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October 26, 2011

3 Ways Track & Field Can Save Itself From Complete Irrelevance

7

Let's face it:

The sport of track and field is, well, a joke. I've never had a
conversation with a single soul, living or dead, who has said, with a
straight face,

"Wow. Track and field. There's a sport that's really got its act
together. "

I love track and field. Obviously. But you're about 50 times (I made
that number up, I don't have real stats for it...) more likely to flip
to ESPN and catch an episode of World Series of Poker from 2008 or a
Spelling Bee than you are to catch a track meet.

And I don't blame ESPN.

I was in Europe during the World Championships. Driving through London,
I saw a digital video billboard showing track and field results and
video! WTF!

I cried just a little bit. Because in the US, you only see a track
highlight if Usain Bolt takes a big poo on a world record.

Now, in terms of quality of coaching from an athletic development
standpoint, good track and field coaches, at every level, are light
years ahead of coaches in team (field and court) sports. In my humble
opinion.

But as far as everything else? Very, very sad.

This is one of those articles that, I guess, theoretically, might
offend some people. But I just don't see how because I've never
actually heard anyone disagree with what I'm about to say.

Though, that might change today...

So here, in my opinion are the Top 3 Ways Track & Field Can Save Itself
from Complete Irrelevance. (If it's not already too late.)

#3 Split up the Meets

It's high time the higher ups and `decision makers' in track and field
wake up and realize something:

Track and Field is not one sport. It is four different sports.

1. Sprints, hurdles and sprint relays
2. Jumps
3. Throws
4. Middle Distance/Distance

(Or maybe you could combine 1 and 2.)

Many sprinters/sprints coaches do not want to sit through anything that
lasts longer than, and I'll be generous, four minutes. To the point
where you'd rather just not go to the meet than have to watch that.
How many times have you been at a track meet and heard someone say
something like,

"Oh jeez. The first of 5 heats of the 4 x forever is up. I'm going to
write my Doctoral thesis, then sail around the world. I'll be back to
catch the bell lap of the seeded heat."

Many throwers don't want to watch that. Either do jumpers.

And you know who really, really doesn't want to watch that?

Spectators, parents and/or casual fans.

At the same time, many distance runners don't appreciate the 100 or the
shot put.

I'm not saying NO sprints people EVER want to watch distance or vice
versa. I'm just saying `generally speaking'.

So calm down. No need to burn me in effigy... just yet.

You create a meet with just sprints and jumps and sprints and jumps
people would go to it. You put 3 heats of the 10k on the track and
sprints and jumps people are looking for a stake to drive through their
soul. I coach at a school where the girls have won a State Title in
Cross Country two years running, so I have the utmost respect for
distance running. BUT, I'll take the True Death (True Blood fans? No?
Ok.) over an hour of slow running on the track.

That's not saying that `sprints' is better than `distance'. Going down
that road is a distraction and missing my point entirely. And it says
more about your personal bias than it does about the core of my
argument. I'm just saying that you can get in and out of most sporting
competitions in a couple of hours.

A big track meet is an all day affair. A horrible, horrible all day
affair. What an atrocity in terms of being a `spectator sport'.

#2 Establish Coaching Standards

Wow, those American male sprinters really represented at the World
Championships.

Pardon my French, but when did we become Jamaica's bitch in the sprint
events? They have 2.8 million people. We have just a few more.

Remember when Michael Johnson ran 19.32 and we all lost our minds?
Yeah. That's #3 all time now. Top 2 spots? Jamaicans.

I realize that the best and fastest athletes in the United States are
playing football, not running track. But isn't that part of the
problem? Our sport gets other sports' leftovers. Kids don't even
realize track exists until they've got 7 years of basketball and/or
football and/or soccer and/or lacrosse and/or baseball under their
belts! Wait, I'm digressing...

At the collegiate level, every single college coach should have their
USATF Level II Certificate in the events they coach and/or their
USTFCCCA Event Specialist Certification. I'm just a high school coach
and I found the time to get both. So people whose full time profession
is coaching track should have at least one of two most recognized (US)
coaching certificates/certifications.

"But Latif!", someone is crying right now, "A piece of paper doesn't
mean you're a good coach."

You're right, coach who does not have either of those pieces of paper.
But, it lays out a standard level of expectation. A starting point. A
basis of comparison.

Plus, I coach high school kids. And most of them don't get faster in
college. I'm not over here brushing my shoulders off when I say that.
(For you old people, that means I'm not bragging.) I'm saying it
because it makes me feel bad for the athletes.

But, at the same time, only one college coach has ever asked me how I
train the kids they're recruiting. Then again, I steal a lot of my
stuff from him. (Go River Hawks!)

Speaking of high school...

Most high school coaches are bad at their coaching jobs, man.

I know I'm preaching to the choir here. But one of the reasons American
sprinters are getting abused by Jamaicans is because talented kids
cruise through HS on ability alone and their fast times mask their
complete lack of development by their undereducated coaches.

I know because I was one of them. When I got to UConn, I was
red-shirted as a freshman, in large part, because I was so useless from
doing absolutely nothing in high school except having a mind numbing
contempt for losing. But I did vomit after every single 400 I ran, even
against jabronies, and that is a testament to an insufficient training
program.

Or, if you want to get technical, absolutely no glycolytic capacity or
power.

Kids get to college and coaches have to waste freshman year developing
some capacity and teaching basic skills like `pushing' and `low heel
recovery'. That's 25% of a kid's career! If we had more quality coaches
at the HS level, our extremely excellent college coaches wouldn't have
to waste time doing so much GPP type training on kids just to give them
some semblance of training age.

In my state, there are a couple of teams whose sprinters are going to
be nasty every year and if my group is going to compete, I need to
bring my A+ game. (Mansfield and Andover if you're counting. No
disrespect to anyone else.)

Why do the rich get richer? Because they have superb sprints coaches
who don't sit back and do the same crap every year! It's not luck! It's
not chance! It's good coaching, man!

Last year, in my first year in a new program, the kids broke 13 school
records in the span of 6 months. You think I'm sitting back and doing
the same thing as last year? Hell, no! We'll get smashed! Evolve or
die, my friends!

(No that doesn't mean you should throw my other programs in the trash.
Jeez! Stay on track, here. Pun intended!)

Look, I know money is tight. The economy has affected many of us. But
buy a DVD once or twice a year. Go to a clinic. Post some questions.

"Oh Latif!", someone is crying right now, "You're just saying that to
guilt people into buying your products."

Sigh.

I don't care if you don't buy from me. If you think that's my point,
you've clearly never met me, anyone who knows me or anyone I have ever
coached.

Nonetheless, that brings me to the #1 Way Track & Field Can Save
Itself.

#1: Stop Hating Money

Last week I was talking to a really smart guy who has some really cool
ideas and plans involving, arguably, the only relevant athlete in the
sport of track and field.

He has some innovative ideas that would bring the sexy back to track. I
hope he can get them off the ground. But the powers that be are so
firmly entrenched in the failing status quo that it is just amazing. So
he has a long road ahead, despite being a brilliant guy.

Let me ask you a question:

How many CEOs has USATF had? Honestly, who would invest in American
Track & Field when the governing body is such a mess? The answer,
apparently, is just about no one.

Win the Visa Championship Series and win $25,000. Real athletes in real
sports light $25k on fire just to see what would happen. First, nobody
gets how the scoring works. Second, nobody has seen the lead up races.
Third, by this point, nobody cares. Fourth, I'm not excited to watch
someone win the equivalent of 4^th prize money from the NBA Skills
Challenge at All Star Weekend.

