Speed Insiders Call In Day
Last night I held a question call in night for my Speed Insider members. I absolutely love calls like this. Normally, my teleseminar calls are around 60 minutes long, but last night's call went over 2 hours. I appreciate the questions the members were asking. There was great feedback from each member on other member's questions as well. That is exactly what I like about my Speed Insiders program. Everyone wants the best quality results and are willing to give quality answers. There were definitley some big breakthroughs with many of the answers that I was able to give.
The questions were not just limited to training athletes. There were business questions, marketing questions, new facility and business opportunity questions, we even got into the psychology of how to talk to clients to accomplish a certain result. To all of you that were on the call, great stuff! I look forward to scheduling an open call.
How to Use Jumping in Your Program
Jump training or plyometric training is still a hot topic. It certainly deserve discussion when ever it is brought up. I don't think it is being used properly. My opinion is based on many years of training athletes and seeing the results. Let me explain...
The issue that concerns me the most is... when I hear about an entire training program dedicated only to jumping. I have seen it for years in my community high school volleyball coaches dedicating 60 plus minutes, 3 times a week to jumping! My body hurts just mentioning that. How the misunderstanding of volume became so screwed up is beyond me.
Let's not forget jumping is a skill just like other speed skills. The more you do in one workout is not necessarily a good thing. The more quality work at a high intensity is a good thing.
It is also important to understand that strength is the foundation of jumping and speed. If you can improve the strength of the athlete the jump training or plyometric training you use will have greater value. Plus, strength training will decrease the injury potential. I personally know that if I improve the overall strength of my athletes I will have better results on jumping. But, what I am seeing more and more is athletes performing jumping programs with high volume and never doing any strength training. This is a problem. I am not saying you can't do jump training until you have done several weeks of strength training, you just need to control your volume and base the jump training off technique early on until you have adequate strength to handle more intensity. Also, you can be doing strength training along with the jump training.
The primary focus in our facility on jumping is on quality movement in the jump and landing along with appropriate intensity. If the athlete is capable of handling some load (vertimax, bands...) we will use them. We want our athletes to jump as hard as they can to challenge the nervous system on each attempt. When doing more plyometric (stretch shortening cycle training) based training we are now focusing on quickness off the ground per landing. We still want great technique but emphasize the quickness off the ground. In true jump training we will not worry as much about the quick re-jump and put more emphasis on the intensity and power output of each jump.
People are usually amazed when I tell them I use only 25-50 total jumps- usually closer to 25. This does not include low box drills that have very little impact. We break the total number into a few different exercises with 2-3 sets per exercise. To be honest, my most productive jumping is when we do 4-5 sets of 5-6 vertimax jumps- simple and to the point. The athletes respond very well from the vertimax.
Hopefully this information gives you a little to think about when doing jump training AS A PART OF THE TOTAL PROGRAM.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: If you want to take advantage all the great resources my Speed Insider Members continually receive go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ to get a 2 month FREE trial. I would love to hear your questions and have you be on my next open call - but you have to be a Speed Insider to have this invite.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
How Did The Ancient Day Athletes.....
Family Update
Well, I am back in NY at the Speed Academy waiting for my wife and kids to travel from IN to be with me. They will be here for a couple weeks and then head back. I will be at the Speed Academy for most of July and then head back to IN in August so I can have a couple weeks of fun with the kids before school starts up.
I am going to try to get more involved with my girls sports programs at their elementary school so I want to be back to Indiana as soon as possible.
I just want to say one more time how appreciative I am for all the words of support I received from many of you on the passing of my father.
Before there were trainers
I would consider my coaching style very natural when it comes to multi-directional speed development. I can only imagine that in the ancient days there were not too many athletic development facilities geared toward speed development, or coaches that focused on speed development for that matter. Yet I bet there were some incredible athletes just like there are now. So if I were to describe my natural coaching style it would be very much based off what athletes did years and years ago.
Let's remember that the body is a fantastic machine. It was designed to be a problem solver. What this means in multi-directional speed training is when an athlete is not in the ideal body position to make a quick explosive acceleration movement it will adjust. If the feet are too narrow one foot will widen to create a better angle to push off while the other prepares for contact and drive.
If the athlete needs to decelerate the body will instinctively use a foot plant that slows momentum. The body has innate abilities to react and move- we should not be messing with this.
The instinct of the body to find the appropriate angle will occur even when body is in a poor athletic position. A good example is when the athlete stands too tall. The proper angle will be found but the angle is based off the current height of the athlete. So the body does it's job correctly but because the stance is poor the movement is not as efficient as it could be. Now, if we get the athlete to get low or "In the Tunnel" they will find the best angle for acceleration.
This is what often happens with many coaches; they feel that because the athlete didn't move well the natural reactions the athlete used are hurting them. When in actuality the instinctive movement was correct but the starting athletic stance was the problem. Fix the stance and you fix the problem.
My style of coaching is to always look at what the body wants to do instinctively and make the adjustments when efficient movement is not met. The inefficient movement is usually due to poor stance, lack of mobility, or laziness. It is our job as coaches to recognize the problem and clean it up.
