Injury Risk From Returning To Sports Too Fast

return to sports after covid injury risks

Detraining during injury and a quick return will increase injury risk

The injury risk while returning to sports after time off is greater than most coaches realize.

That time off may be anything from offseasons, in-season holidays, or unfortunately injury.

Preventing injuries has to be one of the highest priorities for coaches, teams, and organizations as athletes return to sports after time off. 

What’s the point of getting back to practice, if our athletes are getting hurt and missing sport anyway?

The detraining they have gone through means the athlete’s returning aren’t the same ones who left.  Their physical capacities will be different.

So how do we know if they will be at risk?

Return To Sport Lessons For Elite Sports

We know athletes’ have increased risks when returning after significant injury or surgery.  And we aren’t talking about just reinjuring the same body part, but the increased risk of other injuries since they haven’t been training.

We also can look at data from years in pro sports with shorter seasons and lockouts.  Consistently the number of injuries is much higher when the athletes return.

One of the risk factors in all these scenarios is the accumulation of fatigue.  As athletes fatigue, their injury risks increase.  The athletes coming off lockdown restrictions will fatigue faster.  They aren’t in the same shape to train and have a lower ability to recover.

If athletes have been consistently trying to maintain at least 25% of their normal training volume, consider how detrained they are over just 8 weeks.

Even if you ramp up training over the weeks at 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% the gap will be large and increase their risk of injury.

This also reinforces a key point about rehab and training during injury; maintain as much as possible. By keeping more training volume while injured you’re going to bounce back faster.

Stress As A Stimulus

Another factor in the injury risk returning to sports is how quickly they ramp up training again.

Practice, training, and competitions are a stimulus and stress for the athlete’s body.  We want some stimulus, so they adapt, putting some savings back in that bank account.  This is the increase in their readiness.  That’s the overall level of their abilities from training.

However, that same stimulus, when taken too far, overloads the athlete beyond their ability to adapt.  This level of stress can lead to immediate fatigue, which increases injury risk.  Remember, the athletes will likely have a diminished ability to recover as fast.  Both within a single practice session and between sessions.

When the stress overload is too high, it also damages tissues.  That damage may be a small injury that adds up to those chronic, overuse injuries.  It could also manifest as acute muscle strains and tendon sprains.

The Acute To Chronic Workload Ratio In Return To Sports

In elite sports, a lot of research and effort have gone into understanding how changes in training workload influence injury risk.  The general consensus is that if the volume of training drops too much, athletes detrain. Then their injury risk can go up.   If it increases too fast, then injury risks increase

For those planning the return to sport, this is an essential concept.

Chronic Training Load

Consider two measures of the training workload.  The first we call chronic workload.  This is the average workload that has been happening over time.  Often we look at the average of the last eight weeks, with some extra importance in the most recent weeks.

This should make intuitive sense for a coach.  The work, an athlete, has been doing in training over several weeks is what they can tolerate.  It’s what the athlete has adapted to.   Some practices are intense and some less severe, but it’s the average accumulated workload that they have adapted to.

Think about what this means for athletes right now.  They are getting drastically less workload.  Even if they are putting in their best efforts, they are getting far less than the total they were getting from practice, training, and competition before.

The workload is also relatively specific to the type and intensity of the work.  The workload from 60 minutes of high-intensity practice or games, is much different than 60 minutes of bodyweight training and modified conditioning programs.

So as each week of sports lockdown progresses, the athlete’s average for the last eight weeks is dropping.  Their chronic workload number is going down.  

Acute Training Load

On the other hand, acute training workload is what they are going through now.  This is typically looked at as the last 5-7 days.  Some days may be harder, others more relaxed, but the average is what the athlete’s bodies are working to recover from and adapt to.

The relationship to injury comes in when we see a significant gap in the acute and chronic training load.  This relationship is called the acute to chronic workload ratio (ACWR). 

ACWR – Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio

The average acute training load (last 5-7 days) divided by the average chronic training load (last 6-8 weeks).

CHRONIC Workload = 100 units

ACUTE Workload = 110 units (a 10% increase this week)

ACWR = 1.1

Any time there is an increase in the training load, we see the acute: chronic greater than 1.  Although the exact number varies by sport and finer details of workload, we still know when that number gets too big we have a problem.

Coaches have been pushing athletes for decades to train more and train harder, so they adapt. A jump in the training load itself won’t automatically increase injury risk.

On the other hand, it’s not hard to understand that if you keep doubling the amount of training every week, at some point, they are going to break down.

This graph is from Tim Gabbett, The training—injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder?, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016.

While the precise ratio may be debatable, the concept isn’t. Interestingly, lowering training too much also started to increase injury risk. With an injury athletes often end up far off the left side of this graph.

Recent research in pro sports has explored this ratio.  A few years ago, there was a big push based on some excellent research that a ratio of around 1.5 increased injury risk.  

The exact number is not what we are worried about per se because the athlete’s age and level and the sport have an impact. What does matter is the basic premise; increasing workload too quickly leads to elevated injury risk.

Coaches, if you return athletes to practice without a progressive plan, and follow your normal approach, you might be putting your athletes in harm’s way.

Athletes will have a greater injury risk when returning to sports

Most athletes are looking to get back into training and competition quickly.

However, in doing so, we must recognize and plan for the unique situation we are in as coaches, and organizations.

So be proactive. If you’re not back to practice yet, get your athletes some help and programming that addresses their specific needs when they return.

Get with a knowledgeable sports performance professional who can help you put a plan together to ramp back up as quickly as possible.

The vital point for sports coaches is that if you increase the training load too fast, the injury risk returning to sports goes up.

The Kinetic Chain in Overhead Sports: A Linked System

This article aims to provide valuable insights and practical knowledge to athletes and coaches involved in overhead sports. By understanding the body as a linked system, you can optimize performance and minimize the risk of injuries.

Introduction

In overhead sports, such as throwing, serving, or pitching, athletes and coaches are seeking ways to improve performance. Just as importantly, they are trying to reduce ever-present shoulder and arm injuries.

One crucial concept that holds the key to achieving these goals is understanding the body as a linked system.

Its the kinetic chain as a linked system that helps athletes develop roatational velocity in their shoulder and arm. This is critical in sports such as:

  • Baseball & Softball
  • Volleyball
  • Tennis
  • Cricket
  • Waterpolo
  • Team Handball
  • Javelin

By recognizing the interconnectedness of different parts of the body and how they work together, athletes and coaches can unlock their full potential and unleash optimal performance.

So, let’s delve into the fascinating world of the athletic body as a linked system.

The Kinetic Chain In Overhead Sports

Imagine a symphony orchestra performing a masterpiece. Each musician plays their part, contributing to the harmonious whole.

Similarly, the human body operates as a symphony of movement, with each joint and muscle group playing a specific role in generating and transferring force. This interconnected system is known as the kinetic chain.

In overhead sports, the kinetic chain is particularly crucial. Let’s take throwing a baseball as an example. It all starts with the lower body—your legs and hips generate power and initiate the movement.

The kinetic chain in overhead athletes produces high velocity through a summation of forces
In most overhead actions, the arm is only one of the last contributors to velocity. Its the lower body and torse that generate most of the power.

The energy then travels up through your core and transfers to your upper body, finally being released through your arm and hand.

Every joint, from your ankles and knees to your hips, spine, and shoulder, acts as a link in this chain, contributing to the seamless flow of energy.

To optimize performance and reduce injury risk, it’s essential to understand the specific kinetic chain in overhead sports.

By identifying the sequential activation of muscle groups and the critical role of core stability, athletes and coaches can develop targeted training strategies that maximize performance while minimizing stress on individual joints.

Myofascial Lines: The Connective Tissue Web

Beyond the joints and muscles, another essential component of the body’s linked system is the fascia—a complex web of connective tissue that envelops and supports our muscles and organs.

Myofascial lines are the pathways that create the kinetic chain in overhead athletes. They connect multiple joints and muscle groups, allowing for the transmission of forces and energy throughout the body.

Imagine a spider’s web—the tension and interconnectedness between its threads.

Similarly, myofascial lines provide tensional networks within the body, capable of storing and releasing elastic energy during overhead movements. This mechanism is crucial for generating power and optimizing movement efficiency.

The legs created rive and the myofascial lines store elastic energy

In the context of throwing, the myofascial lines act like springs, stretching and storing elastic energy as you load and cock your arm back.

The myofascial lines transfer this stored energy.. When released,it creates a whip-like effect that adds velocity and power to your throw.

The stored elastic energy in several large myofascial chains is released to create velocity

Proper utilization of the myofascial lines can also help with deceleration, reducing stress on specific joints during the follow-through phase of an overhead motion. Remember, the summation of forces starts with large muscle groups. However, the arm and shoulder only have small muscles to decelerate.

Myofascial lines in deceleration
The large eccentric forces required for decelerating the arm after release are linked through several differnt myofascial chains.

To harness the benefits of myofascial lines, athletes and coaches can incorporate specific exercises and techniques into their training routines.

Dynamic stretching, foam rolling, and mobility drills that target the myofascial lines can enhance their flexibility and elasticity, improving performance and reducing the risk of injuries.

The Joint-by-Joint Approach: Balancing Mobility and Stability

A key principle in understanding the body as a linked system is the joint-by-joint approach. This approach recognizes that different joints have varying needs for mobility and stability to perform optimally. It’s like a delicate dance between providing enough freedom of movement in some joints while ensuring stability and control in others.

Think of the joint-by-joint approach as a blueprint for optimizing movement.

Kinetic chains in overhead sports

Mobility & Stability Needs In Overhead Athletes

When we look at the kinetic chain in overhead sports certain joints have a bias towards needing mobility. The shoulders, thoracic spine, and hips, require a greater range of motion to generate power and provide mobility.

On the other hand, joints like the elbow, scapular-thoracic, and lumbar spine have a bias towards stability to prevent excessive movement and maintain proper alignment.

When any joint within the kinetic chain lacks the appropriate level of mobility or stability, it can lead to compensations and increased stress on neighboring joints.

For example, limited hip mobility may result in excessive stress on the lumbar spine during a throwing motion. Conversely, insufficient stability in the scapular muscles can lead to increased strain on the rotator cuff muscles.

By understanding the joint-by-joint approach, athletes and coaches can identify and address limitations or imbalances in specific joints. This involves a comprehensive assessment of each joint’s mobility, stability, and movement patterns. Based on the assessment findings, targeted interventions can be implemented to restore balance and optimize joint function.

For instance, if an athlete demonstrates restricted ankle mobility, exercises and stretches that improve ankle range of motion can be incorporated into their training program.

Additionally, incorporating strength and stability exercises for the shoulder joint can enhance its ability to withstand the demands of overhead movements.

The joint-by-joint approach provides a framework for designing individualized training programs that address the unique needs of each athlete. By promoting optimal mobility and stability in all relevant joints, athletes can move efficiently, generate power effectively, and minimize the risk of injuries.

Conclusion

Understanding the kinetic chain in overhead sports is paramount for optimizing performance and reducing the risk of injuries.

By recognizing the intricate interplay of the kinetic chain, myofascial lines, and the joint-by-joint approach, you can unlock your full potential and excel in your chosen sport.

Remember, the body is not just a collection of isolated parts; it operates as a dynamic and interconnected system. If you move beyond isolated strengthening, you can enhance your performance and maintain a healthy, resilient body.

To implement these concepts effectively, seek guidance from qualified professionals such as Velocity’s performance coaches and sports rehab specialists. They provide tailored training programs, assessment techniques, and interventions to help you optimize your body’s linked system for overhead sports.

So, embrace the idea of the body as a linked system, and unlock your true potential as an overhead athlete. With knowledge, training, and a holistic approach, you can soar to new heights and achieve your athletic goals while keeping injuries at bay.

Unlocking Tennis Performance: The Power of Tennis-Specific Training

At Velocity Sports Performance, we understand why you may be seeking tennis-specific training. We also understand the unique challenges that tennis players face when it comes to improving their game.

One common mistake we often see is players spending so much time on the court without incorporating off-court training that can enhance overall athleticism. The allure of sport-specific training makes sense.

It’s time to find the right balance and unlock your true potential.

Tennis-Specific Training: Unleashing Your Full Potential

Let’s clear the air and define what “tennis-specific” really means. In simple terms, any training that results in improved tennis performance and helps prevent injuries is considered tennis-specific.

It goes beyond just playing tennis or mimicking on-court movements. Tennis-specific training aims to develop the specific adaptations required for the sport, while also addressing potential limitations and injury risks.

Positive Adaptations and Injury Prevention

Playing tennis leads to both positive and negative adaptations in our bodies. Positive adaptations include increased muscular development in specific areas, enhanced aerobic capacity, and improved endurance.

These adaptations directly contribute to better performance on the court.

However, there can also be negative adaptations that can increase the risk of injuries. One of the reasons is that tennis training leads to loading the same repetitive motions. It also doesn’t overload your body beyond the level of the sport.

These negative adaptations include things such as decreased range of motion in certain joints or excessive wear and tear leading to inflammation in specific tendons.

Minimizing Limitations and Maximizing Potential

To minimize negative adaptations and enhance performance, it’s crucial to incorporate different types of physical development exercises throughout your training year. By incorporating a range of exercises with different degrees of specificity we can create adaptation while also minimizing overuse.

Dynamic Correspondence in Exercise Selection

To help give some granularity, let’s delve into the concept of dynamic correspondence and its role in selecting the right exercises to elevate your tennis game.

Dynamic correspondence is all about choosing exercises that relate to the movement patterns, skills, force production, and energy systems used in tennis.

By tailoring your training to mimic the demands of the sport, you can maximize your performance potential on the court. Let’s explore the different types of exercises and their tennis-related examples.

dynamic correspondence in exercise selection

1) Competitive Exercises:

Competitive exercises are those that replicate the actual movements and skills you use during a tennis match. They aim to simulate game-like scenarios and help you develop the specific skills required for success on the court.

