Why Every Athlete Needs Strength Training

Strength training is a very important aspect of an athletes training program and track and field athletics is no different. In this era where science and technology rules supreme, a lot of research has been done to enhance the athlete's efficiency and enable him utilize as much energy as possible to achieve maximum output

What is strength?

The common definition is "the ability to exert a force against a resistance".

So what is strength training anyway?

Strength training, also known as resistance training, is a type of physical exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistant force with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, endurance and size of skeletal muscle. This external force can be your own weight, dumbbells, medicine balls, bottles of water, bricks, resistance bands, or any other object that can cause the muscles to contract.

The beauty of strength training is that, there are so many ways in which you can perform it whether at home or the gym, so anybody can do it. Calisthenics for example are exercises performed without the use of weights and using your own body weight conveniently for squats, push-ups and chin-ups is a typical example. You can  also use Weight Machines - devices that have adjustable seats with handles attached either to weights or hydraulics. These machines allow you to choose the weight you want by adding or removing plates, but your your movements will be dictated by the machines you use. Unlike weight machines, Free Weights like classic strength training tools such as dumbbells and barbells make it possible for you to determine and control the position of your body when performing exercises. 

What does it entail?

Basically, strength training involves a manipulation of the number of repetitions (reps), sets, tempo, exercises and force to cause desired changes in strength, endurance or size by overloading a group of muscles. It consists of various components, parameters or principles that will guide you and give a better understanding of the exercise in general. These include:

Weight – different weights or other types of resistance, for example a 3 kg hand weight or fixed weight, body weight or rubber band will be used for different exercises during your strength training session.

Exercise – a particular movement, is designed to strengthen a particular muscle or group of muscles. For example a calf raise.

Repetitions or ‘reps’ – refer to the number of times you continuously repeat each exercise in a set.

Set – is a group of repetitions performed without resting, for example, two sets of squats by 15 reps would mean you do 15 squats then rest muscles before doing another 15 squats.

Form – each exercise has a specific form, a topography of movement designed to maximize safety and muscle strength gains

Rest – you need to rest between sets. Rest periods vary depending on the intensity of exercise being undertaken.

Variety – switching around your workout routine, such as regularly introducing new exercises, challenges your muscles and forces them to adapt and strengthen.

Progressive overload principle – to continue to gain benefits, strength training activities need to be done to the point where it’s hard for you to do another repetition. The aim is to use an appropriate weight or resistant force that will challenge you, while maintaining good technique. Also, regular adjustments to the training variables such as frequency, duration, exercises for each muscle group, number of exercises for each muscle group, sets and repetitions, help to make sure you progress and improve.

Recovery – muscle needs time to repair and adapt after a workout. A good rule of thumb is to rest the muscle group for at up to 48 hours before working the same muscle group again.

Why strength training?

Strength training is a sure way of Injury Prevention. Athletes who strength train tend to have fewer injuries. This is because strength training strengthens the muscle attachments and increases density of bones at the sites of muscle origins and insertions. And if an injury does occur to an athlete who has been strength training properly, it will probably not be as serious and will tend to heal faster.

Another advantage of strength training is that, you develop more Explosive Power. Exercises that target the lower body strength will enable you improve the rate of force production resulting in the generation of more force when you kick off the ground. Combined with good technique, you'd be a force to reckon with!

You build up Muscle mass and lose fat. The more you run, the more you breaking down muscle fibers. Strength training strengthens muscles, tendons and bones, increasing lean muscle and decreasing body fat which allows the body to burn more calories, making you lighter, faster and very easy to maintain your weight.

Strength training will also make you Faster. Whether you are a sprinter, middle distance or long distance runner, you will find your pace increasing when you  strength train regularly and properly. It will strengthen your legs and enable your body to efficiently utilize as much energy and oxygen as possible.

Technique suffers when an athlete is lacking in strength and conditioning because the athlete physically cannot get in the positions necessary to be successful. The only way an athlete can achieve better techniques and results is by training their bodies to be able to do extraordinary things.

Strength training enhances flexibility, strength and balance making it easy for you to develop technique and be dynamic, be it throwing the discus or jumping hurdles.

Strong core muscles make it easier to do many physical activities. Strength training increases an athlete's Core strength fundamentally. Traditional lifts such squats, deadlifts, lunges, chin ups and back extensions target abdominal muscles, back muscles and the muscles around the pelvis which help improve the transfer of power from the arms to the legs and avoid back pain.

An athletes overall Running Form improves, resulting in high levels of Efficiency when competing. When running, good running form may be easy at the start when you're full of energy. But it's towards the end when you're tired that it really counts. Strengthening your core can help improve and maintain your form, which translates into greater running efficiency.

