Traditional or “Old School” training focuses on overall conditioning of the body and concentrating on tendons and ligaments to prevent injury. New or modern training methods have become power driven so much so that blown knees and torn muscles have become common place. Too much muscle puts a strain on the natural body. Developing the proper stretching, vertical and lateral movement techniques are paramount in one’s success. Intense core conditioning is mandatory in order to prevent chronic ailments in the back, neck, hips and knees.
The foundation for football training and all sports movements - including sprinting, is a solid, unshakeable, foundation of strength and, more importantly, flexibility. Not only must you be strong enough to move your own bodyweight, you must be efficient while doing so.
To achieve maximum Body Strength your muscles must move in unison. The proper diet, along with the general knowledge of muscle interaction, will greatly increase your chance of being a successful athlete.
Quickness
Speed is the quickness of movement of the limbs. Speed is an integral part of every sport and can be expressed as any one of, or combination of: maximum speed, elastic strength (power), and speed endurance. Speed is influenced by the athlete's mobility, special strength, strength endurance and technique.
Energy
Energy is supplied by the anaerobic lactic pathway. The anaerobic (without oxygen) lactic (without lactate) energy system is best challenged as an athlete approaches top speed between 30 and 60 meters while running at 95% to 100% of maximum (of maximum what?). This speed component of anaerobic metabolism lasts for approximately eight seconds and should be trained when no muscle fatigue is present (usually after 24 to 36 hours of rest).
Repetition
Sprinting techniques must be rehearsed at slow speeds and then transferred to runs at maximum speed. The stimulation, excitation and correct firing order of the motor units, composed of a motor nerve (Neuron) and the group of muscles that it supplies, makes it possible for high frequency movements to occur. The complex coordination and timing of the motor units and muscles most certainly must be rehearsed at high speeds to implant the correct patterns.
Flexibility and a correct warm up will affect (strike rate) [what does this mean?]. Stride length can be improved by developing muscular strength, power, strength endurance and running technique. Flexibility is developed and maintained year round. Strength and speed are developed in parallel. Skill development (technique) is pre-learned, rehearsed and perfected before introducing high speed levels Speed training is performed by using high velocity for brief intervals. This will ultimately bring into play the correct neuromuscular pathways and energy sources used
Conducting Speed Work
It is important to remember that the improvement of running speed is a complex process that is controlled by the brain and nervous system. In order for a runner to move more quickly, the leg muscles have to contract more quickly, but the brain and nervous systems have to learn to control these faster movements efficiently. Maintaining some form of speed training throughout the year, keeps your muscles and nervous system from losing the feeling of quick moments; the brain will not have to re-learn the proper control patterns.
In the training week, speed work should be carried out after a period of rest or light training. In a training session, speed work should be conducted after the warm up and any other training should be of a low intensity.
Relative Strength
Gymnasts or rock climbers need strength, but not at the expense of increased body-weight: it makes their sport harder. Relative strength is building maximum strength while controlling calorie intake and/or adding cardio.
Absolute Strength
Strongman or Olympic Lifters in the heaviest classes easily weigh 300 lbs. More body-weight means bigger muscles & thus more strength. Absolute strength is about becoming the strongest person regardless of body-weight.
Builds Muscle
Strength training builds muscle: the stronger you are, the more muscle you'll have. Strength training is not bodybuilding however: building muscle is a byproduct of exercising, not its primary goal.
Burns Fat
Strength training burns calories which keeps your metabolic rate high under strict dieting.
Increases Health
Strength training increases endurance, bone density & testosterone levels. Strength training strengthens your joints, lowers cholesterol & improves sleep. Nutrition is important to get results. All leads to a healthier body & lifestyle.
Forges Character
Strength training teaches persistence, sacrifice, self-control, responsibility & builds self-confidence. You'll get out of strength training what you put into it.
Stress
Exercising stresses the body. Your body adapts by getting stronger & building muscle. Your body quickly adapts to stress. Increase the resistance systematically to avoid plateaus.
1 Step Back, 2 Steps Forward
Eventually you'll stall. You can't increase the resistance forever. Decrease the resistance for a while, then increase it again bursting through your plateau.
Speed
The faster you move, the stronger you'll be. You're using more muscle fibers & building momentum.
Power
Power is the ability to accelerate quickly going from a dead stop. The quicker you can achieve top speeds, the stronger you will be.
Do you remember some of the things we used to challenge each other to do as small children? Things like “how long can you hop on one foot?” or “who can walk on the edge of the sidewalk the longest without falling off?” We didn't call it exercise or balance training then, but that is exactly what we were doing. Activities like these helped us to develop our balance and stability and to survive our youthful clumsiness. Today, top athletes in the world recognize that balance training helps them to perform better in their sports and fitness experts know that good balance and a strong core go hand in hand.
Proper reception. It's the body’s ability to interpret and use information about your position in space. Through a complex system of environmental feedback, cues from the bottom of your feet, the relation of your inner ear to gravity, and what you see, your body senses which muscles to activate or deactivate to maintain your desired position. It does this when you stand, get up from a chair, or walk on the sidewalk. It also uses all of these cues when you're riding a bike, skiing, strength training at the gym, and standing on your tiptoes to grab something from a high shelf. When the information received is too complex to translate, the system gets overwhelmed and you lose your balance. But with practice and experience (i.e. balance training) you can master what once seemed like impossible tasks—just like you did when you first removed the training wheels from your childhood bike.
By training to develop greater balance, you will recognize improvements in coordination, athletic skill, and posture. This in turn will result in fewer injuries and greater stability as you age, which can help prevent falls and keep you both strong and independent longer. These are the very benefits that have led many coaches, trainers, and athletes to incorporate balance training into their workouts.