Staley, Charles - Speed Training System

Secrets Of Creating World-Class Speed in 30 Days: The Staley Training Systems Project Management Training Model

Charles Staley

Copyright 2004 http://www.SpeedExperts.com

For more great programs, check out http://SportSpecific.com

http://www.SpeedExperts.com

http://SportSpecific.com

Some readers may view the example at hand as extreme or unrealistic (with the lack of cash and resources) but in fact, it is pretty typical of the athletes I end up working with. Lofty goals and lack of time are consistent features, and more often than not, health issues (usually in the form of soft tissue and/or orthopedic issues) are present. When confronted with these types of challenges, it becomes important to have an efficient, effective, and reliable training model to work from. The STS (Staley Training Systems) model is an evolving, dynamic system based on my “in the trenches” experiences over the past 20 years. The Staley Training Systems Training Principles: The Staley Training Systems approach to performance enhancement is a mix of tested and proven training methods and Fortune 500 business management. At Staley Training Systems we integrate daily training sessions with our Training Systems Pyramid:

Figure 1: The STS System Pyramid

“To-Do’s”

Short Term Goals

Long Term Objectives

Core Principles In our example, the coach’s core principles form the foundation of his system.

Long-term objectives refer to the “big picture” view of the training process, and short term refers to the weekly or monthly perspective.

Finally, “to-do’s” refer to the actual training tasks that comprise the daily workouts.

Ideally, there should be continuity all the way through the “pyramid.” For example, is each and every “to-do” contributing to your short-term goals? Are your short-term goals contributing to your long terms goals? And finally, are your long-term goals based directly on your core operational principles?

Every serious coach should spend most of his energy toward identifying his core operational principles. You already know your principles by the way— it’s just a matter of identifying them. Think about a handful of basic truths or beliefs that you have about coaching your clients. For example, do you believe in “covering all the bases” or perhaps doing the minimum amount required to get the job done? Do you believe that most athletes have postural deficiencies, or no? Do you believe in eliminating your weaknesses or strengthening your strengths? These are just a few ideas to get you thinking.





I’ll share my core principles with you right now… The STS “Big 7” Core Operational Principles: 1) Safety comes before performance enhancement— first do no harm I always remind my clients (especially when trying to convince them to reduce their training volume during a taper phase) that “if you show up healthy, anything can happen; if you show up injured, nothing can happen.” safety and health status precede good training and performances. 2) Performance quality determines training quantity Focus on performance, not fatigue. The effectiveness of a workout (or training system) is by the degree to which it improves the qualities and/or abilities you're trying to develop, not by how much pain it produces. In my professional experience, a reduction in training volume improves fitness in 80% of all cases. When in doubt, always do less, not more. Better to start off with too little, which allows the later addition of more volume, than with too much, which may result in injury. As a related issue, if the body can perform at the desired level of quality in training (in this case, at sufficient speed) without pain, that training is worth doing. However, if the pre-determined performance quality cannot be achieved, it is a sign that the body is already sufficiently stressed and not responsive to further training loads. 3) The principle of primary constraints: identify and resolve the weak link A strength overused becomes a weakness. However, it’s also been said that too much time spent on your weaknesses only results in you having really well developed weaknesses. So how does one rectify these two statements? I have developed an equation which is used to determine optimal prioritization of training tasks: The Staley Equation “Prioritize elements which are 1) Needed 2) Poorly developed 3) Highly trainable, and 4) Foundational to other elements, given available resources.” Let me explain…





