Functional Path Training

The Bowerman Influence

Bill Bowerman had a huge influence on my decision to be a track coach. In the winter of 1968; my senior year in college at Fresno Sate Bowerman came to speak as the featured speaker at the first ever Fresno Sate Track & Field Clinic, he was brought to Fresno by Red Estes, assistant track coach at Fresno State (later to be head coach) who had competed at the University of Oregon under Bowerman. What can I say; Bowerman was Bowerman, passionate, direct to the point, outspoken and strong in his beliefs. He was obviously very knowledgeable in all disciples of Track & Field even though he was known as a distance coach. After the first night of the clinic as I was walking back to my apartment through the cold wet San Joaquin valley fog I made up my mind to be a track coach. I wanted to be like Bowerman, I was so impressed with his knowledge and passion I could think of no other way to go. Over the next few years I read everything about him and his program, heard him speak numerous times, but that presentation that first night of the clinic still sticks with me. He and my father had a huge influence on my thinking that there are no shades of gray; it is right or wrong, no argument. Not that I have ever have achieved what Bowerman did in his career but that has stuck with me.

These quotes capture a little of Bowerman. The first quote is not directly from Bowerman but you can clearly see his influence. It is from Oregana, 1962 University of Oregon Yearbook “World record shattering potential is not easy to come by, and even after it is found it has to be developed to realize its maximum potential. This potential is diverse in its many forms and a knowledge of the components that make up this potential is essential to successfully exploit it.”

"Victory is in having done your best. If you've done your best, you've won."

“It is quite simple to observe that great middle distances runners have usually been medium to just above average in height, slightly below average in weight, slight of build, with well-defined musculature. They also usually have a somewhat lower pulse rate than average. But to select runners purely on the basis of these characteristics would probably result in little more success than choosing them by the color of their eyes and hair.”

“Champions and potential champions must have an abundance of energy and tenacity. They must be willing to stick to workout procedures that would seem grueling to the average person, to perform them in fair weather and foul. Furthermore, they are eager, not only to defeat opposition, but to push themselves to full capacity on the competitive field.”

“My method of devising a training schedule (specific assignments for workouts) is not very different from a physician's method of arriving at a prescription for a patient. The first step is diagnosis, becoming acquainted with the patients or athlete's abilities and disabilities. The second step is an assessment of what improvement can reasonably be expected and what specific recommendations are needed. The final step is a period of trial and observation to adjust the "dosage" or training schedule to optimum levels for the safest and most rapid improvement of condition.”

If you want to learn more about Bowerman read Kenny Moore’s fine book – Bowerman and The Men of Oregon. What sport needs today is some more Bill Bowerman’s who have the passion, courage and knowledge to speak their mind and stand up against drugs and cheating.

Simplicity Yields Complexity

I am a simplifier. If I can’t explain it in five minutes or less and explain to someone who knows nothing about training an athlete then I should reconsider what I am trying to do. The following is a summary of the process of preparing a completely adaptable athlete to be ready to compete to win at the appointed time:

Get Functionally Strong

Get Functionally Fast

Get Functionally Fit

Get Specific

Compete

Not many words, it is very direct, simple but very complex in it’s applications. Remember the goal is not to make it complex, but to make it simpler; the body is complex enough without adding unnecessary complexity.

Training Session Management

In coaching there are three management functions

1) Training Session Management

2) Competition Management

3) Injury management

In this post I will give you some ideas on Training Session Management. Training session management is the cornerstone of the coaching management functions because it occurs so much more frequently than the other two. Make sure that the session fits in the context of the whole plan in regards to the microcycle, block and yearly plan. Have a theme for each session; it can be as simple as just one word that you and the athletes can focus on to set the tone for the workout. This is not to be confused with the objectives of the workouts. Objectives are very specific and measurable outcomes you hope to achieve in the workout, I usually have no more than two objectives per workout. On the workout sheet list the equipment needed and when and where in the workout I will need it. I make sure all equipment is working. If it requires electrical power make sure the batteries are charged and the outlets work. Also list the personnel you will need, where and when they will be needed, and make sure they are fully briefed before the workout begins.

The next step is to have a detailed plan for the entire workout and a contingency plan in the event of inclement weather or facility unavailability. Keep it simple; I have a tendency to make workouts too complicated with the end result confused athletes. Start with introduction of the theme and special instructions to the group. Plan complex movements and high skill demand activities early. Speed development should be planned for early in the session before there is any fatigue.  If possible try not to mix high neural demand activities with high metabolic demand activities in the same session. If there are groups in the workout be sure to assign the groups and leaders in advance. Make sure that transitions between segments of the workout are set up to allow flow from one segment to the next with minimal time loss. Be sure to allow for intra workout recovery and nutrition breaks if necessary. Within the workout focus on the sequence, order and timing of the exercises you chose to accomplish your training objectives. If you have a digital timer to keep track of the time of segments that is a very helpful tool to manage the workout.