The only time (outside of Olympic Finals) I get excited watching track
is when the NCAA Championship is on TV. Why? Because there is team
scoring! A concept the American audience understands! There is a point
to every race, jump and throw so you actually care what is happening!

A few years ago I interviewed DeeDee Trotter. She talked about
discussion amongst athletes of `East vs West' types of meets. As in,
people who went to Eastern schools competing in a scoring meet/s
against those who competed in the West. Or North vs South.

What a great idea!

Or how about Nike sponsored athletes vs Adidas? Mizuno vs Puma?

Something! Anything! Track meets suck!

Wait, want more proof?

Unless you have DirectTV, your cable provider is probably going to drop
Universal Sports from your channel lineup. Now you'll see even less
track and field on TV. Your cable provider doesn't care because nobody
is watching. It isn't profitable!

You think ESPN is going to drop Monday Night Football? They wouldn't
even drop the Spelling Bee.

Think I'm being too harsh? After all, I'm just a high school coach on a
rant...

Perhaps you missed Nick Symmonds' article, I'm Tired of USATF and IAAF
Crippling Our Sport.

Track and Field is a poor sport because too many within the sport, from
coaches to people who run the big clusterbang websites to our
`governing body', subconsciously hate money and/or don't understand how
it works. They hate the idea of other people making money. They hate
asking for money. They fear what people will think if they do anything
that looks like they're trying to make money.

And that virus of the mind permeates the sport from the top to the
bottom. And that, to a large degree, is why this sport has failed.

Everybody claims to love America and claims, reflexively, that it is
the greatest country in the world. Well, America was built on a series
of hustles. But try to get paid in track and you're selfish or a snake
oil salesman. (I have a history degree, so go ahead and challenge me on
it.)

Here's a secret that sports that make money and get ratings already
know:

There is nothing noble about being poor or about being proud of how
hard you work for such low pay.

Bill Gates helps a lot of people by giving away a lot of money because
he has a lot of money. Bill Gates could not help anyone if he was
living in a van down by the river. (Matt Foley, anyone? No?)

Some people complain that I advertise on this site and that I try to
make money. That I should run the site for free and give everything
away for free.

Wait. I thought you loved America?

First, I'm quite sure none of these people own businesses. Easy to say
when someone else makes the money that allows you to cash your paycheck
each week. If you think that it should all be free, how about you do
your job for 25% less money and give that extra cash away. I've got a
few charities I could recommend.

Oh. No takers?

Customers, friends and colleagues have told me they've `defended me at
conferences because so-and-so said you're just a businessman and not a
coach'.

What? You can't do both? They're zero sum propositions? They're
inversely proportional?

Nope. It's a Virus of the Mind.

Big track websites will gladly overcharge me for a useless banner on
their site. Because that doesn't look like they're trying to make
money. Others have Google adwords all over the place. I know the game!
You're trying to make money!

But they won't send out an email to their list promoting a product
because they don't want to look like they're selling something. That's
not my opinion or a theory, that is what we have been told by multiple
big track sites that you know well.

OK fine I'm just a HS coach. Don't sell my stuff. But you tell me `no'
when I want you to promote a Boo Schexnayder program? These people
should not say they care about the sport.

If people truly want to save the sport of track and field, we need to
get some people involved who have some entrepreneurial spirit.
Innovators who can bring an exciting product to the market that people
are willing to pay to be involved in, whether that is buying DVDs,
attending conferences and certification courses or going to meets
themselves.

Not go to all Cornel West on you (but kind of), the sport needs people
who are willing to stand up and drag the rest of these dinosaurs and
freeloaders, as well as the bureaucrats, oligarchs and plutocrats
running the elite circuits, kicking and screaming, into the second
decade of the 21^st Century.

Change is scary. But change is the only way to shock the sport off of
life support. If it's not flat lining right now, it's pretty close.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Want to weigh in? Please do! Post your comments below. But take a
deep breath before you submit your angry commentary written ENTIRELY IN
CAPITAL LETTERS TO SHOW ME HOW MAD YOU ARE! I'm sure many of you will
agree. And many of you will lambast me for calling you out. Either way,
I hope my (consciously chosen) confrontational tone spurs some
interesting discussion.

Tags: Adidas, boo schexnayder, Complete Track and Field, DeeDee
Trotter, flo track, Latif Thomas, Mizuno, Nick Symmonds, Nike, Puma,
universal sports, USATF, USTFCCCA, virus of the mind, Visa Championship
Series.

Filed under Distance, Hurdles, Jumps, Mid Distance, Sprints, Throws,
Uncategorized by Latif Thomas on Oct 26th, 2011. 7 Comments. #-
October 21, 2011

Decide the fate of Complete Track and Field

4

We want to make Complete Track & Field the first place you go when you
want to work on becoming a better coach.

The more you tell us about yourself, what you like about the site and
don't like about the site, as well as what you want to see, hear and
learn when you come to the site, the better we can make it for you.

So please take a few minutes to give us your ideas on how to make this
site better for you.

Thank you for your time and participation.

-Latif Thomas

Filed under Distance, Hurdles, Jumps, Mid Distance, Sprints, Throws by
Latif Thomas on Oct 21st, 2011. 4 Comments. #-
October 20, 2011

This will make your life easier

0

My first job out of college was teaching a classroom full of kids with
behavioral, social and emotional disorders.

Spend a few full work days restraining a kid screaming racial slurs and
trying to spit at and bite you for six hours and you quickly learn the
art of patience.

To a degree.

Because, to this day, I have no patience for writing warm up routines,
circuit routines and generally finding and choosing the various drills
and exercises that are my daily practices. It is my least favorite part
of coaching.

The same goes for the weight room. Because that is not my strong suit.

So anytime I find a quality resource that does that work for me, I'm
all about it. Because not only does that save me time, it eliminates
the boredom and annoyance that I feel when (pointlessly) agonizing over
the last 4 exercises of tomorrow's circuit. Or figuring out how to
totally revamp the acceleration themed warm up that will make my
athletes vomit if they are forced to do it, again, for the 50th time
this season...

As you may know, this week we are launching a new horizontal jumps
training program. But if you don't coach jumpers, you probably don't
care.

However...

There are two DVDs in the program that I highly recommend for you.

One is on weight training and the other is a training inventory DVD
that has 40 circuits and over 400 exercises.

I will be stealing from both of them quite liberally this season.

You know that your sprinters and hurdlers need to be doing Olympic
Lifts in the weight room. Boo Schexnayder's Weight Training DVD has a 7
step progression for teaching the Olympic Lifts that is the best and
easiest system I have ever used. Plus he tells you which lifts to do,
when, how many reps, how often and how much rest.

Why invent a mediocre weight training program when I can steal genius?

You can never have enough drills, exercises and circuits in your tool
box. Instead of trolling the Interwebs for new exercises for my warm
ups and circuits, I can just take one of the ones from this DVD and be
done with it.

Why spend 20 minutes doing something that is already done for me? I
don't know about you, but I need all the free time I can squeeze out of
my day!

I won't break them down here because if you're interested you'll go
check out the longer description.

But if you want to shave some serious time off your Sunday afternoon
weekly workout planning sessions, you should take a hard look at these
two DVDs, both of which are only $29 through tomorrow:

1. Boo Schexnayder's Weight Training for Speed, Power and Sports
Performance
2. Boo Schexnayder's Exercises for Sports Performance Training

To your success,

Latif Thomas
CompleteTrackandField

Tags: 100 meter sprint training, 100 meter training, 200 meter
training, 400m training, 400m workouts, bodyweight circuits, boo
schexnayder, circuit training, cleans, how to teach olympic lifts,
Latif Thomas, long jump, long jump workouts, olympic lift progressions,
Olympic Lifts, speed training, sprint training, training inventory,
triple jump, triple jump workouts.

