This week’s guest is Boo Schexnayder. Boo is a legendary jump, speed and power coach, as well as educator, and is also one of the most generous coaches I know in terms of sharing his knowledge.
I’m not going to use up too much of this shown notes intro other than saying that Boo one of the biggest influences on a lot of things that I do in my own work, and I’m thrilled to have him on the show this week.
Boo’s trademark is not only his innovation in building fast and powerful athletes, but also his no-nonsense, practical approach to it all that has produced a multitude of NCAA champions in the jumps.
This episode is a must listen for any coach who is interested in getting athletes faster and more powerful. Although we talk a lot about track and field, there are tons of applications for coaches of any sport.
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Today’s episode is brought to you by SimpliFaster, supplier of high-end athletic development tools, such as the Freelap timing system, kBox, Sprint 1080, and more.
Key Points:
- Boo’s influences in coaching, and how he developed his popular jumps training system
- The differences between training setups with 3 “high CNS” (days containing weights/plyos/speed training) vs. training setups with 4 days containing high CNS elements
- Differences in training the intermediate level and advanced athlete
- Boo’s ideas on the potentiation effects of speed and barbell training on each other
- Thoughts on mesocycle length and deloading for speed-power athletes
- How much effort coaches should make in individualizing workout programs
- The usefulness of over-distance training, such as in 120m sprints for long jumpers
- Boo’s take on 400m training, and properly managing the nervous and energy systems throughout
- Using lactate as an anabolic agent, and how this influences rep ranges in strength sessions. How to setup a barbell session to create the perfect amount of lactate for strength building in speed and power athletes
- Boo’s take on skill acquisition, motor learning and part vs. whole practice
- The biggest mistakes Boo sees coaches making in the weight room for building speed and power
- Optimal lifting zones for the competitive season
“The good coaches are pioneers, I always tried to be a pioneer, if it made sense to me, I would do it, even if research didn’t support it at the time, and I looked for confirmation why it worked well from science after”
“The 3 day training setup gives you a nice way to practically address all training elements at an intensity you need”
“The 4 day training options, for example with back to back neuromuscular days, with a speed day on a Monday and a big strength day on a Tuesday; these give you the advantage to go in deeper, the motor units that hid the first day, the body has to be more resourceful in recruitment on the second day”
“The better the athlete, the more rest they need between neuromuscular training bouts”
“You have athletes below their genetic potential, and athletes approaching their genetic potential, and I think you have to train those athletes differently”
“When I see the (speed-power) test results start to level off, that’s when I go to a more high intensity, less frequency approach to training”
“Everything you do has a potentiation effect; (In specific preparation) Whatever is the most critical training element of the day, I try to use other elements to set up potentiation for that”
“In dealing with volleyball players, I’ll do speed development with them (maximal velocity work), because speed development is one of the best potentiation exercises that you can do”
“Were continuously geared to think of strength training as an agent to improve speed, but we have to remember that speed training because of that potentiation effect is a huge agent to develop strength as well; These muscular tension levels in speed training are higher than anything you do (in the weight room)”
“The balance between work and rest is the most fundamental, critical training variable there is; Rest allows you to take some well planned chances in your training design”
“Your ability to unload, and willingness to unload is a direct requirement for you to be able to load (intensely)” “A lot of training programs don’t hit that critical mass point where they can hit new peaks, because the peaks are not high and low enough”
“Speed endurance work (such as fast 120m sprints) produces really high end coordination benefits”
“I am always looking for opportunities to subject my athletes to lactate in mild to moderate doses” “In an acceleration development workout, if you hit the recoveries right, you’re getting speed and power development, and restoration, all in one nice, tight package; it’s like your birthday, it’s all there for you”
“I think you have to be radical in your cueing at certain times, you have to be adventuresome in your cueing”
“We don’t schedule skill acquisition at the correct times of year; your skill acquisition needs to take place during your general prep”
“Often, the most “functional” exercises (in the weight room) don’t involve enough muscle tissue to produce the really big changes in the nervous system and in blood chemistry; being over-specific in the weight room can make you more gimmicky, and we can miss out on those big changes on the global adaptations we are looking for”
About Boo Schexnayder:
Boo Schexnayder (www.sacspeed.com) is regarded internationally as a leading authority in training design, possessing 34 years of experience in the coaching and consulting fields. Most noted for his 12 years on the Track and Field coaching staff at LSU, he is regarded as one of the world’s premier coaches, having developed 19 NCAA Champions and 10 Olympians. Schexnayder has coached multiple World Championship and Olympic medalists and has been on several national team staffs, including the staff of Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He also possesses 13 years of experience in NFL player development and combine preparations. He frequently lectures and consults domestically and internationally in the areas of speed and power development, training design, motor learning, and rehabilitation. He currently operates Schexnayder Athletic Consulting and serves as director of the USTFCCCA’s Track and Field Academy and Thibodaux Regional Medical Center’s performance division. Prior to his collegiate and international career, Schexnayder was a successful prep coach for 11 years, coaching football, track, and cross country.
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