| No doubt about it, during the past three decades | | | | acceleration (concentric), stabilization (isometric), |
| the one athletic attribute that has most clearly | | | | and deceleration (eccentric). Most sports require |
| transcended the majority of sports and most | | | | the ability to explosively move in all three |
| clearly impacted sports performance has been | | | | directions and to explosively accelerate, |
| explosive power – namely speed, agility, | | | | decelerate, functionally stabilize, and explosively |
| quickness and jumping ability. Yet, for so many | | | | accelerate again. Yet, older ineffective forms of |
| athletes explosive speed, agility, quickness and | | | | training traditionally have emphasized just one plain |
| jumping ability continues to be a key athletic | | | | of motion (which is the sagital plain - for example: |
| attribute that remains just beyond their reach. | | | | sprints, squats, lunges, leg presses, and leg curls) |
| The ‘traditional’ view is that an athlete | | | | and one muscle action - primarily acceleration. But |
| who does not possess great natural speed, agility | | | | functional movement and competitive sports is |
| and quickness can never become a great athlete. | | | | just not like this, and this is why close to 80% of |
| This is simply not true! With the right training, an | | | | all sports injuries occur without any contact with |
| athlete who was not ‘born quick’ can | | | | opponents and usually when an athlete |
| certainly become quick, and an athlete who was | | | | decelerates and rotates (such as during a change |
| not gifted with tremendous jumping ability can | | | | in direction). Athletes must train in all three plains |
| certainly make significant improvements to their | | | | of motion and with all muscle actions (acceleration, |
| jumping ability. In a similar way, an athlete who | | | | deceleration, stabilization), to create a much safer |
| already possesses good athletic ability can | | | | and much more effective program. In addition, |
| certainly make great improvements and reach | | | | workouts should be both age specific AND sport |
| that proverbial ‘next level.’ While it is true | | | | specific. This is very important. A nine-year-old |
| that our genetic makeup is largely responsible for | | | | football player should not be using the same |
| our muscle fiber type composition (a major | | | | program as a fourteen-year-old basketball player |
| contributor to explosive power), the latest sports | | | | or a nineteen-year-old hockey player. Construct a |
| science research conclusively proves that almost | | | | needs analysis of the sport. What are the |
| all athletes can make significant speed, agility, | | | | dominant planes of motion and muscle actions |
| quickness and vertical leap improvements! The | | | | used by the sport and position of the athlete? |
| key to these improvements is the right kind of | | | | What are the energy/endurance demands? What |
| training. | | | | are the rest ratio’s? What level of intensity is |
| Two of the main goals of any explosive speed, | | | | demanded in each phase of the game and for |
| agility, quickness, and vertical leap training program | | | | each position? A program should be built around |
| should be to rapidly improve sports performance | | | | these components. Finally, the use of effective |
| and reduce the risk of injury. Unfortunately, many | | | | goal setting, training logs and charts to measure |
| of the older more traditional training programs | | | | and monitor progress and improvements is an |
| have not accomplished these goals. In fact, many | | | | additional, often ignored, component that is very |
| athletes using these programs fail to see the | | | | important to overall motivation levels and thus |
| improvement they wanted, and actually increase | | | | also important to the overall success of any |
| their risk of injury. Let me explain. | | | | explosive speed, agility and quickness program. |
| All movement can be broken down into three | | | | If you dedicate yourself to following these training |
| plains of motion or directions – forwards and | | | | principles, you too can gain that all important |
| backwards (the Sagital Plane), side to side (the | | | | ‘explosive step’ on your competition for |
| Frontal Plane), and rotational movement (the | | | | that winning-edge. |
| Transverse Plane) and three muscle actions - | | | | |