Filed under Hurdles, Jumps, Mid Distance, Sprints, Throws by Latif
Thomas on Oct 20th, 2011. Comment. #-
October 16, 2011

FAQ - Boo Schexnayder's Horizontal Jumps Program

15

If you have questions about Boo Schexnayder's new horizontal jumps
training program and/or DVDs, please post them in the comments section
below. Please note, this is not a place to ask training questions, only
questions about the program itself, i.e., how, if and why it is a good
fit for your coaching/training needs.

Training questions are, of course, answered within the program itself.

We will continue to add and respond to questions below.

To watch a video about this program, click here.

To read more about all of his DVDs, as well as watch video clips,
click here.

To read/watch more about the individual DVDs (you can purchase them
individually), click here:

Long Jump Teaching & Technique DVD
Triple Jump Teaching & Technique DVD
Weight Training for Sports Performance DVD
Exercises for Sports Performance DVD

----------

Question: I am concerned that this is way too advanced for my needs.
I'm dealing with 13-15 yr olds that have little or no jumps experience
and I was hoping that you could give me some advice as to what
resources/dvds, etc., that would be useful to get them started i would
also be keen to get some jumps strength and conditioning work done. I
really needing some advice and direction here.

Answer: What most people love about Boo is that on the one hand he is a
genius and much smarter than most of us. But on the other hand he
doesn't rub that fact in your face. He has a way of taking things that
can be complicated and explaining them so that you can understand. And
that is the case in his new program. Each DVD is extremely thorough,
but is progressed in such a way that you can apply it to your 13 year
old who is attending their first ever long jump practice or your 23
year old post collegiate professional jumper. He even notates in the
DVD when he is talking about an advanced concept so you can understand
the concept as a coach, but ignore it when instructing your kids. I
have A LOT of jumps DVDs and I believe this resource is the best one,
even for your 13-15 year olds, from the technical side of the jump
itself as well as the strength training information. Your 14-15 year
olds should be in the weight room if your facilities allow it and that
is covered here. But for those who are not ready, all the body weight
training exercises and circuits you need are included as well.

Question: Do I have to pay freight for the delivery or is it included
in the price?

Answer: You will have to pay for freight/shipping in addition to the
price of the program. The costs appear to be running roughly US$7.50 to
ship inside the US, US$8.48 to Canada and US$18.75 to ship overseas.

Question: Is the shipping rate for Hawaii the same as the US rate, or
overseas rate?

Answer: The US rate.

Question: I have already purchased the strength training for horizontal
jumpers program and was happy to see we could get the individual DVDs,
but I am only able to select the entire program. How do we purchase the
individual DVDs?

Answer: I apologize for any confusion that the site has created. Here
are the links for the individual DVDs:

Long Jump Teaching & Technique DVD
Triple Jump Teaching & Technique DVD
Weight Training for Sports Performance DVD
Exercises for Sports Performance DVD

Question: Coach Schexnayder is a tremendous jumps coach. I have heard
him speak at clinics I have attended. Always with lots of good take-
aways. However his last DVD left a lot to be desired. Hopefully, this 4
pack will fill in some of the voids and give me more visuals that can
be shared with our athletes.

Answer: Great question. You are talking about the yellow and purple
DVDs produced by Championship Productions, Teaching and Coaching the
High Jump/Long Jump/Triple Jump. What most people don't know about
those DVDs is that Championship Productions came in and filmed the
segments, then left and edited them all together however they felt like
doing it. Therefore, Boo had no control over the outcome of the DVDs.
Even Boo will admit he does not like those DVDs, how they came out or
how the information was structured. That's why, with these DVDs, he
controlled the process, entirely filming, editing and narrating the
videos himself, along with LSU jumps coach Todd Lane (in the LJ/TJ
DVDs). This was very important to Boo and I am supremely confident that
the difference in quality between those `Teaching and Coaching the...`
DVDs and these DVDs is extreme and that you will not be disappointed in
the least.

If you have seen Boo speak and were impressed, but wondered why his
last DVDs were so inferior to his regular work, that is the reason. He
didn't control them. But since he did control these, from soup to nuts,
they are very much like his clinic presentations in terms of scope,
depth, quality and clarity.

So. How do I specifically think they are better? With these, there is a
progression. Everything flows in a planned, logical way that naturally
helps me understand how one thing leads to the next both from the event
itself to how I should coach it and design training. Those other DVDs
feel rushed and erratic with no sense of pacing.

But again, never forget, if you do think I'm just trying to say
anything to get a sale and you think the DVDs are junk, you have 60
days to return them and get your money back. I have been doing this for
7 years now and customer service is important. You're not going to get
a runaround if you return them, just an email that says you've been
refunded. I will gladly and loudly put my personal and professional
reputation on the line in saying that these DVDs will cause you to put
the other yellow/purple ones in the trash and that you will be
satisfied with the content. These DVDs came out exactly the way Boo
wanted them to. The others can not make that claim.

Question: Hello, I wanted to know if this will cover program design at
all as i'm wondering how to set up my program for this season. I"m
having trouble determining when to have the kids do their triple
jumping and technique (phase work) for that. If they lift Mon/Wed/Fri
and also do speed stuff on those days and some plyos, they need some
recovery from those taxing workouts. Can i still get by with doing
technique for TJ on Tue/Thursday?? Or is that too much. THanks alot!

Answer: This program does not cover program design for the jumps. Those
DVDs cover teaching and progressing technique for long and triple. The
weight training DVD does cover program design in terms of which lifts
to use, with sets/reps/density, for different phases of the season.
However, as part of my deal with Boo, he has agreed to create regular
content in the forms of articles, videos, interviews, etc. So program
design is where I will have him focus his efforts.

Speed work (on the track or as specific approach rehearsal) and
bounding (plyos) IS technique for the jumps.

Question: Are the DVD's multi-region or designed only to work in the
US? I live in the UK and would like to purchase these but want to make
sure they'll work!

Answer: There is NO regional coding on the DVDs. They will work
anywhere in the world.

PLEASE NOTE: We are not using this space to answer questions about
program design, drill sequencing or training progressions for the
jumps. You can read answers to popular jumps training questions here.

Tags: boo schexnayder, hang clean, hop phase, long jump, long jump
approach, long jump drills, Olympic Lifts, Penultimate Step, power
clean, training inventory, triple jump, triple jump drills, triple jump
hop phase.

Filed under Jumps by Latif Thomas on Oct 16th, 2011. 15 Comments.
#-
October 15, 2011

Horizontal Jumping 101 Part 2

0

Horizontal Jumping 101 Part 2

By Cameron Gary

In Part One of Horizontal Jumping 101, we dealt with the basics
pertaining to horizontal jumping events. The horizontal jumping events
(in fact all jumping) have a very close relationship to sprinting. It
is no accident that almost all good horizontal jumpers are capable, if
not outstanding sprinters. Since we know that sprinting is a series of
jumps, let's look at how we might utilize some of the general
principles covered in Part One.

Center of Mass

Horizontal jumping is about the projection of one's Center of Mass
(COM), or "cheating gravity" according to Vern Gambetta. As you may
recall, the COM in humans is not a fixed point. If one's arms or legs
move one direction or another, the COM shifts accordingly in order for
the body to remain balanced. In throwing-oriented martial arts such as
Judo and Aikido, one is rarely .thrown. in a literal sense. It's not
really necessary to actually lift a person in order to "throw" them,
per se. Instead the opponent is actually led into a position of extreme
instability, from where the technique is applied rather easily. The
more one destabilizes one's opponent, the easier it is to further
unbalance and subsequently control them. In fact the opponent actually
"throws" himself!

