Guest Blog from Annalise at TrueFitness – Agility

Over the next few weeks there will be a new guest blogger at YSC! The trainers at TrueFitness in San Diego, CA  will be sharing a rugby focused training post each week on Wednesdays. We would like to formally welcome Annalise to YSC!

Agility is the ability to start and stop. More specifically, it is the ability to accelerate and decelerate and to be able to change direction while doing both with as little loss of speed and time as possible.

At TrueFitness, we like to think of athletic movements as linking. We look at movements as linked together where no one athletic movement is singular in action. The proper order of events during a movement is known as sequential linking. Movements are linked together in proper order to produce a faster, more explosive and powerful athlete. When training agility we train the movement as a whole. Teach the movements as a whole then fix any part that is breaking down or needs perfecting. This is the surest and easiest way to learn a new technique or movement. After the movement is learned, we then look to perfect each part to maximize speed, reactivity, agility and in turn performance.

Agility has several parts that need to be linked together in order to maximize performance. Acceleration, deceleration, direction change and re-acceleration. For the length of this blog today we are limited to only speaking of acceleration. Later blogs will delve into the other aspects of agility. So for today we will begin with the proper mechanics of acceleration.

Acceleration involves a combination of ground mechanics and propulsion mechanics. Ground mechanics involve the foot on the ground and its subsequent actions of pushing off the ground and extending the knee and hip. Propulsion mechanics involve the other parts of the body working to propel the body forward smoothly and with minimal effort.

Ground mechanics involve the proper linking of ankle plantarflexion with knee and hip extension. When proper technique is linked with explosive training it will produce an increase in acceleration which in turn will improve sports performance.

Propulsion mechanics entail the opposite leg and the upper body. The opposite leg of the ground contact is going through hip and knee flexion as well as ankle dorsiflexion. The upper body will involve arm swing with the opposite arm involving shoulder flexion and the ipsilateral side arm going through shoulder extension.

Learning to maximize thrust and powerful explosive movement while minimizing drag and missteps will help with acceleration and speed. A proper technique for running will help with speed and learning to train acceleration through agility drills will help an athlete to achieve full speed quicker.

Proper linking of ground and propulsion mechanics will maximize acceleration and therefore agility. Agility is a key element toward sports performance. So mastering acceleration and agility to maximize sports performance should be a key element of any athletes training program.

Anyone in the San Diego area is welcome to drop in at our studio at 2949 Garnet Ave. 3rd floor, Pacific Beach, CA. We would love to put you through our workout. Please feel free to call or email Annalise Evans of TrueFitness with any questions: (760) 809 1848 annalise@truefitness.biz and join her fan page on Facebook: TrueFitness Annalise Evans.