CSCS Chapter 19 - Program Design and Technique for Speed and Agility
Training
1. What is the rate of force development, or RFD? What does measuring RFD indicate about an
athlete?: It is the development of maximal force in minimal time
Its used as an index of explosive strength
change in Force/change in time
2. What is impulse?: The product of generated force and the time it takes to produce that
force. Dictates the magnitude of change of momentum of an object.
3. How is impulse relates to the change of momentum of an object?: Impulse determines the
magnitude of change of momentum of an object
4. What time does it approximately take for maximal force muscle contractions and for sports related
activities, respectively?: about 300ms for maximal force muscle contractions 200ms for sports
related activities
5. How does one calculate impulse of running?: The ground contact time when feet hit the ground
x the amount of force that is applied when ground contact occurs
6. What does the area under a force-time curve represent?: Impulse
7. During the same time frame, how can an athlete increase impulse?: Since impulse is force
applied in a certain amount of time, and the time frame is constant, increasing force is the only
way to increase impulse
8. When attempting to train the SSC, what two variables should hold priority when performing
exercises?: 1 - perform exercises that are multi-joint and can use the elastic/reflexive
properties of muscle
2 - perform these exercises in short bouts with plenty of rest
9. What is complex training ?: Combining heavy resistance exercises with SSC exercises in the
same workout session
10.What is the benefit of complex training?: Postactivation potentiation
11.How does the spring mass model apply to running?: One leg extends towards the ground and
releases energy to propel the body forward while the other leg coils and gains energy while also
propelling the body forward
12.To help increase speed of sprint, what areas of the body should strength and conditioning
professionals focus on training?: The hip and knee regions
13.What are the differences in ground contact time between agility, change of direction,
acceleration of sprinting, and max sprinting?: agility = about 0.25 seconds
change of direction = about 0.5 seconds
acceleration of sprinting = 0.2 seconds max
sprinting = 0.1 seconds
, CSCS Chapter 19 - Program Design and Technique for Speed and Agility
Training
14.How is sprinting defined?: Coupled strides at maximal effort velocity/acceler- ation that
propel an athlete a certain distance for 15 seconds or less
Is a series of coupled flight and support phases (strides) orchestrated in an attempt to displace
the athlete's body down the track at max acceleration
15.What two components constitute sprint speed?: Stride length and stride frequency
focus on increasing force production rather than increase stride length or frequency
16.Why is stride length important for sprinting?: Stride length is the equivalent of displacement
due to the force of ground contact, so increasing the force can increase the displacement of the
athlete
17.What is the difference in stride length between elite sprinters and novice sprinters?: Elite =
2.70 m per stride
Novice = 2.56 m per stride
18.How is ground contact time and time in the air affected by increasing stride frequencies?: The
higher the frequencies, the less ground contact time and the more time in the air
19.Why is knee flexion of the coiling leg important for increasing sprinting velocity?: The more
knee flexion of the coiling leg, the longer the ground clearance and the more force development
20.What are two of the primary limiting factors of sprinting velocity?: RFD proper biomechanics
21.What are the three series of linear sprinting?: Start Acceleration
Top speed/maximum velocity
22.The stance phase of sprinting can be broken down into what two compo- nents?: The eccentric
braking period
The concentric propulsive period
23.The flight phase of sprinting can be broken down into what two compo- nents?: The recovery
phase
The ground preparation phase
24.In the start postion of a sprint, either a 3 point or 4 point position, what are the angles of the front
leg and rear leg?: The front leg has a 90 degree angle and the rear leg has a 133 degree angle
25.During the start phase of a sprint, should horizontal, vertical, or both directions of force be the
focus?: Both horizontal forces and vertical forces need to be generated
, CSCS Chapter 19 - Program Design and Technique for Speed and Agility
Training
26.During the initial steps of acceleration period of a sprint, should the recovering leg in flight
phase be high or low to the ground?: The recovering leg in the initial acceleration phase should
be low and barely off the ground
27. During the initial steps of acceleration period of sprinting, should the stride length be longer
or shorter?: It should be shorter so that there are more ground contact instances and
opportunities to generate force
28.Compared to the acceleration phase of sprinting, how does stride length, stride frequency, and
ground contact time change in the maximal velocity phase?: Stride length increases
Stride frequency increases Ground
contact time decreases
29.How does ground contact time change during change of direction/agility movements that require
cutting angles of less than 75 degrees and for angles that are greater than 75 degrees: For angles
less than 75 degrees, ground contact time is shorter, when compared to angles greater than 75
degrees
30.When testing for agility, what aspect must be included in order for it to be considered a test of
agility?: It should include some reactive stimulus aspect that requires athletes to use perceptive
cognitive abilities
31.What tests are considered change of direction?: 505 test pro agility test
T-test
Reactive agility tests
32.What tests are considered maneuverability?: T test Illinois agility
L run
33.What tests are considered both change of direction and maneuverability?-
: T Test
34.What are some methods to train the eccentric component of a movement that is necessary for
deceleration?: Drop landings
Landings from a loaded jump Power
cleans a snatches
35.What are the 6 components of perceptual-cognitive abilities required for agility?: anticipation
reaction time
knowledge of the situation scanning
pattern recognition decision
making time
Training
1. What is the rate of force development, or RFD? What does measuring RFD indicate about an
athlete?: It is the development of maximal force in minimal time
Its used as an index of explosive strength
change in Force/change in time
2. What is impulse?: The product of generated force and the time it takes to produce that
force. Dictates the magnitude of change of momentum of an object.
