SPEED APPROACH IN TRIPLE JUMP

In the last few weeks I received various emails with the same question; is speed approach the most important thing to achieve a good jump? First let me ask a question to all of you, if speed is the most important thing to achieve a good jump, why there are so many triple jumpers out there capable of running 10.05/10.40sg at 100m and yet they are still unable to jump even 16.00m?

There are many factors to achieve a good jump, and I would to discuss what I think they are the most important for me. Naturally a triple jumper needs to have good speed but he also needs coordination, rhythm, a really good reaction on the ground and, the most difficult to achieve, the ability to maintain or increase the speed between jumps.  An athlete can even have a good ability in  all these factors  and yet still not be able to pass the barrier of 16m, and this has to do with his ability to create time and space between jumps.

Some coaches, when their athletes start to have problems in improving his personal record, the first thing that they want to improve is the speed approach. These coaches forget that in triple jump; you cannot concentrate only in improving one technique, because as I always said, everything has to be balanced. If you want to improve the speed, the athlete also has to be prepared to handle that speed from take-off until the final jump. To be clearer, if you work to improve the speed,  it also has to work with plyometric exercises to improve the coordination between the arms and legs, rhythm, power of reaction at the time of impact on the ground, posture and the hip position during jumps.  Then you have to put all that work together to get the balance directed to develop a good jump. 

          

For an athlete to have the ability to create time and space between jumps, he needs a combination of a good sense of rhythm, and the ability to maintain or increase the speed between jumps. These two factors have to work together to carrying a good jump. When an athlete has good speed approach, of course it has an advantage, but the problem is, how to control that speed for a good jump?  To give you an example, I have helped athletes who managed to jump 17.05m with 7 step approach and when he performed jumps from 12 step approach, their jumps results were the same distance or lower than 17m,  therefore, speed control plays a big role in these results. 

  

Therefore to improve these issues, we started working to control the approach, and work with plyometric exercises to improve the time and space between jumps. I want to clarify that these exercises should be performed with speed between obstacles, for example cones or hurdles. It is very important that these exercises are conducted under the supervision of your coach

That entire problem has to do with control of speed; it is not how fast you run, but it having the ability to control the speed approach.

WHY SOME ATHLETES FAIL TO MAKE THE DISTANCE THEY EXPECT?

I discussed this issue some time ago, but I still want to answer the question to one of my colleagues. Many athletes are frustrated at not being able to make the distance or the limit that they want, although according to them, they train well enough to do it. I have personally visited various athletic clubs in Europe, and it is impressive, the amount of talent that you can find in those clubs. The problem is, when you look at the historical results of many of them, almost all of them have good results in the junior stage, but when they start the senior stage, the results begin to deteriorate. Many factors can cause this impoverishment, but I just want to mention one that in my opinion is the biggest cause of this problem.

It is the lack of work on the technical development of the base of young athletes. I know that one of the biggest problems also is that the majority of the coaches in the clubs work as volunteers.

Most of these coaches are trying to do what they can to get results and there are some who manage to achieve this.

 All coaches are looking for result and they want to have results, but when you work as volunteer almost always you will have to confront problems that will stop the development of the athlete. I respect the traditions of each country, but I wonder when you have to work two jobs in the day, and at night you have to work as a coach, not matter what, it`s not possible to focus 100% on  your athletes. Even if you're suited to train in that way, the results will not be good. I want to clarify of course, that I speak here about when you train an athlete to the elite level.

I have talked to some coaches about this subject, and some of them have told me that they have no problem with this, but if this is true, then why do the athletes still struggle to make results? With respect for all the coaches in the world, but to have results and success, you need to work with your athletes full time. As I said before, all coaches want the same thing, (results) and this desire often makes us forget some factors that later will impact negatively on  the development of the athlete’s  and the stability between the athlete and coach.

In my long experience as a professional coach, I've noticed that one of the most important things to have results, is to know the athlete, listen, respect and trust them. If you are not available to work full time with them, it will be difficult to recognize the qualities of the athletes. When you know the athletes, working together is even easier and this relationship strengthens the confidence between both. When the athlete does not trust his coach and vice versa, no matter   how hard the athlete trains, there will always be problems, with painful consequences for both.

