GMS Training Podcast

In our last episode Stew and Aid made some bets on the speed power events at the british athletics championships, so who won on the track and off?

Stew and Aiden go face to face in their gambling predictions for this weekends British athletics championships being held in Manchester. A bet of £1 on each of the speed power events... who will win the money? only one way to find out!

Todays episode we discuss the role of track side therapy in keeping athletes moving during sessions and even those playing games. What quick interventions can a therapist or coach do help the athletes.  And also how to recognise how sever the issue is and of they should stop or continue. Aiden takes us through his protocol that anyone can use.

Today we take a quick shallow look at how to develop speed. Speed development is simple right? getting faster is as simple as just sprinting often and at maximum intensity. Well, actually there are 3 main elements to getting faster: Neurological Physiological Sensorimotor These can be broken down fairly simply if you consider training elements as way to identify each area. So the Neurological part is developed through absolute maximum efforts, this is similar to the Feed the Cats philosophy through maximum intent flies over 10 to 30m as an example or even max weights in the gym with minimal repetition for maximum motor unit recruitment (through nerve impulse). Physiological, seen as traditional running sessions or work in the realm of Special,specific and tempo running. similar to what we discussed with Coach Banta about the Critical mass method. and of course remaining elements trained in the gym. About building up the athletes "capacity" Sensorimotor development covers the elements that you would classify as improving our proprioception, pretension and co-contraction abilities. technical work such as drills and exercises that challenge your stability and movement patterns.

So whats best for an injury? Ice or Heat? We all have heard about RICE (Rest Ice Compression and Elevation) but is this really the best thing to do in the initial stages of an injury?  We take a look at the inflammation cascade and its requirements for the healing process and put forward the use of heat to aid this process and reduce the time taken to return to play. Its crucial to remember the key to performance is consistency.

Today we take a look at what actually is tempo, explaining the difference or even similarities with the "Tempo" done by distance runners. Break down the terms of tempo and discusses the correct use within a polarised training methodology. Extenisve Tempo Tempo running is defined as running performed at 65 – 75% percent of one’s maximum speed. What is important on how to perform tempo is you want the last rep of your runs to be the same speed as the first runs. For example, if you are not able to complete 10 repetitions of 100 meters at an even speed, start with a shorter distance and improve that distance over a few weeks. You might also try slowing the overall speed down. To improve the quality of your tempo running monitor by hand timing your runs and making sure you are consistent with short breaks. Adding in these cardiovascular building runs into your training will facilitate improved capillary density which indirectly increases blood flow which improves recovery. (Note: you will need to take something out of your current training plan to add more into it) 75% of top speed is the upper limit of tempo (note this top speed not Heart rate), in the same conditions as your best time for the distance. Adjust the effort level to suit conditions - long grass, short grass, smooth, bumpy ground etc. It’s a preferred practice to do all tempo on grass if possible in flats not spikes – this means you adjust pace downwards. Tempo aids in recovery and the ability to stay warm between reps and sets. It can have an indirect role in speed development by increasing the muscles’ ability to generate more heat. Above 200m distances could produce too much lactate for sprinters of early training age or trained inappropriately to handle. You need to gradually build up the distances and intensities so that lactic is not a problem along the way. SPRINTING AND TEMPO running can coexist fine in any training program as the tempo running is so low in intensity that it does not effect the CNS (Central Nervous System) and because the total volume of tempo work is small. (2000 m per session) AEROBIC TRAINING interferes with speed and strength development when the volume gets out of hand. In small quantities it’s fine and even enhances the speed and power development through recovery. Different types of tempo for different purposes It Modulate the bodies Peak status, adding in this extra "work load" allows you train your speed qualities at 95%+ on a more regualr basis without that speed becoming stagnant. Tempo performed in The General Preparation Phase of training (GPP) will be different than all other phases of training, which include SPP and pre competition and competitive season training.

In this episode we have a general catch up chat about whats changing in our own lives as we start opening up after the covid 19 shut down. Discuss some strange racing coming out of the USA and also some of the funding / racing differences within the UK. Along with the usual (of course) social media disputes and call outs.

Today we take a look at the newly released Nike Superfly Elite 2 and the Puma Tokyo Future and brush sprint spikes along with the previously released spikes from Adidas, the Prime SP and the Finesse, A look into a little bit of spike science and the need for stiffness along with some recommendations for entry level spikes.

