Summary

The Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles were in the middle of a long 11th inning baseball game when Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini came up to bat. Mancini hit a potential home run at the bottom of the 11th inning that would’ve ended the game, but Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. jumped the outfield wall and caught the ball. The Red Sox scored a run the next inning and ended up winning the game. Key Takeaways: Jackie Bradley’s arm is already a celebrity in it’s own right, being the reason Bradley got a Golden Glove award on… read more

No matter what sport you are playing, there is always a specific area of your body that could benefit from a certain type of workout. In this instance we put our focus on soccer players and why they should be focused on their hip flexibility and condition. Stack outlines how flexion, extension, abduction and adduction functions to ensure the body remains in an optimal state. They also provide several guided exercise videos to get you started with great examples. Key Takeaways: Many signature soccer moves, such as breaking ankles during sharp opponent-directed turns, owe much to the strength of the… read more

Do you ever find yourself thinking your workouts just aren’t as productive as they could be? Are you failing to see the type of results you desire? This article explains why what you may be doing incorrectly in your routine. It touches on topics from muscle group utilization to certain exercises that don’t target your entire body and provides an educational guide, with picture, on what your body actually does when it is running and how you can improve. Key Takeaways: Only half of an athletes muscles are properly trained and this leads to them failing to increase their speed…. read more

Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to say to your football coach, or maybe to one of your friends who happens to be a coach? In a new article by AthleticQuickness.com, one writer calls out coaches everywhere, suggesting that they may be their own personal problem. Coaching is difficult enough but when you’re providing incorrect ways in which to do those actions, you may be hindering your player’s performance. The remainder of this article focuses on providing education to coaches about running techniques and how to provide better training overall. Key Takeaways: The key to running a faster 40 lies… read more

Participating in various two-ball drills is a great way to improve coordination and overall skill development for when you’re out on the court. A great example of one of these two-ball dribbling drills is the Windshield Wiper. The Windshield Wiper is a drill in which you dribble each ball simultaneously in a wiper-like motion. Another is the Circle drill in which you dribble the balls through your legs or in a reverse motion, whichever you feel is more advantageous to your personal skill set. Key Takeaways: Although two-ball dribbling can seem to be a flashy and pointless exercise, it actually… read more

Freelap USA talked to biomechanics expert Lance Brooks about the physics of sprinting. Brooks is a specialist with extensive knowledge of the physiological and mechanical principles that determine athletic performance. Brooks notes that sprinters want to achieve as much horizontal displacement with as little vertical displacement as possible. This means less time in contact with the ground, which in turn requires more vertical force to support the runner’s body weight. Consequently, as speed increases, the range of motion of the legs must expand so as to generate the stronger ground impact needed to create the necessary vertical force. Key Takeaways:… read more

Given that coaches may find themselves with limited space, they can still do drills such as the Pro Agility drill to increase speed in athletes. The Pro Agility drill involves setting out three cones a distance of five yards apart. The athlete should begin in the middle and sprint to the right, then all the way to the left, and finally back to the center. This drill can be made more difficult by changing footwork patterns. Use of squat jumps and hops are good as are medicine ball throws and tosses. Athletes can try power lifting as well in their… read more

Training for speed is not the same as training for endurance. The muscles of the human body exist as one of two fibers: fast twitch and slow twitch. The former excel at activating rapidly and the latter are best at resisting heavy loads over time. Both have their strengths, but one cannot replace the other. To get faster at any sport, use an resistance band to isometrically exercise the hip flexor; the primary muscle responsible for lifting the leg. Key Takeaways: It is known that for speed, faster muscles are preferred over stronger muscles, but it is not well understood… read more

If you are an athlete, speed is one of the most important attributes you can bring to the game. With the right speed and power, you can do so much more in the sport than ever before. And believe it or not, there are tons of fun, simple exercises that you can do that will help improve your speed. Lunges, side rows, and the other four exercises listed here can help you so add them to your routine! Key Takeaways: According to author and coach Lee Taft, there are 6 exercises that can help to significantly increase athletic speed. In… read more

When you spot the fastest person on a sprinting team, you are specifically looking at someone who is referred to as a fast-twitch athlete. Athletes that have the ability to perform at speedy levels may often be experiencing a phenomena that includes their body outperforming the limits of their actual muscles and nervous system. Other experts suggest that their ability to exceed normal limits is due to a neurological system that is highly advanced, giving them the ability to dismiss common discomforts experienced while performing. Key Takeaways: The author says that he has been in a fortunate position to be… read more

Keeping workouts interesting and productive for young athletes involves a mix of variety in exercises and staples. If you do brand new exercises every time you step into the gym, progress will be nonexistent. However, if you do the exact same workout it will soon become stale. One way to keep interest is to vary the set quantity and variety of exercise. For example, a bodyweight squat could progress to a kettlebell squat and then to a barbell squat. The set count changes with the season. Key Takeaways: For peak performance at the right time, vary your implements, sets, and… read more

Jamie Smith is an exercise expert. He was an athlete himself and has a degree in Sports Medicine and a concentration in Exercise Physiology. He now is an expert trainer for other athletes. His training focuses on the correct blend of predictable versus unpredictable training. One way to get that unpredictable training is to add in a “chaotic” movement at the end of a workout. One example of this is his 3-D plyometrics. He is also a strong believer in isometrics as a tool to increase an athlete’s force. Key Takeaways: Jamie Smith is the founder and head sport preparation… read more

Coaching kids can be difficult, and frequently the onus must be in the adults to communicate more effectively. While it is true that kids can be unfocused, poorly disciplined and uncoordinated, and that some just wont listen, many of these problems can be reduced through good communication by coaches and parents. Make sure you explain what different instructions mean beforehand so your kid doesn’t need to figure them out on the fly during a real match. Identifying obstacles correctly or taking a pause to explain things better can also pay off. Key Takeaways: As a coach, it comes down to… read more

As an athlete, no matter what your game is, you want to get better and better at it. To achieve this worthwhile goal, you need to aim for two diverse goals strength and speed. Unfortunately, many athletes labor under the misapprehension that strength training will somehow by osmosis lead to better speed. This is a fallacy, which dooms its adherents to failure in the speed department. There is a justifiable reason for this. Muscle fibers are of two variants. One type is designed to work against heavy resistance. This fiber type increases strength. The other fiber type contracts, creating speed…. read more

Barbell squatting may not be for everyone, but it plays a role in lower body strength.Squatting has a place with dumbbells and should continue to be used, even if you are considering newer exercise options. If dumbbell squatting does not work for you, remove it from your plan, or be sure that you aren’t lifting weights that are too heavy just to showboat. The typical load should be twice the body weight, but depending on the athlete and injuries, weights can cause stress, so be careful in selecting the weights. Key Takeaways: Many athletes do not like to squat but… read more