Try this simple test:

Stand erect with straight legs.
Bend forward at your hips and touch your toes (or at least try to...)
Now stand erect with your back to a wall. Your heels and buttocks must
touch the wall.
Now bend forward and attempt to touch your toes.

It is almost certain that you were not able to get anywhere near
touching your toes on the second attempt. As you bent forward when not
standing against the wall, your hips/buttocks shifted backwards to
accommodate the mass of your torso moving forward. Your COM moved
slightly forward, but likely stayed within of your body. However, when
you bent forward while against the wall your rearward hips/buttocks
movement was restricted. Your COM continued forward well outside your
body, most likely well past a point directly above your toes. This
caused you to lose your balance forward. Thus, you either 1) took a
step forward to regain your balance, or 2) face planted (fell). I hope
it was the former and not the latter. I'll throw in the martial arts
lesson for free....

Walking is merely a series of controlled destabilizations ("falls")
where the center of mass is "pushed" beyond its balance point (rear
leg) then is "caught" by the front foot/leg prior to the rear foot
breaking contact with the ground. Running is essentially the same
thing, except it is done dynamically as a series of controlled "jumps".
The functional difference between a run and a walk is that a walker
always has one foot on the ground, whereas a runner's feet are off the
ground during the stride transition. It is important to note that while
walking one can get away with putting one's foot well in front of the
COM as the movement is not ballistic. In dynamic movements such as
sprinting, we strive to keep the foot strike as close to beneath our
COM as possible. Although there is a slight hinged-moment (explained
below) phase in sprinting, one should not over-extend forward while
sprinting. This would create a large hinged-moment impulse, which
changes the athlete's direction and causes either a definitive jumping
movement upward (or sideways as in .cutting. movement in football), or
a .braking. movement where one is slows down or stops.

New! Horizontal Jumps Training Program

Forward Rotation and the Hinged-Moment Phase

Horizontal jumps are a hinged-moment segmental ballistic-reactive
movement. What? That is just fancy talk for saying the body stops at a
point, quickly applies force into the ground via the use of swinging
body parts, rotates around that point as it continues moving forward
and subsequently leaves the ground (hopefully forward and upward). An
analogy is the pole-vaulter's pole as it strikes the plant box, stops
at one end, bends and snaps back into its original shape. The energy
used to return the pole back to its original shape helps to propel the
pole-vaulter upward over the bar. This is the hinged-moment phase. Our
primary concern is with how one uses this to project one's COM linearly
and to a certain extent vertically through space in the most efficient
and effective manner.

Hinged-Moment Phase

As the jumper comes tearing down the runway at breakneck speeds
(hopefully the run is controlled and rhythmic), all of the body parts
move as a unit down the runway at the same velocity. As the jumper's
foot strikes the take-off board, the lower part of the body decelerates
to accommodate the absorption, impulse and change of velocity from one
direction to another (hinged-moment phase). It happens very quickly,
but not fast enough to keep pace with the rest of the body. While the
upper body continues along its path nearly unobstructed, the lower body
lags slightly behind. This causes the body to rotate forwards around
the longitudinal axis (runs sideways through your body's COM, (hip to
hip). If unchecked, this rotation will continue unabated and the jumper
will literally face plant!

Forward rotation is why coaches advise their athletes to drive quickly
off the board, "punch" the leading knee upward, and then strongly kick
the lower leg/foot down and back while raising the arms upward. The
goal is to produce a counter-rotation in the lower body. As the legs
swing backward, the hips have to move forward (action-reaction). The
jumper attempts to achieve a long thin shape in the air, as this shape
tends to rotate more slowly around the longitudinal axis than a shorter
or round shape. The jumper then moves into their preferred flight
style, be it a .hang. or a"hitch-kick" (I'll explain those in a later
installment). The main reason for all of the in-air gymnastics is to
maintain a relatively upright position with the ultimate goal of
achieving an optimal landing position - and nothing else. It should be
emphasized that landing position is a result of the movements that
precede it. When diagnosing problems in the horizontal jumps, always
examine the movement(s) that preceded the problem instead of focusing
on the symptom itself.

We do all this just to learn how to stick one's feet into the dirt?
Yep, that's right. Just to land. Read on...

Momentum

In the horizontal jumps, the biggest determinant of overall distance is
horizontal momentum; i.e. "speed". It is not merely leaping ability or
vertical height achieved. The theoretical "perfect" jumping take-off
angle in the long jump is about 25 degrees instead of a perfect
diagonal of 45-degree path. This is due to the athlete's COM starting
its parabolic flight path from a position approximately three feet
above ground then ending at ground level. The flight curve is slightly
longer and lower on one side of the apogee (highest point) than the
other. At normal run-up speeds, even the 25-degree angle is nearly
impossible to achieve. In order for an athlete to achieve this angle,
one generally has to slow down and apply a large hinged-movement to
project the body upward. The loss of speed would be so great it would
not justify the extra height gained.

It is more common to see slightly lower take-off angles in the
horizontal jumps (the norm is between 18-25 degrees, dependent upon the
event). It is more desirable for the athlete to have a flatter
parabolic curve with greater horizontal velocity than it is to have a
steeper parabolic curve with lesser horizontal velocity. It is wise to
teach your athletes to "displace" their COM as much as possible during
the take-off(s). "Displacement" is the process of causing your COM to
move as far forward past your point of contact (plant foot) prior to
foot release during the hinged-moment phase. The trick is to exert
force into the ground for as long as possible while conserving
momentum. It is easier said than done.

Displacement is one of the reasons why the pole vault has much more in
common with the horizontal jumps than the high jump. It is a pointless
to have athletes train for excessive height (via jumping over
obstacles, striking suspended objects with their head, etc.) while
practicing the horizontal jumps. It essentially ruins the muscle
movement patterns associated with forward displacement. It also
reinforces patterns of movement geared toward high jumping (where we do
jump over things). The below figure illustrates why it is much better
for athletes to strive to achieve their apogee (highest point of the
parabolic curve) later in the jump, as opposed to earlier. The flight
path angle is determined at the instant the athlete leaves the ground.
Aerodynamics has almost no effect, so the landing angle will mimic the
take-off angle. Notwithstanding forward rotation, the athlete's sole
objective is to maximize the parabolic flight path of the COM
established at take-off. This is why it is important to learn how to
land. You can only land correctly if you "fly" correctly. My
recommendation is that horizontal jump athletes be taught to jump "OUT"
not "UP".

Why a flatter (and faster) parabolic curve is better

One Last Word on Momentum

Momentum can be a big ally or an enemy, depending on how it is used.
Many American triple jumpers (myself included - it's too bad youth is
wasted on the young) felt it was more important to .feel. the power
they exerted into the runway. There is nothing wrong with this . as I
like strong people . but I have one caveat... I now believe that the
best impulse effect is achieved via .skipping. across the runway, such
as the way a flat stone is skipped across water. My former coach,
Yukito Muraki (Japan's national jumps coach) espoused this view 25
years ago. John Tansley, an internationally recognized coach and the
writer of the Jumps section of the Amateur Athletic Foundation (now
LA84) Coaching Manual also shares this view.