For example, engaging in practice matches, and participating in drills that focus on shot placement and strategy are competitive exercises. Performing agility exercises with quick direction changes and returning balls would be competitive exercises that closely mirror the challenges faced during actual gameplay.

Special developmental exercises use the specific movements of the sport. This is what most people think of as “tennis-specific training.”

2) Special Developmental Exercises:

Special developmental exercises focus on specific aspects of your tennis performance that need improvement. These exercises target particular skills, strengths, or attributes crucial for excelling in the sport.

This is what people tend to think of as tennis-specific training. Afterall it involves the specific patterns and movements of tennis. It looks like tennis!

For tennis, these exercises could involve mimicking tennis footwork with added resistance, or utilizing resistance bands to strengthen your hitting muscles for more powerful shots.

3) Specific Preparatory Exercises:

Specific preparatory exercises aim to prepare your body for the demands of tennis and on-court training. They focus on developing the physical qualities and movement patterns directly relevant to the sport. These exercises help you become more proficient in the fundamental movements and build muscle memory for better performance.

In terms of strength and power, it might be explosive lifts, plyometrics, or that reflect the duration, muscle groups, and rate of force development that you need in tennis.

Another example would be various rotation medicine ball exercises that specific prepare you for the kinetic chain linking you use in your tennis strokes.

4) General Exercises:

General exercises form the foundation of your training regimen and contribute to overall athletic development.

They focus on building strength, power, flexibility, balance, and coordination in a more general sense. They don’t directly replicate tennis-specific movements.

Examples of general exercises for tennis players include weightlifting exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups, which improve overall strength and stability. Additionally, incorporating core exercises such as planks and medicine ball twists can enhance your balance and stability on the court.

By incorporating a combination of competitive, special developmental, specific preparatory, and general exercises into your training routine, you can optimize your tennis performance.

Being tennis-specific makes sense on the surface, but remember it may actually interfere with skill development and adds to the repetitive loading of joints and tendons

The Allure of Tennis-Specific Training

Tennis-specific exercises hold a certain allure for players seeking to enhance their performance on the court.

These exercises directly target the skills, movements, and adaptations specific to tennis, making them seem highly relevant and valuable.

However, the danger lies in overutilizing tennis-specific exercises without striking a balance with other types of training. While these exercises play a crucial role in developing sport-specific attributes, neglecting general exercises that enhance overall strength, mobility, and conditioning can hinder an athlete’s progress.

Specialized Training: Elevating Your Performance

In some cases, players may face limitations in executing certain tennis drills due to a lack of first-step abilities or specific physical qualities.

This is where specialized training becomes essential. It bridges the gap between physical abilities and tennis-specific training, ensuring a well-rounded and effective training regimen.

Specialized training focuses on exercises that address underlying physical qualities needed for tennis. Rather than just general fitness or strength, it’s things like training for improving lower-body force development or increasing upper-body velocity-specific joint stability.

The Role of General Training

While specialized and tennis-specific training are both crucial, we must not overlook the importance of general training.

General training includes strength training, global mobility exercises, speed and acceleration development, and more.

Although these activities may not directly replicate on-court movements, they contribute to overall fitness, augment specialized training, and restore essential movement qualities that may diminish during intensive tennis training.

Finding the Right Balance

At Velocity Sports Performance, we believe in a comprehensive approach that incorporates all three types of training: general, specialized, and tennis-specific.

The proportion of time allocated to each type varies depending on individual factors like training age, tournament schedule, injury history, and skill level.

As players progress through their specific preparation phase, the focus shifts towards more on-court tennis-specific training, while still maintaining elements of specialized and general training.

Plan for Success

Effective planning is a vital component of optimizing tennis performance.

By having a structured training program that encompasses all three training types, players can strategically target specific qualities, prevent overtraining, and maximize long-term adaptations.

While flexibility and adaptability are key, establishing a solid foundation through a well-structured, periodized plan sets the stage for success.

Unleash Your Tennis Potential Today!

Whether you’re a professional tennis player or an aspiring athlete, embracing a holistic training approach that includes general, specialized, and tennis-specific training is crucial for reaching your peak performance.

At Velocity Sports Performance, we have the expertise and resources to guide you on your journey. Join us in unlocking your true tennis potential and taking your game to new heights!

Human Performance 23.2 – GBC Intensification

Its time to intensify our German Body Composition program for continued results

As human performance professionals, we’re always on the lookout for effective and efficient programs to help clients achieve their fitness goals. In last month’s training block we introduced a German Body Composition training (GBC) program.

GBCT is a unique and scientifically-backed workout program designed to help you build strength, improve your cardio conditioning, and enhance your body composition.

This month we build on that by moving from an accumulation phase to a (mixed) intensification phase.  We say mixed because this is not a typical intensification phase that moves to higher speeds and/or higher percentage of percent RepMax. 

Instead, it starts to do that only in the main strength exercises, and also by adding some higher velocity explosive movements.

So if you’re looking to take your fitness to the next level, or just want to try something new and effective, the GBC program is the perfect fit.

Get ready to challenge yourself and see the results you’ve always wanted.

The Workouts

The workouts are comprised of compound strength movements, high-rep kettlebell exercises, and intense cardio intervals.

The combination of these elements creates a program that is not only challenging, but also highly effective in;

  • raising your heart rate
  • increasing lactate accumulation
  • boosting your metabolism

The program is structured to allow you to perform more total work in each session and to keep your heart rate elevated for maximum calorie burn.

Getting Stronger

During the 1st superset, this program differs from traditional high repetition schemes.  Instead, we are using heavy weights and lower reps.

One of the key elements of this program is autoregulating the weight for your main compound strength movements.

Each week, you’ll perform a rep test set to determine the correct weight for the following week. This allows you to continually increase the intensity of your workouts and to see continual improvements in your strength and fitness.

Work Density

One of this month’s goals is to increase the total amount of work done.  More work in the same time equates to more work density.  Density

In addition to the strength and cardio components, the program also includes a high-intensity cardio interval in the second superset. This helps to further raise your heart rate and lactate accumulation, leading to even greater calorie burn and fat loss.

Whether you’re a seasoned gym-goer or just starting out, this program is designed to be highly effective and challenging, with results you can see and feel.

The Program Structure

The program consists of three full-body strength training sessions per week, with each session lasting approximately 50-60 minutes.

Block A is structured around compound exercises including front squats, deadlifts, and bench press, with a focus on building strength.  This block utilizes autoregulated rep tests on the main compound strength movement, allowing you to continually adjust the load to maximize gains.

In Blocks B & C, you’ll increase the repetitions in compound exercises are paired with high-intensity cardio intervals, designed to increase heart rate and lactate accumulation, leading to an increase in growth hormone, a key hormone for fat loss.

The program also incorporates the use of supersets, pairing upper and lower body exercises, allowing for a higher heart rate and more total work to be done in a workout.

