Through the polls and surveys I have been sending out the past couple weeks, I have found out something very surprising. Half of the coaches and trainers on the Sports Camp Empire email list have not run a camp before. Now this isn’t a problem at all, we all have to start from somewhere but the surprising thing is most of the coaches that haven’t started a camp yet, have been wanting to do it for years. Each year, they have the intention of putting on their first camp and then something gets in the way. I am finding that these coaches and trainers are lacking ACTION.

The reason for not taking action is different for each person but the ‘reasons’ are fairly simple to overcome. Well, the real reason is the lack of confidence to take the leap and actually put it on the line and just run the camp. Taking a leap of faith and doing something new, that you haven’t done before is difficult but very rewarding once you pull the trigger.

My goal is to try and help you overcome the obstacles for running your very first sports camp. I will let you know everything you need to know so you will have no more excuses.

And if you are already running sports camps and clinics, you can take these tips and techniques to grow your camps even bigger and take over your local area.

Alright, let’s get started.

Finding staff to help support you to run your sports camps is a very common question that came up in the survey.

This is a pretty easy fix and shouldn’t be used to hold you back and shouldn’t be your excuse that prevents you from putting on your first camp. But I will show you ways to staff your camps.

A quick note before hiring staff, don’t give technical skills to any inexperienced staff. The training of staff will come in a different post as it is a completely separate topic.

TOP 7 Ways to Staff Your Sports Camps

1). Former Athletes

A great way to staff your camps is to hire former athletes that you have trained or have been to many of your previous camps. The great benefit of this is that they already know your system. And it takes less time to train them on what they need to go.

2). Local Stars

If you are running a sports camp for high school track sprinters, find previous state champions that are in college. These are your local celebrities. The athletes going to your camp will know who these past state champions are so it helps build the ‘perceived value’ of your camp.

Plus these past state champions are in college so if you catch them during their school breaks they are going to be extremely happy to make a little bit of money on something that doesn’t take much time or effort for them.

You don’t need a state champion. You can get league champions, MVP’s, all-stars, members of a championship team, etc.

3). Parents

If your camp is working with younger athletes, you can hire some of the parents to help you out. You would have to spend some time training them and you wouldn’t have them in charge of anything technical but most parents are more than happy to help out. Most will even volunteer to help out for free.

Another cool idea is to talk to the local parent organizations, give them a donation and see if any of the parents would like to be a part of the camp and help out. I think you’ll be surprised of the support you get. Think about it, parents who are already volunteering their time for free to aid in helping own children, other children and their school, is the type of person that would love to be apart to helping even more youth athletes out. (think of all the parents that coach their own child’s youth sports team).

4). Teachers

If you know any physical education teachers, ask them. If you do not know any, contact the school district of where your camp is going to be located and see if any of their physical education teachers would want to help out your camp. Many teachers pick up different types of jobs (like painting, landscaping, etc) during their school breaks and I am positive that they would rather help out running a sports camp then getting a physical labor type of job.

5). Sports Professionals

Hire an ex-professional athlete for the specific sports camp you are running. I hired an ex-New England Patriot for a camp and it was great. You could also look around for a pro that is in their off season and is willing to help out - a current pro will be more expensive though.

6). Interns

Interns and mentorships are great ways to staff your camps for free. I started out interning for the best local coach that was running strength & conditioning camps – and I worked for free so I could learn from the best.

If you are already known in your area as being a top coach or trainer it will be easy for you to get people lining up at the doors to be a part of your camps.

If you have a strong internet presence and a lot of people on your email/newsletter list that trust your information and want to learn more from you it will be easy for you. Just send out an email stating that you are looking for a few qualified and motivated individuals that would want to learn your system. You will have people applying for that internship immediately and have a waiting list of people that want to learn directly from you.

7). Local Sports Coaches

If you are running a soccer camp, contact the soccer coaches from surrounding towns that would like to join your camp.

First, you create a relationship with these coaches. Most coaches want to put on a camp or clinic but never really pull the trigger and actually run one so the next best thing is to be involved with someone else’s. They already know the sport, all you have to do is let them know the structure and let them know what you expect from them.

The best reason for hiring local sports coaches is that they are already in front of a lot of targeted potential campers. If you were on a soccer team and your coach told you that this summer she is going to be on staff at a soccer camp and that you would really benefit going to it. Then she handed you a brochure for you to sign up with, the odds are very good that you would go to that camp, right?

For extra incentive, you can even give a coach a small percentage of every kid on his team that he/she brings in. It is possible that you could completely sell out your camp by just hiring these local coaches.

To your success,

Pat Beith
Sports Camp Empire

I hope this helps and you completely fill all of your staffing needs for your camps. I would love to hear your comments and please share any ideas that you have found that work for you.

And if you coach track athletes, soccer players or
any sports requiring ‘endurance’, you might be a
little upset. Or a lot.

So I stole the video and put it on my blog so I
could respond to the comments you’ll likely have.

I couldn’t have picked a better clip myself. I’m a
huge fan and follower of the sprints coach he bases
his argument on and it has brought me full circle
in my development of speed/power athletes.

Click here for more about Functional Strength Coach 3.0

To your success,

Latif Thomas

But what’s the truth?

So glad you asked. Check out my no holds
barred breakdown of this program and whether or not
you should believe the hype:

Click here for more about Functional Strength Coach 3.0

To your success,

Latif Thomas

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
workout planning for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.
For Week 7 workouts, click here.
For Week 8 workouts, click here.
For Week 9 workouts, click here.

M: 5 x 50m, 1 x 60 @ 95-100% from crouch. 6 x STJ. R = 5′
Lift Day 1 (see Week 9 for strength routines)

T: 5-6 x 300m hills. R=walk back (last hill workout!!)
800m barefoot warmdown jog on grass.
Lift Day 2

W: 10 x 100m, R = 45″. B = 15.0 - 15.5, G = 18.0 - 18.5
R = 3′ between sets
6 x 200, R = 2′. B = 33.5, G = 37.5.

400m barefoot warm down on grass
Hurdle mobility
Core - stabilization

TH: 4-5 x split 600, R = 7′
B: 33/48/33
G: 38/50/38

Lift Day 3

F: 10 x 30 seconds @ ~ 70-75% on grass, R = 2′

400m barefoot warm down on grass
Hurdle mobility
Core - stabilization

Weekly Audio Breakdown:

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Squats are a core lift in any respectable strength
training program.

At least they were.

I’m cutting them from my program. And you should
too.

(If the thought of cutting squats out of your program
doesn’t blow your mind on some level, then your
current strength training program probably isn’t
very good.)

Watch this video from strength and conditioning
legend Mike Boyle and discover exactly *why*
the squat is dead:

http://tinyurl.com/DeathofSquat

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Legendary strength and conditioning expert Mike
Boyle is releasing his newest program, Functional
Strength Coach 3.0 - A Joint by Joint Approach to
Training, *today* (Wednesday October 21).

http://tinyurl.com/BoyleFSC3
Here’s the deal:

I have the program. I’ve been watching it over and
over again for the past week or two.

(What can I say, I know people.)

I’m not one to get all misty eyed over a strength
and conditioning resource, but….

Functional Strength Coach 3.0 is RIDICULOUS.

I’m an information junkie as it is, but this program
has my head spinning.

It’s *that* good.

The first two DVDs alone (there are eight, not
including the 2 bonus DVDs and Workout Muse) gave me
more ideas for upgrading my programs than I can
possibly attempt to lay out here.

Want an example? Squats. A staple of nearly every
credible strength training program.

Until now. Because I’m cutting them out. I’ve been
ready to cut them for the past couple years, but Boyle’s
explanation and results were the tipping point for me.

That’s just one of many examples, but you really need to
see all these concepts for yourself:

http://tinyurl.com/BoyleFSC3
Now, I’ll be honest. This is not a program for beginners.

If you know you’re an inexperienced coach or trainer and
you don’t have confidence in your current system,
you might be in over your head.

But if you know enough to know that you can *always* make
improvements to every element of your training and the
idea of tweaking this and changing that gets you excited
about the range of improvement your athletes can make this
year, then you *NEED* this program.

Functional Strength Coach 3.0 is one of those programs that
makes me *almost* feel bad for coaches and trainers who aren’t
referencing it. Because their athletes and clients just won’t
be able to compete with those of us who do.

(I said *almost*. I like winning too much to feel genuine
sorrow for people who ignore this email.)

If you’ve followed me for any period of time you know I
NEVER push a program this hard in any of my emails.

But I think it’s *that* good. And if you coach athletes of any
sport or gender from high school through professional, you
simply have to make Functional Strength Coach 3.0 part of your
training library.

It is the very definition of ‘must have’.
To your success,

Latif Thomas

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
workout planning for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.
For Week 7 workouts, click here.
For Week 8 workouts, click here.

M: 6 x 50m, 6 x standing triple jump. focus on first
3 steps. R= 5′

Active recovery –> keep moving, jogging. no standing
around.

Lift Day 1. Start of set 2 of B1 (Bulgarian split squat)
should be 3 minutes after start of set 1 of B1.

Splitting the workouts like this should cut total
time in weight room roughly in half.

‘Bulgarian Split Squat (BSS) is also known as ‘back leg
on the bench single leg lunge’.

A1: Hang clean/high pull/DB snatch 4 x 5

B1: Bulgarian split squat (BSS) 4 x 6 e.l.
B2: DB Bench 4 x 6

C1: Step up 4 x 8 e.l.
C2: Chin up 4 x 6 (weighted)

T: 5 x 300m hills. R = jog back.

800m barefoot warm down.

LIFT Day 2

A1: Deadlift 5 x 5
A2: DB Incline 4 x 5

B1: Single leg dead lift 3 x 8 e.l.
B2: Inverted row 3 x 8 (if too easy, put feet up on
box or bench

W: 10 x 200m @ ~75%. R=2′ B = 33.0, G= 37.0

For this workout and time of season, athletes are
expected to hit their times, on the money.

For boys, only times within .2 seconds of the target
time (33.0) are considered ‘quality’ intervals. I
expect 80% of workout to be ‘quality’ or Coach
Thomas starts yelling at people.

Core - stabilization
Hurdle mobility
400m barefoot warmdown

TH: 3 x 300m. First 50m fast, cruise 150m, last 100m fast.
R = 7′. Target time: B = 43.0 - 44.5 seconds, G = 52.0 - 53.5

LIFT Day 3

A1: Hang clean/high pull/DB Snatch 4 x 5

B1: BSS 5 x 5
B2: one arm row 4 x 6

C1: Explosive step up 4 x 6 e.l.

F: 3 x 5 x 100 @ ~80%. R = 45″/2′. B = 14.5 - 15.0, G = 17.5 - 18.0

800m barefoot warmdown
Core - stabilization
10′ static stretch

This week’s ‘Audio Breakdown’:

If you want more drills and exercises for your sprinters,
then click here.

If you want help with workout planning for your upcoming
season, then click here.

- Latif Thomas

Each Monday, for the next 4 weeks (and a total
of 12 weeks), I’ll be posting a preseason
training program for developmental 400m
runners.

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.
For Week 7 workouts, click here.
 

M: 6 - 8 x 40m, 6-8 x standing triple
R = 4′

Lift Day 1: Circuit format. 2 x 8 Rest between exercises
90 seconds. 3′ sets. Use challenging weight

Deadlift
Bench press
Pull ups
Step ups
Dips
One arm row
T: 4-5 x 300 hills R= walk back

10′ warmdown jog @ conversational pace

Lift Day 2: Circuit format. 2 x 8 Rest between exercises:
90 seconds. 3′ sets. Use challenging weight

Bulgarian split squat (back leg up on bench single leg lunge)
Incline
Chin ups
Lunges
Clap Pushup
Box Jump

W: 3 x 8 x 100m @ 75%, R= 45 seconds between reps, 90
seconds between sets

B: 15.0 - 15.5
G: 17.8 - 18.3

Core - stabilization.
Hurdle mobility.
10′ static stretch

TH: 4-5 x Split 600s. R = 7′ (Workout of the Week!)

B: 33/48/33
G: 38/50/38

Lift Day 1

F: 2 x 10 x diaganols R= 5′ sets

Here’s how it works: Run on a football field, from the back
of the endzone to the back of the opposite endzone, but on
the diaganol.

Finish, then do a set of 10 (each leg) bodyweight exercises. Alternate
between prisoner squat, split squat, lunges each time you get to this
‘leg station’.

Walk the width of the field for recovery. Run the diaganol again.
Finish, do a set of 20 ab exercise. Athlete’s choice: crunches, bicycles,
russian twists, toe touch, etc.

Walk the width of the field for recovery. Run the diaganol. Do a different
leg exercise. Repeat the process.

One set = 10 intervals. Only do bodyweight exercises for the first set!

Lift Day 1.
Audio Breakdown:

It may seem like a long time, but there are less than
7 weeks to go before indoor track starts in most
areas. And I’m starting to get into full gear to
be ready to roll when it starts.

If you haven’t listened to the above audio, I highly
recommend you do so. It’s good information that
will help you and your athletes. (I’ll admit it’s
long, but I gave you the option to download the
file.)

If you’re looking for drills and exercises to teach
that are on video, you want Complete Speed Training.

If you’re looking for help with the most effective
structure and progressions for your workout planning,
you want Complete Program Design for Sprinters.

As always, post your comments below.
- Latif

But if you follow these three simple ideas, you’ll
make your life a whole lot easier and your athletes
a whole lot better.

1. Simplicity

Some people take this to the extreme, i.e., they
don’t actually create a program.

If you don’t at least outline your training goals
for the entire season before the season starts,
you’re not really creating a training program,
you’re winging it.

If you only focus on ’sport specific’ drills and
movements, that’s not a program, it’s just random
drills and workouts. You shouldn’t expect consistent
performances.

You may avoid sitting down and taking the time to map
out the specifics of your athletes’ training needs
because you’ve made it an enormous process in your
mind.

It will be if you try to make it more complicated
than it is.

And, in truth, it’s not that complicated.

The younger the athletes you work with, the easier
the workout planning. And it’s never all that
complicated if you work with high school, middle
school or pre-teen athletes.

Because these athletes always have basic
problems that require basic solutions. Solutions
rooted in all around (not sport specific) athletic
development.

Your 13 year old who plays soccer doesn’t need special
’soccer’ training and your 15 year old who plays
football doesn’t need special ‘football’ training.

What they do need is to develop foundational movement
skills, strength, coordination, speed, flexibility and
endurance.

This approach will make them better at everything they
do.

Some coaches and parents tend to become obsessive about
their particular sport and forget that their athletes
can’t perform the basics. Without the basics,
technical application of sport specific skills is
not going to happen.

They simply won’t be able to do it right. Everyone
gets frustrated and no one gets better.

Keep it simple and cover all the bases.

Click here if you want to get a better handle on the
basic skills every young athlete needs.

2. Flexibility

When planning workouts, don’t focus on the workout
itself, but think about how you want the workout to
affect the athlete’s speed, strength and/or conditioning.

This means that the structure of the workout is
aimed at the energy system you’re working that day.

For example, repeat 200’s can mean a lot of different
things.

At 70% intensity it’s working the aerobic system.
Well coached high school athletes might be able to do 10
or more intervals in a workout, depending on rest time.

At 80-85% intensity it’s mixed aerobic/anaerobic.
Well coached high school athletes might be able to do 6-8
intervals, depending on rest time.

At 95% intensity it’s a lactic acid workout.
Well coached high school athletes might be able to do 2-3
quality repetitions, depending on rest time.

You have to first decide what the goal of the
workout is and then plug in the particular specifics.

Average coaches do it the other way around. They decide
which workout they want to do and then they hope it
does the trick. And that’s why they don’t get
consistent results or improvements in their athletes.

This idea is critical because this understanding
of how different workouts affect your athletes
allows you to be flexible.

I live in a cold weather environment. If I have
repeat 200s at 80% planned and it snows or is 10
degrees out, I can’t really go outside and do that.

But, because I’m flexible and understand how I want
today’s workout to affect my athletes’ conditioning,
I can do something different and still get the same
result.

But if I’m rigidly attached to a particular workout
at a particular distance for a particular number
of intervals or repetitions on a particular day, then
I’m in serious trouble if (and when) weather doesn’t
allow it, kids are sick, excessively sore, etc.

Be flexible and always have a Plan B. And Plan C.

Click here if you want to learn more about how to
keep your workout planning easy and flexible.
 

3. Variability

The natural tendency of our body is to reach
a balance. Our bodies quickly adapt to whatever
stimulus it repeatedly encounters.

If we give our athletes the same warm up every day,
before long, it no longer has the same effect.

We can’t always go for a 2 mile run on Monday, do
10×30m from a crouch on Tuesday, 2×10×100 @ 75%
on Wednesday, 5 x fly 30 on Thursday and Split
600s on Friday…week after week after week.

Here’s a quick question:

Do you understand why I chose that particular order
of workouts? For example, Why not switch Thursday
and Friday’s workouts?

Answer: Don’t do speed work the day after lactic
work.

Now, you can keep the order of workouts the same (if
you immediately knew the answer to the above question
you are on the right path) but you have to continuously
make the workouts more challenging if you want to
’stimulate an adaptation’, i.e. you want your athletes
too keep getting faster, stronger and in better ’shape’.

This requires changing the volume (amount of work done),
intensity (pace of the work done) and density (amount of
rest between bouts of effort).

Not only does it keep athletes from getting extremely
bored with their training (which reduces performance
in and of itself), but it leads to continuous
improvement, assuming, of course, you effectively
address all the variables involved in your athletes’
traininig.

If you do some basic planning in advance, keep records
of workout results and regularly try to improve your
system, then workout planning gets easier and easier
as time goes on.

If you want to know more about the most effective
methods for writing effective workouts, click here.

I used to get overwhelmed by this entire process. The
way I got better was by not trying to hit a home
run with my workout planning right off the bat.

Instead, I just tried to hit singles and get on base.

My athletes got better, I got better and everyone was
happy.

And you’ll experience similar results when you begin
to apply these ideas to your coaching.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. We covered a lot of information today. And I hope
it helped give you some ideas on how to improve your
coaching.

If you have questions, post them below.

You can check that out by clicking here.

I’ve been getting some great questions about
various elements of coaching sprinters. These
are questions we all should have and/or
specifically address in our programs, so
here are a few of them with my answers:

Howard asks:

With the consistent workout examples you
demonstrated, your examples were approx 8
runs consistently. I realize it varies between
athletes, however, moving forward do you
intend the athletes to produce more consistent
runs at the target time before setting a new
target? Or do you manage both times and targets
together?

My answer:

Good question. The answer is both. I have to
manage them together. Just because an athlete
is inconsistent does not mean they are not
getting in shape or capable of progressing
in volume, intensity or both. Most kids have
never been consistently given target times.
They just run. So they’re not thinking about
intensity or pace or thinking specifically
about memorizing what it feels like to run a
30 second 200 *and* be at exactly 15 seconds
at the 100 meter mark. It’s a new skill for
them to learn and like any skill it takes
time and repetition. But they must learn it
so they can do race modeling later or know
how to run, for example, fast enough in a
trial to get a good lane in the final, but
not so fast they burn themselves out of the
final, but not so slow they don’t make the
final or get a bad lane.

_______

Kenneth asks:

How do you record the times when you have a
large group? Do you have each athlete run
individually or are you eyeballing and
estimating times with a stop watch as the
large group runs?

My answer:

I put athletes in groups of 5-8 for my varsity
and borderline varsity athletes. I will put
the lower tier athletes in bigger groups if
necessary. I give each ‘varsity’ kid a specific
time I want them to hit for the intervals in
the workout. I send the groups off every 3
seconds and call out the times as they finish.

If you’re in the second group you know to add
3 seconds to the time I call out when you
finish. Then I either write the times myself
or have an injured athlete, manager, etc.
record the times. Once a kid misses their
time by a certain amount twice in a row, the
workout is over for that athlete and they
either walk for the remainder of the workout
or move on to the next part of their practice.

They already know what is next because I always
explain the goals and parameters of each practice
before it starts, every day.

By looking at these numbers after practice, I
can figure out which kids I gave the wrong
times to and adjust them. I can look for
trends in where kids fell of the pace to
determine if the volume or intensity is too
high (or low) or if the rest is too long or
short.

This is how I evolve my workouts to be both
more effective and efficient because I’m not
just guessing. Well, I am guessing. We’re
all guessing. Those who guess most accurately
get the best results. I just try to minimize
the errors I make in guessing volume, intensity
and rest by keeping and analyzing my notes.
You’d be amazed how much you can learn about
an athlete just by looking at their workout
times, even if you’ve never seen them run.

But it always comes back to testing, retesting
and experimenting with how you build your
workouts.

Got questions? Post them in the blog.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Indoor track is surprisingly close! If you
want to do a better job of workout planning
this season, click here for the resource I
recommend.

If you’re more interested in video of the
drills and exercises you’ll use day in and
day out, click here.

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.
For Week 6 workouts, click here.

M: 7 x 40m from crouch, 3 or 4 point stance or
   rollover start

   7 x Standing triple jump

   Lift Day 1:

   2 x 12 – circuit format – rest
   between sets exercises is 60-90”

   Lunges
   DB bench press
   Lat pull
   Split squat
   Dips
   One arm row
   Leg extension

T: 4 x 300m hills R= walk back recovery

   Mile warmdown at slightly faster than
   conversation pace. Last 400m - barefoot
  
   Hurdle mobility

   Core - stabilization

   10′ static stretch

W: 3 x 8 x 100m  R= 45″reps/3′ sets
   B = 15.5 - 16.5
   G = 18.5 - 19.5

   10′ warmdown run barefoot on grass
   @ conversational pace

   Core - athlete’s choice

TH: 3 x 500m R = 5′
    B = 1:25 - 1:29, G = 1:40 - 1:45

    Lift Day 2:

    2 x 8 – circuit format– rest
    between exercises is 60-90”
    between sets is 3′

    Back squat
    DB incline
    Chin ups
    Bulgarian split squat (back leg up on bench single leg lunge)
    Clap pushups
    Seated Row
    Hamstring curls

F:  10-12 x 200, R = 2′

    B: 34 - 35
    G: 38 - 39

    800m barefoot warmdown (walk) on grass
   
    Core - stabilization

    Lift Day 1:

    2 x 10 – circuit format – rest
    between sets exercises is 60-90”

    Lunges
    DB bench press
    Lat pull
    Split squat
    Dips
    One arm row
    Leg extension

    15′ static stretch

Weekly Audio:

Remember: You can steal these workouts and use
them with your athletes. And you’ll be surprised
when they’re running lifetime bests before
the season even starts.

But if you don’t understand why the progressions
are what they are or how they fit into the
bigger picture, results will tail off before
they reach their major meets.

And you won’t know how to continue their
training once the 12 weeks is up.

