Rear Foot Elevated Squat

We are back on the topic of traditional squats vs rear foot elevated squats. This
issue resulted in so much controversy earlier in the year when Mike Boyle stated that we should no longer use the traditional squat.

Mike Boyle found he was able to load the legs to a much greater extent when using the rear foot elevated squat instead of traditional squats. This video helps to explain why that may be the case.



Essentially, even though both feet represent points of contact that provide stability for the lift, the rear foot elevated squat should be considered as a unilateral exercise. This is because most of the force is applied through the front foot.

Studies have shown the sum of the forces produced by both legs in a unilateral exercise is greater than the force that can be produced when the same exercise is performed bilaterally. The reason for this is because the neural drive to each limb (when working bilaterally) is reduced in comparison to the neural drive to a limb working unilaterally.

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Guest Coach: Brendan Chaplin

Top 5 Exercises for Speed Development

The following exercises are currently my main exercises of choice for athletes where I am working on developing straight line and multi-directional speed. The technical aspects of speed development are also important of course and should be trained concurrently with the exercises I am recommending.

1. Deadlift- This exercise is the best for all round strength development in my book. In terms of muscular recruitment I challenge you to find a more stimulating exercise! In terms of specificity to sprinting, it is a posterior chain focussed exercise, perfect for the maximum speed phase of the sprint. For versatility it is easily adapted for different training goals. From loading up triples, doubles and singles, to working with speed and power loads, with the deadlift you can do it.!

2. Split Squats- Clearly sprinting is a single leg activity and the demands placed on the body during unilateral activities are completely different from bilateral movements, therefore we need to train for this in the gym.

Split Squats are a good choice for this as they are easily overloaded and a number of different stance widths can be used to emphasise different muscle groups. Shorter stances emphasise the quads and are therefore a good choice for the acceleration phase of the sprint whilst wider stances require greater contributions from the glutes and hamstrings

3. Hip Flexion Work – Although it is known that elite sprinters have substantially larger psoas muscles it is still surprising just how little resisted hip flexion work you see going on in the gym. Usain Bolt’s psoas major is said to be double the cross sectional area of the general population. If this doesn’t tell you to go out and start doing some work on your hip flexors I don’t know what will!

I like to use the cable machines for hip flexion work and begin this supine and work to a standing position over time. The supine position allows for greater loads to be used whilst the standing position ensures that the core is engaged fully in a unilateral stance. For the supine hip flexion work I like it to be done with the athlete placing their hands in the small of their back so as to feel the range of motion. Once the back is pushing into your hands that is your end of range.

Don’t forget to raise your knee above 90 degrees if possible as this places the stress on the psoas more so than the other hip flexors.

4. Bounding and Variations- Up to now the exercises have been focussed on loading in a vertical plane but sprinting requires forces to be transmitted in a horizontal plane and I think bounding is an excellent choice for developing this type of force production capability. There are other options such as broad jumps, single leg hops and many others, but for the purposes of this article bounding is my choice. I like bounding as it can be used with all levels of athlete as well as all types of sprinting based sports and is still highly applicable. In the early phases the exercises should be done with a hold on one leg emphasising quiet landings between each repetition and progress to quicker, shorter contacts emphasising horizontal propulsion through the ball of the foot. A good cue is to think of the floor being a hot plate which you will burn your feet on if you spend to long! This should help to reduce the contact times. I also like to change from bounding to sprinting within the same drill as a progression with a focus on the first 4 steps after the change. The coach can pre set the change to sprinting (eg after 3 bounds off each leg) or randomly change on a command. Both have their place.

5. Split Cleans- I like exercises that tick numerous boxes and this is certainly one of those! Sprinters need to develop large mounts of explosive strength. Olympic lifting is a good tool but instead of the standard exercises why not use a variation that develops explosive strength whilst also placing stress through the system in a very specific position and developing unilateral eccentric strength at the same time through the catch phase of the lift. You will have to drop weight from your standard power cleans however this will enable you to develop more speed and power which is a good thing for your sprinting. All in all a very good and challenging exercise. Make sure you can actually perform basic power cleans before you progress to this lift though.