Strength training also results in increased levels of Endurance and reduces Fatigue. As the you become stronger, you gain the ability to maintain a  certain level power, strength and speed for longer periods. You'll also be able to recover faster  because strength training makes your body more efficient at converting metabolic waste into energy.

Other benefits include:

•  Prevention or control of chronic conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, back pain, depression and obesity
• Development of a better sleep pattern and avoidance of insomnia.
• Slow down the aging process.
• Enhanced performance of everyday tasks.
• Improved digestion and elimination processes. 
• Pain management due to increases in endorphin's (pain killers).
• Boosts self confidence, increased self esteem, improve your body image and your mood.      
• Body fat percentages decreases whiles lean tissue percentages increases.

The mechanics of Relay and Baton Exchange

Relays in athletics are the time when athletes get to come together as a team (usually made up of 4 athletes), passing a baton from one teammate to the other. The ultimate goal of the relay is to move the baton around the track and across the finish line in the fastest way possible without getting disqualified. There are two main types of relays which are the 4x100 metres and the 4x400 metres. 



In the 4x400 metre relay, each member of the team must run a 400 metre leg of the race. The lead-off runner must stay in lane for the entirety of the 1st lap as well as the 1st 100m of the 2nd lap, after which runners do not have to stay in their lanes. Each runner must carry a baton during his or her leg and hand it to the subsequent runner within the changeover zone, which is sited 10 metres either side of the finish line. The receiver of the baton looks at the incoming runner who is moving at a slower speed and must concentrate on taking the baton out of the incoming runner's hand rather than being "given" the baton. Baton changing is therefore Visual

• Lead-off Leg Runner -  Gets the team out in front. Must be aggressive and strong, have a good sense of pace and the to run in lane the entire lap.
• Second Leg Runner - Keeps the team in the race. Must be physically strong, able to handle bumping. Must also be able to negotiate the breakpoint. If the team is not in first place, job is to get team in first place.
• Third Leg Runner -  Puts team in a position to win. Must be able to run well from behind or maintain a lead and build upon it. Often, this is second best possible anchor on team.
•  Fourth Leg or “Anchor” Leg - Secures the victory, puts the relay away. Must be able to run well from behind or maintain a lead. Ability to catch and pass runners. Often, the strongest/fastest leg — the “horse.”

In the 4x100 metre sprint relay, each member of the team covers a distance of 100m before handing over the baton. The rules require the baton to be exchanged within a 20 metre changeover zone which is situated 10m before the start of each subsequent leg. This is to enable the incoming runner place the baton in the hand of the outgoing runner when he or she has achieved maximum acceleration. The receiving athlete can commence his or her run 10 metres before the changeover zone known as the acceleration zone.

The exchange of the baton requires a matching of the speeds of the incoming and outgoing athletes so that they are together towards the end of the changeover zone. This requires the outgoing runner to commence his or her run when the incoming runner reaches a check mark. The distance of the check mark from the start of the zone needs to take into consideration the:

• running speed of the incoming runner
• reaction and acceleration capacity of the outgoing runner

During the exchange, the outgoing athlete must keep in mind that he or she does not have to look at the incoming runner once they have begun to run. The incoming athlete will call 'Hand' when in a position to safely pass the baton. The outgoing athlete reaches back with the left or right hand and the incoming athlete places the baton into the hand completing the exchange. Hence a non visual exchange.

• The first runner runs on the inside of the lane, carrying the baton in the right hand and passes the baton to the 2nd runner with the same hand. Needs to get a good start, be good out of the blocks and can hand off well. Usually runs about 105 metres.
• The second runner receives the baton in the left hand and runs closer to the outside of the lane, passing the baton to the next runner with the same hand. Needs to be good at receiving and handing off. Usually runs about 120 yards and
• The third runner receives the baton in the right hand and runs close to the inside of the lane, passing the baton to the next runner with the same hand. Needs to be good at receiving and handing off. Must be a good curve runner. Runs about 125 meters from start of acceleration zone to end of hand off.
• The fourth runner receives the baton in the left hand and runs in the outside of the lane finishing the race. Must be good at receiving the baton and run well under pressure. It is important to have a strong finisher with a very high competitive spirit. The distance run by the 4th member is about 120 meters.

It is important to note that for both relays, when the baton is exchanged outside the changeover zone, a team is disqualified even after finishing the race.  

There are various techniques employed in baton exchanging but 3 are most popular. The major distinction between the 3 is in the positioning of the hand and fingers and the way the baton is placed in the outgoing runner's hand.