To discover how you can improve your workout
planning results, click here.

To your success,

Latif Thomas 

Have you ever heard a quick sentence that actually made you stop for a second and really think? Well, I was talking to my martial arts instructor, Master Garcia, the other day and during the conversation he said ‘You are an echo’. 
Wow, that’s powerful.

Think about it, what you eat, how and what you do to workout, your work ethic, your commitment to your family and friends, the effort you put in daily truly reflects the person you are and what you get back in return.

This ‘echo’ really tells us if we are successful and if we are not, there is only one reason for that.

When you look at your physique, you know this to be true. It’s easy to tell who is dedicated and putting in the work right?

When you look at it from the business standpoint, the ‘You are an echo’ still stands true.

If you are a great coach, you get great results, and you spend your time learning to be an even better coach – that’s amazing and needs to be done but that’s only one half on being successful in the sports and fitness industry.

I’m sure you know of some coaches and trainers that get great results with their clients but are struggling because they either need more clients or need to get in front of more people to show their skills.

Same thing goes with running a sports camp. I’ve seen it firsthand. A top coach decides they want to put on a sports specific camp and they think that their name alone will get athletes in to fill the camp. Well, they think that until the day the camp happens and their numbers are real low.

If Bill Belichick, Doc Rivers, or Terry Francona (I know I am New England biased) wants to put on a sports camp, you would think that would be successful right?
 
Well, if nobody knows they are putting on the camp then it’s going to be tough getting people to go. These are top coaches and even they have to market to get people into their camps.

But what if you name is not as big as theirs?

Most coaches and trainers think that their name and their initials after their name are a lot bigger than they actually are. Really, for the most part, your name doesn’t mean anything to athletes coming to your camp. If you work in the NFL, ok it helps a little to a high school football player. But most of us are not NFL coaches so we have to work even harder.

What I’m trying to say, is that it takes more than being a great coach, to be a successful coach. If you own your own business or are trying to get more clients, you know this to be true.

Being able to run a camp and market your camp are both skills. The act of getting more clients is a learned skill. And you need to constantly work on these skills to improve them.

Honestly answer these questions:

How much time are you spending trying to be a better coach?

Now how much time do you spend trying to grow your business?

These answers should be close to a 50/50 relationship. If they aren’t, well at least you know the area you have to work on.

My first 5 years or so in the industry, I spending a 100% of my time trying to become the best coach possible. Reading, watching training DVD;s, going to seminars, getting every certification there was, I did an internship with the best coach in the area, I basically was studying and applying what I learned non-stop.  Now don’t get me wrong, I needed this to become a good coach.
 
The problem was, I thought I could be helping more people and should be making more money than I was at that time, especially with all of the hours I was working. It wasn’t until I put in the time to learn advertising, marketing, sales, and even the structure and technical side of the business, where I started to reach my potential.

It wasn’t fun at first to learn how to market, but once I got and started applying it, it changed my whole life. I can now work whatever hours I want, make more money than I thought was possible at the time, and I am able to help even more people than ever before.

Discovering the business and marketing side of the sports and fitness industry is truly what separates successful coaches from the rest. If you are serious about growing in this industry, you must put your time in.

Believe me; no one is going to do it for you. The work you put into actively becoming a better coach and businessperson shows.

Your business is an echo of you. What are you saying that’s worth repeating?
Please feel free to comment below. I would love to hear from you.

To your success,

Pat Beith

Click Here to Discover How to Run a Sports Camp >>

Do too much, too fast and they’ll overtrain
and compete poorly.

Do too little, they’ll be undertrained and
won’t have enough in the tank.

So how do you ensure your athletes run the
perfect amount and get the most out of each
and every workout, no matter how old they
are, how fast they are and regardless of
what sport they play:

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Want more information on today’s topic?

For video of the speed drills, exercises
and progressions that will teach your athletes
how to run fast consistently, click here.

For an A to Z walkthrough on how to progress
and write effective workouts for your track
sprinters (like today, without video of athletes
doing drills and running), click here.

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.
For Week 5 workouts, click here.

HS 400m Training
Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcycle 6
General Preparation Period

M: Off (jog and stretch as necessary)

T: 6 x 40m from crouch, 3pt or 4pt stance.
R=4’ 6 x Standing Triple Jump into pit

Lift Day 1: 2 x 10 – circuit format – rest
between sets exercises is 60-90”

Lunges
DB bench press
Lat pull
Split squat
Dips
One arm row
Leg extension

W: 3 x 5 x 100m @ 75% R= 1’ reps/3’ sets.
On grass.

Core. 800m barefoot warmdown on grass.
Static Stretch.

TH: 4 x 300m hills. *Jog* back recovery.
Mile warm down. Last 400m - barefoot. (all on grass)

Lift Day 2: 2 x 10 – circuit format– rest
between sets exercises is 60-90”

Back squat
DB incline
Chin ups
Bulgarian split squat (back leg up on bench single leg lunge)
Clap pushups
Seated Row
Hamstring curls

F: Warm up 3 x 600@ B = 1:57 – 2:04,
G = 2:14 – 2:20, R=4 - 4:30’ (start at 4′)
Mile warmdown.

Lift Day 1: 2 x 10 – circuit format –
rest between sets exercises is 60-90”

Lunges
DB bench press
Lat pull
Split squat
Dips
One arm row
Leg extension

 Weekly Audio:

If you want more information like this, but
with more insight as to why the workouts
are structured this way, click here.

- Latif Thomas

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.
For Week 4 workouts, click here.

HS 400m Training
Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcyle 5
General Preparation Period

M: 6 x 30m, 2 x 40m from crouch, 3pt or 4pt
stance.

R=3’ 8 x Standing Triple Jump into pit

Lift Day 1: 2 x 10 – circuit format – rest between sets exercises is 60-90”

Lunges
DB bench press
Lat pull
Split squat
Dips
One arm row
Leg extension

T: 4 x 4 minute runs on grass loop. R= 2’
Pace is moderate. Competitive athletes won’t allow this to be a slow paced jog.Hurdle Mobility. Core (stabilization). 800m barefoot warmdown jog. 10’ static stretch

TH: 8-10 x 200 @ 70%
B: 34-35, G: 39-40 R = 2’800m warmdown on grass, barefoot if possible. I’d like to get to 10 x 200 for this workout. This is the important workout of the week. Given the
choice to only record times and assess consistency for one workout, this would be the one I would
record times for and yell and scream during the workout to make sure athletes hit their times,
including being on pace at the 100m mark.

“Yes! Speed *can* be taught.”

And I believe most people would agree with
that statement.

Now I could talk, for the billionth time,
about developing biomotor skill,
neuromuscular efficiency, force application,
etc.

And I could rehash the fact that, in the
end, results are directly proportional to
your ability to conduct the right workouts
at the right time with the most efficient
structure.

But, if you’re anything like me, you’re more
likely to be buy into an idea if you can
see actual proof that these ideas and
concepts really work.

So I put together this video showing you
exactly the kind of abuse your athletes
will inflict once they start running more
efficient workouts.

Before you watch this video, consider the
rate of improvement these girls experienced.

Their lifetime bests coming into the season
were, in the order they run:

13.0, 12.5, 13.1, 12.8

The bottom line:

Speed can be taught.

Here are the tools serving as the foundation
of my athletic programs:

Complete Speed Training - all the speed drills,
exercises, weight room work, plyometrics
and core training exercises I use to develop
my athletes.

Complete Program Design for Sprinters -
a step by step blueprint showing you the
most effective way to write workouts that
will ensure your sprinters peak at the
right time.

Questions? Comments? Leave a reply below.

Latif Thomas
 

1. On Fridays workout i can’t do push-ups
because of my shoulder. Is their anything
else i could do instead?

2. My question is which video shows you
doing a speed drill for running faster.
Your demo of the speed drill is awesome.
May I get you to send that video to me
again or tell me the title of it. Thanks ,
Louis

3. My son is a freshman at a college this
fall. The track coach said he could be a
walk on if he ran a 48.5 (400) at a try
out. We have set this for second week in
Dec at a all comers meet. He ran a 50.67
in May of last year at state. He is now
running the third week of your workout.
Should he be doing any extra as it is a
college level.

4. What are your 400 training models for
older Masters Track competitors (65 and up)
 who will compete in national and world
class meets?

5. what is (10 exercises @30″ on 30″ off)
 
6. Our season begins in February. Should
I begin the 12 week program now, or wait
till November and what should I do with
the two week winter break in December
before the season? If I wait till November
to begin the 12 week program, what should
I have my athletes do till then? I have
purchased both programs from you (and love
them)!
Thanks!

7. Would you use this 400m program for
athletes that do 300m because they are too
young to do 400m?

8. What is the deal with isometric band
exercises fact or crap or something in
between they are being sold at
athleticquickness.com? Good Scientific
American study shows a loss of type 2x
fibers with conventional speed and
strength work to a slower 2a variety (also
type I to 2a) then a amazing increase to
2x fastest with lots of rest (like 3 months) after the initial hard work. What do these findings mean? Work hard in the off season and hit auto pilot mid way through to peak at the right time?

9. Do have idea’s on how to get out of
the starting blocks faster? Alex

10. what is the formular used to come up
with the time needed to run your reps.
e.g. say my best time is 23.0 for 200m how
would I figure 70% of that. Thank You
Winston

11. was wondering what the purpose of
running barefoot was? Also, what is the
intensity of the 250 hills on day three of
the first week?

12. I was wondering if your program comes
with strength program designs

13. mister Latif, i am a trainer from
Greece. I have an athlete (girl), who is
the better athlete in her age (1995) in
Greece in 300m. 43.56 is her record. The
next year she will run 300m.and 400m. with
hurdles.I would like to have your advice,
what i must do to be in high form.

14. Can you give some examples of the
Bodyweight Circuit exercises that you
refer to in your training plan?

15. I am a 59yr old 800m athlete with
59sec 400 speed.I use to run the 1500.Not
working for me anymore.I ran 27.3 for 200
last summer.I would like to train for the
400 and still be able to run a decent 800.
I will be 60 in june 2010.I have a chance
on being ranked in the top 3 in the U.S.
and possibly win a national title if the
training goes right.Can you help.I will
also be doing some volunteer coaching
with a age group track team. We are just
starting our x-c training.Thanks.God Bless.

16. HELLO, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU THAT IN
THE COMPETITION PREIOD, AFTER THREE WEEKS
LOADING WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND ME TO DO
DURING FOURTH WEEK FOR THE RECOVERY.

17. Hi Latif, In your experience is it
likely that someone who ran fast 400m
times before puberty/ rapid growth will
regain those times with an appropriate
training program such as the one you outline,
or do you often see kids running slower after
puberty & not able to re develop such speed
for sprints up to 400m? (e.g. 56.1 best time
as 14yr old girl/ 58.9 best time as 17 yr old)
She is much stronger now, but still running
slow times. Her training program includes
aerobic foundation pre season, core strength,
bodyweight exercises, tempo runs & interval
training, & speed work pre season & throughout
competition.
Thanks,
Ali

18. MY NAME IS GIOVANNI AND I AM 10YRS OLD.I
DO NOT HAVE A COACH YET, BUT I LIKE TO RUN
THE 400 METER.WHAT SHOULD I DO TO TRAIN FOR
RACING THIS YEAR.

19. my question is……in 2007 as a 11yr old
 my son finished 5th in country with a time
of 12.87 in 100. he’s 13yr old now and is
bigger and stronger but just has PR of 12.64.
what is going on? PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Latif Thomas, CSCS, USATF II
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year
Complete Speed Training
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

By Jason Ferruggia

1. Lift weights for no more than three to four days per week. Doing so is not only unnecessary but can quickly lead to over-training, especially if you are doing other physical activities such as cardio or playing recreational sports on a regular basis.

2. Limit your workouts to 30-45 minutes and 15-20 total sets. If you can’t build muscle and gain strength in that time frame then I’d say you are half assing it. You have to remember that results are greatest when energy levels and mental focus are at their highest. That is during the first 30-45 minutes of your workout. Going beyond that point causes both of these to plummet.

3. Use big, compound exercises and lift heavy. Deadlifts, military presses, squats, bench presses, rows and chin ups should always be the main focus of your muscle building workout programs. These have been the best muscle building exercises since the beginning of time and that will never change.

4. Continually try to get stronger and always track your progress with a training journal. Progressive overload is the most basic but often forgotten principle in weight training. It states that to make progress you need to constantly increase the amount of weight you lift. Follow this rule and you will get bigger and stronger. Ignore it and you will get nowhere. If you are benching 225 right now, you better be benching 315 by this time next year if you want to build muscle.

5. Train with a multitude of rep ranges. Doing this allows you to target both slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers and maximizes your muscle building capabilities. Reps from 1-20 should be used to target both fast twitch and slow twitch fibers.

6. Always change your weight training program every 3-4 weeks. After 3-4 weeks on the same program you will start to burn out and your results will slow down. To keep your body in a muscle building state, be sure to change your workouts frequently. If you have been lifting for several years, this may need to be done every two weeks because you will adapt more rapidly to the same stimulus.

7. Make a serious commitment to eating. Proper nutrition plays a huge role in your muscle building efforts. Without adequate calories you will never grow optimally. Force feed yourself if you have to and be sure to time your carbs correctly, meaning around training and at breakfast, while cutting them out at night if you want to stay lean while building muscle.

8. Be sure to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep per day and take naps whenever possible. When you are sleeping is when you are building muscle. Sleep is the time when you recover and grow. Without adequate sleep you will never reach your true potential and your muscle building efforts in the gym may be wasted. Do not overlook this important factor.

9. Utilize recovery methods. Training and eating properly are not enough to ensure the fastest muscle building results. You also have to be sure to use whatever recovery methods you can to accelerate your progress. Some of these include taking contrast showers or baths after training, stretching after training and on off days, icing, using foam rollers and whatever else you can think of to help you recover faster.

10. Find a good training partner. While I left this for last on the list it may, in fact, be the most important factor of them all. Without a good training partner your results will always be less than what they could be. It is imperative that you try to find someone to push you and to compete against if you really want to take your muscle building efforts to the next level.

Jason Ferruggia is a world famous fitness expert who is renowned for his ability to help people build muscle as fast as humanly possible. He is the head training adviser for Men’s Fitness Magazine where he also has his own monthly column dedicated to muscle building. For more great muscle building information, please visit http://www.musclegainingsecret.com/

Latif,

I have observed coaches who have more of a
aerobic based program train their 100,
200, and 400 runners together. I had one
of them tell me that when Michael
Johnson was at Baylor that it wasn’t
unusual for them to do 6 mile runs in
the fall? The 400 runners seem to improve
with the extra running but I
didn’t see the same improvements in the
short sprinters. Should long and
short sprinters be trained separately?

David

I have historically run two separate programs
for my short sprinters (55-200 runners)
and long sprinters (200-400) with great
success. In my experience this is standard
for highly successful HS programs and any
collegiate program worth its salt.

The energy system demands for these two event
groups require differentiated training *if*
your goal is to get your athletes to run the
fastest possible times during the biggest
meets of the season.

Over the years I have begun adding some mileage
to my 400m training during the General Prep
Period. I have found this to be an effective
method of building aerobic capacity and power,
thus improving the athletes’ ability to
handle greater volumes and intensities of
lactic work later in the Special Prep and
Competitive Periods (Intensive tempo,
special endurance runs, speed endurance, etc.).

However, this type of training - from an
energy system demands standpoint - has no
direct (or indirect) benefit for your
short sprinters.

Therefore, you must run different workouts
focusing on developing different qualities
for your short sprinters and your long sprinters.

I understand you might be saying:

‘Sounds good in theory, Latif. But I have
40 kids and minimal staffing. I don’t have
the resources to run two different programs
for my sprinters.’

Believe me, I understand your plight. In the
spring, for example, I am responsible for
boys and girls 100m-400m, both hurdle distances
and long jump. Last year that consisted of
over 40 kids and just me to implement that
program (plus the weight room).

So it can be done and done well.

The key to successfully doing this boils down
to one base element:

Your understanding of periodization (program
design) and how different workouts affect
athletes’ bodies.

When you understand the difference in
physiological effect between:

8 x 30m with 3 minutes rest

and

8 x 30m with 1 minute rest

OR

6 x 200 @ 70% with 2 minutes rest

and

2 x 3 x 200 @ 85% with 5 minutes between
intervals and 8-10 minutes between sets

…you can structure your short and long
sprint programs to appropriately overlap
where necessary.

So just because you’re running two different
programs doesn’t mean that everything your
groups do requires segregated practices.

I do speed work on Mondays. Everyone can do
that together because everyone needs speed
work.

Tuesday is a recovery day. Energy system wise,
we’re doing the same things with both groups.

But my long sprinters need more volume and,
generally, runs of longer duration.

If I want to break them up, the day might
look like:

Short sprints: 10 x 100 @ 70%ish (run the
straights, jog the runs) and 1-2x body
weight circuits with 40m jog between
exercises.

They don’t need me to time their 10×100 and
circuits can be run by group leaders. It’s
so general, I can focus on my long sprinters.

Long sprints: 6 x 300 @ 75% with 3′ rest

Now I can focus on recording this groups’
times, cue rhythm running and see what
kind of shape they’re in.

But, since it’s all aerobic work, if I
understand what the work does to the body
and I need to keep the groups together, I
can always do one workout such as:

6-10 x 200 @ 75% w/2′ rest

I’ll cut my short sprinters off at 6 and
have them go do a circuit or something
along those lines and then try to get my
long sprinters to finish 10.

(I’m speaking in general terms. There are
other variables I consider such as training
age, talent, experience, etc. But these
are things to consider once you have a solid
foundation and system already in place.)

And so on through the week.

They key is to understand how all the
training fits together based on your
understanding of training phases, energy
systems and the physiological requirements
of the individual events.

Set up and run your short and long sprint
programs like this and you’ll get optimal
results!

If you want to see a full workout by workout
12 week programs for both short sprinters
and long sprinters, I provide both as just
one part of your Complete Program Design
for Sprinters resource.

To your success,

Latif Thomas CSCS, USATF II
Complete Speed Training
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

P.S. Click here to see the first 4 weeks
of my offseason 400m training program.

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
For Week 2 workouts, click here.
For Week 3 workouts, click here.

HS 400m Training
Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcyle 4
General Preparation Period 

M: 8 x 30m up short hill or from various positions on the ground R=3’ 8 x Standing Triple Jump into pit

Lift Day 1: 2 x 10 – circuit format

Lunges

DB bench press

Lat pull

Dips

One arm row

Leg extension

T: 2 x 12 x 100m @ ~70%. Preferably on grass. R= 50”/3’. Hurdle Mobility. Core (stabilization).

400m barefoot warmdown. 10’ static stretch

W: 5 x 300m hills. Walk back recovery. Mile warm down.

Lift Day 2: 2 x 10 – circuit format

Back squat

DB incline

Chin ups

Bulgarian split squat (back leg up on bench single leg lunge)

Clap pushups

Seated Row

Hamstring curls

TH: 1.5 mile run (conversation pace)

2 x 4 x 300 @ B = 50-53, G = 61-64

R= 100m jog between reps, 7 minutes between sets

F: 22 minute run – Go out for 12 minutes, turn around and come back in 10 minutes.

Lift Day 1: 2 x 10 – circuit format

Lunges

DB bench press

Lat pull

Dips

One arm row

Leg extension

Audio Breakdown:

Choice.

You have the ability to *choose* the way your life is going to be.

Your situation right now is the sum of the *choices* you have made in the present moment.

And the choices you continue to make in the present moment will dictate your level of success.

Because nothing exists but THIS moment. There is no later. No future. No ‘when the economy gets better’. No ‘when I have more free time’. No ‘if I had better talent.’ No ‘if I had a bigger team’. No ‘if I was smarter’.

Success is a *choice*.

The only difference between you and the people you want to be like is simple:

They’re not afraid to die on a treadmill.

Why not?

Because they made a *choice*. They decided who they wanted to be. What they wanted their life to be like and they made a *choice* to do it.

They didn’t make the choice in some undefined ‘later’. Or ‘tomorrow’. Those things don’t exist.

They never will. They will never arrive. Ever.

I could have said:

‘I don’t have a business degree.’

And then not started Athletes’ Acceleration.

Instead Latif and I made a *choice* and built a business from scratch that generated well over 7 figures in sales before either of us turned 30.

Why? Because we’re not afraid to die on a treadmill.

Are you?

We could have said:

‘We haven’t run a sports camp before, so maybe we shouldn’t try to. If we fail people will criticize us’.

We could have said:

‘We really don’t really have the extra money to try and put on a sports camp, so let’s wait until we do.’

We could have said:

‘We almost got arrested running our first sports camp, so let’s not run another one’.

Instead we worked our asses off, studied our asses off. Asked questions. Took a chance and believed in ourselves.

Why?

We made a *choice* to be successful. We didn’t listen to the haters (and there are many).

We ignored the doubters (and there are many). We made no excuses for why we weren’t smart enough or rich enough to do what we wanted to do. We didn’t wait for the perfect time, because there is never going to be ‘The Perfect Time.

We’re not afraid to die on a treadmill.

Are you?

Now, I know what you’re asking.

What is this treadmill crap?

I want you to watch this entire video. I watch it. Every. Single. Day.

It reminds me of how important it is for me to keep making the *choice* to be successful.

It gives me motivation and energy. It’s the difference between success and failure.

2 + 2 = what I want it to be.

Sports Camp Empire Chutes and Ladders Special

Now you can get 2 Speed Chutes AND 2 Agility Ladders FREE ($268 value) with your purchase of the Sports Camp Empire System!

This Chutes and Ladders special price ends tonight at 11:59pm EST.

After tonight the only way you can get the program and the speed chutes and agility ladders is to pay $765.

Have you made your *choice*?

- Pat Beith

You may be copying other brochures you’ve
seen people use or simply using the templates
that came with your brochure-maker software.

I get it. I used to do the same thing.

I learned the hard way it doesn’t work.

So grab your most recent marketing brochure
and watch the video I posted below.

When you see all the flaws you’re making in
your marketing you’ll immediately realize
how much more money you could be making when
you invest a bit of effort in the way you
write your marketing pieces.

Enjoy.

To your success,

Pat Beith
Sports Camp Empire

P.S. If you’re one of the next 20 12 entrepreneurs
to claim your copy of the Sports Camp Empire program
you’ll also get 2 FREE agility ladders and
2 FREE speed parachutes with your purchase.

With a retail value of $268, you really
can’t beat this deal if you’ve ever thought
about running more profitable speed clinics
or sports camps.

Combine those needs with your ongoing business
education and costs can really add up -
whether you’ve been running programs for a
while or you’re just getting your business
started.

So that’s where we come in…

We’ve teamed up with an equipment company
to offer you a pretty cool deal.

