GloBo Gym. That is what most of these new sport performance facilities remind me of. Their claim to fame is the indoor turf field that can house all the agility ladders ever made. Seriously! The real problem I have with the fighters and athletes (especially at the high school level) joining these types of places is the programs that they are selling. As a parent, coach, fighter, or athlete you have to understand the main quality that needs to be developed at this level (high-school) should be Strength Training and not S.A.Q. (Speed Agility Quickness) Training. Why? It is very simple, but I’m not going to tell you the answer just yet. Here is a quick story so bear with me.
When I was a head trainer for a SAQ center, our youth programs were based on multi-planar movement skills and plyometric type training. The thought process behind this type of program was basically thinking "if we teach a kid to become more efficient at running, jumping, and changing direction, through proper mechanics these kids will “save time” and run faster, jump higher, and change direction quicker". There were Pro’s and Con’s to the outcomes of the training we were supplying.
The Pro’s: All our athlete's running mechanics looked amazing. Through the SAQ training they became aerobic and anaerobically conditioned (stamina). The really weak kids became a bit stronger from some of the body weight stabilization exercises that we included (Planks, Wall Squats, Body Weight Lunges, Animal Drills, Etc). Most of these kid’s techniques became so efficient that they looked like they were training for track and field.
The Con’s: They Were Not Training For Track & Field. I was mostly Training Fighters and Wrestlers and the other trainers were training football, basket ball, and base ball players. Although some of the really weak kids became a bit stronger from some of the body weight stabilization exercises, the average high school athlete’s sprinting times and jumping heights did not improve. Basically we turned these athletes into "all show and no go". They looked like track athletes, but performed below average (Maybe we should of called ourselves Below Average Joe's? It could work).
What was really sad about this whole process was that these kids were not track athletes but athletes who played baseball, softball, football, and other traditional sports who were looking to become fast. Man, all the fighters and wrestlers just wanted better starting strength and stamina. They didn't. Why? Because they all lacked strength especially Relative Body Strength (strength in relations to ones body). What was our program providing these kids? It certainly wasn't the strength training needed.
So how do athletes achieve Relative Body Strength? Hopefully at this point you know where this is going. The answer to this question is through a properly planned strength training program that emphasizes building a base of Maximal & Sub-Maximal Strength (Both, a superior way to develop the highest level of force possible by training against maximal & sub-maximal resistance) from the initial stages in the off- season all the way through the pre-season. For Fighters, all year long! When maximal strength is increased in relation to the athlete's body weight, performance is enhanced. This is why really strong and fat athletes are not fast too (there is a body fat/lean muscle component to being fast so stay lean and around your fight weight). Maximal & Sub-Maximal Strength training also increases intermuscular and intramuscular coordination (simply put, increased muscle coordination for performance). Through this increase a fighter and athlete's speed and power is enhanced. Their body just builds a strength base for power and speed to be built off of.
Now that we have learned about GloBo Gyms, Below Average Joe's, and the science of strength training for speed, you might be wondering how we train our fighters. Remember, it's simple. We get them maximally and sub-maximally strong. This is the base that is built which gets them fast. Through Barbell Training (Squats, Deads, Bench, O-Press), our fighters gain their new acquired strength. They work on this all year long with bouts of time where strength and training in the gym is put on maintenance ( Because Of Scheduled Fights & The Hard Conditioning Needed). We gradually implement SAQ type training and other methods for aerobic/anaerobic conditioning as we approach a fight. SAQ for Conditioning. That's It! Not To Become A Track Athlete! Once we draw close enough to a tournament or fight, we lower the training volume and intensity of our program so our fighters can maintain most of the strength gains they have worked so hard for. The moral to the story is for parents, coaches, fighters and other athletes to stay far away from GloBo Gyms and the Bull-Shit they are selling. If you are contemplating using agility ladders, make sure you are strength training first. Make sure you know why you are using the ladder and for what reason. Don't be skinny and weak. Raise your expectations and get strong. Be the most physical fighter you can be.
References:
- Bompa, PhD, Tudor O. "Periodization Training For Sports" Second Edition
- DeFranco, Joe. "The 40-Yard Dash Advanced Speed & Strength Methods" 2nd Edition
- Zatsiorsky, Vladimir M. "Science and Practice of Strength Training" Second Edition
- Gyms, GloBo. "Ways to Make Money Off of Parents, Coaches, and Athletes Who Don't Know Any Better"56th Edition
A Side Note:
The really weak kids who became stronger from some of the body weight exercises that were incorporated did in fact improve in their sprinting times and jumping heights. The minor improvements was due to the fact that they increased their body strength with exercises mentioned above, as well as with such exercise as Prisoner Squats(body weight squat), Prone Floor Cobras(hips, spinal erectors, shoulder girdle movement), and floor bridges(hips and hamstring movement). Notice what the focus of most of these exercises that were responsible for increasing the weaker athletes times (Posterior Chain: Hamstrings, glutes, spinal erectors). The reason why the stronger athletes did not increase their sprinting times and jumping heights was because they were stronger!! Their current strength levels were beyond the remedial exercises. Learn The Lesson Here.
Another Side Note:
I would like to thank Mike T. for our conversation that "fueled" this recent post. Thanks Mike.
Last but not least, Rocky Balboa comes out on DVD today. I highly suggest you head out and support the "Italian Stallion". Watch and see how Rocky builds some "Hurten Bombs" one last time.
