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Effects of online gaming on kids
By: Karan Singh
The influence of technology in the
field of gaming continues to grow at a rapid pace. As computer and video
games have increased exponentially in popularity over time, they have
caused significant impact upon popular culture. This form of
entertainment has spawned many fads. Video game culture has evolved in
time, particularly in connection with internet culture. Today, one can
see the impact of computer and video games in politics, television,
popular music, and Hollywood. A lot of research is conducted to study
its effect on lifestyle and behavior of the wow powerleveling gamer
especially kids. Online game is the most sought leisure activity
followed by kids now days. Computers play a major role in shaping the
future of kids. Days are gone when children loved to indulge in outdoor
activities, rather than running or playing outside children spend most
of their time playing online games. Online games surely have an impact
on minds of kids’ .
Taking into consideration it positively is a great
mind exercise and helps kids explore many new things. It includes
improvement in recursive and proactive thinking, increased sociability,
and improved interpretive skills. Research shows that the children who
played online games were more active and had sharper minds than their
other counterparts. Some video games have been specifically designed to
teach people about a certain subject, expand concepts, reinforce
development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist them
in learning a skill as they play. Computer and video games also receive
much more negative critics because games are often coined with issue
such as mindless entertainment, enhanced social recluse, sexism and
consumerism.
Research shows that kids who play violent video games
showed an increase in emotional arousal – and a corresponding decrease
of activity in brain areas involving self-control, inhibition and
attention. There was a research conducted on a group of children where
two action games were included the first game was the high-octane but
non-violent racing other was the ultra-violent. The team divided
children into two groups, and randomly assigned the kids to play one of
the two games. Immediately after the play sessions, the children were
given MRIs of their brains. The scans showed a negative effect on the
brains of the kids that played ultra-violent for 30 minutes. That same
effect was not present in the kids who played non-violent.
Children all over the world seek love and peace from video games, in
order to escape abusive parents, siblings, and classmates. The
psychological effects of computer games. Some video games lead to
aggressive behavior others lead to aggressive thoughts. Much of the
debate about gaming deals with the relationship between aggressive
behavior and the negative content found in the games. Some studies have
purported that there is a correlation between depression and playing
computer games. Some psychologists and parents' groups have criticized
video games because they believe they cause children to sit alone
infront of computer for many hours in a row, interacting with a machine
(although chatting can be considered a more socially open environment)
rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve
their social skills by playing with other children. They claim that
video games can be even more addictive to children than TV and
therefore more likely to isolate them socially in this way. People often
think that increased game usage necessarily means increased depression,
alienation, and lost of sense of community.
Everyone who plays video games has a different reason for playing and
the usage of the game leads to different effects for each individual
person. Childhood upbringings, peer influences, pressures at school, and
family issues are all factors that have a strong connection with the
effects of gaming on individuals. So if a person’s reality doesn’t
counter that which is on the computer and television screen, than a
child may aim to make the game he plays a reality. From this idea we see
school shootings, increased drug usage, and depression. Sure video
games maybe therapeutic for some people, but the small amount of people
who are negatively affected by gaming impact many. So just like one
alcoholic can cause a car accident that can kill twenty people,
increased promotion of violence coupled with real life graphics can do
the same thing.
George Roberts has a very unique perspective on cancer having been the caretaker for his first wife, currently the caretaker of his second wife, and now being diagnosed nearly a month ago with Liposarcoma.
His first wife followed the standard cancer treatment protocol and he lost her when she was feeling her lowest. His second wife has stage 4 cancer and this time, George knew the natural route had to be tried. The doctors gave her 1 year to live and now she is on year 8! Although George's own healing journey has just begun, he offers insight, knowledge, and confidence on a process he is no stranger to. All cancer patients should take a page out of George's book and look cancer in the face with confidence and hope because cancer is not a death sentence. His positivity and clarity towards cancer should be an inspiration to all. Have you survived a cancer diagnosis and lived to tell about it?
We hear so many amazing stories from our readers about how they beat cancer using the very techniques they’ve learned from The Truth About Cancer… and we’d love to hear YOUR story!
Sharing these stories brings hope to those who have been diagnosed with or are currently dealing with cancer.
