Gay, Clement, Thomas, Tikhon, Lededeva plus Powell and Richards in Yokohama – PREVIEW

Yokhama, Japan - The 2007 Super-Meet will be held tomorrow, Sunday 30 September, and five Osaka World Championship gold medallists expected to compete in Yokhama’s annual meeting: Tyson Gay (USA) at 100m and 200m, Kerron Clement (USA) at 400m Hurdles,

Donald Thomas (BAH) at High Jump, Ivan Tikhon (BLR) at Hammer Throw, and Tatyana
The biggest names in the upcoming super-meet are three sprint aces, Jamaica’s Asfa Powell, the World 100m record holder, USA’s Tyson Gay, the triple World sprint champion, and Sanya Richards, who snared a half share of the IAAF Golden League Jackpot recently.

Gay to dash 100, Powell at 200, Richards over 400

At 100m, Gay will face the Netherlands Antilles’ Churandy Martina, fifth in the World Championships at both 100m and 200m, USA’s J.J. Johnson (who will also race the 200m) and Japan’s Nobuharu Asahara. Over 200m, Powell will take-on Canada’s Tyler Christopher, sixth at 400m in the World Championships, and Japan’s Shinji Takahira.
Sanya Richards, the 2006 World Athlete of the Year, was fifth at the 200m in Osaka, but will be running 400m, the distance at which she is the season’s world leader. Richards anchored home the gold medal winning US 4x400m relay team in Osaka, and will be facing Christine Amertil, who was seventh in the 2004 Olympic Games. The best Japanese in the women’s one lap are Asami Tanno, national 400m record holder and Satomi Kubokura, national 400mH record holder.

NIKON latest Official Partner for IAAF World Championships in Osaka

Monte-Carlo - The IAAF is happy to announce that NIKON CORPORATION will become the latest top-level Official IAAF Partner for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, to be held in Osaka, Japan from 25 August to 2 September 2007.
Nikon, an iconic international brand in photography, now has exclusive rights for the product category of cameras, digital cameras and selected optical equipment.

As the Official Partner of the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Nikon will receive prominent global exposure to over 190 countries worldwide.
With the addition of Nikon to the group of top partners, the number of IAAF Official Partners for Osaka 2007, now stands at 8 major international corporations.
"I am delighted to welcome Nikon to our Family,” said IAAF President Lamine Diack. “With its long history and decisive contribution to the development of photography over many decades, Nikon is a prestigious worldwide brand committed to excellence, and we believe that the IAAF and Nikon have many ideals and goals in common.”

Brown’s breezy 9.88 dash at Trinidad & Tobago Champs

Sunday 24 June 2007

Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago - Darrel Brown sizzled down the 100m straight at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, on Saturday (23).

The 22-year-old sprint star scorched the Mondo track in a wind-assisted 9.88 seconds to strike gold in the Sagicor National Open Track and Field Championship men’s 100 metres.

World Junior champion Rhonda Watkins, 19, took her third national women’s Long Jump title.

Another 9.8? - “I have to. Tyson (Gay) is running” in Osaka

With a 3.0 metres per second wind at his back, Darrel Brown bolted to victory in the 100m, ahead of Richard Thompson, the silver medallist in 9.95, and 19-year-old Keston Bledman (10.05). Marc Burns was fourth in 10.06, one spot ahead of dethroned champion Jacey Harper (10.15).

Thompson, who clocked a personal best 10.09 in winning his semi-final heat, got out well in the final. Brown’s mid-race surge, though, was a bit too much for the Louisiana State University (LSU) sprinter to handle, the 2001 champion reclaiming his national sprint crown with a silky smooth dash.

“I’m satisfied,” Jamaica-based Brown said shortly after his breathtaking bolt, “because last week in Oslo I felt my left hamstring tighten up on me. Coach told me to come down here and just do enough to win but I had to go down a little more…Richard was some stiff competition.”

When the clockings were announced over the public address system, Thompson excitedly acknowledged the cheers of his supporters.

Brown was very impressed with the challenge offered by Thompson.

“I was told to hold back a bit. I held back but when I glanced and saw Richard a little way in front I had to get up in gear a little more.”

Like Thompson, Bledman produced a new PB (personal best) in the semi-final round, the junior sprinter finishing second to Thompson in heat one in 10.14 seconds.

Brown is planning to compete at a few meets in Europe, ahead of next month’s Pan Am Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 2003 World Championship silver medallist is hoping his European stint will produce another 9.8 run, but without an illegal following wind. “I have to. Tyson (Gay) is running.”

Bolt counters US 200m fireworks with 19.75 PB of his own – Jamaican Champs, Final Day

Kingston, Jamaica - World Junior record holder Usain Bolt has signalled his intention to challenge American Tyson Gay and others for the World 200m title in Osaka this summer with an impressive 19.75 run at the Jamaican National Championships on Sunday (24). Bolt's run makes him the 9th equal fastest runner of all-time which ties him with USA’s Carl Lewis (1983) and Joe DeLoach (1988).
National record


The 19.75 time is also a Jamaican record, beating the previous best of 19.86 held by 1976 Olympic Games 200m gold medallist Donald Quarrie since 1971.
The 20-year-old Bolt, who won his semi-final heat in 20.50, had promised the Jamaican record with good weather in the final, and held up to that pledge in a near perfect 0.2m/s wind.
He also said, watching Gay's blistering 19.63 seconds win at the USA Championships, the second fastest time in history, motivated him to run fast.

“I saw the race (on TV), and he was very impressive and that helped motivated me to run fast,” said Bolt, who defeated Chris Williams (20.24) and Clement Campbell (20.29).
Bolt also promised “I am getting there, I am still working hard towards that (beating Gay),” he added.

“It's a great feeling to break the record. I told Donald Quarrie the last time I saw him in Lausanne that I was going to break the record this season,” added the excited Bolt.
Bolt, who set the World junior record of 19.93 at the Carifta Games in 2004, said hard work this season was what paid off for him. “I guess the hard work pays off, because I have been working hard all season,” he added.
"Not surprised"

Quarrie, who went to congratulate Bolt on a very good run, said “I was not surprised” he broke the record.
“He ran very, very well, he ran relaxed, I think what helped a lot he was confident, know one in the race could beat him,” added Quarrie.
“What I am hoping is for him to take the same mentality with a relax attitude when he run against a guy like Tyson Gay,” said Quarrie.

Gay runs 19.62, the second fastest 200m in history – USA Champs,

Indianapolis, USA - Tyson Gay completed the sprint double on the fourth and final day of senior action at the AT&T USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Sunday (24) by running the 200m in the second-fastest time in history.
The championships were the national trials for the 11th IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Osaka, Japan (25 Aug to 2 Sep 2007).


If you had any doubts about Tyson Gay, forget them. Today in the USATF men’s 200 metres, Gay ran a turn for the ages and strode home to win by nearly three metres in 19.62 seconds.
Gay’s teammate, Wallace Spearmon, was second in 19.89, and Rodney Martin was third in 20.18 and World and Olympic 400m champion Jeremy Wariner fourth in 20.35.
Spearmon, who last year had run 19.65, was in lane 5, just inside Gay. With Walter Dix and Xavier Carter not in the race, Spearmon was his only real opposition, and his strategy was simple: “to get away from Wallace Spearmon as fast as I could.”

Happiness and sadness for Powell camp

There was joy and agony for the MVP training group, as while World 100m record holder Asafa Powell powered somewhat stiffly to a 9.94 (+0.9m/s wind) win in the men’s 100m, his training companion Sherone Simpson, who was the fastest female 100/200m sprinter last summer, finished dead last in visible pain in the women’s dash. After being withdrawn from last weekend’s Eugene meeting the rumours had been that Simpson was carrying a quad injury, but after tonight’s disappointment her management confirmed that her right hip flexor has been troubling her for a couple of weeks and this accounted for her easing up at 60 metres.