Nutrition for GBC – Based on Your Goals

Nutrition plays a crucial role in any fitness program, and this GBC program is no exception. The right combination of calories, carbohydrates, and macronutrients can make all the difference in helping you achieve your goals.

Protein

For everyone, adequate quality protein is a good start. A protein shake can be a useful strategy for this GBCT program, whether the goal is mass gain or fat loss. Here’s how:

Mass Gain: Protein is essential for building and repairing muscle, so consuming an adequate amount of protein is crucial for those looking to gain mass. Drinking a protein shake after a workout can provide the body with the necessary protein to fuel recovery and promote muscle growth.

Fat Loss: Consuming a protein shake before or after a workout can help increase satiety, reduce cravings, and improve overall calorie control, which can support fat loss efforts. Additionally, drinking a protein shake post-workout can help promote muscle preservation, which can help maintain a higher metabolism and support long-term fat loss.

For Your Goals

You can also alter your nutrition based on your goals.

For muscle gain:

  • Increase total calorie intake: Consuming a surplus of calories is necessary to support muscle growth. A moderate calorie surplus of 250-500 calories above maintenance level can help increase muscle mass.
  • Increase carbohydrate intake: Carbohydrates provide energy for intense exercise and support muscle growth, so increasing carbohydrate intake may be necessary to support muscle gain. Aim for a diet that is 40-60% carbohydrates, with the remainder split between protein and fat.

For fat loss:

  • Reduce total calorie intake: Consuming a calorie deficit is necessary to lose body fat. A moderate calorie deficit of 250-500 calories below maintenance level can help achieve fat loss.
  • Moderate carbohydrate intake: While carbohydrates are important for energy, reducing carbohydrate intake can help create a calorie deficit. Aim for a diet that is 30-50% carbohydrates, with the remainder split between protein and fat.

It’s important to keep in mind that individual calorie and macronutrient needs can vary, so it’s best to work with a registered dietitian or nutritionist to create a personalized plan that supports your goals.

Upgrading Your Results

We’ve already talked about the importance of proper nutrition, but there are other factors you can consider to maximize your progress. Optimizing both your recovery and supplements can boost your results.

Supplements for GBC

There are several research-backed supplements that can help improve fat loss and support your muscle growth during this program. These include caffeine, green tea extract, and creatine among others.

Caffeine & Green tea

Caffeine and green tea have been shown to have thermogenic effects, meaning they can increase energy expenditure and fat oxidation.

Consuming caffeine has been shown to boost metabolism, increase thermogenesis and enhance physical performance. Green tea contains a catechin called EGCG, which has been shown to increase fat oxidation, boost metabolism and decrease body weight.

So consider having that cup of green tea before your next GBC session..

Creatine

Most people think of creatine as a muscle building supplement. However, it can be used as a supplement to support a healthy weight loss. Creatine supplementation can help increase muscle mass and strength, which can increase overall metabolism and contribute to fat loss as part of a calorie-controlled diet and exercise program.

Additionally, creatine can also improve high-intensity exercise performance, allowing for more intense and effective workouts, which can lead to improved body composition and potentially, fat loss.

Lifestyle

Additionally, there are other lifestyle habits that can boost the effectiveness of this program. Getting sufficient sleep, staying hydrated, and reducing stress are helpful. Things like meditation, red light or yoga are all great examples of ways to support your training and help your body recover faster.

23.2 Summary

In conclusion, this GBC program is a comprehensive approach to getting lean that takes into account both strength training and cardio to help you reach your goals.

Whether you’re looking to lose fat, build muscle, or improve your overall fitness, incorporating this program into your routine is sure to provide you with noticeable results in a short amount of time.

With proper nutrition, supplementation, and supportive lifestyle habits, you’ll be on your way to reaching your goals in no time!

The Power of Lactate: How Accumulating Blood Lactate Can Benefit Your Body Composition

accumulating blood lactate

When athletes and coaches talk about accumulating blood lactate, they are generally focused on the work and conditioning aspects of exercise. It’s not usually thought about in terms of fat burning.

However, in this article we’ll explore a different side. How accumulating blood lactate during a workout can stimulate the secretion of human growth hormone (HGH) and promote fat burning.

blood lactate test
coaches and athletes often test blood lactate during workouts

What are Lactate and HGH?

Lactate is a byproduct of exercise that forms when your muscles use glucose for energy. As you exercise harder, your muscles produce more lactate, which accumulates in the blood. HGH, on the other hand, is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland. It plays a crucial role in regulating growth, metabolism, and body composition.

The Benefits of Lactate and HGH

Studies have shown that accumulating blood lactate during exercise can stimulate the secretion of HGH. This is great news for those looking to improve their body composition.

That’s because HGH promotes fat burning and helps to build lean muscle mass. When you exercise at high intensity and push yourself to the limit, your body produces more HGH, which can lead to better body composition results.

How to Accumulate Lactate

You need to exercise intensely enough to accumulate blood lactate

To accumulate lactate, you need to exercise at a high intensity. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to achieve this. HIIT involves short bursts of intense activity followed by rest periods. This type of workout allows you to push your muscles to the limit, producing more lactate and stimulating the secretion of HGH.

Another way to do this without high-intensity intervals is to use supersets with higher reps.

Superset training involves performing two or more compound exercises back-to-back without any rest in between, leading to an increase in heart rate and lactate production. A German Body Composition training program is an example of using this strategy.

These training methods create a high-intensity workout, allowing you to push your muscles to the limit and stimulate the secretion of HGH, leading to improved body composition results.

Benefit from Accumulating Blood Lactate

In conclusion, accumulating blood lactate during exercise is a great way to stimulate the secretion of HGH and promote fat burning.

This can lead to better body composition results, including an increase in lean muscle mass and a decrease in body fat. So the next time you hit the gym, push yourself to the limit and take advantage of the benefits of lactate and HGH.

References:

  • Bishop, D., & Turner, P. (2016). Influence of acute lactate and hydrogen ion accumulation on growth hormone and cortisol secretion. Sports Medicine, 46(6), 825-836.
  • von Schulsenger, J., Verges, S., Vieux, N., Salleron, J., Barbier, B., Le Gallais, D., … & Sagot, J. M. (2013). The impact of high-intensity intermittent exercise on lactate and growth hormone responses. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 12(2), 314.

Human Performance 23.1

To kick-off 2023 the Strength program is based on German Body Composition Training methods to burn fat and build lean tissue

German Body Composition (GBC) training is a style of training that focuses on building muscle mass and increasing strength through the use of compound exercises.

The German Body Composition method has a background in the former Eastern Bloc Sports System. 

According to the story, a defecting sports scientist brought it to Germany in the 1980s.  It was popularized by Charles Poliquin and has become a mainstay of Hollywood trainers preparing starts for roles where they want to look good naked.

GBC Program Methods

Here are some of the main methods used in this month’s GBC program.