So, if you have a personal story to share of your triumph over cancer, please comment below and tell us all about it: Testicular Cancer Embarrassing Illnesses
By: Ian Eallard
Testicular cancer is said to be one
of the embarrassing illnesses of men. Since men are not as comfortable
as women who check up themselves on a routine basis, they consider even
checking for testicular cancer as an embarrassing illness and do not do
it on a routine basis. Also another reason for considering testicular
cancer as one of the embarrassing illnesses is that it occurs commonly
among men of young age between fifteen and twenty nine. The medical
community and other health enthusiasts emphasize the importance of self
examination when it comes to testicular cancer and not consider it as
one of the embarrassing illnesses as it is an important factor of life
and death.
Testicular cancer is a kind of cancer which is formed
in the testis tissues present in the scrotum. Testis is a gland which
is responsible for producing male hormones and sperm that testicular
cancer can affect the production of the above. Two major testicular
cancer kinds can be seen. One is called the seminomas which grow in a
slow manner and which are sensitive to radiation therapy and the other
is called the nonseminomas which grow faster. seminomas can be of three
kinds as anaplastic, spermatocytic or classic and the nonseminoma kinds
can include embryonal carcinoma, choriocarcinoma, yolk sac tumors and
teratoma. Both nonseminoma and seminoma cells can be present in
testicular tumors. The primary sign of the presence of
testicular cancer is the pea size lump found in the testis. The pain
might not be very real as it might resemble a dull ache felt in the
groin or lower abdomen area which might also be combined with a feeling
of heaviness and dragging. Some of the common symptoms which can be
noticed by men with testicular cancer include testicle enlargement or
shrinking, scrotum feeling heavy, dull pain in groin or lower abdomen,
fluid getting collected in scrotum, discomfort or pain felt in the
scrotum or testicles and tenderness or enlargement of the breasts.
Just a three minute self examination can prove to be worthy as early
detection of this embarrassing illness can result in effective and
complete treatment. Men can do the self examination by rolling the
testicles gently between the fingers and thumb of both the hands and
check for any hard nodules or lumps in it. If there is a doubt it
should be cleared with the doctor immediately to avoid any complications
in the future. Natural Remedies for Curing Cancer: There are certain natural remedies that offer a promising cure for
cancer. Along with the natural remedies and a well-researched different
diet pattern, a few simple adjustments to your lifestyle can make a huge
difference to your efforts for prolonging the life for several years.
You can increase your chances of surviving cancer now by trying these
proven natural remedies discussed in The Truth About Cancer.
Improve your survival chances to a great extent. Beat the deadly disease with the help of natural remedies. Visit the promising natural cure for cancer to get rid of the killer disease completely.
Scientific
research concerning the nutritional needs of soccer players has been
scant. Fortunately, new investigations are being conducted, and the
up-to-date research suggests that soccer players should eat and drink
like marathon runners!
Soccer,
or football as it's called outside of the States, is the number one
sport in the world. Since the majority of the game is played without
the ball, we will focus our discussion on training without possession...
There
are three major systems available for the production of energy in the
muscles: the ATP-PC system, the anaerobic glycolysis system, and the
aerobic system. This review of studies will give a good indication of
what systems are used the most.
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By: Gene Brenner Stun Guns come in many sizes,
shapes and voltages. Categorizing these attributes will help you choose
an appropriate self defense product.
