The Most Overlooked Variable in Training Today

That’s right, I said it. Mostly everyone who completes some sort of training program often neglects this variable without even realizing it. Actually, they train this variable, but with little to know realization. That variable is the angle of the shin during athletic, and non-athletic activity. Shin angle is involved with every aspect of human movement, not just sprinting, throwing or swimming.

Whether you are a seasoned coach, or a parent looking to get their young athlete to the next level, you have probably tried to develop the ability of shin angle change. However, you probably didn’t use the best cues/ reasoning to get your athlete to do what you exactly wanted them to do. On top of that, if they couldn’t do it, you probably looked at another area of the body to solve the problem.

The angle of the shin dictates the direction of the athlete’s center of mass. During bipedal locomotion, the relationship between initial contact of the foot and the angle of the shin quite literally determines where the athlete is going, and where they will be going.

Let’s take linear sprinting for example, a 40yd dash. The goal of the 40 yd dash is for the athlete to cover 40 yds of distance in as little a time as possible. There are a a million variables that separate the fast athletes from the slow athlete, but one of the most important variables is how efficient the athlete is with each step they take. According to force plate data, elite sprinters can produce and handle up to 2500 N of force, but those are elite level athletes. How do those guys train to attain that ability? It’s technique.

Your body is constantly learning how to handle and optimize what you are telling it to do. There are certain optimal positions that your body needs to be in to even attempt to produce high levels of force at an extremely high rate of speed. Just like pitching, hitting, swimming, etc. If your technique is not optimal, it won’t matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to use your strength efficiently. The position of the shin sets up the rest of the body to attempt to complete the task required.

We can classify shin angle into 3 different angles: Negative, neutral, and positive angles. Negative shin angle means the shin (tibia) is behind the the ankle and foot (talocural joint). A neutral shin angle is where the shin is stacked vertically and in-line with the ankle. Finally, a positive shin angle means the shin is positioned in front of the ankle joint.

Each position will dictate the direction of force, therefore the direction of the body. For example, if an athlete is attempting to slow down, they will automatically try to find their heel by striking the ground with it. This heel strike forces a negative shin angle, and shoots forces produced by braking in a front to back direction. The result is that athlete slows down to an eventual stop.

A neutral shin angle is associated with a more vertical direction of force, like jumping. A stacked shin allows the athlete to put their force in a mostly top to bottom / bottom to top direction, resulting in actions like standing up, jumping, and squatting.

A positive shin angle is the key to horizontal locomotion to a certain point. This is especially true for the acceleration phase of sprinting. Having the shin in front of the ankle when contacting the ground means the force produced is directed in a back to front direction, and the athlete is in a position to move forward with less braking forces to compete with.

The athlete’s ability to understand these positions will dictate their understanding of sprint mechanics. This is especially true for those of us who think taking bigger strides automatically means a faster sprint time. Let’s break that statement down a little further.

Sure, a longer stride will create more time in the air, therefore less time having to deal with those annoying braking forces. However, the question of “how” those athletes attain longer strides is what’s key. Simply taking longer strides will more than often not solve the problem, and actually create a slower athlete. The reason being is that athletes who attempt to take longer strides typically cast their foot out in front of their shin and knee. Why is that less than optimal?….. The answer is above! They are now creating a shin angle more conducive to slowing down, rather than speeding up.

Sprinter with positive shin angle at mid-stance

What about running tall? Is this another cue you’ve used to help athlete’s sprinting ability? Sometimes this cue can work, but is often over-cued, and here’s why. A taller athlete is necessary during the late acceleration, and terminal velocity phases of sprinting. The athlete begins to rise out of their stance, and their force direction becomes more vertical. However, an athlete with a sprinting posture that is too tall, or even worse, too tall too early results in a shin angle that is too vertical! When athlete’s are sprinting “too tall” their shin is more neutral at initial contact, which is a position more optimal for a vertical force direction. In a race, where are we trying to go? Forward!

