Throughout February we took a look at skill acquisition, motor learning, and teaching technique. Below you’ll find all of our new content on the topic, including highlights from our archive that give some more insight on the area. Read more
George M. Perry is a running and sports performance coach with emphases on movement training and post-injury return-to-play. Edited with minor contributions from Martin Bingisser.
Most coaches’ instruction approaches drills biomechanically: body positions, joint angles, activation patterns underlying movement sequences. These referents require an internal focus of attention. Athletes are directed and trained to think about how they are moving their body. What if we have been going about it all wrong? What if athletes instead focus on the intended effect on an implement, the environment, or something else external to the athlete’s body? Read more
Skill acquisition is the science that underpins movement learning and execution. In other words, skill acquisition is what underpins sport. There is not performance without skill acquisition. On this week’s GAINcast we explore some simple ideas that can help coaches improve skill acquisition amongst their athletes. Read more
When it comes to sprinting and hurdling, few coaches can put together the accomplishments that Gary Winckler achieved in his career. But what was more impressive than his results was his process. He continuously sought out new ideas to improve upon what was already one of the nation’s top programs. He joins us on this week’s podcast to talk about staying ahead of the curve, and how his coaching changed over his last decade of coaching, especially in regards to skill acquisition and exercise selection for sprinters. Read more
Every month we take a deep dive into the latest research in sports science. This month we start off by what exactly mental toughness is. We also summarize topics like the limited science of elite sprinting, connecting sprint speed to endurance performance, the load of warming up, periodizing skill acquisition, and more. Read more
Everybody trains and everybody trains hard. So what separates the good from the great? How they use their time and energy in training. The best coaches and athletes have a relentless focus on learning and getting better. On this week’s GAINcast we dive into some thoughts on getting better, including some practical examples of how to put learning processes into practice. Read more
My passion and focus are on getting better at getting better. The longer I coach, the more I realize that we can’t rely on doing more of the same old things we have been doing and hope to get our athletes better. We must use the time and resources better to get better. Here are some thoughts, ideas and concepts I have culled from some of my research and practice on learning: Read more
Drills have been the go-to technical tool for coaches for decades, but more and more research is showing that drills are not always the most effective tool for coaches. On this episode of the GAINcast we break down the shortcomings of drills, and discuss alternatives that can help get results that transfer back to your sport. Read more
Welcome back to another monthly round up of recent research in the sports science world. This month we finally have some objective evidence on the use of high fat, low carbohydrate diets for elite athletes – perhaps this will lessen the debate, although I expect not. We also have a look at the training of elite endurance athletes, early versus late specialization in Olympic Athletes, sleep (as always), oxidative stress, and the use of hot baths after exercise, amongst others. Enjoy. Read more
As Nick wrote in a post last week, he is all for drills. I am more of a skeptic in the drill department, having seen so many worthless drills over my career. But as usual, there are some common points we can agree on and in this episode we discuss drills and try to find the proper place for them in training. Read more
