The Fine Art of Team Warm-ups
Designing a warm-up for a large team looks easy if you're watching passively from the sidelines. Unfortunately, this ease is quite deceptive. There are actually several critical aspects that need to be taken into account if you want you're warm-up to go from adequate to Fine Art status:1. Time: how much do you have? I usually try to end a minute or two before I told the coach I would be done (think under-promise and over-deliver, coaches LOVVVVVE that!). 2. Efficiency: you never have much of #1 and you may have as many as 30+ players. So, how do you keep them all moving, engaged, and organized? You gotta be efficient! 3. Effectiveness: Numbers 1 & 2 are components of this, but effectiveness speaks to the QUALITY of what you’re doing. Are you getting the most “bang for your buck” per movement? If not, go back to the drawing board. Be sure to take into account the 3 planes of motion, what the team’s first drill of practice will be, and general fatigue level (where are they within the season and within the training week?).
Beginning this past Saturday, I’ve been standing on a soccer field for about 5 hours a day working hard on the start of, what is certain to be, a legendary sock/farmer’s tan combo. Regardless, that’s just a fantastic by-product of my point: We just started the preseason training time period for women’s soccer and I’ve put together several warm-ups I think are pretty darn good. I’m going to share the two I used on Monday, August 8th and point out a couple important things about the two of them:
AM Session (the 5th practice within 48 hours):
Team Jogs 1 Field Lap in two lines
Upon return have two lines split apart on the 18
(one line on end-line other line on 18, lines face)
65% Builder Sprint to Back Pedal (long reach)
• Walking Spiderman to Overhead Reach
• Yoga Pushup x5
• Skip backwards with Heel Lift
70% Builder Sprint to Gate Openers
• Knee Hugs
• Cross-behind Overhead Reverse Lunge x5/side
• Frankenstein Kicks
75% Builder Sprint to Walking Opposites
• Walking Quads
• Bowler Squat x5/leg
• Skip for Distance
80% Builder Sprint to Alternating Side Shuffle
• Walking Toe Touch
• Split-Stance Kneeling Adductor Rockbacks x5/side
• Cradle Walk
Lateral Broad Jump x3 to Turn & Sprint (both directions)
Stretch on Own
Notes:
• This practice was the tipping point for the team. At the time it started, it was the 5th practice they would be attending within 48 hours – that’s a lot of soccer in a short window!
• The previous two days had a portion of testing (think non-contact) that was significant enough that I knew they would still be feeling pretty good for this session.
• My warm-up “template” typically consists of 3 levels of warm-ups. One is fairly intense and is for pre-match or other situations when the group is fresh, the second is a mid-level warm-up that respects the training volume the team is currently enduring (or the point in the season), and the third is a very low-level warm-up that is appropriate for recovery and respects the teams general level of fatigue but still preps them for the drills to follow.
• The AM Session warm-up was a Level 2.
PM Session (the 6th practice within 54 hours):
Team Jogs 1 Field Lap in two lines
Upon return everyone grabs ball and circles up
Soccer Ball SMR :20-:30/location:
Calves
Hamstrings
Quads
Adductors
IT Band
Glutes
Squat Mobility Series x1
Team Lines up on Sideline:
2 Tuck Jumps to 65% Builder Sprint to Gateopeners
2 Tuck Jumps to 70% Builder Sprint to Frankensteins
2 Tuck Jumps to 75% Builder Sprint to Skip for Height
2 Tuck Jumps to 80% Builder Sprint to Alternating Side Shuffle
Stretch on Own
Notes:
• After a morning training session that lasted a full two-hours and was jam-packed with intense sprinting and full contact, I knew the team would be starting to get very sore and tired.
• I gave them as much time as I could (in this case only 8-minutes) to do some self-massage with the soccer ball and a mobility circuit before we started moving around to get the heart pumping.
• The PM Session warm-up was a Level 3.
