Hot off the press!

Read the advert below for full details.  The closing date has been moved forward to next Wednesday 11th March.

For those of you who know anything about APA, you will know our biggest contract is with Gosling Tennis Academy, so we are really experienced with working with elite tennis players.

Normally we can only offer part-time self-employed work with APA at Gosling Tennis Academy. However, Gosling Sports Park have decided to create a couple of employed roles which will be made up of gym instructing in the commercial gym and strength & conditioning with APA.

This is great news for APA because it means we can offer the successful candidate a full-time opportunity.

So if you think you have what it takes to be a great member of the APA team then get your CV to Carolyn asap!

[gview file=”https://athleticperformanceacademy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/APA-JOB-ADVERTMar20152.pdf”]

Today’s post is about motivation, and what to do when you’re working with a particular breed of animal..the teenager, who doesn’t always have much of it!!!

I occasionally like to post on aspects of psychology as it is a huge part of what makes a successful athlete and coach.  In a previous blog I spoke about building confidence through results.  Click HERE for the full article.

In that post I made the point that the results the player/athlete gets (winning a match or beating a personal best) build confidence that what they are doing is working and therefore are seen as contributing to a sense of achievement and increasing competence (e.g. time splits in swimming or running that are better – that’s what PB’s are about).

Achieving Personal bests though is not as easy as it sounds so as well as having confidence you need to be motivated!

Most children that start playing sport when they are young do so because it is fun!  Some children might have dreams about being a professional sportsman or woman, but many do not.

For me, one of the greatest challenges is working with athletes who say they want one thing (e.g. be a Tennis Professional) and yet aren’t motivated to do the work.  Alistair McCaw wrote a great article: ‘What happens when the parent wants ‘It’ more than the kid? – which you can read HERE.

”It’s easy for an athlete to say they want to be a professional, or one day win a grand slam championship. However, It’s much harder for them to say they want the struggle, hours upon hours of mundane repetition and the challenge.”

In the article Alistair talks about Intrinsic motivation, which he refers to as motivation that comes from inside an individual rather than from any external or outside reward. The motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from the task itself or from the sense of satisfaction in completing or even working on a task.

Working with teenagers is particularly challenging as they are at a point in their young careers where the stakes become higher.  They are often forfeiting full-time main stream education to afford them the opportunities to practice more in their main sport.  It’s also a time when there are a lot of distractions socially that just seem way more fun.

The reality is when you make the kind of commitment required to realise a goal of becoming a professional sportsman or woman you have to enjoy the GRIND!  You need to enjoy the process of doing the work which coaches call GRIT!

As Alistair says, ‘To be successful in anything, you need to have a passion for what you do and then have the GRIT, in other words you need to deeply love what you do, and are able to embrace struggle and take challenges head-on.’

The Challenge:

Did it work?

It had a good effect for the first week but once they realised that they would be out of contention (if they had a few days off ill, or were at a tournament) they said they no longer valued having a merit.  They didn’t care if they got one or not as it wouldn’t make a difference to getting the prize.

Why didn’t it work?

It didn’t work because I was tapping into Extrinsic Motivation.

Is there a more successful extrinsic reward?

When we examine the playing calendar of team sports such as soccer or rugby union, there is a relatively short preparation period compared to the long competitive period.  Recall that the original periodisation models were all built around the reverse of this; i.e.. having a long preparation period before a competitive period.  These models were conceived in the former Soviet and Eastern block countries for application in Olympic sports such as Track & Field, Weightlifting and even swimming.

In the case of an extended playing season for the football, rugby or racket player the limited pre-season requires attention to several components and as such a mixed model approach tends to be used where several components are trained simultaneously.

This blog looks at how APA use a hybrid model for team sports and racket sports that have short preparation phases and extended competitive seasons.  The model we propose is a hybrid of a linear and undulating periodisation model.

Linear Periodisation

A linear periodisation model follows a gradual shift from high volume and low intensity to high intensity and low volume.  An example in strength would be:

Week 1-4: 3 x 8RM

Week 5-8: 4 x 6RM

Week 9-12: 5 x 4RM

For young or inexperienced athletes a linear periodisation approach to strength and stamina is used during preparation periods.  With our advanced athletes we don’t follow a Linear Periodisation model; it’s a concurrent training model.  This is more commonly known as an undulating model.