All other things being equal, the distance the stone is skipped is
dictated by the speed and angle at which it hits the water. In order to
maximize this "skipping", the stone must be thrown at a very high
velocity and at a relatively flat angle relative to the surface of the
water. The stone does not pick up speed as it goes, as the inertia it
encounters (gravity, the water, etc.) takes away its kinetic energy and
subsequently, its momentum. However, the triple jumper can maximize his
distance via his ability to conserve momentum. This is done two ways:
1) by keeping the jumping and landing angles FLAT; and 2) by utilizing
an "active" foot movement. Noted sprint coach Brooks Johnson uses the
term "Progressive Aggression" to emphasize the focus on not allowing
your energy/concentration to wane at the end of a run. The same
principle applies in the horizontal jumps. Rocks don't have feet so
they are incapable of imparting an impulse into the ground.
Consequently, I like to emphasize developing and maintaining as much
"negative foot speed" (the faster the feet move backwards, the faster
the body can move forward) as possible in order to maximize our
"progressive aggression".

Another reason why it's better to be faster!

Triple Jump World Record Holder Jonathan Edwards demonstrated this
.skipping. principle with his performances in 1995 (no one has even
remotely approached his performances - which says a LOT). He
specifically said that he strove to make his ground contacts as light
as possible, much like a stone skipped across water. Biomechanical
analysis of his world record efforts showed that he retained more
usable velocity through all the phases than any of the other jumpers.
It also showed that he had more horizontal momentum during the last
five meters of his approach run -thus giving him a "speed reserve" that
he used throughout the remainder of the jump. SPEED is a GOOD thing!
However, you can't use it if you don't have it. Since speed dictates
70- 80% (by most estimates) of jump distance, my feeling is that 70-80%
of horizontal jump training should be devoted to the development and
maintenance of speed into and throughout the take-off(s).

New! Horizontal Jumps Training Program

Tags: horizontal jumps, long jump, long jump approach, long jump
workouts, triple jump.

Filed under Jumps by Administration on Oct 15th, 2011. Comment.
#-
October 13, 2011

Horizontal Jumping 101

0

Horizontal Jumping 101

By Cameron Gary

Running and jumping (along with lifting and throwing) are the most
fundamental of human athletic movements. The Olympic Motto of "Citius,
Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger) illustrates the
applicability of these basic performance attributes. However, to avoid
digressing into a history lesson, suffice it to say that in sprint/jump
training we strive to develop all athletic performance attributes to
some extent.

What could be more basic to sport than running and jumping? I guess
that is why the sport of Track & Field is called "Athletics" in most
other parts of the world. Running and jumping are two very closely
related movements/disciplines. In a later installment I will
specifically focus on that relationship. However, in this article we'll
look at the basics as they relate to jumping in general and horizontal
jumping (long jump and triple jump) in particular. I hope this article
will provide some insights into these basic movements so you can help
your athletes develop their athleticism to their highest levels.

I understand the readers of this article represent various levels of
experience and technical sophistication. Although I have a reasonable
technical understanding of the jumps, I am a "plain speaking" kind of
fellow. I don't claim to be a biomechanics expert (as I most certainly
am not). I am just a guy who has practiced/coached these events for a
little while. I'll progress through the technical aspects from the most
basic to the more advanced levels. Please forgive me if the basics
review does not excite some of you. But I want to make sure this
information is palatable to everyone - rather than just a select few.
That being said; I only teach what I know. Hopefully, I know what I
teach.

Learn more with this Horizontal Jumps Training Program

Jumping is simply a fast, coordinated extension of the hips, knee(s)
and ankle(s) in order to quickly push one's center of mass away from
the ground far enough that the feet break contact with the ground
("foot release"). This three-phased extension is sometimes called a
"triple-extension" movement, or as noted mechanics expert Geoff Dyson
says, a "summation of forces" (see inset). It is important to
understand that one needs all three forces working together in order to
have an efficient jumping effect! Any doubts? Try jumping without
extending the feet (or knees, etc.) and it will be quite evident how
limited your jumping will be. Of course there are other more complex
dynamics (countermovements, stretch-shortening cycles, etc.) to be
accounted for; but basically the "tripleextension " is the key. One can
attempt all the advanced skills one wishes; but if one does not
triple-extend; one will not jump!

For our purposes there are basic assumptions we have to make.
They are not capricious, as they are based upon known and proven
scientific principles. Below are some terms that will help establish a
common language. A basic understanding of these terms will help one to
grasp the underlying concepts that govern athletic movement. Again,
forgive me if you already know this; but I have to make sure everyone
is on the same page.

Force
* Force is something that tends to cause a change in the state of
motion in a body
* Force may move a body at rest; or it may slow or stop a body that
is already moving
* Gravity is a force

Gravity
* Gravity is a magnetic force that constantly pulls all physical
bodies toward the center of the earth.
* All falling bodies, regardless of weight (aerodynamics
notwithstanding) fall at the same rate of speed - approximately 32
FPS�.
* Jumping is simply a battle (albeit short-lived) against gravity -
What goes up must come down!
* Sport performance is dependent upon an athlete's ability to control
their body and/or implements while "cheating" gravity

Center of Mass (COM)
* The center of mass is the point where all of the mass of a body is
centered. A simple example is the balancing of a ruler at the
six-inch mark.
* The "mass" of a body is the amount of material of which it is made.
* Mass is NOT the same as "weight". The latter is the force of
attraction between a body and the magnetic pull of gravity. For
example, the moon is approximately one-seventh the size of the
earth, so it's gravitational pull is approximately one-seventh the
amount of gravity on earth. If one weighs 210 lbs on the earth, one
would weigh about 30 lbs on the moon. However, your mass hasn't
changed!
* The center of mass can be a point in space - for example, a
doughnut. This is important in relation to human bodies since they
tend to move around a lot - consequently a human's center of mass
is not fixed. It is dependent upon the position of the body/limbs.
This is very important to understand!

Speed and Velocity
* Speed is the rate of motion of a body.
* Speed is measured in units of length and time - for example "Miles
per Hour", "Feet per Second", etc.
* Velocity is the rate of a body's speed in a particular direction.
Consequently, one must have speed in order to develop velocity. For
example, a sprinter uses a combination of horizontal and vertical
velocity components in order to move forward. Both forces are
necessary relative to one another in order to produce a resultant
velocity.

Acceleration
* Acceleration is the rate of change in velocity
* An increase in velocity is called positive acceleration. A decrease
in velocity is called negative acceleration or deceleration
* Speed is not the same as acceleration
* It is possible to increase speed while decreasing acceleration. A
100-meter dash start is a classic example - in the first strides
the sprinter moves from a zero velocity state into an explosive
running stride. The stride lengths and the resultant velocity will
increase for approximately six seconds, but the change in velocity
decreases with each successive stride - even though the athlete is
running progressively faster.

Inertia
* Inertia is the resistance to a change in motion.
* A resting body tends to stay at rest unless something acts upon it
to cause it to move.
* The converse is true for bodies that are moving, so a moving body
tends to stay moving, unless something acts upon it to cause it to
stop. However, it is important to keep in mind that gravity is a
constant force that works on all bodies.

Momentum
* Momentum is the product of mass and velocity (Mass x Velocity or
"MV") and is figured mathematically. If either mass or velocity is
altered, the resultant momentum (product) changes.
* Everything that moves has momentum. In order to generate momentum
one must overcome inertia.
* A person weighing 200 lbs is needs more force to cause one's self
to move than a person weighing 150 lbs. However, once the larger
person is moving, it is easier to sustain velocity and harder to
stop (greater momentum) than a smaller person moving at the same
speed.

