By Dr. Francesco Cundo '
Speed: it is the expression of the highest dynamism of which man is capable and which engages him both in his mechanical parts and in the psycho-nervous component. The highest speed peaks recorded so far, in running sections, are around 12 meters / sec, or 43, 200 km per hour!
it is known that the contraction speed of a muscle depends on its percentage of fast-twitch muscle fibers called FT or II-type fibers. Research carried out using biopsies (muscle tissue samples) showed this correlation.
A workout aimed at speed already in childhood or in any case up to 13 years, has a good chance of being able to change part or many of the intermediate fibers of the subject into white fibers (the fast ones).
WHAT IS POSSIBLE TO TRAIN IN GYM:
conditional abilities: strength
coordination skills: gesture technique and rhythm changes on the run
The force
Physiologically it is defined as the ability that the components of muscular matter (myofibrils) have to contract; athletically as the ability to win resistances, therefore in the fast race as the factor that determines the acquisition and maintenance of speed.
ACTIVE Strength (useful for acceleration): Maximum Strength, Explosive Force.
REACTIVE force (useful for running): Elastic explosive force, reflected elastic force.
The most used means in the gym are:
Squats and Deep Squats
½ Normal and fast squat
½ Squat jump
Subsequent vertical leaps
Squat
The squat consists of a series of bending or "squatting" of the lower limbs, with the thigh coming to be parallel to the floor, while in the deep squat one almost reaches the heels with the butt. The expected overload varies from 100% to 150% of the athlete's body weight. Useful for developing maximum strength.
½ Squats and ½ Quick Squats.
This time the bend does not allow the thigh to arrive parallel to the ground but stops a few degrees before, 30 ° instead of 45 °, an angle much more correlated with the running action. Overloading varies from 150% to 250% of the athlete's body weight. Useful for developing explosive strength.
½ Squat jump.
It consists of a rapid succession of half-folds in extension with a leap in tow, with a load of 50% of the weight of the body, a method useful above all for developing the explosive-elastic-reflected force.
Always to develop the elastic-reflected strength, vertical jumps are used on even feet, always keeping watch on the athlete's foot, which must be reactive, fast and with the tip pointing upwards in jargon "foot at hammer". The rebound must allow the maximum possible elevation to be acquired.
Gesture technique and rhythm changes on the Run
On the Run we are going to take care of the running technique instead by doing repeated so composed:
5 x (2 'at 15 km / h and 1' at 20 km / h) recovery between the 3 'series at 7 km / h. during the exercise we will pay attention to the technical gesture, taking care of the action of the foot resting on the ground without resting the heel, the arms swinging like a pendulum, the neck and shoulders that remain unchecked making a movement as natural as possible.
