So the blogging begins :)
When I 1st began training & teaching SAQ to athletes, one of the 1st things I remembered my mentor Peter Twist saying was 'everything I know is wrong, and given enough time this will be proven true'. In today's blog I am going to use recent science and technology to prove Pete's profoundness correct.
While science is used as a means to justify or negate current practice, practitioners are often years ahead of and set the tone for new science. The scientific community constantly challenges current folklore, theories, views and belief systems. More times than not, the movements we see while pro sports are being played is the result of genetics & mechanical efficiency. 3 examples of movements that were poopoo'd by practitioners, but not closely scientifically examined are:
- Crossover Starts http://learntocoachbasketball.com/crossover
- False or Check Step http://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2010/10000/Effect_of_Four_Different_Starting_Stances_on.9.aspx
- Wide Track Skating http://www.hockeyinstitute.org/9%20skating%20revs%2047-53.pdf
- Open Step Starts
- Parallel Starts
- 5 & 7 O'clock Striding
These movements felt slower, less kinected / coordinated and negated the impact of our inner kangeroo; better known as the the stretch shortening cycle / myotatic stretch reflex. As it turns out, they were all biomechanically inefficient. The mistake I made was believing what I was being told, not trusting what I felt and not reviewing what I felt scientifically. Sometimes science will not have confirmed current practice but never neglect this portion of your research.
The next time you want to build the sport specificity component of your SAQ (Speed, Agility & Quickness) program do yourself a favor and perform these 4 tasks:
- Watch and video multiple world class athletes move.
- Take what you see, and do what I did this morning, ask a top level sport coach why you notice athletes repeatedly performing a specific movement.
- Review the scientific journals (even Dr Google can be helpful nowadays) for related information.
- Once you confirmed what you've seen, ask yourself...is what you see trainable / is this a physical tool which a well structured training program can have an impact on.
But most importantly, regardless of what I've written in this inaugural P2P Blog, if Pete was right, and I believe he was, given enough time this information will also be proven wrong :)
Chad Benson MSc, BSc, BPE, CSCS, Practicing Kinesiologist,
CanFitPro PTS: Educated at the University of Victoria and Memorial University of
NL, Chad is the President and Owner of ARC Performance Training Systems Ltd www.arctraining.ca . In addition to
overseeing ARC Operations, his current Kinesiologist / Strength & Conditioning
Coach involvement includes contracts with the Canadian Sport Center Pacific,
Bayside Rugby, WRSSBA, Semiahmoo Hockey Academy. Past experiences include
sub-contracted & consultant strength & conditioning coach roles for B2Ten,
Pacific Sport, the Vancouver Canucks, BC Lions, & Vancouver Ravens. Chad
has been a competitive multi sport athlete and has conditioned athletes in 13
Collegiate, Pro or Olympic Sports. Chad also has expertise with myofascial
release, trigger point therapy, MAT, functional movement testing & sport
rehabilitation. Educationally, Chad is a member of the CanFitPro Advisory Board
and has had the pleasure to educate fellow fitness and sport performance peers
through such organizations as the NSCA, AOSSM, BCRPA, CATA, CFP, CSEP & IDEA.
In his spare time Benson enjoys the odd newfie joke, lifting, keeping fit,
exploring scientific journals, indulging in red wine, recreational hockey,
tennis, great friends and warm weather destinations.
