Skill-related components
Speed
Speed in sport refers to the ability to put the whole body or body parts quickly into motion. When we talk about speed in sport, most of us certainly think of Usain Bolt. Fastest man on the planet! It takes a lot of training, dedication, determination, excellent nutrition, and a “few” good genes to become the quickest person on Earth. To move that fast, an individual has to have the right strength to weight ratio, perfect technique, outstanding cardiovascular fitness and must be explosive. Doing nothing but sprinting 100m day and night won’t cut it. Strengthening the lower body with weightlifting and improving explosiveness by implementing plyometric exercises in the training programme will make the difference. Speed training, however, not only benefits track and field athletes but footballers, basketballers, tennis players, swimmers and martial artist too.
Agility
Agility is the ability to change the position of the body swiftly and with control. In sports, like badminton or table tennis, the players have to move from A to B quickly and with precision. Changing direction while moving fast can be quite stressful for the body, and if it isn’t prepared for such manoeuvres, the risk of injuries can be pretty high. Incorporating cone and speed ladder drills in someone’s training programme not only will help to improve their agility but at the same time, we can address speed training too. Performing the routines repeatedly at high velocity increases the body’s ability to tolerate the impact of different forces on the joints, conditions the muscles and boosts cognitive functioning. Beside enhancing an individual’s performance, with agility training, we can lower the risk of injuries as well.
Coordination
Coordination refers to the ability to use two or more body parts simultaneously in a controlled fashion. The main goal of any coordination exercise is the fine-tuning of body movements by improving the transfer and translation of information from the brain to the muscle and vice versa, consequently enhancing accuracy. I’m sure you’ve been challenged with the tap your head rub your stomach exercise before. Even if you couldn’t make it at first, I’m convinced that after a little bit of practice, you made it work. Moving multiple limbs, especially in different directions and at a different tempo, isn’t an easy thing to do, and it requires a lot of practice. Coordination can be developed by repeating the exact same moves over and over again with precision. Practising to kick the football in the upper left corner of the goal or hit the triple twenty on the dartboard will eventually lead to better synchronisation between the brain and the muscles. Due to the repetitive nature of coordination training, we also build muscle memory, which means that we can complete a movement instinctively as a result of previously performing the exercise numerous times.
Power
Power is the ability to exert maximum force as quickly as possible. The two main components of power are strength and speed. Let’s take Olympic weightlifting as an example. It is the ultimate form of power training as it requires both of those elements plus some specific skills too. The snatch, clean&jerk, and other complementary exercises such as push-press or box jumps are very often incorporated in the strength and conditioning programme of athletes. Besides the regular strength training including squat, deadlift, overhead press, etc., these drills are used to amplify upper and lower body strength as well as the ability to move fast and move the load quickly. We can manipulate the intensity or the volume of the workouts to either emphasise max power output or to improve power endurance. That will depend on the desired outcome of the programme. The snatch and clean&jerk are the two most complex movements that need years and years of training to master, therefore the risk to benefit ratio should be taken into account before, including it to anyone’s plan. If a participant isn’t ready just yet to perform Olympic lifts, then prowler push-pull, medicine ball slams, kettlebell swings and weighted squat jumps are some great alternatives.
Balance
Balance is the ability to maintain the body’s centre of mass above the base of support. Standing and walking are two of the most basic balancing exercises you are already doing, most likely without even thinking about. Nonetheless, it takes the orchestrated contraction of hundreds of muscles to remain upright and maintain stability. Balancing is similar to coordination in the sense that both heavily rely on the brain’s capacity to collect and process information, then transmit it to the muscles so the body can respond appropriately to the previously received stimulus. For example, leaning forward while standing changes the position of our centre of mass. Because it is now outside of the base of support, we are at risk of falling. To avoid that, the brain has to tell the muscles to adjust the hips position and also to contract harder. This message is formed based on the feedback provided by the eyes and the fluid in our inner ears. There are many ways we can challenge and improve our balancing skills. Standing or walking on unstable surfaces, performing single-leg movements or merely shutting the eyes while executing exercises that requires a change in the body position, will result in a refined communication between the brain and the muscles thus enhancing stability.
Reaction time
Reaction time refers to the time needed for an individual to respond to a stimulus. Who can jump into the water the earliest after hearing the whistle in a swimming content or who can duck a left hook in a boxing match hugely depends on their reaction time. Slow reaction time can cost you your game, or it can lead to an injury. Think about a rugby player who isn’t fast enough to react and gets face planted onto the ground. The best way to decrease response time is to repeat the same movement again and again just like we do during coordination training, however, this time we focus more on speed. A couple of excellent methods to improve reflexes are sprinting with signals, tapping on randomly flashing light pods or running on an uneven surface. To assess your reaction time, use this simple test. Take a straight 30cm ruler and ask someone to hold it between their thumb and index finger at the 0cm mark. You place your hand under the ruler with your thumb and index finger set up to pinch the ruler as soon as the other person lets it go. The closer to the bottom end, you can catch the ruler, the better your reflexes are.
Summary
Either you’re a coach/trainer developing a training programme for your athlete(s) or a member of a general public putting together your own workout plan, the components of physical fitness need to be considered. After analysing the sport or activity and identifying the areas of performance that call for improvement, one or more of the elements can be emphasised. Most of the components of physical fitness overlap, so when we train one of them, we are technically advancing in other departments as well.
If you’re interested in a bespoke training programme or should you require any advice regarding home workouts, feel free to get in touch directly with Szilard!
Written by Szilard Jakab
10.05.2020
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