Velocity Sports Performance

Velocity’s Big 4 Speed Formula

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Velocity Speed Formula

World-renowned track coach Loren Seagrave was teaching me his system of training some of the world’s most elite speed athletes. Over 50 track medalists at World and Olympic events.

And this was it? “That’s too simple,” I thought.
 
I was a coach who was working with elite and professional athletes in the weight room and on the field. With a graduate education in biomechanics and motor control, and undergrad education in engineering. I just thought; The Big 4 was simplistic.
 
Fortunately, I kept looking at it, applying it and learning. I was wrong. It wasn’t simplistic, it was in fact incredibly complex and elegant underneath. Yes, The Big 4 was simple, and the best tool to organize speed training I have ever seen.
 
“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

The Components of Speed

To coach movement effectively, you need to understand the movements’ biomechanics. You need to understand motor control. You need to understand the types of movement occurring in the sport.
 
It takes years (decades) to truly gain this knowledge.
 
How to analyze a movement, the athlete’s movement skill, and then determine what training methods and drills will improve performance. That’s a lot.
 
The Big 4 are basically the “formula” for speed. No advanced degree in physics or neuroscience necessary.
 
  • Big Force
  • Small Time
  • Proper Direction
  • Optimal Range of Motion
That’s what we coach. This formula has all of the complexity underneath, but it‘s simple to apply and understand. It can also save you decades and help you achieve better results with your athletes. That’s why I use it.
 
“If you can’t explain it to a six-year-old, you don’t understand it yourself.” ~ Albert Einstein
 

Big Force

You have to apply force to the ground to go somewhere. The faster you want to go the more force you have to apply. Observing the difference in muscular development between a sprinter and a marathoner should give you a clue.
 
This doesn’t mean you need to be just bigger or become a powerlifter. However, biomechanics research tells us very large forces have to be applied by the athlete to move fast.
 
The Big Force you need is developed by sprinting fast, using specific sprint and plyometric drills, and getting in the weight room. There are 6 different strength qualities we train. For speed, focusing on Max strength, Strength-speed, and Speed-strength are key.
 
 

 

Small Time

In sports, speed counts. So applying that force in a small time, while in contact with the ground, is critical. You don’t often see the opponent saying, “sure, take all the time you need to generate that force, I’ll wait.”
 
Yes, you need a Big Force, but you have to apply it to the ground in a (very) small time. This requires the right strength and motor control qualities.
 
We develop those through technique drills that reinforce a small ground contact time. Through plyometrics and strength training which develop Rate of Force Development and Reactive strength.

Proper Direction

Force is a vector which means it has a direction as well as quantity. Efficient and effective movement requires more than just the right amount of force. That force has to be applied in the right direction.
 
Proper direction is achieved through the right motor pattern (technique) and the stability of the body to apply it that way. When the structures of joints, muscles, and tendons aren’t up to the task, we have what we call “energy leaks.”
 
The motor control to create Proper Direction is developed through technical drills. These drills teach athletes to move optimally.
 
The stability to transfer those Big Forces comes through specific training drills. It also comes from getting stronger with resistance training. Finally, it’s also enhanced in our functional strength components.

Optimal Range of Motion

Goldilocks had it right, not too much, not too little, but just right. We need an optimal range of motion in our joints, muscles, and tendons. In some movements, we need a large range of motions, and in others, we need smaller. The key is that the athlete can move without restriction or compensations.
 
Many of our technical exercises and dynamic warm-up drills develop this range of motion. In addition, we use mobility work. Things such as self-myofascial (foam rollers, balls, etc..) in conjunction with stretching techniques. Sometimes it may include working with a tissue specialist.

Training “Game Speed” Big 4

One of the strengths of this “formula” is that it doesn’t just apply to the track or linear speed. It applies to all aspects of multi-directional speed and agility as well. That’s what puts it above so many speed training systems that are only designed for running straight.
 
