Author: Vernon Gambetta
Muscles Firing – Where is the switch?
This is a post I wrote over many years ago, if anything this thinking is more pervasive now than it was then. "A lot of things weren't firing — his glutes, his hips, thighs," (Training Guru to the star player – name deleted to protect the guilty) told the newspaper. "I wouldn't say his condition was the most severe, I wouldn't say it was the best. … But if I were to classify it on a scale of one to 10 with 10 being the most extreme, I'd say he was definitely in the seven, eight category." This is definitely one of my pet peeves. If those muscles were not firing how did this player walk? Let’s get logical rather scientific. If there is an injury the body is very intelligent much smarter than the coaches and therapists who try to intervene by turning muscles on or off. The body will guard and call-in a substitute, as in most teams the substitutes are not as good as the starters, what we need to need to do is figure how to get the first string back into the game and playing as a team. We don’t do that lying on a training table trying to get individual muscles to fire and then hope we can get them back into sequence. We need to figure out what muscle synergies we can use to coordinate all those muscles to work together as a team. Otherwise, it would be so simple, just find the master switch, program the body, turn it on and just like flipping a light switch beautiful motion. Hate to break to the gurus, but there is no switch. We need to understand planes of motion and muscle actions and be able to figure out how to manipulate those variables along with the ground to get the first team players back on the floor playing together. Just remember if they ain’t firing you ain’t moving. It is not about firing it is about coordination and teamwork. Join the team and skip down the functional path to movement bliss.
Three Books to Kickoff 2021
These three books are among the best I have read in the past several years. Out of Thin Air is terrific reinforcement of what you must do to compete successfully in an endurance sport. Great insights into training. Huge reinforcement of Seiler’s training polarization concept. The Art of Possible is not another formulaic motivational text. It really is a peak performance primer. Chock full of a practical step by step things you can do to achieve flow. Kotler really nails it. It certainly, got refocused. Think Again will getting rethinking and thinking again. Adam Grant is a rock star in my universe. So much great information here to get you thinking deeper.
Volume
Anyone can do more. Can you do more better? Is doing more really necessary? It is very easy to default to volume, in fact it is seductive to see the miles, tons or reps climb. At early stages of development doing more usually yields commensurate results, the more you do the better you get, but then what? The point of diminishing returns kicks in. Do you push through it or do you adjust? My experience in having gone the more volume approach in several sports is the take a giant step back and rethink what you are doing. Volume is not a biomotor quality. So trite to say but so true, in so many instances less is more. Defaulting solely to higher intensity is not the answer either. The answer is to find that sweet spot for each athlete where volume, intensity and the often-overlooked factor of density are manipulated. In my experience the answer the volume conundrum is density which I define as the frequency of the training stimulus. It can be summed up in one simple axiom – a little bit more often. This is now being called micro dosing. It is easier to manage and monitor and takes full advantage of the cumulative training effect to achieve the desired adaptation.
Set-Up Concept
Nothing we do in training occurs in isolation. Everything we do is related. Training is cumulative. No one workout can make an athlete, but one workout can break an athlete. Therefore, keeping those two axioms in mind no training session should stand alone. Each workout should be linked to the workout that preceded it and to the session that follows. There may not be research to substantiate this, but I have a large body of practice to underscore the validity of the concept in my system. What I have found is that I can effectively use workout A to setup workout B and so forth. It takes detailed planning and record keeping. It demands coordination with the sport coach if you are an athletic development coach. Using the set-up concept separates the nice to do from the need to do. In the realm of physical preparation, the training session are more in concert with what is happening in the sport practice, therefore insuring a better degree of transfer. Play with the concept, I think you will see a benefit.
Some Life Lessons
This morning on my walk I was thinking about what I have learned in my 74 years on this planet. Life has been good to be. There have been up and downs, but mostly I have been able to keep moving forward. Since I have more yesterdays than tomorrows, I find myself reflecting more. Here are my thoughts on life lessons from this morning’s walk. You don’t have to be loud to be heard Actions really do speak louder than words You don’t have to be right all the time Learn to really listen before you speak Passion is high octane fuel, handle it carefully Compassion might be more important than passion Depression is a bitch. Learning to deal with it is an ongoing process Family and true friends are the most important asset you can have. Cherish them. LOVE THEM Never forget the Little Engine That could – I think I can. I think I Can. I think I can. I have learned that if you think you can, you will. I dedicate this post to my precious granddaughter, Taylor. I want to do everything I can to make sure that the world she grows up is a better world than we have now. Here are two pictures of her with her loving mommy and daddy.
Speed 101 – The Essence of It
This is my attempt to summarize the essence of sprinting. Nothing complicated, just the basics. No need to complicate. Let’s start with a generic definition of speed. Speed is the ability to move the body, or parts of the body through the largest range of motion in the least amount of time. The purpose of the start to overcome inertia to put the body in optimum posture to accelerate to top speed or if change of direction is required to optimum speed. The bottom line is to be able to effectively get the body into postures that allow for maximum force production into the ground in the least amount of time. A long body line aligned through the hips with the head still and neutral is the desirable posture. In acceleration as the body advances forward the initial foot contact is behind the C of G and over the first steps the point of foot contact moves under the body. I think of it in the following pattern: PUSH/PUSH/PUSH/HIPS TALL Cyclic action of legs – Step over ankle (Steps one, two & three), Step over Calf (Steps four five and six), Step over knee ( All subsequent steps) The arms play a big role in sprinting. At the start to help impart force back against the blocks and to maintain balance. As the sprint progresses the arms serve a balance function and secondary function to help with force production. Relaxation is a key to sprinting. Undue tension is detrimental. Running fast demands constant cycling of tension and relaxation. The legs cross each other in a reciprocal scissors action with the free (Swing Leg) foot crossing above the knee with each step. Step down from above. The closer the landing foot lands under C of G the better.
Starting 53
Just started my 53rd year of coaching. It's been a journey, ups and downs but always moving forward, always learning and working to get better. What has sustained me has been the athletes I have been able to work with who inspired and continue to inspire me. Last night I was able to have a ZOOM reunion with four members of my original cross country and track team at La Cumbre Junior High School in Santa Barbara, California. What a great group of people. It was so great to see them and reminisce. Interesting most of the memories were not about the fast times and championships of which there were many but of the trips, the eating lunch in my classroom, practicing Spanish verbs on the longer runs and getting to run with Jim Ryun. John Schumacher, George Aguirre, Mark Catlett and Tim Williams – great men and true champions. This is what makes it all worthwhile. Can't wait to get to practice today!
Training Method Evaluation
I have been getting many questions asking my opinion about various training methods that are being discussed online. Rather than comment specifically on each I will respond in a generic manner to help everyone develop their own universal filter. First start by stepping back and take a 1,000 foot view of the particular method. Ask pointed questions? Is the method part of a system? Is it one dimensional, designed to work on one isolated physical quality? It is really new and original? Who is doing it? What are they selling? Remember there are no secrets. Very few if any training methods will produce sustained results without being part of a system. My last words of advice are: Beware of false prophets bearing gifts.