Recently I watched a soccer player do some ball handling drills and notices his body was moving correctly for the stance he was in- the problem was that the stance was not appropriate for efficient movement. So the correction was to fix the stance and body position and the skill improved tremendously.
Think about it. Humans didn't start becoming great movers only since speed coaches were around. They could move just fine using their natural instincts and abilities.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ so you can get valuable monthly information reserved for Speed Insiders Members Only.
Well, I am back in NY at the Speed Academy waiting for my wife and kids to travel from IN to be with me. They will be here for a couple weeks and then head back. I will be at the Speed Academy for most of July and then head back to IN in August so I can have a couple weeks of fun with the kids before school starts up.
I am going to try to get more involved with my girls sports programs at their elementary school so I want to be back to Indiana as soon as possible.
I just want to say one more time how appreciative I am for all the words of support I received from many of you on the passing of my father.
Before there were trainers
I would consider my coaching style very natural when it comes to multi-directional speed development. I can only imagine that in the ancient days there were not too many athletic development facilities geared toward speed development, or coaches that focused on speed development for that matter. Yet I bet there were some incredible athletes just like there are now. So if I were to describe my natural coaching style it would be very much based off what athletes did years and years ago.
Let's remember that the body is a fantastic machine. It was designed to be a problem solver. What this means in multi-directional speed training is when an athlete is not in the ideal body position to make a quick explosive acceleration movement it will adjust. If the feet are too narrow one foot will widen to create a better angle to push off while the other prepares for contact and drive.
If the athlete needs to decelerate the body will instinctively use a foot plant that slows momentum. The body has innate abilities to react and move- we should not be messing with this.
The instinct of the body to find the appropriate angle will occur even when body is in a poor athletic position. A good example is when the athlete stands too tall. The proper angle will be found but the angle is based off the current height of the athlete. So the body does it's job correctly but because the stance is poor the movement is not as efficient as it could be. Now, if we get the athlete to get low or "In the Tunnel" they will find the best angle for acceleration.
This is what often happens with many coaches; they feel that because the athlete didn't move well the natural reactions the athlete used are hurting them. When in actuality the instinctive movement was correct but the starting athletic stance was the problem. Fix the stance and you fix the problem.
My style of coaching is to always look at what the body wants to do instinctively and make the adjustments when efficient movement is not met. The inefficient movement is usually due to poor stance, lack of mobility, or laziness. It is our job as coaches to recognize the problem and clean it up.
Recently I watched a soccer player do some ball handling drills and notices his body was moving correctly for the stance he was in- the problem was that the stance was not appropriate for efficient movement. So the correction was to fix the stance and body position and the skill improved tremendously.
Think about it. Humans didn't start becoming great movers only since speed coaches were around. They could move just fine using their natural instincts and abilities.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: Go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ so you can get valuable monthly information reserved for Speed Insiders Members Only.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Keeping It All In Perspective
I am sitting here at my facility in NY. It is 6:30 am on Sunday (Father’s Day) writing this blog. It doesn't matter how well things are going at any given time. Life can spin you around like a top.
Earlier this week, I spent three days (Monday – Wednesday) at the speed academy with my video production guy shooting my new Ground Breaking Part 2. I was tired, but riding a high because of the excitement of seeing all the athletes train, shooting my video, plus preparing to travel back home to see my wife and kids. While I was in NY, my father, who has been not doing well health wise (to be 89 this August) took a turn for the worst. He was given about 3 weeks more to live. As I drove back to Indiana, I felt very anxious and excited to see my family, yet because of my father’s situation, I had a somber side to me. Because my trip was so short and because I knew I was coming back to NY in less than a week to spend most of the summer, I didn’t visit my Dad.
So, I arrived home Thursday night very excited to see my wife, two daughters and son. My daughters were just as excited to see me and let me know that they had big plans for me on Fathers Day. I was also extremely excited to get back because my oldest daughter, Jae, has a 3 day basketball camp to attend this up coming week and I couldn’t wait to take her. She couldn't wait for me to take her, either. With all this excitement I couldn't stop thinking of my father. I wanted to be there for him.
Friday morning my brother called me. He said the nurse told him to come quickly because my fathers had difficulty breathing and he was not doing well. My brother said he would call back to let me know how my father was doing once he saw him. My father has had many moments when it seemed like it would be his last, but he always pulls through. Our family joke was that he went way past 9 lives- he was a tough guy.
About 45 minutes later my brother called again and said, "Lee, dad just passed away."
I am sitting in NY at my speed academy on Father’s Day working on a few things, while my wife and kids are celebrating Father’s Day by themselves. My wife will take Jae to her basketball camp, and I will spend time with my brothers and sisters as we lay my father to rest.
Life is a Journey! I was a part of my father’s journey for the 42 years I've been alive. He had a great life and made all of my brothers and sisters lives great. He was married to my mother, who passed away in 1999, for 57 years. He was a tremendous leader having been a teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator- combined 40 plus years.
