Speed and Agility Programing

EXSC 541 Chapter 19

Speed

The ability to achieve high movement velocities

Change of Directions

The skills and abilities needed explosively change movement direction, velocities, or mode.

Agility

The skills and abilities needed to change direction, velocity, or mode in response to a stimulus

Impulse

Is the change in momentum resulting from a force, measured from a force, measured as the product or force and time

• A basic objective of training is to move the force time curve up and left, generating greater impulse and momentum during the limited time over which force is applied

Rate of Force Development

The development of maximal force in minimal time, typically used as an index of explosive strength

Acceleration

Is the change in an objects velocity due to movement mass

Velocity

Describes both how fast an object is traveling and in what direction

Breaking Impulse

The production of braking forces over certain periods of time should be considered during change-of-direction and agility maneuvers

Nervous System

Increases in neural drive may contribute to increases in an athletes RFD and impulse generation

• Increases in neural drive, which are indicative of an increase in the rate at which action potentials occur, are related to increases in muscular force production and the rate of force production

Stretch Shortening Cycle

• Acutely, tends to increase mechanical efficiency and impulse via elastic energy recovery

• Chronically, they upregulate muscle stiffness and enhance neuromuscular activation

Spring-Mass model

A mathematical model that depicts sprinting as a type of human locomotion in which the displacement of a body mass is the after effect from energy produced and is delivered through the collective coiling and extension of spring-like actions within muscle architecture

Plant Phase

The critical transition point in a change in direction movement between the deceleration step and the acceleration step. Maintaining a strong trunk position is critical for performance

Sprinting Mechanics

Determined by stride length and stride length. RFD and proper biomechanics are two of the primary limiting factors.

• More successful sprinters tend to have longer stride lengths, while also demonstrating a more frequent stride rate.

Sprinting Technique Guidelines

Linear sprinting involves a series of subtasks- the start, acceleration, and top speed

Training Goals of Running Speed

Emphasize brief ground support times as a means of achieving rapid stride rate

• Requires high levels of explosive strength

Emphasize further development of the stretch shortening cycle as a means to increase the amplitude of impulse for each step of the sprint.

Factors affecting change-of-direction ability

May change depending on the demand of the COD test

• It is a combination of the ability to decelerate, reorient the body to face the direction of intended travel, and then explosively reaccelerate to truly determine change-of-direction ability

Factors Affecting Perceptual-Cognitive Ability

Visual scanning, anticipation, pattern recognition, knowledge of the situation, decision-making time and accuracy, and reaction time

Technical guidelines and coaching suggestions

Visual focus, body position during braking and reacceleration, leg action, arm action

Training goals of agility

• Enhanced perceptual-cognitive ability in various situations and tactical scenarios

• Effective and rapid braking of one’s momentum

• Rapid reacceleration toward the new direction of travel

Rate Coding

Sprinting requires near-maximum to maximum muscle activation, which depends on high central nervous system activity

Methods of Developing Speed: Strength

The transfer of strength improvements to sprinting may require an emphasis on the specificity of training. It deals with the degree of performance adaptation and may result from the similarities between the movement patterns, peak force, RFD, acceleration, and velocity patterns of an exercise and the sporting environment

Methods of Developing Speed: Mobility

Is the freedom of an athletes limb to move through a desired range of motion

Frequency

The number of training sessions performed in a given time period (e.g., day or week)

Intensity

The effort with which a repetition is executed

Relief or Recovery Interval

The time period between repetitions and sets

Repetition

The execution of a specific workload assignment or movement technique

Series

A group of sets and relief intervals

Set

A group of repetitions and relief intervals

Volume

The amount of work performed in a given training session or time period

Work-to-Rest Ratio

The relative density of exercise and relief intervals in a set, expressed as a ratio

Speed Development Strategies

Planning tactics should be periodizes in a manner that addresses the physical and psychological components of sprinting through emphasis and de-emphasis on particular qualities in a phasic manner

Agility Development Strategies

Step 1. Perform a needs analysis of the sport

Step 2: Determine strengths and weaknesses by comparing results as a standardized score

Step 3: Plan the development of a primary area of need and a secondary area of need

Step 4: Distribute the time available for those development based on need identification

Step 5: Provide a preliminary plan for transition of percent distribution through the training blocks