes there in this world, you'll understand
it really isn't.

Click here to visit
the site,
where you can sign up to receive a sample chapter
from each event group book. Even if you don't coach
track and field, the techniques in these program
design resources will still teach you about the
demands of designing training for your own sport.
After all what is more fundamental to most sports
than the ability to run, jump and throw?

At least go sign up for the free chapter from each
book.

Check out Complete Track
and Field Conditioning today!


*NOTE: This launch was originally exclusive to
members of our Complete Track and Field sites.
But because of its relevance to the lead topic
of the Newsletter over the past several weeks,
I want to open it up to you as well. However,
the end of the launch is tonight at midnight.
To save 20% on our launch offer,
you must order today, October 30.
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3.) Fast Workouts for Full Recovery

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As we've stressed many times, recovery from
workouts is just as important as the workouts
themselves. On top of that, as the season wears
on, sometimes you just want to get your athletes
in and out of practice as quick as possible. You
both need a mental and physical break from the
rigors working out and program modification.

When you're looking for fast, effective workouts
that will help speed up your athletes' recovery,
here is your answer.

In fact, even if you're looking for a
subsititute for going to the gym because you
simply don't have the time, this is a great
solution to that ongoing problem.

Men's Fitness Magazine calls this 2 DVD
program "...the FASTEST workout that produces
REAL results."

Click here to learn more.

Designing an Effective Speed Training Program - Part VI

This week we need to look at the energy and body
systems that we're training when trying to develop
the speed of our athletes.

I try to look at training from a slightly different
perspective.

Instead of designing training based on trying to
guessappropriate sets, reps, density, etc. I
considerthe theme of the training session that
provides theoverview of the goals I'm trying to
accomplish duringthat particular mesocycle,
microcycle and/or trainingsession. From there,
I create workouts by taxingthe energy or body
system I'm training in a way thatwill elicit the
results I am looking for.

By understanding how these systems work and how a
particular prescription of exercise develops that
particularsystem/s, I can facilitate more effective
adaptations.

First, we'll briefly look at the energy systems
we'reworking with in our speed development.

There are three that we have to be concerned with.

1. ATP/CP System (which we've already discussed)
2. Glycolytic System (commonly called the lactic
acid system)
3. Aerobic System

Ultimately these systems describe the metabolic
pathways available to replace ATP concentrations.

From a pure speed development standpoint, we are
goingto be primarily concerned with the first system
which wascovered in depth in last week's newsletter.

In the glycolytic system, as hydrogen ion
concentrations increase, enzyme activity decreases
and glucose or glycogen breaks down to pyruvate to
provide energy.

In short, this is the burning, lactic acid feeling
that you get during speed and special endurance runs.

That pain is essentially the muscles shutting down.

If you've ever run a 400m dash or seen the last 100m
of that race, you have seen the full effects of this
energysystem. We call it 'rigging' short for 'rigor
mortis'.

The name says it all.

I'm not going to get into the aerobic system here,
exceptto say that when it comes to most speed
developmentprograms (though I may be preaching to
the choir here) this system gets far too much
attention.

But to truly design an effective program, knowledge
of your sport/event and how these energy systems
affect success in that sport/event is critical to
making improvements.

The next topic requiring some attention is that of
understanding the 4 body systems that must be
developed with your training.

There are actually 5 body systems, the first of
which we call the 'energy systems' and they comprise
the three systems I just highlighted.


The Neuromuscular System

This system consists of the elements of the Central
Nervous System that control skeletal muscle
activityas well as muscle tissue that is involved
in creatingforce production during athletic
performance. The degreeof effectiveness of the Central
Nervous System is the single greatest factor in
performance. Developingthe neuromuscular system
should be the most important focus of your training.

As I've mentioned on countless occassions, this
systemmust be trained in the absense of fatigue in
order to elicit the best results. Despite its
importance, this system is widely underdeveloped in
most programs.

The Neuroendocrine System

This system operates by releasing hormones into
the blood stream during exercise. By having certain
hormones in the blood stream, strength development,
recovery from workouts and other metabolic functions
are significantly enhanced. So certain types of
exercise produce clear responses to the endocrine
system where effectively designed training can
result in marked improvement in performance.