Orchastrating an excellent warm-up day after day is certainly one of the less "sexy" aspects to the job of Strength & Conditioning Coach, but it is nonetheless extremely important. Keep in mind a solid dynamic warm-up on a regular basis is the opportunity to improve general fitness and work on power, strength, speed, change of direction, mobility, flexibility, and injury prevention... I think anyone would agree that's a great opportunity to have on a daily basis, so don't waste it by not planning properly!
As a side note, if you train with us in Fairfax, you may soon get to experience warm-ups similar to the AM session - did you hear we got TURF last week?!? If you don't already train with us and wish to experience the excellence that is SAPT, please contact us here for information on in-house performance coaching, distance coaching, Buttkamp, or any combination of the three!
A Little Bit About Knee Injuries
Why Do Knee Injuries Occur?1. Poor biomechanical alignment 2. Suboptimal muscle function and strength 3. Poor mobility at adjacent joints 4. Poor strength in surrounding musculature 5. Excessive tension in surrounding muscle and fascia 6. Overuse Types of Knee Injuries 1. Acute knee injuries are those that occur in a moment – as in "if you blink at the wrong moment you’ll miss it" kind of thing. Acute knee injuries result in ligament tears, meniscal tears, etc. By taking a small mental step forward, acute knee traumas can further be classified into two separate categories: contact and non-contact injury.
Anytime I find out an athlete I work with has sustained the ever popular ACL tear the first thing I want to know is if it was a contact situation or not. Why? Because in the situation of a contact injury, there is really nothing that can be done to avoid sustaining that ACL tear (or insert your own injury of choice). In fact, the knee in question can often be functioning perfectly without any strength imbalances or deficiencies whatsoever. And that means that there was an outside force that initiated the injury sequence. A good example is that of a soccer player who is slide tackled. If the foot is planted as the impact occurs, say goodbye to continued knee health and hello to months of therapy. Even the most “perfect” knee will usually not make it out of that situation unscathed.
On the other hand, a non-contact injury typically occurs because the athlete is not strong enough to decelerate his or her own body mass safely. For example, if a basketball player goes to plant and cut and the knee simply “goes-out.” In this instance there was no contact to blame, instead the cause is simply lack of strength (with probable issues of joint restriction about certain joints, too). Chronic Myofascial Injury This is another extremely popular knee injury amongst young athletes. This one is very general and more of the “my knee hurts” kind of pain in which there are no signs of traumatic injury of any kind. In reality, this isn’t so much a knee injury, as a problem with the muscle tissue. My caution here is if you are a coach be sure you don’t write off these types of complaints as unfounded because this is a real problem that should be addressed by improving movement techniques and taking a look at the volume of work (so, think improve strength and address overuse). Chronic Joint Injury These are the old injuries that really settle in as we age and usually affect people that have had serious knee pain or have been dealing with a traumatic injury for and extended period of time. “Current literature indicates that a one-time trauma (such as an ACL tear) significantly increases the probability of knee osteoarthritis, pain, and functional limitations later in life.” – Bulletproof Knees In the case of chronic joint injury, performance improvements are no longer important. At this point the emphasis must be placed on improving the comfort of daily living, longevity of the joint, and avoiding major surgery.
10 Things You Must Do for Healthy Knees 1. Get your glutes firing!!! 2. Strengthen the posterior chain 3. Lots-O-Single-leg work 4. Strengthen the quads 5. Work frequently to improve hip mobility (like it’s going out of style) 6. Address ankle mobility 7. Maintain and improve tissue length 8. Maintain and improve tissue quality 9. LEARN TO ABSORB FORCE CORRECTLY!!! (This one is crucial, but you must have already gone through a focused period working on numbers 1-8 before attacking force absorption whole-heartedly) 10. Improve diet and supplementation (when appropriate)
So, where/how should you get started? The obvious answer is to click here and start training with us in-person or via our distance program. Buuuuuuut, if you're really eager, here is a great starter exercise that will knock out at least 5 or the 10 listed above: Stepback Slider Lunges
Many thanks to Mike Robertson's excellent source on all things knee related in Bulletproof Knees - I've referenced it many times over the last two years and leaned on it heavily for this post, too.
