Performance Testing When working with an individual athlete or team the first step is to always screen movement quality, and assess nutrition and lifestyle factors. After this has been completed we can then move onto Performance Testing. Performance testing will first of all give you an initial base line to where your athlete(s) are at with regards to different bio-motor qualities, and energy systems. When testing beginners we are just getting general base lines of bio-motor qualities (speed, agility, explosive strength, strength, work capacity, etc). A lot of times sport coaches, and/or managers want to have some tangible data on all their players so with regard to complete beginners you can do some modified testing. Secondly when working with a well-trained individual/ or group of individuals, testing will also show you which specific qualities are lacking in the individual(s), that maybe inhabiting attainment of optimal performance. This is how performance testing can help us further individualize our program design for our athletes. This is where block periodization models are superior to a concurrent approach. Basically the performance testing will tell us what qualities (movement quality, work capacity, BF%, max strength, explosive strength, elastic strength, speed) need to be focused on to help the athlete attain optimal performance. An obvious statement here but one I am just going to make anyway, is that with beginners the testing protocols should be more general, and less complex (e.g. when completely un-trained with regards to performance of strength and explosive types lifts, these should NOT be included in the initial testing protocol, for the obvious reasons of risk of injury, plus it is just pure stupid). Tests of a lesser complexity and that are more general can be used in these situations, if testing of *beginners are desired. With the well trained individual(s) testing can be more specific and complex. The well trained individual(s), will have experience with the execution of the major strength and explosive lifts, and thus these can be used within the testing protocol, as the risk of injury is very low due to the individual(s) proficiency at executing the
Transcript
Performance Testing
When working with an individual athlete or team the first step is to always screen movement quality, and assess nutrition and lifestyle factors. After this has been completed we can then move onto Performance Testing.
Performance testing will first of all give you an initial base line to where your athlete(s) are at with regards to different bio-motor qualities, and energy systems. When testing beginners we are just getting general base lines of bio-motor qualities (speed, agility, explosive strength, strength, work capacity, etc). A lot of times sport coaches, and/or managers want to have some tangible data on all their players so with regard to complete beginners you can do some modified testing.
Secondly when working with a well-trained individual/ or group of individuals, testing will also show you which specific qualities are lacking in the individual(s), that maybe inhabiting attainment of optimal performance. This is how performance testing can help us further individualize our program design for our athletes. This is where block periodization models are superior to a concurrent approach. Basically the performance testing will tell us what qualities (movement quality, work capacity, BF%, max strength, explosive strength, elastic strength, speed) need to be focused on to help the athlete attain optimal performance.
An obvious statement here but one I am just going to make anyway, is that with beginners the testing protocols should be more general, and less complex (e.g. when completely un-trained with regards to performance of strength and explosive types lifts, these should NOT be included in the initial testing protocol, for the obvious reasons of risk of injury, plus it is just pure stupid). Tests of a lesser complexity and that are more general can be used in these situations, if testing of *beginners are desired.
With the well trained individual(s) testing can be more specific and complex. The well trained individual(s), will have experience with the execution of the major strength and explosive lifts, and thus these can be used within the testing protocol, as the risk of injury is very low due to the individual(s) proficiency at executing the more complex lifts. This statement is of course presuming that the athlete(s) is proficient at executing major strength and explosive lifts.
*Note: By beginner I do not mean a young boy/girl. I am referring to when a coach works with a senior squad of players, which may have some young (first year on the squad) players with little to no experience with general physical preparation/ strength & conditioning.
I do not test kids!!
Performance Testing Format for Alactic-Aerobic Sports (GAA, soccer, rugby)
Again first things first:
Nutrition & Lifestyle AnalysisFunctional Movement Screening
Then performance tests as long as the athlete is pain free!
The tests to be performed are as follows and are also listed in the order to which they should be performed:
6). Elastic Strength:4 Jump TestOrDepth Jump/Drop into Vertical Jump
7). Max StrengthLower Body – Squat VariationsLower/Total Body – Deadlift VariationsUpper Body Push – Bench and Military PressUpper Body Pull – Weight Chin/Pull Up
8). Alactic-Aerobic Capacity - Repeated Sprint Ability Yo-Yo Test Variations
Testing for the Beginner:
When working with a team some managers will want data on all their players regardless of training age with regards to general physical preparation. So with beginners you can adapt the testing as follows
3). Multi-Directional Speed (Change of directional/Agility):5-10-5
4). Starting Strength:Speed-Strength Indictors - Non-Counter Movement Jump Variations (Vertical/Horizontal)
5). Explosive Strength (Strength-Speed and Speed-Strength): Speed-Strength Indictors – Counter Movement Jump Variations (Vertical/Horizontal)
6). Elastic Strength (Speed-Strength):4 Jump TestDepth Jump/Drop into Vertical Jump
7). Repetition Strength/Strength Endurance TestsUpper Body Push – Push Up x AMRAP – If Trunk Stability Push Up is a 2Upper Body Pull – Chin Up/Inverted Row x AMRAP – If Shoulder Mobility is clear
8). Alactic-Aerobic Capacity - Repeated Sprint Ability Yo-Yo Test Variations
So basically with the beginner we take away the following (for obvious reasons):Olympic Lift VariationsMax Strength Efforts
And replace these with:Olympic Lift Variations – just use vertical jump variations as explosive strength indicatorsMax Strength Efforts – replace with bodyweight repetition efforts. Just to have some data for the sports coach/manager if required
Note:If an athlete has pain – this may mean he or she will not be able to complete some or all testing!