First, by “element,” I’m basically talking about motor qualities (such as maximal strength, agility, anaerobic endurance, etc., etc) or muscle(s). And so part one of the equation says that you shouldn’t waste time and energy trying to develop elements that won’t contribute to your overall objective. For example, I happen to think it’s pretty cool to have high levels of speed strength, but if your goal is to be large and shredded, it’s not a quality that you need particularly. Next, if you’ve determined that a particular element is needed, the next step is to see if it’s already in place. For example, hypertrophy might be something you need (or at least want!) but why spend time and energy working on it if you’re already as big as a house? I mean, at some point we all need an education in the obvious, and yours is starting right now! Thirdly, you might need it, but maybe you can’t have it. In other words, some things, like limb length, muscle fiber ratios, and muscle insertions are primarily the result of good parental selection. Put another way, an undesirable situation isn’t actually a problem unless there’s a solution to it right? The final step in the equation says that, whenever possible, you should prioritize elements which, when improved, also cause improvement in other elements, given the resources you’ve got available (by resources, I mean things like, time, energy, equipment, orthopedic health status, etc). Incidentally, when you add in this last factor, something very interesting happens: for most people, in most situations, prioritizing maximal strength fulfills the demands of the equation perfectly. The Amino Acid Analogy The dietary value of a protein food depends upon its essential amino acid profile (essential amino acids are those that cannot be synthesized by the body, and therefore, must be consumed on a regular basis). In any particular food, the protein quality is assessed by the presence of the least abundant essential amino acid. If you increase the levels of that particular amino acid (through supplementation), then the food is now limited by the second-least abundant essential amino acid, and so on. Athletic performance as a whole is a similar story: it is limited by the least-developed necessary fitness factor; then by the second least-developed factor, and so on. Remember that fitness is a dynamic concept: as it improves, the requirements to improve it further will change. 4) Frame performance objectives around controllable outcomes A project should either succeed or die early— nothing in between. Some athletes have objectives that I consider inappropriate because they are not based on factors that I can reasonably control. For example, I have been approached by professional boxers whose goal is to win their next fight. I always reject these proposals because I cannot influence factors such as officiating, political squabbles with agents and managers, among other





things. In these situations I suggest that we define their weaknesses in fitness qualities, which, when resolved, should significantly improve competitive performance. We can now measure improvements in their weaknesses and how it affects their performance. 5) The purpose of supplemental training for athletes is to develop qualities which improve athletic performance, but which cannot effectively be developed by practicing the sport itself This should be obvious but often isn’t. I remember when I first came upon this phrase in a book by Ian King. It struck me as one of those “profoundly obvious” yet rarely appreciated ways of thinking. In any event, the effective management of athletic performance almost always involves limited resources (time, equipment, money, health, etc), so one cannot afford to waste these resources on redundant activities. 6) Your business and your practice is an integrated unit— don't view them separately Example: Increasing your rates is a business decision, but part of the reason for doing it is to put a fire under yourself to become a better practitioner. Similarly, the coach strives to improve his skills (at least partly) because he seeks a better income. 7) Cultivate Beginner’s Mind Question: How can you tell what part of the deltoid is being worked when you do a lateral raise? OK, stop, put down your anatomy text...just feel your shoulder with then other hand and you’ll know which head is under the most tension. Many, many, many coaches have read every book available and yet make fundamental, obvious errors because they lose their ability to clearly see a situation for what it is. I often think that formal education can be more of a hindrance than a help. Project Management Versus Training When I’m hired to coach or supervise an athlete, I view our time together as a project rather than a program. I also consider myself a “manager” rather than a coach or a “trainer” (a term I despise— training pertains to animals, not people). The terminology we use affects the way we think and the approaches we use, and therefore should be carefully considered. In the case of choosing the term “project” as opposed to the more traditionally used “program,” note that the latter term conveys an indeterminate time span, whereas the former denotes a finite period of time with which to accomplish the task at hand. Resources Inventory: Training, like a project, involves the consumption of resources for the purpose of creating a specific outcome. In this case, our resources are as follows:





• Money: $500 • Time: 30 days • Health Deficits • Equipment (determined by the limited financial resources available) • Client’s Motivation Level

In terms of financial expenditure, I decided to purchase (26) day passes at local YMCA ($390). The “Y” has a wide range of equipment and facilities, including an indoor and outdoor track

I also purchased a stopwatch ($35)

This left me with $75 to spare, which I’ll save for unexpected expenses. The STS 5-Phase Performance Management System I use a five-stage process when initiating a project with a new client. The five stages are as follows:

1. Assessment and evaluation of premise The first step in any new project is to evaluate the client’s premise for accuracy. For example, an athlete may hire me to improve their strength, which they assume will improve their sport performance, but often, after a detailed assessment, I find that strength is not a primary limitation for that athlete— in other words, increasing their strength will not improve their sport performance (or in some cases it may actually decrease performance.) In the hypothetical example presented to me for this book, I will assume that my client’s desire for greater linear speed is present and he is motivated to get faster. The second step in this phase is to conduct a thorough assessment. This is a combination of “informal” observations as well as more formal tests, including interviews (with the client and his or her technical coach(es), postural analysis, and strength and/or range of motion assessments. In this case, I’m looking for quickly correctable deficiencies that limit performance significantly. In this hypothetical assessment, my most relevant findings (based on historical tendencies among my past and current clients) are as follows:

1. Good technical proficiency (with a few exceptions that will be addresses later) 2. Good basic health status 3. Good basic strength levels 4. Poor nutrition and lifestyle issues (stress, lack of sleep, money, etc) 5. Tight hip flexors 6. Over trained, excessive work ethic





Based on these assessments, my initial “knee-jerk” assumption is to help manage and correct lifestyle issues, and to lengthen the hip flexors, which are serving in essence, as “brakes” (a term used by my colleague Pavel Tsatsouline).