  1. Super-setting compound exercises of the lower and upper body – this generates significant work but limits fatigue.
  2. Short rests of :30-:60 sec – helps to build lactate and stimulate hormonal responses
  3. Mid to high volume (20-24reps total per exercise) and total time under tension – to stimulate lactate build-up, and increase caloric burn
  4. Bonus high-intensity cardio exercise – increases lactate production and calorie burn

Changing Body Composition

Body composition refers to the percentage of fat, bone, and muscle in your body. It is important to fitness because it can affect your overall health, athletic performance, and appearance.

Having a healthy body composition is important because excess fat, especially abdominal fat, can increase the risk of a number of health problems, such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. On the other hand, having a high amount of muscle mass can improve metabolism, increase strength and power, and improve athletic performance.

In terms of appearance, having a healthy body composition can help you to achieve a lean and toned physique. This can improve self-esteem and confidence, and contribute to a positive body image.

There are two main strategies to improve body composition in GBC. Burning fat and increasing metabolically active muscle.

Burning Fat

One way in which German Body Composition training may help to shred fat is by increasing metabolically active muscle mass.

As muscle is metabolically active tissue, having more muscle mass can boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories, even at rest. This can contribute to fat loss over time.

Another way in which German body composition training may help to shred fat is by increasing the density of your workouts.

There are a few different ways that total exercise density can be increased in a German body composition program:

  1. Short rest periods: By limiting rest periods between sets and exercises, you can increase the density of your workouts and increase the overall workload.
  2. Supersets: Supersets involve performing two exercises back to back without rest in between. This can increase the density of your workouts and allow you to accomplish more work in a shorter period of time.

It is worth noting that in order to maximize fat loss, it is important to combine German body composition training with a healthy diet and regular cardiovascular exercise. This will help to create a calorie deficit, which is necessary for fat loss to occur.

Building Lean Muscle

Exercise density and time under tension are two factors that can influence muscle growth and contribute to the development of lean muscle mass.

Exercise density refers to the amount of work that is accomplished in a given period of time, typically measured in seconds or minutes. By increasing the density of your workouts, you can increase the overall workload and intensity of your exercises, which can stimulate muscle growth.

Time under tension refers to the amount of time that a muscle is subjected to tension or resistance during an exercise. By increasing the time under tension during an exercise, you can increase the stress placed on the muscle and stimulate muscle growth.

Together both of these are used in our 23.1 GBC program to increase the total workload.

The greater overall workload leads to a better hormonal response post-workout, specifically through anabolic hormones such as testosterone and growth hormone.

Testosterone is a hormone that plays a key role in muscle growth and development. It helps to stimulate protein synthesis, the process by which the body builds new muscle tissue. Higher levels of testosterone can promote muscle growth and increase strength.

Growth hormone (GH) is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that plays a role in growth, metabolism, and the breakdown of fats. GH can stimulate muscle growth and increase fat loss, especially in combination with exercise.

By increasing the density of your workouts, you can stimulate the release of testosterone and GH, which can help to promote muscle growth and improve body composition.

Human Growth Hormone

Boosting your natural human growth hormone (HGH) production helps with both increasing lean muscle and reducing fat.

HGH is released in pulses throughout the day, with the highest levels occurring during sleep. Some studies have suggested that HGH may help to increase fat loss, especially in combination with exercise.

One way in which HGH may help to burn fat is by increasing the breakdown of fat cells, particularly in the abdominal area. HGH may also stimulate the liver to produce insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can help to increase the utilization of fat for energy. In addition, HGH may help to increase muscle mass, which can boost metabolism and contribute to fat loss.

One way in which HGH may help to build lean muscle is by stimulating protein synthesis, the process by which the body builds new muscle tissue. HGH may also help to increase muscle mass by stimulating the production of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which can help to promote muscle growth and repair.

It is worth noting that HGH from GBC training is not a magic bullet for weight loss or muscle building and to see the best results, nutrition, sleep, and lifestyle need to be dialed in.

Supporting the GBC Program

If you want to maximize your gains during the 4 weeks of 23.1, you should support it with lifestyle strategies.

Sleep

Sleep is an important factor in overall health and wellness, and can support fat burning and the release of human growth hormone (HGH).

One way in which sleep supports fat burning is by regulating the hormones that control hunger and appetite. When you are sleep deprived, your body may produce higher levels of the hormone ghrelin, which can increase hunger and cravings for calorie-dense, high-fat foods. On the other hand, getting enough sleep may help to increase levels of the hormone leptin, which can help to suppress appetite and promote fat loss.

In addition to regulating hunger hormones, sleep can also support fat burning by helping to maintain a healthy metabolism. Poor sleep quality has been linked to a slower metabolism, which can make it more difficult to lose weight and maintain a healthy body composition.

Sleep is also important for the release of HGH, a hormone that plays a role in growth, metabolism, and the breakdown of fats. HGH is released in pulses throughout the day, with the highest levels occurring during sleep. Some studies have suggested that HGH may help to increase fat loss, especially in combination with exercise.

It is important to prioritize sleep and aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep per night in order to support fat burning and HGH release.

Nutrition

Here are a few simple recommendations for nutrition to use with German body composition training:

  1. Adequate protein intake: Consuming adequate amounts of protein is important for building and maintaining muscle mass. Aim for 1.4-2.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. Good sources of protein include chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, and plant-based sources such as beans, lentils, and tofu.
  2. Plenty of vegetables: Vegetables are an important source of nutrients and can help to support muscle growth and recovery. Aim to consume a variety of vegetables, including leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, and colorful vegetables such as bell peppers and tomatoes.
  3. Carbohydrates for energy: If trying to gain significant muscle mass you need to give yourself enough energy. Carbohydrates are an important source of energy for muscle building. Choose complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, legumes, and starchy vegetables, and consume them around your workouts to fuel your muscles and support recovery.
  4. Recovery nutrition: Consuming a quality protein shake within an hour after your workouts can help to support muscle recovery and growth. Good options include a protein shake with fruit, Greek yogurt with berries, or a turkey and avocado sandwich on whole-grain bread.

It is important to note that everyone’s nutritional needs are different and it is best to work with a registered dietitian or healthcare professional to develop a nutrition plan that is tailored to your specific needs and goals.

3 Ways To Train Like An Athlete And Thrive In Life

Train Like An Athlete

If you have played sports you might have fond memories of training like an athlete.  For many of us, one of the great things about when we trained for sport was how well we felt and functioned.

We were in great shape and felt like we could do anything.

We can take some of the lessons from training elite athletes and apply them to lifelong human performance as well.  If you train like an athlete with these 3 tips you can get more out of life.

Training With Purpose

Workouts are great.  You sweat, get endorphins, share the struggle and energy with the group, and keep your fitness up.

Across your lifespan, you’re going to do a lot of workouts.  A random mix of things in a workout can be fun.  There are times you just want to mindlessly sweat.

But athletes don’t work out.

They train. 

You see, the difference between working out and training is two-fold;

  1. There is a specific goal
  2. Each training session is part of a bigger plan.

We can make the case that workouts can have a goal.  Lift heavy, burn calories, sweat, and struggle.  All of those are could be goals.  But they aren’t part of a specific performance goal. 