Monday Guest Post
Stevo is still pretty under the weather. So, in his place on this fine Monday, Ryan Wood will make his blog post debut! Enjoy: I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is a former collegiate basketball player about strength and conditioning for basketball. Our conversation was centered on getting faster in the change of direction aspect of defensive slides. He asked me what he should do and I began thinking about what I used to do or what coaches would make me do in order to get better at this same exact thing. Endless amounts of wall sits, shuttles, and defensive slide drills flooded back into the forefront of my mind as well as stomach acid in my esophagus. After the thoughts and stomach acid dissipated I began thinking as a professional strength coach and not as a high school basketball player. Because of my troubles playing defense when I was younger I wanted to give him good sound advice.
I was always told when my man got by me that I had to be faster changing direction. Well 10 years later after no one was able to tell me exactly how to do that, I found out for myself. When a ball-handler decides to cross over with the basketball it is up to the defender to suddenly stop a full speed slide, plant, push off their outside foot to switch directions, and continue into another full speed slide. Sounds like a lot right? Now you can see why defenders get beat so much off the dribble and why things like help defense exist.
In the scenario I described what you see is the product of the defenders ability to start and stop. This may seem easy but it’s really quite hard, especially when you are not genetically gifted. In order for a defender to stop they have to be able to absorb the force of their own body against the floor while almost instantaneously using the same side of the body to produce force into the floor to start their movement again. Now if this still seems easy let me throw another wrench into the equation. Not only do you have to absorb and produce force in order to change directions you have to be able to do it fast (high velocity). If there lacks an ability to perform this change of direction quickly, then you just got beat by your man.
Can anyone pick out the two key words that are extremely important to this whole defense thing? If you guessed “wrench” or “easy” then take another guess. The two key words are force and velocity. And what do we get when we multiply force times velocity? POWER! Power is the key to being an excellent defender. Now I’m sure you’re asking how you can increase your power output in order to become a better defender. I could write something lengthy on this subject but I’ll just give you a couple key exercises to use. These exercises will help you produce more power and provide specificity to the change of direction aspect of defensive slides.
First, dynamic effort squats to depth. This type of squat is performed at maximal speeds with submaximal weight (50-65% of a 1RM). This type squat will allow you to switch from the eccentric to the concentric phase at high speeds not unlike the change of direction that occurs during a defensive slide. This exercise will call on the same main musculature that is required when playing defense (knee and hip extensors).
Second, lateral bounds and stick. This exercise is extremely important for players looking to better their man-to-man defense. The reason being is that it improves power output by working on your ability to absorb and produce force unilaterally (one side of the body). I would argue that during the change of direction phase of defense that it is predominantly a unilateral movement rather than bilateral. However, that whole argument is a different topic for a different day. This exercise will also help in ACL injury prevention by improving the musculature and connective tissue of the knee.
Third, banded monster walks. This exercise provides some great activation and strengthening of the glutes. Considering most people are very quad dominant, especially basketball players, the ability to properly activate your glutes is vital to being able to produce force at high velocities. Defense is as easy as Power = Force X Velocity. It’s a bad joke; but you’ll remember it.
A shoulder saver, and some training footage...
What’s up folks! Today I bring you yet another awesome “shoulder saver” exercise. I’ve been programming these suckers with reckless abandon over the past month. Ladies and Gents, I give you the “Standing W”. This footage was taken from our comprehensive online database of exercises used to coach our distance coaching clientele.
Why is this a great exercise? Not only does it smoke the external rotators, but it forces the individual into scapular retraction as well. Also, if performed correctly, this movement will recruit lower trap with minimal upper trap activation.
From a coaching standpoint, I find the movement to be “Dumby-Proof,” meaning it’s extremely easy to learn (and coach) as it puts the individual in an advantageous position to move and execute correctly. The ol’ “pinch my finger” cue comes in handy if the individual isn’t retracting and depressing appropriately. Anyone can benefit from a “Standing W,” especially overhead athletes (baseball, softball, etc.).
I’ve also been getting some inquiries regarding our Buttkamp classes. You know, our bootcamp styled classes that are scientifically designed to kick your butt? Well here’s some footage from last week. These ladies are getting strong!