Now, don’t get me wrong, the direction you want to go in, at the velocity you are trying to attain is determined by the requirements of the moment. I am not saying a positive shin angle is the cure for male patterned baldness. The cure for optimized athletic performance starts with knowing how to get in and out of positions more efficiently than your competition. Because at some point an athlete will need to slow down, jump, change directions, etc. All I am saying is that you need to train the correct joint angles in movement to get the most out of your training.

I will close with this. Let’s get sprinting out of our head for 1 minute… don’t freak out, I’ll try not to. Look at other sports, and movements. When a swimmer leaves the blocks during a swim meet, what direction are they going? Forward. When a pitcher comes down the mound to deliver a pitch, what direction are they going? Forward. So, what shin angle would probably be best for optimal performance? A negative shin angle. Coaches must keep this fact when prescribing movement to their athlete, not only for the goals of enhanced performance, but injury prevention, and movement biasing as well.

Pitcher front shin preparing to decelerate (negative) back shin going forward (positive)

positive shin angle on left leg

If you made it this far, you might as well check out our instagram page (we post this stuff all the time) or maybe even our youtube channel.

If you’re still here you must really be bored, but to claim your reward, contact coach Nate at nate@tpstrength.com.

Total Performance Screening Process

One of the variables of program design is current athlete ability. How well do they move? Are there any asymmetries between the two sides of the body? How high do they jump… how fast do they run… these are some of the questions we attempt to answer before putting an athlete through any workout regimen. We have created a systemized screening tool that is in no way nationally accredited or certified. But, for our situation, we feel it is the best and most accurate method (at this time) to determine current athletic ability with new clients. 

General Questionnaire: 

This is the first portion of our screening process. This is our chance to get to know the athlete in more ways than one. After the basic screening questions like health history, injury history, current height and weight, and past training history, we like to establish the “why” behind their training. “What brings you to TP today?” Not only does this show the athlete we care, but we use it is a reference point for those who stick around for the long haul. We often lose sight of goals through the mundane routine that can be life. Referencing goals set from the beginning gives the athlete and coach a chance to refocus. 

Functional Movement Screening (FMS)

The FMS is a screening tool used to determine musculoskeletal dysfunction for someone who currently isn’t showing symptoms of dysfunction. The FMS claims to be a predictor of injury, however studies have had mixed results showing the test’s ability to do just that. We use 6 of the current 7 screening methods as a way to test for asymmetries, motor control, and mobility. We do not use the FMS to predict injury. It is a systematized way to set a benchmark of movement ability that we can refer back to, and see if our programming cleaned up the movements. Also, inability to complete certain movements without asymmetry between limbs or pain will determine what exercises go into their program. For example, an athlete that scores poorly on the “Straight Leg Raise” will not be allowed to complete loaded hinge patterns like the RDL. We will prescribe corrective exercises to help the movement, and as they progress through the correctives, they will then be exposed to the RDL. 

Basic Human Movement Ability

Beyond the FMS, we like to get our athletes moving in space. How well do they before basic human movements like the: squat, hip hinge, horizontally press/ pull, vertically press/pull, rotate, laterally bend, and trunk strength. These movements require multiple joints to work in unison to complete the movement. If there is a lack of motor pattern ability, muscular “tightness,” or force leaks, we will be able to more accurately prescribe exercises that target these areas of dysfunction.

Performance Testing

This is the last portion of the screening process. The previous activities acted as a minor warm up for these upcoming tests. Due to the nature of performance testing, we also require our athletes to complete a modified dynamic warm up for athlete safety. Tests include: counter movement jump, static squat jump, broad jump, 10 yard sprint, and the 5-10-5 drill. The size of our facility limits our ability to measure speed outside of acceleration ability. Gaining mass while jumping higher and longer, and running faster  often times tells us that we are doing our job with our athletes. 

In the Future

After collecting data from these screens, and testing the results of our programs we will be able to make these tests more appropriate to our population of athletes. Including things like body composition, 40 yard dash times, possibly a force plate :) will allow us to increase the individualization of athlete programs. This in turn will produce greater results in the gym that will transfer to their sport. 

