Summary:

Coach Donald & Coach Tim make the case for single-leg strength training, along with how and why all athletes should incorporate it into their programming.

Key Discussion Points:

Addressing Common Misconceptions:

• Prehab/rehab, balance and lower loads

Deep Dive:

• Neuromuscular demands
• Biomechanical implications
• Relative force
• Programming

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 7:00 - Coach Donald & Coach Tim share their most recent Coaching Moments.
• 14:25 - The coaches address some common myths when it comes to single-leg strength training, like it only being useful for rehab and balance and that you shouldn’t do it with high loads.
• 17:50 - A discussion on the neuromuscular demands of single-leg training versus bilateral.
• 20:52 - The coaches talk about the biomechanical implications of sprinting, cutting and jumping that make the argument for single-leg training.
• 25:40 - Coach Donald unpacks relative force, the bilateral deficit phenomenon and how single-leg strength training can help mitigate injuries.
• 32:30 - The coaches talk about best practices when programming single-leg strength training for athletes.
• 42:24 - Episode recap and closing notes.

Resources:

Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/

Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Hosts:

• Coach Donald: Coach Donald, M.Ed Exercise Science, Owner of Global Human Performance
• Coach Tim: MBA, CPT, PES, FNS

Summary:

Coach Donald and Coach Tim continue their discussion on the physiology of sprint training, and chat about what it means to run “fast” while exploring key concepts such as the metabolic demands of sprinting and the core aspects of speed training.

Key Discussion Points:

Coaching Moments:

• Coach Donald shares a story from Trackside, and Coach Tim chats about a recent in-gym onboarding session with a new youth athlete.

Deep Dive:

1) How to move the needle in sprint performance

2) The foundation of sprint performance is a function of stride rate, stride length and endurance

3) An exploration of the relationship of effort and fitness as it relates to speed expression

4) The metrics and metabolic demands of sprinting

5) The core aspects of speed training are acceleration, max velocity and speed endurance

6) Managing load and volume

7) A discussion on speed endurance

8) Coaching and training considerations

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

Noteworthy Moments/Quotes:

• 2:39 - The coaches share their most recent Coaching Moments.
• 4:54 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim discuss what getting “faster” means in the context of running versus field sports, and rail against the fallacy of “more” again.
• 9:27 - How do you move the needle in sprint performance? The coaches take a deep dive into the foundational components, the physiological mechanisms and the practical application of sprint training.
• 10:05 - Coach Donald discusses the basic components of speed: stride rate, stride length and endurance.
• 13:50 - The coaches talk about the differences between competing at all distances, and what max velocity or “full speed” means in a training and racing context.
• 15:57 - Coach Donald explores the relationship between speed expression and the corresponding effort level, as well as the metabolic demands for power vs. speed.
• 19:05 - The coaches talk about how an athlete can improve the most important metrics of speed and sprint performance, like stride rate, stride length, ground contact time and posture.
• 22:03 - Coach Donald takes a deep dive into the metabolic demands of sprinting.
• 24:38 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim go on a “6-7” tangent.
• 29:24 - Coach Donald discusses how an athlete can improve their tolerance for sprinting, which includes skipping, drilling, lifting and running.
• 30:32 - What are the core aspects of training for speed, and how do plyometrics, hill sprints and resisted running help?
• 37:53 - Coach Donald talks about load management and proper volume with sprint training.
• 39:01 - Fitness in the form of tempo running, speed endurance training and special endurance.
• 43:25 - Coach Donald recaps the episode and shares some final thoughts on coaching and training considerations.

Resources Mentioned:

• Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
• Website: https://ghperformance.com/

Actionable Takeaways:

• Sprint training is much more nuanced than just running “fast.”
• Speed is a function of stride rate, stride length and endurance, and all of those are trainable qualities.
• Quality training includes managing the metabolic demands of...

• Coach Donald: M.Ed Exercise Science, Owner of Global Human Performance
• Coach Tim: MBA, CPT, PES, FNS

Coach Donald & Coach Tim take a deep dive into the physiology of sprint training, and discuss the what, when, why and how of high-intensity sprinting.

Coaching Moments:

• Cross country season re-cap and success stories
• In-gym highlights

Deep Dive:

• The Fitness-Speed Pipeline, and the ever-present argument about what comes first
• More is not always better, especially with high-intensity activities
• The physiology of sprint training, sprint mechanics and plyometrics
• Motor learning, brain training and body positioning
• The integration of strength training with sprint training.
• CNS fatigue
• Stride rate & stride length
• Coaching challenges

Webinar Pitch, Outro & Feedback

• 2:10 - Coach Donald and Coach Tim share their most recent Coaching Moments and Performance Highlights.
• 9:00 - Coach Donald discusses the Fitness-Speed Pipeline, and addresses some common misconceptions with the “fitness first” approach.
• 16:02 - More myth-busting conversation about how more is not always better, especially with athletes training and competing on a very high level.
• 19:48 - Coach Donald explains the physiology behind sprint training, including neural drive, motor unit recruitment, rate coding and coordination.
• 25:56 - The coaches talk about tissue stiffness during sprinting, and explore tendon elasticity and the muscle-tendon interaction.
• 30:33 - Ways to incorporate and apply plyometric training, as it relates to running economy.
• 31:38 - Coach Donald talks about motor learning and how “brain training” is crucial for athletes, and the importance of doing drills and skill work with specific intent.
• 36:02 - A chat about force application, quality of movement and body positioning.
• 40:25 - Coach Donald brings things full circle, and explains why/how strength training integrates into sprint training.
• 43:52 - CNS fatigue: what it is, things to look for and how to manage it.
• 49:09 - Coach Donald summarizes the episode with stride rate and stride length.
• 50:45 - The coaches explore how sprint training can benefit endurance athletes.
• 54:45 - Coaching challenges with sprint training can include personalizing approaches in a group setting, knowing when to appropriately end a session and balancing being knowledgeable in biomechanics, physiology and environmental control.

• Webinar: https://ghperformance.com/webinar/
• Website: https://ghperformance.com/
• Jack Daniels’ Running Formula
• The Mechanics of Sprinting & Hurdling
• Jumping into Plyometrics