Athletes train so they can improve things that help them reach their performance goals.  Build power to run and jump higher.  Get stronger to improve joint stability and reduce injury risk. Improve VO2 max so they can race at a higher pace. And so on…

Planned, Not Random

For an athlete, each workout is designed to be part of the overall plan and progression.  The workouts aren’t just a random collection of hard stuff. They compliment each other to increase your results. 

When you train like an athlete you stop just doing random things that are hard.  You know what you want to get better at and then you follow a plan to achieve that.

This is not just true in sports performance, but human performance as well.  If you want to run the Spartan Race faster or be able to play 18 holes on back-to-back days without pain, you have a specific goal.

Your training should help you achieve that.  It should progress through phases that build the right physical qualities so you can get better.

Having a specific goal, progressive variation exercises, and loading to pursue it, and training sessions that compliment each other is training like an athlete.

Movement Patterns

When it comes to strength & conditioning for sports, the goal is to improve the sport.  Sports are about movement not muscles, so we should train that way.

Yes, it’s your muscles that generate force and make you move.  But if we try to break the human body down into individual muscles, joints, and tissues we are missing the athleticism.

What you need to understand is that the brain doesn’t organize muscle by muscle, it is organized in movement.  When researchers observe brain activity through EEG they recognize that the brain activates by the movement pattern.  The same muscle can light up different parts of the brain in different movements.

So if we want to move and function better, we better make that the basis of our strength programming. 

This wasn’t always the case in strength training for sports.  For many years (and still today), bodybuilding influenced athletic strength training.  One of its basic approaches is a focus on isolating individual muscles to add maximum stress and growth.  That’s great if we are only trying to build muscle.  But if we want to improve movement, we need to train the muscles and the brain.

Isolation work has its place, but most of your workout program should revolve around the 7 foundational movement patterns.

Multi-Segmental Extension

The basis of most sporting movements is the coordinated extension of multiple joints and muscles of the lower body.  Just picture a sprinter simultaneously extending their hip, knee, and ankle joints as they propel their body forward out of the starting blocks.  You can also imagine a volleyball propelling themselves upward by extending hip, knee, and ankle to jump high and make a block.

Single-Leg Stance

Another fundamental human movement pattern is the single-leg stance.  Because human gait involves single-leg support variations, we find this everywhere in sports where athletes are moving over the ground.

Hip Hinge

Another lower body action we see is hinging at the hip.  This might also combine with some extension at the torso. 

In sports, we might see examples in a wrestler bridging, trying to get their shoulders off the mat, or standing trying to throw an opponent backward.  Or if we observe a track athlete sprinting at full speed and focus on how their leg moves backward to hit the track by extending at the hip.  In other parts of life, this might be lifting furniture to help a friend or picking up the kids.

Upper Body Push

When we have a coordinated extension of joints in the shoulder, arm, and wrist, we consider this a push. We can classify these as vertical or horizontal push motions based on the plane of movement. 

In sports, we see athletes pushing against opponents and it’s part of swinging and throwing motions.  It’s also common when we have to put something up on a shelf or push ourselves up off the floor.

Upper Body Pull

This is the inverse of the push and is the coordination of flexion in those upper body joints. While it’s slightly less common than pushing, it’s critical in many sports.  The “pull” in swimming strokes is what we would consider a vertical pull.   It could also be a rock climber or gymnastic pulling their body upward.

Horizontal pulling occurs in wrestling and grappling sports as opponents battle for position.  Another common horizontal pull would occur in rowing, kayaking, or canoe.

Bracing

This isn’t a movement pattern at all.  Bracing is actually an anti-movement pattern.  In their core, athletes need to control and transfer force from the upper to the lower body.  

The efficient transfer of force often means limiting motion so that force isn’t lost.  Resisting flexion, extension, and rotation in the pelvis and the spine is critical for efficient and explosive movement.

This is a key function to bulletproof your back and hips.  Since you experience the transfer of force through your spine in so many activities, it needs to be up to the task.

Multi-Segment Rotation

Finally, we have the coordinated rotational action that builds up from the lower body, through a stable core and transfers into the upper body.  It is easy to picture this in sports from a batter swinging to a quarterback throwing.  Sports such as golf, tennis, and hockey all involve rotation to swing an implement.

Move

Athletes move faster, farther, higher, and stronger.  But most of all they move.

Often in fitness, people keep working out, but they stop moving.  They end up doing a lot of lifting in the sagittal plane of motion.  People end up on spin cycles, treadmills, and machines.  They stay in one place and use cables, bands, and weights repetitively.

There is a place for all those things, but it’s missing athletic movement.

Athletic movement includes moving our body through space.  Coordinating to move faster and slow down.  Jump and land.  Move sideways and twist.  But most of all, to challenge our coordination in dynamic and changing ways.

That’s what we do in sports.  It’s what we should do as humans.

Athletic movements that involve coordination, different speeds and direction of movement, changing orientation in space, and lowering our center of mass have benefits for human performance and heath as well.

This doesn’t mean we have to go full speed into contact to improve performance.  But those who want to improve their human performance and health do need to move dynamically.

Moving at faster speeds, and decelerating is a unique load for our tendons and connective tissue.  Sports science has demonstrated that for optimal tendon health we need to regularly expose our tendons to fast stretch-shortening cycle movements. 

These are movements where we quickly load our muscles and change from flexing to extending or vice versa.  Think of dipping down before a jump in basketball.  Or the backswing in driving a golf ball. 

When we aren’t used to doing those things, they start to cause tendon pain when we go do them.  That’s when people get tendonitis problems like jumpers knee or tennis elbow.  Small doses of fast stretch-shortening movements can help your tendons stay ready for the weekend activities.

There’s also growing research that shows challenging your coordination can benefit lifelong brain health.  Moving the center of mass, changing your orientation in space, tracking moving objects, and coordinating body movements all can contribute to a better quality of life and improved memory and cognitive function.

If you can sprinkle in actual dynamic movement with these challenges, you are training like an athlete. You likely perform better in your sporting activities, have a lower risk of injury, and improve your overall health along the way.

Train Like An Athlete For Human Performance

Whether you want to run a better race, be a weekend warrior, or just feel better and eliminate pain, training like an athlete can help. 

Start by changing your mindset from working out to training with purpose. 

Then makes sure you think about movements and not just muscles when you pick up the weights. 

Finally, move more and move better.  Dynamic, challenging athletic movement will change the way you function and feel.

Team USA Olympic Athlete Talks About Her Training at Velocity

Team USA athlete Maddie Godby is the latest Olympian and track cyclist training with Velocity.  The 28-year-old international competitor came to Coach Vick with the goal of getting stronger and more explosive.

Training 2-3 days a week in the gym, she’s used that same Gymaware technology to monitor and prescribe highly specific training that fits her unique needs as an individual and as a sprint cyclist. 