Shapes
The
prototypical stun gun is rectangular in shape and perhaps 3/4 to one
inch thick. Sizes generally increase with voltage power as more space is
needed for more nine volt batteries. The second common shape
is one of a cell phone or Blackberry. This is the so-called 'covert'
self defense item where the intent of the device is hidden behind an
innocuous shape. These are small enough to fit in a purse or glove
compartment. A third shape has recently arrived where the handle
is molded into the device. Think of brass knuckles where the
administration is straight on. This shape offers a more secure grip
which could be crucial in a high stress situation. The Knuckle Blaster
is a 950,000 volt stun gun that actually resembles brass knuckles
(although this one is molded plastic with an outer soft rubber skin.) Stun
batons are also members of the stun gun family. Consider these
high-tech versions of the night stick. They are a natural for a walking
patrolman and the night watchman. Sizes One of the tallest
of the rectangle style stun guns is the Streetwise SW1000. This 1000K
volt stunner measures 8.25 inches x 2 inches x 1 inch. It also features a
built-in alarm. It requires three 9 volt batteries to power. At
the other spectrum, the Small Fry 1,000,000 volt mini stun gun may be
the smallest battery powered zapper with the biggest wallop. This model
measures an amazing 3 1/4 inches x 2 inches x 3/4 inch. This is made
possible by the development of lithium batteries. This stun gun takes
three button size lithium-ion batteries. Stun batons come in
either fixed or expandable models. You can keep your attacker at bay
with the expandable type which can extend to 21'. With your arm
out-stretched you can keep an assailant a safer distance away than with a
traditional hand held. Common fixed stun baton sizes are 16, 18 and 20
inches. Some models feature an alarm to hopefully scare a would-be
intruder.
Voltages Stun gun voltages run the gamut from
80,000 volts to 1.2 million volts. Many fall in the 300K to 500K range.
At 80K, the Talon MINI stun gun is one of the smallest and most
affordable models. It measures just 4' tall and has enough power to keep
a would-be attacker dazed and confused for several minutes. At the
other extreme, the Double Trouble stun gun delivers an ultra powerful
1.2 million volts. It's one of the new grip style devices with contacts
on either end. This design is responsible for the unit's high power. It
must be mentioned that although these defensive products deliver high
voltages, the amperage is very low, perhaps only 2-4 milliamps. They're
considered reasonable force in resisting attack and are non-lethal. In
fact, if you stand around too long watching your handy-work, you could
regret it. Recovery time depends upon voltage and the length or series
of administrations. But most people will recover in only 4-8 minutes. So
run to safety first, not last.
Gene Brenner is an expert in personal defense weapons. You can learn more about stun guns here
The
fitness trainer is now becoming accepted as a necessary member of the
modern coaching team. This article goes into some depth about creating a
program specific to the athlete and the sport they are in. Read on to
learn more.
The fitness trainer is now becoming
accepted as a necessary member of the modern coaching team. This new
coaching model has the Head Coach leading a team of specialist coaches,
therapists and sports scientists. For example, the head coach is
accompanied by a secondary technical coach, a physiotherapist, a
psychologist, a fitness trainer and a physiologist, with each performing
their specified role, but communicating and working as a team.
For elite sports, the trainer should be able to design workouts that
cover all relevant fitness areas - strength, flexibility, agility,
aerobic and anaerobic endurance and speed. These workouts must be both
specific to the sport and suitable for the level of the athlete.
In addition, the trainer should be able to assess fitness levels,
understand physiological and biomechanical test data, liaise with
physiotherapists regarding injury prevention and rehabilitation and also
be able to pass on sound nutritional instruction. This job description, if carried out to full capacity, requires a
great deal of expertise and experience and is likely to be beyond the
knowledge base of most head coaches. Thus, the advantage of using a
specialist fitness trainer is that he or she has the specific skills,
experience and time to optimize the physical preparation of the athlete.
The purpose of this presentation is to explain the principles behind
designing a sports specific fitness program and describe some of the
important training methods that should be employed. Specifically I will
discuss fitness assessment procedures, analysis of the fitness demands
of a sport, strength and power training, balance and stability training,
endurance training and speed and agility training. Fitness Assessment and Needs Analysis The principles behind designing sports training programs are
analogous to the methods used by corporate management consultancy firms.
When asked to provide a business solution, a management consultancy
firm will begin by establishing the goal the client wants to achieve. They then assess the client's current status, systems, markets, etc.
The final step is to calculate what is required to bridge the gap
between the client's current status, and what they need to achieve their
business goal. This final step is called gap analysis. The plan they implement is
based completely on the outcome of the gap analysis. This gap analysis
model is exactly how a sports fitness program should be designed.
Step 1 is to set the athlete's or team's goals - what do they want to achieve.
Step 2 is to assess the athlete's
or team's current level of fitness. This assessment must cover all the
relevant fitness areas specific to their sport or event.
Step 3 is the gap analysis, which
is calculating the difference for each fitness component between the
current and ideal fitness levels.