The Musculoskeletal System

This system consists of the muscle tissue
responsible for force production, connective
tissue and the bones. It is important to note that
force created and force applied are *not* the same.
The musculoskeletal system facilitates the
transformation of created force to applied force.

From a training stand point, it is critical to
develop postural stability as well as postural
alignment in order to enable efficient movement
patterns as well as prevent injuries.

The Proprioceptive System

This system's job is to sense and provide the body
with information concerning body position, movement,
coordinative abilities. Many movements and actions
in speed development, as well as in athletic
performance as a whole, are considered reflexive.
Thus they are reliant on proprioceptive function.
Athletes who can quickly and easily respond to their
body position and movement are at a decisive advantage
in regards to overall skill development and therefore
performance. In order to effectively and efficiently
develop this system, athletes must engage in
activities that challenge their coordination and
balance.

Because all 5 of these systems contribute to speed
and performance *all* of them must be developed.
There is a level of interconnectedness between all
5 systems. So in developing one system, you will
be developing others at the same time. This does not
change the fact that your speed development program
must address all of these systems with some degree of
*planned* balance. This balance in training is just
as important to overall speed gains as the
development of any one system in particular.

That being said, it is important to consider the
demandsof your sport/event, the age (training and
otherwise) of your athletes, skill level, etc. in
order to determine the most appropriate balance of
activities.

Coaches will often overemphasize the aerobic energy
system with respect to inappropriate development of
the neuromuscular system. At the same time, many
programs entirely ignore the proprioceptive and
neuroendocrine systems. All of these fatal flaws in
program design adversely affect speed gains and
consistency of performance. According to
Cliff Rovelto (2006) 'the cause of most injuries is
the overdevelopment of the neuromuscular system with
respect to the musculoskeletal system.'

So how do you make sure that you're effectively
developingall of these systems and getting the most
out of your time and effort?

Click here to find out.

Designing an Effective Speed Training Program - Part V

Yesterday I was reading a forum discussion about
defining various elements of speed, strength, power,
etc.

The post was about how different people use
wildly different terms and definitions to define
the same concepts. And I agree that we have far too
many definitions for common training terms. Since
I have no aspirations of reinventing the wheel or
trademarking any new terminology, I think it's
important that we all speak the same language. So,
once again, here is a link to some common training
terminology that I will be using to define certain
elements of the training plan.

It's not a complete list, but certainly each term
should be one that you familiarize yourself with:

http://tinyurl.com/jqz4s

Last time we looked at the 5 biomotor abilities.

One of the main problems that many coaches have in
training speed is that they are looking at the
topic through a very narrow lens. Maximal speed
development is far more than just running some 40s.

With biomotor development, every single microcycle
should address all 5 biomotor abilities to some
extent. But where you are in your training plan will
determine the degree of emphasis that should be
placed there.

Everything you do in your training must be done for
a reason. We live in a universe based on order.
Everything that happens, happens for a reason that,
given enough time, can be specifically identified.

That is why each element of an effective speed
training program must be based, ultimately, on
sound scientific and physiological principles.

At the same time, don't be a robot. Coaching is
both a science *and* an art. My speed training
philosophy pulls from more coaches and sources than
it is worth mentioning here. But the point is that
I don't *just* do what one coach says or *just*
regurgitate someone else's theory. I study everything.
Then I test it out and see how it works with my
particular athletes. Some I keep, some I get rid of.
But that is how you develop your own system of
training.

Now that I'm done with that brief rant, there are
6 fundamental training principles that I think should
be addressed so far as continuing to build a
foundation for understanding how you should approach
designing a speed training program for your athletes.

1. ADAPTATION

In essence, adaptation is the adjustment or
enhancement of fitness ('fitness' being a very
general term for the sum of the entire training
process) that comes from your specific speed training
protocols. Proper adaptation is the effect of relatively
stable changes caused by the training sessions you
implement.

