Author: Vernon Gambetta
Do you have the imagination to see yourself doing something truly exceptional?
You know John Wooden; you know Geno Auriemma at UConn or the late Pat Summit but how about Jim Steen? While the swim coach at Kenyon College the men’s team won twenty-nine consecutive National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III championship titles while the women’s teams won twenty-one. That record of fifty titles surpasses those of any other coaches in any NCAA sport. I had the privilege of working with Jim’s teams for two of the championships, but even better than that every spring Jim comes to Sarasota with his family and we get together for lunch. His passion and energy and wisdom are so contagious it always gets me charged up. This is Jim’s 2011 commencement address at Keyon College. Do you have the imagination to see yourself doing something truly exceptional? We're ready for our coaching session. This is a little larger team than I am used to, but let's give it a shot. I'm not going to ask you get up and move around or stand up and cheer. This session is definitely not interactive. Like generations of Kenyon swimmers, all you have to do is sit there and take it! Decide for yourself if anything makes sense or if you have a better way of looking at things. I have three coaching points I want to make with you today, and they all relate to one's capacity to perform. Before I begin, however, allow me the one convention of this business that I fully embrace, for reasons that aren't necessarily related to sports. (Steen replaces academic cap with baseball cap). OK, thanks. I'm ready to go! Attitude So, how's your attitude? Probably pretty good today. What's not to be good? You've successfully made it from point A to point B and tomorrow you'll have all the necessary credentials to prove it! What's your attitude going to be like on Monday? Or next month? Or next fall? I'm sure some of you have jobs lined up, many of you are off to graduate school, a few of you will be traveling, and still others are uncertain about what you're going to be doing in the next few weeks, let alone the next few years. From my point of view that's OK, because regardless of what you're doing next week or next year, things will change and, in some cases, things will change dramatically. What's most important in this whole process, however, is attitude. Back in the mid-90s I had a big, strapping sprinter on my team, with a big booming voice, who won a couple of NCAA titles in the 50-yard freestyle. Fortunately, everybody on the team liked this guy, because when anyone was having a difficult practice, or a bad meet, or an awful day in class, or a problem with coach, his comment was always the same, "Hey, man, it's all about attitude!" No doubt, an individual of lesser stature offering the same admonition over and over again would have been persecuted! Even though this guy wasn't the hardest worker on the team, or the most talented, no one ever doubted the direction he was going. And that's what's important to remember about attitude. It's not whether it's good or bad, but does it define your direction? If the best path in getting from point A to point B is due north, I've had very few individuals on my team who have made the serious choice to head south! People usually fall short because they're a degree or two off in attitude and, over time and distance that can put you in a place far away from where you would like to be. You may have honestly assessed what constitutes a journey in the right direction, but if you're not performing the way you want to perform don't look at what you're doing, look at your attitude. On my team, when I challenge someone's attitude—and I love doing that—it's not an attack on their character. It's a belief in their ability to get back on course. What you have made of your life today is a result of the attitude you established for yourself when you came to this place in the fall of 2007. Your life in the future will be the result of the attitude you set for yourself when you leave this hallowed ground. If you're fortunate to have people in your life like you've had here at Kenyon—people you trust, people who know and appreciate you well enough to look you in the eye and remind you that you can do better, listen to them and make the necessary adjustment in your attitude. The worst position to be in is not slightly off course, and it's doubtful that any of you are deliberately going to head due south. The worst position to be in is a belief by you, or those around you, that you couldn't possibly do any better than you're currently doing! Imagination We've pretty much redefined attitude as it relates to performance. Let's take a look at your capacity to prepare. How is your work ethic? Is it helping you or hurting you in your capacity to perform? During your time on the Hill did you give it your best? Or did you avoid putting in the time and effort necessary to fully take advantage of your opportunities? Regardless of how you performed at Kenyon, we can all agree—whether we subscribe to the 10,000-hour rule or not—that a sustained period of focused attention and applied effort is absolutely essential in getting better at anything that really matters. And, yet, hard work, in my experience, is not the sole determinant of one's capacity to achieve. In fact, one's sense of what can be accomplished in any endeavor—what is truly possible—is often compromised by too much hard work and too little imagination. All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but all work and no imagination will most definitely make Jack an under-performer. Of this I'm absolutely convinced! It's been my experience