Functional Path Training

It's the System

Despite what the current fad is in terms of exercises and training methodologies it’s the system. The system determines how the exercises and methodologies are applied. It is the system that lends order, which produces measureable results in a systematic manner at the appointed time. If you don’t believe me look around. Systems beat fads and exercises. What is your system?

Change

In life change is a constant, you not the same person this instant that you were an instant ago. You can resist change or embrace it and manage it. I am continually amazed at how people resist change. Coaches are change engineers, our mission is to change behavior and help guide, prod, cajole, and lead the athlete toward their goals. I have found that changing physically by changing workouts, putting in a new training system, and adding new exercises is the easy part, the hard part is changing mindsets and in a team environment changing culture.

Changing culture is changing attitudes and habits that are sometimes ingrained and deeply entrenched. In this situation you often here things like “we already do that” or in meetings phrases like, “let me be the devils advocate” when new ideas are discussed. In my experience there is no simple solution for changing culture. From a leadership or management perspective it requires many uncomfortable decisions. Changing culture requires everyone to share common goals, to sacrifice together to use the past to gain perspective to move forward. Certainly disagreement and debate is acceptable if the spirit is to problem solve and achieve a consensus with everyone on the same page moving forward together to achieve a common goal. Turning losers into winners does not happen overnight. I have found that losers, both individuals and teams are comfortable being where they. They have all the excuses and revel in being downtrodden. Change requires dedication, commitment and focus on the goal ahead all the while realizing that it will take time. Many are called but few choose the path toward excellence. It is simply about choices. Make the choice to change or make the choice to stay the same.

LSD

Long slow distance was a term coined to describe running at a steady pace to develop the aerobic base. Unfortunately as it evolved the emphasis was on SLOW. This is a huge mistake. The result was proficiency at running slow for a prolonged period. This has little carryover to racing, remember the goal of training is to prepare to race. The emphasis in this method should be on long steady distance. Select a degree of effort that allows the runner to run a steady effort for the duration of the distance with good running mechanics. This type of training needs to be a means to an end. Unfortunately for many runners it has become an end to itself.

Seeing the Game With Different Eyes

As an athletic development coach I watch a game or a competition quite differently. I am not a spectator or a fan, nor am I a sport coach who is concerned with tactics and strategy. Frankly my concern is the conditioning implications of tactics and strategy. I cannot afford to be a fan because that would detract from objectivity. I feel that watching a game of a team that I am working with as a conditioning coach makes me an active participant. I watch games or competitions to gather information and feedback to improve the athletes that I am working with. That is not to say that outcome is not important, because it is, that is the essence of competition and the ultimate measure in most peoples eyes. To insure consistent injury free performance it is essential to get beyond the outcome and see what I like to call the game within the game, the patterns and movements that occur that really make things happen. Those patterns and movements have direct conditioning implications that can be improved through a properly constructed program based on game analysis and observation.

The sport coach watches the game to evaluate strategy, tactics and technique. The spectator watches as a fan. Both are outcome oriented. The conditioning coach watches to see the patterns, the moments, strength/power demands and the effect of fatigue. The conditioning coach is process oriented. We look for things we have been working on in training and see how they apply. The game or competition represents an opportunity to reinforce the positive aspects of training as well as to look for things to work on.

Energy System Training

Despite all the fancy color-coded charts that coaches use to indicate the various energy systems it is virtually impossible to train and isolate an energy system. It is important to remember that the energy systems are intensity dependent, not time dependent. The body must produce ATP for muscle action to occur and ATP can be manufactured both through aerobic and anaerobic means. All the energy systems work together synergistically. They do not switch on and off based on the duration of the effort. Therefore think of a training emphasis, but stop deluding yourself by thinking energy systems. Intensity of the work determines the energetic demands, remember all systems of the body cardiovascular, neural, muscular, endocrine hormonal, and immune systems all work together to allow the body to meet the demands of training and competition. There are no switches that turn on or off, all systems coordinate and cooperate to solve the movement problems presented to the body. Achieving peak fitness relative to the activity you are training for depends on how efficiently you get all the systems working together. Get beyond energy systems and train the body for the rigors of the competition.