Examples are the reduced resting heartrate seen
following an endurance training program and the
increase in muscle fiber diameter after a period of
strength training (Lamb 1978)

As I said before, everything happens for a reason.
The effectiveness of your athletes' adaptation stems
from the effectiveness of your training.

Keep in mind, however, that rate of adaptation
depends on such factors as sex, genetics, biological
age, training age, level of fitness and motivation.

Such factors (called 'biovariability') must be
considered when establishing the goals of your speed
training program.

2. INDIVIDUALIZATION

This is where you adjust your training methods to
the particular adaptive ability and response of one
specific athlete.

This has to be done as much as possible in order to
get the best results. Biodiversity is a very real,
very obvious factor. Giving all your athletes the same
generic program to follow will result in the same
generic results.

It can not be emphasized enough that you must
individualize your program.

If you're working 1:1 or with small groups, the
program is easily tailored to the individual needs
of these athletes.

I understand first hand, however, the difficulties
presented in training the speed of a team of 30,40
even 50+ athletes and still indididualizing the
program.

There are solutions to this that I will get into
later, but such things as testing, goal setting
meetings and organization are the first steps
toward getting the most out of your athletes.

Even breaking goals and expectations down based on
training age, fastest times, strength levels, etc.
will produce far greater results than the 'one size
fits all' ideology employed in most programs.

Yes, individualization makes your job harder. You
have to be more organized and efficient in your
coaching. Fundamentally this is where you separate
yourself from the rest of the pack.

3. OVERLOAD

Overload can be termed as any training stimulus
significant enough to elicit an adaptive response.
For athletes to continue to adapt, said stimulus
has to be increased along specific lines. The degree
of this increased load can be measured by:
1. volume
2. intensity
3. density
4. duration

Volume can be measured by the number of repetitions
performed, the total distance run or the total
weight lifted.

For example: 10x30m = a volume of 300 meters
5 sets of 5 squats at 225 pounds = a volume of 5625
pounds

Intensity is the percent of maximum performance that
a particular exercise is performed.

An athlete with a personal best in the 100m dash of
11.0 seconds who performs one run at 11.58 seconds
equals an intensity of 95%.

Density is the amount of recovery between bouts of
exercise, but in relation to the amount of time said
exercise takes to complete.

An interval workout where an athlete runs for 45
seconds and jogs for 90 seconds is less dense than
a workout where the athlete runs for 45 seconds and
rests for 45 seconds.

Duration relates to the amount of time the athlete
is actually exercising as opposed to recovering from
that exercise.

A sprinters interval workout of 10x200m may have a
duration of 5 minutes even though the workout lasts
30+ minutes while a speed workout 6x50m lasting the
same length of time may have a duration of only
30 - 40 seconds.

It is important to consider all these factors and
their impact on general adaptation when designing
your speed training program.

4. RESTORATION

Restoration, or recovery, is the *aided* return of
the athlete to his/her normal state through means
such as massage, nutrition, hydration, recovery
work, rest and relaxation.

The term also refers to the amount of time required
to go from the fatigued post workout state to the
point of super adaptation.

For example, it may take 48-72 hours to fully
recover from an intenste neuromuscular training
session.

Some coaches have a mindset that if athletes are
not relegated to the point of complete muscular
failure, then they have not worked hard enough.
This 'no pain, no gain' mindset leftover from the
1970s is truly disturbing to see.

Adaptation takes place not from the workout itself,
but from the effectiveness of the recovery
mechanisms employed between (in the case of speed
development) neuro days.

5. REVERSIBILITY

Also known as 'detraining', this is the loss of
adaptation due to either lack of or inadequate
training stimulus.

How long it takes to start to 'get out of shape'
depends on many variables and is of particular
concern in track and field athletes during the
peaking phase.

For example, aerobic enzyme production begins to
decrease after just 24 hours. Yet strength may
be maintained for several weeks of inactivity, though
muscle fiber size will decrease fairly quickly.

6. SPECIFICITY

Once you lay a foundation of general fitness in the
preparation phases, your training must evolve toward
the specific speed requirements of your athletes
and sport.

While general conditioning will have positive
effects on other systems, maximal training response
comes from training designed to stress the systems
specific to that sport or event, at the intensity of
and duration of the event.