When you order the Sports Camp Empire system,
we’ll also throw in TWO agility ladders and
TWO speed parachutes -

Absolutely FRE.E of charge.

Click here to check out the full offer:

http://www.sportscampempire.com/chutesladders
Long term success running your sports camp
or speed clinic business rests on the amount
of time you spend developing your *business*
knowledge - not just learning more drills
and exercises.

The Sports Camp Empire system shows you
everything you need to know about growing,
building and maintaining your business.

You’ll discover the insider secrets to running
a profitable business model from proven
coaches and entrepreneurs.

And to sweeten the deal, we’ll also give you
TWo agility ladders and TWO speed parachutes
to add to your inventory of equipment.

With a real world retail value of $268, these
are items you can surely use, aren’t they?

There’s only one catch:

We can only offer this deal to the first
20 entrepreneurs who take action and claim
their copy of the Sports Camp Empire system.

With the ‘chutes and ladders alone retailing
for 53% of the cost of the program itself,
we will sell out of units. You can’t afford
to waffle or be indecisive, or, quite frankly,
you *will* miss out on this opportunity.

Camp and clinic season does NOT just take
place during the summer. If you’re not focusing
on the other 10 months of the year, you’re
leaving an incredible amount of money on
the table.

If you’re ready to take your business to
the next level, be one of the 20 business
owners to claim your copy of the Sports Camp
Empire System and we’ll give you 2 agility
ladders and 2 speed chutes fre.e of charge.

Don’t delay, act now.

http://www.sportscampempire.com/chutesladders

To your success,

Pat Beith

P.S. To get your chutes and ladders you must
be one of first 20 entrepreneurs to order.

And remember, because your Sports Camp Empire
program and equipment are shipping from two
different places, you will not receive them
at the same time. Rest assured, you will
receive them approximately one week after
the delivery of your Sports Camp Empire
program.

When you think about the most basic abdominal exercise, the first one that pops into your head is probably planks.

Planks are where a person lays out into a push-up position but instead of being on their outstretched hands, they rest on their forearms. In this position, the athlete or lifter will remain for a specific length of time. If the time exceeds one and a half minutes that is considered pretty good.

The benefits of planks include rehabilitating a back injury, glute activation, developing proficiency for bracing the torso with intra-abdominal pressure and an isometric contraction of the abdominals and developing muscular endurance of the muscles that stabilize, support and engage movements of the torso.

But in accordance with the Principle of Overload and the Laws of Chaos, there is a progression for all resistance training means. Progression of an exercise will increase the difficulty, which increases the demand and work capacity of the lifter and in turn, provides more adaptation and benefits.

So what is the next training progression for planks? Here are some of the most common modifications :

• Raising one foot off the ground (ensure the lifter doesn’t shift to the side to compensate by forcibly firing the glutes and bracing harder
• Add a weighted vest or back pack

Further unique adaptations can be obtained if we are relentless in our pursuit of our ultimate goal – real world strength. It is this real world strength that is developed not only with fixed, patterned strength training movements, but with random, rapidly adjusted reactive means. This is truer to real life and everyday movements.

Here is the modification that will produce the results we want. The lifter will setup in a conventional plank but with their feet on an elevated box and their forearms on a mini-trampoline.

This is a plank x 10!

This variation is much more difficult to stabilize because as the lifter adjusts, so does the base of support (the trampoline) they are resting on! We can of course increase the difficulty by externally loading the lifter or having them lift one leg, but we want to make this exercise really difficult. By having the lifter raise up onto their hands, more vibration can be achieved.

Now hit a plyometric push-up with the goal of restabilizing and restoring a static posture as quickly as possible. This creates a full body tremor that improves the integrity of the elbows, shoulders and hips.

Now, let’s perform a one arm plank on this setup. This requires a greater glute and opposite oblique contraction to counterbalance the movement. The goal is to minimize the hips shifting and remain rigid. This movement can be held for time and increased in difficulty by a partner-assisted agitation.

For a more advanced movement a plyometric push-up can once again be engaged, but this time we will land on one arm.

Not only does this have amazing implications in a rehabilitative setting, but decelerative properties for the torso, back and shoulders as well. Sports that require ballistic upper body expressions (which is essentially all sports) or sports with high incidences of shoulder or hip injuries can benefit from this vibrational environment. The more vibration we can introduce, the more rapid the contractions, primary and antagonistic, of the engaged muscular and the greater stability of the kinetic chain. This creates a balance and teaches the athlete how to stabilize in opposition to random stimuli.

About the Author
Jim Smith is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and an expert trainer who writes for Men’s Fitness and the Elite Q/A Staff. Jim has been involved in strength training as a performance enhancement specialist for over 8 years and has worked with athletes from various sports who compete at various levels. He has published articles about his unique training style and innovative methods for many prominent strength and fitness related sites. He is also the authored of three renowned strength manuals. For more innovative training solutions, visit http://www.combatabtraining.com

For real core strength, check out:

http://www.combatabtraining.com

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.

For Week 2 workouts, click here.
HS 400m Training

Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcyle 3
General Preparation Period

Warmdowns should be barefoot, on grass if
possible.

M: 5×20m, 4×25m from various positions @90-95%,
R = 2’ – 9 x 2 Standing Long Jump into pit.

Bodyweight circuit (10 exercises @ 30” on,
30” off)

T: 4 x 250m hills. Walk back recovery.
Mile warm down. Hurdle Mobility.
Core (stabilization).

W: 2 x 10 x 100m @ ~70%. Preferably on grass.
R= 50”/3’

Bodyweight circuit (10 exercises @ 30” on,
30” off)

TH: Warm up. Mile jog. 3 x 600@ B= 2:09-2:18,
G= 2:24-2:33 R=3’ (on grass) Mile jog. Hurdle
Mobility. Core (S)

F:  20’ run. Bodyweight circuit (10 exercises
@ 30” on, 30” off). 400m barefoot warmdown.
15’ static stretch.

Click on the player for my audio breakdown of Week 2:
 

For speed training drills and progressions,
bodyweight and strength training exercises,
dynamic warmup drills, etc, CLICK HERE.

For a step by step breakdown on writing
record breaking workout progressions for
55-400m sprinters, CLICK HERE.

To your success,

Latif Thomas, USATF II (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year

If you missed all the drama, be sure to
check this out (the drama starts with response
#7 in the ‘Leave a reply’ section):

http://tinyurl.com/l4zhc5

In the end, you can put all sports coaches
into one of two camps:

1. Open minded people, like you and I, who use
critical thinking and reason to determine
whether or not our ideas, programs and
coaching philosophies are in line with
what is best for our athletes and teams.

2. Closed minded people, like Coach Vincent
(click the link above if you don’t know what
that means) love the status quo. Change is
too difficult and scary, so instead of
spending time and effort assessing their
knowledge and approach, they strike down
any opinion that goes against the same old
crap they’ve been doing for the past 5, 10,
20+ years.

You probably know (and do battle with) people
like Coach Vincent on a regular basis.

The only path to defeating Coaching Cancers
like the Coach Vincents of the world requires
constant assessment (of ourselves
and others) and, fundamentally, requires us
to *always* entertain the possibility that
our current way of thinking/coaching is
outdated, inefficient, or, in some instances,
flat out wrong.

No matter how smart or successful we appear
to be (or think we are).

At it’s core, we must constantly strive to
learn new information, upgrade our approach,
test and retest our coaching theories, invest
in our education, attend seminars, read
articles and, yes, even spend some money on
training products and resources.

Highly successful coaches don’t sit back and
say ‘Well this is the way we do it here at
Such and Such High School, this is the way
we’ve always done it and this is the way
we’re always going to do it. Because it’s
our Tradition.’

Tradition, for tradition’s sake, is the crutch
commonly used by the laziest and most
complacent coaches.

And one of the main reasons we are suffering an
acute sports injury epidemic in this country.

When Patrick Beith and I used to coach together,
we would regularly get into heated exchanges
about the smallest details of our programs.

Why? Because if I can’t give a satisfactory
reason for *WHY* I’m doing something in my
program, I shouldn’t do it.

And you shouldn’t either.

I dare say most coaches at the subcollegiate
level could NOT back up their training with
basic science. One could also argue those
coaches should not be allowed to work with
*any* athletes until they can.

Good coaches seek out such constructive feedback.

Those other coaches don’t.

Good coaches explain what they’re doing and
why before every practice. They encourage
questions from athletes. And they answer those
questions in language kids can understand.

(You’d be amazed at how quickly kids buy into
your training when it actually makes sense to
them.)

Those other coaches don’t.

This past season I had my most successful
year of coaching of all time.

Since the spring season ended I’ve accumulated
more information than I can possibly read or
watch, purchased several coaching
resources and picked the brains of multiple
coaches who are far more intelligent than I am.

In some instances, I realized (despite my
success on paper) that there were far better,
cleaner and more efficient ways to get results
than the way I was doing it.

Instead of getting defensive and pointing
at all the state titles, records and scholarships
my athletes have earned, I ate my humble pie
and went back to the drawing board.

Because that’s what good coaches do.

And that’s why my athletes will continue to
rewrite the record books again this season.

The best way to become successful is to copy
what highly successful people in your field
currently do.

And if they’re constantly seeking out new
information and resources to keep their ideas,
training and programs from getting stale,
shouldn’t you and I do the same no matter how
good our programs and athletes appear to be?

After all, you don’t want people calling you
a ‘Coach Vincent’, do you?

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Not exactly sure where to begin or what
to do next? Here are the 3 resources I
recommend:

1. Complete Speed Training is our runaway
best seller and should be the ‘Go To’ program
for every coach, regardless of age, sport
or gender:

http://www.completespeedtraining.com

2. If you’re a track coach and you already
have a firm grasp on teaching and developing
biomotor skill, the next step in your evolution
is understanding the most effective way to
put it all together:

http://www.completeprogramdesignforsprinters.com

3. If you coach field and court sports and
*only* want to learn the most effective
movement techniques for teaching multidirectional
speed and agility, this oldie-but-goodie
belongs in every coach’s library:

http://tinyurl.com/GBAM123
.
 

Athletes’ Acceleration

PO Box 3178
North Attleboro, MA
02760
US

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

For Week 1 workouts, click here.
 

HS 400m Training
Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcyle 2
General Preparation Period
 

M: 10 x 20m accelerations from various
positions @ 90%. R = 2’. 10 x 2 Standing
Long Jump into pit.

T: 10 x 100m, 5×100m @ 65-70%. R = 45”, 3’
Bodyweight circuit (10 exercises @ 30” on,
30” off)

Preferably done on the grass. Barefoot if
athletes have access to field turf.

W: Mile run. 3 x 250m hills. Walk back
recovery. 800m warm down on grass, barefoot
if possible. Core.

TH: 8-10 x 200 @ 70% B: 34-35, G: 39-40
R = 2’ 800m warmdown on grass, barefoot
if possible.

F: Cross Fit Workout (runs preferably on
grass)  Run 800, 50 pushups, run 800,
100 crunches, run 800, 50 split squats
(25 each leg). 10’ warmdown run on grass.
Hip mobility.

Workout parameters: The bodyweight exercises
can be done in any order. So athletes can
start with pushups and end with split
squats, as above, or they can start with
crunches and end with pushups. It all
washes out in the end. (For example I wouldn’t
do split squats first because that would
cash out my legs for the rest of the
workout). The workout should be timed and
final times written down for later testing
comparison. The goal of the workout is to
finish the entire workout as fast as possible.

Sa: Off
Su: Off

Click on the player for my audio breakdown of Week 2:

For speed training drills and progressions,
bodyweight and strength training exercises,
dynamic warmup drills, etc, CLICK HERE.

For a step by step breakdown on writing
record breaking workout progressions for
55-400m sprinters, CLICK HERE.

To your success,

Latif Thomas, USATF II (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year
 

In fact, I thought of you while I was there.

OK, that sounded a little weird, so let
me clarify…

I went to a Sandals Resort in
St. Lucia for my honeymoon. The reason I
chose to go to Sandals was really due to
my laziness. I didn’t want to think too
much after the wedding, so I wanted to go
somewhere that would take care of everything
for me.

In case you don’t know what Sandals is,
it’s a resort that is all-inclusive.
So your room & board, food, drinks, etc.
are already paid for upfront.

This is why I thought of you. It’s actually
a great business model that you can use for
your business.

First let’s look at what Sandals offers:

They offer services like airport transfers,
golfing, snorkeling, food from all different
types of restaurants, unlimited drinks
(which can get ugly), sailing, water skiing,
tennis, volleyball, billiards, and they
have entertainment every night, plus a ton
more. (they don’t even accept tips). 

Now I don’t want to sound like I am pitching
you to go to Sandals, I just want you to
look at your own business.

What if you set up your gym or camp like
this?

Picture your camp being all inclusive. You
could offer everything to your campers.

For example, if I was running a football
camp for quarterbacks:

I would obviously offer the skills portion
for the quarterback position covering
passing, hand-offs, play action, and other
technical skills a quarterback needs.

But what if I also included:

- Speed training for a faster 40 yard dash
- Strength training and weight room work
- Nutrition information to show them what
  they should & shouldn’t eat
- Agility training so they can learn how
  to cut better and become quicker
- Power training to become more explosive
- Flexibility training and core work so
  they are less likely to get hurt
- Conditioning work so they don’t fade in
  the 4th quarter
- Mental toughness and leadership skills
- Motivational talk from a professional,
  college coach or athlete

Do you think these football players would
ever go to another camp?

Of course not. You offer them everything
they will ever need so they will stay with
you as long as they are playing.

It adds a ton of value that other camps
are not offering.

That’s powerful, but here is the really
cool thing…

Sandals also had other options to make your
stay even more enjoyable.

Whatever else you wanted to do that they
didn’t offer as a free service, they would
set it up for you.

Say you wanted to take a tour of the island
and go into the rainforest;

You can go by jeep, horse, boat, helicopter,
etc.

You name it; they can get it for you.

If you are looking for more adventure than
what they provide, you can upgrade and go
scuba diving, parasailing, jet skiing, swim
under a waterfall, hike to a volcano, go
zip lining in the rainforest, etc.

If you want to relax even more than just
laying on the beach, you can upgrade and
get a massage, facial and other body treatments.
Not only that but you can have it done at
their spa, in your own room, or
down by the beach (at sunrise or sunset).

If you don’t want to eat at one of their
9 restaurants, you can name your meal and
have them set up a candle lit dinner down
on the beach overlooking the ocean. If
you want a better bottle of wine then what
they are serving, you can upgrade it.

If you don’t want to unpack your bags
and/or want every meal in your room, they
have a butler service.

Sandals took care of everything for you.
If you wanted to do something outside of
what they offered, they set it up for you
(and I am sure they got a cut from the
other company in doing so).

Now, you do not have to upgrade anything
or pay extra amenities if you do not want
to and still have a great time and an
amazing experience.

But really think of what types of services
that you don’t offer now can you provide
to your campers?

Can you work out deals with nutritionists,
massage therapists, physical therapists,
recruiting services, sport clothing and
equipment companies, other coaches that
have different skill sets then you?

Look for other options that you can offer
people that attend your camps to make their
experience more enjoyable.  Your campers
and clients will clearly benefit from these
extra services.

It’s a win-win situation and they will keep
coming back to you.

Keep this in mind and really look deep into
your camp and the services that you provide.

I hope this helps.

Pat Beith
http://www.SportsCampEmpire.com

That’s a pretty good deal!

Because Complete Speed Training is the most affordable it’s
ever been (have you checked the price lately?) now is the best
time to get your copy.

So what’s the catch?

Well, it’s pretty simple. To get this amazing offer, you
*must* order through the following link:

http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com/agility

The only way for us to process your order is to purchase CST
at the above address.

Now, the deal we made to get you the complimentary agility
ladder means it will shipped separate from your Complete Speed
Training program. So don’t panic when it doesn’t arrive at the
same time as CST. It is on it’s way!

But only when you order from the special page I just gave you.

If you coach or compete in field and/or court sports, an
agility ladder is an excellent tool to use and is one that is
featured in CST. Besides, if you work with large groups you
know that you can never have enough of them.

So what are you waiting for?

Get your copy of Complete Speed Training at it’s new low price
*and* get your fre.e agility ladder when you order here:

http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com/agility

To your success,

Latif Thomas

.

I get so many questions about this event I’ve
decided to share what I’m doing. This way
you can copy it, pick it apart (respectfully),
or flat out steal it. Use it and see just
how much your athletes improve.

Of course, feel free post your comments and
questions below. I can’t guarantee I’ll
answer all of them, but I’ll do my best.

If you want more detailed information about
program design for 55-400m sprinters,
click here.

——————–

HS 400m Training
Pre-season - 12 weeks
Mesocycle 1, Microcyle 1
General Preparation

M: 10 x 20m accelerations from various
positions @ 90%. R = 2’.
10 x 2 Standing Long Jump into pit

T: 10 x 100m @ 65-70%. R = 45” Bodyweight
circuit (10 exercises @ 30” on, 30” off)

W: Mile run. 3 x 250m hills. Walk back
recovery. 800m warm down

TH: 8 x 200 @ 70% B: 34-35, G: 39-40
R = 2’

F: 15’ run @ just above conversational
pace. Bodyweight circuit (10 exercises @
30” on, 30” off)

Sa: Off
Su: Off

Click on the player below to hear my audio
break down for Week 1 of this program.

In track,

Latif Thomas, USATF II (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year
Complete Speed Training
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

Follow me on Twitter!:

http://twitter.com/latif_thomas

You’re fed up, so you go online to search
for some training information that will
help you put your athletes in a position
to succeed and take advantage of their
ability.

But, you’re thinking, “I’m just a parent.
I’m not sure I have the background, knowledge
or experience to put a safe, effective
program in place for my child.”

During your search, you come across a program
that looks good. It shows numerous success
stories. The creator is getting good results.
But the program is a little more expensive
than you initially expected to spend. And it’s
got 5 DVDs and 3 hours of information. So you
start thinking maybe you just don’t know if
you can pull it all off.

You read a few emails and articles. You
get a bit overwhelmed and, in the end, you
decide not to order. Maybe later, you say.

Maybe when the price drops (it has) or
after you read a few more articles. Or
when you have a bit more time.

Your kid goes back to their regular team
and coach. But nothing changes. They’re still
doing the types of workouts you now know
aren’t going to help. Your kid still isn’t
getting faster. You can see the frustration
on his face, but you still can’t bring
yourself to take charge of the situation.

The end of the season comes and it’s time
for the big meets. But you know your child
isn’t prepared. And so does he. The gun
goes off and you know how it’s going to turn
out. He tries his best, but just doesn’t
have the speed, strength and technique to
place or run a personal best. He walks off
the track, head hanging low. You’re
heartbroken. As you stand watching the award
ceremony, you have to witness athletes with
inferior ability smile and accept their
awards knowing it didn’t have to be this way.

This isn’t the experience you want for your
child again this year, is it?

After all, *you* can make your athletes faster
because you’re as intelligent as anyone else.
And it’s really not as complicated as you think.

If you could go back in time, knowing how
the season is going to end for your child,
would you still choose to roll the dice on 
their performance?

Or would you take a chance on that proven
program?

Because Marcus Harris is a parent who chose
not to sit back and watch his son flounder
in mediocrity. Instead, he took action
and, well, the results say more than I
ever could here.

Listen below to a voicemail Marcus left
earlier this week. And, below it watch the
video of his son, Marcus Jr., winning the
Youth Division AAU National Championship.

If you think you’re ‘just a parent’ or ‘just
a youth coach’ and you can’t get these kind
of results, it’s time change the way you
think:

To your success,

Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training
Program Design for Sprinters

But you can’t do it. You must discipline
yourself and your athletes to stick to
the basic fundamentals until they’ve
acquired the technical proficiency and
consistency of execution to move on to
the next level.

Acquiring athletic/movement skill is a
process and that takes time with your
developmental athletes.

In fact, I wrote a couple of articles on
the 4 stages of skill acquisition that
I recommend you read:

Click here for Part I
Click here for Part II

It even takes time when you’re a more
advanced athlete. For example, I take
Muay Thai and Krav Maga. When we’re
learning a new combination or defense,
we learn it in sections.

For the first month of a rotation, we
practice everything at a slower pace
so that we can ingrain the movement patterns
into our head/body to the point of being
muscle memory.

In month two, we get to practice at a
faster pace in order to get the feel for
the technique in a competitive situation.
This allows us to see where our technique
falls apart.

Month 3 is ‘performance month’ where we
deliberately practice the techniques,
particularly the parts we can’t do well
so that when we test, it all comes
together.

It seems like a laborious and slow process,
but after a few months we can react without
proper technique and without thinking,
which is what you’re trying to teach your
athletes to do.

Sure it’s more fun to run fly 30s than
it is to do 20m accelerations.

And setting up cones to do plyo step to
acceleration to lateral shuffle to
backwards run to acceleration to hockey
stop is a fun drill for athletes to do.

Every athlete would rather do alternate
leg bounds for distance than stabilization
jumps.

But putting the cart before the horse is
never the answer. If you want to ensure
a safe training situation *and* facilitate
an optimal acquisition of technique and
efficiency, athletes should progress only
when they can demonstrate a movement
pattern to your satisfaction.

It’s commonly called a ’skill based
progression’ and in my opinion it’s the
best way to teach new skills, drills,
exercises, plays and patterns.

Some athletes are going to progress faster
than others. So you’ll have different kids
doing different things.

But one thing is for sure: No one likes
to be in the remedial group.

The easiest way to get young athletes to
practice on their own is to prevent them
from ‘graduating’ to the more advanced
drills. Especially when their friends
and teammates are doing them.

They’ll stay late. They’ll come to practice
early. They ask if they can show you the
drill or movement before practice starts
so they can join their friends. I call
it ‘tricking kids into training’ and
it’s a highly effective technique.

But it still boils down to the fact that
you have to walk before you can run. So
only let your athletes go as fast as they
can, not as fast as they can’t.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training
Program Design for Sprinters

Can you write a similar article on training for
the 400?

(I told you the 200 was the Rodney Dangerfield
of the sprint events!)

Last week when I wrote an article on whether or
not sprinters should run cross country, the
biggest question people asked was:

If I don’t have my sprinters run traditional cross
country this fall, what do I have them do?

Well, my friend, I’ve got the hook up.

So here’s what I’m going to do for you.

Starting next week, I’m going to post a 12 week
fall training program for 400 meter runners.

To stay current with my updates, sign up here:

Program Design for Sprinters

If you have your athletes start it during the
second week of September, it should take them
right through the beginning of the winter track
season.

(If you don’t have winter track where you live,
start it during the winter and it will take you
right to the start of spring track.)

Why am I doing this?

It’s simple really. I know that the number one
area of weakness most coaches have is in the
realm of program design.