There are lots of ways this becomes useful in training. From analyzing our athletes’ movement to selecting training methods, it acts as a guide. In a group setting it allows us to improve different parts of the formula for individuals using the same or similar drill.
 
Same drill, different focus.
 
Different focus, different training effect.
 
That’s why the Big4 is such a powerful tool for individualized training. Even in a group setting.
 

Training Programs

Often athletes come in to get faster and when we introduce them to the weight room or stretching, they may ask “Why? I want speed training.”
 
I get it. It’s common sense, to get faster just do sprint training. Although it appears logical, it’s NOT the most effective and efficient method.
 
The Big 4 explains why:
 
We have different components to our overall program to comprehensively develop each of the Big4. Yes, the “speed training” component can be used to address all four components of the speed formula. However, we can achieve better results and faster results by adding other things.
 
“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee
 

Simple vs. Simplistic

I once thought it was too simplistic to train something as complex as human movement using a formula like the Big4. It isn’t simplistic, it’s simple. Underneath this clear, concise training method is the incredible complexity of biomechanics and motor control. Organizing it into this 4 piece formula and removing the confusion on so many aspects of speed training, is the genius of the Big4.
 
Thanks Coach Seagrave.
 
Want to learn more about speed training?  Check out The Ultimate Guide to Speed Training.

You need to know: strength is more than just weight on a barbell

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Types of Strength
When you speak about strength or being strong, what do you imagine? An athlete hoisting a barbell loaded with heavy weight in a Squat or Bench Press? How about an Olympic weightlifter explosively moving 400 pounds from the floor to over his head in a single movement?
 
These types of things are often considered “strong,” but what about other sporting actions? How about sprinting at full speed, jumping high, or throwing and kicking?  Most people become unsure whether or how strength is part of these movements.

Defining Strength

What is strength in general and specifically for athletes?  Strength is all about physics, and we are talking about Newton’s 2nd Law of Motion: in a nutshell, Force is equal to Mass multiplied by Acceleration.
 
Strength is a way of talking about the application of force. An athlete can apply force to the ground, to an opponent, to a ball or other piece of sports equipment, or even internally to his or her own body.

Mass & Magnitude

The mass in this equation is what’s being moved. As an athlete that could be things like:
  • a ball or stick in your hands, to
  • your own body weight (jumping, sprinting and cutting)
  • a 300-pound linemen
  • 500 pounds on a barbell

Acceleration and Time

One thing most people recognize is that in sports, doing things quicker is usually an advantage. Athletes don’t have unlimited time to apply force.
 
Acceleration is how fast something increases its speed. The faster the acceleration, and thus the speed, the shorter the time.
 
In sprinting or agility, your foot is in contact with the ground for a limited time. In jumping, there is limited time, and doing it faster than your opponent can be key.  When throwing or kicking a ball or swinging a racket, bat or stick, you want it moving as fast as possible.
 
Speed of movement matters.

Muscle Action

In physics, force is what we call a “vector.” This means it has a magnitude (how much?) and a direction (which way?). Direction matters because forces can be applied in different directions for different effects.
 
One thing to consider about direction is whether the muscle is lengthening or shortening during the contraction. When it’s contracting and getting shorter (e.g., bringing the bar up in a Bicep Curl), it’s called a “concentric” action.
 
If you’re applying force while the muscle lengthens (e.g., while slowly lowering the bar in the 2nd half of the Bicep Curl), it’s called an “eccentric” action.
 
Types of muscle contractions:
  • CONCENTRIC = Shortening
  • ECCENTRIC = Lengthening
Eccentric and concentric strength are not the same. The same muscles may be used, the same structures and contractile proteins, and the same lints moved. Yet, the brain uses different motor control strategies. For the same action concentrically or eccentrically the motor control is different.

Physiology & Motor Control

Another important thing to understand about strength for athletes is where it comes from.  Often people equate strength with bigger muscles. This is for good reason, because they are related, although not perfectly and not for all types.
 