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Why do it on Two, When you can do it on One

A hot topic of discussion between us strength coaches is the benefits of unilateral and bilateral training. For years now, and we have been taught “if we can’t do it on two, we shouldn’t be doing it on one!” There is merit to this, no doubt. What your body does to accommodate loading on one leg is a totally different neural pattern compared to two legs, and it will lead to different training adaptations. Bilateral exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and RDL have been proven to be useful exercises to improve strength and power that transfers to on field performance. Unless you participate in a bar sport like powerlifting, you may not be getting as much out of these lifts as you think.  

We are asymmetrical creatures, we are never going to perfect balanced no matter how hard we to strive to attain symmetry. When you play an asymmetrical sports such as baseball, the asymmetries are further attenuated. While your body adapts to these asymmetries, the possibility of injury tends to increase. While a lot of movements in the weight-room are performed on two limbs, athletes can hide asymmetries in these bilateral movements. Over time something will give on the field or in the weight-room that causes an injury. In unilateral movements, hiding compensation patterns is almost impossible! It can actually highlights the flaws in the system. While we may never be symmetrical (maybe we aren’t supposed to be) if I can close the gap between left and right, the total system benefits. 

The majority of athletic activity takes place on one leg. Running, cutting, jumping all take place on one leg; the amount of time spent on two limbs is not as often as your would think. The body relies on each individual limb to produce force to propel the body forward; while the opposite leg prepares for ground contact. Bilateral movements like the squat train the appropriate muscle groups required to improve performance, however it is not a movement athletes often experience on the field. A big counter argument is that you are stronger/ more powerful on two legs compared to one, and this is true… in the moment of the lift. 

The bilateral deficit is a term used to describe the sum of two limbs lifts has a greater total load compared to using two legs at the same time. For example, athlete A can back squat 300lbs. But,  he can single leg squat 155lbs on each limb individually and this totals to 310lbs. If the rep and set scheme is the same between the two exercises, total tonnage will be greater with the single leg squat compared to the back squat; which would elicit greater adaptation (maybe). 

Finally, two limb movements do not always equal improvements with one limb movements, while one leg movements can further improve the ability of two limb movements. In my experience, my athletes have trained primarily on two limbs, while often neglecting unilateral movements. With that being said, their RDL strength and coordination completely exceeds their Single Leg RDL ability (most cannot even get into the position). This is troublesome because we ask these athletes to perform single leg plyometric exercises such as a sprint on a daily basis. The Single Leg RDL almost directly mimics the requirements of the sprint, and if these guys can hardly get in the correct position in a controlled, unloaded environment… I cannot expect them to have any type of advanced sprint ability. I want to change our current mindset that you should be able to perform a movement on two limbs before you attempt it on one. I think we should train single limb ability before attempting bilateral movements. 

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Post Activation Potentiation "PAP"

In training for sport performance, we are always looking for a way to enhance the effects of training to better optimize sports performance. One of those methods is post activation potentiation. This topic can get a little tricky, and the variables that go with PAP can be numerous. So, try to stay with me here as we dive into the effects of PAP. 

Physical performance is affected by the muscle’s contractile history. Most people will think of the decreased performance associated with muscle fatigue, well PAP aims to increase performance. We are attempting to prime the working muscle group, typically in preparation for dynamic movement like a jump, or sprint. There is no concrete evidence that gives us a clear look into what works, and what does not work when referring to improved performance. With that being said, I will go over a few variables people have looked into, and discuss what potentially went right and/or wrong. 

First and foremost, the only athletes that should attempting to potentiate should be experienced athletes with a training age of more than 5 years, and post pubescent biologically. Typically, PAP involves near maximal loading of an exercise, followed by a dynamic movement. If an athlete can not adequately perform a loaded pattern such a squat, I will not waste their time trying to prime their muscles for elevated performance. Research agrees with me. The novice athlete’s body simply isn’t ready to complete this type of training. Too much fatigue is often induced, and there's little to no benefit seen when attempting to potentiate the muscles. A solid foundation of strength needs to be formed first, then the athlete is physiologically ready to undergo this advanced style of training. 