So there you go. There are so many exercises you could put into this list. As I say these are my go to exercises if you have exercises you think should make this list then feel free to let me know. For more strength and conditioning info check out my website, the address is shown below.



Brendan Chaplin MSc ASCC CSCS

www.brendanchaplin.co.uk

www.athletesunlimited.co.uk

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Speed Terminology

Another video from Alex Maroko today.

It is good that Alex makes it clear what he means with his terminology. Too many times I hear coaches talking about speed when in reality they are referring to agility.

Unless specifically stated as being multi-directional in nature, we should be able to assume that when a coach is talking about speed he is referring to straight line speed.



Alex decribes quickness as being the first few strides of a sprint. I would prefer to term this acceleration. If a coach would like to distinuish the first stride or two from the rest of the acceleration phase then my preferred terminology would be starting speed.

However, the main thing is that Alex makes it quite clear as to what he means by the various terms he uses. Keep it up Alex!

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Speed Training Workout

This video on recovery periods during training sessions is from Alex Maroko.

I like his rough guide of taking 45 to 60 seconds recovery for every 10 yards that has been sprinted.



The issue of taking too short recovery periods is equally pertinent when performing Olympic Lifting and other strength and power based sessions in the weight room. Inadequate recovery will result in a decrease in the level of force production and less recruitment of muscle fibres.

Just as with the sprint workouts this does not mean we should totally eliminate short recovery work from the weight training programme - as this type of work can have a beneficial effect on hypertrophy (muscle size).

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Reaction Speed

Todays video is footage of rehabilitation training from the NBA. The reason why I want to show this video is because it has a clip of one player reacting to light sensors during a training session.

This was more of a conditioning exercise than a speed workout, but the point remains the same - if the athlete is reacting to a stimulus in training, make it specific to the sport.

Basketball players respond to visual stimuli during matches, so reacting to light or other visual stimuli in training is appropriate. Sprinters respond to the sound of the gun, and so visual stimuli is not appropriate in this instance.



There were a number of other interesting things in the video as well, including using bands around the knees when squatting and performing various exercises with a split stance to develop an element of unilateral stability.

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HSI: The Sprinters

Another great treat for you today, as it's Christmas.

There was a constant theme in the video of staying low during the acceleration phase - this helps with producing force in a horizontal direction (critical for acceleration performance).

Another point, made by both by Ato Boldon and Inger Miller, was to do with reaction time. Ato stated that you are not waiting for the gun but will react to anything. What is important though is to take note of the type of stimulus coach John Smith was using to start Maurice Greene during training.

He was using the sound of his voice as the stimulus for Maurice Greene to react to. This is specific to the sport since sprinters must react to an auditory stimulus in competition (the sound of the gun).

In contrast, if you play a team sport you will have to sprint and make other decisions based upon visual stimuli (players positions, the position of the ball etc.). In this situation, sprints during training should be started in reaction to a visual simulus.

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Sprinters: We Run This

A special motivational video for christmas today. This is what we train for: killer speed.

This video features the all time greats of sprinting, including: Maurice Greene, Ato Boldon, Usain Bolt, Michael Johnson and many more.



Enjoy,

and Merry Christmas

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Sprint Drills: B Skip

Here is an example of the B drill. The A drill is essentially a high knee action. The B drill involves the same high knee action, plus the knee begins to extend once the thigh is parallel to the ground.

The pizza box version is an interesting technique that could be used to try and eliminate any erroneous movements in the athletes' upper body.

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Simplifying Sprint Drills

Taking a break from critiquing Mike Boyles stance on squats today, I have a quick video for you today with an instantly useable piece of information for coaches.

The A, B, and C drills are well known by track coaches around the world. These same coaches also know that if you take a group of beginners then their ability to coordinate their arms with the legs will be non existant in probably 90% of the athletes.

By using this tip of having the athletes place their hands on their hips, you will instantly see an improvement in technique as they no longer have to worry about coordinating the arms with the legs.

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Squat Technique

Having been discussing the pros and cons of squatting I thought it was about time we looked at examples of good and bad squat technique.

