***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***

 I have contemplated on which program to use so some time now
and i have finally settled on 2 programs - yours and 1 other.
The difference is in price - yours is almost $200 and the
other $40. Both offer a different outline. I am a soccer coach
and the other program is geared for soccer and your program
specific to speed of which will also be applicable but not
necessairly soccer specific.
 
Carnero
>>>>MY THOUGHTS
I believe, in most situations, you get what you pay for.

If you’re looking for $40 worth of information, then get the
$40 program.

I don’t dispute Complete Speed Training is the most expensive
speed training resource out there. In fact, I take great pride
in it.

Why?

Because it’s worth it. Every last penny. Otherwise I wouldn’t
offer a 365 day money back guarantee.

Am I saying not to buy $40 programs? Absolutely not. There are
some great ones out there.

In fact, I’ve researched and tested them. And we only promote
the programs we *know* are effective.

But this ’sport specific’ thing just won’t go away. CST doesn’t
use a soccer ball in any of the 5 videos.

But if you’re too slow, too uncoordinated, too inflexible,
too weak and too out of shape to get to the ball in the first
place, what good do all those ‘ball skills’ do?

And I highly doubt that other program covers all the elements
of real speed and athletic development in any capacity even
close to CST.

Why?

Because it’s a $40 program!

My advice?

Get stronger and faster, improve your agility and flexibility
without the ball:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/completespeedtraining.html

(Order Complete Speed Training by the end of Thursday and save
over 20% off the regular price.)

Then get the DVD that shows all the ’sport specific’ drills
once you develop the required skills:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/speedtrainingforsoccer.html
***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***

I’m a 15 year old sophomore who’s been pursuing Track after
finding success….Last year, I was introduced to
Varsity. Now, I was competing against some of the fastest
juniors and seniors from schools all around- my new found
challenge was reflected in my results. I didn’t do so well.
I finished my latest Outdoor Season as a 14 yaer old freshman
with a 100m time of 11.5. This, although I bested all Freshman
in invitationals, did not put me in the standings versus older
students. Latif, I know that I am young and improvement will be gradual,
but I can’t help but feel that either my technique or my
conditioning is preventing me from instant gratification. I
hope for a future in Track…
I was wondering if you have any kind of conditioning program
that might be of use to me and improve my situation.
It would be greatly appreciated. I’ve decided to compete in Cross Country Running in order to cut down on fat and increase metabolism(as I’ve been told, but unverified).
Is this counter-productive?

Steven W.
>>>>MY THOUGHTS

First, I’ll take an 11.5 freshman on my team all day and most
of tomorrow.

That time is nothing to be ashamed of.

But your situation is the same as 99% of all the athletes
having a similar experience.

And here is the solution:

You need to get stronger, first and foremost. So a commitment
to the weightroom is your first step.

You need to clean up your technique, improve coordination,
enhance dynamic range of motion, improve work capacity and flat
out practice running fast.

In short, you’re a typical 14 year old kid who needs to work
on becoming a better athlete.

Now, if ‘conditioning’ is truly an issue in the 100 meter dash,
then diet and nutrition are an issue as well…

But the problem is likely your misunderstanding of the term
‘conditioning’.

Cross country is the *last* thing I’d suggest for a
100 meter runner. I’d rather you lift weights 3 days per week
and spend the rest of the time on the couch playing video
games.

You’d end up faster that way.

What you need is quite simple…

You need the program that we have used to develop Champions
at the State level from 55 meters through 600 meters:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/completespeedtraining.html
***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***

These drills that you mention to NOT USE as part of an
athlete’s speed training, are they ok to use as part of their
warmup?

Raul
>>>>MY THOUGHTS

Raul,

My good friend…

No.

***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***

Does your speed training program have any information about
hurdle training? Or is the running component of hurdling
different to speed training. Also, would you be better off
just training one or the other.

 John

>>>>MY THOUGHTS
No, CST does not contain any hurdle specific information beyond
hip mobility drills using a hurdle. As you know, the running
component of hurdling is slightly different than traditional
sprinting due to the fact that (in the 100/110s anyway) every
athlete is taking the same number of steps for the entire race
(if they’re of reasonable talent).