Everybody Into the Pool

But over the past four days of twice-daily two-hour sessions, Olsen has shown just what a miracle worker a top coach can be. Thanks to a series of progressive drills, in-the-pool demonstrations, computerized stroke analysis and spot-on analogies, he has helped me reprise “Pygmalion” in the pool.Sometime on the second day, I had my breakthrough. I had just finished a drill Jon had invented to show how you can keep your arms in a fixed position but still pull water by rolling side to side. The drill had yet to be named, so I dubbed it the landed tuna.

As I caught my breath afterward, Olsen explained the arm positions he wanted me to assume during two key phases of the stroke: the underwater catch (where your arm and hand are outstretched in front of you and sink slightly before grabbing an initial “hold” on the water) and the recovery (where your opposite arm swings forward through the air before re-entering the water).

To explain the catch, Olsen described how he cleaned up logs after a hurricane. “This is how I want your catch to look,” he said, mimicking the curled-over, high-elbow position he used to reach over a log and scoop it up. I visualized my underwater arm moving from a sinking horizontal spear to this high-elbow, log-grappling configuration.

For the recovery phase, he had another apt analogy: a backhoe. At this, Olsen pointed his out-of-the-water elbow skyward while letting his forearm and fingertips hang down in a loose, relaxed posture. Pantomiming a backhoe, he moved his elbow forward while swiveling and extending his forearm until the fingertips naturally speared the water surface.

In Olsen’s view, efficient swimming is like rowing a single scull: a moment of explosive propulsion followed by a nearly effortless, recuperative glide. Plenty of swimmers focus on maximizing propulsion but ignore the glide. The fastest swimmers are not the most powerful but the most efficient.

As I stroke-glided, stroke-glided toward the wall on my final 150 meters, somehow everything was clicking. But I was officially dead, my limbs leaden with lactate.

Exhausted, I was no longer capable of thinking about what I was doing here, but it felt right — like when you finally relax your eyes enough for one of those 3-D pictures to snap into recognition.

“Your stroke held up pretty good,” Olsen said, beaming a little. “How’s it feel?”

When I was capable of speaking again, I started to blurt out, “Almost natural,” but caught myself. “Less unnatural.”

He smiled encouragingly. “The best time to fight old habits and make corrections is when you’re going smooth and slow,” he said. “Really think about what you’re doing during warm-up or warm-down or easy swims between hard sets. But when you’re doing hard sets or racing, turn the brain off and just let your body go on its own.” The new stroke, he said, will eventually become second nature.

After two months of practice, I find myself on the blocks at a meet in Virginia, awaiting the start of the 100-yard freestyle. It’s not my best competitive distance, but it’s the benchmark by which I measure my downward slide toward dotage.

My brain, as Olsen recommended, is completely shut off now, although the reason is less volitional than viral. I’ve never had a cold this bad at any swimming meet in my entire life. My original goal of breaking 54 seconds has changed drastically. I just want to finish without having to be fished out of the pool.

Even after a lifetime of “Rocky” movies, I can’t quite believe what happens next, because it has such a feel-good unreality to it: 52.69 seconds after the start, I hit the touchpad. I have to look at the clock three times to convince myself I’m not hallucinating.

This is the fastest I’ve swum in five years — and less than a half-second off my high school best. Bless you, Jon Olsen!

If I can just hold on to this speed a little longer, a world record in the 100-to-104 age group looks inevitable.

GO HERE TO STOKE YOUR STROKE

THE RACE CLUB

Specializing in “creative training for fast swimming,” the Race Club accommodates swimmers 8 years old and up year-round. The camps usually run from one to six days, but you can customize your own (starting at $265, not including hotel). theraceclub.net.

ADVANCED SWIM CAMPS

Five-day camps are held in Tampa and San Francisco for swimmers as young as 5. Twice-daily training sessions feature frame-by-frame video analysis to cut stroke count by a guaranteed 30 percent ($2,975, plus meals and hotel). somaxsports.com/swimcamp.htm.

LA LOMA ALTITUDE TRAINING CENTER

Located 6,233 feet above sea level in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, La Loma has played host to club swimmers as well as Olympians like Michael Phelps and Kaitlin Sandeno ($55 per day, including meals and lodging). Altitudeswimming.Com.

TOTAL IMMERSION

Specializing in stroke improvement, T.I. conducts hundreds of workshops around the country each year as well as an open-water swim camp in the Bahamas during the winter (starting at $495 for a weekend workshop). totalimmersion.net.

FASTER FREESTYLE

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JON OLSEN

1. Keep your head down. Forget the old idea of keeping your head high enough so that the water hits you in the forehead. You’ll move faster and with less resistance by keeping your head on an even plane with your body, as if you were standing and looking straight ahead.

2. Think scull, not plow. As much as possible, try to stay horizontal in the water. Good head position will definitely help. You don’t want your feet and hips to drop and drag, which only makes you plow through the water and, in effect, swim uphill. Avoid arching your back, and try to stay flat, long and streamlined — like a single scull skimming through the water. When your body position is right, it can almost feel like you’re swimming downhill.

3. Recruit the core. Coordinate your kick, body rotation, catch and pull to allow your core muscles to do as much of the heavy lifting as possible. Relying too much on your arms and shoulders will make you slower and more prone to injury.

4. Avoid crossing over. Imagine a line bisecting your body vertically. Many swimmers, especially when breathing, have a tendency to let their hands cross this line during the pull.

5. Finish your stroke. Pushing up or down against the water wastes energy and contributes nothing. Make sure your propulsive efforts keep you moving in a horizontal vector. From the initial catch to the final push of each arm stroke, keep your fingertips pointed toward the bottom of the pool. As your underwater hand moves in front of your head, and then parallel to your body, and then back toward your thigh, your wrist should adjust to ensure that your palms and fingertips pull, then push, the water horizontally toward your feet.

Everybody Into the Pool

Founders Park pool in Islamorada, Fla., is a 50-meter oasis of fresh water flanked by the turquoise Gulf of Mexico, a rock’s throw to the west, and the white-capped Atlantic, a quarter-mile to the east.

This self-proclaimed “sport-fishing capital of the world” is as close as I’ve come to finding aquatic paradise. I’m just trying my best not to, in the parlance of our sport, die here.

A four-time Olympic gold medalist, Jon Olsen, my instructor at the Race Club Swim Camp, has other ideas. “Go!” he says, clicking his stopwatch. Thus begins the last of 6x150-meter fast swims separated by 20 seconds of rest. Push off, streamline, glide, explosive kick, breakout, high-elbow catch, pull, recovery: with each facet of my newly refined freestyle technique, I try to stay focused on the minutiae Olsen has taught me.

Focus, alas, is becoming impossible. Lactate, the “make it burn” juice so familiar to competitive swimmers, is rushing through my bloodstream. My arms and legs are fast turning to stone, precisely my affable mentor’s intention. In the face of cognitive collapse and myofibril failure, will the new “muscle memory” hold? Or will I fall victim to muscle amnesia and beat a thrashing retreat to the familiar flaws I’ve come here to correct?

Since the Race Club was founded — in 2003 by Gary Hall Jr. and his father, Gary Hall Sr. (the only father-and-son duo to compete in three Olympics each) — ranks of us rank amateurs have flocked here in the hope of finding lasting improvement. Attendees have included middle-aged runners and cyclists whose goal of completing an Ironman had been thwarted by an inability to swim without floaties. Kids as young as 8 have come, too, bringing families in tow for a vacation in the Keys.