Certainly, if your lifting technique resembles any of these examples of bad squatting form then you should certainly consider either using alternative exercises or hiring a Strength & Conditioning Coach for a few sessions in order to improve your technique.

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Maximum Strength for Speed

A couple of days ago I defended the use of the squat based upon the Central Nervous System engagement pattern. This defence was based upon the fact that the time frame with which high levels of force are produced is vastly different in squatting compared to sprinting.

Today it is time to justify why we should be working with maximum strength exercises that do not necessarily improve force production capabilities within time periods that equate to the ground contact time in sprinting.

Screencasts and videos online

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Is Mike Boyle Correct?

Sticking with the theme of squats, we have a video from a coach taking a similar stance to Mike Boyle. Jeff Cavaliere is taking issue with squats from a technique standpoint.

Jeff states that instead of losing form at the bottom of the squat he would prefer to use other exercises. Assuming squats are definately a beneficial exercise for improving sprinting performance (more on that in future posts) then there are other ways we can get round the issue.



My recommendation would be simply to squat to the depth at which you are able to maintain good technique. Any rounding of the back is undesirable so squat as low as possible without this happening. If you also perform corrective exercise to work on mobility and stability issues, over time you will be able to achieve greater depth whilst still maintaining good technique.

I will dedicate future posts to mobility and stability issues that may result in poor squat technique.

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Is Mike Boyle Wrong?

Here is another video against the use of squats. This video was posted in response to the original 'Mike Boyle: Death of Squatting video'. Gavin MacMillan believes that Mike Boyle is correct in no longer prescribing squats to any athlete at his gym. However, he believes Boyle is disregarding this exercise for all the wrong reasons and 'doesn't get it'.

MacMillan makes an interesting point about a engaging a different central nervous system pattern when loading the heel with squats Vs loading the forefoot with sprinting. However, it is somewhat of quantum leap to suggest that this difference makes squatting damaging to sprinting performance.



The fact that the time required to execute a squat is much longer than the groud contact time in sprinting means that any difference in central nervous system pattern is not an important issue. It is much more important to utilise exercises with similar neural recruitment when working on factors such as rate of force development, within a more specific time frame.

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Mike Boyle: Squats

Mike Boyle has not done Back Squats with any athlete for some time now. He has now stopped doing front squats as well. His reasoning being that he is able to overload the leg musculature to a much greater extent with the Bulgarian Split Squat (the exercise on the screen in the video).

Bulgarian Split Squats are essentially a single leg exercise and so it would be reasonable to expect athletes to manage approximately half the load that they lift with conventional squats for the same number of repetitions. When Boyle tried this he found that, across the board, far more repetitions could be performed with the Bulgarian Split Squats.



It is an interesting observation, which clearly indicates that a far greater stimulus can be provided to the legs through the use of this exercise. We will cover this issue in detail over the coming days to clarify whether there is still any merit in performing conventional squats.

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Complete Speed Training

I have a great video for you today. It has some key take home points.

The point on relaxation is timely since I have been emphasising the improvement of force production through the use of weightlifting techniques. In essence the prime movers involved in producing large ground reaction forces should be working hard, whilst there should not be unneccessary strain in other parts of the body.

The point on driving out at an angle of 45 degrees helps explain why acceleration performance is dependant on horizontal force production and maximum speed performance requires high levels of vertical force production.



Heel recovery mechanics are also mentioned. Poor heel recovery is often the result of the use of counterproductive technique drills. I will dedicate future posts to the type of drills to use and avoid in order to optimise heel recovery mechanics.

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Hook Grip & Lifting Straps

Yesterday I mentioned the hook grip. This is a very strong grip to use when performing the Olympic Lifts.

The video today clearly shows the hook grip. It can be seen that the thumb is wrapped around the bar first and then the first two fingers are placed over the thumb.

Lifting straps can also be used to improve the grip. There is much controversy surrounding whether lifting straps should be used. Sprinters do not require high levels of grip strength. Yet the grip can often be the limiting factor when lifting from the floor.

By using lifting straps we can remove the grip limitation and therefore increase the overload on the more important musculature.