Impulse
* Impulse is the momentum change produced in a body. Essentially a
change in direction.
* Impulse is a product of the amount of force produced versus time.
* A large force produced quickly is what we commonly think of as
"power".
This is contrasted with "strength", which is simply the absolute
amount of force produced regardless of time.

Counter- Movement Jumping
A second basic type of jump is called a "counter-movement" jump. In
this case, the athlete quickly drops thier weight downward, and then
reverses the direction of the movement (in this case down, then up) in
order to propel the COM away from the earth. An example would be a
volleyball player that quickly drops into a modified squat position and
then immediately jumps upward in order spike or block the ball. This
effect is at times called the "ballistic-reactive" effect, as it
incorporates two distinct, yet related phases. They must be done
quickly. The phases are:

1. Absorption (ballistic) - Eccentric Muscular Reaction; the dropping
downward
2. Explosion (reactive) - Concentric Muscular Contraction; the
exploding upward

For our purposes, we are concerned primarily with counter-movement
jumping. In fact, we take this type of jumping to a higher level by
incorporating training methods that increase the eccentric or "loading"
phase. The hopeful result would then be to increase the subsequent
response in order to produce a stronger concentric or "explosive"
reaction. I will explain this concept in more detail below, but this is
the type of jumping that is most useful for sprint/jump athletes. It is
also the reason why counter-movement weight lifting exercises such as
the Power Clean, Jerks, and Snatch are productive.

Plyometric/Stretch-Shortening Cycle (SSC)

Now for the fun stuff! The SSC is the ballistic-reactive process that
occurs when one causes a shortening muscle to lengthen. This is
analogous to a rubber band pulled between two fingers - although it is
lengthening, it is always "trying" to shorten. I will use the analogy
of a rubber ball bouncing when dropped onto a hard floor to explain the
SSC, as it is most applicable to sprinting and jumping. This is how it
works...

When the ball is dropped (or projected, rolled, etc.) force is applied
to it to cause it to move. The ball has mass and velocity, thus it
carries momentum. As long as the ball is moving it carries kinetic
energy (residual force applied for it to continue to move). In this
case, gravity is applying the force.

As the ball strikes the floor, the surface does not give way
to the kinetic energy stored in the ball. The floor absorbs very little
if any energy, so the energy carried in the ball cannot continue
downward. This energy is forced back into the ball in a direction
perpendicular to the surface of the floor (relative to the angle it is
struck). This "rebound" energy is thrust away from the floor and
subsequently into/through the ball. The top of the ball is still moving
toward the floor the instant the bottom of the ball stops moving. After
energy propelling the bottom of the ball has changed direction and
started moving upward, the top of the ball is still moving downward. Of
course the difference in time is very minute - but there IS a
difference.

These opposing forces cause the ball to change shape and expand outward
in order to accommodate the energy moving within the confines of the
ball's outer layer. This "extra" kinetic energy is briefly stored
within the ball. This is analogous to the way a polevaulter's pole
bends upon striking the box (keep this in mind). Of course the ball
immediately exerts an opposing force to resume its normal shape. The
contained energy is forced back toward the opposite end where there is
the least resistance (top of the ball). As nothing other than gravity
opposes this energy transfer, the ball is projected (or bounced)
upward.

You are probably asking, "What does this have to do with
sprinting/jumping?" Read on, grasshopper, read on...

When the SSC is utilized in training the sprints and jumps, we train to
become a "rubber ball", more or less. We cause the shortening muscle to
quickly lengthen during the eccentric phase in hopes of eliciting a
more powerful impulse and resultant concentric muscular contraction.
This intense "Stretch-Reflex" response is very fast and powerful
relative to the size of the involved muscle. We endeavor to make
ourselves more like a "super" ball (remember those?) so we can "bounce"
even higher/faster. This explains why one can run faster on asphalt
than on soft sand while expending the same amount of effort. The former
simply returns more energy than the latter.

Strength vs. Power

Maximum jumping height/distance DOES NOT come from an excessive bending
of the knees or "pressing" harder into the ground. "Pressing" is simply
TOO SLOW! To jump higher/farther, you have to jump FASTER! The jumps
and sprints are "active" movements. We want to increase absolute
strength, but not at the expense of dynamic jumping power - especially
"impulse". Absolute strength is about quantity of force. Dynamic
"power" is about quality of force. As power is a function of strength
versus time, we have two paths to take; 1) increase the amount of
strength we can exert within a given amount of time, or 2) utilize the
available strength we possess as quickly as possible. This is an
individual decision that depends upon the athlete's goals and physical
capabilities. But the bottom line is that we must seek to maximize the
qualities of force. We must never forget this.

There is one possible exception to this concept - the stationary sprint
start. The dynamics are a little different because the athlete starts
from a static position. In that case, the athlete needs to generate a
large quantity of force into the blocks, and then the ground in order
to overcome inertia and start the body moving down the track. This is
why the development of sprint power should be first in your order of
business. One can't maintain speed one hasn't developed it in the first
place. Early in the race, the proportion of time spent applying force
into the ground is relatively long (higher strength requirement). But
after the body is moving and maximal velocities are approached, the key
to sustaining one's momentum is to maximize the impulse imparted into
the ground. One does this by causing higher ground-reaction forces
("striking" the ground harder and faster). The athlete does not try to
run faster by "pressing" into the ground. Instead, the athlete strives
to generate a quicker "bouncing" impulse at the correct angle of
projection for sprinting (using correct sprint mechanics). Never forget
that sprinting is a series of continuous jumps!

For more on jumps: Boo Schexnayder's Horizontal Jumps Training Program

The Basics

Tags: horizontal jumps, jump workouts, long jump, long jump approach,
triple jump, triple jump approach.

Filed under Jumps by Administration on Oct 13th, 2011. Comment.
#-
October 12, 2011

Boo Schexnayder on Long Jump Penultimate Step Technique

0

On Monday, October 17, World Class jumps coach Boo Schexnayder is
launching his groundbreaking horizontal jumps training program.

As I've been saying over the past week or two, it is by far the best
jumps training package I've ever seen. And I own a pretty hefty library
of good and not so good jumps books, DVDs (...and VHS tapes).

Here is a clip from his long jump video. In it, he goes over technique
for the penultimate step in the long jump.

Click here for more information about this new program.

-Latif Thomas

Tags: boo schexnayder, long jump, Penultimate Step.

Filed under Jumps by Latif Thomas on Oct 12th, 2011. Comment.
#-
October 11, 2011

Sprint Training - Energy Systems

3

Sprint Training - Energy Systems

By Tony Veney

At the beginning of each track season, you sit down and evaluate the
returning and the incoming talent. The thoughts eventually shift to the
top sprinters and the expectations we both have for the upcoming
season. If girls or boys ran 12.5 or 11.0 last year, you just assume
that they will improve through maturation. But sometimes our
expectations are not always met with the hoped for results. If you
eliminate the distractions of approaching graduation, boy and
girlfriends, jobs, parental pressure, etc., your kid should run better
(the good ones are able to manage all of the other static, which
includes the coach as well). And running better is what I am the most
concerned with. Getting the sprinter to run faster than ever before
through a systematic approach to the energy systems needed to produce
the needed performance.

Start off first by knowing just a little about the physical patterning
of your sprinter. Do you know what your sprinter's stride length is? Do
you know what your sprinter's stride frequency is? If not, then you're
playing a game (and some of you very successfully) of sprinter's
roulette. Don't have your sprinters running fast in spite of your
training; it should be in conjunction with as much of your training and
speed development as possible.

