Posted In: Sprints
With most world champions and the majority of elite 100-200m runners every year becoming more bulky – where is the sport headed?
Is that old 80’s belief that skinny is speed finally falling?
and finally, does this conclude that a sprinter can truly Earn gold medals now? going against the long-time conception or misconception,
that a great sprinter has to be born with all of the ability.
-All else equal a stronger athlete will be faster
-Most sprinters are not that big (stand mo green next to ahman green he’ll look tiny) they are ripped though.
Genes play a mjor role but no one has ever been born to win a gold medal.
You have to work hard but you can only reach your own potential.
No matter how hard you work they’ll always be somebody better, so just quit trying. -Homer Simpson 🙂
I think that there really is an ideal body type that has been found yet. I feel that everyone is looking for that body type where you can get an optimal amount of strength where as having a low body mass, a ratio where there is high strength to low body mass. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense. So basically we went from small to now big and somehwere in the future we will find a middle which facilitates this kind of ratio.
There is no “prototypical” body type for a sprinter. This is clear when you look at Greene and Montgomery. All you need to be is strong. Some people just can’t put size on. It’s nothing against them, it’s just genetic. Explosive strength is the major component.
Also, with reference to the “sprinters are born” mentality. Yes, certain people are pre-disposed to being faster than others, that’s evident. But no one in the world will become Olympic champ on talent alone. You always need good, comprehensive, and above all SMART training to get to that level.
We say that a human-being can only reach its own potential.
Have these theorys of genetics ever fully been put to the test? Is there really a limit to how far we can go over time? We are correct in saying that it will come at greater difficulty to build fast twitch fibers/muscles in important primary regions in our body.
However,
When we use the word genetics today we think – the characteristics which we have inheirited by nature. Well of course. And at the same time, while some of us are endowed with greater amounts of certain ideal fibers than others, it’s not to say that those same Others can’t theoretically build up these same muscles. Some with some time, others over much time. In fact, it’s not so far-fetched at all. If you know anything about the chemistry of the human cell, you will know that yours are identical to mine. In every way that counts. If I nourish my body well enough it may become much more productive, in every function. Including building fibers and muscles. It may become elite.
How do I know this? My reknown professor in biology/anatomy is sitting right over my shoulder.
Don’t be fooled by people who give you impossibilitys. To say that these things are impossible is to seriously under estimate the human body. Because they’ve seen sprinters who work their tails off never to break 11. This is just a misconception. These runners they watched simply were not doing the correct things for their bodies to take these strides. They were not working hard enough. Because if you know anything about the human body at all, you’ll know that it is quite capable of doing these things. And we’re just talking about some muscle areas here, we’re just talking about sprinting. When the mind – is capable of much, much more. As science has proven that the human body and mind even moreso are equipped with adequate resources to do almost anything.
For some people it will take no work at all.
For some it will take alot of hard work.
And for others they will have to go through hell to be equal because they were endowd with the lesser ~ But that’s not to say that they can’t, be equal – or greater. Over enough time. I’m saying that you can build the same muscles, and, if you use elite coaching – you too, may be elite over enough time/with enough of the right work.
I respect those whom feel otherwise, It’s just that I simply can not believe in limitations. Espescially in human capacity. Though my spirit and through scientific reason I say this. I’m living proof of it.
i dont think so 800 prince
cuz me too
dont belive in limits
and the kind of human like me
will never belive in limits even if i run the 100m in 1 minit
if i work hard i can run it 10 low
I Just believe in setting achievable goals I’d like to win a few conference titles in college and make it to the NCAA Regionals. That alone will be a huge accomplishment. When you set goals that (for you) are inacheivable you just set yourself up for failure.
[i]Originally posted by 800prince[/i]
I Just believe in setting achievable goals I’d like to win a few conference titles in college and make it to the NCAA Regionals. That alone will be a huge accomplishment. When you set goals that (for you) are inacheivable you just set yourself up for failure.
I agree 100%
come on man if u think that u can do some thing than u are tellin your body to do it its like dat
and if u r putting limits than ur tellin ur body to stop progressing
the limits r wut we make..
i think theres a difference between a dream and a goal. i dream about being the best all the time, but i cant put 9.5 as a goal until its at leats SOMEWHAT in reach, meaning i could run under 10 consistently. but right now i only run under 12 consistently, so my goals have to be less dramatic.
i find it amusing that big10 likes to say all this stuff about himself when he ran a few 10.5s ht in pratcice. for all he knows, his coach could be starting the watch a half second late or off first movement, and he may in fact be SLOWER than in high school. you really shouldnt brag unless you have FAT times to flaunt.
i mean aint it like dat at school?
wen u study for the a+ u will get it or u will get a or b
but wen u study for c u will get a sweet f
so y u aim for the c while u can aim for an A+
[i]Originally posted by Big10champ[/i]
We say that a human-being can only reach its own potential.
Have these theorys of genetics ever fully been put to the test?
Some have some have not…..macro-evolution has never been proven, micro-evolution has, anthropometric differences within nationalities are well documented, as are such things as hereditary characteristics, some of which have been linked to performance in various sports, events, etc.
Is there really a limit to how far we can go over time?