Get Past V02

In order to improve distance running performance it is necessary to think beyond the heart and lungs. There is more to it than that. It is a given to be a successful distance runner it is necessary to have a highly developed and efficient cardiovascular system as evidenced by a high max V0₂. Max V0₂ is only one piece of the puzzle. We now know that once a runner has trained their V0₂ to a high level there is little room for improvement. V0₂ maximum can only be improved to a certain level, after that the improvement and adaptation probably takes place in the active muscles. It is also relatively easy to maintain at that high level. Perhaps we need to focus more on the neural aspect of endurance performance. Running fast for prolonged periods of time demands a high level of coordination of all systems of the body. This should make us more aware of training the nervous system; it is the nervous system that is the command and control system of the body. The muscles are slaves of the brain and the heart is a muscle. Systematically train all systems of the body and the whole kinetic chain for optimum endurance performance.

Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network (GAIN) Announcement

Be a leader and an innovator! Apply now and join a select group of professionals at the GAIN Apprentorship. Our goal is to define the field of Athletic Development by educating professionals in foundational principles and methodology as applied to coaching, physical education and rehabilitation. This program is not for the faint of heart or dilettantes, it is intense, intellectually challenging and demanding.

GAIN Apprentorship = Apprenticeship + Mentorship

The Gambetta Athletic Improvement Network (GAIN) is a network of professionals who are interested in learning and sharing to improve their abilities and enhance their professional development.

GAIN V will take place June 12 to 17 at Rice University in Houston, Texas. The program is open to sport coaches, conditioning coaches, physical education teachers, athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors and doctors. Complete the application form below and submit your application now, enrollment is limited. Professional tuition is $3,800 and scholastic tuition is $1900 (High school, junior high school, elementary school teachers and coaches are eligible for the scholastic tuition). Tuition includes breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, and room. CEU's from NATA & NSCA. Please call me at 941-378-1778 or email mail me at gstscoach@gmail.com for information or if you have any questions.

We combine theory and practice in a five-day residential coaching school format. This is an opportunity to observe, participate, question, and explore the application of the Gambetta Method - Systematic Sport Development Model of training, teaching and injury rehabilitation.

The day begins at 6:30 AM with an “Active Learning” learn by doing session followed by breakfast. The morning consists of two hours of classroom sessions followed by an hour of learn by doing, then a break for lunch. The afternoon begins with two hours of classroom sessions, followed by a third learn by doing session. After a break for dinner the day is concluded with small group discussions and interaction with the faculty. The schedule is designed to optimize the experience for the all the participants through high-level instruction and hands on learning.

The coaching school represents just a beginning. The graduates of the program can continue to participate via the secure web site, and continue to attend the GAIN coaching school for the duration of their careers if they so choose.

Our faculty is experienced professionals who combine their knowledge, experiences and passion for teaching to help guide you. They are leaders in their respective fields who are in the trenches working in the field of athletic development.

Vern Gambetta – Athletic Development

Jim Radcliffe (University of Oregon) – Strength & Power Development

Dave Ellis (President of Collegiate & Professional Sports Dietitians Association) – Nutrition – Fueling & Supplementation

Kelvin Giles (Movement Dynamics)– LTAD & Physical Competency Assessment

Frans Bosch (Professor of biomechanics and motor learning at Fontys University for Applied Science in The Netherlands) – Biomechanics of Sprinting & Current Concepts in Skill Acquisition

Dean Benton (Performance Director Brumbies Rugby) – Athletic Development and Recovery/Regeneration

Jack Blatherwick PhD (Consultant Washington Capitols) – Testing & Evaluation

Joe Przytula ATC (Elizabeth High School, New Jersey) – Functional Biomechanics & Rehab/Return to Play

Bill Knowles ATC (iSport International, Killington Vermont)– Rehab and Return to Play/Reconditioning

Tracy Fober PT (Iron Maven Physical Health & Performance) – Athletic Development

Ed Thomas Ed.D (Iowa Department of Education)– Physical Education

Ed Ryan ATC (Ferris Industries) – Return to Play

For those who have attended it has been a career changing experience. Take a giant step forward and apply now for GAIN V.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2012 GAIN Apprentorship Application

Enrollment is limited, with priority given to those working with athletes on a daily basis as a coach, athletic trainer (ATC), physical therapist (PT), doctor or chiropractor. This is a highly selective process because the quality of this experience is dependent on the participants; therefore we want to select the best-qualified, highly motivated individuals to help insure a great experience for all involved.

