Friday, November 13, 2009

SPEED, AGILITY, AND QUICKNESS (SAQ) TRAINING



Concepts in SAQ Training

In recent years, training for speed agility and quickness has become an essential part of the workout programs of athletes from many different sports. What all of these athletes and individuals have learned is that training for speed, agility and quickness can make a significant difference in how well they perform in their sport.


SAQ training can help the nervous system to respond or react more efficiently to demands placed on it and enhance muscular recruitment and coordination when performed with correct mechanics. The success of SAQ training is dependent on the individual or athlete’s core, balance, and reactive capabilities.

At almost all levels of sports, how fast you can perform your skills will separate the also-rans from the stars. With modern athletes larger and more muscular than ever before, adding this element to your arsenal is essential - being big and strong is just not enough.

Young athletes have discovered that they will lose a competitive edge in their sport of choice if they do not do the extra work required to build these skills. Moreover, a trained professional in SAQ training is imperative to insure that the proper mechanics and progressions are applied.

While it is important that performance improves with training, it may be more important that training also reduces the risk of injury. Research has shown that running and cutting maneuvers associated with many land based sports can produce high levels of altered forces involved in non-contact injuries such as an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury.


Speed

Speed is the ability to move the body in one intended direction as fast as possible. It is the product of stride rate and stride length and can be learned and trained for. Proper running mechanics include frontside (triple flexion) and backside (triple extension) mechanics and allow individuals and athletes to maximize forces generated by muscles, so that maximum velocity can be achieved in the shortest possible time.

Agility

Agility is the ability to accelerate, decelerate, stabilize, and change direction quickly, while maintaining proper posture. Because of this, high levels of neuromuscular efficiency are required. Agility can help to prevent injury by enhancing control of eccentric forces in all planes of motion .

Quickness

Quickness is the ability to change body position with maximum rate of force production, in all planes of motion, from all body positions, during functional activities. Reactions are based on visual, auditory, and kinesthetic feedback and require minimum hesitation.

The best way to work on this side of your game is through an experienced conditioning expert. Myles Dias Fitness SAQ training can help you develop a program that includes proper testing, and a variety of appropriate techniques and drills. Built on these principles Myles Dias Fitness SAQ training incorporates proper warm up, flexibility, and core development. All programs are designed with proper progression.


Myles Dias Fitness will provide specialized work out programs to fit your needs! Call or send an email to Myles to receive a proposal for your team or individual athletes.

Let MYLES DIAS FITNESS take you there

Credit: NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training : course manual-3rd ed.