This is why you can't run slow all the time and get
fast.

An example would be improved reaction time and
acceleration following a series of starting practice
sessions.

************

By considering how these factors will affect your
athletes, you are in a better position to design
a specific, individualized and effective speed
training program for your athletes, regardless of
the degree of biovariability within the group.

Discover the only Complete Speed Training program
designed to give you all the tools required to make
the greatest impact on the speed and performance
of your athletes:

http://www.completespeedtraining.com

How to get your athletes to do everything you say

Latif and I swear by this method, but I'll let him
break it down...


I have a rule with my athletes.

Anyone who goes on to compete in college has to send
me a tshirt of their sport and school.

Over the years I've collected a pretty good arsenal of
collegiate apparel.

(Coincidentally, I'm wearing one of those shirts as I
write this.)

The thing is, I don't even have to ask anymore, athletes
just ask for my address and send me my shirt.

It stems from a relationship we've developed over time.
In fact, I get calls, emails and messages from former
athletes every week.

So you can imagine how hard they work for me in our
training sessions if they independently keep in touch
when their obligation to me is long over.

So how do you get your athletes to commit themselves
to your team, system and training?

The way to get your athletes to buy into your coaching
is very simple.

In fact I've mentioned this before but never really
focused on it in an article or email.

Sometimes, as coaches, parents, etc. I think we assume
that just because we are adults and 'authority' figures
that athletes are going to respect that and follow
orders.

And if you think that, I have to wonder what
color the sky is in your happy little world.

Kids are skeptical and rebellious.

They may be doing what you say and 'yessing' you to
death, but they know whether or not your coaching
makes sense.

And they are actively finding ways around your half
ass training.

I truly can't count the number of athletes (and parents)
who have come to me and said:

'Latif my coach doesn't know what he/she is doing. Half
the team is hurt and people are starting to give up.

Can you talk to my coach or give me workouts I can
do that will actually make me better?'

The funny thing is, most of these athletes come from
the most 'successful' programs in their area, but we'll
get into why that is in another article.

Of course *YOUR* athletes would never say those things,
but those "other" coaches' athletes sure do.

So you have to get your athletes to buy into what you
do. And that starts at your very first workout, practice
or training session.

Because even if they're paying you to teach them how
to get faster, it doesn't mean they'll come back for
future programs.

Here is my sure-fire way to get athletes to buy into
what you're teaching.

But first I have to warn you.

Once you do this, you have to be able to back it up.

Your athletes *will* call you out. And if you make
yourself a liar, then you'll lose the entire group.

Here's the magic words to tell your athletes:

"Every single thing we do in practice is specifically
designed to make you better. If I can't explain to you,
in a way that makes sense, exactly how any part of any
workout we do is going to make you a faster athlete,
then you don't have to do it."

I'm telling you that those words are magic.

It tells your athletes that you're committed to doing
things right and that you know what you're talking
about.

Because as soon as you read those words, in your heart
of hearts, you knew whether or not you could back that
statement up if you were put on the spot.

In making that one of the first statements you make
to your athletes, two things will happen:

1. Your athletes will call you out on it.

When you can answer all their questions, they'll do
absolutely anything you tell them to. Before long,
they won't even bother asking you to explain.

Most of the time with my athletes, especially on a
tough speed or special endurance day, they'll say those
infamous words:

'Latif, how is doing this workout on this day going
to make me better?'

Then I'll start to explain.

About 5 words in they'll yell:

'Forget it! We believe you. Just tell us what times
we have to hit.'

I love when that happens!

And when your younger athletes see the older ones so
willing to blindly follow you into battle, you've
created a dynamic within the group that leads to
continuous maximal effort.

2. You'll rapidly become a better coach.

When they call you out, you have to come up with a
good answer. And remember, it has to be an answer that
they understand. I can rattle off a long answer full
of 5 syllable scientific words, but that means nothing
to a 16 year old.

Your answer has to be clear, simple and delivered in
2 minutes or less.

To make that happen, you have to be on top of your
game. The accountability that comes with verbalizing
the answer forces you to get a firm grasp on your
training system and methodology.

