Posts Tagged ‘speed and agility’

Discover How An Agility Ladder Will Help Enhance Your Speed And Agility Training Program

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Do you even understand what an agility ladder is?  I do not mean one you use next to the house to complete home repairs. The ladder we are talking about is the one that strength coaches like me employ for athletic performance. The agility ladder seems to be simillar to a ladder in its pattern but it is constructed of plastic and a material resembling rope Its made from this material so you are able to lay it flush on the ground so as to complete speed agility and quickness workout routines.
The primary function for the agility ladder program should be to promote a wide selection of distinctive foot and movement routines. These movements become second nature, and so the body is in a position to swiftly act in response to the various angles necessary. You’re able to develop your agility by repeating the movements in your training and the agility ladder is really a helpful device in a good agility curriculum.
The cool feature regarding performing this kind of agility ladder workout drills is that you could perform them virtually wherever you have a small level open space. Your yard, a playground, as well as the local high school soccer field all serve as great places to implement the use of these kind of work outs. You can develop your footwork along with eye-hand control as a result of performing high-knee runs, shuffles, along with bounding work outs through the rungs of the ladder. All of these work outs must be executed with good running mechanics and form. They should also be done in an intense manner to accomplish the full benefit. Agility ladder workouts are excellent and you can basically repeat them in a variety of ways to perform both foot speed work outs and agility ladder workouts. For people with a somewhat long driveway or patio and you don’t wish to pay out the funds to get a ladder then it is possible to simply produce your own with a bit of colored duct tape that you get at your local hardware store! Should you go this route make certain the ladder is a minimum of 5 yards in length.
You’ll find in excess of twenty different speed workouts that are generally used with an agility ladder and all of them help improve fast twitch muscle groups. The drills vary from lateral movement side steps, to front steps with staggered movement. All work outs require fast and explosive movement’s .These movements are what are behind the development of your fast twitch muscle fibers.
Even a track athlete will gain from this type of workout. The track competitor will get off the blocks sooner and that translates into quick race times. The ideal training program for speed will incorporate an agility ladder, but additionally some general speed and agility training, appropriate nutrition and eating habits, as well as appropriate core training to get the most out of the athlete’s results.
You will get a immediate sense about what real cardiovascular exercise is like when it comes to this sort of training program! Enhance your performance now. Step up your training to get the outcomes you desire.

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For Kids: It’s Getting Hot Out Here

Tuesday, July 13th, 2010

Speed and agility training in the summertime means hiking temperatures and young people practicing athletics in the heat. Thus, it is important that you know that youngsters do not adapt to high temperatures like adults. It is also imperative to be know how to prevent heat illness and be aware of the warning signs. These illnesses can be any type such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Whether your child or your team is doing strength training workouts as a coach, or parent,  you want to be aware of the seriousness of heat-related illnesses. In actuality, youngsters are the most vulnerable to heat illness.  Heat stroke has an incredibly high death rate for children, 17-70%. The factors to consider are the youth’s age and the gravity of the illness.

Children suffer heat-related illnesses when their bodies can not compensate for the heat and cool itself.  Young people are more susceptible to heat illness because they can’t adjust as quickly or as well to changes in temperatures as do adults. Children are more at risk to heat illness since they can’t adapt as quickly or as well to changes in temperatures. In addition, they produce extra heat with activity. Young people also perspire at a greater body temperature than adults and do not perspire as much.  Those kids, whom are heavy, have continuing illnesses and take a number of medications are even more susceptible to high heat conditions during practice.

NOTE
Heat Cramps – sore, involuntary muscle contractions, frequently in the gastrocnemius or hamstring muscles (the muscles at the rearward of the calf muscles and thighs)

Dehydration – fatigue, thirst,  lightheadedness, less-frequent urination,  muddiness, escalated heart rate and respiration, desiccated skin,  dry mouth and mucous membranes

Heat Exhaustion – dank, pallid skin, sweaty,  lethargy (fatigue), throbbing head and or giddiness

Heat Stroke – loss  of cognisance, confusion or hallucinations, headache, agitation, high body temperature, absence of sweating, deep or shallow breathing, feeble pulse rate, seizures

PREVENTION
Be aware that temperatures over 80 degrees make conditions favorable to heat illness..  It also important to know that excessive humidity reduces your body’s ability to release excess heat by perspiring. In order to prevent this illness acclimate the child to the heat, increase intensity over 10-14 days, no heavy work for the first week Morning or early evening are the cooler parts of the day and optimal for practices. Ensure children often take rests. Hydrate kids before working out and at practice have enough fluids on hand for hydrating – preferably H2O. Even if they aren’t thirsty, young athletes need to drink fluids every 20 minutes when practicing. Fluids to avoid are caffeine and anything carbonated. As far as clothing is concerned, children should wear lightweight and ventilated clothing.

