This book excerpt is an overview of the fundamentals to sprinting mechanics and technique. It also covers starting, acceleration, drive phase, recovery phase, and deceleration.

Various methods of eccentric training that aim to increase muscle mass or reduce ground contact time during a landing task have been extensively researched and practically examined. However, multiple methods to implement eccentric training currently exist; they differ in execution and intended training adaptions. There is a clear differentiation between an eccentric muscle action and an eccentric motion whereby a motion alludes to a downward movement of an exercise. The proposed eccentric motions are dissipating eccentrics, deceleration eccentrics, overcoming eccentrics, maximal eccentrics, and rebound eccentrics. These motions formulate into training methods and cues to allow practitioners to clearly differentiate the various eccentric training methods used in research and practice. This review proposes a new conceptual framework that clearly outlines the different forms of eccentric motions that fall into a desired eccentric training method.

This article considers some of the main differences between the training of Olympic weightlifters and the use of Olympic weightlifting exercises in strength training for sport.

This book excerpt explains how to perform the box step-off landing assessment, which is used to determine an athlete’s readiness before beginning a program in agility and quickness.

This article will examine the physical demands of soccer players and discuss why repeated sprint ability (RSA) is considered highly important in the performance of these athletes.

Focusing on developing the core muscles in a strength and conditioning program for ice hockey players can improve performance of movements on the ice.

This infographic briefly explains a study that aimed to identify which movements during simulated basketball games require greater acceleration and their frequency of occurrence.

This excerpt from the NSCA’s Essentials of Sport Science, discusses some of the benefits and validity of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) data.

Matthew Ibrahim, Co-Owner of TD Athletes Edge, talks to the NSCA Coaching and Sport Science Program Manager, Eric McMahon, about using setbacks as a learning opportunity. Topics under discussion include creating a holistic approach to a client’s training by collaborating with other professionals, and the importance of deceleration technique and eccentrics in his programs for skill acquisition. Find Matthew on Instagram: @matthewibrahim_ | Find Eric on Instagram: @ericmcmahoncscs or Twitter: @ericmcmahoncscs

Athletes in field and court sports require reactive agility—they must accelerate, decelerate, and change direction in a constantly changing environment. These requirements result in technical differences between sprinting in a field or court sport and sprinting the 100-m.