The most common species of camper seems to be masters swimmers, adults like myself who have become addicted to the way regular workouts make us feel. As is the case with recreational golfers, an amateur swimmer’s intrinsic abilities bear little relation to a willingness to invest in improvement. Take the fellow swimming next to me, a 29-year-old Ãbermensch from Germany whose strokes look unimprovable. This is his second pilgrimage to the Race Club. He’s hoping Olsen’s genius for stroke analysis and biomechanical tweaking will let him place higher at — maybe even win — the upcoming European Masters Championships.

I, by contrast, am a 54-year-old Untermensch from Pittsburgh, an old doggy hoping to master a new paddle to save my rotator cuffs, which have become so infirm that I’ve given up the butterfly and the backstroke. I now concentrate only on freestyle — my best hope for placing in the top 10 in the world rankings next summer when I “age up” to the 55-to-59 bracket.

To date, the best I’ve ever placed is fourth — in the 200- and 400-meter freestyle — which happened the last time I aged up, five years ago, to the 50-to-54 bracket. My only realistic hope for ever placing first is outliving the competition and winning in the 100-to-104 age bracket. This might seem like a joke, but it truly is my long-term goal. The only way I can accomplish it is to stay healthy. Hence my pilgrimage to the Race Club.

“Shoulders are our most priceless commodities,” Olsen, 38, tells me as we review my “before” underwater video on his laptop. “Swimming with the correct technique will take pressure off your shoulder joints and hopefully help you avoid the career-ending injuries we see in lots of swimmers.”

The key to doing this, he explains, is to shift the heavy lifting from my arms to my core muscles. The best swimmers are able to coordinate their kick, torso rotation and arm pulls to harness a much more powerful, and efficient, propulsion than those who rely on arm strength alone.

Truth be known, I’ve been reading articles on “core recruitment” for years now, but I’ve never been able to translate the words to the water. Moreover, a dispiriting series of salsa-dancing lessons last fall left me convinced that a guy with my spectacular lack of body awareness probably never will.

Hardcore Training

PLYOMETRIC TRAINING

PLYOMETRIC TRAINING

Plyometric exercises are the rapid deceleration and acceleration of muscles that create a stretch-shortening cycle. The exercises train the muscles, connective tissue and nervous system to effectively carry out the stretch-shortening cycle, thereby improving an athlete's performance. Plyometric drills can be a fundamental part of training for each and every event in sport. Most competitive sports require a rapid deceleration of the body followed by almost immediate acceleration in the opposite direction.

Plyometric drills help develop rhythm, speed, power and even muscular endurance. Plyometrics, used correctly and for a specific purpose, can be a tremendous asset to your individual athlete as well as to the general and specific conditioning of your entire sport program.
Coaches' Guidelines for Teaching Plyometrics
All plyometric exercises must be done in flats on a soft surface.
Start with one set of each exercise, working toward three more sets.
Judge whether the athlete has the proper motor skills for properly executing the drills. If the athlete has poor form, stop the drill.
Always start with simple drills and progress to more difficult.
Properly warm-up and stretch before each plyometric workout and follow with a proper cool-down.
Have the athletes execute the drills with 100 percent effort to ensure best training results.
Take a 1-2 minute rest between successive exercise sequences.
Perform a number of repetitions according to the intensity of the drill and the condition of the athlete. The athlete will only benefit from reps performed properly.
Never perform plyometric drills on the same day as a weight training session.
Each set should last no longer than 6-8 seconds.
Full recovery should occur between sets.
Start with easy exercises and develop in intensity and complexity.
Stop before fatigue breaks down technique.
Always emphasize proper technique.
Integrate plyometrics as a part of the training program.
Remember a large part of the initial training may be spent on teaching your athletes.

Plyometric Drills
Exploding Harvards
Reps: 10 jumps each leg; gradually increase to 20 jumps each leg

Purpose

Introduce athletes to plyometric training

Equipment
Box or step to create knee angle of 80-120 degrees

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position facing box
Step one foot up onto box; weight is forward and over flexed leg on box
Arms are in sprint motion
Powerfully push down leg on box, bring hips directly over leg on box; maintain "hips tall" position
Return to starting position
Repeat quickly

Points of Emphasis: A knee angle much less than 80 degrees puts undue stress on knee
Obtain maximum height

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Bounding Drills

Low Slow Bounding
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops dynamic flexibility in the hip joint
Develops strength and power

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position and bend to squat position
Jump outward driving bending right knee to chest while extending left leg
Stay low
Upon landing, powerfully extend forward leg while driving back leg knee to chest
Arm swing is in sprinting action

Points of Emphasis: Briefly float at the top of bound — both legs are off ground
Foot strike is toward ball of foot

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Power Bounding
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops dynamic flexibility in the hip joint
Develops strength and power
Creates greater responsiveness to exercises

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Jump outward and upward driving bending right knee to chest while extending left leg
Upon landing, powerfully extend forward leg while driving back leg knee to chest
Arm swing is in sprinting action

Points of Emphasis: Small beginning jog builds momentum and velocity
Hang time is long, longer than low slow bound
Torso and trunk are also tall
Foot strike is more of a flat foot

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Speed Bounding
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops power

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Jump outward and upward, driving bending right knee to chest while extending left leg
Upon landing, powerfully extend forward leg while driving back leg knee to chest
Arm swing is in sprinting action

Points of Emphasis: Beginning run builds velocity
Short ground contact time — be very quick
No hang time
Foot strike is very active and toward ball of foot

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Straight Leg Bounds
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops strength, especially quadriceps

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position, begin jogging
Extend left leg and drive up toward sky, foot is flexed
Alternate legs
Arm swing is in sprinting action

Points of Emphasis: Feels as if pulling ground past feet
Short ground contact time — be very quick
Ground contact time is slightly in front of body
Foot strike is very active and on ball of foot

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Hops

Swedish Hops
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develop effective use of the legs

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Step out with one foot; jumping upward, drive up the other knee as high as possible
Flex the bent leg completely, with foot under buttock
Use arms to achieve maximum lift
Upon landing, jump quickly upward again driving back leg up toward sky, foot under buttock

Points of Emphasis: Emphasis is on maximum lift
Work at gaining height and distance, do not sacrifice repetition rate
Looks like continuous high skipping

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Single Leg Hops
Reps: 2x30M, Gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops coordination and strength

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position, placing one leg in front of other; front leg is hopping leg
Drive hips up and forward powerfully
Pull heel of hopping leg to buttock, followed by swinging knee forward and up
When thigh is parallel to ground, abruptly extend leg
Strike ground with high backward foot speed
Opposite foot cycles as if used, yet does not touch ground
Arm swing is in sprinting action

Points of Emphasis: Foot strike is flat of foot
When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Double Leg Hops
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops strength

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position and bend to squat position
Bend at hips while driving arms back
Jump powerfully up and out, extending legs, driving arms up over head

Points of Emphasis: Foot strike is on flat of foot When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Hurdle Hops
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops dynamic flexibility in the hip joint
Develops explosiveness and power
Strengthens abdominals

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Jump, drive both knees toward chest
Arms drive up as you reach top of hurdle
Repeat over 5-8 hurdles


Points of Emphasis: High, powerful knee drive When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Skipping
Reps: 2x40-50M, gradually increase to 3x100M

Purpose
Develop effective use of the legs

Teaching Steps
Begin with one leg forward
Drive off the back leg; start short skipping step with opposite leg
Drive knee up toward chest
Upon landing, repeat with other leg

Points of Emphasis: Gain as much height as possible with maximum hang time
Good for long and high jumps

When to Use: Start in second week of training; stop two weeks prior to major competitions




Drum Major
Reps: 2x30M, gradually increase to 3x50M

Purpose
Develops dynamic flexibility in the hip joint
Strengthens abdominals

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Drive right knee toward chest
Extend leg out, foot flexed
Drive leg down to ground
Alternate legs

Points of Emphasis: High, powerful knee drive



Depth Jumping for Jumpers
Reps: 10 jumps each leg; gradually increase to 20 jumps each leg

