Physical Skills #9 and #10: Speed and Accuracy
Breaking through plateaus in your sport
This week brings us to the last 2 of the 10 General Physical Skills we have developed over the past several weeks. Speed is the ability to minimize the time cycles of a repetitive movement, and Accuracy is the ability to control movement in a given direction at a given intensity. Taken together, after building the foundational skills from the prior weeks, further developing these two remaining skills helps us improve performance in our sport and break through plateaus.
Tennis is a great example of how these two skills complement each other. Accuracy in tennis comes with practice. By developing speed - the ability to minimize the time cycles of a repetitive movement - one may be able to get the ball and better position oneself for an accurate shot.
This week’s workout is one of my favorite ways to train speed in running and rowing. A stationary bike can also be substituted - simply double the distances. We use an interval “pyramid” of increasing then decreasing ratios of work to rest. To learn more about speed training and for other speed training workouts, check out this article from the International Sports Science Association (ISSA), Exercises to Improve Speed: Training That Benefits Everyone.
Warm Up and Stretch
HINSHAW RUNNING WARM-UP (Will also work well if you are rowing)
Warming up before a speed session is critical to performing at your best and preventing injury. This warm-up is my “go-to” before long runs and speed segments and only takes 5-7 minutes.
Chris Hinshaw is a professional triathlete, endurance coach, and instructor for the CrossFit Aerobic Capacity course. His warm-up was modified by my friends at Train FTW to be done anywhere in a short period of time.
Take 5 minutes to briskly walk, jog, bike, or row at an easy pace.
Perform the Modified Hinshaw Warm-Up by Train FTW
* If you are rowing, start with 20 hip-bridges before the warm-up below and end with 10 weighted good-mornings (If you do not have a weighted bar, hold a dumbbell or plate to your chest).
Workout
Depending on your fitness and skill level with the bike, run, or the row, adjust the distances and rest accordingly. If you are an intermediate or more advanced athlete, try doubling these distances and/or reducing the rest time between rounds.
RUNNING OR ROWING
100m run (RPE 8)
30 sec rest
200m run (RPE 8)
30 sec rest
300m run (RPE 7)
1 min rest
400m run (RPE 6-7)
1 min rest
300m run (RPE 7)
1 min rest
200m run (RPE 8)
30 sec rest
100m run (RPE 8)
Your score is the total time to complete the sequence, with the goal of striving to improve your score in subsequent training sessions.
Cool Down
Cooling down properly is as critical as warming up to jump-start your recovery and to keep you safe from injury. Enjoy this 10-minute Post-Workout Deep Stretch session to cool you down and then treat yourself with a cold plunge, massage, or sauna… and don’t forget to fuel!!!
Housekeeping…..
This just dropped this week….
Catch my recent guest appearance on Hit Play Not Pause with my friend, Selene Yeager, where we talk about something that often gets missed in your discussions with your provider about hormone therapy - Side Effects! While we justifiably pay attention to potential risks like breast cancer and blood clots, we often forget to discuss the basics of what to expect when you start taking this medication.
NOW TAKING NEW CLIENTS!
If you are an active woman or competitive midlife athlete who feels abandoned by mainstream medicine, I’m here for you!
It is with great excitement that after more than 2 years of preparation, I have FINALLY launched my Telehealth Consultation Medical practice focusing on the Reproductive Endocrine needs and Menopausal Care for active, athletic, and high-performing women.
Active and athletic midlife women have needs and risk profiles that are different from the general population. These needs often go unmet by the mainstream medical community due to a lack of understanding of fitness and sport and their impact on mid-life hormonal physiology or even a lack of acknowledgment that this dynamic exists. We put your health, fitness, and performance at the center of the equation so that you can achieve your healthiest, highest-performing self!
You will find all my service offerings on my website including a link to my calendar so that you can reserve your place in my schedule!