And the hardest sprint event to write an effective
progression for is the 400.

The reason we started this company was to help
athletes train safely and maximize their ability.
We didn’t get to experience either of those things
as developmental athletes and your kids don’t
have to follow in that tradition. Because you’re
not going to let them.

When you see that program design is not too
complicated for you, whether you’re a parent
training your son or daughter or a coach realizing
your athletes are falling behind the competition,
you’ll quickly develop the confidence and
ability to help your athletes succeed *because* of
your coaching, rather than *in spite* of your
coaching.

For example, in January of 2008, when I started
coaching at a new school, the school record in
the boys 4×4 was a 3:33.90.

By June of 2009, the kids ran 3:23.10.

Some coaches treat their training programs,
workouts and progressions like they’re guarding
the Holy Grail.

I don’t believe in that. Because every coach’s
system is simply bits and pieces of their favorite
coaches’ systems. I’m simply showing you what I
continue to learn from other top coaches and
successfully apply to my own situation. I’m getting
great results and you will too.

That said, I’m not trying to pull the wool over
your eyes either. Because you’re a good coach,
you’re not expecting a hand out.

So I’m going to present the program in two ways:

Each Monday, I’ll post the workouts here on my blog.
So you’ll know what workouts to run each day
for 12 weeks.

I’ll be posting even more information for my
Complete Program Design for Sprinters coaches.

Simply log in to the site and I’ll not only show
you all the workouts, but the reason why it’s
being done, the goal of each workout, the training
goals of the week, what to look for *and* I’ll
answer your questions.

So you can come in at whichever level you’re
currently at.

By the end of the 12 weeks, you’ll be fully
ready to take the information in Complete Program
Design and flow right into your regular season.

And, I promise, *all* of your athletes will set
new personal bests this season.

A bold claim? If you say so. But how many other coaches
do you see putting their money where their mouth
is? 

Click here to sign up.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Truth be told, people have been ordering like crazy. Now, I
wouldn’t tell you to order this program because you’re
going to get jacked. That’s up to you.

But, if you missed my email, I want to give you another
chance to get your own copy *and* get the 3 great bonuses
only being offered until midnight Eastern today, August
13.

Here is what I sent you on Tuesday:

Understanding how to design strength training programs for
athletes is important.

But sometimes you (or your athletes) just want to lift for
size and appearance. If you compete in sports like American
football or rugby, you actually need to put on some size.

Trust me I get it. I’ve been there.

There is no shortage of resources on the market that advertise
significant gains in muscle size and strength. Some of us have
a hard time gaining muscle, so we don’t want to waste our time
with junk workouts. So what program should you follow if that’s
your goal?

I’ve experimented with a few in my day. And the one that I
go back to time and again when I’m looking to quickly add
muscle mass and size is Jason Feruggia’s Muscle Gaining Secrets.

==> http://www.musclegainingsecret.com

From now until midnight EST tomorrow (Thursday August 13) Jason
has added 3 killer bonuses to an already loaded program:

The first is Renegade Cardio. This is for everyone who wants
to get as ripped as possible while maintaining ALL of their
size and strength. This is not your traditional
sit-on-the-bike-and-watch-Oprah-nonsense.
 
The second is the Advanced Mass Building Guide. Jason took
some guys who have trained with him for years and tried
something really off the wall. These were guys who had
already built up quite a bit of size and strength.
Theoretically the days of gaining 30 pounds in just a few
months were behind them. But each of them made some of
the best gains of their lives. One guy even gained 21
pounds of muscle in six weeks! And he’s been training for
almost 20 years!
 
==> http://www.musclegainingsecret.com

The third and final program Jason created is Armed &
Dangerous: How to Add 2 Inches to Your Arms in 8 Weeks.
One of his long time clients has always had arms that were
disproportionately smaller than the rest of his body and
he needed to take desperate measures to change it. He has
also been training for over a decade so Jason knew it
wouldn’t be easy. He recruited two training partners
to go through the program Jason created for him and at the
end of 8 weeks all three of them had actually added an
average of two inches to their guns! I was blown away when
Jason told me that story and knew I had to share this
program with the rest of you.

You can claim the 3 f.ree programs with your Muscle Gaining
Secrets order.

But only until midnight Eastern on August 13th.

==> http://www.musclegainingsecret.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Since I first posted this article, the
response section has taken on a mind of it’s
own. I don’t want to put any ideas in your
head before you’ve made up your own mind,
but some have taken offense to the posting
of a person calling himself ‘Vincent’ which
starts in the ‘Leave a reply’ section with
response #7.

I think you will find it (and all the responses)
to be quite entertaining.

—————————

Surprisingly, I get asked this question more often
by high school kids than by their coaches. That says
a lot about the state of coaching at the high school
level.

But I digress…

First, let’s define ’sprinters’. I call a sprinter any
athlete whose primary event is 55 meters to 400 meters.
Yes, the following article includes your 400 meter
runners.

So should sprinters run cross country? No. And yes.

It’s pretty simple.

Sprinters should NOT run traditional cross country.

A sprinter running 40 - 80 miles per week with the
kids who run the mile and 2 mile the rest of the year
is a terrible, terrible idea.

Did I mention it was a bad idea?

I’d rather have my sprinters sit on the couch all
fall eating bon bons and buckets of mayonnaise than
have them run all that counter productive mileage.

I’m not saying they shouldn’t play a sport during the
fall. Play soccer. Play football, field hockey, whatever
they want.

That, of course, is far better than nothing. (If the
coach of that sport has the knowledge to provide a safe
and effective training environment.)

But some kids don’t play a fall sport. Others *want*
to train for winter and spring. If the means exist,
the opportunity should be available.

Funneling kids into a sport they don’t want to play
is silly. Preventing a kid from ’specializing’ sounded
good in the past. But it’s an outdated concept.

Think about it. Even in your standard cross country
program, not every athlete is going to be doing the
same program. You’re not going to have your top 600
or 800 runner doing the same mileage as your best
2 miler.

You’re not going to have a freshman 2 miler running
the same mileage and workouts as your top senior
2 milers. There is going to be a scale based on
experience, talent and primary event group outside
of the fall season.

I’m simply arguing that if you have sprinters who
choose to focus on track and have no fall sport or
want to change sports, your best option is to provide
a modified program for them.

It’s not a revolutionary or controversial subject.
It’s what the best programs and coaches are already
doing. And have been, for quite some time.

As coaches our job is simply to put our athletes in
a position to succeed and not screw it up for them.

That’s why I’m a proponent of MODIFIED cross country
for your sprint types.

Modified cross country is where you allow your sprinters
to join the cross country team. They follow all the
rules of the team and even compete in the races if
those are the rules of the team, school or league.

But they don’t train for cross country.

They use it as a formal General and early Special
Prep period to get them ready for winter and spring
track.

It’s basically running a college program for high
school kids.

So the training will be general. And some sprinters,
depending on primary event group, may bump up to to
run a few traditional cross country workouts.

But for the most part they train on their own, running
workouts appropriate to their event groups, improving
hurdle and jump technique, etc.

Powerhouse programs often incorporate modified programs.
The last school I coached at condoned such a program
and we turned out dominant 200, 300 and 400 runners,
4×4 teams, etc.

One of my coaching mentors used modified cross country
as part of the system that led to 4 All State Championship
Team Titles in a row…out of the smallest division in
the state.

That’s how beneficial a properly structured modified
cross country program can be for your sprinters/jumpers.

Let me put it like this:

If a good team in your league runs a modified program
and you don’t, your team will never win again. Case
closed, cancel Christmas. Your sprinters (and team)
are running for second place. And, as the coach, you
can’t look your kids in the eye and, with a straight face,
say you’re trying to build a team that wants to win
anything important.

Modified cross country gives your hardcore kids (what
I call ‘10 percenters’) a chance to train like real
track athletes, go after the school records, state
titles and scholarships they covet.

I’m a huge proponent of the fall program for sprinters.

So should sprinters run cross country? Absolutely.
If it’s modified cross country. And only if it’s
modified cross country.

Otherwise, get them a tub of mayo and tell them you’ll
see them in December.

To your success,

Latif Thomas USATF II (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)

P.S. Want to run a modified cross country program or
fall training program for your sprinters? Want to get
’sprints only’ articles, videos, Q&A and other info?

Check this out.
 

You’ve probably been sending your athletes their
summer workouts and plotting out your progressions
for the upcoming season.

Good! Because the most successful coaches and
programs are doing the same thing.

But my question for you is this:

Because that’s not going to work. Not in today’s
sports environment.

Last year I had my most successful track and field
coaching season of all time. And I’m planning to
make some major changes to my system this year just
so I don’t fall behind the competition.

If I’m updating my program, you can be sure the
competition is too. Especially at the higher levels.

So if you want to ensure your cross country athletes
take their performances to the next level, this
is the resource I highly recommend.

Simple. Straightforward. Cutting edge.

All the things you need to run a competitive 21st
Century program.

And Complete Track and Field Conditioning for the
Endurance Events is the answer to your questions.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. I’ve been getting a lot of questions about
whether sprinters should run cross country. And
I’ve got a surprising answer I’ll be sharing with
you on Monday. So keep an eye out for my email.

But for now, take a serious look at:

In my experience, if sprinters even have a race
plan (which they usually don’t) it isn’t one that
will lead to consistent personal bests.

Not only am I going to cover the two specific
race strategies I teach my athletes, but I’m also
going to show you one of my favorite ‘peaking’
workouts.

Click here for more information (plus weekly track
specific tips, articles and videos) about program
design for sprinters.

Here is the specific Main Competitive Phase workout
I will have my athletes perform. As the season goes
on, this workout will evolve based on the particular
needs of the individual athlete (workouts must
become individualized during Championship Season).

*All reps out of blocks, race pace

2-3 x 40m @ full recovery (3-4′)
2 x 85m @ full recovery (7-10′)
1-2 x 110 @ full recovery (10-12′)
1 x 120
- Latif Thomas, USATF II
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

Today I’m clearing up any confusion you might
have and giving you the low down on both programs
so you know exactly which one best suits your
needs:

Show me how to teach skills and drills.

Show me how to create a program for sprinters.

- Latif Thomas

Click Here now to go to the Moving Day Sale >>

While I try to address it on a regular basis, I
keep getting asked.

So in today’s mailbag I’m stepping out from behind
my desk to make sure you understand the #1 concept
to improving speed for athletes in *any* sport.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
CompleteSpeedTraining.com
CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

P.S. Here are the specific results you can get
when you teach ’step over, drive down’ to your
athletes. Check out Lane 5:

By now you’ve heard me talk about the results
I’ve gotten training sprinters, as well as my
step by step program Complete Program Design for
Sprinters.

You’ve probably even thought:

‘Looks interesting Latif. And you’re getting great
results, but (there’s always a ‘but’) I just
can’t justify the price right now. I don’t know if
it’s going to be too technical (or not technical
enough). If I could just take a look at the program
and see if I like it, I might be willing to take
a chance on it.’

Well, I agree. So here’s what I’m going to do:

From now until midnight Eastern on Friday June 12,
I’m going to let you test drive Complete Program
Design for Sprinters for only $1.

Sign up and you’ll get immediate access to the site
(the program is entirely online so there’s nothing
to mail to you). Watch the modules, look at the
sample programs and test it out with your athletes
for 30 days.

After 30 days if you want to keep using the program
do nothing and I’ll bill you. If you don’t want it,
let me know and you won’t be charged the full price.

But you will lose access to the information and
all the follow up help I offer.

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

In fact, I’m going to take it one step further.

If you order between now and Friday, I’ll add a
free 30 minute phone consult with me *and* I’ll
critique your program and give you feedback so
you get it right.

So not only do you get the entire standard program,
but I’ll get on the phone with you and answer any
questions, as well as look at the sprints program
you create.

I’m offering this partly because I’m getting soft
in my old age, but also to help share my success
with you. Just last weekend the 4×100 relay defended
their state title from 2008 after breaking, literally,
every single record in the state.

Think your sprinters could benefit from that kind
of dominance? Me too.

So click here to test drive Complete Program Design
for Sprinters for only $1:

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas
 

Who is the “World’s Greatest Speed Coach?”

Based on some of the emails I’ve been getting, I
can see it’s an emotional topic for some of you.

So I’m putting the topic to bed once and for all:

“Hey Latif,

Before I purchased your speed program I down loaded
and printed  out your speed training report. I
went through that report many times over a year.
That report looks like it went through hell and
back. I took it with me, when I knew I was going
to be waiting somewhere or even siting at the dinner
table, at home or out eating. My wife got a little
irritated with it and my kids; oh my kids , they
wanted to know what was driving dad to read this
pile of papers all the time. If we fast forward
to the present, the kids are starting to understand
a little more now. I purchased the speed program
March 2009 and I can say that I am very happy with
what I received. I am a visual learner, so you
know what I did when I received the speed program.

I popped the DVD’s in one right after the other.
In all honesty I did do some reading I did do
disc 1 followed by disc 5, like you informed. I
can’t begin to explain how exciting, it has been
not just for me but for my kids and the kids I
train. I am a club soccer coach and I believe that
being able to add new ways and ideas to training has
made a difference in the teams I coach.

Last year I did circuit training with my girls
soccer team (with out your speed program) and it
helped but in the second half of the season they
didn’t have the same energy they started with in
the first half of the season. I have taken a
look at the articles on your web site as well as
reading the speed book and I know what needs to
be done for this year and it’s because of “Latif”.

Anthony Munoz
Victorville, CA
Real Madrid Fc
GU 14

PS Thank you, for being you.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“I have been coaching sport related speed for a
number of years mainly to Rugby League Players,
however I have recently coached Track to several
athletes including my own son of 10 years of
who’m is the first I used Complete Program Design
for Sprinters with.

I knew as soon as I looked over the program that
it was a good one and I began to see & get results
almost immediately. My 10 year old’s best 200 time
was 29.56 but he averaged 30 seconds & his PB 400
was 72.13 seconds, his 100m 14.8. We decided to
base our training on the 200-400m model and timed
the 12 weeks to perfection in terms of our city
championships and guess what Latif the results were
outstanding. He won Gold in both the 400 & 200m @ 64.31
sec flat in the 400m & 28 sec flat in the 200m later
in the day. Thats a whopping 7+ seconds off what
he could do before starting (CPD) a PB in the 200m
and the 100m @ 13.79 seconds. To say we were both
very pleased with these results is an understatement.

I would definately recommend this program to other
coaches and athletes, although not to my current
opposition as I feel it would be like a deadly
weapon they would use against me. But honestly
Latif, the step by step process of the phases
from general prep through to competition & on to
peaking is straightforward, easy to follow and
implement and as I coach & train footballers
understanding energy systems is easier when used
within this type of program. To sum it all up in
one word, BRILLIANT!!!”

Rob Godfrey
Auckland, New Zealand.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

To your success,

Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

(Some better than others.)

So each week I’m going to be answering some
of the gems that end up in my inbox.

Instead of writing out the answers (which means
you’ll get less info), I’m recording the
answers on video where you’ll get more quality
training content…

…and my special brand of comedy:

Latif Thomas
CompleteSpeedTraining.com
CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

The idea was reinforced to me this past weekend
when I was riding a bike around Boston with The
Fastest Man in History, Usain Bolt.

To find out what I mean and see some footage of
three Jamaican Olympians riding around Boston on
our bikes, just watch this video:

- Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training (how to teach speed)
Complete Program Design for Sprinters (how to write workouts)

Whether you’ve been looking at Complete Speed Training
for many months or just recently came across the
program, you’ve probably realized it’s the solution
to your training needs.

Because it takes all the areas your athletes need
to improve, regardless of sport, and shows you
step by step how to make them better. Coaches who
have invested in the program swear by it.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
“I have heard people say ‘you can’t teach speed.’
I can tell you, after just one month of using
Complete Speed Training, that is a huge myth. I
am a 46 year old man with a 13 year old son.
With only a month to go before he started football
we trained for 4 weeks. Both of us in that short
of a time made quantum leaps in our speed and
quickness. Oh my goodness. It is an enlightening
experience.

My biggest regret is not getting it sooner.
Seeing how much faster and quicker my son is,
feeling how much more spry I feel, I cannot say
enough. Anybody that cares about athletic
development should put what you teach to work.
Thank you.”
John Reagan
Monterey, California
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

But no matter what people are saying, I know that
the price tag may be holding you back.

You may feel like you’re gambling with the $197
cost of the program. And that if it doesn’t work,
make sense or apply to your athletes, you’ll have
wasted the money!

You don’t need to worry about that any longer.

Because I’m going to let you test drive Complete
Speed Training for free for the next 30 days.

Order the program, watch the videos, take some notes
and work with your athletes for the next month.

If you like Complete Speed Training, keep it and
pay for it. That’s fair.

If you don’t like it, send it back within 30 days
and we won’t charge you a dime.

You have nothing to lose. Because I’m confident you’ll
see how valuable the program is and won’t want to
send it back.

But this offer is only available until Friday!

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. What else are people saying about Complete
Speed Training?

Not necessarily.

When this happens, some coaches panic and change
what they’re doing. And that’s a mistake I don’t
want you to make.

Especially when running slow can be *better* than
running fast.

During my radio show yesterday, the first three callers
in a row wanted to know why their athletes weren’t
running faster sprint times.

Here is my answer (Q&A starts roughly 6:00 into the show):

- Latif Thomas
Complete Program Design for Sprinters
Complete Speed Training

That’s crazy talk.

Because if you can get your athletes to start
doing what I show you in this video, they will
decrease the time it takes them to get from
Point A to Point B.

And where I’m from that’s called getting faster:

Click here for more videos like this.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
CompleteSpeedTraining.com
CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

“Latif, I am not kicking tires as to whether or
not to by complete speed training. I have owned
and and used this and other of your programs
with great success for almost two years now.
The material is great and very productive. I
have been coaching track and field for almost
40 years and am always looking to improve myself
and my athletes. This is the best pure speed
training Program I have seen in my years as a
coach. It reinforces many of the things we were
doing and gave me some very valuable new
information that has helped us greatly. Thanks
for your help and dedication to the sport and
coaching fraternity.”

Yours in speed;
Joe Lykes
Head Girls Track and Field and Cross Country Coach,
Colts Neck H.S.
Colts Neck N.J.

“Hey Latif,

We are implementing your regimen during
speed sessions every Saturday for 6 weeks teaching
kids everything before Track and field starts. 
I have to admit I was skeptical, but it is the
most comprehensive program I have ever seen.”

Mark Maas
Whitewater High School
Whitewater, Wisconsin

“I am a 42 year old youth coach, I have been looking
for ways to teach my young athletes how to run
faster and be quicker on their feet.  I coach
football, basketball and baseball.  I have been
working with my own kids ages 7-11, giving them
some basics to build on.  Love the program!”

Ron Kurahara
“Hey Latif,

I just wanted to tell you how incredibly pleased
I was (am) with your speed tapes and other
training instuments. I was “old school” last year,
conducting the typical killer workouts (over
distance) with little recovery time, and not
enough speed, core or rest. At the end of last
year, I couldn’t figure out why my guy didn’t run
faster. However, this year, after reviewing your
acceleration tapes, and entirely changing my
“old school” mentality, the same guy made it to
State in both hurldes.

Thanks for a great product.”

Martin Capron
“Hi Latif, my name is Cristiano Paes, I’m a former
Brazilian Decathlete for 14 years, I also start
Bobsledding for the Brazilian Bobsled Team in
2001. In 2002 we qualified for the Salt Lake City
Olympic Games in the 4-man event - “The Frozen
Bananas”. In May of that year I moved to Canada
to train for Bobsled. In 2004 I started to compete
for the Canadian Team.

Today I coach many development and National level
athletes (my best athlete is Lascelles Brown Silver
Medalist in 2006 Italy for Canada in the 2-man
event), since that medal many low level athletes
has come to me to help them to bring their “game”
to the next level.  I have a degree in Physical
Education and 15 years of experience as Athlete
and 7 years coaching, like everyone else, I was
a little skeptical to order your Collection. When
I moved to Canada I didn’t speak
a word in English, and that was one of the reasons
that I order your product, thinking that would
help me with my weak link, and I was surprised/Amazed 
by the quality and quantity of excellent
information that you have putted together here. 

I already started to implement some of your ideas
to my program, yesterday a National Team coach
came to me and said, “It’s that a Brazilian technique
style”? And I just laughed, thinking with myself,
watch your back buddy- here I come.

Your product made me more confident of myself…

Thanks Latif…”

Your partner in training,

Cristiano Paes
.

The more time I put into it - well

…the bigger it got.

When all was said and done I ended up with over 4
hours of content covering everything from the warm
up to speed drills, acceleration development, top
speed training, the weight room, plyometrics,
all the elements of conditioning, speed endurance,
general strength training, short to long programs…

There’s even more in there than that, but I think
you get the idea.

It takes darn near everything I’ve learned working
with athletes and breaks it down from every possible
angle.

I have to admit it’s really good information.

I never planned to offer this many ‘insider secrets’
because it was supposed to be a program I developed
as a personal reference for a small group of clients.

But people liked the information so much -

 …and there’s so much of it

I’ve turned it into a full program and I’m offering
it to you.

http://www.SpeedSecretsRevealed.com

Ever since I finished this program I’ve noticed
something…

I keep referring back to it as I design my own programs,
do phone consultations, etc.

So I know it’s going to help you.

But that’s not the best part.

Besides the fact that the program is over 4 hours
long (ok maybe *that* is the best part) I’m offering
it for an extremely generous price.

I haven’t seen any resource on the market that offers
so much for such a small price.

I explain why I’m offering so much for so little in
my letter describing the program.

But either way, I think you’ll agree that the offer
is too good to pass up.

Check it out here:

http://www.SpeedSecretsRevealed.com
To your success,

Latif Thomas

Where, when, why, how many, how often, how much rest?

As track coaches we are responsible for many events
and skill levels. We love our sport, we love coaching
kids.

But, for the amount of time we put in, we don’t get
paid much. Peanuts, actually.

And with the economy in rough shape, we have to
stretch our limited resources as far as they’ll go.

You want to help your athletes run faster, but you
can’t take out a loan to acquire the information.

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

People have been getting awesome results with
Complete Program Design for Sprinters. I simplified
the topic to make it easy to understand. So you
can figure it out if you’re a new coach or you can
get really complicated if you’ve been doing this
for a while.

While I firmly believe the $297 price tag is worth
every penny, I also understand that it’s a lot of
money to spend. I didn’t get into coaching to get
rich. But I also know that giving information away
for free devalues it.

So to help put this information in your hands and
help you help your athletes, I’ve lowered the price
to $197. You can even break up your payments into
3 installments spread 30 days apart.

And you’ll be able to access the content immediately.