If you are involved in a sport that does require high levels of grip strength then alternative exercises can be used more effectively to develop this aspect of performance.

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Weightlifting Coaching Points

Over the last few days I have presented a strong case for using the Olympic Lifts with any athlete looking to improve their speed.

Today I thought it was time for a good clip showing an athlete being coached in these lifts.

Coach Burgener mentioned the hook grip during the video. This is a very strong grip which involves wrapping the thumb round the bar, and then wrapping the first two fingers around the thumb.

Burgener also talked about taking a deep breath in. This is called the Valsava manoeuvre and increases intra-abdominal pressure. This technique can really improve performance in weightlifting exercises.

The last major point was dropping under the bar quickly. This phase of the lift is just as important as the intial part of pulling the bar up from the ground.

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Best Strength Exercise for Speed

Yesterday I said that the best strength training exercise to improve sprinting performance whilst minimising injury risk would be a ballistic exercise that has little impact upon landing.

Olympic lifting can be classed as a ballistic exercise since athletes are taught to try and jump at the end of the second pull. In advanced lifters the weight may be such that it is not possible to actually jump, but the effort and intention to do so should still be there.

As you can see from the video below at the end of the pull the lifter rapidly drops underneath the bar. This is done so quickly that the bar does not have time to begin moving downwards.

This minimises any impact as the athlete receives the bar in the catch position - making it a very safe lift.

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Jump Squat

Yesterday we looked at speed squats. The conclusion was that they are ineffective in developing sprinting speed.

In order to remove the problem of deceleration in the second half of the lift, an alternative would be the jump squat.

After watching the video below, you may appreciate that the landing phase of a jump squat has the potential to cause much stress on the spine.



So in order to maximise the training effect whilst minimizing the injury risk we are looking for a ballistic exercise without excessive loading upon impact.

Stay tuned to find out more...

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Speed Squats

One of the key benefits of Olympic Weightlifting methods is that they improve rate of force development greatly, rather than just improving the maximum amount of force that can be produced. This is an essential adaptation for sprinting performance, since the foot only remains in contact with the ground for a very short period of time with each stride. It is during this short ground contact time that we must be able to produce high levels of force.

In order to increase rate of force development one might decide to perform standard weight training movements such as the squat, but with low loads and high speeds.

The problem with this method is that when performing, say, a regular squat (as in the video below) the movement must come to a stop at the top. This obviously requires some deceleration at the end of the movement. When such a movement increases in speed, the proportion of the movement that is devoted to deceleration increases.

So with a squat performed at the sort of speed seen below, although not visible to the eye, around half of the upward movement involves deceleration. This is not a desirable outcome when training for speed.



Of course Nick is correct in saying, all else being equal, by performing a movement faster the level of force being produced must increase. In addition, the high repetition methods he is displaying in the video would be an excellent form of metabolic resistance training.

So if you are looking to reduce body fat levels you may want to look into the methods shown in the video above. However, here at Sprint Strong we are all about speed enhancement. Speed squats may not be the best route to a faster sprint time.

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Mark Rippetoe: Coaching the Power Clean

Mark Rippetoe mentions the 'aiming point' of the lift being the jumping position. This is the same whether the athlete is performing the clean or the snatch.

To find the jumping position simply perform a vertical jump with maximum effort. You will naturally dip into the position where you are able to produce the most force. From there you will explode back up again. It is this position that you drop into during a vertical jump that Mark refers to as the jumping position.



The reason for focusing effort on the jumping position is because this is the most powerful body position during the whole lift.

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Resisted Sprint Training

Resisted sprint training is often used with weightlifting techniques to help further improve the training transfer to improved speed.

The methods shown in this video lend themselves towards acceleration development rather than maximum speed development. This is because they increase horizontal loading, whereas maximum speed is dependant upon vertical force production.



The first method of using a harness would appear to be more conducive to acceleration development, as the additional loading is produced horizontally. In contrast the sled increases the loading both horizontally and vertically (the angle of the chord attaching the sled to the torso represents the line of action of the additional load).

