martin
Parisi Speed School- I get told by some athletes and coaches that I need to focus on lifting and some others that I need to focus on running. What do I need to do here. I want to get strong and I want to get fast to. What is the best program to be on? Mike Forte
Pictured is Aflac All American Steven Brooks and Pennsylvania's Andrew Lonsky hitting some 40's in the facility. Both athletes know that the secret is not doing just speed or just strength work, but both!
Mike,
Great to hear from you and sorry to hear about the dilemma. All too often athletes think it is one or the other. The awesome news is that with the right training, you can get big and fast and it can happen at the same time. The secret is to make sure that you are training in both disciplines throughout the year.
When you take off from lifting and just run, you are missing out on the strength gains that can be applied as force when you sprint and change direction. When you take off from running and just lift, your body is missing out on the velocities of movement, the technique and neuromuscular adaptations that happen when running! So, with a plan that incorporates both, you can continue to improve in both the same time. All it takes is 2 things: the right plan and the discipline to carry it out.
I dont know about your numbers or the amount of time you have been training, but I will tell you this, if you put in enough 4 days of training a week (2 lift focus and 2 run focus) for enough time (we are talking years here) you are going to see big results. Another secret beside having the plan and discipline to carry it out is to also add consistency to this equation. So, it is not just about having the discipline to do a workout, it consistency over the long haul. That is my definition of training.
So, one day hit upper hard, one day hit lower hard, one day work on your straight ahead work and one day on your change of direction and I guarantee at the end of a year you will be a different athlete. (Dont leave out getting the right recovery and nutrition too). So, to summarize, to just work one area would be like having a sportscar without an engine. Apart, neither are as effective as when they are used together. To illustrate, long time client Dr. Steven Stoller shows off his new Lamborghini below. Now that's an example of strength and speed!
Martin Rooney
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Martin, I attended the Functional Training Summit in Rhode Island and I was impressed with you and the other presenters. During your hands on, you talked about the importance of arm mechanics and the upper bodies of Olympic sprinters. Besides arm mechanics drills, what are some other things you can work on to improve upper body strength? Kim Meier
Talk about seeing double! Pictured are Cameron and Colin Jones working on weighted arm action drills at the facility. The twins have been working hard this summer to get ready for prep school at Mercersburg in PA. This is no easy task since the team is ranked #2 in the country!
Kim,
Thanks for writing in and I am glad that you enjoyed the presentation. It is always a rush to get up and speak in front of people about something you believe in, but the real rush is when people are improved as a result.
As for the upper body, it is actually a huge area that we focus on at the Parisi Speed School to get athletes faster. Although I have talked in depth about the development of the legs and the core for speed, you cannot leave out the training of the upper body when it comes to speed development. As I stated at the seminar, it is not a coincidence that the upper bodies (especially the upper backs) of the sprinters are massive. These big traps and delts help to drive the arms and stop the arms and reverse the directions of movements for fast arm action.
In addition to arm mechanic work, which I think is often undervalued, there are a number of strength applications for upper body work. Trap shrugs and chin ups are staples in our program to develop the strength and mass that can be converted over to more powerful arm drive when the correct mechanics are taught. As pictured above, we also do weighted arm action drills to strengthen the shoulders for more powerful movements. Just like dragging a heavy sled can help build more strength in the lower body, these arm action drills can help to create more drive which will indirectly influence leg drive as well. Finally, other exercises like dips, curls and tricep work can all help as well. Not only do these exercises work the muscles that will be utilized during arm movements, but they help to stabilize and hold proper postures during the arm mechanics as well.
I hope this helps.
Martin Rooney
My summer is winding down and I am hitting a roof in my speed. I was getting faster consistently during this summer and now I feel like I am stalling out. What are some things I can try to finish strong? This year is going to be my year. Mario
Pictured is Justin Smith of La Quinta, California working on straight leg bounding in front of our brand new Record Boards. Justin has flown in to train for 3 weeks at the Parisi Speed School to make his senior football season the best yet. Currently being recruited by a number of D-I schools, Justin is gaining the knowledge he needs to go to the next level.
Mario,
Thanks for writing in and sorry to hear you are hitting a speed barrier. Since I dont know what you have been doing this summer, the first thing I would caution you about before adding any more exercises would be to make sure you are getting enough rest and are not overtrained. Sometimes doing too much can be the reason that numbers are starting to plateau or even drop off. Good training advice is that when you see this occur, really check to make sure that you are getting the rest you need, not just checking to see what new exercises you can add to your program. Also, I want you to remember that it is not your speed at the first practice of the year that is most important, but the speed you have during and at the end of the season that is going to get your name in the papers and across the desks of college coaches. Keep that in mind and make sure your plan goes until the end of the season, not just until the first practice. This is a common mistake I see and can help to explain why kids that had an insane summer of training dont deliver on the season that they expected.