that the hardest workers are not always the most prolific performers. The correlation between grinding it out, day in and day out, and the capacity to perform at transcendent levels does not always appear to be direct. In discussing this with my fellow coaches on the faculty over the years, I've picked up on similar sentiments. The student who puts in the work is not always the student who is the most creative and engaged in their thinking. If you have a limited imagination—a limited concept of what's possible—then performing in a truly exceptional manner at any level, in any arena, is improbable at best, irrelevant at worst. You may have the talent to excel. You may have the intelligence to excel. You may have the work ethic and competitiveness to excel. But the real question is: do you have the imagination and creativity to continuously 'reframe' your reality, so it is consistent with your highest aspirations? Imagination fuels perspective and perspective puts one in touch with the bigger picture. The bigger picture, in turn, allows for more possibilities and more ideas. Performing at one's best begins with the creation and expression of an idea—nothing more, nothing less. Do you have the imagination to see yourself doing something truly exceptional? Certainly it's difficult to sustain a leap of the imagination that isn't, in part, grounded in the knowledge and appreciation of one's inherent abilities. But it's been my experience that people greatly under value their capacity to perform and, as a result, their capacity to achieve. Imagination can be improved. Committing the best of yourself to any worthwhile endeavor requires that you do so. By attaching your efforts to whatever it is you choose to do in a way that stimulates your imagination, you enhance your capacity to perform at any level. To quote no less a 'performer' than Albert Einstein on this subject, "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere."Threats vs. Challenges My final coaching point of the day: It's my contention that in any given moment one lives one's life in one of two ways, either under a threat or for a challenge. In performing when it counts, it's one or the other, under a threat or for a challenge. If, as Einstein says, "Imagination will take you everywhere," then living your life under a threat will take you nowhere. Perceived threats, often resulting in fear, invariably compromise our capacity to perform in the manner we most desire. And there are all sorts of perceived threats that ultimately reduce us in stature, making us feel small, insignificant, and powerless. There is the threat of failure. The threat of not measuring up. The threat of pain. The threat of humiliation. The threat of illness or injury. The threat of not being appreciated or valued. The threat of being exposed for who we are. The threat of not being understood. And the list goes on and on. It's so easy to live one's life threatened by the outcome we fear that we deaden our senses to the process, content to merely occupy time and space, satisfied with a half-life of sorts. We go through the motions, occasionally wake up, look for our shadow, and quickly scurry back into our den of predictability. Sound familiar? And yet it is possible to reframe our threats into challenges and get a much better return on our performance investment with little more time and effort involved. In doing so, you first have to wake up. You have to be among the living! A conscious decision needs to be made that you're not going to allow the same threats to keep undermining your performance. Second, you have to be honest with yourself, recognizing and acknowledging that which most threatens you. It has to be disclosed to someone you trust. It can't continue to remain a secret. Third, you need to cultivate the two qualities we talked about earlier that are fundamental to one's capacity to perform—discipline and risk—and then you need to know how and where to apply these qualities most effectively in reframing threats into challenges. Discipline and risk, when applied directly to living one's life for the challenge, have a way of offsetting the threats that tend to compromise our capacity to perform. Ask and answer the following questions: Do you have the capacity to see the challenge in any situation in which you feel threatened?Do you have the discipline to prepare for and stay focused on the challenge?Are you willing to risk predictability in pursuit of the challenge? If the challenge itself becomes your truth in any endeavor, can you really be threatened? Risk waking up to see your world for what it truly is—a playing field of limitless challenges designed for your personal edification and enlightenment. That being the case, and it is, what threat, if any, awaits you? Only one. Not playing the game. Conclusion Herein concludes our coaching session, but on Monday you start a new game. The good news is your attitude, imagination, and ability to see challenges where previously you saw only threats has been sharpened significantly during your time at Kenyon. David Brooks, in a recent New York Times column, suggests that high performing individuals "begin with two beliefs: (1) the future can be better than the present, and (2) I have the power to make it so." When you leave the Hill this weekend accept the challenge of starting over, attempt to perform well in some capacity, and, if you are successful in becoming a somebody at something (and many of you will), I would offer you the following advice Jon Stewart gave his audience at a show in Columbus a few weeks ago: "Be proud of who you are, but don't wield it as a club." Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you today.
