Co-ordination Training

[Guest guest]

Do any of the members have any good resources or know of any books

published on developing co-ordination in kids?

So far a search on the internet and NSCA has come up with very little.

Specifically developing co-ordination between right/left and

upper/lower body co-ordination.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Smyth

Belfast

Northern Ireland

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Do any of the members have any good resources or know of any

books

> > published on developing co-ordination in kids?

> >

> > So far a search on the internet and NSCA has come up with very

> little.

> > Specifically developing co-ordination between right/left and

> > upper/lower body co-ordination.

> >

> > Any help would be much appreciated.

***Below is another interesting post from the late Dr Siff (ST

archives):

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It also shows that nine to ten year old youngsters are physically

closer in characteristics to athletes close to their prime, so that

it can be very inappropriate to apply 'kiddies training' models which

contradict what biomechanical science tells us. Note, too, the

possibility that this fact might suggest that weightlifting training

for prepubescents might be more productive and safer if it is based

upon adult models of training. This, of course, assumes that the

usual principle of individualised gradual progressive overload are

followed and the guidelines at the end of this article are

considered.

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Harmony of Strength and Speed

Tadeusz Juszkiewicz

Merited Coach of Byelorussia,with vast experience in training top-

level athletes:

(Trener 1, 1991)

Abstract

Most exercises practised by sprinters during training are aimed to

improve the strength abilities of the extensors of the leg, which are

already strong, since they bear the main load when walking, slow

running, jumping, and even when maintaining the vertical standing

position. This makes, therefore, for a disproportion in the

functional preparedness of the extensors and flexors of the legs. The

strength or effort exerted by a sprinter must be increased to a far

greater degree than the speed of movement.

It is important to note that 9 and 10 year olds exhibit proportions

of the strength factors for the various muscle groups of the legs

that are close to those of the athletes of high qualification, so

that it is irrational to classify all stages of children's training

to be the same.

Introduction

The strength abilities are greatly responsible for the speed of

movements and play a significant role in the actions which call for

endurance and skill. The strength of various groups of muscles of

athletes is developed in an uneven manner and does feature the most

intensive growth at the age of 11 to 16. Depending on sport

exercised, there are different topographies of the strength

abilities, i.e., proportions of the maximum strength between various

groups of muscles. Information of the strength topography of muscle

groups is being used by coaches to rationalise the training of

athletes.

It is widely believed among coaches and athletes (86.5 per cent of

respondents) that results in short-distance racing are highly

dependent on the level of preparedness of some basic (or specifically

sprinter's) groups of muscles. Most frequently attributed to such

muscles are the extensors of the leg, which do the main work in

taking off when running. Particular attention is, therefore, paid to

development of the extensors (by means of exercises like leg

extensions, leg presses and squats).

We believe that such an approach to the problem is not quite correct.

A short-distance race makes for the work of all groups of muscles,

which can be viewed as a very complex multi-component kinematic

system. In the process of running, some muscle groups bear larger

physical load, while others do lesser work, but their actions are

always interrelated. Under inadequate functional preparedness of any

such group, the progress of sporting results is hampered. As a rule,

the weakest link is to be found in the relatively weak muscle

groups, whose participation in movements is insufficient and which

are not loaded much when training.

The Studies

We carried out special studies on 100 sprinters of various

qualifications. In addition to the athletes, we examined a group of 9

to 10 year old boys. Why have we chosen this age? Firstly, because

they attain the highest frequency of movements in running, which

diminishes as they become older, and secondly, because this age

provides the most favourable prerequisites for development of speed.

Our results have confirmed previously published views that the rise

of sporting skills is accompanied by the greater strength of

different muscle groups in sprinters, which is quite logical.

However, the most interesting results were obtained from an analysis

of the proportions of the strength factors displayed by the extensors

and flexors of the hip, shank and foot (see Table 1).