Explaining things out loud helps you fill in the holes
in your knowledge that every coach, no matter how
successful, invariably comes to find.

That's the secret to laying the foundation for a
dominant program.

But it all hinges on your ability to explain these
concepts clearly.

In the end its simple, good coaches can do it or are
willing to learn. Trial by fire isn't a bad thing, it
just takes confidence.

Bad coaches will be afraid to try or will make excuses
why that's not a good idea.

There are only 2 categories.

Deep down, you know which category you're in.

Get the program that will give you the knowledge and
confidence to answer those questions and give your
athletes the best possible training.

Order Complete Speed Training now:

http://www.completespeedtraining.com

Designing an Effective Speed Training Program - Part IV

As I said at the end of last week's article, there are
5 biomotor abilities that must be trained in order to
maximize the performance of any athlete.

And this is true regardless of sport, age, talent or
experience.

It is important that these 5 abilities be trained to some
degree in every workout. However, depending on time
of year, sport and individual training goals, some will
need to be trained more frequently than others.

Of course, it is no coincidence that our Complete Speed
Training program contains, yes, *5* DVDs. And within the
overall theme of the entire series, we cover these 5
biomotor abilities in detail.

It's also why any so-called speed training program that
does not directly address all 5 biomotor abilities can
not be considered a *complete* speed training resource.

So let us review and cover these 5 traits before getting
into the meat and potatoes of specific program design.

Again, the 5 biomotor abilities are:

1. Flexibility (covered in DVD# 1 - Pre Competition)
2. Coordination (covered in DVD#2 - Agility Training)
3. Endurance (covered in DVD#3 - Hardcore Conditioning)
4. Strength (covered in DVD#4 - High Powered Training)
5. Speed (covered in DVD#5 - Pure Speed Training)

FLEXIBILITY

The need for flexibility varies by sport and event as well as
from muscle group to muscle group.

However,rarely have I ever seen an athlete who appears
to be 'too flexible.'

However, lack of flexibility is an ever present issue.

Why flexibility is so important has been covered in the
7 part series you originally signed up for, so I won't
bother being redundant here.

But for our purposes there are two types of flexibility
that we must address in our program:

1. Static flexibility
2. Dynamic flexibility

These can be addressed in different ways, many of which
are covered in the Complete Speed Training program.

Simply, the need for static stretching before a workout
or competition is a subject for debate and, like many
training factors, is a matter of preference.

However, static stretching as the sole means of improving
mobility before a game or practice is a recipe fordisaster
and a sign of sheer laziness and complacencyby the coach
who uses it.

Give your athletes a short period of time to stretch
before beginning a dynamic warm up if need be, but
dynamic mobility exercises must be the foundation of
any practice or competitive situation.

Excessive static stretching is known to decrease short
term strength and power output so it can not be the
primary method of preparation for activities requiring
strength and power output.

Save static stretching for after practice. This is where
the biggest gains in flexibility will be made. Muscles
are warm and core body temperature is raised. There is
less chance of sustaining an injury this way.

For a library of flexibility options that break 'dynamic'
and 'static' stretching into much greaterdetail and options,
refer to the 'Pre Competition'DVD of your Complete Speed
Training Program.

COORDINATION

In my opinion, lack of coordination is one of the single
greatest limiting factors to the success of young athletes,
even the 'best' ones.

Development of coordinative abilities is a requirement f
or success in sports. According to Tittel, these
abilities include:

1. To spatially orient oneself
2. To kinesthetically differentiate
3. To react
4. To keep rhythm
5. To maintian balance

In addition, coordinative ability develops before
sexual maturity. Thus, it is believed that these skills
must be developed during pre-pubescence since
they are seen to regress during puberty.

Something to keep in mind for those of you working
with young athletes or wondering if Complete Speed
Training is appropriate for your 7 - 10 year old
son or daughter.

There are an inifinite number of activities that develop
the coordinative abilities including, but notlimited to:

change of direction drills
agility ladder work
dynamic exercises
hurdle mobility
plyometrics
proprioceptive work
speed drills
medicine ball throws
strength training
sport specific activities (block work, batting practice
running routes, running approaches, kicking a ball,
etc.)

