Dear Coach: Why am I not Improving?
Published: Tue, 04/03/12
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In this issue:
10% Off All Track & Field DVDs If you are interested in the Clyde Hart 4-pack 6-DVD box set, you can now get a 10% discount. (Expires Saturday April 8) This applies to all Track DVDs including Lance Brauman, Vince Anderson, Monte Stratton, Mike Holloway and others! Use Priority Code = TF42JL when ordering (expires Apr 8) Should I change my Coach? One of the most frequent emails I get are from athletes who want to change coaches. They will email me privately asking if they should change coaches because they haven’t improved in X years (and in some cases, X months!). Even world class athletes are notorious for changing coaches often! Before I tell them to change coaches, I ask them to review these 7 factors:
When you add up the above, you really need a team consisting of a coach, agent, therapist, nutritionist, and S&C (strength & conditioning) experts! This is the basis and inspiration for my daily Blog articles. At a personal level, what is all really boils down to is 2 factors: Identify your strengths and weaknesses, and then work on BOTH. And don’t get them injured! If sprinting is all about stride length, stride frequency and speed endurance, then you want to work at all 3 aspects. For a youth athlete who worries about their start to shave 0.1 seconds, they are far better off to work on their speed endurance to shave off 1.0 seconds in the 100m. Even more so for the 200 and 400m. But you can’t neglect the start either. The strategic application of force improvements over time will result in faster times, but where? This brings me to the whole stride length (SL) and stride frequency (SF) debate. The Ralph Mann study showed success in sprinting can be attributed to increasing stride frequency and decreasing ground contact without changing the “air time” of the stride. But in the world of elite sprinters, they actually do improve on both SL and SF, but not what you think. By using the stride length to body height ratio (SL/BH) of 1.21, you can divide sprinters in 2 groups, the long striders and short striders. Over the course of years when they go from National level to World class level, it is clear the long striders will improve on stride frequency, and the short striders will improve and lengthen stride length. The holy grail is identifying what needs to be worked on for improvement. I hope this adds some intelligent discussion before kids (and their parents!) make radical decisions.
Best Of March 2012 As always, here are the best articles for March 2012. Enjoy. Jimson Lee SpeedEndurance.com The Science Behind SNAC’s PED (Performance Energy Drink), and Why it Works 2012-02-29 04:30:00-05 Ever since my ESPN radio show talk on Ergogenic Aids last fall, I’ve consulted and written numerous topics on this sensitive subject matter. Basically there are four (4) types of supplements in this category (excluding IHT… Intermittent Hypoxic Training, which I’ll save for another day). Here is a short list of legal supplements you can [...] read more... adidas Track Spikes for 2012: The adiZero Prime 2012-03-01 04:00:00-05 Adidas has come out with 2 spike models for 2102. There is the lower priced Men’s adiZero Prime Accelerator, and the higher priced adiZero Prime SP. Both are available at Eastbay. adidas adiZero Prime Accelerator The adidas adiZero Prime Accelerator track spike is designed for the 100 to 400 meters. Welded, stitchless composite membrane [...] read more... The Business Side of Track & Field with Kris Mychasiw [INTERVIEW] 2012-03-04 12:00:00-05 There comes a time in your track career when (hopefully) you will get a chance to run at the Elite and World level. What are the ins-and-outs in finding an agent, landing your first sponsor, and getting into big meets? I had the chance to speak to Sports Agent Kris Mychasiw of Sprint Management (He’s [...] read more... Electrical Muscle Stimulation (EMS) Research Review 2012-03-06 04:35:00-05 Sprint swimming is like the 200 or 400 meters. The 50m freestyle sprint has the same energy cost of a 200m Track & Field sprint. Same with 100m swim and 400m run. Derek Hansen wrote a great research review based on the February 2012 issue of the NSCA’s Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The [...] read more... International Women’s Day salutes Margot Wells [INTERVIEW] 2012-03-08 03:05:00-05 Today is March 8, which means we recognize International Women’s Day (IWD) around the world. In the past, I wrote about Coach/athlete Irena Szewinska, and athletes Wyomia Tyus and Chi Cheng. For 2012, I reached out to Margot Wells. I feel coaching elite sprinters is a rarity for women. Sharon Hannan, Sally Pearson’s coach of [...] read more... How To Increase Natural Testosterone, Naturally 2012-03-14 08:15:00-04 This is Part 2 of the article Testosterone Creams & Gels: Victor Conte Revisited. First, a DISCLAIMER. Artificial testosterone, whether creams, orals or injections, is a prohibited substance for tested athletes, including Masters athletes. So it’s best to raise your testosterone levels naturally. Here are 4 best ways to raise your testosterone levels LEGALLY! 1. [...] read more... Can’t Afford Dartfish? Try Kinovea. It’s free! 2012-03-15 04:00:00-04 I want to thank Mac McIntosh for this helpful tip. Kinovea is a free and open source solution for video analysis. It is mostly used by sports coaches and athletes to explore, study or comment a performance. In addition to this primary focus, Kinovea is also used by animation artists, podiatrists, and ergonomics engineers. Visit [...] read more... Jeff Demps Starting Block Technique 2012-03-21 06:00:00-04 I want to thank Alex Hemry for pointing this out. When I updated the original Rocket Sprint Start by Bud Winter, I only covered the use of starting blocks, and to some degree, the Moye starting block. But I only discussed symmetrical, not asymmetrical methods. Click here on How to Do Different Starts… 2 Point, [...] read more... Usain Bolt’s Leanness Ratio, or Reciprocal Ponderal Index (RPI) 2012-03-26 04:30:00-04 One of the Fitness testing ratios people love to throw around in the gym is BMI or Body Mass Index. To calculate your BMI, simply divide your body weight in kilograms with your height in meters squared. I am 1.83m and 85kg, which is 85 / (1.83)2 = 25.4 BMI (6 feet tall is 72 [...] read more... |
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