[Jake]

Jake on February 10, 2014 at 4:01 pm #206305

Can anyone give me an idea on what sort of time frame a change in sprint mechanics would take to lead to continued improvements??

Thanks in advance!!

[David Gain]

David Gain on February 10, 2014 at 5:01 pm #206306

Personally I’d say anything you try to change in a particular season will really only become properly effective the next season.

I’ve been trying to fix my start for ages, and the problem isn’t knowing what to do, or how to do it, because I’ve got all that nailed.

The problem is getting my brain to actually use this new information during a competition situation, because on race day all it really wants to do is keep doing what it’s always done, which is wrong.

As the saying goes, ‘practice makes permanent’ (not perfect), unfortunately for me I’ve been doing it wrong for a few years. You’re in a better position to overwrite any incorrect movement patterns now before you get too used to it.

[Ryan Banta]

Ryan Banta on February 11, 2014 at 12:19 pm #206915

A number of years ago a USATF speaker talked about it takes 500 hours to imprint a new pattern of movement. However, you must target these technical issues with drills everyday. Sometimes its not just a nervous system issue. Sometimes its a lack of specific strength limiting proper movement.

"Nature hides her secret because of her essential loftiness, but not by means of ruse." -Albert Einstein

[Jake]

Jake on February 11, 2014 at 1:32 pm #206917

Hi,

The issue is not actually the mechanics as these have changed to the improved technical model seen from my race footage. The problem lies in the fact ?since these mechanics have changed for the better my times have gone slower. I was thinking that maybe it was something to do with my body getting used to the new range of movement/forces etc.

 

Would specific strength mean sleds and hills etc or weight training

Thanks

[Zack Trapp]

Zack Trapp on February 11, 2014 at 8:34 pm #206990

It depends on a lot of things. I think what Ryan was trying to say was that your body may, in addition to getting used to the new neurological patterns, not be balanced in terms of muscle strength(ie. overly quad dominant, lack of core strength, etc.). Its a multi level issue. Someone who has worked with you(who is knowledgeable, of course) would be the best person to address these issues.

[Mike Young]

Mike Young on February 12, 2014 at 9:37 am #207035

I’ve never been one to lend any credence to arbitrary numbers applied across entire populations (10,000 hours to be an expert, 500 hours to learn a skill, etc).

Physical capacity and mechanics go hand in hand. If you’re not seeing the changes you’re expecting, perhaps look to make changes in their capacity. Or if that’s developmentally fine, try different cues or a different set of eyes.

ELITETRACK Founder