If an athlete failed a particular screen badly – this may inhibit this athlete from completing a certain test
Why these tests?These tests were chosen because we want to get individual data on where each bio-motor quality is.
Bio-Motor Quality/and other Qualities Screen/TestHormones, Biochemistry, Nutrition and Lifestyle Analysis
Speed-Strength – Counter Movement Jump Variations, Medicine Ball Throw Variations
Elastic Strength 4 Jump Test
Depth Jump/Drop into Vertical Jump
Speed 40m Linear Speed Test (10m Section)
Multi-Directional Speed (Agility /Change of Direction)
5-10-5
The Block Model that I use:The why in which I use the block method is I train the athletes most lacking bio-motor quality, and energy system that was shown up on the Performance Testing results.
There is a hierarchy in which the bio-motor qualities need to be addressed. This hierarchy is depicted below in Table 1.
Table 1: Athletic Performance Hierarchy - Adapted From Al Vermeil
So as you can see from the above nutrition, supplementation, circadian rhythms, mental, emotional, spiritual health, and movement quality are the foundation to support the bio-motor qualities higher up on the hierarchy. From there we have work capacity, body composition training, hypertrophy, maximum strength, explosive strength, elastcic/reactive strength, and speed.
To summarize the hierarchy I always say – “The premise of the Athletic Development Hierarchy is that all of the preceding qualities need to be optimally developed to support the succeeding qualities higher up on the hierarchy”
Something to keep in mind here about the above diagram is that you may have athletes with well-developed levels of qualities higher up on the hierarchy, while concurrently having less than optimal development of qualities lower down the hierarchy that are critical to support the qualities nearer the top.
For instance you may have athletes with well-developed levels of strength, explosive strength, elastic strength, and/or speed, without having an optimal foundation of nutrition, movement quality, and/or work capacity. The key point here is that without an optimal foundation of preceding qualities on the hierarchy; 1) The risk of injury is increased, and 2) Optimal potential cannot be realized as the supporting structures are not in place to support the entire system.
Nutrition, Supplementation, Lifestyle, Circadian Rhythms, Mental/Emotional/Spiritual Health
Speed & Multi-Directional Speed
High levels of strength, explosive strength, and/or elastic strength and speed, developed on top of poor movement quality carries a higher risk of injury.
High levels of strength, explosive strength, and/ or elastic strength and speed, developed on top of poor work capacity will lead to poor recover ability, and carries a higher risk of injury also.
High levels of strength, explosive strength, and/or elastic strength and speed, developed on top of poor nutrition will lead to poor recover ability, and carries a higher risk of injury also.
High levels of elastic strength and/or speed, developed on poor strength, explosive strength, work capacity, and/ or movement quality and nutrition……….
I think you are getting the picture.
So from the results of the performances tests, each athlete is put into a program that would enhance their most lacking quality on the hierarchy.
Body Fat Composition:Many systems can be used here. The key is to make sure that you use a reliable and valid system. You can use a number of different body fat sites. You can use 3, 4, or 7 sites. You can also use Charles Poliquin’s bio-signature if you prefer, which is a system that correlates certain bodyfat sites with hormonal expressions, and uses’ nutritional, lifestyle and specific supplemental protocols to minimize bodyfat in these specific areas. Personally I currently use a basic 7 site test.
The 7 sites used:TricepsSub-scapulaMid-auxiliaryPec MajorAbsIliac CrestQuads
Speed – 40m Linear Speed Test (Alactic Power Output)
Reason Hurling and Gaelic Football are predominantly alactic-aerobic sports and acceleration dominant, but top end speeds do occur within the sports.
The 40m speed test is a good indicator of a players ability to overcome their own inertia, their starting and explosive strength, elastic-reactive strength, and the alactic power capabilities.
The test is broken up into 10m sections so the coach can get an appreciation of the athletes ability throughout each phase of the speed continuum of the 40m Linear Speed Test
Equipment Needed Timing Gates and conesMeasuring TapeRecord sheetConditions that are reproducibleAn indoor all-weather facility would be the most ideal situation
Method Allow each athlete 3 attempts off each foot as the push off leg
Record best time(s)
Multi-directional Speed (Agility/Change of Direction): 5-10-5 Agility Test
Reason 5-10-5 is a basic agility test that looks that a players ability to decelerate, change direction and re-accelerate. This will also give you insight into a players eccentric, isometric, and elastic strength capabilities
Equipment Needed Timing Gates and conesMeasuring Tape & TapeRecord sheetConditions that are reproducibleAn indoor all-weather facility would be the most ideal situation
Method Allow each athlete 3 attempts off each side
Record best time(s)
Starting Strength Test (Alactic Power Output)
Speed-Strength – Non-Counter Movement Vertical Jump
Reason To test Athletes Power Output in overcoming their own inertia through a pure concentric effort (starting strength), and alactic power output in a vertical vector