Training Do’s and Don’ts #7 – Priority Training
Too often when we begin a new training program or a new training phase, we look at the exercise menu and try to include too much. Too many exercises or too may sessions with the result a diluted training program that does not achieve the desired training effect. It is preferable to use what I call the Priority Training concept. Have a well-defined global theme for the phase of training regardless of the length. This should be very general and nonspecific. This is followed up by detailed objectives that are very specific and measurable. From your objectives you determine your priorities. Separate your choices into need to do and nice to do activities. Obviously, the need to do exercises and sessions take precedence over the nice to do. The need to do is where the positive training results will come from. The next step is to lay out your plan based on the priorities. The priorities receive major emphasis – they should show up more frequently, on the average three times in a seven-day microcycle. The nice to do are considered a minor emphasis, so those activities occur less frequently, on average two times per microcycle. I have found that planning and implementing training in this manner maintains the necessary focus. It also eliminates the density issue of trying to fit too much into too short a time.
Training Do’s and Don’ts #6 – Planning (AKA Prediction Addiction)
I learned very early in my coaching & teaching career the importance of planning. For my first ten years coaching I suffered from severe “prediction addiction”, thinking that like the oracles of ancient times that I could predict the future. After some resounding failures, I learned to write the plans in pencil because seldom if ever was a plan executed as written. Nor were the competition results as predictable as I thought. Over the course of my career, the importance of planning has not diminished. Now fifty plus years into this journey my emphasis in planning has shifted from very rigid linear detailed long-term planning to very detailed session and microcycle plans that focus on the individual athlete without ever losing sight of the big picture. No longer am I fixated on predicting future performance, I am more invested in the process. The end is always in sight, sometimes it is clearly in focus and other it is blurry. Planning gives direction and purpose to the training but It is not meant to predict the future. It also provides a context to evaluate performance aside from wins and losses or personal records by establishing incremental steps in pursuit of best performance. There is little “hard science” to substantiate what has come to be known as periodization. It is based on scientific inferences rather than hard scientific evidence. However, there is an immense body of coaching evidence reaching into the early twentieth century that underscores the key elements of what eventually became known as periodization. The issue with this is being able to separate fact from fiction and the mythology that surrounds the former Eastern Bloc systems. Therefore, I prefer to call it Planned Performance Training (PPT), not to add another term to the lexicon, but to clarify what we are really doing. The key elements of PPT are: Systematic approach A strategy to distribute training loads in relation to competition goals A defined structure for progression A sequential building block approach A set time frame for execution of the plan A system to address all components of training in a systematic manner Preparation for specific competition goals Training that reflects the undulatory nature of the adaptive process and individual variation Systematic manipulation of the variables of volume, intensity, and density A systematic method for monitoring training and evaluating competition results A method for evaluation of competition and training results
An Aha Moment – The Javelin Dance
I have told this story many times in presentations and in various podcasts. It deserves to be retold to underscore the lesson I learned many years ago and is reinforced daily in my coaching. One of my biggest aha moments in coaching came while studying for my masters at Stanford University in a Movement Analysis class in the fall of 1973. We had to choose a skill to analyse and do a presentation to the class. In the class there was a cohort of dance masters students that were somewhat annoying to me because they seemed to view movement differently. They asked questions that did not fit into my mechanistic reductionist view of movement. I chose to analyse two javelin throwers, the gold and silver medallists from the Munich Olympics, Lusis and Wolferman. I did my presentation; I broke each throw down joint by joint muscle by muscle. I illustrated my analysis showing super eight film frame by frame of each throw. The presentation went well. I opened it up to questions, one of the dance students asked me to play the film again. So, I started playing the film again frame by frame. She said no, play it again at normal speed. Immediately the five dance students started clapping out the rhythm of the throw. What an epiphany! There were looking at the rhythm, the flow, the tempo, they saw immediately how everything connected into what I have come to call the javelin dance. That class, that day opened my eyes. I quickly started looking at connections, flow of movement and rhythm. I moved away analysing segments and look to enhance connections and coordination. Looking back that was career changing moment that influences every day I coach. It’s all a big dance!