Generating force with your body is a combination of the structure of your muscles (size and biological content) and your neuromuscular control. The muscle is your engine to develop horsepower, but your brain is the driver that decides how hard you push the pedal.

Sport-Specific Strength

When we analyze an athlete in his or her sport, we observe various forms of movement. Speed, agility, jumping, throwing, kicking, hitting, twisting, landing and so on are movement caused by how an athlete generates force.
 
It follows that all types of athletic movement are based on how you generate and apply strength.
 
Still, how can everything be about strength? Is what your muscles do squatting a full barbell different from what they do when you throw a baseball that only weighs ounces?
 
The answer to understanding strength is actually composed of different combinations of Newton’s 2nd Law. Force = Mass multiplied by Acceleration

Playing with the Equation

In different movements we manipulate the 3 parts of the equation—Force, Mass and Acceleration (Speed & Time). The we consider the direction of contraction (eccentric or concentric). Now we have a way to analyze sports movements and strength types.
 
We use this movement-based approach to simplify complex biomechanics into 6 specific types of strength.

6 Types of Strength

Max Strength

This is the basic capability of the muscle to produce a forceful contraction. In application it also involves coordinating multiple muscle groups across multiple joints. The amount of force that can be generated regardless of the time it takes to develop and apply it is called max strength. This is what we call this type of strength even when he or she is under sub-maximal loads.
Maximum strength
Using a car analogy, imagine a big industrial dump truck. It may not move fast, but it can move big loads.

Eccentric Strength

As mentioned before, motor control is different if the action is concentric or eccentric. The capacity to develop high levels of eccentric force is key in sports. Actions such as landing from a jump, stopping, changing direction, winding up to throw a ball and swinging a bat are all eccentric in nature.
When we come to cars, think brakes.  Eccentric strength is like having great brakes on a car to handle those high speeds. An F1 racer has to have great brakes so he or she can go into turns as fast as possible before braking.

Strength-Speed Power

Most sports applications of force involves doing it quickly. Faster is usually better. This is where power comes in. Power is equal to the velocity times the force. Increasing either force or the speed its applied will lead to more power.
strength speed
When an athlete applies force rapidly to a larger load (e.g., blocking another lineman or pushing a bobsled), it’s what we term Strength-Speed Power. “Strength” is first in the name because it’s the bigger component in generating the power. This is like a NASCAR racer who can apply a lot of torque (force), moving the car even at high speeds.

Speed-Strength Power

Here it’s the “speed” of movement (or short time of force application) that is the larger factor in generating the power. Think of an athlete swinging a bat, throwing a ball, or applying force to the ground during high velocity sprinting.
The racing analogy is more akin to motorcycle racing—still applying force at high speeds (like NASCAR), but against much lighter loads.

Rate of Force Development

This is the drag racer. In a drag race, the goal is to go from 0 mph to full speed in as little time as possible. This is the same quality that creates quickness in an athlete. Rapid movement of the limbs, a quick release of the ball throwing or a shot in hockey, fast feet for soccer. Being able to rapidly generate force, regardless of whether the force level is high is known as Rate of Force Development.
Rate of Force Development
A drag racer coming off the line and getting up to speed as fast as possible is a good car analogy.

Reactive Strength

This one’s a combo. It’s a fast eccentric action coupled with a high RFD force. Think of rapid footwork, or a quick step to change direction and juke an opponent. Or the second quick jump when a basketball player comes down and goes back up quickly to get a rebound.
We use a motocross bike as the analogy. Because it has high Rate of Force Development with eccentric-type landings of bumps that gives it that “springy” quality.

Developing Strength that’s Functional

At the end of the day, athletes want the type of strength that will help them perform at the highest level and gives them the resilience to stay healthy.
 
Every athlete needs a base across all six types of strength. While it seems to make sense to go straight to the specific type of strength for your sport, it’s not the best strategy.
 
 
Doing that actually limits development and long-term potential. During early stages of strength training, a broad base of strength is important. Even at the elite levels of sport, athletes mix strength types during different parts of the year.
 