Purpose
Develop leg power

Teaching Steps
Stand on box in "hips tall" position
Jump down from box and immediately drive knees up jumping onto next box

Or

Teaching Steps
Take "hips tall" position
Drive knees/arms up as jumping on box
Jump down from box and immediately drive knees/arms up jumping onto next box

Jump Variations:
Low Box — Ground — Low Box
Low Box — Ground — High Box
Low Box — Ground — High Box — Ground — Low Box
High Box — Ground — High Box — Ground — Low Box

Points of Emphasis: Single leg box jumps: box is approximately 12 inches high
Double leg box jumps: box is approximately 18-24 inches high

When to Use: 1-2 times per week with 1-2 days between sessions
Athletes need 10-14 days recovery before competition

Dix destined for double? – NCAA Champs, PREVIEW

Wednesday 6 June 2007

Sacramento, California, USA - This year’s National Collegiate Championships, familiarly the NCAAs, which take place from 6 to 9 June will be the first hard look at the next generation of young American athletes, some of whom will undoubtedly be on the USA for Osaka, and more of whom will make it to Beijing for the Olympic Games. Two developments of recent years have robbed the meet of some of its lustre: (1) extensive recruiting of undergraduates by shoe companies offering professional contracts, and (2) a superfluous regional qualifying system which discourages doubling and through injury or mishap usually eliminates a few stars. Nevertheless, there is plenty to look forward to, starting with Walter Dix, Natasha Hastings, and Donald Thomas, any one of which might well reach a podium in Osaka. In his NCAA debut here two years ago, Dix won the 100m and finished fourth in the 200 – behind Tyson Gay, Wallace Spearmon and Xavier Carter. In 2006, he was second in the 100, and won the 200 both indoors and out. This year he swept the NCAA indoor 60m and 200m, and has posted PBs of 10.05 and 19.69 outdoors. In the 100 here, Dix, who competes for Florida State University, should be challenged by Travis Padgett of Clemson University, who ran a windy early-season 10.05, and Trindon Holliday of Louisiana State, who has run 10.02 and 10.07 this spring. In the 200, Dix’s 19.69 is six metres ahead of the field – ‘nuf said.

To improve movement, each coach and/or athlete must have a firm understanding of the function of the kinetic chain and its relationship and interaction with ground reaction forces and momentum. Once this understanding is developed a logical progression can be implemented to correct and enhance movement skills.


Ground Reaction Forces


The foundation for all movement must reside in the knowledge that movement is completely dependant on the ability of the athlete to utilize and manipulate forces, most importantly the forces that interact with the ground (ground reaction forces GRF).

The ability to powerfully apply force to the ground is crucial to movement, but is only part of the equation. We must also be able to efficiently deal with the force the ground supplies back into the body, because in reality, these are the primary forces that propel and stop the body.

Thanks to Newton's laws of motion, we know that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. With respect to movement, this means that when we push against the ground with X pounds of force, the ground is going to push back with that same (X) amount of force (dependant upon the surface).

I call this the FIFO (force in = force out) response. When you further examine the FIFO response you will see that the harder you push into the ground the harder the ground is going to push back. This concept will become increasingly important later when we start to discuss acceleration and deceleration.

During movement we must not only be concerned with the magnitude or amount of force we produce, but also with the direction of application of the force vector. For the purposes of this article, a force vector will be defined as an imaginary line that defines the direction of application of a force. Understanding force vectors will allow us to visualize the forces that we apply and receive.

Note: When you push against the ground with your foot, you are creating a force vector dependant on the direction of push. In response, the ground is going to directly oppose that force vector with its own. It is important to visualize both vectors when we start to analyze the movement.

We must know how to appropriately direct forces to create clean movement. If we misdirect the force we apply to the ground, the resultant reaction will not efficiently help us create or deviate movement.

Although the foot is the point of contact with the ground, it does not determine the force vector created by the push. Rather, one must consider the segment of the leg from the knee down to the foot. It is this segment that will determine the direction of that vector.

One must also consider the center of gravity (COG). The relationship between the location of the COG and the angle of the GRF becomes very important during movement.

Once again we are reminded of Newton's laws of motion. Newton stated that a body will stay in a constant state of motion (or motionless) until it's acted upon by an outside force. Typically what we see (when the body is motion) is that when the force vector created by the GRF opposes the direction of travel of the COG we create a breaking or decelerating moment which disrupts the current state of movement.

This becomes apparent when an athlete tries to rapidly decelerate and they sound like a Clydesdale stomping. They are creating substantial breaking forces to rapidly decelerate their COG. These forces directly oppose the COGs direction of travel.

Likewise, when the force vector angles the same direction as the COG, we are producing propelling or accelerative forces. If you were to analyze a sprinter coming out of the blocks you would notice that they maintain a significant forward lean for 8-12 yards (some more some less).

This forward lean puts the lower shank of the leg at a close angle to the ground. This angle creates a force vector that angles the same direction as the direction of travel of the COG. This means that they are propelling, or pushing the COG forward.

If we examine jumping from a stand still we see that the GRF's are parallel to the COG and perpendicular to the ground. This creates lift or vertical displacement since you are pushing the COG up.

Tirunesh Dibaba, Liu Xiang and a lot of speed scheduled for New York – IAAF World Athletics Tour

New York, USA – The Reebok Grand Prix, just two years old, has already seen world leaders, area records, and in 2006, a World record, when Meseret Defar ran an unexpected 14:24.53 for the women’s 5000m. In its third year, the meet, held in Icahn Stadium on Randall's Island, will again look for stellar early-season performances this Saturday (2) from top athletes, this time as the part of the IAAF World Athletics Tour 2007 and one of only two Grand Prix status meetings in the USA.

Dibaba to attack 5000m mark

While Meseret Defar's world mark last year took even meet organizers by surprise - most of the reporters on hand were in the interview room with the 100m winners while the record was run - Tirunesh Dibaba's arrival at the same track, four months after she lowered her own indoor 5000m mark, can only suggest one thing.

Dibaba has indicated that she will attempt to defend her 5000m and 10,000m World Championship double in Osaka, and in the shorter race Defar is chief among her opposition. If conditions allow, as they did in 2006, Dibaba may try to take the outdoor record from Defar and add it to her own collection.

Liu Xiang challenged


World 110m record holder Liu Xiang, whose 13.14 in Osaka was the 2007 world leader for only a few hours, will face the two men who have run 13.12 in 2007, Anwar Moore and David Payne. Liu Xiang ran in New York in 2005 as the new Olympic champion, losing to veteran Allen Johnson. He returns as the outright World record holder, but Moore and Payne are joined by Terrence Trammell and Aries Merrit, making four high class hurdlers who would love to score a win over Liu.

The women's 100m Hurdles includes Virginia Powell, the second-fastest hurdler this year, and Lolo Jones, the third, as well as 2003 World Champion Perdita Felicien.

Sprint battles on the schedule


World records aside, one of the top spectator attractions for this meet will be the sprints. New York's Jamaican population turns out to see their stars, just as they do at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia in April, and they have four good races to look forward to on Saturday.

Times were relatively slow in 2006, as the sprinters complained about the cool conditions which favoured Defar's distance record. However, should the warmer conditions which prevailed in 2005 return, fans may get to see just how fast the Icahn Stadium track really is.

In the men's 200m, Jamaica's mercurial Usain Bolt will challenge Wallace Spearmon, who last year became the third quickest man in history (19.65). Spearmon won this duel last year, and with a 19.91 two weeks ago in Carson he has signalled that he is already in top form. Bolt, the World Junior record holder, is also currently in form clocking 19.96 in Port of Spain last Sunday.