What do you do in the Athletic Development field? (Please be as specific as possible)

 

What is your personal mission statement?

What do want to learn from the GAIN program?

What or how will your attendance contribute to the GAIN Network?

Please attach a professional resume’

 

Please send the application to:

Gambetta Sports Training Systems

GAIN Apprentorship

PO Box 50143

Sarasota, Florida 34232

or

Email to: gstscoach@gmail.com

Building on Strengths

I was rereading some parts of the book Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath last night and it made me think about applying those concepts to training athletes. So often in evaluating our athletes and subsequently designing the training programs we focus on the weakness, what they can’t do and ignore the strengths, what they can do. We work so hard on the weaknesses that the strengths erode, in essence creating a leveling effect, a regression toward the mean.  Instead maybe we should find what the athlete’s strengths are and build on those areas. Find a way to take advantage of the strengths and minimize the weaknesses, this may be a consummate example of the art of coaching. I don’t have an answer although I do know it is a delicate balance, in many ways constant compromise. I also know that it changes as the athlete progresses in their career and advances in training age. I would be interested in your comments and how you approach it.

Lessons I have learned Earning An Advanced Degree From School of Hard Knocks

The following are some lessons that have learned in my years of coaching. I was going through some files yesterday and I found this list that I wrote in 2005 after two particularly negative professional experiences in the previous year. I thought it would be worth sharing. Some these were hard lessons to learn and some were quite apparent from the day I started coaching.

Structure and order are essential in order to have any degree of consistent success.

Money and facilities are not the answer, good qualified coaches are more important.

Without a well-defined plan of training and competition there is chaos and inconsistent performance results.

More is not better. This is true if it is training, therapy gaining weight or losing weight.

One size does not fit all. It is important to consider what each athlete brings to the event in all respects.

It is more than physical talent; the athlete must have athletic intelligence and real mental toughness.

You must coach females differently both from a physical and a psycho/ social perspective

Anorexia is not an eating disorder. Eating or not eating is only a manifestation of much deeper psychological problems.

There is no quick fix, nor is there any thing like instant results.

Treating the symptoms rather than the causes does not work both in training and therapy.

If you spend as long in therapy as in training each day then something is seriously wrong with the training.

Progression is essential. Without a clear progression it is usually a process of one step forward and two steps back.

It is impossible to coach by email, phone, letter or fax. Coaching is a daily personal, labor-intensive process.

Objectively judging and assessing talent is essential for success.

Just because a person was a great athlete does not mean they can coach. Most of the time the great athlete only knows how they did it and what they did, which often will not work for anyone else.

Attempting to reproduce past results is an exercise in futility. The past is gone; it is only a reference point to guide future performance.

Never let your limitations as a coach limit your athletes. If you do not know something admit it, don’t try to bluff your way through it. The athlete will figure you out sooner or later that you do not know what you are doing.

There is no immediate cause/effect relationship between workouts and performance. In fact the relationship may be negative if the athlete is operating at the redline constantly during workouts,

Coaching is more than a workout or a drill. The context of the workout is often more important than the workout itself.

There is no place for performance enhancing drugs in sport, amateur or professional. Coaches have to speak out against it. Any coach who is aware that his athletes take a banned substance should be banned from coaching. There is no fine line in regard to drug use. You are either against it or you condone it.

Make It Simple

Anyone can make things complicated; the genius lies in making things simple. In designing and implementing a training program nothing could be truer. I have said many times in this blog – simplicity yields complexity. The body is smart. It has the ability to take simple basic movements and turn them into magical patterns of coordinated skills. Master the basics; the simple and the complex will follow. Put the body into position to pull, push, squat, rotate, brace, extent and bend. Then give it movement problems to solve, provide the abilities to solve the movement problems and you will an adaptable athlete prepared to thrive in the competitive environment.