Training Do’s and Don’ts #5 – Peaking & Taper – Thoughts on Taper, Peaking for Swimming
“Sometimes in the peaking process is not what you do it is what you don’t do.” John Larralde, track coach speaking at GAIN on preparing his milers to win California State high School championships. What you do NOW is an accumulation of what has been done before Don’t aim to maintain – stabilize Female athletes must stay strong – Strength training must be there; it does not take much This is all about racing your race – the times will drop if you race Race simulation is crucial – get them comfortable with their race plan Technique and coordination must be stressed throughout Touch on all components in the CONTEXT of the RACE PLAN If in doubt don’t do it. One less rep or set is better than one more Leave them wanting more Dryland – recycle through areas that make them feel good – connected, coordinated, and synced. It is all neural not muscular. Cut out legs earlier for Breaststroke & Fly, also for male sprinters. In this phase the science of coaching takes a back seat to art and feel for what you are doing Clearly communicate the message that the preparation has been done. Get them looking forward to Racing! Easy Fast Focus on distribution of effort More of the same, rather than different – Just disguise it Reinforce what got there – “Dance with who brung you to the dance” Race Ready & Race Hardened
Athletic Development Omnibook – A Coaching Resource & Handbook
Even though this book is titled the Athletic Development Omnibook, it is more like the 54th version of work that I started in 1969 when I was a student at UCSB. It began as a project for my Foundations of Conditioning class. That project required us to design a complete yearlong training program for our chosen sport. That began a yearly compilation of what I later called my “Means of Training” manual. It has taken many forms and formats over the years, but regardless of the format the goal always was to categorize and systematize my approach to training. The latest iteration, I consciously use iteration instead of edition, is by far the most complete. It reflects the body of work compiled throughout my coaching career. All the other versions have mainly focused on the physical components of training. This iteration goes into detail on the human side of coaching and the foundations of pedagogy, hence the title Training Omnibook. The term Omnibook is taken from a book that has had a profound influence on my career, the Track and Field Omnibook by Ken Dougherty. Ken set a high bar with his compilation of resources; I only hope I can match his level of achievement. The goal is to have it completed by January. Right now on track to reach that goal. Introduction Prologue – My Coaching Journey Coaching the People Side Coaching Using the Science Coaching the Culture Coaching the Teaching Side – Applying Principles of Pedagogy Coaching the Preparation and Planning Coaching Foundational Movements Coaching the Physical Side – The Principles Coaching Postural (Core) Strength Coaching Strength/Power Coaching Explosive Power – Plyometrics Coaching Speed Coaching Agility (Multidimensional Movement) Coaching Work Capacity (Addressing Endurance Demands) Coaching Suppleness Coaching Recovery and Regeneration Coaching the Future
Training Do’s and Don’ts #4 – More Work or Less Work
The most common default when making the choice between more work or less work in training is to do more volume. After all it is easier to quantify more jumps, more throws, more runs. Also, when working with developmental athletes they respond quickly to volume, so the temptation is to continue going down that path. What happens when the point of diminishing returns is reached? Now What? The current mantra is that less is more. This can be good if it is clear what that means. Somewhere you must pay the piper and do the work. I believe confusion arises because of a lack of understanding of the distinction between quality and intensity. We tend to use them synonymously. To be clear quality is a measure of perfect, therefor it tends to be a bit more subjective. Intensity on the other hand is a measure of 100%. It is more quantifiable. So here is the answer – there is no answer. It’s not more work or less work, it depends. It depends on many factors that must be taken into consideration, so it is not a binary decision. There are perils and pitfalls of more or less. Understand those and design training accordingly. There is a time for more and a time for less both in a training year and training career.
Training Do’s and Don’ts #3 – Warm-up (Preparation)/Cooldown(Reset)
Warm-up and cooldown are essential parts of the whole training process. It is helpful to think of the warm-up as preparation for training and cooldown as a reset to prepare the body for the next training sessions. The workout begins with the warm-up! The subsequent training sessions do not actually begin with that sessions warm-up rather it begins with prior sessions cooldown. Conceptually this is based on the unity of training sessions and that no workout stands alone. Warm-up sets the tempo for the workout to follow. It is the bridge from normal daily activities to actual training. Conversely cooldown is the transition back to normal daily activities. There is too much emphasis in warm-up on raising core temperature and heart rate. The main physiological objective is neural activation, getting everything firing and connected to prepare for the more intense work to follow in the actual workout. From a psychological perspective the warm-up should almost be a ritual. This can serve as a security point or anchor for the athlete. Try to stay away from stationary bikes and stair steppers as part of warm-up because of the restricted range of motion. Above stay away from jogging. All jogging does is reinforce poor running mechanics. Use jump rope or progressive striding instead (See Example). The warm-up can vary in length from as short as ten minutes for the warm-up before a second session to as long as thirty minutes. The length ultimately will be determined by the objective of the subsequent workout. The warm-up should be “active” not continuous. That distinction is important. Active refers to the fact that the warm-up consists of movements that are active as opposed to passive. Continuous means that the there are no breaks between warm-up activities. Continuous warm-up means that warm-up goes for a set time with all the exercises fit into that period. This can be used occasionally, especially on a recovery day or on a work capacity emphasis day where the subsequent workout is of low neural demand. The warm-up should build progressively in intensity into the workout. The emphasis on joint mobility not on static flexibility. Flexibility is trained as a separate training unit, after the workout. In a cold environment proper clothing can greatly prolong and enhance the effect of warm-up. After warm-up it is especially helpful to be able to towel off, hydrate well and change into dry clothes for the actual workout. Of course, this may not be practical in many situations. Active Multi-Stage Warm-up (Example) 1) Progressive Strides 6 – 8 x 50 meters This serves to raise core temperature. These are not jogs but relaxed strides that serve to enhance good running mechanics. The last thing we want is to have the athletes start the workout by plodding. Start at 60 % and end at 80%. 2) Leg Swings a) Swing Forward & Back b) Side to side across the body (This dynamically loosens the hip girdle) 3) Mini Band Routine (12” band above ankles) a) Sidestep b) Walk – Forward/Back c) Carioca d) Monster Walk (This is designed to strengthen and activate the small intrinsic muscles of the hip. This segment is a key factor in prevention of low back and groin injuries.) 4) Balance & Stability (Alternate Static and Dynamic) Static – Single Leg Squat (Hold each position five counts) a) Straight 2 x ea leg b) Side 2 x ea leg c) Rotation 2 x ea leg Dynamic – Balance Shift Shift & Step Right – Shift & Step Left Forward Step Right – Forward Step Left Back Step Right – Back Step Left (The single squat addresses static balance and the balance shift addresses dynamic balance. This segment serves to help with neural activation and increase body awareness.) 5) Walking Rotations (3 Kg Med Ball) Wide Rotation x 20 – Forward & Backward Tight Rotation x 20 – Forward & Backward Side to Side x 20 – Forward & Backward Figure x 20 – Forward & Backward (This segment activates the core in functional positions) 6) Lunge & Reach Series (2 reps in each plane – Forward/Side/Rotational) Reach Up Reach Out & Down Reach Across This series is designed to work through wide ranges of motion to promote mostability. 7) Active Stretch The emphasis here is active stretching in three planes of motion for the key target areas that are needed by that individual. Every individual should have their own routines based on their individual needs. 8) Crawls Inchworm x 5 Spiderman x 5 (To work the core and reinforce opposition) 9) Hurdle Walks (Five Hurdles) Hurdle Walks – Over (This segment addresses dynamic hip mobility) 10) Coordination Coordination One (Two reps of each exercise) Skip Crossover Skip Sidestep Carioca (low & long) Carioca (short & quick) Backward run High Knee Skip High Knee Skip w/Rotation Coordination Two (Two reps of each exercise) Serpentine Stride 2 x 30 yards Crossover Skip with rotation 2 x 30 yards Angle Sidestep 2 x 30 yards Carioca Quick Change 2 x 30 yards 360 Turns 2 x 30 yards (Four Turns) Line Touches 2 x 30 yards Forward into Backpedal 2 x 30 yards Backpedal, Turn and Go 2 x 30 yards The coordination segment is just that, it is designed to promote coordination and body awareness. There are two modules coordination One which is more linear and coordination Two which involves more change of direction. Alternate the two based on the objective of the subsequent workout. The cooldown is designed to calm the nervous system and restore muscles to resting length. Once gain – No jogging! Design a routine that fits your situation that includes a yoga flow routine, some easy crawls, rhythmic leg and arm swings and trunk rotations. My experience is that