I recently picked up a book You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned by S. Nater and R. Gallimore. I've read a few chapters, faxed a few chapters to friends, and started some interesting discussions. Wooden was the consummate teacher who was organized, demanding, yet humble. One of the best chapters is "It's What You Learn After You Know It All That Counts Most". I think back to some earlie [...]

For a limited time this month I am offering a DVD set with Tom Tellez, Dan Pfaff, and Boo Schexnayder. Tellez - Methods to Improve Sprint Starts and Sprint/Hurdle Mechanics (2 DVD set) Over 2 hrs of lecture, demonstration and video analysis by the master.Pfaff - Technical Problem Solving - 80 min lecture on how to detect and solve technical errors... covers a myriad of overlooked topics.Pfaff [...]

Stumbled on this picture today while searching the internet for something in preparation for my talks this week. This is Kip Kieno and I think Peka Vasala from the early 70's, may actually have been 72 Olympic games. Regardless this picture speaks a thousand words. You don't get this from doing drills, you get this from running fast!Look at this from the PAL Paradigm.P = PostureA = Arm ActionL = [...]

There is so much mumbo and confusion in this whole area I am not sure where to begin. Perhaps these thoughts will lend some clarity.Lets start by defining Periodization, it is the planning and organization of training into a cyclic structure to develop all biomotor qualities in a systematic, sequential, and progressive manner for optimum development of performance capabilities.Another way to look [...]

I have a couple things that might be of benefit for professional development for some of our members.SOLD OUT Dynamic Warmup Considerations for Speed-Power Athletes DVD for only $14.95My DVD publisher misprinted several of one of my DVDs such that the DVD has the content of Dynamic Warmup Considerations for Speed-Power Athletes but the label of Maximal Velocity Sprint Mechanics is on the cover. Th [...]

Over the course of my career I have used various forms of assessment to determine the athletes readiness to train and compete. Sometimes they looked more like something you would see in physical therapy clinic and other times it was just pure end range jumping, throwing and running tests. I kept searching for an assessment tool that would give then information I was looking for. A few years ago s [...]

It is always interesting at this time of the year at the start of spring training and with the NFL combine to read the stories of how people have changed their technique. I have been following the Tim Tebow story with great interest. Apparently he has a team of “experts’ who have completely revamped his throwing style. He is not going to unveil his new technique at the NFL CONbine, but will wa [...]

Functional training is training. All training is functional, it is just that some training rates higher on a continuum of function than others. If you are not sure how to make your training more functional here are a few tips that should guide you. This not rocket science, I think you will see when you analyze successful long term athletic development programs that all these elements appear in som [...]

The latest buzzword is corrective exercise. Is corrective exercise the latest fad like “drawing in “ was a few years ago? What exactly is corrective exercise? I think I know, but it is a misleading concept. What exactly are you correcting? It sounds to me like another reductionist approach to the human body based on pseudo scientific principles and marketing. The exercises that I see labeled a [...]

We often think of Plan B as something we go to when things go wrong (e.g., when athletes get beat up, weather conditions, injuries). But what about going to Plan B when things go right?Yesterday we had a Sprint-Float-Sprint workout planned with 6-8 mins break. The first run went so well, exceptionally well, that I had to make an important decision. I could:a) adhere to the rest/recovery time on th [...]