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Eight Steps to Developing Blazing Speed - Power Training

no@spam.com (David Horne) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:05:34 MST

Power Training is essential if you wish to become faster! Power training should only be introduced into a training program once the previous steps of flexibility, strength training and core training have been established. This article covers every aspect associated with power training and speed from which exercises you should use, to safety, to how to land correctly when using plyo-boxes, adaptations and much more.

Eight Steps to Developing Blazing Speed - Core Training

no@spam.com (David Horne) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 22:16:34 MST

When an athlete devotes some time to developing and strengthening the core then they are improving their speed. The core plays an important role in balance and stability during sprints. It is also important during the loading phase of plyometric training. As a result this is why strengthening the core precedes power training.

The term “Core” is commonly used in today’s fitness language and there has been great emphasis placed on this area to help improve sports performance as well as preventing injuries such as lower back problems. One mode of strengthening the core is to use a stability ball. A stability ball is reasonably cheap to buy, can be transported in your car and provides for many core strengthening exercises.

Strength Training and Speed

no@spam.com (David Horne) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:35:55 MST

Strength training is required to help develop a “base” from which an athlete can build upon and become faster. Strength is required before power training and it helps to lay the foundation for overall body conditioning. I have found that strength is the single most dominant factor in predicting and also improving speed. It is not the only factor but it is definitely the main one that can bring about the most significant results. If you have not performed a regular strength training program before then you need to participate in a general total body program as this will lay the foundation for a more advanced speed program. This article assumes that you have already been involved in a strength training program and are ready to expand into the specifics of training for blazing speed.

What Is Functional Resistance Training

no@spam.com (Craig Burton) — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 19:31:10 MST

Today the buzz word in the gym is functional training. It has many meanings to many practitioners in the health and fitness industry. My understanding and implementation of functional training has come from a variety of sources including my own training and teaching in martial arts and numerous sports, combined with studying many of the leading experts in the field including Gary Gray (known as the father of function), Paul Chek (who is also known as the man who brought those big Swiss/stability balls to our gyms) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine to name but a few. Here is a definition of functional training from the National Academy of Sports Medicine: “All functional movement patterns involve deceleration, stabilisation and acceleration, which occur at every joint in the kinetic chain and in all three planes of motion.” (1)

What are the Factors that Determine Speed Potential - Part 2

no@spam.com (David Horne) — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 21:12:38 MST

This article is the second in a series devoted specifically to speed training. We are not all created the same! How true this is. So when it comes to determining your speed potential there are several key factors that can either assist or inhibit your ability to become faster. The key point here is that every athlete can become faster, how fast is just often determined by factors out of our control. This article outlines these factors and provides you with some background in understanding an athlete's speed potential.

What is Speed and How Does it Vary Amongst Different Sports - Part 1

no@spam.com (David Horne) — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:17:13 MST

This article is the first in a series devoted specifically to speed training. Speed is one of the most studied, researched and written about fitness components as it can determine the success of an athlete when it comes to their chosen sport. Speed is often simply defined as getting from point A to point B in the fastest time. It is a little more advanced and complex than that simple definition due to the various factors associated with being fast. For example; how quick and athlete can take off, change direction and sprint over varying distances while performing a sports specific skill all determine how fast that athlete is.