Secondly, the loaded movement you are completing needs to be similar to the movement you attempting to elevate in performance. If my goal is to jump higher, a heavy bench press wouldn’t help me much.. Or would it? Anyway, a study attempted to elevate athletes change of direction ability by pairing the 5-10-5 drill with a maximal isometric voluntary contraction of the lower limb musculature in a squat pattern. The results indicated no improved performance in the change of direction drills. They speculated variables such as training age, rest periods, and movement specificity could all be involved when deciding how to potentiate properly. (Marshall, Turner 2019)

Another variable that must be considered is rest time. There is a small window of opportunity we have when trying to utilize the effects of PAP.  Immediately following a loaded movement, we experience fatigue, the greater the intensity of the movement, the more fatigue we experience. If the rest period is too short, we are just performing the dynamic movement fatigued and it will result in a decrease in performance. If we rest too long, the priming effect of PAP is lost, and it is like nothing happened in the first place. So far, it has been stipulated that a rest window of 3-7 minutes is optimal. But, a 4 minute difference in rest time is massive! For the purpose of weight room flow, and the limited time frame we have to work with our athletes at Total Performance, we typically allot for about 1-3 minutes of active recovery to take place before attempting the dynamic movement. At the end of the day, we have limited time to work with our athletes, and there is no research confirming a ratio of intensity to rest to optimize performance. So, we do what is best for our facility and our athletes. 

I want to touch again on the subject of athlete experience. The less experienced athlete will not need as much stimulus to see the effects of PAP, but they will need a greater rest time to allow for proper priming of the muscle. This is compared to the experienced athlete who requires a higher degree of stimulus, and rest time doesn’t need to be as long comparatively. This could be due to the fact that the motor unit threshold attempting to be reached is way higher in the experienced athlete compared to the novice, and the experienced athlete's enhanced ability to recover from work. 

I can discuss post activation potentiation for another 100 blog posts, and I might just do that. However, at the end of the day we don’t know the full risks/benefits of PAP. The variables are still too wide to come to a conclusion. I personally use PAP in my training, but I do not measure my results; but I can tell when I haven’t allotted enough rest or I have rested too long. TP’s athletes complete a variation of contrast training blocks with loaded pattern followed by the matching dynamic pattern. The degree of intensity, the rest time, and the volume is determined by the athletes training age, and the stage of their annual plan they are in. Hopefully we discover the full mystery of PAP in the near future to better harness its ability to improve performance! 

-Thank you for your time! If you have any questions please let us know!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Plyometrics in the Sand

As we continue to dive into the intricacies of plyometrics, we are going to come across a wide variety of scenarios when training the stretch shortening cycle (SSC). One of the most important variables is the surface on which the training takes place! Plyos in the sand highlight certain qualities of the SSC, and play down the effects of others. 

Why would you want to be jumping and landing on a softer surface in the first place? Well, the first benefit is the reduced impact on the joints compared to landing on hard surfaces. If one of the goals of the session is to protect the athlete from the rigors of hard landings, while still accomplishing quality work, plyos in the sand does that. Mirzaei and company looked at muscle soreness and how plyometrics in the sand affected it. Their study mentioned  that the sand work resulted in decreased muscle soreness, which in turn allowed for more work to be accomplished. (Mirzaei, 2014)

But coach Nate! What about the increased time spent in the amortization phase of the SSC, and the subsequent loss of elastic energy stored because of the increased time spent on the ground when stretching the muscle!?? Don’t worry my readers, it all depends on the goal of the session! The SSC in totality is one of the most powerful mechanisms we humans have that allow us to exert extreme amounts of force. If you take away the ability of one component of the SSC, in this case the eccentric component, the concentric component has to do some work to get the same task completed. This is similar to the max strength phase of training. The movement is slower, the benefit of the SSC is blunted, and a greater emphasis is placed in the concentric ability of the muscle. In the same study I referenced earlier, Mirzaei and company also mentioned that a 6 week plyometric program completed in the sand resulted in increased vertical, static, and long jump with increases in maximal strength, and decreased sprint times (Mirzaei, 2014).  All good things right? But, the study was completed on untrained individuals, and many of those adaptations could be accredited to neural adaptation, which increases the efficiency of the body completing the task. 