“We are fine-tuning at this stage so there are targets and we want to hit the right zones.  Just to have that feedback is really helpful.  Sometimes that means adding more weight and other times it means less.” comments Godby.

So far, it’s working.  In May, she performed at a high level in Hong Kong at the only international event in over 14 months.  She spent most of that time off the velodrome track since they were closed in the pandemic.  However, putting in the time, training in the gym has made her much stronger and explosive.  Qualities she’ll put to use in Tokyo. 

But there is more than just training according to Godby. “I’m really good at pushing myself and training hard. So in order to do that I needed to find ways to recover better. So that’s a really big part of what I’ve been doing at Velocity.”

Hear her share more in the video below…

Velocity Sends Athletes To Olympics For Unbelievable 10th Time

Velocity Sends Athletes To Tokyo Olympics

While the sports and fitness industries are filled with hype, flashy social media accounts, and short-lived personalities, Velocity Sports Performance is quietly continuing 2 decades of excellence by sending athletes to another Olympic Games.

When Velocity was founded in 1999 outside Atlanta, Georgia, Olympians from 5 countries were working with legendary coach, Loren Seagrave. Seagrave was an elite track coach and the founder of Velocity Sports Performance.  In that very first Velocity facility, USA Bobsled athletes worked with Coach Seagrave to improve their speed for the 2002 Winter Games.

That tradition of working with elite Olympic athletes continued as Global High-Performance Director Ken Vick set up shop in Redondo Beach in 2005.

“Olympic sports were always a passion for me.  I was a Weightlifting coach for several international level lifters and the intensity and passion of athletes pursuing their Olympic dream is unique,” says Vick.

He’d know something about that as he coached multiple athletes going to the Games and directed the high-performance team behind many others, even whole Olympic Committees. In the last decade under his watch, Velocity has supported 54 medal winners across 13 different sports.

Measured Performance

In Vick’s view “For a performance coach, one of the unique aspects of many Olympic sports is that they are measured objectively.  We time how fast someone runs, cycles, swims, or paddles.  You measure how far they throw or jump, or how much weight they can lift.”

This means that the results of training programs are much more visible.  “You can see if what you are doing with them is working.  You can’t hide bad training behind a great team or tactics,” he adds.

This has been a major influence on Velocity’s methodology in training, sports medicine, and recovery.  “Since we have always dealt with these Olympic athletes, we put added emphasis on measuring training variables and exploring the methods that produced the greatest results.  Velocity’s methods have been based on science, proven in the field, and continually refined to stay on top.”

Today Velocity has brought many of these training technologies and methods to the average high school athlete walking through their doors.  The elite-level devices, monitoring systems, and training methods are accessible to all.

Velocity has supported National teams and Athletes at the Olympic Games in these sports

  • Athletics (Track & Field)
  • Badminton
  • Beach Volleyball
  • Boxing
  • Diving
  • Fencing
  • Freestyle Wrestling
  • Indoor Volleyball
  • Modern Pentathlon
  • Rowing
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Sprint Kayak
  • Sprint Canoe
  • Swimming
  • Synchronized Swimming
  • Table Tennis
  • Track Cycling
  • Weightlifting

Supporting Athletes Around the Globe

International Olympic sport has a history of top coaches being recruited to countries with budgets and looking to improve their performance.  Working across borders is part of the game and one of the great opportunities to have a lasting impact globally.

Aspiring athletes and pros in the US weren’t the only ones to notice what Velocity was doing.  With a steady international clientele, the word was getting out.  Countries looking for better performance noticed.

In their build-up for the 2012 Olympics, Team GB brought their developing beach volleyball program to Redondo Beach and asked Velocity to help.  It made sense since Velocity had experience training so many top AVP and international players.  Now Velocity was tasked with helping them raise their game as the London Olympics approached.

The Chinese Olympic Committee had been a top nation in the medal count, but in 2013 they started working with Velocity in a few targeted sports and several of their provincial programs.  A few years later Velocity was working alongside another performance company called EXOS preparing athletes across the entire Chinese Olympic Program.

Velocity coach Mark Williams working with the Chinese Womens Wrestling Team that included two 2016 Rio Olympic Medalists.

“The experience of deploying Integrated Support Teams on the ground in China and advising their teams was incredible.  We had challenges that we never imagined but an incredible opportunity to have an impact,” reflects Vick.  “Making sure we could coordinate the sports medicine, strength training, speed work, conditioning, and recovery was a task.  There was an outdated system there, language and cultural barriers, and we were trying to make a major shift.  That’s a tall order, but we were able to see results.”

Years of working with elite performers have driven a methodology based on integrating these different domains.  When the entire integrated support team works together to support the effort of the athlete and the plan of the sports coaches, the results speak for themselves.

Velocity Supports Olympic Teams and Athletes around the globe

Winter Olympics Too

Velocity’s expertise doesn’t stop when cold weather hits.  Athletes and National Teams from the Winter Olympic Games have relied on Velocity as well.  Olympic hockey players, speed skaters, bobsledders, skiers, and snowboarders have all been trained by Velocity.

“Many of the winter sports have incredible demands on the athletes. Take slopestyle and halfpipe events.  The forces these athletes experience on jumps and landings are enormous,” says Vick.  “We have to not only train for the event but sometimes, more importantly, to be durable and healthy.  If you cant practice and develop your skills on the snow because you’re hurt, it doesn’t matter how good you are.”

That’s why Velocity has hosted several national teams in its elite centers.  The impact was so visible that they’ve also deployed coaches and sports medicine professionals to work with teams and travel around the globe.

Elite Technology

Managing Velocity staff working with teams all around the world in different time zones presents challenges.  One of the solutions for Velocity is taking advantage of cutting-edge technology.

“Technology like our Athlete Management System brings together data from multiple sources so we can use our Integrated Support Team to assist those professionals out in the field.  Those coaches and sports medicine professionals aren’t on their own.”

One of the tools that they have used for years is a device from Australia called Gymaware.  Its measures vary biomechanical properties of athletes when they are jumping or lifting weights.  This highly scientific data can be sued to make programming decisions or day-to-day adjustments. 

“The Gymaware tool is a scientifically proven device that’s completely portable.  While I love using force plates, they are big and bulky so not great for a  team going from country to country every weekend,” laughs Vick.  “We get to use the same device to both test and train the athlete and the data feeds right into our athlete management system automatically.”

Today this same technology that was refined and proven with the world’s most elite athletes, is being used in Velocity centers for athletes of all levels.  Its also be used remotely by some athletes who follow digital training programs on their own.  This lets coaches monitor their training and make precise adjustments to the plan.

Road to Tokyo

One of Velocity’s US locations is an 11,000 sq ft facility hidden away in El Segundo, CA.  Once a site that once housed engineers helping send the mercury and Apollo astronauts to space, the spirit of innovation continues as athletes prepare for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The sprint events in track cycling aren’t well known in the US, but they are known at Velocity.  After hosting training camps for the US team before the 2008 Bejing Olympics, they’ve now helped cyclists from 4 different countries.  One thing remains consistent for these athletes, being strong & powerful.  Track sprinters need strength to get the fixed gear bikes up to speed and power to sustain the high speeds attained on the velodrome track.