The drawback of using the harness is that it is very difficult to quantify the actual load the athlete is sprinting against. The level of resistance provided by the partner is unlikely to be repeatable. In contrast we can be very specific about how much load we are sprinting against with the sled method.

To increase the emphasis on horizontal force production with sled pulling, use a longer cable. You can also attach the chord at waist height rather than using a torso attachment.

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Romanian Deadlift

Often referred to as the stiff leg deadlift, this exercise is a great assistance exercise to help acheive full hip extension during the second pull of the Olympic Lifts.

It is also a great exercise for sprinting in itself as it strengthens the hamstrings in a stretched position.

The lifter in the video manages to maintain a good posture while achieving a large range of movement. With many people, hamstring flexibility restraints may mean the bar can only be lowered to just above knee level before good posture is lost.

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Transfer of Training

This clip of an individual running on ice illustrates perfectly the points I have recently made about maximum speed sprinting performance being related to vertical force production.

As the runner was building up speed he was clearly unable to accelerate maximally. If he had tried to do so he would have slipped over as he would have been producing too much force in a horizontal direction.

Once he had reached top speed he was able to maintain a fast running pace without slipping. This is because much of the force is produced vertically during maximum speed sprinting.



Once the runner started to slow down he began to skid. This is because he reverted back to producing more force in a horizontal direction.

The lesson here is that the high levels of vertical force production in weightlifting will transfer very well to improved maximum speed sprinting performance.

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Box Jump

In yesterdays post you may have noticed me talk about the relevance of vertical jumping ability to maximum speed sprinting performance. Essentially it is down to the fact that the outcome in both activities is largely affected by how much force can be produced vertically.

If you were in any doubt as to the ability of Olympic Lifting techniques to improve vertical force production ability (and thus maximum speed and vertical jump ability), take a look at this Weightlifter.

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Sprint Strong

I have taken a break from scouring the internet for informative pieces on training today. Instead I thought I would give you a guided tour of the site to help you gain maximum benefit from it.

Enjoy!

Capture your screen in seconds

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Acceleration Drill

I thought i'd put up this interesting acceleration drill which I found on youtube. It is similar to a drill I have used called 'falling starts'. I wanted to show this as reminder that Olympic Lifting is just a tool for speed development and should not be performed at the expense of specific sprint training.

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Lifting and Sprinting

A slightly longer video today, but there's some great information in there.

Phil talked about a slow start to the lift and then exploding later on. Yesterday we talked about the double knee bend. Elite lifters will usually become much more explosive once the knees have 're-bent' and the bar is at mid thigh position. This position is called the start of the 2nd pull.

The other major point was forceful triple extension immediately followed by rapid triple flexion. This is crucial to sprinting performance and nothing trains it quite as well as the Olympic lifts.

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Power Clean

This video of a power clean clearly shows the double knee bend that was discussed in the previous post. Essentially, the knees straighten until the the bar has cleared them. They then re-bend before a triple extension of the hip, knee and ankle is acheived.

In case you were wondering, a power clean is merely when the bar is received at the shoulders in a partial squat position rather than a full squat position.

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Complex Training

Here Martin Rooney shows an exercise to use in a complex with the bench press.

The theory behind complex training is called 'post activation potentiation'. Basically, performing the first exercise (bench press) potentiates or improves performance in the second exercise (explosive push up).

This could easily be applied to weightlifting and sprinting. Try performing a set of cleans, and then after three minutes recovery perform an explosive sprint start.

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Double Knee Bend

The double knee bend is another reason why the Olympic Lifts are so popular with strength coaches looking to improve their athletes speed.

The double knee bend results in stretch shortening cycle activity. This may sound like a complicated name, but essentially it allows for increased force production through the release of elastic energy.

This makes the lift more applicable to sprinting performance, as much force is porduced through stretch shorteninig cycle activity when sprinting.

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Hulse Strength

Strength Coach Elliot Hulse makes some great points in this video. The absolute key to faster sprinting is increasing force production during the ground contact phase. Of course, good technique will help us produce force more effectively when sprinting. However, without improving strength levels there is a limit to how much force we can produce.

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