Carefully record results and observations for future reference.  At the end of the workout be sure to evaluate the workout in the context of the objectives. Were the objectives of the workout achieved and if they were not, why not? What were the highlights? Were there any particular individuals that needed special attention or were unable to accomplish parts of the workout? What stood out about the workout that was particularly effective? These ideas may seem obvious to some, but this is the stuff that makes or breaks you as a coach and it is not taught to young coaches any more. Please feel free to add any ideas or suggestions you might have that I have missed, always interested in other ideas and perspectives.

It’s Still Just A Number

In many ways the rush to gather numbers in the guise of monitoring and measuring training and competition fascinates me but I have many questions. Is this a fad that will pass? It certainly has created many jobs and a big buzz in the media, but what does it all mean? 45 years into this journey I have to say I am a bit skeptical of some of what I see. Too many profound inferences and conclusions are being made from measures that are artificial at best. In the rush to jump on the bandwagon very few people are asking hard questions. 90% of what I see with GPS is really no better than fancy pedometer data. Numbers need context. Numbers are one dimensional, human performance is multidimensional. We must focus on the human element, the athlete; they are not integers in an equation. There is still no substitute for a well-trained “coaching eye” who knows their athlete. The coach is the person who makes the data meaningful, not someone labeled a sport scientist because they can sit in front of a computer screen and crunch numbers. The coach can provide the context, the critical thinking skills and the knowledge of the sport that is ESSENTIAL. The coach is the captain of the performance team; ultimately it is the coach’s job to get the athlete to perform. Let’s be careful we are not marginalizing the coach in this process. Let’s all be sure that the numbers we gather are meaningful and actionable. Just gathering random numbers does no one any good.

Making Connections

One of the key aspects of a good training or rehab programs is making connections. Recognize that the body is a kinetic chain and we always need to be aware of how we are making connections between all the links in the chain. Ask yourself if in fact you are connecting or are you disconnecting? Remember that the core is the relay center; it is the center of the action, but not the originator of the action so it plays a big role in connecting upper and lower extremities. We need to understand the end result we desire and how the links in the chain connect and time up. We must always take into consideration that we are bipedal land animals so to insure that all connections are made we must build from the ground up with gait as the cornerstone of function. It may seem basic but we need to know what we are connecting. Why are we connecting them? How are we connecting them? Then we need to understand how the exercises we use in training are connecting to the skill required in the movement or the sport. Is the movement similar or same? Does the athlete make the connection? When all connections are made the result is flowing, efficient, rhythmic movement that allows the athlete to flawlessly execute the desired movement.

 

Buyer Beware - EMG Studies and Muscle Action

Put a muscle at a mechanical disadvantage or isolate it and you will get high degree of muscle action on an EMG. Put that muscle into a movement where it is has to work with other muscles and now watch what happens. The pattern of activity will be quite different. In the first case the muscle is screaming at you to set it free to let it work to its fullest capabilities as part of a team. In the later case the muscle is singing because it is being the used as part of a team to work to move or resist movement of a body part. It is doing what it is designed to do work together with other muscles to produce smooth efficient coordinated movement. Muscles work in synergistic patterns, it is too easy to revert to reductionist thinking and forget that. What is convenient is not always right. Think movements not muscles in evaluation of movement and in designing effective training programs.

Big Picture Thinking

As you surely know by now I think the big picture is very important, so important that you should never lose sight of it. First to be able to think of the big picture you need a plan. The more detailed the plan the better.  What is the big picture? It is an overview of the whole process and the objectives to be able to get to the big picture. What does it do? It lends perspective and context to what we are doing. It helps to keep us away from just doing stuff and train with a purpose. It is my experience and observation that the most successful coaches and systems of athlete development have a clear picture of what the end the product looks like and they never deviate from that picture, it guides everything they do. Big picture thinking tends to be a broad focus not a fixation on trivial details. The opposite of big picture thinking is reductionist thinking that breaks everything down to its smallest component and focuses on trivial details. We have been victimized by reductionist thinking that leads you down a one-way dead end street. It is focus on muscles rather movements, it is focus on small insignificant aspects of a movement, obviously big picture thinking is the opposite, it focuses on flow, linkage and rhythm. It allows the individual athlete to express him or herself; it creates adaptable athletes who train with a mindful approach.

The actual implementation of any training program is the training session or workout, but for the session to be meaningful it must be part of the big picture. The key to this is to stress context. Also recognize that there are no magic workouts. For each workout there is an immediate, residual and cumulative training effect. The workout you do today is just a few pixels out of a huge picture. Workouts are only effective when they fit into the plan. Each small step must be in the direction of the ultimate goal.