In 2012 Velocity supported the US Sprint team as well as Trinidad & Tobago athlete Njisane Phillips. Then for the Rio Olympics, they supported the entire Chinese team including the eventual Gold medalists in the Women’s Team Sprint.  They also hosted the Australian team in their Redondo Beach for a 1-month holding camp right before the Games.

Athlete Maddie Godby is a Team USA Sprint Cyclist who will compete in Tokyo. She has been training at Velocity Sports Performance with Coach Ken Vick.

Team USA athlete Maddie Godby is the latest track sprinter training with Velocity.  The 28-year-old international competitor came to Coach Vick with the goal of getting stronger and more explosive.

Training 2-3 days a week in the gym, she’s used that same Gymaware technology to monitor and prescribe highly specific training that fits her unique needs as an individual and as a sprint cyclist. 

“We are fine-tuning at this stage so there are targets and we want to hit the right zones.  Just to have that feedback is really helpful.  Sometimes that means adding more weight and other times it means less.” comments Godby.

So far, it’s working.  She performed at a high level in May in Hong Kong at the only international event in over 14 months.  She spent most of that time off the velodrome track since they were closed in the pandemic.  However, putting in time, training in the gym, has made her much stronger and explosive.  Qualities she’ll put to use in Tokyo. 

But there is more than just training according to Godby. “I’m really good at pushing myself and training hard. So in order to do that I needed to find ways to recover better. So that’s a really big part of what I’ve been doing at Velocity.”

Other Athletes in Tokyo

Like many Americans, Velocity will also be excitedly watching the Men’s Basketball competition in Tokyo. This location and its Redondo Beach predecessor have also trained USA Basketball team members Kevin Durant and Draymond Green in past off-seasons.

Swimming will also be high on the list.  Velocity was also under contract to support the Chinese Swimming Association for 2 years up to the Olympics Games.  Unfortunately, with the pandemic, that plan got cut short in early 2020 after over a year of work put in.  Still, several former Velocity staff members including Coach Zach Murray stayed behind to continue working all the way up to the Games.

The Olympic Dream

In the USA many athletes in smaller sports struggle to survive as they pursue their dreams.  Velocity has made it part of its mission to support these incredible athletes who are willing to dream.  Every year they provide sponsorships for athletes in smaller sports to help them on their journey.

According to Vick, this is something he thinks is important as a coach and as the CEO.  “The Olympics, but more so the journey and pursuit of that goal, is inspiring.  Athletes like these give us insight into the human spirit and what’s possible.  That goes far beyond sport.  That’s why we love doing what we do and want to give back to those who inspire all of us.”

Improve Your Speed By Looking Under The Hood.

high performance engine

When it comes to improving an athlete’s speed, many trainers just stick to their preferred methods. Maybe they have a bunch of go-to speed and agility drills. Others may mostly use strength training with their athletes. For another, it may be technical track drills.

All of these can be effective and have a place in building better athletes.

However, having just one training solution for every athlete will fail many. It leaves many poorly served because, after the foundation, every athlete doesn’t have the exact same needs.

Coaches, athletes, and parents are often confused about whether they need more speed training or more weight room time. Unfortunately, too many trainers skip the actual analysis to find what’s really needed.

Formula 1 car time trial

Time Trials

To help understand why we need deeper analysis, let’s look at auto racing. I can go out to the race track and do time trials. I can see how fast we can finish a lap, what the top speed is, or how fast we can accelerate.

These are all performance measures.

We’re measuring the performance of both the car and driver.

The car has to produce engine torque, grip the surface of the track, and steer effectively.

Additionally, the driver needs the skill to properly utilize those capabilities. Without those skills, he can’t optimize the performance.

Those performance measures of time, distance, and velocity can give us insight into opportunities to improve. However, they don’t specifically tell us how to improve.

First of all, they were measures of the combined systems of the car and driver.

The times alone can’t tell us if the driver or the car is the limiting factor.

Going further, if it was the car, we still don’t know which components of the system need improvement.

speed skating start sprint
start athlete speed skater sprint race at competition

Performance Testing in Sports

In sports, we do very similar things. We test athletes on how fast they can sprint or do an agility drill. We see how high they can jump or throw an object. It is just like timing the car on the race track.

It requires the driver (like the athlete’s motor control system) to use the race car’s physical performance capabilities (like the athlete’s body) to perform the test well.

Performance testing can help us set goals, see where we can improve, and give us feedback if our training programs are successful.

However, it doesn’t necessarily tell us HOW to improve.

Improving Performance

So what do you do when you want to improve that speed on the race track? Do you jump straight in and upgrade the engine, or maybe the transmission? Maybe change the tires or the cooling system? Maybe you fire the driver and hire a new one.

Any of those may help. But without looking deeper and performing diagnostic tests, you may be wasting time and money on the wrong factor.

If we have a great car, but a poor driver, we won’t get much better by upgrading the engine torque. The driver isn’t good enough to use the existing power on the track right now. Improving the engine and power won’t change that.

On the flip side, the best driver in the world cant take a honda civic and win a professional race. The car just doesn’t have adequate mechanical capabilities to keep up.

In sports, we have to consider whether an athlete needs to improve their speed by upgrading their physical capabilities or their motor control. Coaches do this by analyzing techniques and seeing if they have the basic strength & power qualities needed.

If one of these is the clear limiting factor, then they know where to spend time and energy.

Professional car mechanic working in auto repair service.

Looking Under the Hood

If a race team wants to win they don’t stop at how the car performed on the track. The crew takes it into the garage, looks under the hood, and does diagnostics.

It is not enough to only know WHAT the car can do in terms of power or efficiency. They need to analyze HOW its being accomplished.

That’s what we do when we use Strength Diagnosis with an athlete. We are going beyond the performance tests by looking under the hood at their strength and power capabilities.

After all, there are very different types of strength needed to improve linear sprinting, change of direction, or jumping height. Even within a sprint, different types of strength influence initial acceleration versus maximum velocity sprinting.

athletic strength signature

Strength Signature

The Velocity Strength Signature is a method developed over 20+ years to identify sport-specific strength qualities. By measuring the kinetics in 5 different movements, we can quantify all six types of athletic strength.

An athlete’s unique profile across these six types of strength is what we call a Strength Signature. Just like your written signature, it is unique.

It also tells us a lot about how we can help you improve through training. By considering your specific goals, and evaluating your Strength Signature, coaches can help you target the right type of strength.

Then you can continue to train hard, but now you’re doing it smarter.

Summary

Whether it’s a race car on the track or an athlete in the gym, performance testing shows us what’s possible and how we are doing.

However, in both cases, performance testing doesn’t necessarily tell us why we are performing that way or how to improve it.

So with our race car, we look under the hood and diagnose the limitations of the car.

With athletes, we look under the hood with Strength Diagnosis to find out what types of sport-specific strength they need to improve and stay healthy.