I've always said that no athlete can reach the top level with only 2 or 3 times training a week, and also the athlete will have not result training on his own with a training program on internet.  Many coaches saw the results of (Julius Yego) javelin thrower of Kenya. It is crazy, but now some coaches set (Julius Yego) as an example that you can reach the top via the internet, just because he did it. I think there are no problems with learning the technique via the Internet, but one thing is the technical theory, and the other is the practical technique.

I want to make clear to everyone that, when it comes to reaching the elite level you have to be guided by a good professional coach with knowledge and experience in the discipline. Also, often athletes have to travel to other countries to seek technical assistance, as many countries, including European countries,do not have the technical knowledge of the discipline to take the athletes to the top level. Another important aspect is to train five days a week and in many cases two sessions, in addition to working hard at polishing the technique and the basic technical movement of the exercises etc.

The overall result is the balanced combination between the athlete and coach, with confidence, knowledge, experience and the competitive character of the athlete. 

Amazing news for would-be Olympic athletes- IAAF lowers Jumps Limit for Olympic Entry Level

How many triple jumpers or long jumpers out there are struggling to achieve the limit for the Olympics? Many people think that triple jump is an easy discipline but they have no idea how hard you have to work to achieve each centimeter every year. A few days ago the IAAF made changes to the limits for the Olympics 2016 in Rio for some disciplines and amongst those was the Triple Jump.

I heard some comments on whether such a change could lower the level of the elite jumpers. I respect the opinion of each person, but in my opinion this change will develop and provide better growth to this discipline. When an athlete manages to jump the limit for the Olympics, almost always the results during competition in The Olympics are better.  Also if we want to develop this discipline and put it on a higher plane, this change has come at a perfect time when a couple of months ago the Olympic committee began talking to eliminate the triple jump as Olympic event.

I want to tell to all those triple jumpers in the world, please do not lose hope.  I know there are many of you who have not the possibility to train with all necessary conditions to achieve  your dreams. Also some jumpers have no support from any organization (sponsor) nor even from his own federation.  If you really want to participate as an athlete in the Olympics and believe you have the possibility to be there, then you know the sacrifice that you have to make to achieve it. If you do not have a good coach, look for one that has the knowledge to take you up to 17m+ in a short time.

Remember that to achieve these objectives, you already must be jumping over 16m+, you have to be injury free, you have to be strong mentally, and prepared to achieve your goal. Another  very important thing is that you have to be prepared to put your training as a first priority, and leave aside many of the things  that you normally do weekly, such as party, drink etc. If you believe in yourself, do what you have to do to achieve your goal however difficult  it is, and remember just one jump can change your life.  

If you, as an athlete, do not have the conditions or the possibility of having a good coach, and for some reason you are in London, or are able to travel to London, you can contact me and we can discuss how I can help you with your training. Also if your federation can’t help you, and perhaps they could benefit from my experience and advice, they also can contact me at panicoach@gmail.com

Approach question.

Today someone asked me if it is appropriate to train the approach in the Preparation Stage. If you have programmed into your training program to start the competition season with indoor competitions, of course you have to practice the approach in this period. Here you have to be very careful with the approach distance, speed, control and rhythms.

When we start the competitive season indoor, the athlete never uses the full approach. Depending on what the level and quality of the athlete is at that time, almost always it is recommended that athletes start with the 7 step approach. Why? As I explained before, in the preparation stage the athlete's body is overloaded and to achieve results it is necessary to have a good controlled approach in order to maintain speed and rhythm in balance.

There are many athletes who maintain the full approach indoor as outdoor. If the athlete has to compete in one of the major competitions like the World Championship or the European Indoor Championship, of course the approach should be different. For the first indoor competition, I recommend to my athletes to use the 7 step approaches, as explained before, depending on their level. You can change the distance as well as the speed, according to the competition results of the athlete.

Each coach makes his own decisions, as to whether the athlete needs more distance or not, and also the coach will know clearly when or in which moment the athlete needs to apply it.

How often you should train during the week    III

Triple jumpers or long jumpers have to have a training program well organized for 5 days a week. Many athletes in Europe train only three times a week, and the workouts are only organized for one hour and thirty minutes. If you as an athlete really want to get to the elite level, it is impossible that you will achieve good result with three time’s week training.