The women's 100m features the five fastest women of 2007, with Torri Edwards (10.90), Veronica Campbell (10.91), Me'Lisa Barber (10.95), Carmelita Jeter (11.05) and Marshavet Hooker (11.06) all scheduled to start. All five marks were set in Carson two weeks ago, and the sixth-fastest woman to date, Jamaica's Kerron Stewart, is in the 200m.

Stewart and LaShaunte'a Moore of the USA lead the half-lap field with the third and fourth fastest times this year, respectively.

Also joining the women's 100m field is reigning World champion Lauryn Williams. Allyson Felix, the 2005 World champion and current world season leader at 200m, will be running the 400m in New York.


The men's 100m doesn't have the world's fastest man, but it does have Tyson Gay, whose wind-assisted 9.79 in Carson is the fastest clock-stopper this year, albeit not the fastest legal mark. Gay, the sixth fastest man all-time at 100m (9.84) and fourth= at the 200m (19.68) will be joined on the line by World Indoior 60m champion Leonard Scott and fellow American Marcus Brunson. Olympic 200m champion Shawn Crawford is stepping down from 200m to join the 100m field as well.

Millrose rematch in men's Mile

Two more big names in New York are multiple Olympic medallist Bernard Lagat and Australian ace Craig "Buster" Mottram, the World 5000m bronze medallist. Lagat and Mottram duelled to the final lap in the Wanamaker Mile at this year's Millrose Games, and they will race that distance again in New York. Mottram, who was recently outrun in the Healthy Kidney 10K across the East River in Central Park, has his eye on the 5000m title in Osaka, and knows he'll need a miler's speed to get it. Lagat, long a runner-up at 1500m, wants gold in the shorter race.



Mottram and Lagat will be joined by two young Americans who wouldn't mind taking Lagat's place on the stand, Alan Webb and Chris Lukezic, as well as China's leading miler, Ming Gu.

Vaulters and middle distances

Current world leader Jennifer Stuczynski headlines the women's Pole Vault, with former World record holder Stacy Dragila now the challenger. Rising Chinese star Shuying Gao, this year's fifth-highest vaulter, will also jump in New York.


The men's vault also has 2007's highest vaulter, with World Indoor champion Brad Walker taking on Jeff Hartwig, Toby Stevenson and Nick Hysong, among others.

The men's 800m features two top-ranked two-lappers in Khadevis Robinson and Alex Kipchirchir; Diane Cummins leads the women's event.

Asafa Powell World Record

Powell ready for 2007 debut - Takac Memorial Preview

The focus of the athletics world turns to Belgrade on Tuesday where 2006 World Athlete of the Year Asafa Powell will finally be making his eagerly-anticipated 2007 debut at the Artur Takac Memorial in the Serbian capital.

“I'm very excited because this is my first race but I can't tell you precisely what I would expect to run,” Powell said. “I guess everyone is eagerly waiting to see what Asafa Powell can give them. I'm aiming to see what I can offer them.”

Powell ‘planning’ a sub-10
Sidelined by tendonitis of the knee in April, the 100m World record holder was forced to postpone appearances at the Mt. Sac and Penn Relays in April, and the Jamaican International in Kingston earlier this month.
“I'm planning to go under 10 seconds, I don't know how fast, but I would love to do it - even 9.99 seconds will do.”


Last year Powell twice equalled the 9.77 World record he first set in Athens in 2005, produced a single season record 12 sub-10 second clockings, and won 16 straight finals before ending his season in somewhat undramatic fashion with a false start disqualification in Yokohama two weeks after winning the World Athletics Final.

“I was injured for a couple of weeks but I've now recovered from the tendonitis. My coach has a plan which I have to work with and that's why I am here.” His coach, Stephen Francis, wanted Powell to contest a 100m race prior to his upcoming appearance in the 200m at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on 10 June.

His primary challenge in the Serbian capital will likely come from a man who made the trip from Jamaica with him, notably Michael Frater, the 2005 World Championships silver medallist.

Also in the field is Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles, who took a dominating victory at the Penn Relays last month in 10.09 and more recently, the winner in Hengelo in 10.14.
Briton Jason Gardener will make his first start solo start since claiming his fourth European indoor 60m title in March, as will Slovenia’s Matic Osovnikar, last year’s surprise bronze medallist at the European Championships in Gothenburg.
100m debut for Simpson, comeback for Lalova


The women’s 100m features another anticipated debut, that of Sherone Simpson, last season’s top sprinter. The 22-year-old made a big splash in 2006, winning 12 of her 14 starts in 100, while producing the world’s quickest times of the year in both dashes with 10.82 and 22.00 career bests. The Jamaican will bring a nine-race unbeaten streak to Belgrade.
The race also features the comeback of Bulgarian Ivet Lalova, who will be making her first 100m start since breaking her leg in a freak accident during a warm-up in June 2005. Just prior to her injury, Lalova, who stunned the athletics world with her 10.77 performance in 2004, won the 100 in Ostrava in an impressive 11.03 in cold and rainy conditions at Ostrava’s Golden Spike.
Perrenial Bahamian speedster Chandra Sturrup is also in the field, along with Americans Stephanie Durst and Miki Barber.


Solid fields throughout the programme
Organisers of the meeting, this year celebrating its second edition, have pieced together solid fields to commemorate the life of Artur Takac, an Honorary IAAF Life Member, who played a pivotal role in the development of the sport in Europe and the world after World War II.
The men’s 400 field is lead by Angelo Taylor, the 2000 Olympic 400m Hurdles champion who has forged a strong comeback trail this spring. Unbeaten in six races thus far this season, he recently lowered his career best on the flat 400 to 44.35. 2004 Olympic silver medallist Otis Harris is also in the field, hoping to recapture some of the form that helped produce the U.S. podium sweep in Athens.


World leader Wilfred Bungei leads the 800, a few days after his defeat in Hengelo at the hands of Ugandan teenager Abraham Chepkirwok. William Yiampoy and Alfred Kirwa Yego, along with defending Belgrade champion Kevin Hicks round out a notable field. Kenyans look to dominate the 5000, with Shadrack Kosgei (13:01.12), Bernard Kiplagat (13:09.14) and Mark Kiptoo (13:10.45) leading the charge.

Americans Robby Hughes and Aubrey Herring lead the field in the110m Hurdles while four men with career bests of 2.32 or higher will compete in the High Jump: Russians Pavel Fomenko, Alexei Dmitrik and Vyacheslav Voronin, and Briton Germaine Mason.
The Shot Put features Ukraine’s Olympic Champion Yuriy Bilonog while the Javelin Throw field is topped by 2004 Olympic silver medallist.

On the women’s side of the programme, Slovenia’s Olympic bronze medallist Jolanda Ceplak, also the World indoor record holder, tops the field in the 800. Serbian Sonja Stolic will face strong opposition in the 1500m, where she’ll face Briton Helen Clitheroe, Kenyans Viloa Kibiwott and Irene Jelagat.
The 100m Hurdles could be a face-off between American Danielle Carruthers and Angela Whyte of Canada, while American Becky Breisch and Yelena Antonova lead the field in the Discus Throw.

Tribute to a sporting legend
Takac, who had a long and distinguished career with the IOC, IAAF and EAA, went missing at the end of January 2004 during a family ski holiday in Kopaonik, the highest mountain in central Serbia. Although 86, he had been an expert ski enthusiast all his life, but in bad weather conditions, after riding a ski lift to the 2000m summit of Kopaonik, failed to return.
His body was not found until June of the following year, and in July of 2005, he was given a VIP funeral in Belgrade attended by friends from several international and Serbian sporting organisations he had served with distinction.
Live internet broadcast

Sprint Training for the Developing Athlete

This article is designed for younger athletes who have done little training. It contains the main points of a long term approach.

It is initially much more important to improve balance, posture and stability of the trunk than it is to improve leg or arm strength.