Chris (Romo) Romanow
Q & A:60-Yard Dash Improvement
Question: My son has excellent speed stealing bases, but only has a 7.56 60-yard dash speed. Looking for training specific to increasing that speed. Tips on start/end of run, running technique, etc., not just strength training. Thanks While the answer to this question is definitely multifaceted, I'll do my best to summarize some of the main points:
1) Avoid large volumes of long distance running. This one should be obvious, but I continue to be astounded at the number of coaches who require their athletes to perform steady state cardio, even when the training goal is increased speed and power. Apart from the fact that distance running will negatively affect the stretch-shortening cycle (a key component in sprinting) and decrease strength and power output (again, critical to sprint acceleration and top speed), you also have mobility concerns to think about. Distance running doesn't allow sufficient hip flexion to truly activate all of the hip flexors (especially the psoas, which is responsible for hip flexion above 90 degrees). You also receive little to no hip extension during steady state cardio. By using a repetitive motion (like jogging) over a long period of time, where you're not bringing your lower extremity through a full range of motion, you're losing mobility at the hip joint - the very same mobility depended upon to generate stride length, and, in turn, velocity!
The psoas.
2) Train the first 10 yards of the sprint. When we evaluate a test like the 60 yard dash, we are really measuring a test of acceleration as much as we are a test of speed. Now, this will depend largely on the training age of the athlete, as world-class sprinters accelerate for up to sixty meters (each ten-yard split continues to get lower up to sixty meters). Novice sprinters will reach peak velocity much earlier than an advanced sprinter.
Anyway, whether you are an advanced or a novice athlete, it is going to improve your 60 yard dash if you learn to accelerate faster. Work on increasing power and decreasing steps for those first ten yards. The first ten-yard increment takes the longest to complete and thus is the easiest to impact in training. Shoot for three steps during the first five-yard segment, and about five steps for ten yards. Do this by teaching PUSHING, not overreaching (don't tell the athlete to cut down steps, either; telling an athlete you're counting steps may cause over-striding). Tell the athlete to push the ground as hard as possible! Push the ground away from you as hard as you can, and minimize stutter steps. Here's a good indicator of a powerful start: the foot taking the second step does not touch the ground while the front foot is still on the line (after step one you shouldn't see two feet in contact with the ground).
**Another bonus for training the first ten yards:** the chance of injury is greatly decreased! Heading out to the track and running 60-yard repeats, especially if the athlete does not have good mechanics for sprinting AND hasn't had much running training prior, is a recipe for injury. How well do you think the athlete will perform in a timed 60-yard dash if he or she has a pulled hamstring, hip flexor, or adductor from training? You can train ten yard increments (focusing on increasing power and decreasing steps) with little to no risk of injury.
3) Get Stronger. This should really be at the top of the list. I hate to break it to you, but your child just isn't strong enough. I know that the answer to your question was to include techniques "besides just strength training," but honestly this (resistance training) will be one of the greatest additions to your son's training. Proper strength training, utilizing progressive overload on both bilateral and unilateral lower body lifts, will help your athlete run faster. Quite simply, the stronger the athlete is, the more force he or she will be able to exert into the ground.
This is nothing more than physics. Those who can produce the greatest force into the ground (the action), will yield the greatest benefit from the ground (the reaction). In fact, The Journal of Applied Physiology published research in the year 2000 in an article called Mechanical Basis of Human Running Speed. The article synopsis begins with the line, "Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces, not more rapid leg movements."
How do you achieve greater ground forces? Increase strength.
This is a concept that many would benefit from if they embraced it and ceased looking for the token silver bullet speed drill. All other things equal, the stronger athlete is going to be faster.