The first type of baton exchange is the Upsweep Technique. In this technique, the receiving hand of the outgoing athlete is extended behind at hip height, with the palm facing down and the thumb and fore finger making a V position. The incoming athlete passes the baton in an upward movement into the receiving hand. The advantage of this method is that this is a normal position for the receiving hand. A disadvantage is that it may require some manipulation of the baton in the hand to make the next exchange safely.

The second type is the Downsweep Technique. In this technique, the receiving hand of the outgoing athlete is extended behind just above hip height, with the palm facing up and a wide angle between the thumb and the rest of the fingers. The incoming athlete passes the baton in a downward movement into the receiving hand. The advantage of this method is that it will require no manipulation of the baton to safely make the next baton exchange. A disadvantage is that it is not a natural position of the outgoing athlete's hand to receive the baton.

The third technique is the Push Pass Technique. Here, the outgoing athlete's arm is extended out behind parallel to the ground and the hand is open with the thumb pointing down. The incoming athlete holds the baton vertically and pushes it straight into the open hand.  The advantage is the the incoming runner can easily adjust the baton’s position up, down or sideways and can observe the outgoing runner's hand take hold of the baton. It will require no manipulation of the baton by the outgoing runner to safely make the next baton exchange. A disadvantage is that it is not a natural position of the outgoing athlete's arm and hand to receive the baton. This is perhaps the safest method of baton exchange.

Marrakech 2014: The Ghanaian Story

The current crop of talent to hit Ghanaian athletics continue to soar to newer heights with an all round impressive display of power and skill in the just ended African Athletics Championship in Marrakech, Morocco.

Ghana's 4x100m women celebrating Bronze medal success

Team Ghana won a total of six (6) medals and placed 15th out of 19 participating countries on the final medals table. This is the highest haul of medals at the African Championship by team Ghana since 2006.

In the 100m men's event, Tim Abeyie placed 7th in the final crossing the line in 10.40secs. Emmanuel Dasor and Solomon Afful gracefully bowed out at the semi final stage of the competition clocking 10.46secs and 10.52secs respectively. In the 100m women's event, Gemma Acheampong also placed 7th in the final in a time of 11.74secs. Flings Owusu-Agyapong qualified for the semi final but was disqualified.

In the 200m, Tim Abeyie and Solomon Afful made it to the semi final stage but were not able to progress to final of the competition clocking 20.93secs and 20.85secs respectively. In the women's department, 24.41secs was not enough to qualify Doreen Agyei to the final.

4x100m quartet after securing Silver Medal

Daniel Gyasi qualified for the men's 400m final and ran a personal best (PB) time of 46.65secs but placed 8th. Kwadwo Acheampong also set a personal best time (PB) of 47.86secs in the semi final of the competition but unfortunately did not make it to the final. Shawkia Iddrisu placed 5th in her semi-final 400m with 55.01secs

Rashidatu Abubakar represented Ghana in the women's 100m hurdles final running a personal best time of 14.37secs. She also ran in the 400m hurdles final in which she placed sixth (6) in 60.36secs.

Representing team Ghana in the 800m was Martha Bissah who ran a personal best (PB) time of 2:06.32secs.

The quartet of Tim Abeyie, Solomon Afful, Emmanuel Dasor and Daniel Gyasi won silver in the men's 4x100m relay final finishing in 39.28secs, the fastest 4x100m time by a Ghanaian team at an African Athletics Championship since 1979.

John Ampomah has his sight set on the target

The women's quartet also didn't disappoint. The team of Flings Owusu-Agyapong, Gemma Acheampong, Beatrice Gyaman, and Janet Amponsah won bronze in the 4x100m final and ran the 3rd fastest 4x100m time (44.06secs) by a Ghanaian relay team at an African Championship in the past 14 years

The women’s quartet team for the 4x400m relay final missed out in winning a medal after placing 4th in the event. The team of Rashidatu Abubakar, Vivian Mills, Shawkia Iddrisu and Janet Amponsah  passed the baton round successfully in a time of 3:42.89secs

Elizabeth Dadzie, the apparent heir to Margaret Simpson as Ghana's Heptathlon queen tallied a total of 5286pts (PB) to win the Silver medal in the women's Heptathlon. This qualifies her for the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup in Marrakech, Morocco. She also competed in the women's Long jump, placing 5th jumping 6.14m.

Atsu Nyamadzi all pumped up

Atsu Nyamadi made history by being the first Ghanaian to win a Bronze Medal in the men's Decathlon. He amassed a total of 6946pts to clinch third (3rd) place.