Recently, he was honored by being named Whitehall High Schools first "Hall of Fame" inductee. He had lived his life as a proud member of Whitehall, a proud educator for the students of Whitehall, and he was a proud athlete for Whitehall. He was most proud to have raised his family in the community of Whitehall.
No matter how far I go in my professional life, or how many accomplishments I achieve, I will always be my fathers youngest son and most proud of that.
I love you Dad!
Lee
Earlier this week, I spent three days (Monday – Wednesday) at the speed academy with my video production guy shooting my new Ground Breaking Part 2. I was tired, but riding a high because of the excitement of seeing all the athletes train, shooting my video, plus preparing to travel back home to see my wife and kids. While I was in NY, my father, who has been not doing well health wise (to be 89 this August) took a turn for the worst. He was given about 3 weeks more to live. As I drove back to Indiana, I felt very anxious and excited to see my family, yet because of my father’s situation, I had a somber side to me. Because my trip was so short and because I knew I was coming back to NY in less than a week to spend most of the summer, I didn’t visit my Dad.
So, I arrived home Thursday night very excited to see my wife, two daughters and son. My daughters were just as excited to see me and let me know that they had big plans for me on Fathers Day. I was also extremely excited to get back because my oldest daughter, Jae, has a 3 day basketball camp to attend this up coming week and I couldn’t wait to take her. She couldn't wait for me to take her, either. With all this excitement I couldn't stop thinking of my father. I wanted to be there for him.
Friday morning my brother called me. He said the nurse told him to come quickly because my fathers had difficulty breathing and he was not doing well. My brother said he would call back to let me know how my father was doing once he saw him. My father has had many moments when it seemed like it would be his last, but he always pulls through. Our family joke was that he went way past 9 lives- he was a tough guy.
About 45 minutes later my brother called again and said, "Lee, dad just passed away."
I am sitting in NY at my speed academy on Father’s Day working on a few things, while my wife and kids are celebrating Father’s Day by themselves. My wife will take Jae to her basketball camp, and I will spend time with my brothers and sisters as we lay my father to rest.
Life is a Journey! I was a part of my father’s journey for the 42 years I've been alive. He had a great life and made all of my brothers and sisters lives great. He was married to my mother, who passed away in 1999, for 57 years. He was a tremendous leader having been a teacher, coach, athletic director, and administrator- combined 40 plus years.
Recently, he was honored by being named Whitehall High Schools first "Hall of Fame" inductee. He had lived his life as a proud member of Whitehall, a proud educator for the students of Whitehall, and he was a proud athlete for Whitehall. He was most proud to have raised his family in the community of Whitehall.
No matter how far I go in my professional life, or how many accomplishments I achieve, I will always be my fathers youngest son and most proud of that.
I love you Dad!
Lee
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Are You Thinking About Your Business?
Family Update
Oh my Gosh! Brennen is 4 months old now and so much fun. He smiles and laughs all the time. If you didn't know better you would think he sipped the cider (Ha ha). Seriously, he just has the best personality. I was down on the floor with him the other night watching him move around like crazy. What a joy it is to watch him develop.
My daughters, Jae and Bailee, just love playing with Brennen. They think he is a blast to play with. Both of the girls finished their first basketball camp of the summer. They had a great time. It was the perfect camp for them to attend because it was only one hour and fifteen minutes in length. They met new friends and learned great skills to practice. As a coach, I thought the camp was well run.
Jenn and I are working hard at all our various businesses and making sure we are enjoying our family each and every day. We are preparing to spend some time in NY at the LTSA.
Are You Thinking About Your Business?
You're probably wondering what I am talking about. As you may already know, I have done a tremendous amount of self-education on strategies to grow our businesses over the past few years. I have also searched out some of the top business coaches that fit my needs. This has really led me to always think about my business, the direction it is going and the direction I want it to go.
I have coached athletes as a sport coach and an strength and speed coach for 20 years. I made money when I worked with athletes. But didn't make a dime when I wasn't working. This became tough on me because I started to miss time with my daughters and wife. Several years ago I started to produce DVDs and other information products that allowed me to make some extra income while I wasn't actually working. This has been a welcomed addition to my businesses. But there was something I was missing....
I started to think more about my business and began learning all the avenues I could to better serve the industry of athletics. Many people have different wants and needs and liked the information that I was sharing. I began to look at my products and realize the different avenues each product could take and at the same time, meet the needs of all the different coaches, trainers, athletes, parents, and professionals in many fields.
This is what I mean by "Are You Thinking About Your Business." Don't just go to work everyday and work in your business. You need to be working on it. You need to be trying to discover all the ways you can get your information or your products out to the people who want them.
Let me give you a quick example. You decide to offer a speed or sport camps in the summer and there are many athletes or coaches that would like to attend but are unable due to other commitments. If you film your camp they can purchase your valuable information by purchasing a DVD from you. You can also make a manual of the information. You now have two sources our your information for those people unable to attend your event. This is a simple example, but one that may get you thinking a little more.
Learning to think differently about my business has taken my excitement to a new level. I see all the possibilities now. I see what can happen if I open my eyes and see what is in front of me.