4) Improve Conditioning. More specifically, improve efficiency of the anaerobic alactic energy system ("the first 10 seconds") and the anaerobic lactic energy system (the "feel the burn" energy system). This will help the athlete maintain peak velocity for as long as possible during the sprint. Remember that, depending on the race distance, the winner will be the one who slows down the least at the end. There are many ways to improve conditioning for this, but one would be to begin with linear drills (ex. 110-yard dash at 80% intensity), and progress to 150-yard shuttle runs (divided into 25-yard increments). I'm a huge fan of shuttle runs as they also play a great role in injury prevention by incorporating acceleration, deceleration, and direction change. As Mike Boyle says, injuries are most often associated with the muscular stresses caused by speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction. Shuttle runs add a muscular component to the energy system program. However, note that you really don't need to do many of these prior to the season, as the glycolytic energy system can be trained pretty quickly, and many people will not even need to train it for the 60.
Some heavy sled pushing/pulling will work well in a conditioning program, too, as they also work on sprint-specific leg mechanics and are relatively easy on the joints. Keep the "work" duration to 30 seconds and below during the aforementioned drills.
5. Improve Sprint Technique. Keep in mind that attaining perfect sprint technique is much more in depth than many think and it takes years to master. It is beyond the scope of this post to teach proper sprint mechanics, but a few tweaks in your running form can drastically improve your efficiently of movement.
6. "Count Your Blessings." Recognize that your son possesses a great sport-specific skill!! If he is proficient at stealing bases, that will go a long way! Technique in base-stealing is a completely different skill set from a timed 60-yard dash in front of recruiters (not to mention the mental acuity needed during live gameplay to successfully steal a base). While improving his 60-yard dash time will certainly aid his baseball career, don't overlook the techniques he already possesses that will make him a valuable asset to a team.
One last note: remember that training for sprint speed is not a "get your sweat on" session. A proper understanding of the energy systems utilized in a max-effort sprint will go a long way in ensuring effective training sessions. If your athlete is breaking a sweat, or breathing heavily, during his sprint sessions (unless it's hot outside or he's finishing up a dynamic warm-up), this is a decent indicator he isn't resting enough between sets.
Tips on Training for a Hike
Irony of all ironies, I had planned on writing a post about hiking for today (I’ve been getting requests) and what did Steve do yesterday?!? A hiking post… unbelievable! Maybe this week will be SAPT's unofficial training for a hike week or something. So, I'm sticking with my post for today and felt is was appropriate to post a picture of one of the hikes I went on last week - this one is in Red Rock State Park. Tips on Training for a Hike
- Single Leg Strength Work is Essential! A large percentage of training should be dedicated to Step-up and Step-down variations. This is pretty much what a hike is after all. The step-up will help you get up to the peak, but what about when you’re on your return trip and your legs are fried? That’s when the step-downs will become crucial. Having exceptional eccentric strength in a fatigued state will not only allow you to return safely, but more quickly, too! I’m afraid I may sound like I’m hopping on Mike Boyle’s anti-bilateral movement crusade with this, but I think ditching the squats and deads may be a great move for a focused time leading up to an important hike.
- Bracing Variations. As Steve pointed out in his post yesterday, hikers will usually be loaded up with all kinds of gear (think added weight) and they need to be able to easily brace and stabilize to carry the loads without undue fatigue. How can you train this in the gym? Give BB Squat Hold Variations, Mis-Loaded BB Hold Variations, Plank Hold Variations, and Band Swing Hold Variations a try. Notice the theme word for these exercises is “hold” a.k.a. isometric – a hiker needs to have an extremely strong “core” (gasp, I can’t believe I just used that word) to ensure the muscle groups that should be doing the bracing do their jobs.
- Mobility Work. This will be critical for the entire body. Especially considering that hikers often stay in a fairly upright position, so when they need to call on some extreme hip mobility to traverse certain terrain you want that mobility to be present. Otherwise, injuries will pop up.
- Lastly, if I seriously wanted to show my hiking prowess off, I would implement Steve’s HICT training. Add this in twice a week plus a long hike on the weekend.
***I'm going to get some videos up this evening, so please check back if you want to see some of the variations I mentioned!
Don't forget, if you're out of the DC/NoVA area, we can still get you prepared to destroy your next competition, event, or just life. Find out more by requesting information on our distance coaching program!