On the field, Nadia Eke won the Silver medal in the women's Triple Jump competition jumping a distance of 13.40m, a personal best (PB). This also qualified her for the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup in Morocco. Mathilde Boateng was not far behind placing 4th jumping 13.23m.

Despite jumping a whooping 7.80m, Robert Martey placed 4th in the men's Long jump and also qualified for the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup.

John Ampomah set a new National Javelin record and personal best throw of 75.99m and placed 5th overall in the competition. However, Mary Zuta Nartey threw a personal best (PB) of 52.57m in the women's Javelin throw competition to win the Silver medal. Also qualifying her for the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup.

Also taking 4th place was Julia Agawu, throwing 47.13m in the women's discus throw competition. She also competed in the shot put throwing a season's best of 12.90m.

Naya Owusu placed 4th in the women's High jump with a jump of 1.70m.

FINAL MEDALS TABLE

The Sprint Start

The start of a sprint race is that part of the race from the firing of the gun to departure from the starting block and includes a runners first few strides. 

In sprinting events, it is very essential to have an efficient start or you'd get blown away by your competition. The importance of a good start cannot be stressed enough because it affects the smooth execution of the whole race. The faster you accelerate at the start, the more potential and easier it is for you achieve your top-end speed.

Starting a sprint race is all about explosion of speed and power. But you do need to keep it under control. Being relaxed helps your body run efficiently and quickly at any distance. 

You must also make sure you position your body in a way that ensures your hips rise to the same height each time you start. Foot positioning is also important as it enables you come out well balanced and with the greatest possible velocity.

The very first phase of the start is the "starting block phase" popularly known as "on your marks". This is where the sprinter, either on the ground or in the starting blocks has his hands just behind the starting line slightly wider than shoulder width. Both knees are bent with the knee of the back leg resting on the ground.

The second phase of the start is the "get set phase". Here the athlete lifts the knee of the back leg off the ground, thereby elevating the hips just above the shoulders and shifting the centre of gravity forward (leaning slightly forward). The arms are straightened with the hands supporting the runner’s weight. The back must also be straight, with the head in line with the spine to make the transition to the acceleration phase easier.

The final phase is the "go phase" where the gun goes off for the start of the race. The athlete lifts his hands from the track swinging the arms vigorously. Thrusting his elbows as high as possible with each backward swing and with a forceful extension of both legs, drives the body forward away from the blocks and into the running strides. Note that keeping your body low in your opening strides will thrust you forward faster.


There are three main types of starting positions for the sprint start. The difference between these starts can be found in starting block phase. The principle difference between these starts is basically  just the distance between your front foot and back foot in the starting blocks.
  
The first type of sprint start is the Bunch or Bullet start. In this start, your feet are closest together, compared to the other starts. This is where the toes of the back foot opposite the heel of the front foot with both feet placed well behind the starting line. The toe to toe distance is said to be 25 to 30 centimetres. Because your feet are close together, your legs and body are "bunched" together. That is why it is called the bunched, or bullet start.

 

The second type of sprint start is the Medium start. In this start, the knee of the back leg is opposite the front foot. The toe to toe distance said to be 40 to 55 centimetres. The feet are closer together than the elongated start but farther apart than the bullet start. Its in the middle. That's why it is called the medium start, because it is in between the other two.

 
The last type of sprint start is the Elongated start. The sprinter has their knee of the back leg level, or slightly behind the front foot's heel. The toe to toe distance is 60 to 70 centimetres. In this start, your feet are spread out farther than the other two. Your back leg is stretched or elongated, behind you. 

The rise of Blessing Okagbare: How she nearly called it quits after London 2012

Glasgow 2014 double medalist Blessing Okagbare nearly quit athletics following a barrage of abuse from Nigerians following her inability to win a medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, according to the Vanguard.

According to the respected Nigerian newspaper, Executive Chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission, Pinnick Amaju has said that Nigerians should celebrate Delta State Governor Dr. Emmanuel Udughan for the gold medals won by Blessing Okagbare and Ese Brume at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

This comes as Sports Vanguard has learnt that the Nigerian track queen almost quit running for Nigeria after finishing last in the women’s 100m final at the London Olympics Games in 2012. Speaking against the background of Okagbare double gold medals in the women’s 100m and 200m and Brume’s long jump gold in Glasgow, Amaju said that Gov. Uduaghan was the one who laid the foundation and platform for Nigerian athletes to soar to golden heights at the Games.