You might be wondering why I am even talking about this. I have had so many people over the past few years contact me and ask many questions about my businesses. I simple wanted to share something that might open your mind to how you should view your current business.
If you are interested in learning more, then check out my http://www.speedinsiders.com/ Speed Insiders Program. I give lot's of information about speed development and coaching. I also share valuable information on business development. My Speed Insiders program has actually led me to begin a Coaching and Mastermind Program. I use the approach of getting fast results with my members. This is only fora program for the highly motivated "direct target approach people" who want results fast. If you want more info on my coaching and Mastermind proram, info@sportsspeedetc.comt and mention the Platinum Exclusive Coaching and Mastermind.
I hope you have a great week and accomplish a lot!
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: If you are already a Speed Insider...look out! You will be receiving a great coaching video this month. If you are not currently a Speed Insider and would like to find out more, visit http://www.speedinsiders.com/ ...join for 2 months FREE...simple take it for a test drive.
Oh my Gosh! Brennen is 4 months old now and so much fun. He smiles and laughs all the time. If you didn't know better you would think he sipped the cider (Ha ha). Seriously, he just has the best personality. I was down on the floor with him the other night watching him move around like crazy. What a joy it is to watch him develop.
My daughters, Jae and Bailee, just love playing with Brennen. They think he is a blast to play with. Both of the girls finished their first basketball camp of the summer. They had a great time. It was the perfect camp for them to attend because it was only one hour and fifteen minutes in length. They met new friends and learned great skills to practice. As a coach, I thought the camp was well run.
Jenn and I are working hard at all our various businesses and making sure we are enjoying our family each and every day. We are preparing to spend some time in NY at the LTSA.
Are You Thinking About Your Business?
You're probably wondering what I am talking about. As you may already know, I have done a tremendous amount of self-education on strategies to grow our businesses over the past few years. I have also searched out some of the top business coaches that fit my needs. This has really led me to always think about my business, the direction it is going and the direction I want it to go.
I have coached athletes as a sport coach and an strength and speed coach for 20 years. I made money when I worked with athletes. But didn't make a dime when I wasn't working. This became tough on me because I started to miss time with my daughters and wife. Several years ago I started to produce DVDs and other information products that allowed me to make some extra income while I wasn't actually working. This has been a welcomed addition to my businesses. But there was something I was missing....
I started to think more about my business and began learning all the avenues I could to better serve the industry of athletics. Many people have different wants and needs and liked the information that I was sharing. I began to look at my products and realize the different avenues each product could take and at the same time, meet the needs of all the different coaches, trainers, athletes, parents, and professionals in many fields.
This is what I mean by "Are You Thinking About Your Business." Don't just go to work everyday and work in your business. You need to be working on it. You need to be trying to discover all the ways you can get your information or your products out to the people who want them.
Let me give you a quick example. You decide to offer a speed or sport camps in the summer and there are many athletes or coaches that would like to attend but are unable due to other commitments. If you film your camp they can purchase your valuable information by purchasing a DVD from you. You can also make a manual of the information. You now have two sources our your information for those people unable to attend your event. This is a simple example, but one that may get you thinking a little more.
Learning to think differently about my business has taken my excitement to a new level. I see all the possibilities now. I see what can happen if I open my eyes and see what is in front of me.
You might be wondering why I am even talking about this. I have had so many people over the past few years contact me and ask many questions about my businesses. I simple wanted to share something that might open your mind to how you should view your current business.
If you are interested in learning more, then check out my http://www.speedinsiders.com/ Speed Insiders Program. I give lot's of information about speed development and coaching. I also share valuable information on business development. My Speed Insiders program has actually led me to begin a Coaching and Mastermind Program. I use the approach of getting fast results with my members. This is only fora program for the highly motivated "direct target approach people" who want results fast. If you want more info on my coaching and Mastermind proram, info@sportsspeedetc.comt and mention the Platinum Exclusive Coaching and Mastermind.
I hope you have a great week and accomplish a lot!
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: If you are already a Speed Insider...look out! You will be receiving a great coaching video this month. If you are not currently a Speed Insider and would like to find out more, visit http://www.speedinsiders.com/ ...join for 2 months FREE...simple take it for a test drive.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Another Awesome Summit!
Hello,
I just returned home from Providence, RI where I presented at the Perform Better Summit. It was outstanding as usual. I always look forward to meeting new people and talking during the breaks or in the lobby. That is what these events are all about.
Of course, I always enjoy catching up with all the other presenter and the Perform Better gang. Chris Poirier is such a classy man and has such a wonderful staff. They are the best!
Chris hosted a nice dinner where we all were able to enjoy some good eats and share time together. That is what I love about this industry. Most people are willing to share their time with you and just lay back and enjoy the moment. Good time!
Re-Thinking Multi-Directional Speed
I had such a good time presenting my topic on multi-directional speed. What I liked was so many people came up to me and said what a difference my techniques and approach made to them over the past year or more. You see, many of these people saw me speak last year or in the years before that. They were able to take the information and implement it into their sports teams or training programs. I love hearing people actually take action and implement the information.
