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Today’s athletes are bigger, stronger, faster, and more agile than ever before. Exhibiting a combination of power, speed, and quickness, they’ve raised the bar on performance, competition, and training. Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is the complete workout guide you need in order to perform a step ahead of the competition.
With this total training package, you’ll have exclusive online access to a video library of the most effective drills and exercises for developing movement skills, and you’ll see how to perform key tests and execute the best and most complex drills from the book. Sample training programs are included for these sports:
Baseball and softball
Football and rugby
Basketball and netball
Combat sports
Track and field
Soccer
Lacrosse
Tennis and badminton
Racquetball and squash
The top sport and conditioning experts present the best information on testing, techniques, drills, and training programs to maximize athletes’ movement capabilities. The book includes 262 drills and proven assessments for customizing programs and tracking progress.
If you’re serious about elevating your performance, Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is a must have.
PLEASE NOTE: This is not an official book from SAQ International. For details of books including SAQ Soccer and SAQ Rugby and official SAQ resources, please visit www.saqinternational.com.
Part I Training Essentials
Chapter 1 How the Training Works
Chapter 2 Athlete Assessment
Chapter 3 Incorporating Mental Training
Chapter 4 Speed Training
Chapter 5 Agility Training
Chapter 6 Quickness and Reaction Time Training
Part II Training Programs
Chapter 7 Developing a Customized Program
Chapter 8 Baseball and Softball
Chapter 9 Football and Rugby
Chapter 10 Basketball and Netball
Chapter 11 Combat Sports
Chapter 12 Track and Field
Chapter 13 Soccer
Chapter 14 Lacrosse
Chapter 15 Tennis and Badminton
Chapter 16 Racquetball and Squash
Lee E. Brown, EdD, CSCS*D, FNSCA, FACSM, is a previous President of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Board of Directors. In 2014 Brown received the NSCA’s Lifetime Achievement award for his work with the Association. Brown holds both a master’s degree in exercise science and a doctorate in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University. Formerly a high school physical education teacher and coach of many sports, Brown is now a professor of strength and conditioning in the department of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton. He and his wife, Theresa, reside in Buena Park, California.
Vance Ferrigno is President of F3 Training Systems, LLC and is also a Nike NG 360 Golf Performance Specialist for the Cliffs Clubs overseeing the golf performance program. Ferrigno earned his bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Florida State University and a Fellow of Applied Functional Science from the Gray Institute. His certifications include American College of Sports Medicine’s Health Fitness Specialist and Health Fitness Director, National Strength and Conditioning Association’s Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, USA Weight Lifting Club Coach, USA Cycling Level 2 Coach and Nike NG 360 Golf Performance Specialist. He resides in Travelers Rest, SC.
“Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is one of the books that I use frequently when designing training programs for my athletes.”
Allen Hedrick, MA, CSCS, RSCC, FNSCA-- Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Colorado State University at Pueblo, Author of Dumbbell Training
“Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is a comprehensive resource that will benefit all readers. The recommendations are backed by research and are easily adjusted to the needs of each athlete.”
Boyd Epley-- Founder of National Strength and Conditioning Association, U.S. Collegiate Strength and Conditioning, Coaches Hall of Fame, Nebraska Football Hall of Fame, Lindy’s Sports Top 100 Most Important College Football Sports Figures of the Century
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004).
Assessing Your Athlete
One problem that many trainers and coaches confront is how to effectively and efficiently evaluate human movement. To authentically evaluate movement, we must understand one main principle of training: The "test is the exercise and the exercise is the test" (Gray 2004). The principle of specificity in training states that the body will adapt to the specific imposed stimulus. Therefore, if an athlete desires to improve in a specific skill, movement, or exercise, she must perform that exercise in training with multiple variations, or tweaks, to that drill. Because of the complexity of the human structure and human movement, specificity is paramount in training to reach the desired outcome. Another layer to this philosophy is that if the test is the exercise, then if the exercise is properly tweaked (complex variations), it will provide the best opportunity for an improved outcome (Gray 2006b).
The movement assessments presented in this book give coaches an example of one way to evaluate an athlete's ability to move foundationally. The drills can be tweaked however the coach deems necessary to fit his own personal situation and individual athletes (see table 2.1). In general, any drill presented in this book can be used to evaluate or test an athlete for whatever training parameter the coach deems requires improvement.
To choose proper drills, the coach must first evaluate the demands of the sport for that athlete and either develop or select drills that mimic those demands. Once the drill is selected, it can be used to monitor the athlete's functional progress with respect to her training program through subsequent retesting. In this way, the athlete's needs can be assessed and then rematched or progressed to more complex drills (Brown et al. 2008). The goals of any training program should be based entirely on the needs of the athlete and the requirements of the specific sport.
Athletes move in a powerful yet effortless manner and are able to adapt to any demand necessary to accomplish the tasks of their sports. Movement quality needs to be assessed first so that an inefficient movement pattern is not placed under training loads, which can lead to increased movement inefficiency or worse, injury.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499788_ebook_Main.jpg
Once a drill has been selected for a given training quality, it can be timed to give the athlete his base-level time for that specific drill. During training, the same drill is repeated using one or more of the variables listed in table 2.1 or the complex variations for some of the drills in this book. This will create a new stimulus for adaptation, allowing the athlete to increase his performance for that given drill. Every four to six weeks the original drill can be retested, allowing the coach and the athlete to see his improvement on his base-level time.
The main goal of any movement assessment is to determine the successful abilities of the individual athlete. Once these are identified, the coach can go to work on improving those abilities to facilitate a more well-rounded athlete. There is no exact way to do each movement - each person will perform the movements differently because of her unique structure - but all efficient human movement has common characteristics. The coach should not get caught up in the finer details of assessing movement but rather should evaluate more globally, looking for efficient, smooth, graceful motion. This makes it easier to identify the specific tweaks the athlete needs to make to her drills in order to promote the desired outcome.
For example, athlete A may perform a certain drill in an uncoordinated way, stumbling out of cuts or unable to demonstrate gracefulness during the movement, while athlete B seems very comfortable coordinating the drill. However, athlete B has trouble decelerating and accelerating out of cuts. For athlete A, the proper tweak may be to slow down his speed during training, thus allowing him to learn the drill at a much slower pace. His speed can be progressively increased once his body adapts. Athlete B, however, may benefit from being loaded with a weight vest, bungee cord, or other device, allowing him to develop functional strength and power relative to the drill. This tweak will allow athlete B to progressively develop the ability to decelerate sooner and accelerate more explosively over the course of training.
Tweaks such as these are complex variations that allow specific adaptations to the drill. The complex variations in this book only scratch the surface of those possible to perform. Use your imagination, and remember that an athlete should always progress from easy to hard and from simple to complex (Gambetta 1998).
Ensuring Validity and Reliability
Test results are useful only if the test actually measures what it is supposed to measure. This is referred to as validity. For subsequent tests to be useful, they must be repeatable. This is referred to as reliability (Harman 2008). For testing to be valid and reliable, the tester must ensure that the environment stays as consistent as possible from test to test. Because these tests are measured in seconds not minutes, the test has to have enough sensitivity and reliability to provide the desired data. This means that flooring surfaces, shoes, turf conditions, and environmental conditions (e.g., heat, wind) all have to be controlled to ensure an accurate measure of whether the athlete is improving the biomotor quality or athletic movement being assessed. If the first test is performed on a dry field but eight weeks later is repeated on a dew-soaked field, the test will not be valid or reliable.
The procedures for reliable testing are as follows.
Testing Environment
First and foremost, the athlete's safety is the number one concern. Be sure the testing area is safe and doesn't have any holes, sprinkler heads, or anything else that could cause the athlete to trip, slip, or turn an ankle. Make sure the environmental conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity) are as similar as possible from test to test. For field sports, a hot, humid day will elicit different results than a cool, overcast day, especially on metabolic tests. This is less of an issue for court sports because indoor environments are more easily controlled than outdoor.
Athlete Fatigue Level
During training, athletes will develop a certain level of fatigue. Providing a day off between training and testing allows them to give their all and will contribute to validity and reliability. Also, ensure they have eaten and are properly hydrated. With prior communication regarding the test date, there is no reason the athletes shouldn't be rested, fed, and hydrated.
Recording Forms
Forms should be developed before testing so the tester can easily and efficiently record the required data without error. There is nothing worse than having an athlete put every ounce of effort into a performance test only to have the tester not record it properly.
Test Sequence
Explosive power-oriented tests or those with more complexity should be performed before more fatiguing tests such as drills for anaerobic endurance. Otherwise, power-oriented test results will be impaired and invalid.
Athlete Instructions
Instructions should be clear and easy to understand. Otherwise, the athlete will be focused on getting the test right and not on her maximal performance (Gambetta 1998). Also, standardize any verbal cues for motivation provided to the athlete from test to test (Brown et al. 2008).
Equipment
Keep test equipment to the bare minimum, and record exactly what is used. Also, each athlete should test in the same footwear they wear when competing.
Testing Protocol
Allow the same number of trials per test, using the same rest intervals between trials and between tests if performing a test battery.
Field or Court Measurements
When marking the test area (e.g., cones), use a measuring device to ensure you are using exact distances. Pacing off the area is inaccurate and renders the results invalid and unreliable.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program: Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability.
Agility Training Drills
The following types of drills should be included in an agility training program:
- Line drills: Drills conducted in a linear fashion that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability
- Cone drills: Drills that incorporate change of direction, footwork, reaction time, acceleration, deceleration, stopping ability, conditioning, transitions between skills, and cutting ability while using cones
- Agility ladder drills: Drills that require the use of an agility ladder to enhance coordination, lower body quickness, balance, and footwork quickness
- Bag drills: Drills that require the use of bags to enhance change of direction, quick foot action, flexibility, high knee action, and lateral movement
- Backpedal drills: Drills that incorporate backpedal movements with change of direction, reaction time, acceleration and deceleration
- Mini-hurdle drills: Drills that enhance lateral explosive change of direction through the use of mini-hurdles
Line Drills
61
Pro Agility (20-Yard Shuttle)
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503398_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop change of direction, footwork, and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance, straddling the starting line.
- Turn to the right, sprint, and touch a line 5 yards or meters away with your right hand.
- Turn back to the left, sprint 10 yards or meters, and touch the far line with your left hand.
- Turn back to the right, and sprint 5 yards or meters through the starting line to the finish.
Variations
- Perform different biomotor skills on each leg of the line drill.
- Pick up a ball placed at each line.
62
Squirm
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_499884_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To develop footwork and reaction time.
Procedure
- Start in a two-point stance.
- Sprint forward 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Rotate 360 degrees and sprint another 5 yards or meters.
- Sprint right or left for 10 yards or meters.
Variations
- Put your right hand down on the ground during the first 360 and your left hand down on the ground during the second 360.
- Vary the distance.
- Make turns on command by the coach.
- Use various biomotor skill combinations throughout the drill.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
Plyometric Drills
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts | Purpose: To strengthen the core and improve the body’s ability to absorb impact. Procedure: Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
Plyometric Drills
181
Stability Ball Impact Lockouts
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500407_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500408_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To strengthen the core and improve the body's ability to absorb impact.
Procedure
- Assume a hand-on-ball push-up position, keeping the core (abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips) tight (see figure a).
- Release the ball, allowing yourself to fall on the ball, making impact on the upper abdominals (see figure b).
- As you bounce off the ball, secure it with the hands and lock out the arms.
Variations
- Reach out and touch a target while bouncing.
- Clap your hands behind your body while bouncing.
182
Stability Ball Hops
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500409_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500410_ebook_Main.jpg
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_503699_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Place your feet on the stability ball and hands on the floor (push-up position).
- Hop backward and forward and from side to side, maintaining your balance on the ball with your feet (see figure a-c).
- Do not allow the abdominals and hips to sag. Maintain a firm body position.
185
Medicine Ball Wall Chest Pass
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500415_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve total body transmission of power.
Procedure
- Perform chest passes to a wall (see figure).
- Receive the ball with your arms extended before performing the next pass.
- This can be done for any number of repetitions, for time, or for distance.
Variations
- Perform the drill with one arm.
- Perform the drill while moving laterally up and down the wall.
186
Medicine Ball Release Push-Ups With Partner
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/131/E6142_500416_ebook_Main.jpg
Purpose
To improve quickness in the pushing musculature in the upper body.
Procedure
- Starting in a kneeling position, throw the medicine ball to a partner and then fall into a push-up (see figure).
- Push up back into the start position while the partner returns the medicine ball.
- Repeat the exercise as quickly as possible.
Learn more about Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness, 3rd Edition.
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