We meet Coach and Author Ryan Banta, the head coach of Parkway central High School and Author of the Sprinters Compendium and proponent of the Critical Mass System. In this episode we find out a little bit more about Coach Banta and his journey into coaching, from working in Law to finally listening to his Mother and working in a high School.  How he took a chance and chased the position of Assistant coach and where he is today. We discuss some of the current trends that are in the public domain and the possible detriment to athletes these are causing at the cost of Long Term Athlete Development. We of course take shallow dive into the Critical Mass system its origins and some detail of what this really means for training towards an event, and how this is the Sprinters version of the 5 speed model used by Middle and Long distance runners such as Lord Sebastian Coe (to great success) We hope to follow this Podcast Episode up with further more in detail progressions and sessions of the CMS in action, so watch this space... or rather keep listening :) Social Media Instagram Website

In this episode we delve a little into acceleration for team sports during none Sagital movement. Discuss the role of Transverse movement and dissociation, along with Hip internal and external movements. The step over vs false step, simply does it look like an acceleration position or is there some form of limitation. Train the athlete to be able to do both, favoring the false step during pre-set tasks but allow the athlete to self regulate on the field.

Well we have to discuss whats going on in the world or track and Field. And to kick this episode off we discuss the situation of the World champion and 3rd fastest athlete of all time at 21 years old who has been suspended provisionally for 3 missed test within a 12 month period. We discuss what that rule means.  Other athletes such as UKs 400m world and Olympic champion  Christine Ohohurogu who was suspended and more recently Christian Coleman who wasn't. And also we discuss the return to athletics post Covid 19

This is the 1st episode of "Book Club" starting at a basic level of books to introduce those who are starting out o their career, either as parents helping out or those wanting to focus and set themselves up on the right path from the beginning.  Stew discussed some the books that helped him either in the beginning or newer books he has found that he should have had when he began. and same for Aiden, if your'e looking at getting into Sports Therapy, some good introduction books to get you the information that will set up correctly further down or just down at the club spotting and treating injuries.

In today's episode we discuss the Achilles, some misconceptions around tendinitis and tendonosis.  How a coach can visually identify their athlete not coping with the pain and also how we can get that issue rehabbed correctly

In this episode we have a discussion with UK Sprints Performance coach David Sadkin, who in 2019 guiding the progression of young British 400m to the world championships and this year was hoping to have extended that to taking 3 runners to the Olympics. We get a view of his pathway into coaching and being a late student. And how it has shaped is career so far. We take a look at his training set up and philosophy and what he recommends for developing coaches. During this Podcast David mentions several books, which you can find below Supertraining Running Periodisation for Team Sports Lore of Running

In this episode we take a look at what actually are "Shin Splints", what are the muscle actions involved and how you cant treat them to get back to running as soon as possible, we also provide some detail as to daily exercises you can add as part your warm up to help strengthen the correct parts and keep on the road or track as long as possible. For details of the exercises explained in this episode, please head over to the Sports-Performance-Training.com website for the show notes.

With the lack of facilities our athletes and sportspeople are having to train on different surfaces such as parkland grass. But how will this effect the desired outcome of training and the future games or races?

Today we discuss what we are and aren't doing during Covid 19. How our work life has taken a hit and also its affect on training and testing our athletes remotely.

In this episode Aiden throws a curve ball and starts a discussion at the request of clients on feet. So we discuss the role of feet or the lower limb on speed, their importance and what to look for as a coach that could be hindering your athletes during top speed and acceleration. We also provide some details on foot anatomy and strengthening.

In this episode, Stew asks Aid about who his favorite British Athletes are. But Aid threw a curveball and names an Athkete from Stew's past, Joel Fearon. Joel is a Winter Olympic Bronze Medalist in the 4 man Bobsleigh and one of very few brits to have broken 10 seconds. We go on to discuss the use of Very Heavy Sleds and acceleration ability.

We introduce ourselves, a simple hello to Stew a performance enhancement specialist, track and field speed coach and a World Masters Athletics Champion along with Aidan, who holds an MSc in Osteopathy and is a Performance Therapist. Together work with some of leading sports people in the area on their development and performance at the highest level. And how they are dealing with Covid 19 and Coaching