There is also no ‘drive phase’ since athletes must get up and
into their sprint form right away.

So timing and rhythm are important.

However, sprint mechanics remain the same and it is those
sprint mechanics improvements and general improvements to
speed, I find, that allow for quicker, smoother running and
consistent 3 stepping for younger athletes.

So hurdlers expecting to succeed must do both.

At the youth levels, I don’t find athletes able to make a
consistent transition between the sprint hurdles and, say,
the 100m dash.

The difference in the aforementioned rhythm and timing makes
it difficult to succeed in both and I rarely see a hurdler
who is equally as talented at the open sprint events and vice
versa.

There are some exceptions to the rule at the elite levels such
as Terrence Trammell:

110mH: 12.95
100m: 10.04

and Gail Devers:

100mH: 12.33 (American Record)
100m: 10.82
***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***
Do you have any recommendations for using stairs for speed and
agility training for soccer? I have an 11 year old daughter
and we just started using the “7 tips”. I understand how to
use up-hills for strength and down-hills for speed and it
makes sense going up stairs would do the same for strength but
going down stairs would probably not simulate speed like going
down hill. We are fortunate to have access to college size
football stadiums and a few high rise buildings as a training
tool.

Joe C.
>>>>>MY THOUGHTS
I use stairs sparingly, especially in young athletes. While
this method is useful as one component of training and can
develop the posterior chain and aid in glute activation, there
are downsides.

I find that stairs often lead to shin splints, reaching and
some other mechanical problems. So I use stairs (when I can’t
get to a hill) for different types of conditioning and even to
teach the idea of driving down, but do not directly use them
to develop speed or agility.

I think that is asking for serious problems, particularly in
an 11 year old.

Also, don’t have anyone (except your mortal enemies) do speed
work going down hill.

This will ruin the mechanics of a young athlete and they’ll
increase the chances of getting hurt.
***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***
How would you set up a program to improve the forty time. What
is the critical factor? It seems pretty clear to me that it is
all about acceleration. After all it takes approximately 55-60
meters to reach top speed.

How would you set up program for this? Also, can  you explain
why you don’t promote using a weighted sled device? I would
love to hear about your opinion using the sled and over-speed
bands. Thanks.

Paul D.
>>>>>MY THOUGHTS

You’re right in one regard: The 40 is all about acceleration.

So, to me, there are 2 critical factors:

1. Strength (and all it’s components)
2. Acceleration

In the 40 yard dash, training focus should be on the start and
the first 10  yards.

Perfecting the start and acceleration through this point will
set up the rest of the run.

You do miss the mark however.

It does not take an athlete, even an elite athlete, 55-60m to
reach full speed.

Granted, an elite track sprinter may purposely extend their
drive phase into this range, but there is a reason for this.

99% of athletes will reach full speed by 30m, maintain that
maximum velocity for 1-2 seconds (yes, only 1-2 seconds) and
then begin slowing down.

When it comes to running a faster 40, or mastering any of the
traditional football combine tests, this is by far the best
program I have ever seen:

http://athletesacceleration.com/masteringthecombinetests.html
It’s not that I don’t advocate the weighted sled. I just think
athletes need to master some basics before that comes into
play. So as a piece of the training puzzle, go ahead and use
the sled.

Overspeed training is terrible for sub-elite athletes.

It makes them reach in order to maintain balance, destroys
running mechanics and causes over use injuries.

So don’t use it.

***TRAINING QUESTION FROM A READER***

I am looking for any drills or programs for baseball players or
specificlly how to steal bases?

Greg R.

>>>>>MY THOUGHTS

Yes.

This is what I recommend for Base Stealing:
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/basestealingsystem.html
In speed,

Latif Thomas
P.S. Make sure you take a few minutes and look at the programs
we’ve created and recommend to help you improve athletic success.

Many programs are on sale through midnight EST Thursday, to
take advantage of our Third Anniversary celebration.
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/thirdanniversary.html

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 12th, 2007 at 11:24 am and is filed under Speed Training . You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.