One attendee that spoke with me after my presentation told me last year when she heard my presentation, she went back to her soccer club and re-taught how goalies move. She said one girl went from an average to sub-par goalie to one of the top goalies around. She then followed this up by helping another goalie reach to status. That makes me feel incredible. Not only because the techniques work (I know they work so is why I have preached them for 20 years), but more importantly because she took action and made changes. She even did this when all the other goalie coaches are preaching a different technique and have been for years. She will make many more athletes successful along the way. Yes!
One of the key points I spoke about was how my techniques are based on natural instinct and body re-organization in space. The body is so incredible at innately figuring out angles to accelerate and decelerate the body. We as coaches need to stop trying to change this.
Some times coaching is about finding something new rather than embracing what already exists. When we understand this concept, that is when we see the athletes move the best. Also, when we allow athletes to move naturally it makes the job of assessing much easier. But when we add fancy un-needed techniques we are not sure what the real problem is when one exists. Natural movement allows for clarity.
Speed Insiders
Another great thing about this weekend is that I saw many Speed Insiders. This is a great thing because I know they are willing to invest in themselves to keep improving their knowledge. Being a Speed Insiders is about gaining usable nnowledge, things that can be put to use immediately. So, when a Speed Insider invests to attend a clinic I know they are into taking action. this means the information they get from http://www.speedinsiders.com/ will be valued and used.
If you haven't tried my Speed Insiders proram yet but would like to, simply go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and give it a try for 2 FREE months. If you are not satisfied, you may stop being a Speed Insider at any time. Since beginning my Speed Insiders program there have been very few that have quit my program. I have no problem with those whom choose to quit, but I know they are the ones who don't understand the Law of Slight Edge. This states that all you need is one idea to improve any part of your business, programs, life or what ever is important to you. I have based all my investments into coaching, books, DVD's, CD's, seminars, clinics and consultations on the law of the slight edge- believe me, it works!
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: Don't forget to sign up for 2 FREE months of Speed Insiders at http://www.speedinsiders.com/
I just returned home from Providence, RI where I presented at the Perform Better Summit. It was outstanding as usual. I always look forward to meeting new people and talking during the breaks or in the lobby. That is what these events are all about.
Of course, I always enjoy catching up with all the other presenter and the Perform Better gang. Chris Poirier is such a classy man and has such a wonderful staff. They are the best!
Chris hosted a nice dinner where we all were able to enjoy some good eats and share time together. That is what I love about this industry. Most people are willing to share their time with you and just lay back and enjoy the moment. Good time!
Re-Thinking Multi-Directional Speed
I had such a good time presenting my topic on multi-directional speed. What I liked was so many people came up to me and said what a difference my techniques and approach made to them over the past year or more. You see, many of these people saw me speak last year or in the years before that. They were able to take the information and implement it into their sports teams or training programs. I love hearing people actually take action and implement the information.
One attendee that spoke with me after my presentation told me last year when she heard my presentation, she went back to her soccer club and re-taught how goalies move. She said one girl went from an average to sub-par goalie to one of the top goalies around. She then followed this up by helping another goalie reach to status. That makes me feel incredible. Not only because the techniques work (I know they work so is why I have preached them for 20 years), but more importantly because she took action and made changes. She even did this when all the other goalie coaches are preaching a different technique and have been for years. She will make many more athletes successful along the way. Yes!
One of the key points I spoke about was how my techniques are based on natural instinct and body re-organization in space. The body is so incredible at innately figuring out angles to accelerate and decelerate the body. We as coaches need to stop trying to change this.
Some times coaching is about finding something new rather than embracing what already exists. When we understand this concept, that is when we see the athletes move the best. Also, when we allow athletes to move naturally it makes the job of assessing much easier. But when we add fancy un-needed techniques we are not sure what the real problem is when one exists. Natural movement allows for clarity.
Speed Insiders
Another great thing about this weekend is that I saw many Speed Insiders. This is a great thing because I know they are willing to invest in themselves to keep improving their knowledge. Being a Speed Insiders is about gaining usable nnowledge, things that can be put to use immediately. So, when a Speed Insider invests to attend a clinic I know they are into taking action. this means the information they get from http://www.speedinsiders.com/ will be valued and used.
If you haven't tried my Speed Insiders proram yet but would like to, simply go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and give it a try for 2 FREE months. If you are not satisfied, you may stop being a Speed Insider at any time. Since beginning my Speed Insiders program there have been very few that have quit my program. I have no problem with those whom choose to quit, but I know they are the ones who don't understand the Law of Slight Edge. This states that all you need is one idea to improve any part of your business, programs, life or what ever is important to you. I have based all my investments into coaching, books, DVD's, CD's, seminars, clinics and consultations on the law of the slight edge- believe me, it works!
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: Don't forget to sign up for 2 FREE months of Speed Insiders at http://www.speedinsiders.com/
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Lee and The World Champ...