Realistically this is a difficult question to answer but the answer at least within a given individual is almost certainly yes. Within the human race, there is theoretically no limitation on performance if we assume that new genetic outliers are being born every day and there is always the possibility for genetic mutations which could make the unthinkable reality. In all likelihood though, the limit of human performance as a whole will not improve too much more even if the performances do improve. Improvements in the best performances of all time will likely be achieved when some combination of better training methods, better restoration methods (both legal and illegal), better equipment, and ideal competition environments are combined with a person who is already a genetic anomaly.
If you know anything about the chemistry of the human cell, you will know that yours are identical to mine. In every way that counts. If I nourish my body well enough it may become much more productive, in every function. Including building fibers and muscles. It may become elite.
This is simply not true. Maybe this is true for the purposes of Biology 101 but certainly not for advance histology. While 99.x% of all people’s cellular and DNA makeup may be the same this can be misleading because it is the remaing 1% that is different that determines who will be the very best of the best. The similarities explain such things as why we all have a nose, walk on two legs, breath oxygen, have 2 lungs, 10 fingers, etc. It is the minute differences that largely separate elite level performance from non-elite level performance (assuming all else is equal). Also, cells alone, or even fiber type distribution does not tell the whole story on performance. It ignores such equally important factors as anthropometry, muscle attachment and origin sites, tendon elasticity.
Don’t be fooled by people who give you impossibilitys. To say that these things are impossible is to seriously under estimate the human body. Because they’ve seen sprinters who work their tails off never to break 11. This is just a misconception. These runners they watched simply were not doing the correct things for their bodies to take these strides. They were not working hard enough. Because if you know anything about the human body at all, you’ll know that it is quite capable of doing these things.
While your attitude is to be admired, I can guarantee you with 100% assurance that there are quite a few people who could train as smart and as hard as they possibly could under the most ideal conditions and never run 13 seconds much less sub-11. I would actually venture to say these people would far outweigh those people who could run sub 11. If you doubt this, next time you’re out at the mall or walking around school take a look around and ask yourself if you honestly think everyone you see could break 11 seconds. I’m not sure about where you live but where I live I always find their are some people who have a difficult enough time just walking (because of coordination, weight, joint, or any other host of issues) much less running at sub-11 speed.
And we’re just talking about some muscle areas here, we’re just talking about sprinting. When the mind – is capable of much, much more. As science has proven that the human body and mind even more so are equipped with adequate resources to do almost anything.
While this is largely true it applies more to the human race as a whole and not to individuals within the human race. Adaptation is one of the the miraculous things about living organisms but it appears that adaptation does not go on indefinitely even under the most ideal conditions.
I’m saying that you can build the same muscles, and, if you use elite coaching – you too, may be elite over enough time/with enough of the right work.
Again your sentiment is great but as I’ve said before you can’t make a world class sculpture out of mud even if you do try your hardest….some people will have what it takes, others, sad as it may be, will not.
ELITETRACK Founder
Mike,
Thank you for your explainations, your words are the truth. Thank you for not being biased towards me. Thank you for correcting me where I was wrong.
To you all, I say these things, because I too have my dreams and goals. Dreams someday, of being a good college runner and even one day elite. I speak this way because my dreams – not long ago were 1000-1. Now they’re a little more likely. They were unlikely, Not only in the eyes of others, but through reason of measurement (11.1 second 100m’s), and even my own personal reasoning could not fathom this. But I have done certain things since, that have baffled even my most harsh of critique, myself. You see, I found out that I didn’t really know what was possible for me (and I still don’t). While I now agree with you a little more that we all may have limitations, I can’t help but having faith in the power of encouragement. The power of belief.
Encouragement and belief to me, have not always meant what was or what wasn’t real. Because belief to me is blind and ignorant to ceilings. Belief that it is better to keep hitting your head rather than to accept the fact, that their is a roof on top of where you can go. This is the only way I know. Without this so called notion, that the-sky-is-the-limit, although limitations may be factual indeed, without being oblivious to the idea of limitations – how far would we really be able to take ourselves? Without telling a kid he could be the next Mo Greene (when knowing he could only factually run an 11 flat), how is this same kid ever going to be able to harness his ability in running that 11 flat?
While it may very well be true that there are limitations in life, one will never find out ones greatest ability if one addresses limitation. Because one simply, does not know his or her own exact limitations. So why reason at addressing a limitation at all? Life is a journey, not a destination. We are to keep going.
Maybe this is my goal on this board – to encourage others -to- encourage others – as a parent would encourage their own son or daughter – – – That possibility is simply, as big as they can dream. That limits are as far as they’re willing to reach. Some call it false-hope. I call it the only way.
“We do not lack strength so much as the will to use it; and very often our imagining that things are impossible is nothing but an excuse of our own contriving, to reconcile ourselves to our own idleness.” ~ Francois Rochefoucauld, 1650
I want you all to know, that out of all of the time spent, out of all the vast and great information posted here, there will never be Anything more important than the belief and the faith that you can always do better. That you can always run faster, and go further. To have this blind hope in our own little conceptions called dreams. And if we lose this, what do we really have left worth fighting for? Like Pre said,
– Consider the alternative. –
>!~~~”Citius, Altius, Fortius”~~~!<
i think that was well said big10. i think a lot of people misinterpret the concept of no limits. if you want to say there are no limits… you have to be true to it. this means accepting that you may in fact be limited to what you can already do. and it means accepting the possibility that you can go farther than your wildest dreams. both are possible, and everything bewteen and beyond. the key is to not worry about that and just do what you gotta do.
i agree with ya guys big10 and cocky
i think u gotta read some books of anthony robins too