static stretching with holds up to twenty seconds is best done up to two hours post workout to alleviate soreness. Don’t forget the cumulative training effect from all these activities, it is significant especially in the area of development of foundational movement skills. Warm-up sets the tempo for the workout to follow. It is the bridge from normal daily activities to actual training. Conversely cooldown is the transition back to normal daily activities. There is too much emphasis in warm-up on raising core temperature and heart rate. The main physiological objective is neural activation, getting everything firing and connected to prepare for the more intense work to follow in the actual workout. From a psychological perspective the warm-up should almost be a ritual. This can serve as a security point or anchor for the athlete. Try to stay away from stationary bikes and stair steppers as part of warm-up because of the restricted range of motion. Above stay away from jogging. All jogging does is reinforce poor running mechanics. Use jump rope or progressive striding instead (See Example). The warm-up can vary in length from as short as ten minutes for the warm-up before a second session to as long as thirty minutes. The length ultimately will be determined by the objective of the subsequent workout. The warm-up should be “active” not continuous. That distinction is important. Active refers to the fact that the warm-up consists of movements that are active as opposed to passive. Continuous means that the there are no breaks between warm-up activities. Continuous warm-up means that warm-up goes for a set time with all the exercises fit into that period. This can be used occasionally, especially on a recovery day or on a work capacity emphasis day where the subsequent workout is of low neural demand. The warm-up should build progressively in intensity into the workout. The emphasis on joint mobility not on static flexibility. Flexibility is trained as a separate training unit, after the workout. In a cold environment proper clothing can greatly prolong and enhance the effect of warm-up. After warm-up it is especially helpful to be able to towel off, hydrate well and change into dry clothes for the actual workout. Of course, this may not be practical in many situations. Active Multi-Stage Warm-up (Example) 1) Progressive Strides 6 – 8 x 50 meters This serves to raise core temperature. These are not jogs but relaxed strides that serve to enhance good running mechanics. The last thing we want is to have the athletes start the workout by plodding. Start at 60 % and end at 80%. 2) Leg Swings a) Swing Forward & Back b) Side to side across the body (This dynamically loosens the hip girdle) 3) Mini Band Routine (12” band above ankles) a) Sidestep b) Walk – Forward/Back c) Carioca d) Monster Walk (This is designed to strengthen and activate the small intrinsic muscles of the hip. This segment is a key factor in prevention of low back and groin injuries.) 4) Balance & Stability (Alternate Static and Dynamic) Static – Single Leg Squat (Hold each position five counts) a) Straight 2 x ea leg b) Side 2 x ea leg c) Rotation 2 x ea leg Dynamic – Balance Shift Shift & Step Right – Shift & Step Left Forward Step Right – Forward Step Left Back Step Right – Back Step Left (The single squat addresses static balance and the balance shift addresses dynamic balance. This segment serves to help with neural activation and increase body awareness.) 5) Walking Rotations (3 Kg Med Ball) Wide Rotation x 20 – Forward & Backward Tight Rotation x 20 – Forward & Backward Side to Side x 20 – Forward & Backward Figure x 20 – Forward & Backward (This segment activates the core in functional positions) 6) Lunge & Reach Series (2 reps in each plane – Forward/Side/Rotational) Reach Up Reach Out & Down Reach Across This series is designed to work through wide ranges of motion to promote mostability. 7) Active Stretch The emphasis here is active stretching in three planes of motion for the key target areas that are needed by that individual. Every individual should have their own routines based on their individual needs. 8) Crawls Inchworm x 5 Spiderman x 5 (To work the core and reinforce opposition) 9) Hurdle Walks (Five Hurdles) Hurdle Walks – Over (This segment addresses dynamic hip mobility) 10) Coordination Coordination One (Two reps of each exercise) Skip Crossover Skip Sidestep Carioca (low & long) Carioca (short & quick) Backward run High Knee Skip High Knee Skip w/Rotation Coordination Two (Two reps of each exercise) Serpentine Stride 2 x 30 yards Crossover Skip with rotation 2 x 30 yards Angle Sidestep 2 x 30 yards Carioca Quick Change 2 x 30 yards 360 Turns 2 x 30 yards (Four Turns) Line Touches 2 x 30 yards Forward into Backpedal 2 x 30 yards Backpedal, Turn and Go 2 x 30 yards The coordination segment is just that, it is designed to promote coordination and body awareness. There are two modules coordination One which is more linear and coordination Two which involves more change of direction. Alternate the two based on the objective of the subsequent workout. The cooldown is designed to calm the nervous system and restore muscles to resting length. Once gain – No jogging! Design a routine that fits your situation that includes a yoga flow routine, some easy crawls, rhythmic leg and arm swings and trunk rotations. My experience is that static stretching with holds up to twenty seconds is best done up to two hours post workout to alleviate soreness. Don’t forget the cumulative training effect from all these activities, it is significant especially in the area of development of foundational movement skills.