Advantages of Dynamic Warm Ups

August 22nd, 2005

Advantages of Dynamic Warm Ups
Jack Gregory

I want to thank Adam for allowing me the opportunity to write about some of the key advantages to using Dynamic Warm Ups versus the old method of static stretches and traditional warm ups.

Sports science has made big strides through the twenty first century in training fundamentals and a more precise understanding of the human body and how it works while in motion. As more and more trainers and coaches begin to understand how the body works as an entire system more and more coaches are using functional methods of training as well as dynamic movement concepts to develop and improve their athletes.

Youth and high school coaches are seriously lagging behind in these areas and the truth of the matter is that these are the two levels that have the biggest impact on athletic development because of growth development. The earlier you can start to develop proper motor functions, control, and flexibility the more athletically inclined your players will be as they grow to be adults.

What are Dynamic Warm Ups?

It involves movements that stretch and warm up muscles while performing a specific movement pattern. It utilizes movement, but unlike ballistic stretching, it is controlled and as the warm up progresses the tempo of the drills, speed and intensity increase. This allows the athlete to develop proper neuromuscular patterns and develop proper proprioceptive awareness in the muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules (body position in space and what forces are being applied to it). It stretches and warms up the muscles, ligaments, and joint systems in all three planes of motion (Sagittal, Coronal, and Transverse) which in turn not only prepares the muscles for movements in all three planes (unlike static stretching that only prepares the muscles in one plane of motion). It also strengthens the stabilizer muscles and synergy muscles as well as the joint structures in all three planes of motion both concentrically and eccentrically. These are key factors in not only properly preparing an athlete for more advanced and sports specific movements but it also increases the athletic ability of the individual as his body develops these basic movement patterns and awareness as well as reducing the likelihood of a sports related injury. Most injuries occur during the eccentric contraction (deceleration) and in the Transverse plane (rotation around the vertical axis). A very good example of this is when a running back is running at full speed and loads (contracts the muscles) in his leg and then unloads them (eccentrically contracts) them at the same time shifting his center of gravity as he rotates on his leg to cut back causing the ACL, MCL, and PCL to tear. This happens all to often because the athlete’s body is never really properly trained to handle these events in all three planes of motion. Instead we stress exercises in the weight room that only place an emphasis on the sagittal plane and not the other two planes. Bear in mind that every joint moves in all three planes of motion and that means if your not strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and joint capsules as well as developing proper proprioceptive awareness and neuromuscular patterns then you are setting up those athletes to have problems and serious problems in the future. By using dynamic warm ups and stressing not only multiplane stretching, but proper movement warm ups, form development, and neuromuscular pattern development you are not only increasing the athletic potential of the player but decreasing the likelihood of a serious injury related to a sports specific movement.

Remember flexibility is the range of motion that is available at a given joint of the body while at rest. But dynamic flexibility not only occurs at the joint capsule but also in the kinetic chain (All the major (primary movers) muscles, stabilizer muscles, and synergistic muscles, along with the ligaments that are involved in the entire movement).

Flexibility is related to the extensibility of all the soft tissue including muscles, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, and fascia that surround the bone structures and joint structures. It should be noted that flexibility is variable and pre-determined by gender and genetics; however since we don’t know the true ceiling of most athlete’s genetic pre-disposition to flexibility we must first put a well rounded flexibility program in place so that athlete can reach that ceiling and maximize his or hers potential.

Why the Difference?

More often then not if you go to a football practice the first thing you see is the coaches lining up the players into neat lines or circles and then having the athletes do static stretching. The reality is if you stretch a muscle that is not warmed up you are actually tearing it at the microscopic level and setting up your athlete for some major problems down the road. This comes from the good old days of when we where players and our coaches really didn’t know any better. However times, and more importantly our knowledge of the human body and how it functions, have changed and we know that the muscles in the body operate in a chain or series of muscles working together not in isolation as science assumed in the past. A major muscle contracting (agonist) induces the opposite muscle (antagonist) to relax or stretch all the while also getting additional help from synergist muscles (additional muscles in the chain that are not primary movers but assist in force production) and the stability muscles (deep muscles around the joint structures involved in the movement but act as stabilizers for the joint capsule in all three planes of motion). Static stretching has its place but it is not before a practice and it is certainly not before you are getting your players ready to conduct full speed drills with out warming up the body structure correctly.

If we look at a football player in a functional mode then we can notice right off the bat that the body we are viewing is in an upright, dynamically moving position rather then a static position holding a stretch or one that is lying prone and holding a stretch. Our body moves through three planes of motion (sagittal, coronal, and vertical) and if our warm up and stretching are not accounting for the multiple planes of motion then our stretching routine is not going to be effective. Also we must account for how the body moves. Even while simply walking the muscles are accelerating, stabilizing, and decelerating the body. This movement is dynamic (always changing and moving) in nature as it adapts to both internal and external changes. The majority of all sports movements are done in an upright posture. Doing static stretches in a seated, prone, or supine position doesn’t prepare the body for proper movement or flexibility while accounting for bodyweight, gravity, and ground reaction forces. Static stretching has its place but if your attempting to increase flexibility and reduce injuries due to sports specific movements then dynamic stretching before a workout or practice makes much more sense. During the cool down phase is when static stretching makes much more sense in the practice schedule. This is when muscles need to be realigned (and reset from a neuromuscular perspective).

Planes of Motion

Sagittal — Plane bisects the body from the front to the back into right and left symmetrical halves. Flexion and extension motion will occur on this plane.

Coronal — Plane bisect the body form side to side dividing it into front and back halves. Lateral flexion, abduction, and addiction motion occur on this plane.

Transverse — Plane divides the body into superior (upper) and inferior (lower) halves. Rotational movements will occur in this plane.