In case your minor or your team is doing speed and agility training as a coach or parent, you require to be alert of the seriousness of heat-related ailments.  Respect the hot temperatures or there could be fatal consequences.

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Learn What The New Field Of Sport Vision Training Can Do For Your Speed And Agility

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Training principles are constantly improved upon in our fast paced world. Speed and agility training has benefited a lot from this trend.   Hype is a constant problem in our society, not so the case here.   Individuals who go against the common wisdom have to be thanked here. This training is now a staple for athletes wanting to enter the NFL Combine (a camp in which professional football teams assess NFL draft candidates).   The training is sports vision.  A few of the things that are addressed are increasing an atletes ability to focus and concentrate, speeding the processing of in game data, depth perception, ability to anticipate the opposing teames action and all the other juicy stuff that separates two physically identical athletes. The foundation of sport vision training is simple: if the player can see it faster, the player can react to it faster.   The most valuable team mates are those that are all around good. And this training helps you with this.
Reacting inappropriatly is a lot of times due to a lack of this sort of training.    An athlete doing conventional speed and agility training needs to also be  trained for speed exercises of the mind as well, or speed and span of recognition training.   This includes even the fastest players.  Times have changed and the atletes who don’t improve these previously untrainable characteristics will be left sitting on the bench.

When an athlete undergoes sports vision training, they process information in greater amounts.  They react to stimulus faster even when under great stress.  While there are no true standards since the field is so new, below are some of the sports vision training topics and what they cover:

* peripheral awareness – the ability to recognize and react improperly focused objects

* dealing with the ability to process visual imagery we have visual reaction time – it’s upside is that it can help atletes get the picture (and what they need to do about it) faster

* dynamic visual acuity – the visual strengths and weaknesses of  athletes players with regard to moving objects    * the ability to follow rapid moving objects
* eye focusing – this training allows your eyes to get more information by being able to focus on things faster, more information, better game reactions

* depth perception – knowing exactly where an object is allows you to catch, kick or dodge that object

* fusing flexibility and stamina – not the best chosen name, but what is does is amazing, it permits your eyes to function at optimum capacity for longer times, this means that players will still be able to process their visual information at optimum parameters – even at the end of a tiring game
Keep an eye out for Sport Vision Training, you will hear about it in a few years when it becomes mainstream.  One funny thing to remember is that: “keep your eye on the ball” is something that you have the tools to improve now.

If this has wet your tastebuds you should also take a gander at this:role of strength in speed and agility training

Learn more here Agility Training

I also recommend you check out this article and learn this very usefull exercise for speed and agility training improving strength

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Set Goals To Give You The Edge

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

What do All-Star athletes, accomplished professionals and  CEO’s, all have in common? They believe in the power of setting goals.  They know that it offers them the capacity to achieve great things.  It is the difference between mediocrity and brilliance. They also know the power of goal setting as they believe it give them  an edge over other colleagues and competitors .  A lot of people are not familiar with goal setting. Deciding what you want to accomplish and a plan to realize it is the definition of goal setting. By setting goals, athletes have a clear focus. It guides them on the course to success in their lives, careers and sports.  In order to get the most out of your speed and agility training you must set goals.

 

Why Set Goals?

Goals are primary in the success of an athlete. An atheletes mind needs to be focused on the actions needed to attain success and goals provide that path. Goals will help the athlete get over the hump in the face of adversity and disappointment. Goals encourage the athlete to work harder for advancement in their skills. The athlete holds expectations but goals present him or her with clarity of those expectations leading to better performance.  Goals can give an athlete a psychological edge as well by improving self confidence, giving them a sense of pride and as they reach their goals for Speed and Agility Training. By goal setting, an athlete gets a physical edge by improving speed and agility, power and performance. For instance setting a goal for speed in the agility ladder and then achieving that goal.

For speed and agility training, an experienced coach can be a great asset. The coach is the best asset an athlete has when a goal setting process is begun.  Good coaches can help the athlete set practice, performance and game goals. These goals will position the athlete to have an edge over the competition.  Practice goals are designed to prepare an athlete for a specific event. Practice and tactics are the concentration of these goals. Goals that are possible to attain but not too easy is the job of the coach..

Whether people are elite athletes or Fortune 500 CEO’s, the ability to set and master the skills of goal setting contributed greatly to their achievements and it will to yours as well.

Get more information on speed and agility training by going to this awesome website Speed Exercises

 

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