Aerobic training has nothing to do with sprinting, and should never be
used to make your sprinter faster. Aerobic training is good for the
development of the cardiovascular system to enable you to recover from
the tough workouts and helps in the development of running more reps
and learning to run rounds. But there is nothing about a 1000
breakdown, or 5-10 miles of running that will enable your sprinter to
improve from 12.5 to 12.2.

You need to know what the body is affected by when you sprint, and you
need to train those areas and perfect them so that when it's time to
"punch" it, they "punch it" like a Top Fuel Funny Car and not like the
neighborhood garbage truck. But that is what you are doing when you go
outside of the energy system requirements preset in the sprint.

The following chart outlines the duration of effort, the energy system
it touches, the use of either power or capacity, and the training
effect. If you are doing starts, it is clear that you're working in the
0.0 to 5.0 second range. So what? Well, you need to know a little about
the biochemistry of the body which states:

The legs have stored ATP (look it up) in them and lasts for 2 muscle
contractions. During that moment

0.0-.20 equals reaction to the stimulus of the gun
0.0-.20 equals the first push from both legs
1.0-2.0 equals the energy stored in the legs (block exit)
2.0-5.0 equals the pushing phase of the acceleration pattern
5.0-15.0 equals maximum flying speed

Each one of these areas has an energy system that you can tie into
which lets you know what distances you should be covering because you
have the duration that the system is available to you. If you are a 200
meter girl, and wish to train your speed endurance, you must touch on
the 15 30 second range which allows you to run very fast, at a very
high percentage of your maximum effort. Do not train speed endurance at
less than 90% or you will lock in a slower muscular recruitment and
thereby get a slower muscular response. Want to run fast? Train fast.

girl_winning_race- "But she's got to get strong," you say. If
your girls run 10 x 200 at 75% with short recovery, they'll be strong
as sin. But when they run against my girls, who have run 1 x 250 in 30
sec. with 20 mins. and 1 x 180 in 21.6, I win. That's because my girls
can endure at the target pace of the run, while yours can run a whole
bunch of them, but slower than sin! Of course this is not all I do all
year, and you may think that 10 x 200 is necessary in the beginning; it
has its place, but not to make her fast. If it is an aerobic workout,
call it that, but do not call it speed. If my boy is a 50 flat boy, and
I run 3 x 500 fast with good recovery, then I'm working the lactic
capacity (the ability to tolerate lactic acid which deadens the
muscle's ability to maintain the power needed to go fast).

3 x 3 x 60 meters on the fly Alactic Power
1 x 600 @ 95% 90 sec. 1 x 200 @ race pace Lactic Capacity
10 x 30 meters starts Alactic Power

Try not to run more than 150 to 175 seconds worth of actual running on
the track. It works out to a lot of running very fast if you go up that
high.

1000-800-600-400 Lactic with Aerobic Support***

***Be careful here because you have to ask yourself, what is it about a
400 in 49 or 54 seconds that has anything to do with needing aerobic
support. But this system does let you know what areas to train your
800-1600-3200 kid when it comes to what system will make you a more
capable runner.

Finally, train for speed first and you will be able to run at a reduced
percentage of that speed for a longer distance. But if you start slow
and try to run fast off the slower velocity, you will more often than
not find yourself on the raw end of someone's kick.

Take your coaching to the next level - Track and Field Legends

TRAINING ENERGY SYSTEMS
Duration of
Session Effort
Energy System(s)
Power/Capacity
Training Effect
0 to 0.2 sec.
Nervous
---
Reaction
0 to 0.2 sec.
(per leg)
Alactic (Stored
muscle ATP)
Power
Initial Thrust
0 to 0.1 sec
(speed)
Alactic
(CP system)
Power
Single leg thrust
at top
1 to 2.0 sec
Alactic (nervous
+ stored ATP + CP)
Power
Starts
2 to 5.0 sec
Alactic (CP system)
Power
Acceleration
5 to 15 sec
Alactic (CP system)
Power
Maximum speed
(flying start)
15 to 30 sec
Alactic (extended
CP system)
Capacity
Speed endurance
(ability to hold
95%)
30 to 45 sec
Lactic
Power
Ability to produce
energy w/ot O2
or CP
45 to 90 sec
Lactic
Capacity
As above +
ability to tolerate
lactic acid
90 to 300+
Lactic with
aerobic support
Aerobic +
Power + Lactic
Capacity
Abil. to use O2 to
hold pace as lactic
acid accumulates
5 to 10 min
Aerobic with
minor lactic
Aerobic Power
Max O2 rate
10 to 12 min
threshold
Aerobic
Power Capacity
Raise anaerobic
20 to 60 min
steady pace
Fuel: glycogen
Capacity
Ability to maintain
Above 1 hour
Aerobic Fuel:
glycogen + fat
Capacity
Ability to maintian
steady pace for
the marathon

Tags: 100 meter training, 100 meter workouts, 200 meter training, 200
meter workouts, speed training, speed workouts, sprint training, sprint
workouts, Tony Veney.

Filed under Hurdles, Sprints by Administration on Oct 11th, 2011.
3 Comments. #-
October 10, 2011

Boo Schexnayder on Triple Jump

0

Aside from basic bounding skills, there are two major technical
components of concern in the hop phase:

1. The Hop Leg Cycle
2. The Free Leg Cycle

Watch as Boo Schexnayder sheds more light on the first phase of the
triple jump:

Get more exclusive information on the horizontal jumps from Coach
Schexnayder.

If you have questions about the triple jump or long jump, check this
out.

- Latif Thomas

Tags: boo schexnayder, hop phase, triple jump, triple jump approach,
triple jump drills, triple jump hop phase, triple jump training, triple
jump workouts, USTFCCCA.

Filed under Jumps by Latif Thomas on Oct 10th, 2011. Comment.
#-
October 7, 2011

13 Questions (and Answers) with Boo Schexnayder

3

boo- Jumps Expert Boo Schexnayder answers 13 popular questions
from Complete Track and Field readers.

Question #1: How do you increase the distance of the second phase of
the triple jump?

Coach Schexnayder: The second phase of the triple jump seems difficult
to fix because it is a collection point for all triple jump errors. Any
mistake made at any point prior to the second phase can destroy the
second phase. The most common causes are high takeoffs from the board,
failing to move forward enough while the foot is on the board, or
cycling the hop leg through too soon and too aggressively. For this
reason the takeoff from the board and the hop (1^st) phase are by far
the most important phases of the event, in spite of the frequency of
second phase problems.

Question #2: What criteria do you use for determining the optimal
approach distance for the long jump and/or triple jump?

Coach Schexnayder: Generally for long jump I place beginners at 14
steps, most high schoolers at 16 steps, and very high level high
schoolers or collegiates at 18 steps. If your jumper has an odd number
of steps you can subtract one. (I count every step, I realize some
coaches count every other step). I generally subtract 1 or 2 steps to
get the triple jump approach length. These guidelines are pretty well
fixed and you should be more concerned with the number of steps than
the distance. As they get faster normally the approach will lengthen by
a few feet, but the number of steps should remain the same. To get the
initial approach distance, place a tape measure on the track (away from
the distraction of the board and pit) and have them run backwards
beside it, counting steps and noting the location of the takeoff step
as consistency is developed. This distance is then transferred to the
runway. If you run back on the runway to establish an approach, then
place the toe a few inches from the front of the board as a starting
point. At meets, this approach distance should be measured (not run
backwards), and final adjustments made during warmups.

Question #3: For long jump, is cycling after the take off (the
hitchkick) the best technique to use or does it depend on the type of
athlete or their level of experience?