As you progress in your development and level of competition, you begin to focus on the specific qualities. Focusing on the strength types more important to your sport, your position, and even your individual genetics and style of play.
 
Strength is much more than how much you can lift on the barbell.
athletic strength signature

Do You Know What Your Strength Signature Is?

Is Your Agility Important for Soccer?

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Soccer Agility

Is Your Agility Important for Soccer?

Sprinting speed is very important, but soccer isn’t a track meet. It’s not a linear game, and elite soccer players have great agility in addition to blazing straight-ahead speed.
 
We divide agility into two key components—quickness and change of direction. Sprinting speed is great, but if you can’t change direction, you’re going to get burned.

Velocity Speed Formula

The Velocity Speed Formula doesn’t apply only to linear sprinting. It also applies to multi-directional movements. The motor control may be different, but Newton’s Laws of Motion still apply, no matter what direction you are traveling.  The Velocity Speed Formula has 4 components;
  • Big Force
  • Small Time
  • Proper Direction
  • Optimal Range of Motion

RELATED: The Velocity BIG 4 Speed Formula

There are differences in how we apply the Formula with agility compared to sprinting. When we compare BIG FORCE, the magnitude may be different, as might the type of muscle contractions.
 
For agility, SMALL TIME and PROPER DIRECTION usually become more important. When it comes to OPTIMAL RANGE OF MOTION, it’s usually smaller in agility than in sprinting.
 
Same scientifically based formula, different types and values going into it.

Quickness

You know the feeling you get watching elite players with incredible quickness? Their movements are crisp, precise and lightning fast. They are able to keep their bodies in total control while making moves.
 
Lightning-fast movements made in 1 or 2 steps can make all the difference when reacting to an opponent, or leaving one on the ground.
 
When we consider Quickness, the emphasis moves away from BIG FORCE and changes to SMALL TIME, PROPER DIRECTION and OPTIMAL RANGE OF MOTION.
 
Body control and balance are big parts of true athletic quickness. Without them, you are like a fish out of water, flailing ineffectively. Athletic quickness requires that you have the balance to keep your body in control. That you can apply ground reactions forces effectively to move you in the PROPER DIRECTION.
 
This becomes even more evident in soccer, where many of your moves are made with a ball at your feet. You must have excellent single-leg balance, stability and quickness. This let you forces to your body for movement and still maintain good touch on the ball.
 
When it comes to quickness and your footwork, smaller, not bigger movements, are usually the OPTIMAL RANGE OF MOTION. That’s because you need your feet close to the ground to react and make movements quicker.
 
The ground reaction force is smaller, but quicker and more reactive. When most people think about strength, they imagine how much someone can lift on a barbell. However, that is only one type of strength.
 
The Velocity Sports Performance methodology uses six strength types to make athletes more effective in the game. To improve quickness we are more focused on developing Rate of Force Development and Reactive Strength.

Rate of Force Development

This type of strength is all about how fast you can turn on your muscles and generate force. In biomechanics, it’s called Rate of Force Development (RFD).

Player A may be stronger when squatting with a barbell; but since Player B can turn his muscles on quicker, he’ll start moving faster than Player A. As shown above, when it comes to quickness, it’s not how much force you can produce, but how quickly you can produce it.

Reactive Strength

If an athlete is already moving one way, he or she has to apply force to re-direct his or her momentum. This is Newton’s First Law of Motion. Paraphrased, an object will keep going in the same direction unless acted on by another force. Exercising agility and quickness, an athlete must apply this other force.
During quick agility movements, the foot’s contact with the ground first requires an eccentric muscle action. Eccentric actions occur when the muscle is exerting force one way to resist the athlete’s momentum.
 
This rapid eccentric force to change momentum is immediately followed by a high RFD to redirect the athlete. Rapid eccentric force coupled with a high RFD in a small time are what we biomechanically call Reactive Strength.

What You Need

Here are some examples of how you might improve your quickness.
 