Sprinters should develop overall fitness in a way that does not involve jogging. They should however be able to jog for a long distance without a problem. Overall fitness can be acquired through dance, medicine balls, skipping etc. A variety is best. Progressive circuit training is great.

Improving the ability to have the type of speed that comes with little effort is the goal. Athletes need to always practise relaxing when running. The is a skill that must be practised from a young age. Racing can often be a time of practising the bad habit of trying too hard especially in the very young. The ability to run fast and have it look easy is of the highest importance. The quality of an athlete that can have very fast steps is the first thing that needs to be developed from a young age.

Sprinters should not be instructed to run on their toes or to pump their arms high.
- It is better to develop a foot that is moving backward before impact and a foot carriage that is as close as possible to the shin (Dorsiflexion). - Arms should be held with relaxed fingers and the main focus of effort should be a backward stroke. They should also not move very far forward from the body.

Maximum speed is the most important quality to develop on a regular basis. This should be done with maximum speed experiences over short distances. Flying start 20-30m runs or standing start runs over 30-40-50 or 60m. The athlete should perform these runs at maximum relaxed speed in sets of 3 with rests between of 3-5min where they stay active and between sets they should do other balance or trunk activities for maybe 10-15min. A maximum amount may be 3 sets of 3 runs over 60m. A good amount to do regularly (ie. 2-3 times/week) would be 2 sets of 3 runs over 40-50m. The athlete should never do more once they are getting slower within the session. If the times over 60m are 8.30, 8.20, 8.25, 8.30, 8.60, 8.80, 9.00. Then they should have ended the session after the first obviosly slower run in the session and in the example that was the 8.60. Initially runners may be slowing after even the first run, but with training they may be able to 9 runs at the same speed.

The ability to develop the endurance to finish off a 100m or 200m race is best developed in races. Training at slower speeds to improve performance in these events is mostly of a little positive effect. Endurance is best developed while running at race speed If the athlete is really lacking in speed endurance at the end of these races they could do sessions like below:
- 2x3 x flying start 60m runs at high speed with rests of only 90s
- 4 x flying 100m very fast rests 3min

The 400m event needs special training at the slower 400m race speed. The ability to relax and use little energy is important at race pace.
Some sessions to improve performance in the 400m are:
- 10 x flying 100m at 400m race pace rests 3min
- 4 x 200m at 400m pace rests 5min
- 2 x 300 at 400m race pace rest 15min
- 400m athletes should also do more endurance training and can get by with more jogging especially in the off season. Maximum speed training is also of high importance.

It is important to have good foot function and for this reason it is useful for athletes to spend as much time as possible barefoot. Walking on sand is very good. Training should be conducted in very light simple shoes. Racing flats from the Runners Shop are much better than joggers for training in.

In cold weather athletes must warm-up carefully and keep warm. Tights are great for training in as they maintain warmth during the frequent recoveries.

Training to improve muscle elasticity is very useful in all athletes. Games like fly, hop-scotch, skipping short distances, leap frog and playful hopping and bouncing around are all great stimulation to the elastic qualities of muscle. Combining sensible amounts of these activities with balance challenging activites and relaxed movement practise would be ideal especially for very young athletes.

Any strength training should be restricted to the trunk until the athlete has optimal development of their posture and good levels of stability. Strength training is much more effective after this is developed anyway.

Young athletes lose flexibility as they grow and their bodies will naturally try to cheat to find ways to move to make up for the deficiency. Small amounts of perfect practise are better at decreasing the development of bad habits. Large amounts of high effort training during stages of decreased flexibillity and poor posture will result in the athlete learning a bad running style that will be more difficult to correct. Athletes need to have a smart stretching program designed persoannly for them during periods after faster growth. They need to be taught good posture and given feedback on what is good and bad posture when sitting, standing, walking and running.

Tae Bo Cardio

Model Fitness: Exercise band workout with Kim Strother

Top 10 Speed Training Myths

1. Static stretching prepares you to compete/practice. Static stretching actually reduces power output. Athletes should prepare for practice by doing a dynamic warm up that moves from basic, low intensity movements to faster, more explosive movements as the muscles loosen up. You want to simulate movements that athletes will go through in practice or a game. What happens when you try and stretch a cold rubber band? In a way, you can think about your muscles the same way.

2. Strength training makes females too bulky. This is a popular mindset with many female athletes that we have worked with. Simply look at some elite female athletes like Mia Hamm, Lisa Leslie, etc. These athletes certainly train with weights and no one would accuse them of having manly physiques. Strength training will improve performance and reduce injury if done correctly.

3. You can’t train speed. For some reason it is a popular belief that you are born with a certain amount of ‘speed’ and you can’t improve it. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most young athletes are so physically weak and mechanically out of tune that significant improvements in speed can be made often just by working on technique and form. Athletes at any age and any level can improve speed when implementing a complete speed training program designed to improve and develop the entire athlete.

4. Training slow makes you fast. I don’t think coaches directly think this way, but their training implies otherwise. This is especially true in sports that involve a higher aerobic element such as soccer, field hockey, lacrosse, etc. I see kids out running mileage and doing long slow intervals of several minutes of continuous running. And this will get them in shape. But in games I see kids jogging, jogging and then sprinting at full speed for 20-30 yards, run, jog, sprint for 20-30 yards. If you want kids to improve their acceleration and top speed so they can get to the ball faster or get back on defense, then you have to train by running at full speed in practice.

5. You can train hard every day. The workout itself is only a piece of the training puzzle. It is the time between intense workouts, the recovery, where athletes make their improvements. And generally it takes 36-48 hours to recover from high intensity training. If athletes are doing too much, too often they become over trained. Coaches can expect to see an increase in injuries, kids complaining that they are sore more often, decreased performance, higher levels of fatigue earlier in games. It’s always better to under train an athlete than over train. Err on the side of caution to get maximal results.

6. Strength training will stunt a young athlete’s growth. This is another myth held over from a different time. On a daily basis, kids as young as 7 years old are playing organized sports year round, tackling, getting tackled, sliding, falling etc.. These loads on the body can have a much greater physical impact than a well designed strength training program. Though we don’t usually begin training with weights with pre pubescent athletes, they can benefit from body weight exercises such as push ups, lunges, sit ups, etc. This will increase muscular efficiency, speed up recovery, improve coordination and overall speed.

7. The harder the workout, the better the result. Some athletes (and coaches) have this mentality that if a workout doesn’t reduce them to complete exhaustion and/or make them vomit, that it wasn’t an effective workout. I can tell you that those who have this mentality probably see a lot of injuries and frustrating performances. The purpose of a workout is to stimulate an adaptation by the body. If the body is forced to do too much work in a given time period, it will break down. The skill in coaching is to stimulate the adaptation in the body, without reaching a point of diminishing returns.

8. Interval training is the same as speed training. Running repeat 100s, 200s, etc will not improve top speeds. Even running repeat 40s with short recovery will not improve acceleration and top speeds. Speed work is defined at 2-8 seconds of maximal intensity running with full recovery. That means at least 2 minutes of light dynamic movement between each effort. This goes against the experience of some coaches, but simply put, is the only way to improve speed. An athlete must be able to focus on proper form and maintain intensity in order to get faster. If they do not recover properly from each interval, they will not be able to replicate proper mechanics with consistency and they can not improve.

9. Flexibility won’t help you get faster. Both coaches and athletes spend so much time on the skills of their sport, speed training and conditioning that they often forget a fundamental component of success: flexibility. After practice or a game, the muscles are warm and loose. Now is the time to work on increasing flexibility. So many athletes suffer injuries or compete below their capacity because poor flexibility inhibits their range of motion and speed. We see this often in the hips and hip flexors where athletes’ stride length appears conspicuously short. Most often we see this in male athletes who will lift weights, train hard and then skip out on their cool down and flexibility work.