Table 1 shows that 9 and 10 year olds exhibit proportions of the

strength factors for the various muscle groups of the legs that are

close to those of the athletes of high qualification. It emerges,

therefore, that, after eight to ten years of regular training,

athletes arrive at what has been done by Nature (i.e., to the

rational proportions between the strength factors of various muscle

groups). Hence, the development of strength abilities in young

sprinters started at the initial stages of long-term training cannot

be described as being rational.

[Table 1 here ]

These conclusions served as a basis for a working hypothesis which

says that the higher the skill of the sprinters, the greater the role

of the relatively weak muscle groups. We believed that special

exercises to develop the strength of the flexors (as well as

extensors), might make for much higher effectiveness of the training

processes, without extension of the scope and intensity of the work

to be done. This enables young athletes to avoid unreasonable loads.

Our first pedagogical experiment was done at the initial stage of

sporting specialisation in specialised sports school No. 123 in the

city of Minsk. When practising the special exercises to develop the

flexors, we tried to retain the optimum strength proportions between

the different muscle groups, which are constitutionally

characteristic of 9 and 10 year-old children. The results yielded by

this pedagogical experiment have proved our hypothesis. The

experimental group achieved remarkable advantages in sprinting over

the control group.

Our second pedagogical experiment was done at the stage of advanced

training at the republican sports-oriented boarding school in Minsk.

The concept was the same as that of the first experiment, but

designed to search for more effective means to locally develop some

muscle groups - we used special training equipment, which enabled us

to intensify the training process and made sessions more emotional

and interesting. We have, therefore, proved our hypothesis that the

harmonious development of different muscle groups makes it possible

for young athletes to reach much higher results in sprint.

How to Improve Strength Training for Sprinters

1. At the stage of preliminary training (9 to 11 year-old trainees)

the children have optimum proportions between the strength factors of

the leg extensors and flexors. The main tasks at this stage are:

improvement of health, comprehensive harmonious physical development,

and promotion of the harmonious shaping of the growing body. For this

purpose, it is reasonable to practise outdoor and sporting games, and

exercises aimed at general development.

2. At the stage of initial sporting specialisation (12 to 13 year-old

trainees) the neuromuscular coordination of movements should be

improved, which could make for more effective performance of the

strength abilities. The optimum proportions between the strength

factors of the extensors and flexors of the leg, which the trainees

at the age of 9 to 11 can have, are now changed in favour of the

development of the extensors. Hence, more attention should be paid to

strengthening the leg flexors in order to improve intermuscular

coordination.

3. At the stage of advanced sporting sessions (14 to 16 year-old

trainees) the functional systems, which provide for high work

capability of the body, are mostly formed. The loads used in some

strength-building exercises amount sometimes to 100 per cent of the

athlete's weight. In order to maintain the development of the

strength factors suited to the specific requirements of sprint,

serious attention should be paid to preferential development of the

relatively weak leg flexors. An effective way to achieve this goal

involves exercises of local character performed on training

equipment.

4. At the stage of sporting perfection (17 to 20 year-old trainees)

the athlete's body has practically no difference, in terms of

functional possibilities, from that of an adult's. Athletes

demonstrate good strength qualities. There is a dramatically

pronounced trend towards decrease of the proportions between the

strength factors of the extensors and flexors of the hip, shank and

foot. Athletes use the most effective means and methods to develop

their strength qualities. The scope and intensity of the training

sessions amount to the levels close to maximum.

5. At the stage of superb sporting mastership (21 to 26 year-old

trainees) the rate of development observed in the structural and

functional components of the locomotive activities is decreasing. Now

the main goal is to pave the way for an athlete to reach the level of

record results and maintain this level as long as possible. The

proportions between the strength factors of various muscle groups

exhibit a further decrease and approach the optimum values, like

those of 9 to 11 year-old children, who have the highest natural

frequency of running strides. In order to develop the strength

abilities, it is advisable to employ a variety of training equipment

and other technical means to control and diagnose the state of the

neuromuscular apparatus.

It is also possible to use model characteristics, which we have

developed, in order to enhance the effectiveness of strength training

of the sprinters (see Table 2).

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK