Strengthening Feet and Ankles for Sprinting

This routine focuses on strengthening the feet and ankles to improve stiffness and reactive strength in sprinting. It targets the often-neglected areas crucial for efficient force transfer in sprinting.

# Key Points:

• Address foot and ankle strength/stiffness, particularly for athletes with "mushy" feet
• Progressively increase difficulty of exercises
• Focus on quick, reactive movements
• Monitor improvements in foot control and ankle stability over time

# Podcast Episode with Angus Ross

Today's episode features Angus Ross, physiologist and strength coach at High Performance Sport New Zealand. Angus is making his second appearance on the podcast, following up on his initial chat about eccentric strength training with practical knowledge on stiffness, fascia, and performance.

# About Angus Ross:

• PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Queensland
• Worked with elite athletes in the NZ system, including sprint cycling and skeleton
• Experience in the Australian institute system (Queensland Academy of Sport and Australian Institute of Sport)
• Winter Olympian (1998 and 2002 Winter Games)
• Known for intelligence, curiosity, and pragmatic approach to coaching

# Episode Topics:

• Double versus single leg stiffness for team sport athletes and track/field sprinters
• Benefits and use of plyometrics versus overloaded eccentric training
• Periodization of training methods throughout the year
• Muscular versus fascial driven athletes

# Key Points from the Episode:

• New developments with Angus Ross
• Reactive strength and stiffness in sprinting
• Double versus single leg stiffness
• Maximal isometric or overcoming exercise versus plyometrics
• Experimenting with frequent alteration of training stimulus
• Benefits of "fascial tightness" exercises for fascial driven athletes
• How muscle driven athletes can often PR after rest periods
• Thoughts on velocity based training
• EMS and strength performance

# Notable Quotes:

"I'm sure stiffness from sprint data would show the same things as a single leg drop jump (athletes deficient in a single leg drop jump leak energy at maximal velocity)"

"The plyos might really develop tendon stiffness, while the longer slower contractions (i.e. supramaximal type work) still might develop some stiffness, but may also develop compliance as well"

"If I was going to periodize it, I might be doing some supramaximal eccentric work with some isometric work initially, because they marry well in addressing tendon properties, and you could do it with a small amount of plyos, and then morph until faster eccentric work, and towards plyos"

"The great coaches have the intuition to change (the emphasis of the program) when needed"

"When you got the motor patterns from 20 years of plyos in the system, they are there, if you make a change in the system, you will improve"

"What I've been doing essentially is a 4 week block on repeat, with a different week each block… for some athletes it's worked great, but other athletes don't feel like they are getting enough time on a stimulus"

"Changing the stimulus on a regular basis is a good thing…. some people it's worked really well for"

---

This episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.

View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.

Assessing and Developing Leg Stiffness for Sprint Performance

This routine focuses on assessing and developing leg stiffness using drop jumps and the Marin group formula. It targets both double-leg and single-leg stiffness, crucial for sprint performance.

# Key Points:

• Perform drop jumps with minimal ground contact time and maximum height
• Use the Marin formula to calculate stiffness quantitatively
• Monitor and address any discrepancies between legs in performance
• Implement contrast training by alternating between plyometric and strength exercises

# Podcast Episode with Angus Ross

Today's episode features Angus Ross, physiologist and strength coach at High Performance Sport New Zealand. This is Angus' second appearance on the podcast, following up on his initial chat about eccentric strength training with practical knowledge on stiffness, fascia, and performance.

# About Angus Ross:

• PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Queensland
• Worked with elite athletes in the NZ system, including sprint cycling and skeleton
• Experience in the Australian institute system (Queensland Academy of Sport and Australian Institute of Sport)
• Winter Olympian (1998 and 2002 Winter Games)
• Known for his intelligence, curiosity, and pragmatic approach to coaching

# Topics Covered:

1. Double versus single leg stiffness for team sport athletes and track and field sprinters
2. Benefits and use of plyometrics versus overloaded eccentric training
3. Implementing these methods throughout a training year
4. Muscular versus fascial driven athletes

# Key Points from the Podcast:

• Reactive strength and stiffness in sprinting
• Maximal isometric or overcoming exercise versus plyometrics
• Experimenting with frequent alteration of training stimulus
• Benefits of exercise for "fascial tightness" in fascial driven athletes
• How muscle driven athletes can often PR after rest periods
• Thoughts on velocity based training
• EMS and strength performance

# Notable Quotes:

"I'm sure stiffness from sprint data would show the same things as a single leg drop jump (athletes deficient in a single leg drop jump leak energy at maximal velocity)"

"The plyos might really develop tendon stiffness, while the longer slower contractions (i.e. supramaximal type work) still might develop some stiffness, but may also develop compliance as well"

"If I was going to periodize it, I might be doing some supramaximal eccentric work with some isometric work initially, because they marry well in addressing tendon properties, and you could do it with a small amount of plyos, and then morph until faster eccentric work, and towards plyos"

"The great coaches have the intuition to change (the emphasis of the program) when needed"

"When you got the motor patterns from 20 years of plyos in the system, they are there, if you make a change in the system, you will improve"

"What I've been doing essentially is a 4 week block on repeat, with a different week each block… for some athletes it's worked great, but other athletes don't feel like they are getting enough time on a stimulus"

"Changing the stimulus on a regular basis is a good thing…. some people it's worked really well for"

• This episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.*

View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.