The stage of Physical Preparation is very important for the development of the jumper. At this stage the physical trainings are very strong so the importance of designing a training program for five days a week is essential. The jumper at this stage has to begin to strengthen their entire body and also has to work with endurance at the same time. Also, coordination work is very important in this period, during which specific exercises for triple jumps with hurdles must be used. (These exercises with hurdles are also important for the long jumper or high jumper.)

These exercises can be performed in the sand, track or grass and if you have a coach with a lot of knowledge in triple jump, you can also perform these exercises on a hard surface. When the athlete works on the hard surface directly, he is working on an explosiveness and reaction upon each landing and takeoff.

 (Note: Never perform these exercises without the assistance of your coach).

Coordination exercises with hurdles must be very varied for example, 

-      Exercises to improve the coordination between arms and legs,

-      Rotational movement exercise to improve the coordination and balance,

-      Coordination and rhythm exercise, these exercises are to improve the time and space etc.

There are many different types of coordination exercises with hurdles but as I usually say, each exercise should be done according to the quality of the athlete and what the athlete really needs

I want to remind you that this is only an example and not a trainings program that you have to follow.     

A LEGEND 

When we talk about world class triple jumpers, we must speak about Yamila Aldama, who is preparing to represent United Kingdom Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil next year. I personally have great respect for all triple jumpers in the world, but when we are talking about Yamila Aldama we are talking about a true legend in this discipline.

Many athletes in the world, when they reach 32 years of age begin to retire to be active in sports, and especially triple jumpers. Yamila Aldama , at 43 years of age, has been able to maintain her  elite level physical qualities , and her psychological power has turned her  into   one of the greatest jumpers of all time.

Only a triple jumper can describe the work and the constant effort to be made to achieve a centimeter every day. To reach that level, it takes years of hard work, a perfect psychological preparation, and above all a great motivation.  All those who have knowledge of this field are well aware of the number of jumps which an athlete has to do during training each year.

We must not forget that at each jump, the legs have to bear the impact of 8 times the body weight, so you can imagine the physical preparation to be taken to resist this overload at each training and competition.

Yamila Aldama is an example for all jumpers ,both women and men, but also for those who have great talent, and just because they reach 30 years of age they considered themselves veterans and haven`t  the strength to keep fighting because others people considered them too  old.

Yamila Aldana is a living example to follow for all those athletes who still dream of reaching the elite. Remember that having 30 years in this discipline does not mean that you are too old to be in the elite or that you have to stop dreaming to be in the top. It is up to you to decide what you really want and remember; never let other people determine when you should stop training because according to them, you’re too old. Yamila Aldama is a great example for every body and she has become a great legend.

PREPARATION PART  II

Preparation is the road to success- by that I mean that every athlete has to have a good workout plan that is perfectly organized. This will give the opportunity to the athlete to maintain a good monitoring throughout the preparation stage.

The triple jumper, depending on their quality and skill, has to work in several different ways, for example, you have to know how to combine strength and explosiveness, and work in different fields. The exercises begin in the sand, then pass to the grass and finally go to the track. Of course this happens during the preparation stage, not in one day.

As regards power, training must take place not only in the gym with weights, but it is also necessary to train our natural strength without the help of any material medium. For example, jumping drills in the sand, such as continued short and long distances jumps, continuous vertical jumps, horizontal jumps and cross jumps, etc. When we are performing these exercises it is better to divide the workout into two sessions, for example, beach (sand) in the morning session and weights (gym) in the afternoon session. In the sand, we are training the natural power but not explosive strength. The explosive strength you will gain during the training with weights. Remember at this stage, the athlete will feel a very heavy body so sometimes it is difficult for a coach to see the development of the reaction and explosiveness. It is therefore advisable to perform each month, an evaluation test, such as standing explosive jumps to analyze the reaction and explosiveness of the athlete.

 Power also can be combined with the endurance, for example,  exercises  such as 30m horizontal jumps ,followed with  speed drills  in the last 30m uphill,  30m alternate jumps followed by 30m speed or 30m combined jumps followed by 30m etc………