All of these activities, when structured correctly
within the overall macrocycle (yearly plan) will
develop the coordination required to succeed on
the track, court or field.

Refer to your Complete Speed Training program for
a considerable number of examples of each of these
activities.

ENDURANCE

Endurance is the capacity to maintain a certain degree
of speed in the presence of fagigue.

Specific endurance requirements vary by sport.

As I've said on countless occasions, sending a football
player or 100 meter runner out to run 3 miles is an
unacceptable waste of time, but entirely appropriate
for a soccer player or miler.

Knowledge of general physiology is a requirement for
the coach to understand the type of endurance required
for their athletes and sport.

Generally, we can break down endurance into two broad
categories:

1. General Endurance
2. Specific Endurance

General endurance is ultimately the ability to maintain
a level of performance for an extended period of time.
It includes the neuro-muscular, central nervous, and
cardio-respiratory endurance systems. General
enduranceis often equated with aerobic endurance
because of its long term nature.

Specific endurance refers to the unique endurancer
equired to perform activities from playing football
to running the marathon. As I said, different sports
require different specific endurance and knowledge
of physiology allows coaches to design training
specific to the needs of their athletes.

Check out this article on specific types of generale
ndurance training for a more detailed look at how
to design your conditioning and recovery workouts:

http://tinyurl.com/r8xkw

Again, refer to your Complete Speed Training program
for more details about general and specific endurance.

STRENGTH

Strength is another requirement of optimal speed that
is often either ignored or done incorrectly in most
programs.

Common sense tells us that athletes can't expect to get
faster if they don't get stronger. This is simply dueto the
fact that they will be unable to move theirbodies forward
due to limitations in their force output.

There are, of course, different types of strength.

As an overview of the term, absolute strength is the
ability to produce great force, regardless of the speed
of movement. This quality is fundamental to all types
of strength and governs the body's ability to control
internally generated forces.

Power is the ability to produce force quickly. Overcoming
one's bodweight quickly is critical to acceleration, the
fundamental element of speed development.

Think of power as a combination of strength and speed.
Progress in developing these two areas as part of power
development training.

General strength is the ability to control one's body
and overcome internal resistance. Think of it as a
combination of strength and coordination. This is a
critical area of development for young (high school
and below) athletes who either lack this type of strength
or focus on developing other areas and neglecting this
area, at a cost.

Use general strength for postural stability, a
substitute for weight training, endocrine system
development, coordination and recovery.

For detailed breakdowns of general and specific strength
as well as power development, refer to the Hardcore
Conditioning and High Powered Training DVDs in your
Complete Speed Training Program.

SPEED

Speed, as you know, could be the focus of, say, an
entire ongoing weekly newsletter.

A traditional definition of speed is:

'The ability to move the body and/or it's parts quickly.'

But certainly, this term has many components which
have been covered in depth in this newsletter before.

So we will not spend significant time discussing its
components here.

As with all training, I look at the demands of the activity
in regards to it's energy system requirements.

This, as before, requires a knowledge of physiology
beyond the scope of this article, but covered in part
in the following article of this newsletter.

Generally, we can break speed down into categories. Keep
in mind these are general guidelines and vary by athlete:

Acceleration: 0 - 40 meters (0 - 5 seconds)
Maximum Velocity: 40 - 80 meters (5 - 8 seconds)
Speed Endurance: 80 - 150 meters
Special Endurance I: 150 - 300 meters
Special Endurance II: 300 - 600 meters

Outside of track and field, most athletes will not
focus much time and energy beyond speed endurance.

But as I said, this is an almost unfair simplification
of 'speed'.

So refer to your Complete Speed Training program for
greater details regarding how to incorporate speed
elements into your program.

Take the time to consider how these 5 biomotor abilities
should factor into your athletes' training.

In my next report, we will get more specific about
designing your speed program.

To learn more about Complete Speed Training and save
yourself a great deal of time and effort when putting
your training program together, click here:

http://www.completespeedtraining.com