FAQ
It is our goal at Flight101 Sports Speed Development to create the ultimate resource and training enviornment for athletes looking to improve their athletic performance on the playing field. In the twenty plus years that we've been coaching, we've seen speed, agility and quickness training combined with conventional resistance training grow in popularity as a means of improving athletic performance. With the increasing need to promote athletic ability and gain that "competitive edge", this type of training has proven to enhance the practical field abilities of athletes in a variety of sports. The following are a few FAQ's about SPEED, POWER, REACTION, AGILITY and QUICKNESS (SPRAQ) Training and the Flight101 Sports Speed Development Program.
A. No, this type of training has been around for some time but many athletes haven't taken advantage of it primarily due to a lack of knowledge regarding both the specific benefits and how to integrate it into a holistic training program.
A: SPRAQ or Speed, Power, Reaction, Agility and Quickness training, is intended to increase an athletes ability to exert maximal force and respond quickly to his/her competitive environment during high-speed movements. SPRAQ training manipulates and capitalizes on the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) while closing the gap between traditional resistance training and functional-specific movements.
A: There are a number of benefits to this type training. At the purely physical level, SPRAQ training increases muscular power in all multiplanar movements, brain-signal efficiency, kinesthetic spatial awareness, motor skills, and reaction time. Additionally, by acquiring greater balance and reaction time an athlete can maintain proper body position during the execution of specific skills and react more proficiently to any changes in the playing enviornment. Hence the term "operating in space" - that split second when the football player makes a cut to avoid a tackle or the sprinter reacts to the starters gun.
A: It is important to remember that SPARQ training is designed to supplement not replace traditional resistance training. As a matter of fact, in order to get the most benefit from SPARQ training an athlete should not begin until a solid foundation of general conditioning has been established. Remember, it is critical that you have a enough of a strength base to adequately complete each SPARQ drill without undue strain. This could mean as much as six months to a year of foundation work for a beginner.
A: High intensity SPRAQ work should be conducted during the preseason, preferably a month or two just before the season begins. Additionally, SPARQ training should be conducted no more than 2 days per week and 30 to 45 minutes per session of total activity. As a matter of fact, some studies suggest that no training session should last more than 90 minutes. These studies indicate that after 90 minutes the training bout starts to have deminshing returns with the negative effect being more prevelant in male than female athletes. But in any case, when developing a Periodization Training Plan, every consideration should be given to the athlete's years of training or "training age", level of fitness, and how often they will be performing SPARQ training activities
A: Before we define periodization we need to discuss the 3 most important aspects of any training plan. These variables are frequency, intensity and volume. Training frequency refers to the number of training sessions completed during a given period of time, usually per week. Intensity applies to the quality of work performed during muscular activity and is measured in terms of power output. Intensity may aslo be defined as the level of difficulty for a particular activity. Volume, the last variable, means the quantity or total number of sets or repetions completed during the training session. Periodization is a way to design a training plan so that it maximizes these important variables - frequency, intensity and volume. Periodization involves the gradual alteration of frequency, intensity and volume so that an athlete peaks at just the right time. A typical periodization cycle should include a general preparation period, specific preparation period, precompetitive phase, competitive season and peaking period. Each phase should be performed for a 3-4 week cycle depending on the length of the season, with the competitive phase being the most intense in the beginning and gradually tapering off as the athlete gets closer to the peaking season.
Q: Are there any safety concerns?
A: As with any type of training, the athlete should not start a SPARQ routine until they have first been instructed on how to perform the drill properly. There are a number of other saftey concerns to consider - more than can be discussed here including proper warm-up to prevent injury etc. However, probably the most important safety concern are rest and recovery, moderation and consistency. Training plans should be designed in such a way that they provide enough time for the athlete to be fully recovered from the previous session or activity. Remember rest and recovery, moderation and consistency are the cornerstone of any training plan. For more information
Q: How does Flight101 design a program for individual athletes?
A: Because they are designed to supplement what an athlete may already be doing with his/her school program, Flight 101 Training Sessions are generally designed around a nine week period that focuses on flexibility, movement, speed, strength, power and overall athletic development. Athletes are taken thru various cycles beginning with a Preparation Phase, continuing with the Progression Phase and concluding with the Performance Phase. Flight101 athletes are continually assessed throughout each cycle so they can get some idea of their progress or areas of their training program that might need more individualized instruction. Based on a behavior model that stresses that the athlete has a thorough understanding of all aspects of his or her sport, Flight101 trained athletes learn an approach to training that is age appropriate and specific to their individual development and goals.
Q: But they say you can't coach speed?
A: To some degree this is true, for the most part blazing speed can not be coached. For most world class sprinters it is indeed a matter of genetic makeup. That being said, with improved running mechanics and the proper training an athlete can significantly improve speed and quickness. For more information on running more efficiently read.
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