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Posted by
Richard Bucciarelli,
January 12, 2011
Email Richard Bucciarelli
Richard Bucciarelli, BKINE, CSEP-CEP, CSCS, CK, is a soccer fitness coach and President of Soccer Fitness Inc., a soccer-specific strength and conditioning company in Toronto. Richard has an extensive background and experience in both training and coaching soccer players of all ages and levels of ability. A certified Kinesiologist, Richard also holds certifications with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology (CSEP-CEP), National Strength and Conditioning Association (CSCS), and the American Council on Exercise (CPT, CLWM). He also holds the distinction of being the only trainer in Canada to attend and present research at both the 6th World Congress on Science and Football (Antalya, Turkey, January 2007), the First World Conference on Science and Soccer (Liverpool, England, May 2008), and the 7th World Congress on Science and Football (Nagoya, Japan, May, 2011).
In addition to his many qualifications in soccer fitness training, Richard is also an avid soccer coach. A graduate of York University's Coaching Certification Program, he also currently holds an Ontario Provincial "B" License, as well as United States National "B" and "Y" Licenses, in coaching.
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Quick gains in running speed:
Using harnessed over-speed treadmill training – Part 1
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A common theme among the professional soccer players we work with at the Soccer Fitness Training Centre is that they arrive in Toronto over the December break with a limited amount of time, but still want to train intensely in order to go back to their clubs in January in better shape than they were when they left. This was certainly the case with Joseph Di Chiara, who plies his trade with Krylia Sovotev in the Russian Premier League, and is also presently a member of the Canadian Men’s senior National Team. Arriving on November 30th, 2011, and subsequently leaving for St. Petersburg on January 6th, 2012, I had just over a month – with Holidays in between – to plan a program for him that would improve his fitness and help him become more of an impact player in the second half of the season.
Because a primary component of our training at Soccer Fitness involves the use of high speed, high incline running treadmills, I decided to focus Joseph’s training on maintaining a high level of aerobic endurance (using incline treadmill running) and trying to improve his maximal running speed (using harnessed, over-speed running). This 2-part article will first examine the science behind both traditional, and Soccer Fitness’ more unique methods, of training to improve maximal running speed (Part 1). Next time, Part 2 will comprise a detailed explanation of the specific over-speed training plan used with Joseph during his 5-week off-season training period.
Maximal Running Speed:
A Product of Stride Length x Stride Frequency
Making improvements in running speed can be difficult to achieve. Speed is, by definition, a product of stride length and stride frequency. By improving one, the other, or both, improvements in speed can be made. Stride length is increased by improving the size and strength of muscles associated with the running stride. There are several common and proven methods of doing this, including weight training, Olympic lifting, as well as incline treadmill running, which was mentioned above. Improving stride frequency, however, is more difficult to do, as it requires finding a way to make the muscles in the running stride contract quicker than they normally would. This type of training, termed “over-speed” training, often involves the application of some kind of overload or stimulus to the muscles in order to try to make them contract quicker.
Traditional Over-Speed Training Methods:
Downhill Running, Elastic Loading Devices
Some examples of commonly used over-speed training techniques include downhill running, and harnessed running with an elastic loading device. When running downhill, the force of gravity added to the speed the athlete is moving combine to make the legs accelerate faster than they normally can. When using a harness fixed to an elastic loading device, a trainer or training partner can use the elastic load to try to propel the athlete forwards, again utilizing an external force (the trainer’s own momentum) to increase the speed at which the athlete travels.
The inherent problem with both of these training methods is that the improvements made in the speed of muscular contraction can often be negated by the poor movement mechanics associated with the training stimulus. For example, when running downhill, even though the legs are moving quickly, the body must produce substantial braking forces (forces which slow you down) in order to maintain balance and prevent falls. The steeper the grade, the greater the breaking forces that must be produced. Because running speed can only be improved by maximizing propulsive forces, and minimizing breaking forces, the net effect of downhill running is often that whatever gains in speed were made from increased leg acceleration are negated by the increased breaking forces associated with the movement.
Harnesses attached to elastic loading devices also force athletes to compromise optimal running mechanics. Because the harnesses are typically attached to the athlete’s waist, when the resistance is applied, the athlete’s pelvis – and thus the centre of mass – is pulled forwards, decreasing the range of motion in the hips. The end result of this type of training is that, even though the body is propelled forwards, the hips do not flex as much as they should (knees do not come up as high) and the athlete’s strides actually become shorter. This decrease in stride length will likely negate gains in stride frequency that may have been made by using the elastic loading device. In both cases (downhill running and harnessed running with an elastic loading device) the stimulus applied to the athlete changes and alters the athlete’s running mechanics in such a way that true gains in running speed are compromised.
Soccer Fitness’ New Over-Speed Training Method:
Harnessed High Speed Treadmill Running to Produce Quick Gains in Running Speed
Soccer Fitness has found a solution to this problem through use of the revolutionary Noramco HS Elite high speed running treadmill. The treadmill features a safety harness that not only prevents athletes from falling, but also can be adjusted to provide un-weighting (decreasing the ground reaction forces that occur when the feet hit the ground during the running stride). When running at high speeds, the treadmill is set at a 2% incline, so as to minimize breaking forces, and maximize the propulsive forces that occur during the running stride. The running movement on the high speed treadmill is also much closer to the optimal running stride than that typically seen in downhill running or harnessed running with elastic loading devices. All of these features combine to allow athletes to run on the treadmill at speeds ranging from 10-40% faster than they can achieve on the ground.
These results also typically occur in a short amount of time (2-3 weeks). The reason is that the muscles are forced to contract at speeds which are much higher than they normally can, and the coordination pattern used is almost identical to the athletes’ optimal running stride on the ground. Signals are sent from the contracting muscles to the brain and spinal cord, and an adaptation occurs whereby the nerves which innervate the quickly contracting muscle fibres sped up the rate at which they deliver the signals to the muscles to contract. Once this happens, the athlete develops the ability to contract the muscles in the running stride at a faster rate than before, which subsequently leads to an increase in stride frequency (number of strides in a given amount of time) and an increase in maximal running speed.
Harnessed over-speed treadmill running was used extensively in Joseph Di Chaira’s off-season strength and conditioning program. In only 5 weeks, we were able to increase his maximal running speed on the treadmill from 16 miles per hour (25.75 kilometres per hour), to 21 miles per hour (33.80 kilometres per hour), a 25% increase. In Part 2 of this article, we will profile the exact training plan we used with Joseph, including videos of the actual over-speed treadmill runs.
Richard Bucciarelli is the President of Soccer Fitness Inc., and Fitness Coach for the Canadian National Women’s U17 team, which will be travelling to Mexico City on December 11th for their next training camp. For more information about Richard and Soccer Fitness, please visit www.soccerfitness.ca
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