2. Project Vision Statement

With my initial findings in hand, we shift to the vision phase of the project. This involves “beginning at the end” to envision and establish a definition of success, and also to mutually agree upon the expected results of the project. After a post-assessment meeting we establish the following vision statement for our project:

“At the end of the 30-day training period, I will improve, without injury, my electronically-timed 40-yard dash time from 5.2 seconds to 4.7 seconds or better.”

This definition meets the requirements of a “S.M.A.R.T.” goal: it is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Referenced. It is also based on a training strategy that is based on controllable factors.

3. Planning In planning the 30-day project, I’ll spend a lot of time interviewing the athlete, determining resource constraints, and trying to anticipate “hot spots” such as sickness, injury, bad weather, anything that we might not be thinking of.

I’m also trying to anticipate how many actual sprint sessions we can attempt (even though we have 30 days to accomplish our goal, intense sprints require significant recovery, and we won’t be able to sprint every day), and how much improvement I need to see during each session in order to reach our goal in 30 days. Also, I’ll plan other training activities during non-sprint days, such as flexibility work, strength training, and technical sessions. Fatigue is specific, so it’s important to remember that by alternating activities, we can get a lot more accomplished in a particular period of time.

4. Implementation

Now it’s time to implement the training process. As we go along, please take notice of how the project’s long-term objectives mesh with the underlying core principles.

First, there is no pre-determined program. All we’re doing is immediately getting to work on resolving the most significant correctable weaknesses. Once they are improved, we shift our attention toward the next most significant correctable weakness, and so on and so forth (Please see operational principle #3).

It’s also important to note that daily training volume is not planned in advance, because there is no sure-fire way of knowing what the athlete’s performance and/or health status (Please see operational principle #1) will be on any given day (Please see operational principle #2).





In the workouts that follow, we are looking at a hypothetical 30-day training period in the past tense. In other words, you’re looking at what happened rather than what will or should happen (another way to visualize this is that you’re looking at the training log rather than the intended “program”). After each workout, I provide commentary to explain key decisions that were made during that workout

The 30-Day Training Period, Workout By Workout

Day One:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module: This segment consists of dynamic sprint technique drills (A-B skips, hops, etc), followed by extensive stretching for the psoas major muscles. The technique I use is performed in the “Thomas test” position, with the athlete supine on a high bench or table, with the coccyx at the very edge of the table. The athlete first brings his “non-involved” knee to his chest and clasps it with both hands. This maneuver will help to eliminate the possibility of the pelvis tilting during the stretch to follow.

From the position, the coach applies downward pressure on the involved thigh (using even pressure from both hands), which causes the foot of the stretched leg to approach the floor. When appropriate tension is achieved (verbally signaled to the coach by the athlete), the athlete is instructed to push up against the coach’s hands via psoas contraction, using approximately 50% of MVC (maximal voluntary contraction) for an 8-count. At the count of 8, the athlete discontinues the contraction while the coach simultaneously reduces pressure. At this point the previous level of “relaxed tension” will have diminished and the involved thigh is pushed against the floor again as the contract-relax procedure is repeated. The procedure is repeated until subsequent contractions fail to produce additional gain in range of motion. Both hip flexors are stretched in this manner, which normally takes about 20 to 25 minutes total for both legs

B: Sprint Module: After the warm-up and stretch module is completed, we move on to running sprints. From my experience, and after extensive discussion and collaboration with several respected colleagues (most notably Martin Rooney of The Parisi School in Fairlawn, New Jersey), it is my position that perfecting the first 10 yards of the 40-yard dash tends to yield the fastest and most significant results in overall 40-yard time. Rooney’s work with professional football players (as well as other athletes) reveals that, contrary to what most 40-yard specialty coaches would advise, the first step should be as long as possible. This results in a start that looks slow, but in fact the athlete consumes large amounts of ground with each step, and the actual speed is in fact greater, given adequate strength capacity.