Finally, Step 4 is designing the training program that will improve each respective fitness area to the required level. This Example Should Clarify The Situation.
An Example Of The Gap Analysis Model Player Profile
Male 19 year-old national tennis player. Some weight training
experience and completes regular cycling and treadmill workouts.
Step 1. Set A Goal
Become a professional player on tour.
Step 2. Fitness Status
Test
Fitness area
Current
Ideal
Multistage fit test
Aerobic
11.8, VO2 max = 52
55
30 m sprint
Linear speed
4.2 s
3.9 s
Standing broad jump
Leg power
2.3 m
2.8 m
Overhead medicine ball throw
Arm power
16.1 m
16 m
20 m Shuttle run
Agility
4.7 s
< 4.5
Overhead Medicine Ball Throw
Step 3. Gap Analysis
Aerobic fitness is pretty good, not far off ideal. All the sprint, agility and leg power tests are below ideal.
Especially, the standing broad jump test, suggesting that leg power
could be improved. Arm power is fine and therefore needs only to be
maintained.
Step 4. The Program
The player has a six-week period of no competitive tennis and so we
will devise a plan to improve leg power and agility for this period,
while maintaining upper body strength and aerobic fitness.
Resisted sprints, 10 x T drill, 2 mins rest. Power cleans, Squats, leg curls, power lunges, medicine ball for upper body and trunk.
Wednesday
Same As Monday
Thursday
Easy aerobic session plus medicine ball work
Friday
Rest
Saturday
Same As Monday
What Are Frappier Drills? In the
early 1980's an Exercise Physiologist from Kansas State University named
John Frappier came back to the U.S. from Europe having studied speed
and agility training programs of the former Soviet Union. He became
convinced that there were external ways which athletes could train which
would stimulate the body's muscles, neurophysiological, and skeletal
systems to perform more quickly, powerfully and with extended intensity.
This acceleration program and their drills have
become known in athletic development and training circles as "Frappier
Drills".
Squat Jumps
Click To Enlarge.
Lateral Hops Click To Enlarge.
The progression over six weeks would be to increase the intensity of
the plyometric drills and the weight lifted in the gym - e.g. replace
squat jumps with drop jumps into lateral sprint.
By the end of the six week period the player would be re-tested and
hopefully we would see improvements in 30m sprint, standing long jump
test and 20m shuttle run test.
Non-Lab-Based Fitness Assessments Here is a selection of fitness assessments that cover all aspects of
physical performance. For each athlete or team one should select a few
relevant tests, using this list as a guide. Multi-Stage Fitness Test (Bleep Test)
Estimates aerobic power or VO2max, in ml/kg/min. Very good for games
players as it is specific to the nature of their sport. Not suitable for
rowers, swimmers or cyclists as they will achieve higher scores on
specific tests. Also, endurance athletes may have trouble with short
turns.
The Cooper test is an alternative test for aerobic fitness. It is simple, being the maximum distance run in 12 mins.
VO2 max is estimated by the formula = 22.351 x d (km) - 11.288 (ml/kg/min)
This is a test of intermediate anaerobic power, i.e. the lactate
system. It is performed as a shuttle run over 25 yards (300 = 12 x 25 ).
This is a good test for games players as the shuttle format makes it
sport specific. Especially for
football,
rugby,
hockey,
basketball and squash.
T-Drill
This is a test of agility. It involves running forward 10 yards,
side-stepping left 5 yards touching a cone, side stepping right 10 yards
touching a cone, side-stepping back 5 yards and running backward 10
yards to the start. This is classic test for tennis, squash or football,
which involve multidirectional movement.
20 M Shuttle Run
Another test of agility but a more simple drill involving only sprinting and turning. Good for rugby, football,
tennis and
all games. The athlete starts in the middle cone, sprints 5 meters to
the left, touches the far cone, turns, sprints 10 meters across to far
cone, touches and sprints back to the middle.
Linear Sprint Speed (5 - 60 M)
Test of maximum sprint speed are essential for most sports. The
distance chosen may vary for different sports. For instance, in tennis -
5m and 20m useful for assessing initial acceleration, For a rugby back,
60m may be more appropriate for assessing max speed.
