Second Interview with James Smith for the www.CBathletics.com News Letter

CB: Hello again James, tell readers what you’ve been up since we spoke last.

JS: Craig, just to clarify, I’ll be referencing American Football. The training of my football team is going exceptionally well. I am fortunate to have been able to inspire my fellow coaching staff to buy in on my concept of unifying the entire regime of training. (This is entirely influenced by Soviet methods). What this entails is the integration of every component of the training, GPP and SPP, into the weekly plan in observance of maximizing recovery between the most intensive training (be it weights, speed, agility, GS means, or sport practice itself). This process is accomplished through the utilization of high/low planning.

CB: James, can you describe your manual - What is high-low training? What is
it based on?

JS: My manual “High/Low Sequences of Programming and Organizing Training” outlines the practical application of the process of categorically placing any training irritant into one of three categories (high, med, low) relative to its impact on the central nervous system (CNS). In the interest of maximizing recovery between the most intensive stressors any medium stress irritant is considered as high and, subsequently, the result is high or low intensive training.

In the manual I present my methodology as to how
I have successfully unified the West Side Barbell strength development system with the Charlie Francis speed development system. The specifics of the planning process, including numerous sample training weeks and templates, as well as a host of other training concepts are illustrated in the manual. The high/low concept was introduced to me by your fellow Canadian world class speed coach Charlie Francis. Charlie utilizes high/low training, specifically post GPP phase, within his Vertical Integration system.


CB: How would you apply high-low training in the off-season with a football
player that needs speed?

JS: I can show about 30 ways of accomplishing this task in the manual. In short, if speed is the primary directive then speed or relative strength/power training would consume a greater percentage of the training load volume. Certain trainees are in greater need of developing greater relative strength/power in order to become faster over short distances; while others must develop their reactivity and elasticity, the rest falls somewhere in between. Either way, both qualities will be trained on the same day as they are both CNS intensive.

The target quality would receive a greater percentage of the load volume for that day. These intensive training days would be separated by one or more low intensive training days in which the trainee would perform tempo work, abdominal work, low intensive weights, pure technical SPP training, etc.

Football is a game of acceleration and change of direction. For this reason, the vast majority of sprint work will be less then 30 meters per repetition; occasionally stretching it out for certain skill positions. The distances are specific to the positional requirements of the players; lineman almost never exceed 20m in training, big skill may stretch it 10m further, and little skill, may stretch it another 10-20m.

These distances are all on the long end just to illustrate the farthest that any of my players will ever run during speed training. As a side note, is this training system effective outside the borders of printed ink on paper… 20 athletes from my 2005 time ran under 5 seconds in the 40yd dash. I will have 30 athletes on the 2006 team who will run under 5 seconds. Over the last two seasons I have had three athletes run under 4.5 seconds and 5 athletes run under 4.6 seconds. Every one of these athletes is under 18 years of age. (All times are hand timed from first movement). Most importantly, the West Valley Eagles of Cottonwood California have played in the NSCIF Division 1 Championship for the last three years in a row.

CB: And how would you apply the principles to an athlete that needs strength
and size?

JS: Take the example above and replace the majority of the speed training load volume with weight work. There would still be an element of speed work, as this is a requisite ability for a football player. Also, a caloric surplus is mandatory for any trainee who seeks to increase the cross-sectional diameter of their muscle fibers.

CB: And last example, for a basketball player that needs different
conditioning than a football player?

JS: Well in this instance, having identified specific endurance as being the directive then we would isolate the medium to high intensive energy and neuromuscular system activity (rebound attempts, fast breaks, movement under the net, end of half activity, etc) and train it on an intensive training day. We would then separate this day by one or more low intensive days which, in this case, would focus on the oxidative/aerobic aspect of the constant movement on the court.


CB: James, what equipment do you need to prepare a young athlete for sport?
Do you need any fancy equipment?

JS: Elaborate equipment…absolutely NOT. Of course we must identify the age and physical maturation of the youth in order to be specific about what types of training he/she can effectively and safely initiate. All in all, very little is needed; medicine balls, barbells, dumbbells, pull up bar, weight/bumper plates, boxes to jump on and off of, and an intimate knowledge of training to facilitate a vivid imagination which will provide for the construction or execution of special training devices or exercises.


CB: How much time should be spent on strength training vs. skill training?

JS: This is dependent upon a host of different factors to include: - the preparedness of the athlete- time of the training year- sport being trained for- positional requirements of sport- strengths/weaknesses of the athlete- the coaches method of programming- etc… CB: Thanks James. Where can readers purchase your manual? JS: Craig, my manual may be purchased through www.elitfts.com, here is the direct link with a detailed description of the manual:

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=134&pid=1373