Control of training loads: In the initial sprint workouts we establish the athlete’s “PR” for the 10, and use this number to assess optimal workloads in each successive workout. Rest intervals are also controlled, starting with 3 minutes between each sprint on the first workout. My goal is to achieve at least 90% of PR speed for each and every sprint, and we use a “3 strikes” rule to determine when the sprints should be discontinued for the





day. That is to say, if on any given sprint, the athlete fails to reach at least 90% of his best speed, that’s strike one. If/when the 3rd strike is reached, sprints are finished for that day.

Progression: As soon as the athlete can perform (10) 10-yard sprints at 90% of his best speed or better, with 3 minutes rest between sprints, we next (during the next workout) reduce the rest interval to 2:45 and repeat the process.

Today’s 10-Yard Sprints:

#1: 2.40 seconds

#2: 2.32 seconds

#3: 2.28 seconds

#4: 2.28 seconds

#5: 2.24 seconds

#6: 2.28 seconds

#7: 2.30 seconds

#8: 2.28 seconds

#9: 2.34 seconds

#10: 2.32 seconds

C: Strength Module: With only 30 days to accomplish our stated objective, it becomes pointless to engage in generalized strength training (such as squats, cleans and other weight room work). Instead, I focused on the athlete’s start-specific upper body strength in order to achieve a better forward weight-shift at the start. This was accomplished by putting the athlete into an extreme “forward” position and making him hold that position for a 6-count. Today we did 6 repeats on this drill right after the 10-yard sprints.

D: Cool down/Recovery Module: Here we’re spending about 10 minutes doing various static stretches for the hip flexors, hamstrings, quads, anterior delts, and calves, followed by self-massage with an ice cup. The massage is concentrated on the most active muscle groups for the workout just performed. We use long strokes following the fiber orientation of the muscle, and staying clear of bones and joints. The massage is continued until the ice cup completely melts, which takes 10-15 minutes, give or take (For future entries I’ll simply note “Cooldown/Recovery Module” without explaining the details each and every time).

Comments: Whenever possible, I design training tasks (“to-do’s”) so that they are a form of training, but also a form of testing and feedback all at the same time. During our first meeting today, this objective was especially important. During each sprint, I carefully





observed the athlete’s start and sprint technique, looking for correctable flaws. The primary flaw noticed during our first day was an inability to shift his bodyweight forward enough at the start, and secondarily, a short first step out of the start.

Today, the athlete’s PR for the 10-yard sprint was 2.24 seconds hand-timed. We’ll use this number to determine optimal training volume in subsequent workouts. Note: Clearly electronic timing would be the preferred option, however, it’s important to appreciate the differences between absolute accuracy and relative accuracy. By this I mean that there is a certain amount of inaccuracy when I hand-time the sprints. However, since it’s always me doing the timing, the relative improvement from sprint to sprint and from workout to workout will be accurate. In other words, we may be off a bit in terms of absolute times, but we know if we’re going in the right direction or not.

I also had a long discussion with the athlete where I provided various tips and suggestions about how he can improve his sleeping habits, and why sleep is important relative to good sprint performances.

Day Two:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module

B: Hip flexor stretches and ab work

Comments: At this early stage of the game I’m assuming that we’ll be sprinting every fourth day— this is based primarily on my past experiences with similar projects. Therefore, today we focused on loosening up the psoas major group followed by reverse trunk twists for oblique training. I asked the athlete about what he had eaten this morning, and the answer was “Starbucks”! We ended the workout with me strongly imploring him to make a few basic changes to his diet, and he seemed willing to comply.

Day Three:


B: Stretching Module

Comments: No ab training today, because 1) they’re not recovered from yesterday’s workout yet, and 2) I want to have fresh abdominals for trunk stabilization during tomorrow’s sprint workout.

Day Four:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module: Again, this segment consists of dynamic sprint technique drills (A-B skips, hops, etc), followed by extensive stretching for the psoas major muscles, as described during the first workout.

B: Sprint Module:





#1: 2.39 seconds

#2: 2.31 seconds

#3: 2.28 seconds

#4: 2.26 seconds

#5: 2.22 seconds (New PR)

#6: 2.22 seconds (Again!)

#7: 2.29 seconds

#8: 2.25 seconds

#9: 2.33 seconds

#10: 2.30 seconds

C: Strength Module: Static start-holds

D: Cooldown/Recovery Module

Comments: We achieved a new PR of 2.26 second today, not once, but twice. This foretells an even better time during the next sprint workout. I’m also spotting a trend where the best times are achieved during the middle of the workout— the 5th and 6th intervals to be specific. This trend, if repeatable over the 30-day training period, will provide important data with regard to the optimal number of warm-up sprints prior to testing.

Day Five:



Comments: The warm-up actually quickly digressed into a start position clinic— we worked on this for about 20 minutes, and then ended up with stretching and reverse trunk twists and sit-ups

Day Six:


B: Hip flexor stretches





Comments: The athlete’s abs were sore today. We spent some time doing some light stretches for the rectus abdominus and obliques. Tomorrow we’ll test the 40, which the athlete is excited about.

Day Seven:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module:

B: Sprint Module:

40-Yard Sprint Test

#1: 5.4

#2: 5.3

#3: 5.0 (New and Current PR for the 40)

10-Yard Sprints:

#1: 2.38 seconds

#2: 2.33 seconds

#3: 2.27 seconds

#4: 2.24 seconds

#5: 2.22 seconds


#7: 2.26 seconds

#8: 2.26 seconds

#9: 2.30 seconds

#10: 2.34 seconds



Comments: Today we started off by testing the 40 to get a sense of where we’re at. My athlete is shocked that he’s managed to shave .2 seconds off his 40 in only 7 days, but I explained to him that this isn’t really that surprising and that it’s primarily the result of improving his start and lengthening his first step. Future improvements may be less dramatic and will depend primarily on conditioning-related factors





Day Eight:



Comments: My athlete was dying to sprint today, which provoked a 30-minute “mini-seminar” about recovery, quality versus quantity, and related issues.

Day Nine:



Comments: My athlete did some bench-pressing the previous night. I had no particular problem with that but reminded him that he should consult me first before doing any training-related activity at all. Flexibility appears to be improving— good sign.

Day Ten:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module: Dynamic sprint technique drills (A-B skips, hops, etc), followed by extensive stretching for the psoas major muscles.

B: Sprint Module:

#1: 2.33 seconds

#2: 2.31 seconds

#3: 2.27 seconds

#4: 2.23 seconds


#6: 2.21 seconds

#7: 2.32 seconds

#8: 2.35 seconds

#9: 2.35 seconds

#10: 2.37 seconds







Comments: The 10 is improving steadily and we’re both happy about that. I thought I noticed the athlete’s right foot recovering higher than the left on his sprints, which prompted some range of motion assessments at the end of the workout. These assessments didn’t really uncover anything, however, one must distinguish between static ROM tests and dynamic ROM during an athletic performance. We’ll keep an eye on it.

Day Eleven:



Comments: No comments— nothing noteworthy today.

Day Twelve:



Comments: Flexibility is great today. We spent quite a bit of time discussing some technical aspects of the sprint, especially the “correct” time to stand up. Good workout, athlete feels good.

Day Thirteen:


B: Sprint Module:

40-Yard Sprint Test:

#1: 5.4

#2: 5.2


10-Yard Sprints:

#1: 2.30 seconds

#2: 2.27 seconds

#3: 2.22 seconds

#4: 2.22 seconds

#5: 2.16 seconds (New PR) Copyright 2004 http://www.SpeedExperts.com




#6: 2.18 seconds

#7: 2.22 seconds

#8: 2.26 seconds

#9: 2.24 seconds

#10: 2.30 seconds



Comments: No real stretching today. Sprints are improving as planned. Good but uneventful day

Day Fourteen:



Comments: Left hip tighter than right for some reason, so we spent some extra time on it.

Day Fifteen:


B: Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches

Comments: After watching the athlete’s arm position during sprints, I decided to add some front deltoid stretches to his flexibility module, at least for the next few workouts. I also did a quick range of motion assessment on his calves, which indicated a need to do some flexibility work there as well.

Day Sixteen:


B: Sprint Module:

#1: 2.32 seconds

#2: 2.30 seconds

#3: 2.28 seconds

#4: 2.22 seconds





#5: 2.22 seconds

#6: 2.22 seconds

#7: 2.26 seconds

#8: 2.26 seconds

#9: 2.28 seconds

#10: 2.30 seconds



Comments: No outstanding times today, however, the track was a bit wet in spots from a rainstorm the previous night, so I wasn’t particularly concerned. The athlete also complained about feeling “achy” and not quite himself lately. I interviewed him regarding his non-training activities, stress levels, etc., over the past few days, which didn’t really turn up anything.

Day Seventeen:


B: Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches

Comments: I had been feeling the need for a change of pace, so we actually played some one-on-one basketball for about 30 minutes and then moved on to the stretches. This felt like a fun and productive change of pace for both us us.

Day Eighteen:


B: Hip flexor, anterior delt and calf stretches and abs

Comments: Athlete’s flexibility was noticeably better today, especially in the hip flexors. I’m happy about this, because right from the start I’ve felt that the imbalance between the hip flexors and extensors was a real “energy leak,” meaning that the a lot of the glute and hamstring’s contractile force was being wasted on fighting off the hip flexors.

Day Nineteen: OFF

Comments: As the athlete’s performance improves, the need for recovery increases. My athlete was actually really wanting to train today, but I didn’t allow it. I told him to save up his enthusiasm for the planned 40-Yard test tomorrow.





Day Twenty:

A: Warm-Up & Mobility Module: Dynamic sprint technique drills (A-B skips, hops, etc), followed by extensive stretching for the psoas major muscles.

B: Sprint Module:


#1: 5.2

#2: 5.1


10-Yard Sprints

#1: 2.24 seconds

#2: 2.24 seconds

#3: 2.20 seconds

#4: 2.18 seconds

#5: 2.20 seconds

#6: 2.12 seconds (New PR!)

#7: 2.26 seconds

#8: 2.26 seconds

#9: 2.28 seconds

#10: 2.28 seconds



Comments: Fantastic runs today, but I’m slightly concerned that we might be peaking too early. The athlete’s energy and enthusiasm are really high today, and there’s now no question in his mind that our stated performance goals are indeed very possible.

Day Twenty-One:






B; Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches

Comments: We had a very uneventful day today. The athlete actually wanted to test his 40 again, but I wouldn’t allow it. We chatted about overtraining, the need to sacrifice quantity to quality, my core principles, and some technical pointers for his start position.

Day Twenty-Two:


B: Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches and abs

Comments: We did a fairly hard abdominal session today, starting with some prone rolls in the gym (using a loaded Olympic bar) followed by reverse trunk twists on the track. We has a detailed discussion about the important role the abs play in stabilizing the trunk during sprints.

Day Twenty-Three: OFF

Comments: The athlete called me early in the morning complaining about a bad night’s sleep and some unexpected events that need his attention today. After a brief discussion, we mutually agreed to take a day off.

Day Twenty-Four:


B: Sprint Module:


#1: 5.2

#2: 5.1

#3: 4.8 (No improvement on current PR for the 40)

10-yard Sprints

#1: 2.24 seconds

#2: 2.25 seconds

#3: 2.22 seconds

#4: 2.19 seconds

#5: 2.20 seconds





#6: 2.36 seconds

#7: 2.34 seconds

#8: 2.35 seconds



Comments: All runs were slow today. This was concerning for my athlete, but I explained that it’s really just a sign that his body is heavily taxed, and that we’re right on track for a great performance next week. Note that the 10-yard sprints were discontinued after 3 poor runs (all of which were less than 90% of the athlete’s current PR time for that distance). My position is that when the body can perform at a high level (which I define as at least 90% of the best performance) without pain (which I define as prior, during, or after the workout), you should do that work. However, if the body cannot perform at a high level without pain, you should stop, because the body is no longer “trainable.”

We had a long chat where I explained the Hans Selye supercompensation theory, where the body’s systems are first depressed as the result of stress, and then, after a recovery period, they “rebound” into a greater performance capacity. I also explained that it was my impression that the further the athlete’s performance is depleted, the higher it will rise during the supercompensation phases. My athlete seems surprised by this, and his mood seemed significantly elevated as we left the track.

Day Twenty-Five:


B; Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches

Comments: My athlete admitted to feeling tired and “tight” today, and wasn’t at all disappointed about having an easy day with no sprints.

Day Twenty-Six:


B: Hip flexor, anterior deltoid and calf stretches and ab work

Comments: We took it easy on the ab work today, as we’re planning to sprint tomorrow. Flexibility is down a bit but still very good. The athlete predicts a good performance tomorrow.

Day Twenty-Seven:






B: Sprint Module:

10-Yard Sprints

#1: 2.24 seconds

#2: 2.25 seconds

#3: 2.21 seconds

#4: 2.18 seconds

#5: 2.20 seconds

#6: 2.16 seconds

#7: 2.28 seconds

#8: 2.26 seconds

#9: 2.28 seconds

#10: 2.28 seconds



Comments: No PR’s today, but performance is far better than last week’s. The athlete is somewhat disappointed and felt he would have had a better day today

Day Twenty-Eight: OFF

Comments: Needless to say, we’re really wanting to recover for the next few days. The athlete appears happy to be off, but over the phone I explained my premise that in the final days before a competition (or in this case, a test), there’s not much you can do to improve your fitness, but there is a LOT you can do to screw things up. My athlete laughed in recognition of the point I was making.

Day Twenty-Nine: OFF

Comments: We had a quick meeting at the “Y” today just to cover strategies for tomorrow’s sprint test. This primarily involved making sure his shoes were in good shape, that he had extra laces, and that he would do everything possibly to sleep well and not eat anything unusual the night before. The athlete is feeling “awesome” and ready to go.

Copyright 2004 http://www.SpeedExperts.com For more great programs, check out http://SportSpecific.com

Day Thirty: Test



Comments: After a thorough warm up, the athlete was electronically timed on 3 runs at the local university. His results were as follows:

#1: 4.66

#2: 4.62

#3: 4.65

On the second run my athlete hit a 4.62 40— an even better time than our goal of 4.7 seconds.

5. Project Close After the project has drawn to a conclusion, I implement a formal closing evaluation and statement. We use a project evaluation sheet to mutually determine to what degree we managed to meet various project specifications, pre-determined time frames, expected versus actual results, etc. The client signs off on this evaluation sheet, which accomplishes three purposes: 1) I am able to generate statistics on my success rate with clients 2) The client, by signing off on the evaluation form, etches in his or her own mind that (hopefully) the project was a success 3) Perhaps most importantly, I am able to learn: what we did well, what we should have done differently, and so forth. Failure to administer this last step condemns us to making the same mistakes over and over, rather than learning from our errors. Finally, from a marketing perspective, immediately after the client signs off on the project evaluation form, and while he’s enthusiastic about our relationship and the results we achieved, I will prompt the athlete to provide me with possible referrals etc Concluding Comments

In this chapter, I have attempted to create a hypothetical scenario that is representative of the process I follow when working with athletic clients. Clearly I have created a happy ending here, however, it’s important to realize that all coaches have their successes as well as failures (In fact, the better your reputation becomes, the more that the really tough cases will seek you out, which in itself can increase your “failure” rate).

This being the case, I feel that it’s critical to use a system that allows both the coach and athlete to learn from their mistakes— hence, the Project Close aspect of the STS system. When a training cycle does not lead to the expected outcome, it becomes imperative to find out why. Was the training process fully within your control, or were there outside influences that doomed the project from the start? Was this a “do-able” project, or one that should have “died” early? Did you have a gut feeling about a particular aspect of the





process that you ignored, but shouldn’t have? Did you find that one or more of your core operational principles failed to earn its keep? What would you have done differently, if you’d had the chance?

These are important questions to ask at the close of every project, and they deserve thoughtful answers. Otherwise, you’ll be claiming to have twenty years of experience in your field, when what you really have is one year of experience repeated twenty times.

The seventh STS core principle, as discussed earlier, is “cultivate a beginner’s mind.” This principle has been of enormous value to me over the years. Many coaches become confused and exasperated when the complexity of the task at hand meets the complexity of their own education. Step back from your own education and experience, and simply look at the situation for what it is. Don’t make a situation complex when it really isn’t. Trust your own abilities, and when you make mistakes (as you most certainly will!) LEARN from those mistakes. When you do this, you’ll become a better coach with every new project.





Charles Staley is known as the ³Secret Weapon² by his Olympic and Professional athletes for his ability to see what other coaches miss. When the elite of the sports world want innovative, ³out-of-the-box² solutions in their quest to reach World-class levels of performance, they come to Charles. For your FREE special report on Coach Staley's leading-edge training system, please send am e-mail to: [email protected] Or, for more information, please visit Coach Staley's websites: Escalating Density Training: www.EDTSecrets.com Staley Training Systems (private coaching group, hands-on consults, internships & seminars): www.StaleyTrainingSystems.com Integrated Sport Solutions (books, tapes & other products): www.IntegratedSportSolutions.com Martial Artists & Combat Athletes: www.CombatFitness.com or call 800.519.2492.



http://www.edtsecrets.com/

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