3. How is impulse relates to the change of momentum of an object?: Impulse determines the
magnitude of change of momentum of an object
4. What time does it approximately take for maximal force muscle contractions and for sports related
activities, respectively?: about 300ms for maximal force muscle contractions 200ms for sports
related activities
5. How does one calculate impulse of running?: The ground contact time when feet hit the ground
x the amount of force that is applied when ground contact occurs
6. What does the area under a force-time curve represent?: Impulse
7. During the same time frame, how can an athlete increase impulse?: Since impulse is force
applied in a certain amount of time, and the time frame is constant, increasing force is the only
way to increase impulse
8. When attempting to train the SSC, what two variables should hold priority when performing
exercises?: 1 - perform exercises that are multi-joint and can use the elastic/reflexive
properties of muscle
2 - perform these exercises in short bouts with plenty of rest
9. What is complex training ?: Combining heavy resistance exercises with SSC exercises in the
same workout session
10.What is the benefit of complex training?: Postactivation potentiation
11.How does the spring mass model apply to running?: One leg extends towards the ground and
releases energy to propel the body forward while the other leg coils and gains energy while also
propelling the body forward
12.To help increase speed of sprint, what areas of the body should strength and conditioning
professionals focus on training?: The hip and knee regions
13.What are the differences in ground contact time between agility, change of direction,
acceleration of sprinting, and max sprinting?: agility = about 0.25 seconds
change of direction = about 0.5 seconds
acceleration of sprinting = 0.2 seconds max
sprinting = 0.1 seconds
, CSCS Chapter 19 - Program Design and Technique for Speed and Agility
Training
14.How is sprinting defined?: Coupled strides at maximal effort velocity/acceler- ation that
propel an athlete a certain distance for 15 seconds or less
Is a series of coupled flight and support phases (strides) orchestrated in an attempt to displace
the athlete's body down the track at max acceleration
15.What two components constitute sprint speed?: Stride length and stride frequency
focus on increasing force production rather than increase stride length or frequency
16.Why is stride length important for sprinting?: Stride length is the equivalent of displacement
due to the force of ground contact, so increasing the force can increase the displacement of the
athlete
17.What is the difference in stride length between elite sprinters and novice sprinters?: Elite =
2.70 m per stride
Novice = 2.56 m per stride
18.How is ground contact time and time in the air affected by increasing stride frequencies?: The
higher the frequencies, the less ground contact time and the more time in the air
19.Why is knee flexion of the coiling leg important for increasing sprinting velocity?: The more
knee flexion of the coiling leg, the longer the ground clearance and the more force development
20.What are two of the primary limiting factors of sprinting velocity?: RFD proper biomechanics
21.What are the three series of linear sprinting?: Start Acceleration
Top speed/maximum velocity
22.The stance phase of sprinting can be broken down into what two compo- nents?: The eccentric
braking period
The concentric propulsive period
23.The flight phase of sprinting can be broken down into what two compo- nents?: The recovery
phase
The ground preparation phase
24.In the start postion of a sprint, either a 3 point or 4 point position, what are the angles of the front
leg and rear leg?: The front leg has a 90 degree angle and the rear leg has a 133 degree angle
25.During the start phase of a sprint, should horizontal, vertical, or both directions of force be the
focus?: Both horizontal forces and vertical forces need to be generated
, CSCS Chapter 19 - Program Design and Technique for Speed and Agility
Training
26.During the initial steps of acceleration period of a sprint, should the recovering leg in flight
phase be high or low to the ground?: The recovering leg in the initial acceleration phase should
be low and barely off the ground
27. During the initial steps of acceleration period of sprinting, should the stride length be longer
or shorter?: It should be shorter so that there are more ground contact instances and
opportunities to generate force
28.Compared to the acceleration phase of sprinting, how does stride length, stride frequency, and
ground contact time change in the maximal velocity phase?: Stride length increases
Stride frequency increases Ground
contact time decreases
29.How does ground contact time change during change of direction/agility movements that require
cutting angles of less than 75 degrees and for angles that are greater than 75 degrees: For angles
less than 75 degrees, ground contact time is shorter, when compared to angles greater than 75
degrees
30.When testing for agility, what aspect must be included in order for it to be considered a test of
agility?: It should include some reactive stimulus aspect that requires athletes to use perceptive
cognitive abilities
31.What tests are considered change of direction?: 505 test pro agility test
T-test
Reactive agility tests
32.What tests are considered maneuverability?: T test Illinois agility
L run
33.What tests are considered both change of direction and maneuverability?-
: T Test
34.What are some methods to train the eccentric component of a movement that is necessary for
deceleration?: Drop landings
Landings from a loaded jump Power
cleans a snatches
35.What are the 6 components of perceptual-cognitive abilities required for agility?: anticipation
reaction time
knowledge of the situation scanning
pattern recognition decision
making time