I just saw the results from the first round of dual
meets in my league. And kids are running blazing
fast times already! I know I can’t afford to make
any mistakes and you probably can’t either.

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Here is what one coach had to say about CPD:

“I read dozens of other programs, watched several
videos so much so that my head was spinning and I was
going to just cut and paste one of them as
practice plans.

Thankfully!!!! I finally stumbled upon the
complete program design for sprinters created
by Latif Thomas a couple weeks prior to the season.
It made sense, with a background I have in physical
education and professional athletics the training
of energy systems and hitting times to
determine work load made sense. As we head in to
the big state events my girls are peaking.

Here are the results:

My three hurdlers have all qualified for states
with the top girl setting a school record. My 3
dashers have cut 5-8 tenths off their prior pb.
My top two 300 runners, a freshman and sophmore,
have skyrocketed to the top of the league picking
up crucial points for our 7-1-1 team. I have also
used much of the information learned for training
with our 600 runners who also run the 4×4. At
the State Coaches Invitational our top athlete
won with a pb of 1:39.76 her pb at the beginning
of the season was mid 1:45’s.

I encourage every track coach new and old to use
this program, except for the coaches in my league
because I’m greedy and I like to win!!

Thank you.”

Gardner O’Flynn
Ipswich Girls Indoor Track
Ipswich, MA

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

This is common knowledge in psychology. Mirroring
of positive expectations is known as the Pygmalion
effect and mirroring of negative traits is
known as the Golem effect.

We can use this understanding to facilitate
greater performances in our athletes, regardless
of their current level of achievment.

It simply comes down to understanding how it
works and applying it with consistency and
authority.

Let me give you a personal example.

I started coaching a new team of sprinters last
winter. Coming in I knew my first priority was
to change the culture of the group and raise
the level of expectation. Any coach can come
and give decent workouts. But not every coach can
get their athletes to believe they’re capable
of competing at previously unheard of levels.

(Though my program design ain’t bad either….)

On Day 1 I told the athletes the reason I took
the job was because I knew they were the most
talented group in the state. I told them they’d
all set new personal bests in every event because
I knew they’d work harder than anyone else.

I dismissed all the school records as being inferior
performances not worthy of being talked about
because the talent within the group was far
superior to the records on paper. We spoke only
of achieving goals and I flat out ignored any
negativity or mitigating language.

The results?

- Over the past 15 months every athlete, without
exception, has set new personal bests in every
sprint event.

- A 22 year drought of State Titles was broken.

- 7 new school records have been set.

- The 4×200 team has won back-to-back All State
  Titles and shaved 3.8 seconds off the old
  record in a 15 month span. (A record they said
  couldn’t be broken)

- The 4×400 team chopped 4 seconds off the old
  record this year (versus ~1 second over the
  previous decade)

- The 4×100 team capped off an undefeated season
  by shattering the school record.

Is it because Latif Thomas is the greatest speed coach in the
world?

Hardly. What I do isn’t magic. But it does work.
I’ll even give you full access to what I do and
how I do it. There’s no secret formula. All you
need is the desire to do a little more to help
provide a greater experience for your athletes.

I simply take advantage of the Chameleon Effect.

I know that athletes will take on whichever
characteristics I consistently and repeatedly
feed them.

They have no choice. It’s just how the brain works.

And I have a proven system for doing it.

Our job as coaches is to do what’s best for our
athletes. If we want to change how sports are
coached and bring those ’bad’ coaches into the
light, it starts with us.

We have to be the change we want to inspire in
others. And it starts with getting results.

You can help the greatest number of kids by
becoming a better version of yourself.

In my Complete Program Design for Sprinters resource
I walk you through not only how to write workouts
that get your athletes to run their fastest times
in the biggest meets, but I also show you exactly
where, when and how to use Chameleon Theory to
automatically and unconsciously get your athletes
to raise their level of expectation and compete
at the next level.

The fact that you opened this email and are reading
this now puts you in an elite category. To truly
help your athletes you must make the commitment
to providing them with every opportunity to
achieve their potential.

I’m going to help you do that by giving you a
special price on our two best selling resources.

Just click here and you can start making a greater
impact on your athletes immediately.

- Latif Thomas
 

But here’s the thing:

They’re dangerous!

And they should be taught using a specific
progression. The progression I think makes
the most sense is one I learned from studying
Vern Gambetta.

The problem is that a frightening number of
coaches do it ass backwards and therefore
should be asked never to work with another
child again.

More specifically, underqualified coaches like
to start their athletes off by doing the exercises
that have the highest nervous system demand,
highest training stress and require the
largest training base.

This means ONLY the most advanced athletes should
be attempting them. They are entirely inappropriate
for beginner athletes. What constitutes a
beginner athlete? Any athlete that has not
satisfactorily moved through the progression
I lay out below.

So the LAST types of plyos any coach should
be ‘teaching’ their athletes are shock jumps,
also known as depth jumps.

These exercises consist of jumping down off of
boxes and/or doing rebound jumps over hurdles
placed at mid thigh height or higher.

Recently I was out at a facility and witnessed
a coach doing possibly the most incredible thing I’ve
ever seen.

If I didn’t know better I’d think some coaches
purposely try to hurt kids. We can’t keep
handing culpability off like a hot potato.

But I digress….

This human had his athletes jump up onto a 24″
plyo box. Then jump UP off the plyo box, attempt
to catch a medicine ball that was tossed higher
than the athlete’s head and then attempt to
land holding the med ball. Then repeat.

Unbelievable.

Maybe these were advanced athletes, you say.

No. They were high school sophomores, I’m told.

There’s more than one way to skin a cat when
it comes to coaching philosophy. But that kind
of approach is just wrong. Is it even debatable?

Some people reading this are nodding their heads
in agreement. Others are ashamed because they’re
doing shock jumps with young kids who have
a training age of 1 or 2.

So to avoid any more additions to the epidemic
of sports injuries created by less than stellar
coaching methods, here is the progression of
plyos that I believe should be followed.

If you have a better way, I’d love to hear it
below.

Don’t let your athletes move on to the next
level of plyo until the meet the standards of
the more basic movement.

To see these progressions taught and performed
correctly, check out Complete Speed Training.

1. Landing - Goal is to teach proper foot strike,
use of the ankle, knee and hip and absorb shock.

2. Stabilization Jumps - Goal is to reinforce
landing technique and increase levels of both
eccentric and stabilization strength

3. Jumping up - Goal is to teach takeoff action
and proper use of the arms.

4. In Place Bounding - Goal is to teach quick
reaction off the ground as well as vertical
displacement of the center of mass/gravity

5. Short Jumps - Goal is to teach horizontal
displacement of the center of mass/gravity

6. Long Jumps - Goal is to add more horizontal
velocity. (Most athletes will not progress
past these movements in the first year of
specific training. Even if taught a proper
progression such as the above!)

7. Shock Jumps

The last form of plyo that should be taught
and certainly not something that athletes should
be doing during preseason or the early preparation
periods.

So there you have the truth about how plyos
should be taught and a little taste of what
your kids’ coaches are doing to them.

Am I crazy? Am I the only one witnessing these
truly dangerous coaching practices? Is there
anyone willing to admit that they’re doing
it wrong?

Is there a solution to this pandemic lack
of modern day coaching knowledge? Should I
just stop complaining and only worry about
what I can control?

Please leave your thoughts below.

- Latif
 

Scott Christensen, the Chair of Endurance
Coaching Education for USA Track and Field,
has just released a brand new resource aimed at
helping your improve your 800m-5000m endurance
athletes.

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

The biggest (118+ pages) in our Complete Track
and Field Conditioning series, Coach Christensen’s
book and audio CD give a practical, systematic
approach to developing your endurance athletes
without trying to confuse you with $5 scientific
terms.

What I really like about Scott’s book is that
it takes a progressive, 21st Century look at
training. You know how I feel about the
dinosaur era philosophies still being used in most
programs. And this resource, no matter what
your coaching experience, will give you new
tools to add to your toolbox.

From how to incorporate speed work (yes, real
’sprinter’ type speed development!) and strength
training to the critical importance of VO2
max (as well as specific workouts and training
progressions), you’ll be referring to this
resource for years to come.

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

Along with the book, you’ll get a 62+ minute
audio interview that dives even deeper into
the content presented in the book. As I read
the text I wrote down all the questions that
still remained and used them when I conducted
the interview with Coach Christensen. So I’m
confident in the added value you’ll get from
our discussion.

Where I live, spring track starts on Monday.

Scott Christensen’s guide to conditioning for
the endurance events will make your life a
lot easier.

I *highly* recommend it.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Sometimes we have to make concessions in order
to maintain our standards of excellence.

I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that
I simply can’t keep up with the demand for my
time.

So one of the areas I’m forced to cut back is
in answering so many training questions.

Instead I’ll use my weekly radio show to serve
this purpose (in addition to my monthly live
Q&A for customers of Complete Speed Training
and Complete Program Design for Sprinters).

If you want to pin me down and get your most
pressing training or coaching question answered,
tune in and call in Wednesday at 1pm Eastern
Daylight Time:

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
NUMBER: 1 888 346 9144

LISTEN HERE: http://tinyurl.com/cod9xu
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Talk to you tomorrow!
- Latif
 

Two State Titles in 12 months is pretty good
considering prior to last year no individual
or relay from the indoor team had won a state
title since 1986!

There’s no question the girls deserve a lot
of credit for running so fast with such a big
target on their backs.

To celebrate a successful season and title
defense, I’m offering the lowest prices ever
on the two resources that serve as the
foundation of my coaching and training programs:

Complete Speed Training and Complete Program
Design for Sprinters.

Back to Back Champs Sale

We’ve never offered these programs at a price
this low and we never will again.

The spring season is just about to start.

You’re not really going to run the same program
you ran last year, are you?

Back to Back Champs Sale
To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Don’t ignore this sale just because you’re
not a track coach. Name a sport and Complete
Speed Training has been used successfully to
develop those athletes.

We’re in the business of developing superior
*athletes*. That’s not sport specific.
And Complete Speed Training and
Complete Program Design for Sprinters are
the most effective programs on the market.
Until Friday March 6 at 11:59pm EST, you
can get them at the lowest prices in history:

Back to Back Champs Sale

.

Here’s how to make it right…

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. At 1pm Eastern Standard Time today I’m taking
your training questions live on the air. Don’t
forget to tune in:

CALL IN NUMBER: 1 888 346 9144

LISTEN HERE: http://tinyurl.com/cod9xu

The more I work with athletes, experiment,
study and test out new ideas, the more I
realize one simple fact:

The search for answers only leads to more
questions.

It’s like being perpetually locked in an
episode of the show Lost.

In fact, the best coaches I know will readily
admit that they have far more questions than
they have answers.

(Though I’ve never met a good coach who didn’t
have more than a few answers to share!)

Well, with the rapid increase in popularity
of Complete Speed Training and Complete
Program Design for Sprinters, I’ve been
bombarded with training questions that run
that gamut of topics.

I just don’t have time to get to them all.

So this week on my radio show Complete Sports
Training, I’ll be back taking your training
questions live on the air, as well as
answering some of the most interesting and
relevant training questions that have hit
my inbox this week.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Call in at 1pm EST on Wednesday:

NUMBER: 1 888 346 9144

LISTEN HERE: http://tinyurl.com/cod9xu
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Got a question? Call in and I’ll answer it.

I’ve got a long list of great questions.

And my surprising answers are guaranteed to
give you a nugget or two of new information
to take back to your own training and
coaching.
To your success,

Latif Thomas
.

Last Sunday the athletes who competed in the 4×200m
relay on the team in which I am one of the coaches
ran the #7 time in MA State History, smashed the
all time Division II state record by 2.61 seconds and
the school record by 1.15 seconds. Incidentally
the school record has been lowered by 3.79 seconds
in the past 14 months.

Not bad considering the kids said it was too fast
of a time to break when I arrived last year.

So hats off to all involved…

How did they drop so much time so fast? It started
with raising the level of expectation, a topic
I discussed on my radio show Wednesday. You can
listen to it here. Follow the links I mention
in the show. Hook yourself up.

But beyond the mental approach, learning how to
run correctly and having a good system of program
design in place didn’t hurt.

The Bad

On Monday I sent out a survey asking who gets
‘credit’ when teams/athletes perform at a high
level.

Apparently I haven’t mastered the art of satire.
Because some people entirely missed the
point. We’ll call it my bad on that one.

You can see the results and feedback from that
survey here.

The Ugly

I do a lot of consults with coaches, parents,
trainers, etc. And I run a monthly live Q&A with
customers of Complete Speed Training and Complete
Program Design for Sprinters.

This month’s broadcast was Wednesday night.

With all these conversations from every walk of
life, I pay attention to the patterns.

I’m paraphrasing here, but the biggest question
I get is this (watch the replay for more details):

“How do I convince the coach to update their coaching
and training so that they don’t keep running
an old school, outdated program?”

I used to suggest rationalizing, common sense,
opening up a dialogue, etc. The obvious things
you would try if you lived in a world where
people made decisions out of logic and reason.

But I’ve changed my mind on all that. My answer
is this:

You can’t get blood from a rock. So don’t keep
squeezing.

Therefore you have one of two choices:

1. Play the hand you’re dealt and do the best you
can with the situation you’re in. You’ll still
get good results if you use a 21st Century approach.

Not optimal results, but good.

Because it’s better than what most of your
competition is doing.

2. Fold your hand, cash in your chips and find
a better table.

Like I’ve said, I talk to parents, coaches and
trainers from all over the world each and every
week.

There’s a lot of people out there waking up. And
once they do, they can’t go back inside the Matrix.

So if you look, you’ll find them.

Of course, there are pros and cons to both. So
do your due dilligence.

Sticking with the playing cards theme, I’ll end
with a classic video that I hope you appreciate
on multiple levels:

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Until it came time for everyone to present their
final projects where we realized that a lot of
coaches from so-called big time colleges hadn’t
really been doing their homework.

It was an eye opening experience.

The other day I got a message from one of
‘my’ former athletes. This kid was All State Champion
at both 300m and 400m and of course went off to
run in college.

Here is what his message said:

“Listen to this one. I asked my coach the other
day if we (us 400m runners) were ever going to
do a speed workout. He says “No, you never run
full speed in the 400, so theres no reason to
do any speed workouts.”

Yeah, I was so confused thinking about his
response for the rest of the day.

We havent done any speed workouts yet this year.”

Interesting theory.

Incidentally, he was faster when I had him in
high school.

Now the old Latif would go off on a rant here.

But the kinder and gentler Latif doesn’t believe
in that.

So I’m not saying this approach is wrong. I’m
just saying I disagree with it.

I wrote an article recently that breaks it down
in detail.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

But I don’t think this is the most important
area to place your focus if you want to dominate
the competition.

Those 5 biomotor skills are a secondary issue.

Instead, the foundation of your coaching and
training must be raising the level of expectation
of every athlete.

Your athletes can only compete to the level they
honestly believe they can achieve.

And it’s up to you to not only set the standard
of expectation, but get your athletes to buy
into those expectations on a daily basis.

Tomorrow, Wednesday February 25, 2009 from
1-2pm EST, I’m going to lay out the specific
(easy) strategies I use to get my athletes to
perform at levels they used to think were
unrealisitic.

Your athletes can run ‘video game times’. But
only if they think they can.

Join me tomorrow at 1pm Eastern Standard Time
to learn how:

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Call in at 1pm EST:

NUMBER: 1 888 346 9144

LINK: http://tinyurl.com/cod9xu
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I’ll be taking your calls, questions and comments
live on the air.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
.

So I want to get *your* opinion on the subject.

Click here to take my quick survey.

Before I send you to the results, here’s my take:

First, I don’t really care who gets credit. You
want it, take it. You don’t want me to have it?
Cool. Because I don’t really care. All I really
care about is whether or not the athletes I’m
paid to coach achieve the objectives they set out
to achieve at the beginning of the season.

Beyond that, everyone’s Ego can battle to the
death to make sure noone else is perceived as
getting a little to big for their britches.

That’s why I believe:

The athletes get all the credit. It’s my job
to make them fast. Why should I get credit for
doing my job? Why should the parents, school
or head coach get all the credit for doing their
job?

All I say is “Run 30 meters and tell me what it
felt like.”

The athlete has to execute, perform under pressure,
run the workouts, lift the weights. They get the
credit. All credit should be deflected to them.

If I say “My 4×200 team ran the 7th fastest time
in state history” that’s not me taking credit.

It’s pointing out a fact. My job was simply not
to screw it up for the athletes.

Sure, you could argue I should have said *THE*
4×2 team instead of *MY* 4×2 team.

But I’m not going to get into the psychology
behind why that minor semantic issue would
bother someone. I want to, but I won’t.

That said, I can agree that everyone should get
the credit. But that’s just too clean and nicey
nice for me. If everyone gets credit than noone
gets credit. Therefore just give all the credit
to the athletes.

Without them we couldn’t even have this conversation.

View survey results here.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Want to win more games, go deeper into the season
and have more athletes join and/or try out for
your team or program?

It’s simple.

This is all you have to do:

Modernize Your Program.

The biggest reason you, your athletes and/or
your program aren’t better is because you’re
running an outdated system.

You’re still driving a horse and buggy while
your competition is driving sports cars, SUVs
and hybrids.

You can’t be successful in the 21st Century
when you’re running a 20th Century program.

Because my athletes will just destroy yours…

…even if your athletes have more natural
ability.

Here’s an example.

Let’s say (theoretically of course) I know 
of a certain school. We’ll call it the ‘Black
School’.

This school claims to be a real serious football
school.

And historically it’s been a Powerhouse.

But not anymore. Now it’s riding on it’s reputation.

Another school in the league is now the powerhouse.
We’ll call it the ‘Green School’.

The coaches from the Black School say that they
want to be the best, win the league, win a SuperBowl.

But their athletes are not taught 21st Century
movement skills, speed, strength or conditioning.

How do I know if I don’t coach that team? The
players tell me. And ask for help.

For example, they’re told not to do a plyo step
out of an athletic stance to explode through
the line.

Instead they learn to roll forward and take a step
or just walk forward.

Now that’s some horse and buggy s#!%.

At the Black School the football players don’t
lift weights during the season!!

What?!?!

How can they be prepared to perform at their highest
*if* they make it to the post season in early
December if they haven’t touched a weight since
August?

Now that’s some horse and buggy s#!%!

(This is not the exception, it’s how most sports
in most schools all over the planet are run!)

Because let’s say I happen to be close personal
friends with one of the coaches from the Green
Team.

And I know that the green team is driving around
in a sports car. They’re living here in the
21st Century.

Does the Horse and Buggy Team have a realistic
chance to beat the Sports Car Team?

All things being equal…they have no chance.

Not because they have bad football coaches. I’m
sure they know their spread offense or whatever
schemes they run.

But their athletic development is inferior to the
green team. And with underdeveloped and inefficient
athletes you could be Bill Belicheck out there.

You’re going to lose to the team with better
athletes.

So modernize your program.

Burn that horse and buggy.

And join us in the 21st Century.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
For 21st Century program design for track sprinters
click here.

For 21st Century athletic development, click here.

Choice.

You have the ability to *choose* the way your
life is going to be.

Your situation right now is the sum of the *choices*
you have made in the present moment.

And the choices you continue to make in the present
moment will dictate your level of success.

Because nothing exists but THIS moment. There is
no later. No future. No ‘when the economy gets
better’. No ‘when I have more free time’. No ‘if
I had better talent.’ No ‘if I had a bigger team’.
No ‘if I was smarter’. 

Success is a *choice*.

The only difference between you and the people
you want to be like is simple:

They’re not a afraid to die on a treadmill.

Why not?

Because they made a *choice*. They decided who
they wanted to be. What they wanted their life
to be like and they made a *choice* to do it.

They didn’t make the choice in some undefined
‘later’. Or ‘tomorrow‘. Those things don’t exist.
They never will. They will never arrive. Ever.

I could have said ‘I don’t have a business degree’
and then not started Athletes’ Acceleration.

Instead Pat and I made a *choice* and built a
business from scratch that generated 7 figures
in gross sales before we turned 30.

Why? Because we’re not afraid to die on a treadmill.

Are you?

I could have said ‘I don’t have an exercise science
degree, so I can never be a great coach’.

Instead I studied my ass off. Asked questions.
My athletes got real nasty real fast. I was voted
MA State Coach of the Year at 26. Now people
approach me when I’m at competitions to thank me
for helping them turn around their programs.

Why?

I made a *choice* to be successful. I didn’t
listen to the haters (and there are many). I ignored
the doubters (and there are many). I made no excuses
for why I wasn’t smart enough or rich enough to
do what I wanted to do.

I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill.

Are you?

Now, I know what you’re asking. What is this
treadmill crap?

I want you to watch this entire video. I watch
it Every. Single. Day.

It reminds me of how important it is for me to
keep making the *choice* to be successful.

It gives me motivation and energy. It’s the
difference between success and failure.

2 + 2 = what I want it to be.

Make a choice to run profitable sports camps and
speed clinics.

Make a choice to be a better track coach.

Make a choice to run a more successful sports
program and develop better athletes.

You know whether or not you’re doing what you
need to do to be successful. Whether or not you’re
letting ‘if’s and but’s’ limit you.

So I ask again:

Are you afraid to die on a treadmill?
- Latif Thomas

But I think I may have screwed myself this time.

Ever since I released my Complete Program Design
for Sprinters (CPD) resource I’ve been getting
bombarded with positive feedback.

People are getting results.

And that’s great when it’s on the other side of
the country or outside the United States.

But now I can’t even go to meets in my home state
without CPD fans approaching me to say how much
they love the program.

It’s a great feeling, but…

It just makes *my* life harder. (Not to mention
yours.)

Why?

Because the bar is being raised. Performances
across the board are improving. Kids are running
out of their minds and setting crazy new lifetime
bests and school records.

Check out Complete Program Design for Sprinters

Now I have to be even better just to stay the same.
And so do my athletes.

The good thing is I have a plan to stay ahead of
the curve. Even though CPD owners are right on
my tail.

Want proof?

I’ve seen my man Gardner O’Flynn at the last two
big meets in Boston and he’s definately getting
results.

In fact, based on what he said I’m starting to
think *I* should be asking *him* what to do!

Check out what he had to say:

“In preparation as a first year varsity indoor
track coach, I was fortunate to have the
assignment of training our short sprinters up
to the 600. My background is in baseball in which
I played at the Div 1 college level as well as 6
years professionally with the Texas Rangers. In
the spring I coach the baseball team.

I read dozens of programs, watched several videos
so much so that my head was spinning and I was
going to just cut and paste one of them as
practice plans.

Thankfully!!!! I finally stumbled upon the
complete program design for sprinters created
by Latif Thomas a couple weeks prior to the season.
It made sense, with a background I have in physical
education and professional athletics the training
of energy systems and hitting times to
determine work load made sense. As we head in to
the big state events my girls are peaking.