Coach Schexnayder: The hitchkick (cycling) technique in the long jump
is very difficult to teach and actually highly overrated as a way to
position the body for landing. The free (drive) leg should straighten
after the jumper leaves the ground, but after that don't spend a
tremendous amount of coaching time on flight. Coaching time is much
better spent on the things that happen on the ground, the approach and
takeoff.

Question #4: How do you teach the penultimate stride or set up for the
take off for long jumpers of high school age?

Coach Schexnayder: The penultimate step is best taught as a rolling,
heel to toe type of contact against the surface. Advanced athletes can
then be taught lowering techniques once they become stronger, but the
heel to toe rolling action is a great place to start for all. This is
true for males and females.

Click here for more jumps specific training information from Coach
Schexnayder.

Question #5: The landing is killing my athletes. I can't seem to get it
right. Can you help me out?

Coach Schexnayder: There is a simple way to find the cause of landing
problems. Have the jumper do a few standing long jump and check out the
landing. If the landing in the standing long jump is better than the
landing used in the meet, then you know the problem is actually forward
rotation produced at takeoff that is preventing the jumper from landing
correctly. The answer is to improve posture and mechanics at takeoff so
that the jumper can land effectively. If the standing long jump landing
is poor, stress an upright torso during flight and absorption at impact
(flexing the knees and hips, and moving the butt to the heels after
impact)

Question #6: Is there something during the winter months which might
help prevent Jumper's Knee during the actual spring competition season.

Coach Schexnayder: Jumper's knee is a common problem. It results
because the quadriceps muscle is not properly activated prior to the
jump takeoff. This absence of stiffening in the quadriceps makes it
incapable of protecting the knee, so all of the forces are transmitted
to the patellar tendon, producing this injury. Poor weight room
technique can also be a cause. When battling this ailment it is very
helpful for the jumper to switch from horizontal hops and bounds to
vertical hops and bounds in the plyometric program. Outside of the
actual long and triple jump practices, keeping the majority of your
plyometric work vertical is also a good way to help prevent this
ailment. The vertical jumps give more time for the quadriceps to
activate.

Question #7: If you had only one drill or exercise to use with your
jumpers during the pre-season or general prep phase what would it be?

Coach Schexnayder: The most important drill for any event is the event
itself. While drills have a place, the coach must eventually become
good at coaching the event within the context of the event. Even the
best drills have relatively low rates of transfer into the events, so
actually practicing the event is critical, and it's a common error to
spend too much time on drills. Research shows time and time again that
whole learning is more effective than part learning, so fight the
temptation to break the event into small parts. That makes it difficult
for the athlete to learn and feel the correct rhythms and flow.

Question #8: How should one approach training volume periodization
(volume and different modalities) for the high school jumper?

Coach Schexnayder: The high school jumper should begin the season with
training volumes that are near the highest of the year. To allow these
volumes to be done safely, the coach should make sure that the
intensity of the work is low enough so that the high school athlete can
complete the work. Once the athlete has shown the ability to complete
these high work volumes, the difficulty (intensity) of the work can
increase, and volumes decrease in compensation. Starting with high
volumes might seem odd, but the brevity of the high school season means
you don't want to spend excessive amounts of time building training
volumes when increases in the intensity of training are what cause
improvements.

Coach Schexnayder has a new horizontal jumps program. Click here to get
more information.

Question #9: What is your view on ratio of work between general (speed,
strength) and specific (actual jump mechanics) training, throughout a
macrocycle? I, at some point in the season, always become concerned
that my athletes are getting too much CNS stimulation, as most training
elements are geared toward it. How can we add more metabolic training
(and reduce CNS) that wont inhibit speed and explosiveness, but would
still be worth adding to the training inventory?

Coach Schexnayder: A good way to insure balance in training between
metabolic and neural training is to assign a theme for each training
session. Neural days should contain acceleration and speed work,
plyometrics, and all major weight training exercises. General days
contain bodyweight exercises, medicine ball work, technique and drills,
circuits, and submaximal (tempo) running. These general day components
are important to achieving good training balance, and most good
training programs alternate neural and general days. Although there may
be exceptions, neural days should begin (after warmup) with
acceleration and/or speed, followed by multijumps and plyometrics,
followed by weight training. General days should begin (after warmup)
with technique, then circuits or endurance work.

Question #10: I have a girl and boy who are state placers in the triple
and long jumps. They both want to jump in college they both need about
2 feet to their long and about 5 feet to their triple jumps. In your
best guess what would be the number suggestion you would make to me to
help them the additional feet to their jumps?

Coach Schexnayder: Every coach wants the magic bullet that will add
feet to horizontal jump performances. These types of gains are
possible, but getting them never results from a single training
adjustment. A certain drill or a new workout is never the answer. These
big gains come about because of a diverse, well organized and
periodized training plan, along with the best technical coaching and
teaching, administered over long periods of time.

Question #11: When coaching young children, would you agree that it is
more important to learn how to jump properly, before concentating on
striking the board. For example I see kids running twice the distance
they need to, only to slow down as they look for the take-off board.

Coach Schexnayder: With the exception of beginners, I advise against
taking full approach long and triple jumps in training. The high speeds
and intensities make it tough to teach skills. I suggest working on the
approach in some sessions, while doing actual complete long and triple
jumps from runs of 6-10 steps. This enables better learning and more
repetitions. The first full approach jumps should come in the early
season, not-so-important meets.

Question #12: I have several multi event athletes. I know that there
are many similarities between sprinting and jumping but how much
specific jump training do athletes need to work on specific technique?

Coach Schexnayder: Organizing the training for jumpers who sprint,
hurdle, and do multievents should not be an overly difficult task.
After all, speed and explosiveness are essential to all of the events.
My sprint, hurdle, jump and combined event athletes all follow a
training program that is very similar. I suggest setting up a base
program for all these events, and then making small adjustments from it
for each rather than writing an entirely different workout for each
group. For example, if I have an acceleration day, the jumpers can be
doing accelerations, the sprinters block starts, and the hurdlers work
over 1,2 or 3 hurdles. On a speed day, the jumpers can do runway
practice, the sprinters do fly work, and hurdlers might work over 4-6
hurdles. These groups might come together to do the same circuit,
plyometric, and weight training

Question #13: What is the ratio of training in the pit with the
technique of jump in comparison to the amount of sprint training done
to perfect the run up?!? One coach where I live does 90% pit work and
10% on run up. I do about 70% on run up (sprint training) and included
in this 70% is a lot of conditioning work. What is best????

Coach Schexnayder: The flight path and rotations of a jumper are
predetermined at takeoff and unchangeable after, so it is best to spend
the vast majority of actual coaching time addressing the elements of
the jump that occur on the ground. The percentage of time spend on the
runway vs. the track is not as critical as the percentage of time spent
addressing the run and takeoff vs. flight and landings. It is critical
though that the coach actively works on running and jumping mechanics
not only during jump practice, but during all running and plyometric
workouts. Cross country does not help, and can actually harm sprint and
jump performance, because speeds are too low and endurance addressed
too much in that type of work.

---=---

Coach Schexnayder's new program, Complete Horizontal Jumps
Training, is here! Click for more information.

Tags: boo schexnayder, combined event training, combined events, hitch
kick, long jump, long jump approach, long jump workouts, multi event
training, multi events, speed training, sprint training, track and
field, triple jump, triple jump approach, triple jump training, triple
jump workouts, USTFCCCA.

Filed under Hurdles, Jumps, Sprints by Latif Thomas on Oct 7th, 2011.
3 Comments. #-

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