I know this is a big family and friends weekend and it should be. Memorial Day is a wonderful time to remember all the individuals that fought for our freedom. But I had to share with you my time with the MMA Champ, Randy Couture. Listening to him talk about how he prepares himself to compete was inspiring. To be honest with you, what inspired me more was how he prepares for business. He is swamped by offers to promote this widget and that widget, but he sticks to his principles and go with what is right. I respect this about Randy.
Randy spoke about how he made a come back at the age of 43-44 to become the heavy weight champ. Talk about having a plan. He spent months preparing to fight Tim Silvia, a much taller and bigger man. He brought in other fighters that were tall. This forced him to learn how to negotiate around Tim's length. The point is, Randy had a plan and he worked his plan. I admire that so much from people that figure out what they have to do to be successful and then ACT ON IT!
I have tried to live my life, and more recently my business life, with this philosophy. I find out from other people what works and then I make it my mission to adapt it to my life and business. I would much rather learn from other peoples mistakes then to have to go through all the mistakes myself. Although, I do believe we learn a lot more from the mistakes and failures we have then our successes.
I still can't imagine going back into the ring and fighting age his age- really awesome stuff. Heck, I hate fighting traffic at my age, I can't imagine fighting someone a lot bigger at 44.
You Must Attend!!!!!!
I am hosting a REAL important teleseminar Wednesday Night, May 28 at 7:15 pm -8:15 pm EST. I am revealing three of my most important training principles and concepts that can make you a super star coach in your niche. Regardless of if you are a PE teacher, strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer or a youth coach, this teleseminar will help you make a HUGE impact on the lives of the athletes you train. If you are a athletic development business owner.. you will blow people away knowing these three key athletic speed concepts.
I will be putting on this seminar on my one night home this coming week...I am traveling between the West Coast and the East coast. I think it is important that coaches are prepared to use this information for their summer speed and agility program! You definite must attend!
As a bonus, I will be answering a few of the many questions I received this month from my exclusive Speed Insiders Members. Each month they benefit from sending me their questions and I answer them in depth. This is a great learning tool for everyone, not just the ones asking the questions.
This call is only an hour. So, it will be to the point with the most important immediately usable information. What you will discover from this teleseminar will get amazing results if you apple them the very next day. I am really excited for this teleseminar.
OK. Here is the deal, If you are a Speed Insider http://www.speedinsider.com/ or in my Platinum Exclusive Coaching and Mastermind group you can attend the teleseminar for FREE. If you are not , then you will have a small investment of $27.00. If you would like to attend for FREE and want to try my Speed Insider program simply go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and try it out free for two months.
If you want in on this teleseminar go to www.TheSpeedGuy.com/techniquesteleseminar. Don't forget about the special bonus of listening to some great questions that will be useful to all.
Strength versus Multi-directional Speed- are they equally important?
There are many schools of thought when it comes to making an athlete faster. There is the strength crowd that feels as long as they are strong they will develop the ability to move faster. There is the speed training crowd that feels if you improve their neuromuscular training and improve and athlete's technique they will get faster more quickly this way. Then there are variations of both of these schools of thought. Here's what I think...
I have no doubt that if I can increase the force output and the time it takes to do so- I can make a faster athlete. So I know the wt room is the foundation of speed. But I also know that if you approach multi-directional or athletic speed the correct way, strength alone won't improve great movement skill.
What do I mean? When an athlete develops great strength and power and now moves faster when force is applied to the ground it doesn't say anything about body control and movement strategies. The athlete must be taught to position the body (center of mass and legs) in such a way that they quick force being applied can be directed correctly into the ground and therefore causing efficient movement. So the strongest man in the world doesn't earn the right to be the quickest mover on a field or court. He, just like everyone else, has to learn to negotiate his body so quick movements can be common. Most track athletes that I have worked with that primarily train for linear speed don't innately understand the "feeling" of preparing to re-negotiate the bodies position in an instant.
When you as a coach or an athlete begin to understand the role of technical efficiency during multi-directional speed you now can assess movement and increase its value.
The answer is... neither is more important than the other from a global standpoint. But without the technical efficiency of movement and negotiating the bodies position at any given time- all the strength and power in the world won't make you a better athlete. Think about that...
Yours In Speed,
Lee
PS: Don't forget to jump on this Live Teleseminar Wednesday the 28th from 7:15 pm-8:15 pm EST. Go to www.TheSpeedGuy.com/techniquesteleseminar You really don't want to miss this one!!!
PSS: If you want me to personally answer your questions on a monthly basis, join my Speed Insiders Program and get the insider information. http://www.speedinsiders.com/
Randy spoke about how he made a come back at the age of 43-44 to become the heavy weight champ. Talk about having a plan. He spent months preparing to fight Tim Silvia, a much taller and bigger man. He brought in other fighters that were tall. This forced him to learn how to negotiate around Tim's length. The point is, Randy had a plan and he worked his plan. I admire that so much from people that figure out what they have to do to be successful and then ACT ON IT!
I have tried to live my life, and more recently my business life, with this philosophy. I find out from other people what works and then I make it my mission to adapt it to my life and business. I would much rather learn from other peoples mistakes then to have to go through all the mistakes myself. Although, I do believe we learn a lot more from the mistakes and failures we have then our successes.