Undulating Periodisation

An undulating model as proposed by Charles Poliquin uses weekly variations in load.  It is quite common as an in-season model which fluctuates between 1-2 weeks of hypertrophy and 1-2 weeks of maximal strength/power.  It allows the CNS to recover during periods where there is already high neural stimulus from a busy competition schedule.

I believe Dan Baker uses this form of week to week variation in strength sets and reps schemes to maintain strength and muscle mass using a form of weekly undulations in strength. (Undulating wave 12/8/10/6).  In this example the weeks of 12 and 10 would represent hypertrophy weeks and the weeks of 8 and 6 would represent strength.

A daily undulating model as proposed by Rhea et al (2002) is a variation of the undulating model.  The key difference between these two is that alterations of training volume and intensity are made on a daily basis as opposed to a weekly basis.

It is this daily undulating model that is more reflective of what we do at APA.  But the key difference is rather than having a different regime for each day, we blend them in EVERY session.

So Rhea et al (2002) would do the following within a week:

Session 1: 3 x 8RM

Session 2 4 x 6RM

Session 3: 5 x 4RM

At APA we take this approach a stage further and would combine all three within the same session:

First part: 5 x 4RM

Middle part: 4 x 6RM

End part: 3 x 8RM

Preparation Phase:

Strength and Stamina: More Linear over time

During the main preparation phase there is a gradual shift of emphasis towards a build up of intensity and reduction in volume in both strength and stamina.  To do this we just increase the bias towards one of the higher intensity/lower volume strength or stamina prescriptions using simple strategies such as doing 2 exercises for maximal strength in a strength phase rather than 1 when we are in a anatomical phase.  Or for stamina, substituting one of the high intensity aerobic interval sessions with a anaerobic repeated sprint protocol.

Also just in simple terms, the overall density of a session will be less as we start to ramp up the intensity meaning we will do less volume of work per session.  So I tend to reduce volume of strength and stamina work over the course of the preparation phase to allow me to build up the intensity towards the Anaerobic maximal strength and repeated sprints.

For example, during Strength sessions the total kilograms of weight lifting may drop from over 10,000 kg total in a session to only 4,000 kg in a high intensity low volume session.  In a stamina session, we might progress as follows:

• Progression 1: High-Intensity Aerobic/Anaerobic session (120-140% MAS)- typically   5-12 x 6 x (15-40m run @ 80-90% effort: 15-20m jog recovery).  This equates to 30-72 runs with a volume of 450m-2880m.

• Progression 2: High-Intensity Anaerobic session (200% MAS)- typically 3-5 x 4 x (5-25m run @ 100% effort: 5-25m walk).  This equates to 12-20 runs with a volume of 60m to 500m.

By the way, the workouts above are well suited to team sports players such as rugby and football players who cover distances anywhere from 3 to 10 km per game.  In Tennis, research reveals that among the top men, David Ferrer, who is known for his speed and agility, covers the most distance. Through three rounds of the 2015 Australian Open, Ferrer had run approximately 10,000 meters (6.2 miles).

On the other end of the spectrum, top-ranked Novak Djokovic had covered less than half that distance, somewhere between 4,000 and 5,000 meters through three rounds.

I usually plan for tennis players to typically cover at least 700m per set of Tennis.

For more information on the differences between sports check out this article HERE

Speed: More Reverse Linear over time

Speed on the other hand will increase in volume while maintaining intensity at 100%, with the exception of the first few weeks where you might start at 80-90% tempo runs.  This means that we will build from 10m sprints up to 40m sprints, and increase the total distance of the speed sessions. (reverse linear periodisation).

This, of course, is a general guide. Look at it in terms of progressing in distance. As far as volume, these are estimates. Some athletes are workhorses; others are not. There is no magic formula for determining the perfect volume for a speed workout or workout period, and there are many other variables to consider in prescribing speed sessions. It should vary by athlete based on training age, experience, skill, etc.