10. Lift your knees. I hear so many parents and coaches yelling to their kids when they want them to run faster or when they are beginning to fatigue, “Lift your knees, Get your knees up”. This is one of the most backwards cues we can give to athletes. The way to run faster is to apply more force to the ground. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so the more force you apply to the ground, the more the ground will give back. So when we cue athletes to lift their knees we’re doing two things incorrectly.

One, we’re telling them to use their hip flexors to lift instead of their glutes and hamstrings to drive down. Just think about the size of your hip flexor versus the size of the glutes and hamstrings. Now which muscles do you think can create more force and therefore more speed?

Second, we’re cueing them to do learn a movement that is in opposition to what generates speed. If an athlete learns at age 7, to lift their knees when they need a burst of speed, that improper cue will be hardwired into their brain. To unlearn that as a teen and try to do the opposite and drive down, that athlete will have a difficult time coordinating an entirely new way of running and will potentially have to take a step or two backwards. That’s why it is critical to learn proper form early and get an advantage over those who still aren’t getting the best instruction. So cue athletes to step over the opposite knee and drive the foot down into the ground, with the foot landing underneath the hip.

Speed Training: Arm Action

The arms play a significant, yet overlooked, role in sprinting and speed development. Without specifically and regularly addressing proper arm mechanics within your speed training program, full speed potential will not be realized. Today we will address this issue so that we can continue to make improvements on the athletic field.

The role of the arms is to stabilize the torso so that power can continue to be efficiently transferred through the hips. It is this ability to transfer power effectively through the center of mass that not only improves rate of acceleration, but also facilitates reaching maximum velocity, maintaining those top speeds and reducing the rate of deceleration.

So, as you can see, the arms both directly and indirectly influence the ability to run fast.

Now let's get into the specifics of improving our arm action.

When running, it's very important to keep your hands relaxed. Think about holding a potato chip in each hand. No matter how hard you run, no matter how tired you get, you can't clench your hands so that the potato chip breaks. This is a good way of thinking about howloose your hands should be at all times when running. When you start to clench your fists tightly, that tightness spreads like through your forearms, biceps, shoulders, neck and face. Once you tighten up and lose range of motion in your arms, it reduces stride length, which is difficult to get back without burning a lot of energy.

While sprinting, it is important to get a full range of motion with the arms. Remember, speed is a product of stride length and stride frequency. Stride length and frequency are determined, in part, by the motion of the arms. If you are lazy or passive with your arm action, you are limiting your potential for speed.

Your front arm angle should be between 60-90 degrees at the elbow and your back arm should be between 90-120 degrees, also at the elbow. If your arm angles fall outside of this range, your running mechanics will be negatively affected. In short, you'll run slower and get tired faster. When running, arm swing should be initiated at and through the shoulders. You should think of your elbow as being locked in place.

Elbow angle should only change slightly, as a result of elastic response. Range of motion with the arms should generally be hip to cheek. That is, the hand clears the hip in the back and comes up to about cheek height in front. Much more than that, in either direction, will result in over striding which, as mentioned before, will cause breaking and can lead to strains, pulls and tears in the muscle. When running, emphasis should be placed on driving the elbows down and back.

When runners fire their arms straight back, without first driving them down, it often leads to bunched up shoulders, which causes tightness and limits range of motion. It is important to focus on driving the arms back as they are recovered elastically by the stretch of muscles in the shoulder. So, don't drive your arms up and forward because stretch reflex is going to bring them forward anyway.

Another aspect of arm action is to avoid lateral deviation beyond the saggital plane. What this means is that your arms, when they are brought in front of you, should never cross the midline of your body. Your right arm should stay on the right half of your body and your left arm should stay on the left side.

When you move your arms laterally, across the midline of your body, you rotate your hips which basically burns much needed energy and makes you run slower and get tired faster, all for no reason other than laziness and lack of concentration. Remember, you compete like you practice, so if you don't correct technical issues in practice, you can't expect them to be fixed in competition. Sample exercise This drill can be practiced either in a group setting, or alone be standing in front of mirror.

Stand with the feet between hip and shoulder width apart. Bring your weight forward onto the balls of the feet. You should be far enough forward that your heels are slightly off the ground, but not so far forward that your toes curl to maintain balance. It is this slight, 2- 4 degree lean, that is ideal for simulating sprinting.

Start with one arm forward, 90 degrees at the elbow and one arm back, also 90 degrees at the elbow. Perform this drill following the guidelines presented in this article.

Arm action at 50% intensity 2 sets of 30 seconds 15 second rest between sets

Arm action at 80% intensity 2 sets of 20 seconds 20 seconds rest between sets

Arm action at 100% intensity 4-5 sets of 10 seconds 25-30 seconds rest between sets

Heart Disease

What is a heart disease

Heart is the most significant organ of the body. It controls and regulates the entire body. An individual can survive the loss of other organs of body but not of a heart. The moment heart ceases pumping blood to the body, it results in a heart stroke and there are chances that the person may die.

But people are often negligent in taking care of this undeniably crucial organ of their body. This is made evident by the studies that reveal the escalating deaths due to cardiac arrests every year. It is not just the elderly who are gripped by cardiac seizures due to their age, which implicates a declining health but also young children, and even infants who are inflicted by heart ailments.

The most deadly disease in the United States today is heart disease. This sometimes silent killer will eventually cause two out of every five Americans to die. The symptoms of heart disease can vary, as can their severity. However, it is important to catch this disease in its early stages if treatment is to be successful.

Although the rate of death due to heart disease is high, it has been decreasing slowly since the 1960s. One study estimates that the rate has decreased by about 40 percent since 1960. This is good news for the thousands of Americans heart disease affects each year. Although these are still startling statistics, improvements in medical care and developments in technology are slowly reducing the toll that heart disease takes.

Heart disease is a blanket term for the different types of illnesses that can affect the heart Below is a sampling of the different types of disease one may suffer when diagnosed with heart disease:

Coronary Artery Disease is one of the most prevalent types of heart disease. Coronary artery disease results from blockages in blood flow to the coronary arteries, which are the main sources of oxygen to the heart muscle. This can also result from a hardening of the arteries, which is also called atherosclerosis. Coronary artery disease can lead to episodes of angina, heart attack, or even death.

Heart Failure can be the result of coronary artery disease. However, it can also result from a number of other factors including high blood pressure and various other diseases. Heart failure simply means that the heart does not work as well in pumping out vital blood to other parts of the body.

Pericardial Disease is a disease of the pericardium, which is the sac that surrounds the heart. This can be caused by a viral infection, other disease, or may result as a complication after heart surgery.

Congenital Heart Disease is a disease resulting from the malformation of the heart during prenatal development and can result in a number of serious complications.

There are a number of other diseases that can affect the heart. Because heart disease impacts so many Americans, it is useful to be aware of all of them.

Hip Hop Abs Fitness, Nutrition, Diet, Weight Loss

Denise Austin- The Best Fitness Camel Toe

Quit smoking

Method of Smoking

Cigarette

A cigarette is a tobacco product manufactured out of cured and finely cut tobacco leaves, which are rolled or stuffed into a paper-wrapped cylinder (generally less than 120 mm in length and 10 mm in diameter). The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder for the purpose of inhalation of its smoke from the other (usually filtered) end, which is inserted in the mouth. They are sometimes smoked with a cigarette holder. (See also Bidi).

Cigar
A cigar is a tightly rolled bundle of dried and fermented tobacco, one end of which is ignited so that its smoke may be drawn into the smoker's mouth through the other end.

The word cigar is from the Spanish word cigarro, which the Oxford English Dictionary suggests is a variation on cigarra, Spanish for "cicada," due to its shape, especially that of what is now called the perfecto. Other sources have indicated that it may be derived from the Mayan word sikar, "tobacco.