Here are the results:

My three hurdlers have all qualified for states
with the top girl setting a school record. My 3
dashers have cut 5-8 tenths off their prior pb.
My top two 300 runners, a freshman and sophmore,
have skyrocketed to the top of the league picking
up crucial points for our 7-1-1 team. I have also
used much of the information learned for training
with our 600 runners who also run the 4×4. At
the State Coaches Invitational our top athlete
won with a pb of 1:39.76 her pb at the beginning
of the season was mid 1:45’s.

I encourage every track coach new and old to use
this program, except for the coaches in my league
because I’m greedy and I like to win!!

Thank you.”

Gardner O’Flynn
Ipswich Girls Indoor Track
Ipswich, MA
My results aren’t much different. In just 14 monhts
since my arrival in a new program my kids have
already rewritten the school records in the
4×100, 4×200, 4×400, 300 and long jump.

Plus All State Championships in the 4×100 and 4×200.

Not a bad start, right?

Now it’s your turn:

http://www.CompleteProgramDesignforSprinters.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. If you live in New England, don’t order the
program. Just like Gardner, I’m greedy and I like
to win. You’re just going to make it harder for
us if you’re using CPD because all your sprinters
will set new lifetime bests. In fact, I guarantee
it. So keep doing what you’re doing! The results
are great for me and my team.

The Moment of Truth has arrived.

The only difference between a successful person
and an unsuccessful person is what they do in
their spare time.

How will you spend yours?

Doing the same things you’ve always done and
expecting better results?

Or following in the footsteps of people who are
experiencing the success you dream about?

It’s up to you now. You can *choose* to be successful
or you can *choose* to wait, put it off, make
excuses and justify why you’re OK where you are.

What’s it going to be?

http://www.SportsCampEmpire.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Be one of the first 75 people to take action
and we’re hooking you up with some truly awesome
(and exclusive) bonuses.

http://www.SportsCampEmpire.com

People we thought we could trust made excuses not to promote our camps and clinics.

(People *want* to see you fail, believe me.)

I asked a few coaches I knew about making a training video in their area of expertise and they basically ignored me.

Well fast forward a few years and man have things changed!

Every day we get requests, from all over the world, to run camps, present at clinics or promote someone’s training product.

People have offered to fly in from other countries so I’ll work with their athletes.

And Patrick has a back log of people willing to pay big money for him to fix the holes in their business models.

So how did I go from almost being arrested at my first camp to getting bombarded with requests in just a few years?

Patrick just released a new video going into why most sports/fitness businesses fail.

http://www.sportscampempire.com/blog

It all goes back to something Charles Darwin said.

So listen to Darwin. And listen to Patrick. Or there’s a good chance your business won’t be around too long.

http://www.sportscampempire.com/blog

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. In the video Patrick talks about the single most important part of running a successful business in the 21st Century.

If you’re not focusing on this, you have *no* chance.

It’s that simple.

http://www.sportscampempire.com/blog

With all the information and support you get as part of
your Complete Program Design for Sprinters investment,
it’s easy for certain things to get overlooked.

In my experience, one of the most valuable parts of the
program is the monthly live Q&A call where I answer any
questions you have about writing workouts, problems with
athletes, etc.

So I’m giving you access to the replay of my last
live broadcast held just a couple weeks ago.

It’s over an hour of answers to specific training
questions. We do this every month in addition to
all the content you get in the program.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. My offer ends tonight at 11:30pm Eastern Standard
Time (Boston, Massachusetts). So if you want to save
over 50% on Complete Program Design *and* get the
consult and program critique, order now. Because the
price will go up and there will be no exceptions.

http://www.completeprogramdesignforsprinters.com
 

I was a Special Education teacher and Patrick was
waking up at 4am every day to go train clients at
a gym.

Everyone said we were crazy and nearly everyone thought
we’d fail.

We started out running speed clinics, created a
product, went online and established a presence on
the internet.

We’ve made a few mistakes over the years. After
all we have no business background.

But here we are in 2009. Our business is growing
faster than we can handle even though the economy
is sputtering and many industries are struggling.

Here’s the bottom line:

If you’re a coach or trainer and you’ve ever thought
about running speed clinics or sports camps, now
is a truly a great time to make that a priority.

Patrick put together a really cool video that
tells his story and shows you exactly how you can
leverage your passion for working with athletes into
a profitable summer job or full time business.

There are no flaming hoops to jump through and you
don’t have to sign up for anything to watch it.

==> http://tinyurl.com/dhgbhe

If we can do it, you can do it. We’re here to help
you in the same way we help you develop your athletes’
speed and athletic performance.

So go check out that video.
To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. If you’ve ever coached an athlete or team,
trained a client at a gym, run a Phys Ed class you
really need to watch this video. It’ll change the
way you look at things.

http://tinyurl.com/dhgbhe

I can sit here and tell you how what an impressive
coaching resume I have and how many titles my athletes
have won and show you all my coaching awards.

I can sit here and tell you those things until I’m
blue in the face.

But you’re going to half ignore me because you think
it’s just a bunch of marketing hype.

So I’m cool with you taking what I say with a grain
of salt.

But if this video from CST fan Bill Entwistle doesn’t
change the way you look at things then we may just
have to go our separate ways…

Check out Complete Speed Training

To your success,

Latif Thomas

I had a few technical problems and instead of writing
a big long story I created this short video explaining
exactly what happened.

You can watch that video *and* listen to the full
(uninterrupted) replay below:

Order Complete Program Design for Sprinters

- Latif Thomas

Some piece of the puzzle that I was missing.

Turns out I’m not confused. People are purposely making
this decision and that makes it the biggest joke in all of
youth sports:

—-
“Latif, I purchased my first CST about two or three
years ago and used it with my middle school track
program. Middle school seasons are shorter than high
school, so had to modify a little to get it all in.
My girls track team has been league champions or
runner up for the passed five seasons. The next fall I
added my volleyball and girls basketball teams to the
dynamic warmups. We got some strange looks from other
teams when we went to games. I lent the program to a
friend and it got misplaced, so this fall I ordered
another one. I’m currently working with an adult
football team and the head coach has commented
several times how much better the team looks this
year with footwork and coordination skills. The adults
were a little resistant to the concept but have come
around, one guy was late last practice and actually
asked to be warmed up instead of doing some static
stretch and then go into football drills. I was very
proud of him. I just talked to the high school cross
country coach and asked if they did dynamic stretching
and she said no but was interested in it. I will
share my extra CST with her. I guess if I’m willing
to buy it twice, I’m very pleased with the
improvements I see in my athletes.
 
Keep up the good work with the information you provide.”

Jerri Harrington
Track, Volleyball, Basketball
Apache Middle School
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Cochise Cavaliers Adult Football
Sierra Vista, AZ
———————— 

To your success,

Latif Thomas

People like to make this part of the process more
complicated than it is. In this video, I make it easy…

——-
“Latif, I am not kicking tires as to whether or not to
buy Complete Speed Training. I have owned and and used
this and other of your programs with great success
for almost two years now. The material is great and
very productive. I have been coaching track and field
for almost 40 years and am always looking to improve
myself and my athletes. This is the best pure speed
training Program I have seen in my years as a coach.

It reinforces many of the things we were doing and
gave me some very valuable new information that has
helped us greatly. Thanks for your help and dedication
to the sport and coaching fraternity.”

Yours in speed

Joe Lykes
Head Girls Track and Field and Cross Country Coach
Colts Neck H.S.
Colts Neck N.J.

—-
To your success,

Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training
Complete Program Design for Sprinters

We live in a computer simulation, like in the movie
The Matrix, where kids have figured out how to bend the
laws of physics.

Or…

Stop watch fraud has become out of control.

Are you or the people around you guilty of this terrible
crime?

Watch this video to find out:

How to Make Your Athletes Faster

To your success,

Latif Thomas

This year I have my largest group ever - over 55 sprinters
and just me to coach them.

And since this is just my second year with the team, I don’t
have any truly ‘experienced’ athletes who have grown up with
my system. So there is much to teach and learn.

If you’ve been reading, watching or listening to any of
my messages lately, you’ve heard me talk about studying
the patterns from Situation A and applying them to
Situation B.

And that’s just what I’ve been doing this winter.

You see, I’m the co-owner of a rapidly growing business.
And it’s more work than I ever imagined. Since the
track season started I’ve been going nonstop pretty much
14-15 hours per day.

I wish I was exaggerating that number for affect, but I’m
not.

Now I have a tendency to be a micro-manager. Right or
wrong, I don’t like people messing with what I’m doing
because I feel I can do a better job if I do it myself.

*Especially* when it comes to coaching.

But my new schedule doesn’t allow that.

So I’ve dramatically changed the way I run my sprint
group so it mirrors the way things are run in a successful
business.

And it’s all predicated on the fact that my program design
strategy and process is simple, flexible, objective *and*
planned out ahead of time.

If you don’t know exactly what you want to accomplish,
in what order and *why*, then everything I’m about to
say is distinctly impossible.

(If you’ve ever read Michael Gerber’s ‘E-Myth’, then this
will sound familiar)

So here is what you need to do:

Step 1. Establish your goals and objectives in advance

You don’t need to know that you want to do 8 x 200 @ 82%
three Tuesdays from now. But you do need to know what
training phase you’ll be in so you know what training
qualities need to be addressed. That way you can just
fill in the blanks instead of guessing.

Of course this requires knowing exactly what the training
phases are, what qualities need to be trained, in what
order and *why*…

Step 2. Teach your captains and upperclassmen how to coach

You have to create team leaders/assistant coaches
and the best place to start is with your captains and trustworthy upperclassmen.

I don’t have time to walk people through every speed drill
every time we do them. The same goes with half hurdle
trail legs, starting blocks, run-run-jumps and burpees.

I expect my team leaders to learn them (so I teach them
specifically) so they can teach the rest of the team how
to do it. From there I can easily move from group to
group and spot check the kids to make sure things are
going right.

First I teach the individuals, then I manage the practice.

And I’m very confident that my athletes could actually
do a better job teaching most skills than most track
coaches out there at the developmental levels.

This approach teaches the leaders responsibility,
authority and helps them learn the skills better.
Because you get better at performing a skill when you
have to explain it, demonstrate it and correct it.

Of course you already know that because you would
*never* expect an athlete to perform a skill without
showing them how to do it first…

Would you?

So instead of getting stuck teaching blocks for the 947th
time and ignoring hurdles, long jump and the 400 workout
going on around the track, I can slide from group to
group and give *everyone* attention.

Because I:

Step 3: Manage the team, don’t micromanage the team

Yesterday I had an intensive tempo workout, special
endurance 2 workout, beginner hurdlers, ‘advanced’
hurdlers, starting blocks, weight room and GS circuits
going on at different times in different places.

That’s impossible for one person to do and do well. But
not when you shift your perspective. Instead of trying
to do it all I:

- put two injured athletes in charge of running the
instensive tempo workout (which was, of course, organized
in advance so they didn’t get confused and screw it up).

- ran the special endurance 2 workout and worked with
the ‘advanced’ hurdlers (and spot checked the tempo
workout)

- had upperclassmen teach/review blocks (and I just came
by to make sure there were no major problems. There weren’t
because the kids were taught well…)

- had team leaders run the circuit workout and experienced
athletes went into the weight room.

Because I teach everything correctly and make kids give
and interpret feedback while learning, they’re actually
quite good at teaching and spotting errors.

In themselves and others.

Because I organize things on a daily, weekly, monthly
and season wide basis, I can quickly put groups together
in an organized fashion instead of running around like
a chicken with my head cut off.

And I can manage a group of 50+ kids and get everyone
the attention they need…by myself.

And still have every athlete run lifetime bests in every
event…every season.

But it starts with a solid foundation. A foundation built
on knowing exactly where, when, what, why and how I
want to structure my program design. Otherwise what I
do would be impossible.

So if you want to make the impossible possible, it starts
here:

Complete Program Design for Sprinters

This program is *exactly* what you’re looking for.

You’re less than 3 minutes away from gaining an
entirely new persective on how to put together a
highly effective training program for your sprinters.
I organize everything for you and even give you all
the workouts you need for an entire season - from warmup
to cooldown, from 55-400 meters.

Program Design for Track and Field Sprinters

“Is it really true that you can’t coach speed? Because
that’s what I always hear - that speed can’t be taught
or coached”.

Huh?

Isn’t it almost 2009? Do people still really believe this
stuff? After all, last year before I started coaching
the athlete, this parent’s child could barely get on the
soccer field during games.

After I got there she wins a state championship in track and
makes the league All Star team this year in soccer and
plays in that postseason All Star game.

In fact, this athlete emailed me during soccer tryouts
this past summer to tell me how her coach commented on
how much faster she was.

So if speed can’t be taught then where was this athlete’s
speed the month before I got there?

I notice the same problems with athletes from every
sport (especially girls).

And here is the main problem:

You can’t become a better athlete by *just* playing more
of your sport.

You have to actually *train* like an athlete not just
play in another soccer league for the third season in
a row or join your fifth basketball team of the winter.

It makes me sad when parents tell me they want their kids
to get better at their sport/s but they don’t have time
to train because they’re always in season!

OK! I guess you don’t really want your kids to get better
at their sports then!

Because something has to give.

The reason speed (and athletic ability in general) can
be coached and improved (regardless of age, sport or gender)
is because developing athletes (ages 8-18) have insufficient
speed, strength, flexibility, coordination and endurance.

Why? Because all they do is play their sport year round
or bounce from sport to sport without actually spending
a reasonable amount of time developing all 5 qualities
I mentioned above.

Think about it for a second. If your athletes *only*
focused on improving strength, they’d be better at their
sport. Any sport. Every sport.

If they improved in all 5 of these areas, they would be
so much more efficient as athletes they’d be better at
every skill required for their sport.

They’d run faster, jump higher, change directions quicker,
throw farther, hit harder, etc.

Because I will let you in on a secret. The vast majority
of the competition is not training like athletes. They’re
just playing a lot of their sport and that’s not how
the best programs are run.

Because it doesn’t really make any sense.

If you really want your athletes to get better, don’t sign
them up for another team in another league in the same
sport they just finished.

And don’t spend all your practice time running plays and
working on ball skills.

Develop their speed, strength, flexibility, coordination
and endurance and they’ll simply outperform the
competition in every phase of the game.

It’s just that simple.

Here, my friend, is the step by step program that shows
you how to safely and effectively build faster, stronger,
healthier and flat out better athletes:

Complete Speed Training

It’s the first thing your sprinters ask after you tell them
what the workout is.

It seems like a simple question. And a fair one.

But how did *you* come up with the answer?

Because if you do too many you risk an injury, overtraining,
burnout and a bad performance at the next meet.

If you don’t do enough than you aren’t challenging your
athletes and they aren’t going to continue to get better.

How many intervals or repetitions is *the* big question
every coach has to answer every single day.

So, again, how did you come up with the answer?

Pick a number out of a hat?
Throw a dart at the wall?
Just do 6 or 8 like you always do?

Now that you’ve got your magic number, then what?

Who does it apply to? Everyone does 6? Just upperclassmen?

After all, a fourth year senior should be doing more than
a first year freshman. Or a first year senior for that
matter.

Shouldn’t they?

If you’re running ‘one size fits all’ workouts with your
athletes then your program has some serious holes in it.

Because you’re only helping some of your athletes…

…and hurting the rest.

If you want to run a truly successful sprints program,
you need to know *why* you’ve chose that particular
number of intervals or reps.

When you know *why* you should do 6, but not 8, your
sprinters get better.

You *must* minimize the guess work in your coaching if
you want to see consistent improvements in every athlete.

Fortunately for you…

I’ve already done all the work for you in Complete Program
Design for Sprinters.

Complete Program Design for Sprinters

There is a consistently simple answer to this question
and most others.

And I’ll walk you step by step through the *why* so
you know exactly what to do, every day.

If you coach sprinters, this is EXACTLY what you’ve
been looking for.

Program Design for Track and Field Sprinters

And I always feel a bit guilty and hypocritical when I demand excellence from my kids, but I know that I’m not practicing what I preach on my own time.

Because we’ve all been there.

And I’ve also seen what kind of shape a lot of coaches are in these days.

So I was pretty excited when my friend and colleague Craig Ballyntince let me know about his newest program.

Not only is Craig dishing out one of his most embarrassing stories, but he’s also giving you free DVD’s and a 1-Year Platinum TT Membership.

It turns out that just about 15 years ago, Craig was heading down the wrong path…eating and drinking too much and not working out.

But one day just after Christmas in 1994, Craig stumbled upon a bodyweight workout that changed his life.

I want you to read the rest of Craig’s embarrassing story here:

=> http://tinyurl.com/jumpstartx

To mark the anniversary of the turning point in his life, Craig is launching the Turbulence Training Bodyweight Fat Burning Solution, full of all of his best bodyweight workouts…

PLUS, his NEWEST workout - the TT Hotel Room Workouts that even include FOLLOW-ALONG workouts for the beginner and intermediate.

It’s like having Craig Ballantyne as your personal trainer in the comfort of your own home!

You’ll get instant access to these NEW workouts, but MORE importantly, he’s also going to ship you FREE DVD’s of the Hotel Room Workouts and his most popular bodyweight workouts.

In fact, he’s holding a PRE-launch sale for the first 50 copies and cutting the price by 50 bucks.

This new Turbulence Training Bodyweight Fat Burning Solution package includes…

1) DVD’s and hardcopy manual of the 6-Month TT Bodyweight Program

2) A DVD and hardcopy manual of my NEW, Never-Seen-Before TT Hotel Room Workouts (featuring the first ever “follow-along” beginner and intermediate TT workouts)

3) A DVD and hardcopy manual of the TT Bodyweight 500

4) A DVD and hardcopy manual of the TT Bodyweight 1000

5) Free shipping on all of the above

6) And a Free 1-Year Platinum Turbulence Training Membership

The value of the entire Turbulence Training Bodyweight Fat Burning Solution is over $1662.89, but the first 50 copies are available in this Pre-Launch Sale for only $247.

(NOTE: These copies are going so fast since the website went “live” yesterday that there are only 21 copies remaining at the PRE-release price!.)

Grab yours here:

=> http://tinyurl.com/jumpstartx

(But the low price and free shipping won’t be around for long.)

To your success,

Latif Thomas

http://tinyurl.com/jumpstartx

PS - Don’t forget, you’ll receive…

1) DVD’s and hardcopy manual of the 6-Month TT Bodyweight Program

2) A DVD and hardcopy manual of my NEW, Never-Seen-Before TT Hotel Room Workouts (featuring the first ever “follow-along” beginner and intermediate TT workouts)

3) A DVD and hardcopy manual of the TT Bodyweight 500

4) A DVD and hardcopy manual of the TT Bodyweight 1000

5) Free shipping on all of the above

6) And a Free 1-Year Platinum Turbulence Training Membership

This package is worth over $1662.89, but it’s yours for only $247…

BUT only 21 copies remain at the PRE-release price of $247!

Get started here:

=> http://tinyurl.com/jumpstartx

***** #5 - Underground Secrets to Faster Running

It made the list because I like controversy. And this
book is controversial.

Some people love author Barry Ross’ approach. Some people
act like he kills babies.

He doesn’t.

I think, like everything, you should check out what Barry
has to say, apply it to your athletes and make your own
decision.

For me, I don’t agree with everything he says, but I agree
with some of what he says. And I have used his ideas with
great success.

So if you love training info and want to look at a different
‘minimalist’ approach, click here for more:

Underground Secrets to Faster Running

***** #4 - Complete Olympic Lifting

I was in the weightroom yesterday afternoon. Some kids
were attempting to do what at first glance appeared to
be an attempt at performing a dumbbell power clean from
the floor.

Never seen it done that way and after showing them how
to do it right, I’m hoping I never see it again.

I’ll give everyone the benefit of the doubt and say that
only nine out of ten athletes are terrible at doing
Olympic Lifts.

Which means that their coaches don’t know how to do it
since they didn’t teach it right.

Olympic Lifts are a valuable part of any strength and
power training program….when it’s done right. Otherwise,
at best it’s a nice waste of time and at worst a
devastating injury waiting to happen.

Make sure kids are doing it right. And that starts with
you teaching them correctly:

Complete Olympic Lifting

***** #3 - Groundbreaking Athletic Movement

Lee Taft’s 2 DVD set on multidirectional speed and agility
for field and court sport athletes is still the best
resource I’ve seen that focuses strictly on this topic.

It doesn’t cover all the biomotor abilities and address
the overall training program, but any coach, parent or
athlete competing in field and court sports should learn
techniques like the ‘plyo step’, ‘hip turn’ and
‘directional step’ as soon as possible.

That’s what I teach and you won’t find better drills for
first step quickness and changing directions if that is
all you’re looking for:

Groundbreaking Athletic Movement

***** # 2 Complete Speed Training

If you’ve been around for a while, you’re pretty surprised
to see CST at #2.

Why?

Because it’s the best speed and athletic development
program on the market. It covers everything you need to
know about developing athletes with great detail from
speed to strength to flexibility, coordination and endurance.

And with last month being the one exception, coaches and
parents invest in more copies of Complete Speed Training each
month than every other resource on AthletesAcceleration.com
*combined*.

So it might cost a bit more, but it’s so good it outperforms
just about everything:

Complete Speed Training

***** #1 - Complete Program Design for Sprinters

I spent a long time on this program. And it was worth it.

I give you so much stuff in this resource I can’t even
begin to describe it here.

But it’s a *must have* if you work with high school or
middle school sprinters.

Let me put it like this:

For the first time in over 3 years, Complete Speed Training
was not our #1 seller for the month.

I wasn’t sure it would ever be dethroned, but it was.

And for good reason. Because Complete Program Design for
Sprinters is that good.

And if you act quickly, you can practically steal the
program.

But you can’t waste any time:

Complete Program Design for Sprinters

There you have it my friend. In my opinion, those are the
best programs we offer.

Order by midnight EST tonight and pay no shipping for
any resources created or promoted on Athletes’ Acceleration
websites!

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Here’s the list of all the products I recommend.
If they made the website, they’re excellent resources,
even if they didn’t make the Top 5.

Sports Training Products

If you live outside of the United States this is your last
window to receive your program by the Holidays. (Though
knowing how customs works, I make no guarantees if you live
in Africa or Australia, etc.)

So if you’ve been planning to add to your coaching and
training library, take advantage of this opportunity to
get free shipping to anywhere in the world.

Here is the list of programs you can choose from:

Athletes Acceleration Sports Training Products
To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Remember, order anything on AthletesAcceleration.com
by 11:57pm EST on Wednesday, December 3, 2008 and pay
no shipping anywhere in the world. This includes our best
selling ‘Complete Speed Training’ program.

–> Sports Training Products

If you live outside of the United States this is your last
window to receive your program by the Holidays. (Though
knowing how customs works, I make no guarantees if you live
in Africa or Australia, etc.)

So if you’ve been planning to add to your coaching and
training library, take advantage of this opportunity to
get free shipping to anywhere in the world.

Here is the list of programs you can choose from:

http://tinyurl.com/noshipping

There are two elements of running faster that coaches
often want to know more about.

And they’re critically important to running faster no
matter what sport you’re discussing.

But despite their importance, you shouldn’t waste any
practice time trying to specifically train them.

What are those two training factors?

Stride Length and Stride frequency

All the best coaches I know are the same way. It doesn’t
matter if they’re middle school coaches or working with
Olympic Champions.

We’re all looking for that next idea, cue or concept that’s
going to make our athletes a little better, faster and
stronger.

Because no matter how much you know or how good your athletes
are, you could know more.

And that would make your program and your athletes better.

So if you’re not into settling for where you’re currently
at and want to take advantage of a great deal on proven
training information, check this out:

Speed Training Package

Because like most athletes, past and present, I was
trained mainly doing interval work.

Lots and lots of it. So I wasn’t used to fancy concepts
like ‘rest’.

So I’m often asked what coaches and athletes are supposed
to be doing during the recovery time between reps
of acceleration work, fly runs, speed endurance, etc.

This is a critical time during the training session.

It is your opportunity to give and get feedback from your
athletes regarding their understanding of the skills you
are focused on for that day.

Before each training session you must explain
what the goal of the workout is, why you’re doing it
and what you want athletes to work on.

Otherwise you can’t expect the workout to accomplish much.

At first, when athletes don’t know anything at all, I
give all the feedback. I just want them to think about
what I’m saying, try it during each repetition and then
I’ll tell them what I think.

After a couple workouts you’ll notice athletes starting
to nod their heads when you give feedback and even start
to tell you what they felt before you say a word.

That’s when you start asking them for feedback.

It can be as general as ‘how did that feel?’

Their responses, at first, will be vague and nondescript.

So keep asking questions to pull more info out of them.

After a while they’ll be able to give great feedback. Not
only will they acquire the skills faster, but they’ll
be able to start making adjustments on the fly and serve
as assistant coaches when you’re somewhere else working
with a different group.

For me, the rest between repetitions is the busiest and
most stressful part of the workout.

Because you have to watch a kid run, save the replay of
that file in your head, play it back in your mind in order
to give and get feedback and then quickly do it again
and again and again.

When you have 30 kids doing 10 reps and they expect
feedback after each one, it can get exhausting if
you’re not sure of what you’re talking about.

Because once kids start to figure out there’s more to
running fast than just mindlessly running workouts, they
won’t leave you alone….

If they think you know what you’re talking about.

Because if you just blow smoke up their asses they’ll
know. You may think you’re fooling them but you are not.

If a coach is just standing around making small talk
during the rest between reps, or just giving generic
feedback like ‘nice job’, ‘use your arms’ or ‘lift your
knees’ then they’re wasting an invaluable opportunity
to improve their athletes’ running skill.

Because for the coach, there is no down time on speed
days.

The question is, do you know exactly what you’re supposed
to be teaching?

For the coaching cues, drills, exercises and progressions
that turn on the lightbulb in athletes’ heads and make
immediate improvements to their athletic skill:

http://www.CompleteSpeedTraining.com

To your success,

Latif Thomas

http://completespeedtrainingchallenge.com/
——————————————-

I’ll get right to the point because you just want to know
how you can win $1000 (or $500 or $250)

Over time we’ve gotten so many emails and testimonials
about how effective Complete Speed Training is that we
don’t even know where to post them all.

So we know how effective the program is.

So we’re putting our money where our mouth is and giving
you the chance to win some money at the same time.

That’s why we’re holding the first annual ‘Complete Speed
Training 60 Day Challenge’.

And we’re giving away $1,750 in prize money.

It’s pretty easy. Just do what you’ve been doing,
just keep track of the results.

Click here if you’re up for the challenge:

http://completespeedtrainingchallenge.com/
To your success,

Latif Thomas

In my experience, one of the most valuable parts of the
program is the monthly live Q&A call where I answer any
questions you have about writing workouts, problems with
athletes, etc.

Here’s a couple questions I took right from the
teleseminar signup where I asked you what your number
one biggest question was.

These are the kinds of questions I hear all the time and
the kind I’ll be answering every month (or during your
free 30 minute phone consult)

QUESTION 1: In the past, my sprinters have complained
that training for the 400m is much different than that
of the 55 meters and that it actualy slows their fast
twitch muscle fibers with the overdistance workouts.
How would you handle this problem?

QUESTION 2: WITH THE 400M RUNNER: WHAT IS THE BEST WORK
OUT THAT WILL HELP THE ATHELETE TO FINISH STRONGER OVER
THE LAST 60M ONCE LACTIC ACID BECOME A FACTOR?

Save 50% on Complete Program Design for Sprinters

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. My special offer on Complete Program Design for
Sprinters ends tonight, Friday November 14 at 11:30pm
EST. Order now so you can join me for my first Live
call where I answer questions like you just saw above.

.

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/personalbest/
_________________________

A few weeks ago I sent you a survey about program
design for track sprinters.

The results were all over the map. But one thing is
for sure…

…you could use some help with your program design!

Let me show you why:

I asked you if you establish a training inventory before
sitting down to periodize your season.

43.6% of you said ‘Yes’
56.4% of you don’t

Without a training inventory, how do you know which
drills, exercises, workouts and progressions you’ll use
during the season?

Or which ones you’ll *need*?

Even more importantly, without establishing a training
inventory you it’s practically impossible to
periodize your season effectively.

Click here so I can help you:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/personalbest/

I asked you if you know the difference between the
General Preparation, Special Preparation, PreCompetitive,
Competitive and Transition phases of training.

46.3% of you said ‘Yes’
53.7% of you said you don’t really know

I can promise you this:

If you don’t have a clear understanding of the demands
of these phases of training and how they fit into
your sprinters’ overall preparation, I have great news…

…your sprinters could be *much*, *much* faster.

Because understanding the phases of training is
absolutely critical to effective program design.

But this is the one that hurt me the most…

And it suggests that many of you…stretched
the truth…about establishing a training inventory
and understanding the phases of training.

I asked you to identify a Special Endurance I workout.

I gave you 4 options.

Only 17.4% chose the correct answer (4×220m @95% w/15′ rest).

My friend. That is not good. Because it shows a lack
of understanding as to how to progress workouts,
where they fit into training or how they affect the
body.

This leads directly to inconsistency in training and
in competition.

Without a training base, your sprinters can’t expect
to peak and run their fastest when it matters. They
won’t have the foundation that puts them in that
position.

Well you’re no different.

Without a proper knowledge base, you can’t put your
sprinters in position to meet their potential.

That’s why I want to help.

On Tuesday, November 11, I’m hosting a f.ree teleseminar
covering the “Top 5 Ways to Guarantee New Personal Bests
for Every Sprinter…From 55 - 400 Meters.”

If you coach sprinters, especially at the high school
level, you need to be on this call.

The indoor season is right around the corner and
neither you or your athletes can afford to make the
same mistakes again this year.

So click here now to sign up for this call. You have
nothing to lose and everything to gain:

http://www.athletesacceleration.com/personalbest/

To your success,

Latif Thomas USATF II (Sprints, Hurdles, Relays)
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year

And there are still a few undecided voters out there
having a tough time making a decision.

Just like you’re having a tough time deciding whether
or not Complete Speed Training is the right program
for you and your needs.

So watch this video that I think will help you
make a decision you can feel comfortable about:

Order Complete Speed Training

To your success,

Latif Thomas CSCS, USATF II

Order Complete Speed Training

You see, it’s not socially appropriate to say
this out loud.

If you do, people will look at you funny. They’ll
give you the gas face.

They may even act offended.

Who are these people?

Coaches, parents and trainers who say:

“I only coach for the kids.”

or

“The only reason for coaching is the athletes.”

Well unless they were raised by Buddhist monks
that’s just not a true statement.

Do you coach for the kids? Yes.

Mostly for the kids? Yes, of course.

But ‘only’ for the kids?

Give me a break.

It’s perfectly OK to admit to being just a
little bit selfish. To admit that part of the
reason you like coaching is because developing
successful athletes and running a winning program
makes you feel good…about yourself.

That doesn’t make you lesser of a person or
lesser of a coach.

It’s OK to have personal goals and expectations
that are separate from ‘the athletes’.

It’s OK to allow yourself to feel satisfaction
and pride from the good coaching job YOU did.

Because it’s not a ‘black or white’ issue.

And it’s not an ‘either/or’ proposition.

As long as you don’t let your personal goals
and aspirations affect your interactions with
your athletes, then you can still stand on
both sides of the fence.

It’s not very difficult to separate what you
want for yourself from what you want for your
athletes.

The coaches who say they *only* do it for the
athletes are just as arrogant as the ones who
only do it for themselves. They’re just on the
opposite end of the spectrum.

It’s still all about them. They’re better than
those coaches who care about petty trappings of
the Ego like ‘winning’ and ‘personal glory’.

Riiight…

I like the feeling of knowing that my program
or system helped athletes achieve levels of
success they otherwise wouldn’t have been
able to experience.

Don’t you?

I like the feeling that comes from people coming
up to me and saying ‘Man what are you doing
with your athletes? It’s like night and day
since they started working with you’.

Don’t you?

I like the feeling of having former athletes
call and email me years after they graduated
to thank me for helping them become better both
on and off the field.

Don’t you?

It doesn’t make it any less about the kids.

It just means you don’t have to pretend to be
Mother Teresa all the time.

So yes, you coach mostly for the athletes. But
you coach for yourself too.

Let go of the idea that you have to feel
guilty or selfish about that. When you
change the way you look at things, the things
you look at change.

So do it because you want to do it. Mostly
for your athletes, but partly for you too:

Order Complete Speed Training

And don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone. It can
be our little secret.

To *your* success,

Latif Thomas

‘I’m just a parent. I don’t have a coaching
background or know anything about training speed’.

I understand your concern. But it’s not accurate.

You *can* do it. Thousands of other parents in
the same situation as you are doing it.

So watch this video to see what I mean:

Order Complete Speed Training

To your success,

Latif Thomas CSCS, USATF II
2005 MSTCA Coach of the Year
Complete Speed Training

Right?

Right?

I’m considering putting something together to help
you out with this process.

After all, your program design skill is what makes
or breaks your sprinters’ progress.

I saw this first hand last year when I walked into
a new program that hadn’t seen an individual or
relay State Champion since 1986…

…and proceeded to win the state 4×200 title and
shave almost 3 seconds off the school record.

After only being there 12 weeks.

Then they won the outdoor 4×100m State Championship
by almost a half a second over the next best team
in the entire state.

It was awesome for everyone: coaches, athletes,
parents, everyone.

How? Because I understand program design and how
to write very effective workouts.

So take my quick survey on program design for track
and field sprinters.

It’ll only take you a minute or two.

Take my quick Track Sprints Program Design Survey

To your success,

Latif Thomas

All Athletic Development Resources

***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:

Complete Speed Training

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

Speed Training for Soccer

***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 State
Champions from 55 meters through 400 meters:

Complete Speed Training

***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 within a few steps.

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:

How to Master the Football Combine Tests
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 basketball
players who need to get quicker or faster on the court?
My son has good skills, but isn’t quick enough to get
past the defender. Actually or even on defense to stay
in front of his man.

It seems you would promote something like this.

Greg R.

>>>>>MY THOUGHTS

Yes.

This is what I recommend for Basketball Speed:

Basketball Speed
To your success,

Latif Thomas
P.S. Remember my friends - you can’t get consistent, long
term results without following a specific program or
system of training.

I don’t coach based off of bits and pieces of information
I get from all the emails I subscribe to.

And either should you:

All Athletic Development Resources

I’m disgusted, quite frankly.

In fact, I’m *almost* at a loss for words.

But before you look at my video I have to warn
you. If you didn’t take my subject line seriously
or are easily offended, DO NOT watch this entire
video. I’m serious.

So many in the industry don’t want to offend anyone
so they don’t say anything other than the usual,
predictable, technical rhetoric.

If you’re looking for that guy, I am not him.

If you want to hear the No Bullsh** version of
sports performance reality, hit the play button…

Here’s the direct link to my live broadcast tomorrow:

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/latif-thomas

You can send me questions right now to avoid the
rush, but make sure you’re online to hear me
answer them.

Here are the times I’ll be available to answer
your questions:

Wednesday September 10: 9am - 12pm EST
Thursday September 11: 8pm - 10pm EST
Friday September 12: 9pm - 12am EST
And of course, don’t forget our 4 Year Anniversary
Sale that runs from 8am EST Wednesday 9/10 until
11:59pm EST on Friday September 12:
http://www.athletesacceleration.com/anniversary.html

The page goes live at 8am, so you might have to
hit refresh.

Now post your comments below!

Latif Thomas

As expected I got a ton of responses.

And I’ve started to answer them.

Got questions about athletic development?

Ask them here.

To your success,

Latif Thomas
CompleteSpeedTraining.com

But if you follow these three fundamentals you’ll
make your life a whole lot easier and your athletes
a whole lot better.

1. Simplicity

Some people take this to the extreme, i.e., they
don’t actually create a program.

(If you don’t at least outline your objectives for
the entire season well before the season starts,
you’re not really creating a training program,
you’re winging it.

If you focus on sport specific drills and movements,
that’s not a training program, it’s just random
workouts. Don’t expect consistent performances.)

I think people avoid sitting down and mapping out
the specifics because they make it an enormous
process in their minds.

It can be if you try to make it more complicated
than it is.

The younger the athletes you work with, the easier
the program design. And it’s never all that
complicated if you work with sub-collegiate athletes.

Because these athletes almost always have basic
problems that require basic solutions. Solutions
rooted in multilateral (all around) athletic
development.

Your 13 year old soccer player doesn’t need ’soccer’
training and your 15 year old football player
doesn’t need ‘football’ training, etc.

They need to develop foundational movement skills,
strength, coordination, speed, flexibility and
endurance.

Coaches and parents tend to become overzealous about
their particular sport and forget that their athletes
can’t perform the basics. Without the basics,
technical application of sport specific skills is
not going to happen.

Keep it simple and cover all the bases.

Here’s how to get a better handle on the basics.

2. Flexibility

When designing training you don’t plan the workout
itself, but you plan for the physiological response
to that workout.

This means that the structure of the workout is
aimed at the energy system you’re working that day.

Repeat 200’s (interval work) can mean a lot of
different things.

At 70% intensity it’s working the aerobic system.
High school athletes might be able to do 10 or more
intervals.

At 80-85% intensity it’s mixed aerobic/anaerobic.
High school athletes might be able to do 6-8 intervals.

at 95% intensity it’s an anaerobic glycolytic workout.
High school athletes might be able to do 3 reps at
full recovery.

You have to first decide what the goal of the
workout is and then plug in the particular specifics.

This is critical for a number of reasons.

For today’s purposes it’s because this understanding
of energy systems allows you to be flexible.

I live in a cold weather environment. If I have
repeat 200s at 82% planned and it snows or is 10
degrees out, I can’t really go outside and do that.

But because I’m flexible and understand the
physiological response/requirements of that day’s
workout, I can do something different and elicit
the same result.

But if I’m rigidly attached to a particular workout
at a particular distance for a particular number
of intervals on a particular day, then I’m screwed
if (and when) weather doesn’t allow it, kids are
sick, excessively sore, etc.

Be flexible and always have a Plan B. And Plan C.

Get over 3 hours of flexible training options.

3. Variability

The natural tendency of our body is to reach
homeostasis. Our bodies quickly adapt to whatever
stimulus it repeatedly encounters.

If we give our athletes the same warm up every day,
it no longer has the same effect.

We can’t always go for a 2 mile run on Monday, do
10×30m from a crouch on Tuesday, 2×10x100 @ 75%
on Wednesday, 5 x fly 30 on Thursday and Split
600s on Friday…week after week after week.

(My first question is to ask you if you understand
why I chose that particular order of workouts.
For example, Why not switch Thursday and Friday’s
workouts?

Answer: Don’t do quality (speed) work the day after
lactic work.)

Now, you can keep the order of energy system
development the same (if you knew the answer to
the above question you are in good shape) but
you have to progressively overload the training so
the workouts continue to stimulate an adaptation,
i.e. your athletes keep getting faster, stronger
and in better ’shape’.

This requires changing the volume, intensity,
density, distance per rep/interval, etc.

Not only does it keep athletes from getting extremely
bored with their training (which reduces performance
in and of itself), but it maintains continuous
improvement, assuming, of course, you properly
manipulate all the training variables.

If you plan in advance, keep records of workout
results and continuously improve your system, then
program design gets easier and easier as time
goes on.

(Relatively speaking.)

If you’re a little confused, realize you need more
help or just need a bigger library of drills,
exercises and workouts, I highly recommend you
take a serious look at the Complete Speed Training
program. It walks you through this entire process.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. For track and field specific program design
strategies, click here.
 

Why?

Because in the United States we are a bunch of
fatsos.

One out of every 3 adults in this country is
obese. Not just overweight, but OBESE.

So let’s start there.

I watch a lot of youth sports. And I can’t help
but laugh (or cry) when I see an overweight coach or
parent trying to tell athletes what to do.

First, if you’re overweight, you can’t properly
demonstrate HOW to do the drills and movements.

But on a practical level, as an athlete it’s a bit
tough to listen to a coach preach about hard work
and commitment when they can’t even look straight
down and see their feet.

Regular young athletes just can’t be properly
motivated to work hard all the time when the message
is hypocritical.

As coaches and parents, the first thing we have to
do is objectively look at ourselves. If we don’t
take care of ourselves, that sends a terrible
message to our athletes. So if you happen to fall
into that category, please make the changes that
will set a good example and keep you alive.

Now, how about the kids?

16.3% of kids age 2-19 are OBESE. And 15.6% are
overweight! (Journal of the American Medical Assn.)

Are you kidding me?

When I talk about nutrition to my athletes, they
don’t have a clue. Good carbs, bad carbs, they
have no idea.

Drink your bodyweight x .66 in water everyday? The
concept of drinking that much water each day blows
their minds.

Some fats are good for you? How can that be?

Eat breakfast everyday? You mean it’s true that
breakfast is the most important meal of the day?

Apparently noone is teaching kids about good
nutrition. Food fuels performance. Crappy food,
crappy performance.

Of course in this country, many people like to
shift the responsibility to someone else.

I might be fat, but it’s not my fault.

My kids don’t know about nutrition? Not my fault.

My kids are fat and don’t eat breakfast? Not my
fault.

So we find a scapegoat to blame. And who are the
two best scapegoats in today’s society?

A Clown and a Chief.

We blame McDonald’s and other fast food joints for
making us and our kids fat.

Ridiculous.

We blame video games for making our kids lazy.

Ridiculous.

McDonald’s and Xbox are not the reasons kids are
fat and lazy. The responsibility rests squarely
on the shoulders of the people not making healthy
dinners and allowing the Xbox to be played.

Until we each take responsibility for our
contributions to this problem, it will just keep
getting worse.

There’s a reason I give you a Sports Nutrition
manual as one of the eight bonuses that come with
the Complete Speed Training program. Because it’s
critically important.

When we set a good example for our athletes, we
get more out of them. Because believe me, they
notice.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

I asked two questions, but gave you the option to
‘write in’ a vote for something I missed. In looking
at those numbers, most of the people who ‘wrote in’
their vote chose a combination of the choices.

I’m posting some of the more interesting written
responses as well.

As always, I’d like to hear your response to the
responses.

Question 1: What is the biggest reason for Team USA’s
failure at the Olympic Games?
All of the above (below)                                   27%

Talented athletes choose other sports
before being introduced to track and
field                                                                       27%

Uneducated youth coaches don’t give a
foundation that leads to future success           16%

The athletes just choked, plain and
simple                                                                   15%

Not enough support from the ‘Governing
Body’ at USATF                                                    8%

Poor planning by Collegiate and
Professional coaches                                             6%

Not enough talent in the US                                1%
 

Here are some of your ‘write in’ responses:

“It is both the inadequate coaching AND TRAINING
of athletes at that level, some bit of simple
“choking”, but also, the “attitude” that doesn’t
match performance…”

“I don’t know a enough about US track and field
activities to juge any of the above reasons are
correct. But is seems that the Jamacians are abel
to use the curren knowlege on biomechanics,
especially for the sprint event. The rest of the
world are way behind. Maybe they train on running
over burning coal ;-)”

“I believe our standards have fallen off, as it
is not enough to simply be our nation’s best.
Winning the USATF Nationals or Olympic Trials
with a weak performance should not be viewed as
some amazing achievement. For years I’ve seen the
sport lower expectation and quality in exchange
for participation increase. (thank you Title IX).
Today, a girl jumping 5′6 can earn a full
scholarship to some small to medium college. I
can recall the days when I’d see several girls
jumping 5′10″ in a state meet, with potential for
6′0+ jumps coming regularly. Today, in my state
of CA, you could win it all if you are clean
through 5′8″! This type of expectation will
develop great participants, as we have seen in
several event areas in our Olympic teams. I
believe we can’t afford to not raise our
standards, as we are achieving an objective we
can’t afford.”

“I think you are coming on a little strong with
the term “failure.” Sweep the men’s 400; sweep
the men’s 400H, silver and bronze in men’s 200
(3 runners in final), silver and bronze in 110H.
This is hardly “failure.” And this without a
healthy Tyson Gay (who would have made Bolt run
the whole 100 — but still place 2nd). Don’t let
Bolt’s incredible performance overshadow one of
the bigger disappointments of the Olympics: Asafa
Powell. Walter Dix has no business beating him,
but he did — hardly a US “failure.” I think you
are creating a straw man and then beating him up.
So Jeremy Wariner was a disapointment, but not
LaShawn Merritt. Don’t be so negative.”

“All the above probaly, but today’s Youth are
lazy and hate hard work. All Track & Field
specialties are quite demanding.”

“I think that the athletes came in thinking that
they couldn’t be beat and were overconfident. I
think that the coaches should have dealt with
that issue. The relay teams need to practice
together more than a couple of times. There is
no excuse for athletes at that level to drop the
baton in the eay that they did. If the athletes
shared the lane, then running up on an out going
runner would not be the problem. Those are just
fundamentals. Spearmon should have an awareness
of where he is in his lane, that was a poor
excuse of a performance and unacceptable at that
level.”
“All of the above except #2, PLUS, if you widen
your view to include middle distance and long
distance, the story is even uglier. Our system of
over racing youth in HS and college for distances
is atrocious. Why was 16 year old Jordan Hasay
running in the US Olympic trials 1500m, a week
before heading to Poland for the World Junior’s ?
No wonder our team truly sucks from 800m & up.”

What do you think about what you think? Post your
reply below.
 

Question 2: What is the biggest reason Track and
Field is a commercial failure as a sport?

All of the above                                                   41%

Bad marketing and promoting by the
sport’s ‘leadership’                                              25%

Most athletes don’t get introduced to
track until middle or high school, long
after they’ve fallen in love with other
sports                                                                   14%

Doesn’t keep the average fan’s interest
without teams, scoring or a points race
(ala Nascar)                                                         11%

Bad overall leadership at the top                       7%

Too many different events that people
don’t want to watch (ex: sprinters don’t
want to watch distance)                                       2%

Again, here are some of your ‘write in’ responses
to the survey:

“The USA has domestic interests in revenue
generating sports like NBA, NFL, PGA (if one can
think of golf as a sport!). In Euroupe athletics
draw more interest because they do not have major
professional sports outside of maybe soccer and
basketball(on the low end). We know that the
revenue generated from media outlets that market
pro sports in america perpetuates the notion that
lack of popularity means lack of interest! So,
how can track and field survive in such a
convoluted arena as pro sports, when Kobe is on
the front page and Tyson struggles to get press
over the Marion mess!”

“All of that along with the media’s complete
misunderstanding of the sport…they focus too
much on the human interest stories, instead of
the events themselves….true track fans want to
see the competition, not just the best
throw/jump/heat.”

“Like you said in your blog, people don’t get it.
I hear all the time, why would I want to run
around in circles, what’s the fun in that. Let
alone watch it. Track is only good during the
olympics. Everyone doesn’t love track like track
fans, therefore it’s not that big of a deal. It’s
not america’s favorite pastime. People don’t like
to jog or run to lose weight, let alone compete
in it. I honestly, as a runner, former coach, and
avid fan can say that track is something that is
marketed to the youth. In order for them to get
into college, develop dreams to be an olympian,
and then realize only a small percentage of
runners have the talent to make it
professionally…”

“The only time people get really excited is every
4 years when it become a “team sport” again. I
worry, however, that track athletes are just too
maverick to buy into the team idea on a regular
basis. The Golden League doesn’t help by making
it an “every man for himself” sport.”

“I coach track and most kids only know the top
sprinter that’s it, They also don’t want to train
and track is used to prepare them for a team sport.
The Kids also dont like the USATF youth format.
Example I have a 14 year old that turns 15
December 28, so he has to run against 15-16 year
olds, so he doesnt want to run anymore. FYI we
have a lot of kids in this situation so the rather
play basketball.”

A great number of interesting points have been
brought up. And I don’t disagree with any of them,
including the ones that disagree with me.

I think in the end, if track is going to gain a
larger share of the market, it comes down to two
things:

1. The governing body has to come up with a plan
(any plan at this point) to bring more awareness
to the sport. Even track fans have to search for
information. USATF has to find a way to make track
appeal to the average fan using a format they
understand. People don’t like change. So track will
never succeed unless it is structured in a team
format or a points race like Nascar.

2. Coaching Education. To an extent this is preaching
to the choir, but we could all be more educated.
Most coaches at the youth and HS levels really
don’t know what they are doing. Not only is it sad,
but it is embarassing. People either need to get
certified through USATF or invest in resources that
promote good training practices.

If we don’t establish a strong foundation at the
developmental levels, athletes can’t maximize their
potential at the elite levels.

Just like we can trace a bad attempt in the long
jump back to a problem in the approach, we can
usually trace poor performances at the elite levels
back to substandard training at the developmental
levels.

What do you think?
To your success,

Latif Thomas

So I thought I’d highlight some of those points and
see what you think.

They are in no particular order. But after reading,
take my survey at the end and I’ll share the
results.

1. An Olympic Sized Choke Job

Men’s 100m: Jamaican World Record
Women’s 100m: Swept by Jamaica

Men’s 110HH: Silver and Bronze, but no Gold
Women’s 100H: We won…but Lolo Jones?

Men’s 200m: Bye Bye American World Record
Women’s 200m: Another Jamaican Gold

Men’s 400m: US Sweep (Hooray…)
Women’s 400m: Would have won Gold if it was a 350

Men’s 400IH: US Sweep (Thank goodness for our 400
squad)
Women’s 400H: Jamaican Gold and Olympic Record

Men’s 4×100: Choke - Dropped baton
Women’s 4×100: Choke - Dropped baton

Seriously - the US 4×100 teams need to take a page
from USA Basketball’s book. That is an embarassment.

If I can get 15 year olds to practice for 10 minutes
before a meet and get the stick around on a
consistent basis, why can’t professional athletes
do it?

Men’s LJ: No finalists
Men’s HJ: No finalists

Women’s TJ: No finalists

And that’s just the sprints and jumps results as
of this writing.

2. Bad promotion of coaches education by Track’s
governing body.

Did you know USA Track and Field has 3 levels of
coaching certification for all the event groups?

Probably not. Because they don’t promote it.

Because they are terrible at marketing and
advertising. And that’s why many youth and HS
coaches don’t know what they’re doing. I coach at
that level. And I see what people are doing. It’s
a joke.

And I get the daily emails from people asking:

A) How to bypass their (or their kid’s) terrible
youth, high school or club coach to get some good
training that actually works.

or

B) How to convince their clueless High School coach
to stop doing pointless training recycled from 40
years ago.

Don’t get me wrong, it makes our  job easier because
coaching at the developmental levels is like
amateur hour.

When I got my Level II certification I was one of
about 5 coaches who didn’t specifically coach at
the collegiate level.

So just think about the base level of knowledge of
the average track coach who is responsible for
developing the foundation for future Olympians…

For every one of us that has half a clue, there are 10
who don’t go in the weight room, send sprinters on
the roads to run mileage and/or think speed work
is repeat 200s.

You know exactly what I’m talking about.

With age group coaches all speaking a different
language, there is no unified system of training
our young athletes. So they are poorly trained and
ill prepared for long term, elite level achievment.

Or even maximizing their potential at the High School
level for that matter.

It’s not complicated.

The information is out there.

Our professional coaches and top end college coaches
are far and away the best in the world. It’s
ridiculous how good they are.

So I can’t place the blame on the coaching these
athletes are getting now.

You really can’t go wrong learning from guys like
Tony Veney, Boo Schexnayder and Cliff Rovelto, among
many others.

But with such a poor foundation, no wonder our
athletes can’t compete with tiny island nations.

But these Jamaicans who are kicking American behinds
develop a foundation of good work capacity from
childhood.

Sure they run track from an early age. They also
play soccer and cricket. What they don’t do is
sit on their behinds playing video
games and eating fast food. They walk and run to
where they want to go. They ride bikes. They swim.

They develop general athletic ability through a
variety of activities.

Our athletes don’t. And the chickens have come home
to roost.

3. Bad marketing of track and field athletes and
the sport itself.

People don’t run track because no one knows anything
about it. People don’t watch track because no one
gets the point.

What are the teams? (There are none.)

What’s the score? (There is none.)

What’s the point? (There isn’t one.)

I love track and I can see that there is no point,
no buildup when watching a meet on TV. And that’s
why track is a joke in this country.

Again, blame the people who run USA Track and
Field.

I see commercials for a local gymnastics facility
during prime time, but nothing promoting any of
our Olympic sprinters.

When’s the last time USATF ran a commercial
promoting Tyson Gay. Or Jeremy Wariner?

Exactly. (Then again maybe that’s a good thing after
their atrocious performances)

If you can find a meet on TV, it’s on at 2am on
some pointless channel that just had bass fishing
on before the meet.

And the announcers talk to you like you’re a moron.

Give a monkey an advertising budget and they
couldn’t do worse than USA Track and Field has over
the past decade.

I could go on and on, but I think you get the point.

Take one minute to vote in my survey. And share
your thoughts below.

NOTE: A lot of people have been saying this in the
survey and I have to kill this idea. Not all of
the Jamaicans ran track at US Colleges!

The 2 fastest men of all time did not attend US
colleges! Neither Asafa Powell or Usain Bolt went
to college in the US!!!
To your success,

Latif Thomas
 

Yup Tiger Woods.

Why?

Because he introduced the idea that specializing
in one sport from birth is the key to riches and
success.

OK, not him specifically. But the idea of being
‘The Next Tiger Woods’.
 

The prevailing theory is that by practicing one sport
all year, the athlete will develop the skills of
that sport and become dominant. Then they’ll get
the scholarship, get the girl (so to speak), go
pro and be rich and famous.

Well that’s wrong. Flat. Out. Wrong.

But the level of knowledge of youth sports coaches
and parents is not the topic for today.

Saving your athletes from a career ending injury,
peaking at 15 or suffering burnout is.

Sport specialization before the mid-teens is a
bad idea. Think I’m an idiot or your kid or
athlete in THE exception to the rule?

Come on, we all know someone who thinks like that.

Not you of course…

Listen to Al Vermeil. Al Vermeil is the only
strength coach to have World Championship rings
from BOTH the NFL and the NBA. He is also the
only strength coach who has been in the NFL, NBA
and Major League Baseball. Al was honored by
being one of the initial inductees to the
Strength Coaches Hall of Fame in June 2003.

And he doesn’t just work with pro athletes. Here
is what he had to say in our recent interview:

But why talk theory and opinion when we can look
at real research.

According to Tudor Bompa (1999), the father of
modern program design:

“Regardless of how specialized the instruction
may become, initially there should be exposure to
multilateral (overall athletic) development to
acquire necessary fundamentals.

You can often observe extremely rapid development
in some young athletes. In such cases, it is
paramount that the instructor resist the temptation
to develop a specialized training program. A broad,
multilateral base of physical development, especially
general physical preparation, is a basic requirement
to reach a highly specialized level of physical
preparation and technical mastery. Such an approach
to training is a prerequisite for specializing in
a sport or event.

The followers of multilateral, overall training in
the early (8-15) years of athletic development will
build a solid base and avoid overuse injuries,
monotony, and staleness in training.”

Let’s look at two studies performed in two different
countries whose athletic dominance was well established
a couple decades ago. These studies prove the
validity of this generalized approach to
training young athletes, regardless of sport.

A 14 year East German study (Harre 1982) divided
a large group of 9-12 year olds. One trained under
the North American model (early specialization in
a specific sport) and the other used a general
program of participating in a variety of sports.

Nagorni’s (1978) Soviet study looked at the best
Soviet athletes. They started training at 7 or 8,
participating in a variety of sports. Specialized
sports programs started between 15-17 years old.

What were the results?

Early specializers had quick performance
improvements. I’ll give you that.

But their lifetime best performances came at age
15-16 due to quick adaptation. (Remember that college
scholarships are year to year, not 4 year deals.
Trust me, you don’t perform, they won’t keep
paying your kid to compete. There are plenty more
just like them who will.)

Early specializers had inconsistent performances
compared to their multilateral peers.

By 18 many early specializers quit the sport due
to burnout and overuse injury. Multilateral athletes
had a much longer shelf life.

Early specializers are prone to injuries because
of forced adaptation. Multilateral athletes have
few injuries.

The bottom line is this:

If you want your athletes to have the greatest
chance at long term success, don’t specialize them
when they are developing.

As parents it is your responsibility to think long
term. And to watch out for the (many) coaches who
only care about what they can get out of your
athletes right now.

As coaches you have to make sure you are doing what
is best for the athlete, not what is best for your
ego. And deep down you know which approach you’re
really taking.

So if you want to roll the dice on your athletes or
children and hope they avoid that ACL injury,
burnout or peaking at 16, I can’t stop you.

But it’s tough to look a crying kid in the eye when
they fail to perform because they can’t meet the
level of performance at 17 that they could do when
they were 14.

Unfortunately I’ve seen it many, many times.

And I don’t want that on my conscience, do you?

The safest, most appropriate training program is
one that is based on developing the total athlete.

Complete Speed Training is that program. It isn’t
sport specific because it doesn’t need to be. It’s
not supposed to be. It’s not what your athletes
need. Follow the program and they’ll get better
at every sport they play and whatever sport you
coach.
 

In fact, I flat out guarantee it.

To your success,
Latif Thomas

More specifically, some parents/adults are
obsessed with professional team sports. So they
try to live their dreams by funneling their kids
into those mainstream sports as early as possible.

Then many of them live the dream that their kid is
going to ‘make it’.

I can’t count how many thousands of emails I’ve gotten
over the years that say something like ‘My 13 year
old son is a football player’, or ‘My 11 and 12 year
old soccer players’.

Really?

After my last email Ron brought up a great point:

“Basketball, football and baseball siphons off a
tremendous amount of track and field talent in
the U.S. In Jamaica there’s no football or
basketball to take away the speedy athletes. I
think the main lack of U.S. depth of high jumpers,
long jumpers and triple jumpers is that they are
playing basketball at some level. A lot of
average-talent basketball players could be elite
track and field athletes if they were
“cross-trained’. The kids play basketball all
year now and aren’t recruited into T&F. Can you
imagine Lebron James in the TJ? For example the
U.S. women’s pole vault champ was a former
basketball player.”

He’s absolutely right.

I lose more talented athletes (especially girls)
to 12 month a year soccer than I even want to think
about. It’s a joke. 
 
So many kids and parents cling to the ‘athletic
scholarship/going pro’ dream that they completely
miss the fact their kid could excel at another
sport.

I only ran track because I had nothing to do in
the spring. I was living the basketball dream
until I started abusing kids on the track.

I was a marginal basketball player but a Division I
scholarship track athlete.

And I can name dozens of others in the same boat.

And with Title IX, they practically throw scholarships
at female athletes. When I was in college there
were guys on my team who were NCAA All Americans
who weren’t on full rides. But women who couldn’t
score in duel meets against bum teams were. Sad.
 
(Save your Title IX comments, I get why it exists.)
If more mediocre basketball players became jumpers,
we’d have more medals in those events.

If more mediocre football players became throwers,
we’d have more medals in those events.

If more kids went into swimming….

…you get the idea.

We don’t lack talent here in the US. As coaches
and parents we lack objectivity.

Instead of being smart and giving young athletes
a diet of multilateral training during the
developmental years (9-14), one that allows them to peak
higher once they do decide to pick a focus, they
specialize kids early. And then wonder why kids
burn out or don’t perform like they should.

But I’ll get into that soon enough.

Now, since people in this country only care about
revenue sports (football, basketball, baseball and
to a lesser extent soccer) the individual sports
get no love. In the rest of the world, that isn’t
necessarily the case.

So the blame there goes to the piss poor business
and marketing ability of your swimmings, track and
fields, gymnastics, etc. 
 
Until these fringe sports do a better job of making
people know that they exist, or care, athletes in
this country will stick to what they know.

You can’t blame the NFL or NBA for being good at
marketing and promoting their product.

But it’s also the reason we’re not as dominant on
the international stage. Because there are about
357 medals available in swimming, but only one
in basketball.

Of course, in this country people don’t care about
that as long as their kid makes varsity football
as a freshman or their daughter makes the club
soccer team that requires a 12 month commitment.

At the end of the day, part of the reason American
sports dominance on the international stage is
falling off rests in the average American’s obsession
with professional team sports and their inability
to comprehend that countless other sports actually
exist.
 
And that they are fun, exciting and take considerable
talent.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

NOTE: I felt compelled to respond
to a couple of the responses to
this post. Of course, I’ll be
covering these ideas later.

Alan (#4): Yes. I do blame parents for wanting
their kids to specialize early. Ignorance is not
an excuse for bad parenting. Their kids are not
going to be A-Rod, a Manning or Michael Jordan.

To put that idea in their kid’s head or allow it
to fester in their own is, in my opinion (and all
the other professional strength and conditioning
coaches I know) akin to child abuse.

Basing theirchild’s youth sport choice on their
money making potential only further proves my
point that parents are a danger to their own
children.

A more appropriate idea (not that it is) would be
to have their children run track or another ‘lesser’
sport. They have a much better chance of getting
an athletic scholarship (especially females) in
those sports than in basketball, soccer, football,
etc.

Michael (#5):  I don’t disagree with you. And I
don’t think you should prevent an 11 year old from
playing soccer if he loves it. But you should
prevent him from playing it 12 months per year.
And you should have him play other sports as well.

He’ll be a better soccer player if he plays 3-6
months per year than he would if he played year
round. Young kids need multilateral training, not
sport specific repetitive motions.

 It hurts to say it, believe me. But the American
Sports Empire has cracked. And it’s crumbling all
around us.

What’s the proof you ask?

The influx of European players to the NBA. The
number of Latino players in Major League Baseball.

USA basketball refers to itself as the ‘Redeem Team’

Redemption for its abysmal showing on the world stage
over the past 4 years. And basketball should be the
sport we clean up in no matter what.

Have you seen how many Gold Medals the Chinese have
won? As of this writing it is:

China: 40
USA: 25

Ok, OK we still have a 5 medal overall lead….

But let’s be real for a second. It’s about winning
GOLD medals for the USA, not scrapping up on the
bronze.

And China is wiping the floor with us when it comes
to the medals the count.

At least we can have the ever reliable USA Track
and Field athletes to do what they always do.

Nope. The Caribbean went 1-2 on us in the Men’s 100
(with a ridiculous world record to boot).

And the women? Swept by the Jamaicans.

(I’m sure someone will upset Usain Bolt in the
200……)

That sweep in the men’s shot put? In the end that
ended up being just one medal. And it wasn’t the
Gold.

Even our best 1500m runner didn’t make the final.
And he wasn’t even born here!

At least the 400 hurdlers took care of business.

And if they made track posters, Lolo Jones would
be on my wall. For sure.

If your best rebuttal is Michael Phelps, just hold
on a second.

Sure the guy is a freak of nature. But take him
out of the equation and our gold medal count is even
more embarassing. If that’s possible.

It’s true, China has 20% of the world’s population.
And that is a staggering statistic. But is that what
we’re going to start using as an excuse?

I know we have a few more people than Jamaica does.
That didn’t stop them from wiping us off the track
in the sports most famous event (sorry milers).

So why is the American sports machine sliding back?

And how does it get fixed?

I think there are a couple of reasons.

And in the coming days I’m going to lay them out.

I’m going to detail the  biggest reasons why
American athletics are no longer the overwhelming
force we once were. And what we can do about it.

Some of you will disagree. I know how testy some
people get when you imply that America isn’t perfect
in all ways, shapes and forms. Some of you really
sensitive people will suggest I’m being un-American.

(Trust me those are the kinds of emails I get)

I think it’s exactly the opposite.

So let me know if you agree that we’re witnessing
an Olympic sized choke job from the US delegation.
Or if I’m being ridiculous.

And keep an eye out for my next email.
To your success,

Latif Thomas

So I created a brief video that explains:

- which resource is the better option for your
  situation…and why

- exactly what to do if you are ‘just a parent’
  or volunteer coach with no background in coaching,
  training or exercise science
 
- an exclusive offer for those of you that watch
  the entire video…

Click here to check it out:

Order ‘Complete Speed Training’ Now

Complete Athlete Development

To your success,

Latif Thomas
.

Despite my best efforts, I don’t think I’m getting
my message across to some of you.

This thought was highlighted by two completely
crazy emails I got yesterday.

It’s a pattern that needs to be broken.

Speed Training Survey

To your success,

Latif Thomas
Complete Speed Training

There were a lot of responses.

But were they accurate?

And if so, how do we fix them?

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. Want some more specific help understanding how
to improve speed and performance in your athletes?

Click here

How much is too much, too little or just right?

Well, when it comes to speed training the answer
to that question is easy.

The problem is that it’s the wrong question to ask.

Check out this video and I’ll show you why:

To your success,

Latif Thomas

Complete Speed Training

Take a look, see if you can figure out the problems
and then I’ll break it down. (Note that the author
has fancy letters after his name, so theoretically
he should know better.)

*Note* - I added the times for each portion of
the training session in myself to
supplement the video. They are not contained
in the original post.

_____________

Forum: High School Coaches
Topic: Pre-season Conditioining for H.S.
Posted By: L. I., MS , ATC

Dear Coaches,

I’m doing the conditioning for my H.S. Athletes.
 
This is my program:

Dynamic warm up (water Break)  - 20 minutes
Agiility (w.b.) - 20 minutes
Core training(w.b.) - 15 minutes
Speed run(w.b.) - 20 minutes
Plyometrics(w.b.) - 20 minutes
Speed endurance(w.b.) - 20 minutes
cool down - 10 minutes
Stretch - 10 minutes

Total time for the session: 135 minutes

In my next email I’m going to break down the
second part of his training program and show
you some ‘action footage’ showing why the
following progression doesn’t work for
developing speed in athletes of any age, sport
or gender:

I INCREASE 10% THE # OF YARDS THAT WE RUN PER
WEEK AND ALSO EVERY WEEK DECREASE THE RECOVERY
TIME.

To your success,

Latif Thomas

P.S. If any of this is new information, you
don’t immediately see the flaw in increasing
volume 10% each week while decreasing recovery
time or you want to know the right way to put
a speed program together, than all the more
reason to invest in one of those complete speed
training programs…

The response was overwhelming…

Program Design.

As coaches, we have to understand program design
in order to improve our program and athletes each
year.

To help you, I’m giving you part of the
speed training program design manual I created.

How can you get the full version of this manual?

Well,  it’s free…

It’s one of the *nine* bonus resources I’m giving
you when your order the Complete Speed Training
Program.

****
It doesn’t matter whether you coach team sports,
run 4, 8 or 12 week groups or train yourself, if
your season as a whole isn’t organized following
specific training guidelines, then neither you or
your athletes should expect to see consistent or
continuous improvement.

No periodization at all is just making things up
as you go along. And I can’t think of many
situations in life or athletics where such a
philosophy is a recipe for success.

The information here will be useful to you as a
supplement to your Complete Speed Training Program.

Having a large inventory of effective drills and
exercises to pull from for the various
phases and elements of training is, quite frankly,
essential to the continued success of your
athletes.

With the Complete Speed Training program as the
foundation, it is simply a matter of, literally,
plugging the information from the DVDs into the
appropriate workouts.

Now, let’s begin our look at training theory.

I find that one of the biggest misconceptions
regarding training theory is that there is some
universal method of training that magically applies
to everyone.

There isn’t.

There are multiple paths to the same goal. The
problem comes when coaches aren’t on any
particular path at all. Instead they just wander
aimlessly toward some poorly defined end point,
making things up based on their mood that day.
Science is not used in any of their training
decisions.

This is not to say that experience and tradition
don’t have a role in program design, they
do. But they shouldn’t be the foundation of the
program.

On top of that, let’s not make training theory
and program design more complicated than
it is. Adding depth and detail for the sake of
being fancy will take away from basic training
principles that serve as the glue holding the plan
together.