what story do you have?

[west58]

This seems like an incredible tool. Ben, how often do you use the ARP for strength training vs. repair and recovery? I know it does a great job in search and destroy, but I'm more curious about performance training.

It seems like it could be a huge shortcut when it comes to increasing alpha gamma activation. Being involved in MAT, I'm surprised that MAT doesn't take a serious look at this machine because it uses the same fundamentals. Increasing tension in the antagonist muscle while contracting the agonist in the shortest position possible. Or in LDISO language, greatest joint angle.

[BenR]

Originally Posted by west58

This seems like an incredible tool. Ben, how often do you use the ARP for strength training vs. repair and recovery? I know it does a great job in search and destroy, but I'm more curious about performance training.

It seems like it could be a huge shortcut when it comes to increasing alpha gamma activation. Being involved in MAT, I'm surprised that MAT doesn't take a serious look at this machine because it uses the same fundamentals. Increasing tension in the antagonist muscle while contracting the agonist in the shortest position possible. Or in LDISO language, greatest joint angle.

I mainly use it for repair and rehab. There are many different applications for its use in performance training, whether it be potentiation, restoration, activation, etc, but the protocols will often be unique to the individual.

With that said, I prefer to train without it. I want to be able to create all the feelings, emotions, thoughts, arousal necessary for whatever task, all in my own head. One can not compete with the arp on, so ultimately, the task/sport must be accomplished without the arp, though its use before and after the task would be permissible in my opinion.

One also must take into consideration the additional sensory feedback provided by the arp. Just as the arp can accelerate proper motor learning, it can be equally as detrimental if used improperly.

[west58]

I want to be able to create all the feelings, emotions, thoughts, arousal necessary for whatever task, all in my own head

I wonder if you could elaborate on this. This is a really hard and difficult concept to teach athletes. Are there any cues that help you to take any exercise to a different level? How do you approach this subject with athletes?

I've struggled to put this in words that athletes understand , feel, taste and hunger for. I've only had one athlete who could put himself into a different realm when performing LDISO's. Unfortunately, I have not been able to bottle that up for later use.

[BenR]

Therein lies the difficulty of a strength coach, especially one working with younger athletes. I doubt there are tremendously meaningful external cues one could provide to address an issue that is primarily philosophical/motivational in nature. That is, the absolutely burning desire to excel in anything must come from within. No doubt there are means of getting others (athletes) to obtain goals that you mutually seek (i.e. punishment, reinforcement, instruction in self-talk, etc.), but ultimately the athlete is limited unless he embraces the training with his whole spirit.

Perhaps the greatest instruction you could give as a coach is to encourage introspection and intellectual participation on the part of the athlete. An athlete needs to have a deep understanding of why he participates in sport in order to maximally succeed in sport. I believe that the more autonomous an athlete can become, the greater the possibility for realizing his/her potential.

[sjl]

An update on the training here:
Yesterday morning was an hour run capped off by 10 gassers at a pretty good pace. Then today we went 10*60 m (short rests but all out) and then we did 8 sets on the squat right after, up to a 5 RM minus 15 lbs or so.
I'm hitting some sort of CNS wall right now. Suggestions?
I'm not constantly sore or anything like that but I just can't 'push' anymore.

[west58]

This is truly sad. Why on earth a football program wants to turn anyone into a slow. nonathletic ironman is beyond me. Sorry to all ironmen triathletes out there, but I think you are nuts and probably decreasing your life each race and training session you put yourself through.

I'm reminded of an example put forth by Ken Jakowlski, track coach in suburban Chicago. You need to treat and train your fast twitch athletes like Cheetahs. Either catch your prey or call off the run. Another words, if you can't run or exert yourself to at least 93% or higher, than its time to call it off.

The 93% comes from JS. But I like inno-sport's model much better. In fact, I don't think I've ever had a drop-off higher than 5%. I've seen several years of great athletes coming out for track in the spring who Pr in their event in the beginning of the track season, but falter or stay flat the rest of the season. Why is that?

Is it because they are not working hard enough? So the coach thinks if they do so well the first track meet, perhaps, if we work them harder with a ton of volume, they will become super elite? For the freak athlete you see every 20 years, that may indeed happen. But for the rest of us, chalk it up to another athlete who never met his potential due to a coach (with good intentions) who didn't ask enough questions.

Volume is earned, not allocated, just as velocity is. Sometimes less is more.

[Josh]

I'm afraid I'm going to have a horror story of sorts. I'm hoping somebody will tell me it's not that bad.

As I've described in another thread, I've been giving my daughter strength- and jump-training for eight months to make her a high-flying and explosive outside volleyball hitter.

The fall season hasn't begun yet, but I'm hearing from other parents that the high school coach has the girls run a mile run every day. I'm scared to death my daughter's jump and hitting power are going to go to hell.

1) Is this going to happen?
2) What can I do to counteract it?

[west58]

That sounds pretty normal. I heard of a high school tennis coach that makes his kids run 5 miles. But they run at least 8 steps further than volleyball players do so I guess that extra 4 miles will do the trick.