M: 8-10 x10m hills
Th: 8-10 x 15m hills

Once athletes have begun to improve:

M: 8-10 x 20m hills
Th: 8-10 x 20-30m acceleration development on flat surface

Once proficiency is shown:

M: 8-10 x 30m
Th: 4x30m, 3-4 x 40m

Once athletes have developed consistency in their acceleration development:

M: 10 x 30m
Th: 6-8 x fly 15′s with a 20m buildup

Choices from here vary by sport. Non-track coaches will likely stick with a format along these lines. Remember, you don’t always have to move up in distance; you can do repeat 10′s, 20′s, etc. Make it specific to your sport. In fact, you should move around in volume, distance, and intensity so that athletes do not adapt and become stagnant in their training.

If athletes aren’t going to maintain an all-out sprint for more than 15-20m, spend the bulk of time on various components of acceleration development, speed endurance, and some VMax work:

Monday: (Acceleration work) 5x10m, 5x20m, 5x30m (full recovery)

Thursday: (SE) 2 sets of 6x25m with 1 min rest between reps, 5 min between sets

Do a VMax workout every 3 or 4 workouts.

Pre-competition Phase:

Stamina: More Reverse Linear over time

During the pre-competition period, the strength and speed will be maintained (high intensity but low volume) but we will have increase in volume in stamina as we look to endure the  anaerobic qualities of speed, strength and power.  Of course this won’t be the first time that the athlete has been exposed to speed, strength or even power endurance, but until now it would not have been the focus.

It would have perhaps been a maximum of one of the main conditioning workouts for stamina such as a speed endurance repeated sprint endurance session.  Perhaps we would have some some strength and power endurance as part of a finisher in our strength workout.  However, it would not have been the main focus.

But come pre-competition, I like to make power endurance the main focus and usually assign up to 3 workouts a week to this form of conditioning.  Below is an example using barbell resistance training.

Power Endurance Development:

3 x (20-sec work, with 20-sec rest between sets), and 1-minute between exercises

High Pull from Thigh

Power clean

Squat to Overhead Press

Squats x 20 reps in 20-sec, with 1-minute between sets

Plank Combo – Left, Right & Front

Skydiver (Prone AW – Scap Retractions)

Competition:

There are a couple of approaches which could work here:

1.  A weekly undulating model– as proposed by Charles Poliquin which uses weekly variations in load.  It is quite common as an in-season model which fluctuates between 1-2 weeks of hypertrophy and 1-2 weeks of maximal strength/power.  It allows the CNS to recover during periods where there is already high neural stimulus from a busy competition schedule.

2.  A daily undulating model– which uses variations in the same week.  This is something we use quite a lot with Tennis players where we will plug in a session which combines Strength and Power a couple of times a week.  Or you can have one session which focuses on a strength and one which focuses on power.

The key with in-season programming is to have your ‘benchmark’ levels of performance that you can hold your athlete or team accountable to.  As long as they stay within an agreed percentage of peak performance you can be satisfied the in-season programme is working.

Depending on what the athlete needs you can assign a certain number of workouts per month that need to be completed in a given component of fitness and leave it to the athlete to manage when they get them done.

Hope you have found this article useful.  Remember,

• If you’re not subscribed yet, click here to get free email updates, so we can stay in touch.
• Share this post using the buttons on the top and bottom of the post. As one of this blog’s first readers, I’m not just hoping you’ll tell your friends about it. I’m counting on it.
• Leave a comment, telling me where you’re struggling and how I can help

As you may have read in previous posts I am really interested in how I can make my coaching as effective as possible so that I can help my athletes improve as fast as possible.

I recently had the privilege to sit on an advisory panel at a University that was considering the addition of a new Strength & Conditioning (S&C) undergraduate degree to their programme.  It was a rare opportunity to give feedback on the content of a degree programme before the modules had been finalised.

For me some of the areas that I suggested the next breed of S&C coaches needed to be learning about in an S&C degree were:

• Pedagogy
• Sports Biomechanics
• Entrepreneurship

Today I would like to finish my series of Blogs on Teaching methods by talking about Pedagogy.

Pedagogy- the study of being a teacher

The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction.  It can also refer to a teaching method.

I have wrote previously about some of the principles of teaching.  You can read the blogs HERE , HERE and HERE.

At the heart of the matter is the principle that learners will acquire new skills faster when they are engaged in their learning. The task that you set needs to be challenging in some way, otherwise they won’t be engaged.  On the sports field you need to promote competition, or decision making, or both.  In a classroom environment you need to promote interaction and discussion.

