Speed is arguably the most important physical performance quality in field sports. Training to develop speed should ensure that the session is based on quality of repetitions, not quantity. Therefore, quantitative analysis of a training session should ensure this is the case. How to do it Use a fatigue index. Quantifying fatigue If your session comprises of 6 sprints,(…)
We introduced the 11+ warm up a few months ago here, and advocate its principles. A new study published in The Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine has demonstrated that the warm up induces a significant training effect. Thirty six Futsal players (mean age 17.3 ± 0.7) were randomly assigned into an experimental (EX) (n=18) and control group (n = 18). The(…)
Sled towing is an accessory exercise used frequently in sprinting, American football, rugby, powerlifting and strongman training. Various attachments can be used for sled dragging. Around the hips, ankles, shoulders, with straps to include arm or shoulder work and some even wrap them around elbows and knees. Lawerence, et al 2012 decided to see what(…)
The specificity principle of training, suggests that specific training methodologies should be employed to maximise the training effect. In other words, sprinters should employ sprint training to improve their performance etc. When it comes to applying the specificity principle to soccer, this means that on-field football training provides the best method of training. Della et al. (2006) that(…)
A recent study published in The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research caught our eye when it looked at the effect of starting v non-starting on athletic performance. Twelve basketball players (age = 20.6 ± 1.5 y; height = 178.0 ± 8.2 cm; weight = 74.1 ± 8.1 kg) were tested pre & post season for squat power,(…)
Given we all have limited training time, finding ways to get greater performance in shorter workouts is always an attention grabber. While intensity is always the major factor in terms of adaptation, as has been demonstrated time and again, time on task is a major component in elite fitness. If elite levels are not what(…)
In professional soccer, both speed and endurance are key physical performance indicators, and while endurance can be tested alone in a high performance lab (VO2max test), the most accurate on-field performance indicator is The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (version 1 & 2) which we talk about here. A study just published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and(…)
The physical profile of an athlete can distinguish between elite and non-elite status, independent of technical ability. Elite athletes are clearly identifiable in adolescence by higher levels of endurance and greater speed. A sizeable body of research continues to validate this hypothesis, however most of it is concentrated on male athletes. In professional soccer, little(…)