Athletic Development
- Strength
- Energy System
- Multi-Directional Speed
When we look at these three areas of athletic development; strength, energy system, and multi-directional speed we must understand that the first two easily follow a progressive overload method. It is about continually putting stress on the systems to increase results. We can’t blindly say this about multi-directional speed. We don’t achieve the best results always by increasing the demands.
Multi-Directional Speed
Multi-directional speed is the beneficiary of strength and energy system training. Multi-directional speed is about improved motor programs, purity of a pattern, and body control. In most cases, adding a load or performing tons more repetitions doesn’t make an athletes multi-directional speed better. Actually, in many cases it makes an athlete’s speed and movement worse. Multi-directional speed improves as athletes become stronger and have better conditioning. Multi-directional speed improves when the skill to move a certain way gets better.
I mention this because there is this idea that we have to do so much to improve multi-directional speed. In reality, we simply have to expose the athletes to reactive situations that allow natural movements to occur. We then can clean up the poor patterns and make the athlete’s ability to move better. Once the athlete understands how to move better, we simply need to keep helping them become stronger, stay in great shape, and continue to keep the movement skills pure.
To help an athlete clean up the poor movement patterns and increase the ability to more faster and more efficient, you must first have a clear understanding of multi-directional speed concepts and methods. My Ground Breaking 2 six video set teaches you how to be a guru of multi-directional speed. Find out more about Ground Breaking 2 by clicking here.