Reactive Strength and RFD
  • Single-Leg Hop Back
  • Ladder Drills – Backward Single-Leg
Body Control and Dynamic Balance
  • Hexagon Agility
  • Single-Leg Med Ball

Change of Direction

Soccer isn’t linear; it constantly changes from one part of the field to another. You have to mark a player who is going one direction, then another. As a soccer player, you need to be good at both.
 
If the angle of the change is less than 90 degrees, it’s an obtuse (quick) cut. If it’s more than 90 degrees, it’s an acute (sharp) cut. You want to think about this, because the SPEED formula is a little different for each. As a soccer player, you need to be good at both.
 
Both types of change of direction are common in soccer. They are among the most demanding actions for your muscles and for your energy systems. They also can make or break key moments. If you can’t shake a defender when attacking, or can’t stay glued to the attacker when defending, you lose.

Quick Cut

The quick cut usually happens at speed. You’re dribbling down the field and want to make a small change to throw the defender off balance or get to an open space. Or, you may be defending a tracking a player as he or she moves across the field. He or she is trying to lose you, and you need to make small cuts to stay with them.

Sharp Cut

Sharp cuts also happen. You’re defending a player with the ball racing in one direction. He or she makes a quick stop, pulls the ball back and goes the other way.  You’d better make a fast sharp cut to stay with him or her.

The Formula for Change of Direction

The Speed Formula is different for BIG FORCE and SMALL TIME in cutting movements. The quick cut is just that—quick, meaning the time on the ground is smaller and the angle change (and therefore the amount of force applied) is smaller.
 
This requires Reactive Strength. In the sharp cut, you have to absorb a lot more momentum to stop going one way, then reapply large force to re-accelerate in a new direction. This requires a combination of Eccentric Strength and Speed-Strength.
 
The Formula is also different in the OPTIMAL RANGE OF MOTION. The sharp cut has to absorb more momentum eccentrically. This means the knees and hips will bend more and/or you will take more steps, whereas the quick cut should only see a little bend at the knees and hips.

Improving Change of Direction

Change of Direction is about the physics of momentum. For best results, you need to understand how to apply the Speed Formula properly. Here are some examples of exercises you can use;
Strength Needed for Agility
Eccentric Strength
  • Kettlebell Swings
  • Single-Leg Hurdle Hops and Stick
  • Ladder Lowering
Effective Mechanics
  • Activate Base Drills
  • Inside Box Drill
  • Wall Crossover Drills
  • Carioca Quickstep

Soccer Agility Makes You A Better Player

True soccer game speed means linear speed and agility. Whether it’s the quickness exhibited with fast footwork and dynamic moves, or rapid changes of direction, you can’t be lacking. These are skills that can be trained through better movement mechanics and by improving the right physical qualities. Take control of your game speed and improve to succeed.

4 Rules for designing effective workouts for the female athlete

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female athlete

Demands for strength, power, speed and intensity at all levels of women’s sports are greater than ever, so it should come as no surprise that strength and conditioning work should prove a vital component of a developing high school athlete’s specific, year-round physical preparation.

Although sports participation among females has grown exponentially in the past 30 years, since Title IX took effect, the issue of strength and conditioning participation and training adherence for female high school athletes remains a topic that has only recently come to the research forefront.

Given the fact that girls represent approximately 50 percent of the estimated 7 million-plus high school athletes in the U.S., it is imperative that focus be turned to high school females especially. High school girls face the same on-field and on-court demands as their male counterparts, yet differences between the genders do in fact significantly influence the effectiveness of strength training, as well as the overall participation of high school girls in organized strength and conditioning programs.

The purpose of this article is to shed light on unique challenges and considerations that need to be made when working with high school females, before practically discussing (in Part 2) ways in which girls can make strength training more accessible to themselves.

The Basics

In a 2012 research study by Reynolds & Colleagues looking at high school strength and conditioning participation among varsity high school athletes in the state of Idaho, the authors concluded that although 84 percent of high school coaches provided some form of strength and conditioning support to their athletes, only 37 percent actually required it for their teams. Additional findings from this study reinforced anecdotal evidence from large numbers of high school strength coaches nationwide that more boys teams are required to participate in strength training programs than girls teams, and that on average, high school male athletes participate more and train more frequently and consistently than female athletes.

In my recent article on strength training for middle school football players, I described strength as being the “One Thing” any young athlete (irrespective of gender) could develop in the off-season to enhance performance while simultaneously reducing the likelihood of injury.

Applying this same concept to girls, certain general considerations do in fact need to be made when trying to develop strength. Specifically, the following not only affect training outcomes, but also rates of participation among high school girls, leading to the alarming paradox of female athletes needing strength training even more than males, yet on average being less willing to participate in it.

1. Females have physiological differences that need to be taken into account, including lesser rates of absolute strength and power and greater degrees of congenital joint laxity.

Female competitors are built differently than male athletes. Although boys and girls share the same physical structures like muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons, the nature of these structures differs between the genders. To illustrate, girls (on average) possess both fewer and smaller muscle fibers than boys. In addition, through differences in hormonal make-up and physiology, girls also possess greater degrees of congenital joint laxity or global hyper-mobility.

These facts provide the proverbial “double-whammy” for females. They have less natural strength to generate power and more unstable joint surfaces to help control their bodies during sporting actions. A classic example can be witnessed on the basketball court, where upon landing, a typical untrained high school female athlete experiences knee valgus—i.e., their knees caves in. The resultant sheering forces on the knee experienced during landing, combined with a general lack of eccentric muscle strength, leads to females being 2-8 times more likely than their male counterparts to experience an ACL tear during their sporting career. Thus, physical differences between high school males and females clearly have drastic implications from both a sports medicine and sports performance standpoint.

RELATED: STUDY: Female Athletes Are at Higher Risk of Overuse Injuries

2. The fear of “bulking up” is unfounded; however, females do have differences in natural hormone concentrations, impacting muscle mass and training gains.

Anyone who has taken high school biology knows that among other things, hormonal make-up plays a large role in the key physiological differences between the genders. Those who have watched ESPN and Major League Baseball in the last 20 years are familiar with the male hormone testosterone, and what high levels of it (especially when artificially synthesized through anabolic steroids) can do in terms of supporting muscle growth and enhancing strength levels. The fact remains, however, that women too naturally possess testosterone, albeit in much lesser concentration levels than males.

Testosterone is one of the body’s most effective anabolic or “muscle growing” hormones, which can lead to greater strength gains. However, possessing much lower concentrations of these hormones means girls are at a much greater natural disadvantage than boys for attaining muscle mass and subsequent strength gains. This is why the fear of “bulking up” or getting heavy through strength training is so unfounded for girls. The simple truth is that weight training alone will not add tons of pounds to a typical female frame. On the contrary, girls simply do not possess the biochemistry to make sizable gains in lean muscle mass naturally possible. It requires very specific training protocols, nutrition and human biochemistry for girls to attain significant muscle mass (or hypertrophy) gains. Nevertheless, high school coaches point to such unfounded fears as being one of the many reasons high school girls traditionally stay away from the weight room in the first place.

RELATED: Female Athlete’s Guide to Building Muscle And Losing Fat

3. Both upper-body and total-body strength and power must be developed specifically to optimize sporting potential in female athletes.

In addition to having less muscle mass in general, females on average possess less upper-body muscle mass than males. Given the fact that upper-body strength and power are often cited as having one of the most profound impacts upon sports performance skills like spiking a volleyball or shooting a basketball from long range, upper-body strength can be seen as a major limiting factor in performance ability for many females involved in such sports.

In addition, total-body strength deficits have profound performance implications for females involved in all sports. For instance, being able to coordinate the upper and lower extremities when planting or cutting on the field, or transferring power from the ground to overhead (like when serving a tennis ball for example), require total-body power and muscle coordination. Therefore, a lack of upper-body and total-body strength can limit performance dramatically.