Eccentric Strength Training for Sprint Performance

This routine focuses on developing eccentric strength, crucial for improving overall power output and maintaining fast-twitch fiber types. It targets the muscles' ability to absorb force quickly, essential for sprint performance.

# Key points:

• Emphasize the eccentric (lowering) phase of exercises
• Use slow eccentric tempos to increase time under tension
• Implement supramaximal loading for enhanced eccentric overload
• Monitor and manage fatigue levels carefully

# Today's Episode: Angus Ross on Eccentric Strength, Stiffness, and Fascia

Today's episode features Angus Ross, physiologist and strength coach at High Performance Sport New Zealand, making his second appearance on the podcast. Angus follows up on his initial chat about eccentric strength training with practical knowledge in stiffness, fascia, and performance.

# About Angus Ross:

• PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Queensland
• Worked with elite athletes in the NZ system, including sprint cycling and skeleton
• Experience in the Australian institute system (Queensland Academy of Sport and Australian Institute of Sport)
• Winter Olympian (1998 and 2002 Winter Games)
• Known for his intelligence, curiosity, and pragmatic approach to coaching

# Episode Topics:

1. Double versus single leg stiffness for team sport athletes and track and field sprinters
2. Benefits and use of plyometrics versus overloaded eccentric training
3. Implementing these methods throughout a training year
4. Muscular versus fascial driven athletes

# Key Points:

• Reactive strength and stiffness in sprinting
• Double versus single leg stiffness
• Maximal isometric or overcoming exercise versus plyometrics
• Experimenting with frequent alteration of training stimulus
• Benefits of exercise for "fascial tightness" in fascial driven athletes
• How muscle driven athletes can often PR after rest periods
• Thoughts on velocity based training
• EMS and strength performance

# Notable Quotes:

"I'm sure stiffness from sprint data would show the same things as a single leg drop jump (athletes deficient in a single leg drop jump leak energy at maximal velocity)"

"The plyos might really develop tendon stiffness, while the longer slower contractions (i.e. supramaximal type work) still might develop some stiffness, but may also develop compliance as well"

"If I was going to periodize it, I might be doing some supramaximal eccentric work with some isometric work initially, because they marry well in addressing tendon properties, and you could do it with a small amount of plyos, and then morph until faster eccentric work, and towards plyos"

"The great coaches have the intuition to change (the emphasis of the program) when needed"

"When you got the motor patterns from 20 years of plyos in the system, they are there, if you make a change in the system, you will improve"

"What I've been doing essentially is a 4 week block on repeat, with a different week each block… for some athletes it's worked great, but other athletes don't feel like they are getting enough time on a stimulus"

"Changing the stimulus on a regular basis is a good thing…. some people it's worked really well for"

---

This episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.

View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.

Velocity-Based Power Training for Sprinters

This routine focuses on developing power using velocity-based training principles. It targets overall lower body power that transfers well to sprinting performance.

# Key points:

• Use velocity measurement tools (e.g., linear position transducer, accelerometer)
• Set specific velocity targets for exercises
• Implement the 20% velocity drop-off rule
• Focus on explosive concentric phase in exercises

# Podcast Episode with Angus Ross

Today's episode features Angus Ross, physiologist and strength coach at High Performance Sport New Zealand. This is Angus' second appearance on the podcast, following up on his initial chat about eccentric strength training with practical knowledge on stiffness, fascia, and performance.

# About Angus Ross

• PhD in exercise physiology from the University of Queensland
• Worked with elite sports in the NZ system including sprint cycling and skeleton
• Experience at Queensland Academy of Sport and Australian Institute of Sport
• Winter Olympian (1998 and 2002 Games)
• Known for intelligence, curiosity, and pragmatic approach to coaching

# Episode Topics

• Double vs single leg stiffness for team sport athletes vs track and field sprinters
• Benefits of plyometrics vs overloaded eccentric training
• Using different training methods throughout the year
• Muscular vs fascial driven athletes

# Key Points Discussed

• Reactive strength and stiffness in sprinting
• Maximal isometric/overcoming exercise vs plyometrics
• Experimenting with frequent alteration of training stimulus
• Benefits of "fascial tightness" exercises for fascial driven athletes
• How muscle driven athletes can PR after rest periods
• Velocity based training
• EMS and strength performance

# Notable Quotes

"I'm sure stiffness from sprint data would show the same things as a single leg drop jump (athletes deficient in a single leg drop jump leak energy at maximal velocity)"

"The plyos might really develop tendon stiffness, while the longer slower contractions (i.e. supramaximal type work) still might develop some stiffness, but may also develop compliance as well"

"If I was going to periodize it, I might be doing some supramaximal eccentric work with some isometric work initially, because they marry well in addressing tendon properties, and you could do it with a small amount of plyos, and then morph until faster eccentric work, and towards plyos"

"The great coaches have the intuition to change (the emphasis of the program) when needed"

"When you got the motor patterns from 20 years of plyos in the system, they are there, if you make a change in the system, you will improve"

"Changing the stimulus on a regular basis is a good thing…. some people it's worked really well for"

• This episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools.*

View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage.