X-Force Elite Sports Document

Why Negative Training?Muscles can work with much higher loads eccentrically than concentrically; a greater load means more efficient workout and faster results.

•More work can be done eccentrically in less time; to improve muscle strength you have to overload the muscle (progressive training) and because the eccentric loads are greater, the muscles fatigue (reach failure) sooner.

•Eccentric work forces the muscle to work in the fast twitch mode; this results in increased explosive performance.

•There is greater neural adaptation to eccentric training compared with concentric training, along with a corresponding higher level of neural activity in each motor unit; the motor unit is the nerve cell controlling the action of a part of a muscle.

•Strength gains obtained through eccentric work will carry over to concentric work (cross education) but not vice versa! Compared with concentric training, strength gains from eccentric training will be maintained longer while de-training; muscle built using eccentric training (as opposed to using concentric training) is better able to withstand the breakdown process that starts when muscles rest.

•Eccentric work requires less oxygen than concentric, thus taxing the heart less; the slow eccentric phase does, however, tend to increase blood pressure during the workout.

•Eccentric training works the entire joint structure; this results in increased strength, stability, and range of motion as well as improved healing ability.

•Most preventive and post-surgical physiotherapy is now eccentrically-based; muscles are forced to work under greater loads and this makes them more stable which in turn benefits joint structures; eccentric training gives more stimulation to the so called passive structures – bones, ligaments, tendons and cartilage – making them stronger and healing them faster and better.

X-Force Master Trainers

Background Information to X-Force Training and Training Aims

I have been a full time athlete for 6 years competing for the Great British Water Polo Team. Strength training has and always will be a major aspect of all professional athletes and improving performance is key. Before my Commonwealth Championships in April I decided to use the X-Force as the main focus of my strength training. Before using X-Force I had been trained by S&C coaches from all over the world using free weights and body weight workouts.

The results I got from using X-Force once a week were amazing, I dropped 6% in body fat, lost 7cm off my skin folds and gained 1.2kg of lean muscle in 4 weeks. Gaining size for me is an issue as it affects my performance, but that never happened using X-Force. Instead I became stronger, more efficient and more powerful in my games. I still did all my swim training but that I have always done and never had these results, the only difference I made in my training was X-Force.

My performance at the Commonwealth was the best I have ever achieved, even better than when I competed at the Olympic Games and as a team we came back with the Gold Medal.

The aspect of negative training excelled my performance in such a short period of time and I would recommend this training to any athlete of any discipline.

Glen Robinson

I have been in the fitness industry for 10 years and have played sport at a high level. All of my previous training has

been free weights and functional training based, with no consideration for machines. When I first

discovered X-Force I was unsure about how it would benefit my training and health.

In February 2014 I decided to use X-Force once a week as my main source of strength training and after 8 weeks

I was shocked at how much my strength had increased in such a short space of time. Alongside my strength

gains, my body fat percentage dropped whilst my lean muscle increased.

One of the best things I loved best about the X-Force was the amount of time it took to complete a full body workout.

By training each muscle group to failure for just one set, I felt I had worked harder than in any of my previous free weights sessions in a third of the time. As a previous free

weight specialist, I cannot recommend X-Force enough as the core foundation of strength training.

Lee Jones

The main aim and objective of the 6 week X-Force Programme is to improve the strength of the individual by a minimum of 10%. This is measured by a 6 rep max test at the start and finish of the programme.

Protocols 6 Rep Max TestingDetermining training loads requires the coach/trainer to first choose the number of repetitions the member will perform during the programme. X-Force programming states 6-8 repetition maximums for the best training benefits, allowing for a maximum of 10 repetitions before increasing the load.

The following testing can be used in advance of a Body Transformation Programme to ensure that all the course participants are using weights that are going to maximise benefits from the beginning of the training programme. After an X-Force introduction by the trainer/coach, the member is given the chance to achieve a 6 repetition maximum range whilst increasing resistance in increments on each set. A minimum of two of the following machines are to be used:

Leg Press

Leg Quadriceps

Pec Seated Press

Horizontal Leg Curl

Lat Back Pull

X-Force Training Aims and Objectives

Football

The 3-1-5 Training protocol is as follows:Member should warm up with light weight that allows for

8-10 repetitions

Rest for 2 minutes

Member should then complete a set with weight that

allows for 6-8 repetitions

The client should attempt a 6 Rep Max

They have 3 attempts to find their heaviest 6 reps. If they

fail on the 3rd attempt for a full 6 reps then we will take

their 1st or 2nd attempt.

Note: The member should aim to attain a 6RM in as few

sets as possible as muscular fatigue will be a factor in

maximal lifting weight due to excessive loading in

multiple sets.

The before and after results are listed in kg for the negative

phase of the movement. The results are shown in the far

right hand column.

As you can see there was a significant increase in strength

throughout the squad, with a total combined increase

of 22.1% in leg strength and 27.5% increase in upper

body strength. This was more than double our starting

expectation of 10%.

Before

266kg

6560kg

Players=21

Lower Body Strength (2 Machine Average for

6 repetitions)

Upper Body Strength (4 Machine Average for

6 repetitions)

After

325kg

8370kg

Increase Kg

59kg

1810kg

Increase %

22.1

27.5

Test 1

Test 1

Test 1

CMJ

Biomechani-cal score

1.60

35.80

36.10

Acceleration 10m sprint Test 2

Test 2

Test 2

1.55

39.28

36.50

Difference

Difference

Difference

0.05

3.48

0.40

Difference %

Difference %

Difference %

3.07

9.73

1.12

Squad Average Strength Increase

• As you can see there was a 3.07% increase in their 10 metre sprint test

• There was a significant increase in their jump test of 9.73%, proving that their power output has improved

• There was an increase of 1.12% in their Biomechanical score which includes flexibility and stability.

Coaches involved: • Nick Harrison (Academy Manager)• Andy Fensome ( Youth Team Coach)• Stuart Delaney ( Head of Coaching – now works for the FA)• Andrew Livingstone ( Academy Coach and Head of Recruitment)• Nicky Reid ( Youth Team Physio and Head of Academy Sport Science) The field testing protocols are set by professional football support.

*** Unfortunately there was a negative effect of -1.36% on their multi stage fitness, but again this could be because they retested the day after a match. We would like to retake

the test when the players are fresh.

Test 120m Sprint

Test

Test 1

Test 1

Test 1

Test 1

2.86

2.25

29.76

8.99

13.04

Decrement

Time to complete repeated sprints

Agility

Multi StageFitness

Test 2

Test 2

Test 2

Test 2

Test 2

2.82

2.68

29.47

9.11

12.73

Difference

Difference

Difference

Difference

Difference

0.04

0.44

-0.29

-0.12

-0.31

Difference %

Difference %

Difference %

Difference %

Difference %

1.42

19.39

-0.96

-1.36

-2.36

• There was an increase in speed of 1.42% in their 20m sprint test

• There was a significant improvement of 19.39% on the decrement testing.

• There was an improvement of 0.96% on their repeated sprint times.

• There was a significant increase in their jump test of 9.73%, proving that their power output has improved

These results are due to adding 1 extra session a week on X-Force as their strength and conditioning training. These results have superseded our expectations, and

proves that X-Force will improve sporting performance.

Player Feedback •‘Stronger on the ball, more explosive on the pitch.’

•‘Change in pace is more explosive, fitness has improved, vertical jump has improved allowing me to win more aerial challenges.’

•‘Have a stronger physical presence on the pitch; finding I am not getting knocked off the ball as easily.’ •‘Finding my legs are so much stronger, shot has improved significantly having much more power behind it.’ •‘Agility is much better in the goals and I’m much stronger in the box, winning aerial challenges from corners, free kicks etc.’ •‘Huge improvements in fitness and strength; finding my-self able to keep going up and down the pitch towards the end of the game.’

OVERVIEW

Football Here we took on another youth football academy to collaborate more data, seeing if as a squad we would find different progressions.

Following the same protocols as the previous squad we integrated X-Force into their training schedule.

What we found from this academy was that there was a slightly smaller percentage increase in strength in comparison to the previous academy, but I still superseded any progression gained by other methods of training. This shows that with X-Force you can be looking to gain over a 10% minimum increase over a 6-8 week period.

With this academy we also found that their performance on the pitch had improved in all areas, strength, speed, power and endurance.

Before

237kg

303kg

Players=14

Lower Body Strength (2 Machine Average for

6 repetitions)


6 repetitions)

After

290kg

375kg

Increase Kg

53kg

72kg

Increase %

22.3

23.7

Aims and Objectives

The main aim and objective of the 6 week X-Force Programme is to improve the strength, lactic threshold, power output and endurance, improving the overall performance of the individual by a minimum of 10%. This is measured by comparing last season’s results with the start of the new season’s results for Ryan.

The X-Force Workout

The X-Force workout we used was the pre-exhaust workout. This is done by fatiguing the smaller muscle groups on an isolation movement before working the larger (major) muscle group on a compound movement, e.g. The Hamstrings (HLC) Quadriceps (LQ) Leg Press (LP), this routine allows the gluteus to have a much more efficient workout due to the hamstring and quadriceps being worked to failure first.

The X-Force workout is based on a 1 set to failure routine for maximum strength gains! This allows all the muscle fibres to be recruited (type 1, type 11a and type 11b) and causes a much deeper inroad into the muscles more efficiently than other conventional methods of strength training.

The routine is done once a week and for 6 weeks, a total of 3 hours training, allowing substantial recovery and permitting the athlete to focus on other aspects of their training.

12 out of the 14 machines were used each week alternating shoulder with chest. In order to minimise the stress on the shoulder but maximise the strength potential.

Horizontal leg curl

Leg quadriceps

Leg press

Lat back circular

Lat back row

Pec arm cross. Deltoid lift

Pec seated Press. Deltoid press

Bicep curl

Lat back pull

Tricep press

Pec angle press

Ab crunch

tRACK/rOAD cYCLING

The 3-1-5 Training protocol is as follows:

Member should warm up with light weight that allows for

8-10 repetitions

Rest for 2 minutes

Member should then complete a set with weight that

allows for 6-8 repetitions

The client should attempt a 6 Rep Max

They have 3 attempts to find their heaviest 6 reps. If they

fail on the 3rd attempt for a full 6 reps then we will take

their 1st or 2nd attempt.

Note: The member should aim to attain a 10-12 rep max for

the legs and a 6-8 rep max for upper body and be as close

to failure as possible within one set of each exercise.

Before

250kg

450kg

Lower Body Strength (3 Machine

Average for 10-12

repetitions/failure)


6 repetitions)

After

330kg

630kg

Increase Kg

80kg

180kg

Increase %

32%

40%

Lactate Threshold

2000

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

225 250 275

Power (Watts)

Lact

ate

(Mm

ol-m

in-1

300 325 350 375 400

Oct 14

Jan 15

rest

Lactate threshold results from October and then in JanuaryIt can be seen Ryan managed 2 stages extra at 375w and 400w, an extra 8mins of effort above Octobers test. Ryan also achieved 425w for around 30secs during Januarys test.

Results here would suggest Ryan’s Lactate Threshold had moved from 310-315watts to ~340watts which I would consider to be a big improvement during this time frame given the level of his training.

Peak 5 minutes:Previous best 5 minutes Power Output was 392w; this was achieved out on the road on a climb which tends to be ‘easier’ than on a static trainer/turbo. This was also towards the end of a racing season when Ryan was at his strongest for the year

Towards the end of 2015, Ryan hit 415w for 5 minutes on a turbo trainer. I am confident that by now he could beat this again and would have been able to put out even more if this had been the same given effort on the road

Peak 5secs (sprint effort):Last season Ryan’s peak PO was 1100-1200w. For 1 second or less. His peak 5 seconds was <1000w.

This year Ryan has produced >1200w for 5secs, particularly impressive here as his main strength isn’t sprinting.

Race efforts: Best race effort last season was a ‘Normalised Power’ of 320w for ~80mins. In his 1st race this season, Ryan sustained the same level of effort for 150mins having never raced over this distance previously. The results show that Ryan has achieved significant improvement in all areas of his performance compared to last season and superseded our predicted expectations of his improvement.

We are now continuing his training as a maintenance programme whilst in peak season.

Quote

‘Using X-Force as my core S & C training has allowed me so much more time to focus on my cycling, giving me more time to perfect my sports specific training on the track and giving me the best structure I’ve ever had to my training.’

Before

360kg

790kg


Average for 10-12



6-8 repetitions)

After

470kg

920kg

Increase Kg

110kg

130kg

Increase %

30%

16%

I have been a full time athlete for 6 years competing for the Great British Water Polo Team. Strength training has and always will be a major aspect of all professional athletes and improving performance is key.

Before my Commonwealth Championships in April I decided to use the X-Force as the main focus of my strength training.

Before using X-Force I had been trained by S & C coaches from all over the world using free weights and body weight workouts.

The results I got from using X-Force once a week were amazing, I dropped 6% in body fat, lost 7cm off my skin folds and gained 1.2kg of lean muscle in 6 weeks.

Gaining size for me is an issue as it affects my performance, but that never happened using X-Force. Instead I became stronger, more efficient and more powerful in my games. I still did all my swim training but that I have always done and never had these results, the only difference I made in my training was X-Force.

My performance at the Commonwealths was the best I have ever achieved, even better than when I competed at the London Olympic Games and as a team we came back with the Commonwealth Gold Medal.

wATER POLO

This was the first time we had ever trained children of this age range so we did not know what to expect from the programme, but as you can see their strength increase has doubled over the 16 weeks.

Performance testing

Before

This case study was done with 6 children aged 10-12 years, following the same protocols as all previous case studies, except for the number of reps completed and they trained every other week over 16 weeks (8 training sessions/4 hours training.) The rep range was 15-20 for both lower and upper body.s the best I have ever achieved, even better than when I competed at the London Olympic Games and as a team we came back with the Commonwealth Gold Medal.

10m Sprint

Before

Athlete 1

Athlete 2

Athlete 3

Athlete 4

Athlete 5

Athlete 6

3.156

3.21

3.342

1.315

3.191

3.242

2.375

2.398

2.426

2.421

2.419

2.396

0.781

0.812

0.916

0.894

0.772

0.846

26.896

27.153

27.341

27.589

27.754

27.932

25.103

26.01

26.718

26.112

26.192

26.048

1.793

1.143

0.623

1.477

1.562

1.884

38.715

38.637

39.017

38.956

38.715

38.812

36.142

36.951

37.612

37.148

36.142

36.485

2.573

1.686

1.405

1.808

2.573

2.327

Before BeforeAfter After AfterDifference Difference Difference

Half Lap Full Lap

590kg

790kg


Average for 15-20



15-20 repetitions)

After

1,210kg

1,330kg

Increase Kg

620kg

540kg

Increase %

105%

68%

BMX Cycling

Sandra Stafford. Eleana has been on a British Cycling Apprenticeship since September and when she

had the opportunity to do the X-Force Programme we jumped at the chance. Our initial meeting with Lee and Colin was really informative and gave us the information Eleana

and both myself and her Dad needed to know that the programme was right for her. The group of riders she did the sessions with was really beneficial and they all encouraged each other to push that little bit further. When Eleana started with British Cycling they

conducted strength tests so they could monitor her growth throughout her programme. The recent tests following her sessions with X-Force have shown she is the strongest female rider on the apprenticeship. Her commitment to becoming stronger has been

great throughout the programme and this is down to the people who deliver it. I would like to thank Lee, Colin and Sean for this fantastic opportunity and hope it is something

we can carry on with.

Charlie Hector. Charlie is a very shy boy and BMX racing has helped to bring him out of his shell. When we decided to put Charlie onto the Peak Performance Academy sessions it wasn’t just about improving his performance levels it was also about giving him life skills which I

knew Peak Performance did following a conversation with a few people within the BMX community. The link with the X-Force Programme has really been of benefit to Charlie and in the time has been on the programme Charlie has gone from not making it out of moto`s at club level racing to qualifying for B Finals at national level which is a massive achievement for him as some of the other riders have twice as much experience as him.

Ryan & Alex Brookes. With both Ryan & Alex being so young and small for their age I was a little apprehensive about the programme and needed more information before I committed to the sessions.

Once I had a meeting with the X-Force coaches and they explained fully what the programme consisted of and how they would be supported throughout the programme

I knew it would be right for them. To see the change in both the boys in such a short time is unbelievable. More muscle definition, feeling stronger, feeling confident and positive

training have been just a few things both Ryan and Alex have gained from the X-Force Sessions.

Archie Hull. Archie has always thought himself as a bit of a muscle man and to be given the chance

to be involved in the X-Force brand was something he jumped at. Archie lived for his Thursday nights and seeing the X-Force coaches who really encouraged him to push that

bit more. In the time he has been doing the X-Force sessions not only has he become stronger but his whole attitude to life has changed in a positive way. I would like to thank

Lee, Colin and Sean for the time and effort they have put into the X-Force Sessions as it has not only changed Archie’s life but also changed mine as well.

We did an 8 week X-Force case study with an elite swimmer aged 16 years competing at National standard.

He has competed at:

• British Gas ASA Nationals-Bronze

• Lancashire County Championships

• Holds 100m + 200m National qualifying times

selected for England talent program

Performance times.

January 100m Breaststroke 2013: 1.10.92 Freestyle 2013: 1.00.55January 100m Breaststroke 2014: 1.10.01 Fly 2014: 1.07.39 Freestyle 2014: 59.96January 200m Breaststroke 2014: 2:28:60

September X-Force 2014

January 100m Breaststroke 2015: 1.07.52 Fly 2015: 1.02.60 Freestyle 2015: 55.33January 200m Breaststroke 2015: 2:22.99

Before

360kg

770kg


Average for 10-12



6-8 repetitions)

After

410kg

880kg

Increase Kg

50kg

110kg

Increase %

13.8%

14.2%

SWIMMING

As you can see from these results X-force has had a huge impact on both strength and performance on a well-trained high end athlete at the age of 16. This data is extremely valuable for the future of our athletes. There has been an incredibly positive impact from such a wide age range starting from 12 years through to 26 years of age, from beginners in their sport right through to a full time professional. With X-Force implemented as the core of any athletes training programme, this game changing equipment could be the future for all disciplines. It is allowing athletes to focus on their sports specific training, whilst increasing their strength, power and endurance, giving them the edge over opponents. If X-Force is used correctly and you structure your training around X-Force and not structure X-Force around your training, this revolutionary piece of equipment could be the game changer you are looking for.

Please continue to see further results that have been collected during a 5-8 week programme utilising X-Force once a week on a 1:2:1 basis. These are real members with real results, take your time to read what they experienced and achieved with their journey on an X-Force programme.

SUMMARY

X-Force Elite Sports Document

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