That being said, whenever I see results plateauing, I also change the program up if recovery is not the issue. New variety for an athlete can help to add new stimuli to that athlete and perhaps herlp him or her smash through a recent sticking point. One of my favorite exercises is the one pictured above either in regular running format or the resisted version. Straight leg bounds are a bit technical, but once you ahve them down, you really learn to develop extensor power in the legs and cover ground like you never have before. During this drill, as the picture shows, make sure there is no breakdown in either posture or arm position. All too often, flaws here take place and then the drill can hurt as much as it helps.
I hope this helps a bit and you hit a new PR!
Martin Rooney
Parisi's. I am a coach and have the dynamic warmup, agility, deceleration and 40 methods DVDS. I want to say that they have helped my coaching and team's speed this summer. I have really changed how I look at stopping and my speed sessions as a whole. Now I am working on as much lateral movement as straight ahead burst. Speaking of burst, do you have any good drills for developing start speed? Thanks for everything. Coach John Tuttle
Pictured are fully clad members of the Orange High School football team working on team speed at the facility this week. Orange has been a great group and we love the fact they represent their team and school well every session with the uniforms. After going 7-3 and losing in the states last year, Orange is making the push to ramp it up this year.
Coach,
Thanks for writing in and I am glad that you are enjoying the DVD series. I am also glad that it has helped you to look differently at your training. In the end, it is awesome because the end result is kids getting better training knowledge and an opportunity to perform better and feel better about themselves.
I am excited to hear more about your sessions that focus on lateral movement as much as linear speed. This is a big paradigm shift that we made long ago and I am sure it will help prepare your team physically and help to prevent injury.
As for drills that can help with starting speed, we use a number of different ones here at the facility. With the younger athletes and during team sessions, the push up starts and tag games are often the most popular. This involves having the athletes (one chases and one is chased) both starting in pushup position and when the chasee moves, the chaser gets up and tries to catch him or her before the chasee reaches a designated distance. A lot of fun and gets kids motivated. Another drill (which is pictured above) is the mountain climber sprint drill. The athletes start in a push up position, perform a certain number of mountain climbers and then sprint a designated distance. Great for start strength and hits the upper body too. Finally, light sled sprints are nice too.
Remember, strength development (mainly relative body strength) is critical to develop your ability to overcome inertia, so make sure kids are Meeting Themselves Halfway. What I mean here is losing fat and gaining muscle. This way, they see more definition and get faster at the same time.
Best of luck this season and I hope this helps.
Martin Rooney
I am 17 and play basketball. I had an ACL reconstruction last season and I worried I am still not where I need to be to play this upcoming season. I have finished physical therapy and the doctor has cleared me for all activities but I still feel weak and slow. What can I do to work on this. Can I get hurt again. I want to remember my senior year as positive not on the sidelines. Jrock
Pictured is trainer John Cirilo showing off the single leg stiff legged deadlift during the shooting of the upcoming Strength Training for Speed DVD. John knows the importance of single leg work not just for injured athletes, but also as prehab as well.
J,
Sorry to hear about the injury and thanks for writing in. It is good to see that you are looking to get better and realize that just because you have been told you are ready to go, this does not always mean that you dont have things to continue to work on.
At our facility, we have done an interesting thing. We added physical therapy to complete the continuum of care from postsurgical right back to the field. The idea of this continuum was in part a reason why I left physical therapy for the field of performance enhancement in the first place. So now, we have athletes that go from injury to rehab to speed and strength work with the entire team aware of the progress. This way, we are helping athletes come back actually better than they were before the injury even happened. It is an exciting program.
In your case, if you dont have access to our facility and therapy is over, I would recommend a few things. First, make sure you have a coach video you and have a look at your running technique. You want to make sure that there is no limping or compensation taking place for both running and especially stopping. If there are assymmetries taking place, you need to correct them. If they are technical issues, you need to work on evening out the form. If you feel that there is also a strength limitation causing this, you need to hit that hard as well. As the pic above shows, single leg work is essential because if you are just squatting or deadlifting, you could be using the non injured leg a lot more than you think.
I would get started on these two issues and focus on making progress. Many athletes have come back stronger from the same injury and you can too. Now about your question of reinjury, you must remember that injuries are not completely preventable now matter what you do, but you can lessen the chances with the right training. So, once you are doing well, think of your training as prehabilitation to prevent injury. Below is a shot of the Don Bosco freshman working single leg step ups this week to prepare for the upcoming season.
I hope this helps and wish you the best.
Martin Rooney