I still can't imagine going back into the ring and fighting age his age- really awesome stuff. Heck, I hate fighting traffic at my age, I can't imagine fighting someone a lot bigger at 44.
You Must Attend!!!!!!
I am hosting a REAL important teleseminar Wednesday Night, May 28 at 7:15 pm -8:15 pm EST. I am revealing three of my most important training principles and concepts that can make you a super star coach in your niche. Regardless of if you are a PE teacher, strength and conditioning coach, personal trainer or a youth coach, this teleseminar will help you make a HUGE impact on the lives of the athletes you train. If you are a athletic development business owner.. you will blow people away knowing these three key athletic speed concepts.
I will be putting on this seminar on my one night home this coming week...I am traveling between the West Coast and the East coast. I think it is important that coaches are prepared to use this information for their summer speed and agility program! You definite must attend!
As a bonus, I will be answering a few of the many questions I received this month from my exclusive Speed Insiders Members. Each month they benefit from sending me their questions and I answer them in depth. This is a great learning tool for everyone, not just the ones asking the questions.
This call is only an hour. So, it will be to the point with the most important immediately usable information. What you will discover from this teleseminar will get amazing results if you apple them the very next day. I am really excited for this teleseminar.
OK. Here is the deal, If you are a Speed Insider http://www.speedinsider.com/ or in my Platinum Exclusive Coaching and Mastermind group you can attend the teleseminar for FREE. If you are not , then you will have a small investment of $27.00. If you would like to attend for FREE and want to try my Speed Insider program simply go to http://www.speedinsiders.com/ and try it out free for two months.
If you want in on this teleseminar go to www.TheSpeedGuy.com/techniquesteleseminar. Don't forget about the special bonus of listening to some great questions that will be useful to all.
Strength versus Multi-directional Speed- are they equally important?
There are many schools of thought when it comes to making an athlete faster. There is the strength crowd that feels as long as they are strong they will develop the ability to move faster. There is the speed training crowd that feels if you improve their neuromuscular training and improve and athlete's technique they will get faster more quickly this way. Then there are variations of both of these schools of thought. Here's what I think...
I have no doubt that if I can increase the force output and the time it takes to do so- I can make a faster athlete. So I know the wt room is the foundation of speed. But I also know that if you approach multi-directional or athletic speed the correct way, strength alone won't improve great movement skill.
What do I mean? When an athlete develops great strength and power and now moves faster when force is applied to the ground it doesn't say anything about body control and movement strategies. The athlete must be taught to position the body (center of mass and legs) in such a way that they quick force being applied can be directed correctly into the ground and therefore causing efficient movement. So the strongest man in the world doesn't earn the right to be the quickest mover on a field or court. He, just like everyone else, has to learn to negotiate his body so quick movements can be common. Most track athletes that I have worked with that primarily train for linear speed don't innately understand the "feeling" of preparing to re-negotiate the bodies position in an instant.
When you as a coach or an athlete begin to understand the role of technical efficiency during multi-directional speed you now can assess movement and increase its value.
The answer is... neither is more important than the other from a global standpoint. But without the technical efficiency of movement and negotiating the bodies position at any given time- all the strength and power in the world won't make you a better athlete. Think about that...
Yours In Speed,
Lee
PS: Don't forget to jump on this Live Teleseminar Wednesday the 28th from 7:15 pm-8:15 pm EST. Go to www.TheSpeedGuy.com/techniquesteleseminar You really don't want to miss this one!!!
PSS: If you want me to personally answer your questions on a monthly basis, join my Speed Insiders Program and get the insider information. http://www.speedinsiders.com/
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
It was a Huge Success!
It's been a little while since I have posted my blog. As you know I had my second Athletic Speed Formula Seminar in New York at the Lee Taft Speed Academy. It was a jam-packed 3 days of information.
I was so thrilled to have people from around the US and Wold spend 3 to 4 days (some came for the FREE Speed Insiders http://www.speedinsiders.com/ night) with me and learn my systems and coaching styles.
Not only was I thrilled and honored to have them attend my seminar but I was extremely proud of them for investing in themselves to take their knowledge to a new level. You see, not everyone gets the big picture. Most people find the reason NOT to do something rather than find the reason to do it. Some of the attendees overcame some difficult situations to attend my seminar and some even gave up some vacation time to be there. I am so proud of all of them because they really get it.
Some of the real big breakthroughs for the attendees came during the additional business session on Sunday afternoon. It was so great to see them have huge breakthroughs and know that they now have a strategy to take their business to a new level.
So Congratulations to all of the attendees and I look forward to watching your success.
Concepts Learned
One of the big concepts that was learned at the ASF seminar was the concept of creating better movement angles by positioning the body better during multi-directional speed. I use a term called "Stay in the Tunnel". This was impactful for many of the attendees because it made them see how movement mistakes occur when an athlete is out of the "tunnel."
What this concept covers is the ability of the athlete to quickly make directional changes and immediately re-accelerate because of the proper angles from being in the "tunnel." When an athlete stays low they create immediate angles when the body repositions the feet during directional changes. This is a tool I use to evaluate an athletes movement. It is a great assessment tool for a coach to have.
Let me give you an example of how powerful this tool is. One of the sessions during the Athletic Speed Formula Seminar was the attendees had to teach several of my athletes that attend the Lee Taft Speed Academy http://www.leetaftspeedacademy.com/. The coaches work with each athlete on specific skills and techniques for about 8-10 minutes and them we rotate athletes. This way the coaches get to see how the coaching strategies might change according to the athlete individual abilities. Once this exercise was over we had the coaches take a turn at getting in front of the group and discussing an issue they saw with any of the athletes- they would bring the athlete out and demonstrate the movement issue and how they tried to fix it. This was a powerful session. One athlete came out and the coach was having difficulty getting him to use a retreating skill called a hip turn. This coach went through many potential adjustment of the shoulders, hips, and feet- which were all good adjustments- but there was one adjustment that was being missed. I asked the athlete to get into a lower stance and stay in it through the movement and I increased his awareness and intensity with a couple cues- when the athlete performed the skill he was struggling on he nailed it.
My point with this story is how powerful coaching can be when you are armed with the tools to make change. The Athletic Speed Formula Seminar is about making change in our coaches and athletes for the better.
Breaking the BASE myth
In my next blog I will be sharing a breakthrough that one of the attendees had about how athletes are being cheating out of better performance because their skill work is being substituted for another form of training....
This was a special unannounced session that really was powerful and made everyone think about how athletes are being cheated out of success because of old methods not being challenged enough. I shared with the attendees my philosophy and how I have approached this issue and they were shaking their heads in because it was such a big breakthrough. More to come in my next blog on this topic.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: If you want to get your hands on the raw un-edited version of the Athletic Speed Formula Seminar go to www.LeeTaftSeminars.com/seminar_special.htm
I was so thrilled to have people from around the US and Wold spend 3 to 4 days (some came for the FREE Speed Insiders http://www.speedinsiders.com/ night) with me and learn my systems and coaching styles.
Not only was I thrilled and honored to have them attend my seminar but I was extremely proud of them for investing in themselves to take their knowledge to a new level. You see, not everyone gets the big picture. Most people find the reason NOT to do something rather than find the reason to do it. Some of the attendees overcame some difficult situations to attend my seminar and some even gave up some vacation time to be there. I am so proud of all of them because they really get it.
Some of the real big breakthroughs for the attendees came during the additional business session on Sunday afternoon. It was so great to see them have huge breakthroughs and know that they now have a strategy to take their business to a new level.
So Congratulations to all of the attendees and I look forward to watching your success.
Concepts Learned
One of the big concepts that was learned at the ASF seminar was the concept of creating better movement angles by positioning the body better during multi-directional speed. I use a term called "Stay in the Tunnel". This was impactful for many of the attendees because it made them see how movement mistakes occur when an athlete is out of the "tunnel."
What this concept covers is the ability of the athlete to quickly make directional changes and immediately re-accelerate because of the proper angles from being in the "tunnel." When an athlete stays low they create immediate angles when the body repositions the feet during directional changes. This is a tool I use to evaluate an athletes movement. It is a great assessment tool for a coach to have.
Let me give you an example of how powerful this tool is. One of the sessions during the Athletic Speed Formula Seminar was the attendees had to teach several of my athletes that attend the Lee Taft Speed Academy http://www.leetaftspeedacademy.com/. The coaches work with each athlete on specific skills and techniques for about 8-10 minutes and them we rotate athletes. This way the coaches get to see how the coaching strategies might change according to the athlete individual abilities. Once this exercise was over we had the coaches take a turn at getting in front of the group and discussing an issue they saw with any of the athletes- they would bring the athlete out and demonstrate the movement issue and how they tried to fix it. This was a powerful session. One athlete came out and the coach was having difficulty getting him to use a retreating skill called a hip turn. This coach went through many potential adjustment of the shoulders, hips, and feet- which were all good adjustments- but there was one adjustment that was being missed. I asked the athlete to get into a lower stance and stay in it through the movement and I increased his awareness and intensity with a couple cues- when the athlete performed the skill he was struggling on he nailed it.
My point with this story is how powerful coaching can be when you are armed with the tools to make change. The Athletic Speed Formula Seminar is about making change in our coaches and athletes for the better.
Breaking the BASE myth
In my next blog I will be sharing a breakthrough that one of the attendees had about how athletes are being cheating out of better performance because their skill work is being substituted for another form of training....
This was a special unannounced session that really was powerful and made everyone think about how athletes are being cheated out of success because of old methods not being challenged enough. I shared with the attendees my philosophy and how I have approached this issue and they were shaking their heads in because it was such a big breakthrough. More to come in my next blog on this topic.
Yours in Speed,
Lee
PS: If you want to get your hands on the raw un-edited version of the Athletic Speed Formula Seminar go to www.LeeTaftSeminars.com/seminar_special.htm
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