In my professional opinion, I do not have a problem with plyometric sand training. It is another stimulus you can expose an athlete to that still promotes quality training while protecting the body from hard landing. As long as the reason behind this training is sound, go ahead! If you goal is to focus on decreasing the amortization phase and getting off the ground as quickly as possible, then the sand is not the place to be. 

-Thank you for your time! If you have any questions please let us know!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Reference

Mirzaei, B., Norasteh, A. A., & Asadi, A. (2013). Neuromuscular adaptations to plyometric training: Depth jump vs. countermovement jump on sand. Sport Sciences for Health, 9(3), 145-149. doi:10.1007/s11332-013-0161-x

Jumping, its Role in Training!

Coach Nate Garcia

Plyometrics is an intense exercise training method. The reason someone trains with plyometric exercises is to improve the “stretch shortening cycle” (SSC) of the muscle system. Similar to the energy stored when stretching a rubber band, when you stretch your muscle energy is stored and if the stretch is followed rapidly by muscle shortening action you are able to use this energy to your movement advantage. Whether you know it or not, the SSC is used throughout your daily motion. One example of your daily utilization of the SSC is the use of your calf musculature when walking. Striking the ground with your heel creates a pre-stretch of the muscles that stores some elastic energy. The energy is released as you propel yourself forward off your toes.

A common example of a plyometric exercise is jumping. Jump training is often looked at as an activity reserved for the sports that primarily involve jumping (such as volleyball or basketball). However, what a lot of people neglect to acknowledge is that jumping relates to numerous activities that people perform, like sprinting. When utilized properly, jumping can be used as an efficient and safe way to improve power and sprint capabilities. However, jumping shouldn’t just be reserved for athlete training. The benefits of having the ability to jump not only means improved athletic ability, it also means improved efficiency with everyday tasks such as: traveling the stairs, preventing a fall, picking up objects from the floor, and running!

Just as with any exercise, in order to see progress in jump ability, you have to properly plan for your goals. Total Performance uses various different jumps in order improve power development. Youth athletes, or those with a small training age, must have their volume of plyometrics closely monitored. A high volume of plyometric training can result in overtraining and ultimately be detrimental . Since jumping is an implication of power, and power is defined as work divided by time, in order to train safely, you need to be strong. Research recommends reserving high volume lower body plyometric training for those who have the ability to squat at least 1.5 x your body weight. If one is unable to accomplish this, it doesn't mean you shouldn’t jump, it just means you need to be extra cautious with your volume of jumps. Advanced athletes have the ability to handle a high volume of plyometric training due to their ability to handle intense training activities. Manipulating jump movements is one way to increase difficulty of the movement. For example; requiring the person to jump and land on one foot, jumping backwards, side to side jumping, and a depth jump from height. There are infinite ways to increase the difficulty of a jump and it all depends on the goal of the training.

What is a “high” and “low” volume of plyometrics? As defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), lower body plyometrics are measured via contacts. A contact is defined as contact with the ground. So, after one jumps and lands, that contact is counted. Beginner contact volume is recommended to be between 80-100 contacts, intermediate contact volume between 100-120, and advanced between 120-140 contacts. Again, the actual amount of plyometrics you complete all depends on your ability, your training goals, and what other training is being performed with plyometrics.

The volume of plyometrics is one of the several variables that can be manipulated in order to achieve training goals. To be discussed in future posts: what those variables include, how to manipulate those variables, and what those manipulations mean for training goal achievement.

Thank you for your time! If you have any questions, reach out to Total Performance!

Instagram: tp_strength

train@tpstrength.com (Coach Nate)

scott@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com