4. Females need to train identically to males in the weight room.

Another classic misconception is that girls require entirely different training methodologies to enhance strength and power than boys, such as a greater reliance upon machines or more core work. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although some clear considerations must be taken into account between the genders, like male athletes, female athletes benefit most from strength and conditioning programs built around ground-based compound movements, like the activities I discuss in one of my earlier “Director’s Cut” Podcasts from this year. The simple fact is that males and females need to train equally hard in the weight room to make performance gains and prevent injury.

In summary, strength training is widely regarded as one of the most effective practices for enhancing sports performance and reducing the likelihood of injury in high school athletics. Although afforded generally equal opportunities in the weight room, girls on average participate significantly less than boys in high school strength and conditioning programs, implying that the estimated 3 million-plus high school girls participating in varsity sports annually represent potentially one of the most underserved training populations within the entire field of strength and conditioning. Many myths, including significant muscle gain from strength training, continue to mislead high school girls, leading in part to sub-optimal participation in organized strength training programs. Given that females require the same strength characteristics as males to prevent injury and succeed on the field, it is imperative that high school coaches fully understand the unique difference and challenges of working with high school female populations.

In the next installment, I will discuss how to avoid intimidation in the weight room, so coaches and athletes alike can do their part in ensuring that high school female competitors benefit equally from organized strength and conditioning programs.

References

  • Fischer, Donald V. “Strategies for Improving Resistance Training Adherence in Female Athletes.” Strength and Conditioning Journal 27.2 (2005): 62-67. Web.
  • “Managing Laxity in Lifters and Athletes.” Tony Gentilcore Managing Laxity in Lifters and Athletes Part 1 Comments. N.p., 13 Aug. 2013. Web. 06 July 2016.
  • “An Athlete’s Nightmare: Tearing the ACL.” An Athlete’s Nightmare: Tearing the ACL. National Institute of Health & The Friends of the National Library of Medicine, 2008. Web. 14 July 2016.
  • Fischer, Donald V. “Strategies for Improving Resistance Training Adherence in Female Athletes.” Strength and Conditioning Journal 27.2 (2005): 62-67. Web.
  • “Managing Laxity in Lifters and Athletes.” Tony Gentilcore Managing Laxity in Lifters and Athletes Part 1 Comments. N.p., 13 Aug. 2013. Web. 06 July 2016.
  • “An Athlete’s Nightmare: Tearing the ACL.” An Athlete’s Nightmare: Tearing the ACL. National Institute of Health.
  • Reynolds, Monica L., Lynda B. Ransdell, Shelley M. Lucas, Linda M. Petlichkoff, and Yong Gao. “An Examination of Current Practices and Gender Differences in Strength and Conditioning in a Sample of Varsity High School Athletic Programs.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26.1 (2012): 174-83. Web.
  • Stone, Michael H., Meg Stone, and Bill Sands. Principles and Practice of Resistance Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2007. Print.
  • Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. Science and Practice of Strength Training. 2nd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2006. Print.

Training the young female athlete – Coach Chris Rice

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For female athletes, especially field athletes, improving balance and stability will be key when we are talking about reducing the risk of injury.  Today, we talk about on of my favorite prehab exercises to strengthen the hips and reinforce the knee stability, and that is the single leg star step on an airex pad

RELATED: Discover the Secret Elite Sports Organizations Know About Building Champion Athletes.

If you want that six pack, you better understand the fundamentals of fat loss

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fundamentals of fat loss

Lots of people want to lose bodyfat and get leaner.  Many hope to get lean enough to show off six-pack abs. If so, you better understand the fundamentals of fat loss.

Unfortunately with all the conflicting information out there it can be hard to know what works and what’s important.  Nutrition, keto, paleo, supplements, cardio, strength, HIIT, CrossFit…?  Its a long list of confusing information.

If you want a six pack, better understand the fundamentals of fat loss.  Sports Performance Director Tim Hanway from Velocity Norwood, shares some of the fundamentals of fat loss.