Cigar tobacco is grown in significant quantities in such nations as Brazil, Cameroon, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Indonesia, Mexico, Nicaragua and the United States of America. Cigars manufactured in Cuba have historically been considered to be without peer, although many experts believe that the best offerings from Honduras and Nicaragua rival those from Cuba. The Cuban reputation arises from both the unique characteristics of the Vuelta Abajo region in the Pinar del Río Province at the west of the island, where a microclimate allows for high-quality tobacco to be grown, and the skill of the Cuban cigar makers.

Smoking pipe

A smoking pipe is a device used for smoking combustible substances such as tobacco or cannabis. The smoking pipe typically consists of a small chamber (the bowl) for the combustion of the substance to be smoked and a thin stem (shank) that ends in a mouthpiece (also called a bit).

Pipes are made from a variety of materials, the most common being (in order of use[citation needed]): briar, corncob, meerschaum, African block meerschaum, clay, cherry, wood, glass, gourd, bamboo (as in the Japanese Kiseru), and various other materials, such as morta and metal. Many pipes are carved with a great deal of artistry

Tobaccos used for smoing pipes are often treated and blended to achieve flavour nuances not available in other tobacco products. Many of these are blends using staple ingredients of variously cured Burley and Virginia tobaccos which are enhanced by spice tobaccos, among them many Oriental or Balkan varietals, Latakia (a fire-cured spice tobacco of Cypriot or Syrian origin), Perique (uniquely grown in St. James Parish, Louisiana) or blends of Virginia and Burley tobaccos of African, Indian, or South American origins. Traditionally, many U.S. blends are made of American Burley with sweeteners and flavorings added to create an "aromatic" flavor, whereas "English" blends are based on natural Virginia tobaccos enhanced with Oriental and other natural tobaccos. There is a growing tendency towards "natural" tobaccos which derive their aromas from artful blending with selected spice tobaccos only and careful, often historically-based, curing processes.

Pipes can range from the very simple machine-made briar pipe to highly-prized handmade and artful implements created by renowned pipemakers which can be very expensive collector's items.

Many find that the enjoyment of smoking pipe tobacco is greatly increased by the wearing of specific, and preferably matching, smoking attire (see slippers, dressing gowns, smoking cap and smoking jacket.

Hookah

A hookah is a traditional Middle Eastern or South Asian device for smoking, which operates by water-filtration and indirect heat. It can be used for smoking many substances, such as tobacco, and herbal fruits. Hookah smoking is most popular in the Middle East, but is currently gaining popularity in other parts of the wor.

Hookah smoking is considered to be safer than other forms of smoking due to water-filtration. However, the water does not filter out many of the toxins, and several negative health effects were still linked to hookah smoking. One study found Hookah smoke to be both clastogenic and genotoxic for human beings. Another study showed that the CO hazard is as high with hookah smoking as with cigarette smoking. In addition to the cancer risk, there is some risk of infectious disease resulting from pipe sharing, and other harm caused by any addition of alcohol or psychoactive drugs to the tobacco.

Anti Aging Diet

Anti Aging Diet - The Quest for the Elixir of Youth

For ages man has been trying to defy Father Time and Mother Nature. Eternal youth is a myth but you can definitely defy old age with anti aging diet. And contrary to popular myth, anti aging diet does not translate into starving yourself.

A strict adherence to any anti aging diet not only delays aging, but also prevents a large number of diseases and the ensuing stress and fatality. Such a diet plan is guaranteed to make you look younger and stay healthy too.

Anti aging diet is actually a form of calorie restriction. However, it is fundamentally different from the numerous fad diets that are featured in the newspaper daily. In this diet program, you eat less overall and keep a tab on the amount of fats and carbohydrates you are consuming.

How you keep a check on the calories is up to your convenience. You can skip your lunch, or gorge on all kinds of foods for a few days and then go hungry the other days of the week or you can limit your food intake on all days of the week.

The anti aging diet plan maintains a fine line between consuming less and being starved. That means you do not compromise on the essential nutrients by having more of anti aging food like fruits, vegetables and fishes.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, except avocadoes, coconuts and olives, are storehouses of essential vitamins and minerals. They are low on calories and devoid of fat, cholesterol and sodium, the culprits behind coronary diseases, diabetes and hypertension

The anti aging diet program also emphasizes the intake of fruits and vegetables for they contain antioxidants in large measures. Antioxidants induce longevity by countering free oxygen radicals, which erode cell membranes and life-nourishing proteins. Antioxidants also stem the neural degeneration that comes with senility. It is no wonder that the National Cancer Institute recommends a daily anti aging diet of five fruit-and-vegetable portions. But the more, the merrier.

You cannot banish fat entirely from your diet but the anti aging diet plan counsels that fish be the source of this fat. The omega-3 fatty acids contained therein, inhibit the growth of cancerous cells, stimulate the immune system, reduce the chances of cardiac arrest and ward off depression.

Anti aging diet has caught on like nothing else and people are already swooning over the Jennifer Anniston endorsed Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet. Both are essentially low carbohydrate diets.

While the Atkins Diet is formulated on the principle that when you are running low on carbs, the body is left with no other choice but to burn the fat, the South Beach Diet recommends complex carbs, which take time to break down so that you have less sugar cravings.

The hype surrounding anti aging diet seems justified for nothing less than your health is at stake.

Nutrition & supplement

Good nutrition is critical to a healthy lifestyle, yet there is so much information out there, most people do not have a clear understanding as to what they should and should not be eating. This article will simplify things. First off, no more will you eat three big meals during the course of the day. To optimize your metabolism and your digestive system, break the day down with five to six small and nutritious meals. We will cover what these meals should be in a second. When you clog your system with three big meals, your metabolism slows down and your digestive system cannot handle all the food. As a result, you end up with partially-digested food and, for most people, a tired and fatigued feeling.

You want to make sure you eat within one hour of waking up. In other words, do not skip breakfast! If you take away just one thing from this article, let it be that you should eat a big and nutritious meal within one hour of waking up. Furthermore, do not eat within two hours of going to bed. The last thing you want is food sitting in your stomach when your metabolism is at its slowest. Most people know which foods they should stay away from. The obvious ones include desserts, high-fat meals, candy, fast food and fried food.
In fact, most people will feel a big difference simply by staying away from these kinds of foods.

The not-so-obvious ones include:

1. Pasta (with the exception being wheat pasta)

2. Fat-free foods (because they are filled with sugar and chemicals)

3. Most frozen meals (because of all the preservatives)

4 Processed meats like fake cold cuts (because of all the preservatives and chemicals)

5. Soda and juices (because of the sugar)

6. Creamy meals (because of the fat)

Furthermore, start getting in the habit of reading the ingredients of the food you buy. If sugar is one of the first three ingredients listed, do not buy it. And if you see hydrogenated oils listed anywhere in the list of ingredients, stay far away. These kinds of fats, called Trans fats, wreck havoc on your body.

As far as what to eat, buying anything at the grocery from the following list is a straight path to better health. These foods include:

1. Fruits like bananas, berries and apples

2. Whole grains including bread and pasta

3. Oatmeal (not the microwave, sugar mix)

4. Low-fat dairy including milk and yogurt

5. Chicken, turkey and fish

6. Vegetables like spinach, squash and tomatoes

7. Olive oil and fresh garlic

8. Eggs

9. Natural peanut butter (the regular kind contains hydrogenated oils)

10. Beans and legumes

11. Almonds and other nuts 12. Water

Simply focus on staying away from the foods you should not eat and buy more of the foods listed above. You will find that the longer you make an effort to do this, the more will power you will slowly develop. Obviously sometimes you are going to slip, but this is not about perfection. Make a conscious effort to improve your eating habits and you will notice a huge difference in how you look and feel. After all, you are what you eat.