Standing Long Jump
A test of maximum anaerobic power (leg). Functional test for initial
acceleration and horizontal power. Good for sprinters, tennis, rugby,
hockey, football, fencing. Good scores are 2.50 - 3.30m (male), 2.3 -
3.0m (female).
Vertical or Sargant Jump
A test of maximum anaerobic power (leg). Probably the most widespread
test used to test leg power. Considered functional. Athlete performs a
counter movement jump using the arms and touches with one arm as high as
possible. This is a functional vertical power test. Suitable for
basketball, football (center back, keepers, strikers), volleyball,
tennis serve, rugby. Good score: 55 - 70 cm (male).
Verical Jump
Click To Enlarge.
Drop Jump
A further max anaerobic power test (leg). Athlete drops off a bench
and instantly rebounds and performs a maximum vertical jump. The score
is the maximum drop height at which the athlete can still achieve the
same score as on the vertical jump. This is a measure of the athlete's
plyometric (SSC) power. Anything less than 18 inches suggests that SSC
exercises for RFD are a priority.
Drop Jump
Click To Enlarge.
Overhead Medicine Ball Throw
A test of upper body power. The athlete performs the equivalent of a
football throw-in with no run-up. 2 - 5 kg ball is suitable for most
sports.
Press Up Max
This is a test of upper-body strength. Correct form is important and
must be monitored for a correct test score. For men >45 is excellent,
women >30 is excellent. For men <20 is="" poor.="" poor="" ul="" women="">
Press Up
Click To Enlarge.
Sit Up Max (1 min)
This is a measure of trunk strength endurance. The athlete performs as
many full sit-ups as possible in 1 minute with his/her feet held. Good
scores are 60 for men and 50 for women. Poor scores are 38 for men, 30
for women.
Sit Up
Click To Enlarge.
1 RM Squat
Maximum leg strength test. Considered the most functional of leg
strength tests in predicting sprinting and jumping ability. Elite
athletes can achieve 2 x BW (male) and 1.5 x BW (female). 1 RM can be
estimated from formula 1 RM = wt x (1 + 0.0333 x reps).
Press Up
Click To Enlarge.
1RM Leg Press
Maximum leg strength test. A useful test as no technique or prior
experience is required; however, it is not as functional as the squat.
The recommended guideline is that athletes should be able to push and 2.5 x BW.
Leg Press
Click To Enlarge.
1 RM Bench Press
Maximum upper body strength test. The need for maximum upper body
strength varies between sports and so it does not always need to be
tested. For example, in football a basic upper body strength will
suffice but in rugby max upper body strength should be developed. Good
scores are 1.25 x BW (male) and 0.8 x BW (female).
Bench Press
Click To Enlarge.
Percent Body Fat
This is an important test because it relates directly to an athlete's fitness. It can be measured by skin fold formulas or by
bio-impedance machines. Too much body fat means aerobic training and nutrition need to be prioritized.
Remember: Athletes only need to eat a low-fat diet to be lean - not a low-calorie diet.
Be careful that the test is accurate and that you can trust it;
otherwise you could be boosting aerobic training and changing diets for
no good reason. A body-fat score can be highly motivational; you do not
want to invoke misplaced changes in eating habits. Typical scores for
athletes are 6-12% for men and 12-20% for women.
Flexibility
Ideally, the full range of motion for all the major joint movements
should be tested, for instance, straight leg raise test for the
hamstrings. (For a complete rundown, see PP issue 108, September 1998 or
Norris (1998), "Flexibility; principles and practice," published by
Black.)
Food For Thought All the tests above are easily accessible and will provide the
trainer with the information they need to design the training program.
However, you do not need to use them all. Select only those which are
relevant to the athletes' sport. Sometimes we can be tempted to use a test because it is popular or
because there is data available. For instance, quads/hams isokinetic
ratios or lactate profile test in lab. Remember to always question
exactly what the test is telling you. Make up your own tests. Sometimes it does not matter if no one else
uses it, if it is relevant to the athlete and you see the progression. The assessment results are analyzed to establish which fitness areas
need to be developed to raise competitive performance. The design of
the training program should prioritize these areas to bring them up to
scratch. The fitness areas which are already good can simply be maintained.
This principle recognizes the fact that it is difficult to develop all
aspects of physical performance at once. This is both because of practical issues - there may be simply a
lack of time to work on all areas during the training week - and
physiological issues, in that strength and power development is
compromised by endurance training. The following sections will briefly describe appropriate training methods and their dosage for each of the fitness aspects. Strength & Power
At some stage every athlete needs to develop strength and power. The
best results are achieved with 2-4 times a week training, with little
concurrent endurance training.
In competitive periods, this is not practical for many sports
although research has shown strength maintenance and sometimes
improvements are possible through a season with regular strength
training.
The best solution is for strength and power development to be
planned for the off season and then maintained through the season.
To develop max strength, a weights exercise session should be
designed. A typical session comprises 5-10 exercises with 2-4 sets of
5-12 RM per exercise. To develop power, plyometric exercises are most
commonly used.
A session comprises 5-8 exercises with a total of 100 - 300
foot/shoulder contacts per workout, depending on the athlete's level and
time of year. Weights and plyometric exercises can be combined in the
same session. This is called complex training and is very effective for
peaking (see also PP, issue 114, February 1999).
Tip: Always choose weights and plyometric exercises that are
functional to the sport or movement. For example, squats and drop jumps
are better for vertical jumping ability than power lunges and standing
long jumps, which are better for horizontal jumping or sprints.
For another example, choose free weights instead of machines as synergistic muscles are involved to stabilize.
Think about the type of contractions involved in the sports
movements, e.g. hamstrings' eccentric function, the joint angle and the
speeds of movements.
The more specific the exercise, in all aspects, the greater the crossover into performance. Tip: Sometimes upper body strength is incorrectly
over-emphasized. For instance, in tennis upper body power training is
more important, as a racquet only weighs 400 grams.
If your 1 RM squat is not significantly more than your 1 RM bench
press, then you have been doing too much upper body work in the gym.
Aerobic Endurance
Aerobic fitness is primary for most sports. However, it is not the
only fitness area and if it is focused on too much can be detrimental to
strength and power - which are equally, if not more important, in many
sports.
Trainers must think carefully about the fitness level they believe
is appropriate for peak performance and then achieve that. For example,
in elite football a high aerobic capacity is key, but for volleyball, a
moderate level will suffice.
For most games, aerobic fitness governs how quickly one recovers
between high intensity sections, and how much distance can be covered in
a game. Effective methods of developing aerobic fitness:
4-6 x 2-5 minutes with 2-5 minutes rest. Proven to be very effective for boosting VO2 max when performed once/twice a week.
20 x 200m with 30 seconds recovery or 10 x 400m with 60-90 seconds recovery.
5 - 10km steady runs.
The advantage of using interval sessions is that the athlete always
runs fast, and the volume of training is kept low. This should help
reduce interference with strength and power development. The advantage
of steady runs is that they take less recovery time, and are not as
psychologically demanding.
To develop aerobic fitness perform session a & b once a week
plus two or three steady runs. To maintain aerobic training, perform
either sessions a or b once a week.
Anaerobic endurance is also important for many sports. This is the
ability to work at a high intensity repeatedly. Both the lactate system
and the ATP-PC system should be trained, but targeted in the correct
proportions for each sport.
For instance, tennis focuses almost solely on the ATP-PC system,
due to short-burst and frequent-rest play pattern, whereas squash
requires significant lactate system training as it much more continuous.
Anaerobic endurance can be developed with 2-3 times a week training. Effective Methods For ATP-PC Development:
3 x 10 x 30 m sprints starting every 30 seconds. 5 minutes between sets.
15 x 60 m with 1 minutes rest.
20 x 20m shuttle run, 45 seconds rest.
Effective Methods For Lactate Development:
5-8 x 300m fast, with 45 seconds rest until pace significantly slows.
150m intervals at 400m pace, with 20 seconds rest until pace significantly slows.
8 x 300 m, 3 minutes rest (lactate recovery training).
Some aerobic benefit will also be gained from these sessions. Full
anaerobic training should not take place with full aerobic training as
well: one or the other must be prioritized.
Speed & Agility
Speed and agility are key to many sports but often in different ways,
each sport having its own particular demands. For instance, fencing
requires quick footwork and acceleration but all movements are linear -
forward and backward. In contrast, racquet sports are all
multi-directional, with as much lateral movement as linear.
In addition, different sports have different speed profiles.
Racquet sports require fast off the mark acceleration, but maximum speed
over a longer sprint 30-60 m is less important. Rugby and football
require both good acceleration and maximum speed. Therefore max speed
and acceleration need to be differentiated in training. Effective Methods For Acceleration:
All max leg strength exercises improve acceleration,
as do leg plyometric exercises. Particularly useful ones are standing
long jump, standing triple jump, hurdle hops and combination jumps
(horizontal).
Sprint starts. For example, 20 x 5 m with 30 seconds
recovery. These can be made more specific by incorporating reactions to
signals (e.g. the ball) or starting from various positions (e.g. the
floor).
Foot speed drills. For instance, frappier drills, complete max number of foot contacts in 10 secs.
Resisted accelerations. Athlete performs max 10m
efforts with trainer pulling with tubing. Very useful as it is a
completely specific way to add resistance sprint start movement.
However, must not be overdone as athlete can learn to run with slow
cadence. Always finish workout with normal accelerations.
Effective Methods For Max Sprint Speed:
Hill sprints. 10% gradient up and down.
Overspeed running. For advanced athletes only but very
effective for improving leg speed. Athlete sprints while being towed by
tubing or machine.
Sprint drills. There is a whole repertoire of these
used worldwide by athletics coaches. If used regularly they are very
effective at improving running technique, coordination and stability of
synergistic muscles involved in running. For instance, the walking
drill.
Sprint workout. A typical sprint workout could be 5 - 10 x 30 - 80 m max efforts. 3-5 minutes rest in between.
Very Important Tip 1: Athletes must always be completely fresh for speed training if it
is to be effective. Therefore, no heavy weight training or hard
endurance training the day before.
Very Important Tip 2: Speed training sessions must
always include long rest periods and focus solely on quality. Speed
development is about teaching the neuromuscular system to operate at
full speed and power and this is not possible if there is any fatigue.
If rests are too short, the training will only develop speed endurance
and not maximum speed.
Effective Methods For Agility:
Agility plyometrics. Certain plyometric exercises have
an agility component in them. For example, lateral hops, depth jump and
180 turn, line hopping. Customize your plyometric sessions to include
exercises that target particular agility requirements of your sport. For
example, depth jump and turn would be ideal for basketball.
Footwork ladder. Ladder drills are great for foot speed and agility as the ladder forces precision and speed of movement.
Agility drills and shuttles. A regular workout should
be performed including lateral shuffle, crossovers, back stepping etc.
plus shuttle runs and drills which involve turning, e.g. the T-drill.
Focus on quality movement and technique to increase the athlete's
agility and grace. These drills can be customized and made more
sports-specific once the athlete has mastered the basics. For example,
add catching a ball into the drill.
A final area that must be incorporated into a sports training program
is balance, coordination and stability training. Economy of movement,
peak power and agility cannot be optimized unless the athlete has highly
developed balance and stability.
Balance and coordination have to be developed through many different
methods, as variety is key. Exercises on the wobble board and balance
beam are great for this. With a little imagination one can think of many
things to challenge an athlete's balance and coordination.
For instance, balancing on a wobble board while juggling.
Stability, especially in the trunk, must also be developed through
various methods.
I recommend using gymnastic balls, learning some Tai Chi moves
(right), as well as using a medicine ball for the stomach and low back
exercises. Particularly effective are static bridging exercises, e.g.
The Plank, for developing functional core stability. A stability workout
should be performed at least twice a week.
What Does Tai Chi Mean? The most
widely known form of Chinese exercise. A soft martial art or physical
meditation art which uses posture, slow movement and breathing to
harmonize and energize. Learn more about Tai Chi in T'ai Chi Magazine.
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Balance and coordination have to be developed through many different
methods, as variety is key. Exercises on the wobble board and balance
beam are great for this. With a little imagination one can think of many
things to challenge an athlete's balance and coordination. 