Part of big picture thinking is recognition that the body is a wondrous organism that has an amazing ability to self organize and self correct. We stimulate this by giving the body increasingly difficult movement problems to solve. We must recognize each individual’s adaptive response. No two people react the same way to the same stimulus. I have found it helpful to think of the big picture as a giant jig saw puzzle with thousands of pieces. You cannot force pieces to fit and you must constantly reference the picture on the cover of the box to see patterns and shapes. Training is the same.

Becoming An Athlete

This is a blog that I originally wrote in 2008, no need to reinvent the wheel, it is just as relevant today as when I wrote six years ago.

Yesterday during training I had a some time to step back and observe the athletes, not just my athletes but the football players and wrestlers who were in the weight room at the same time. On my drive home from workout, about twenty minutes, I reflected on what I saw with more focus on my Volleyball players. (Daily that is my time to reflect on the just completed workout and begin planning for the next session). I realized that what I saw unfold before me yesterday was the growth process of an athlete. In my group there are ninth graders just starting the journey to rising seniors who will be play at a high level in college. They all workout, why don’t they end up in the same place? Well we know that many are called and few are chosen – Right? Actually wrong – many are called and few choose. Yes you read it correctly not many choose to excel.

It is clear to me after all these years there are three stages in the growth process into becoming a real athlete.

First Stage – You do the workout. Nothing more, nothing less, you get tired, you are satisfied. At this stage anything you do makes you better, so you see some improvement.

Second Stage – You realize you must do something more to continue to improve so now you work the workout. You put more into it mentally and physically. You realize just doing it is not enough, you must have good technique and concentrate, you must push yourself.

Third Stage – This is where the big dogs play – you have train the workout. That is a whole new level of commitment and concentration. You must prepare mentally and physically in advance for the workout. You have be at your best everyday. In my experience this is a select group. They see the results, the fruits of their labor because they consciously choose to train the workout

In many respects the growth of a coach reflects the same three growth stages. I think we all choose where we want to be. To be the best means being uncomfortable all the time. Making sacrifices and doing things no one else is willing to do. Where do you choose to be? Chances are where you choose to be will be reflected in the athletes you coach.

The Parable of the Buses

This parable was inspired by the book “Good to Great” by Jim Collins.

There were two buses, both going to the same destination. One bus was a rickety old yellow school bus; the other bus was a beautiful new air-conditioned motor coach. The old yellow bus was driven by a veteran bus driver who was familiar with the area and knew the destination because he had been there many times before. The other was a modern bus driven by a young driver who had just passed the test to be certified as a bus driver. He was new to the area and had never been to the destination before. He was confident because someone sitting in the back of the bus had told him how to get there. Incidentally they were both leaving at 5:00PM, the height of rush hour, and they had to be there by 7:00PM. The old bus driver had an alternate route ready if he needed it, the new bus driver didn’t even think about it.

On the yellow bus everyone was in assigned sets, the yellow shirts in the yellow seats, the blue shirts in the blue seats and the red shorts sat in the red seats. On the new bus everyone sat where they wanted, in fact two people were late and the bus waited for them. The yellow bus had a specific address and estimated time of arrival. He knew the route and the alternative route. The big new bus was depending on someone in the back of the bus for directions, that person had never been to the destination before. The driver was so confident he did not even have a map! He did not need to because he had had his GPS and he was fully certified in directional awareness by the GPS Company.

The old yellow bus arrived at the destination with fifteen minutes to spare. The alternate route he had planned had almost no traffic during rush hour. The new modern bus was ninety minutes late. First they were stuck in rush hour traffic, and then the driver turned off on what he thought was an alternate route that turned out to be the opposite direction. They both made it.

The moral of the story get everyone on the bus on time, make sure they are all in the correct seats, above all have a driver that knows the directions and preferably has been there before!

In designing a training program, lesson plan or therapy plan remember this story. Be sure you know the destination and if you have never been there before talk to someone who has. Find out how they made the trip. Have a detailed roadmap and make sure it is current. Don’t over rely on technology, follow you instincts. Have a contingency plan if the first route proves unmanageable. Simply plan the work and work the plan.

In conclusion which bus have you been on? The old yellow school bus may not be as comfortable but it will get you there with time to spare.

Training Balance & Balanced Training

What is needed in training is appropriate physical preparation to support and where possible enhance the quality of the sport specific technical and tactical training. They all go hand in glove. All aspects of training are highly interdependent and must be trained in varied proportions at all times of the training year. You can artificially try to separate them but to be most effective you need to recognize and take advantage of the interaction. Early in my career when I was just beginning coaching and also competing in the decathlon served as a powerful lesson for me about balancing training. I learned quickly that if I let my training get out of balance and emphasized one event or one physical component that it would quickly show up negatively somewhere else. It was clear that to make effective progress I had to balance all aspects of the physical preparation with the technical work on all the events. Obviously I could not give equal attention to everything, I had to balance it all out. I learned to eliminate blind spots in training. Good sound training is always a continual compromise, a give and take, a yin and yang to maintain the desired training focus.