Recalling how Okagbare came back broken- hearted and dejected after she finished last in the 100m final of the London Olympic Games in 2012, Amaju told Sports Vanguard at the weekend that it was only Gov. Uduaghan, who comforted the Beijing Olympics long jump bronze medalist, with soothing words and gave her the necessary support to bounce back in a big way last year at the World Championships in Moscow and this year at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

“I recall vividly that Okagbare came back to Nigeria after the London Olympics Games unheralded. She was abused by some and nobody welcomed her. But Governor Uduaghan called me in the middle of the night and told me to bring Okagbare to him, which I did the next morning. “On seeing her, the Governor told her to forget about what happened in London and that finishing eight did not mean that she was last but that she was the eight best sprinter in the world. The Governor told her to think of the future, which he emphasized held so much promise for her.

He told her to use the London performance tomake a resurgence in the future. It was not only words of mouth. He backed her training financially and even provided some logistics. All these inspired Okagbare, who before then was thinking of quitting athletics because of the barrage of criticisms from Nigerians over her performance in London.

Sadly, the sports ministry also abandoned her. But all that changed with Uduaghan’s action.
“Okagbare’s spirit was lifted after the meeting with the Governor. She drove my car to her house and the next day, the Governor bought her a brand new SUV so that she could move around in comfort and style. On receiving the key to the SUV, Okagbare said ‘what can I do without this man’ and that was when she swore to win everything in the future. “As a way of motivating her, the Governor directed that a monthly training grant of $10,000 be given to Okagbare while the other Delta State athletes like Ese Brume and Oghene Egwero were also paid monthly training grants.

“The monthly training grant was a priority payment in Delta and we have even paid her up till December 2014. All the other athletes also have their own special grants. Even after approving these training grants, the Governor also mandated me to go and visit these athletes in their respective bases to know how they were faring, which I did because in Delta State, we are like a family and that is why the Governor was leaping and cheering after Okagbare won the 100m gold medal in Glasgow.”, added Amaju, who thanked President Goodluck Jonathan for organizing the National Sports Retreat, shortly after the London Olympic Games.

“That retreat has redefined the way funding is done in Nigerian sports and we at the Delta State Sports Commission are always in the forefront of ensuring that our athletes get the best in terms of funding and that was why they did well in Glasgow”, said Amaju.


Source: Liquid sports

A little bit s**t or nah?

Quite recently Usain Bolt has made the headlines not for his exploits on the track, but rather for something he "might" have said concerning the just ended Commonwealth games in Glasgow.

According to The Times , the world’s fastest man unleashed a thunderbolt of a statement before leaving the athletes village , saying the games are “a bit s**t” and “the Olympics were better”.

Even though Bolt has come out to deny ever making the statement, i couldn't help but wonder if there was any truth to the statement. Are the Games really below par and not entertaining?

So i did a little bit of digging and compared the winning times of both Glasgow 2014 and London 2012, determining where the Commonwealth Games champions would have placed at the Olympics. The results were staggering!

In some rare instances, athletes performed better at the Commonwealth Games. Australian runner Emma Jackson, who came fifth in the triathlon, would have won an Olympic gold medal with the same time in London. For the most part, however, the results at these Games are far less impressive.

Kemar Bailey-Cole, who won the men’s 100m sprint with a time of 10 seconds flat on Tuesday morning, would have come eighth in London. In the final, he only would have beaten compatriot Asafa Powell, who slowed down after injuring his groin. the five fastest men from that race — Usain Bolt, Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin, Tyson Gay and Ryan Bailey — were all missing from the event in Glasgow.

In the women's 100m event, Blessing Okagbare (Nigeria) with a time of 10.85 would have come equal fourth in London, alongside American sprinter Tianna Madison. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jamaica) won with a time of 10.75

In the Men's 110m hurdles, Olympic champ Aries Merritt crossed the line in 12.92secs with Commonwealth champion Andrew Riley (Jamaica), finishing with a time of 13.32. He would have come fourth at the Olympics.

Stephanie McPherson (Jamaica) won the 400m in the Commonwealth games with a time of 50.67. She would have come eighth at the Olympics behind Sanya Richards-Ross (USA)  with a time of 49.55secs.

The men's 400m was won by the same man in both the Olympics and Commonwealth games. Grenada's Kirani James set a new Commonwealth games record of 44.24secs. He would have placed second to himself in the Olympics (43.94), battling with  Luguelín Santos (44.46) of the Dominican Republic for second place.

In the women's Triathlon though, Nicola Spirig (Switzerland), won in a time of 1:59:48. Australia’s Emma Jackson came fifth at the Commonwealth Games, but her time would have won a gold medal in London. England's Jodie Stimpson won the event in the Commonwealth games with a time of 1:58:56

There’s only one conclusion. Many athletes who have won gold in the absence of nations such as China, Russia and the United States would have missed out on medals altogether if they’d posted identical times in London.