Fishy Proverbs 

In the gym we can be focusing on maximal speed, force or accuracy and it’s important to be clear on which one you are focusing on.  The key point is that you do need to be focused and engaged.

Performing skills even in the weights room needs to be mindful 

I personally have to challenge myself to not make myself integral to the learning process by wanting to control and guide it so that the task is always broken down into skills that the learner can ‘easily’ grasp.  I find myself wanting to break the Olympic lifts down to the simplest skill, for example.  Sometimes you need to allow the learner to discover the solution for themselves by setting them an outcome without giving the solution.  Before you start teaching evaluate their performance and see how close they can get to the real thing before you break it down.  Don’t give them all the answers, let them learn for themselves.

I know that as long as the athlete has a front squat and a good Romanian Deadlift I can be pretty confident that they will get close to the full Hang clean without me needing to say too much, or wanting to go back to a jump shrug straight away.  I actually get much more engagement when I give them a greater challenge (the full skill with a bit more weight- as long as it is safe) than if I give them a broomstick and a simple skill!

So what more is there to know about teaching?

Well having listened to Nick Winkleman present on this, clearly quite a lot.

Please find below an extract from my previous blog on his presentation, you can read the full review of the UKSCA Conference HERE.

Nick Winkelman

Director of Education (EXOS performance)

Overview:

The Art of Coaching Meets the Science of Motor Learning

• Value of ‘Constraint based’ model of training – manipulate BODY, TASK and ENVIRONMENT to optimise development over time

• This was a whistle-stop tour of coaching science, stopping off at Dynamic Systems Theory (environment), constraint based learning (instruction) and internal and external cuing (feedback).

Let’s deal with these variables one at a time:

ENVIRONMENT- Dynamic Systems Theory

Dynamical systems theorists recognise that within the infinite number of motor patterns possible the brain cannot remember each individual one. To make the motor programming less complex the body ‘encourages the development of functionally preferred coordination or “attractor” states to support goal-directed actions.’ (Glazier et al., 2003).

Within each attractor region (the “neighbourhood” of an attractor) system dynamics are highly ordered and stable, leading to consistent movement patterns for specific tasks. Variation between multiple attractor regions, however, permits flexible and adaptive motor system behaviour, encouraging free exploration of performance contexts by each individual. The paradoxical relationship between stability and variability explains why skilled athletes are capable of both persistence and change in motor output during sport performance. Indeed, variability in movement behaviour permits performers to explore task and environmental constraints in order to acquire stable motor solutions over time and enhance motor learning.

What does that mean for coaching?

I think of a great learning experience as being like a game of pinball.  You are constantly trying to work to get the ball in the hole (the attractor state) but the variation that comes from moving in and out of the hole is what creates adaptability.

Set the ‘Challenge’ and the outcome you want.  Then sit back and let the body self organise.  This is known as Discovery Learning.  We are not saying don’t coach. Clearly the athlete may search endlessly for a proper movement solution (and never get the ball in the hole).  Athletes may learn poor movements and adopt bad habits. Instead, the coach or trainer can guide the athlete by providing purposeful intent, ideas about where to focus attention, and clues to key perceptual cues.  If it was easy to play pinball people would get bored soon.

INSTRUCTION (TASK)- Constraint based Approach

I have wrote about this in great detail in a previous post.  You can read the full blog HERE.  Discovery learning is about learners solving for themselves how and what movements to make given the SITUATIONAL CONSTRAINTS imposed upon them. We will discover below that the constraints are key aspects of the task we can control to influence the performance of the task. This becomes especially important when we are dealing with more advanced learners whose skilled are more developed.

I always say, your job is not to make them look good! 

Beginners will bring their own inherent variability to the party because they are learning to coordinate their body. Advanced athletes will bring less variability and so will need to be challenged further by imposing situational constraints on the Task. These can include changes in position of the body, change in equipment used and also the need to make decisions.  The best test is whether the athlete can execute the skill under the constraint of an actual sports performance (open skill environment).

Remember: errors must become unstable for efficiency to emerge

Introduce uncertainty in skills- it leads to learning

Introduce variability in skills- it gives the body system a chance to experience the pattern you want it to discover

FEEDBACK (BODY)- Internal and External Cuing