Basic Dynamic Warm Up

Initially when you teach dynamic warm ups you will have to stress correct form and technique so your warm up times will either have to be longer or you will have to start with a more basic warm up system and then add movements as they begin to master the initial one. In this suggested program I am using a basic program and then adding movements as your team masters the initial ones. The program is based on only having 15 minutes to accomplish the warm up process.

I do warm ups in sections with the first part being linear and then lateral. I add upper body and backward movement development as they master form and technique.

Linear warm up is 20-yards there and a 20-yard form run back.

1) Form Run
2) High Knees
3) Butt Kickers
4) Drum Majors
5) Walking Lunges

Lateral warm ups at 10-yards there and back.

1) Walking Shuffle
2) Walking Crossover
3) Shuffle
4) Tapioca
5) Carioca
6) Lateral Lunge

Intermediate Warm Up

After the athletes establish a basic mastery of the above movements I then add the below movements. These movements add additional emphasis on necessary movement patterns. Again the goal is to warm up in 15 minutes. So if you need to add the upper body portion first allow them to properly learn those then add one new movement in the linear and lateral warm up.

Linear warm up is 20-yards there and a 20-yard form run back.

1) Form Run
2) High Knees
3) Butt Kickers
4) Drum Majors
5) Fast Skips
6) Walking Lunges

Lateral warm ups at 10 yards there and back.

1) Walking Shuffle
2) Walking Crossover
3) Shuffle
4) Tapioca
5) Carioca
6) Shuffle Touches
7) Lateral Run
8) Lateral Lunge

Upper body warm ups at 10-yards going there and sprinting back.

1) Bear Walk
2) Bear Crawl
3) Crab Walk

Advanced Warm Ups

Once the athlete establishes a mastery of the basic movements and an understanding of the intermediate movements you can then add backward movements that are the most complex patterns for young athletes to master. Again the key is for proper form and function at all times.

Linear warm up 20 yards there and a 20-yard form run back.

1) Form Run
2) High Knees
3) Butt Kickers
4) Drum Majors
5) Fast Skips
6) Walking Lunges

Lateral warm ups at 10 yards there and back.

1) Walking Shuffle
2) Walking Crossover
3) Shuffle
4) Tapioca
5) Carioca
6) Shuffle Touches
7) Lateral Run
8) Lateral Lunge

Upper body warm ups at 10 yards going there and form run back.

1) Bear Walk
2) Bear Crawl
3) Crab Walk
4) Spider-Man

Backward warm ups at 10 yards going there and form run back

1) Backwards Walk
2) Backwards Run
3) Slow Back Pedal
4) Back Pedal

Remember add the movements one at a time and let them master the movements and then add the next.

Explanation of Movements

Linear — Warms up body in the sagittal plane for the most part.

Form Run — A run at 50 to 60% using correct linear form.

High Knees — A jog stressing the knee lift portion. The knee should attempt to go above the belly button. Maintain proper linear form at all times. This stretches the hamstring and all the stability and synergy muscles associated with the hamstring.

Butt Kickers — A jog stressing the heel lift portion. The heel should make contact with the butt. Maintain proper linear form at all times. This stretches the quadriceps and all the stability and synergy muscles associated with the quads.

Drum Major — This is at a fast walk. One leg is raised and the lower leg is rotated inward so that the heel of the foot strikes the hand of the opposite arm. The hand is at the waist line. The heel should go as high as possible crossing the midline. This stretches the hip flexors and gluteus and all the stability and synergy muscles associated with the hip flexors and gluteus.

Fast Skips — This is basically skipping at a fast rate using good linear form. Start with a slow longer skip and work towards a fast rapid skip with the feet touching the ground and quickly coming off the ground. Stretches and warms up the muscles in the knee, ankle, and shin.

Straight Leg Bounding — Sometimes called Russian skips. The legs are straight using a good linear form. The feet should have very little ground contact and work for the feet to get good height off the ground. This is another good movement for the hamstrings and gluteus.

Walking Lunges — Take a long step out and lean forward so that the back leg is almost straight and then sit down into the lunge. This stretches the pelvis muscles, inner muscles around the hip joint, quadriceps, and hip muscles. It also stretches the hamstring of the front leg as well. All the stability and synergy muscles are being warmed up and stretched as well. Make sure the upper torso is upright at all times. Have them do this slowly so that they get a good stretch.

Lateral — Warms up and stretches the body in the coronal and transverse planes.

Walking Shuffle — This is nothing more then a shuffle at a walk. It is the first exercise we do in our lateral warm up. Make sure you are using correct lateral form at all times. The feet do not touch or cross over. The hips and knees are bent and the body is low to the ground but not bent at the waste. This stretches the hip and pelvis muscles as well as the groin muscles and all the stability and synergy muscles involved.

Shuffle — This is a faster version that further warms up the muscles and stretches them.

Walking Crossover — This is nothing more then a carioca at a walk. The back foot crosses over as far as possible causing the front knee to slightly bend. This warms up and stretches the hip flexors, lower back, and pelvis and all of the associated stability and synergy muscles.

Tapioca — This is a fast short cross over steps using good lateral movement form. This really stretches the hip flexors and gluteus as well as the lower back muscles and all of the associated stability and synergy muscles.

Carioca — This is a longer cross over step using good lateral movement. This further stretches the hip flexors and gluteus as well as the lower back muscles and all of the associated stability and synergy muscles.

Shuffle and Touch — This is nothing more then a shuffle with the upper body staying low and on every second shuffle the hands touch the ground in between the feet while the head stays up. This further stretches the lower back, gluteus, and hamstrings as well as all the normal muscles being stretched during the shuffle.

Lateral Run — This is running laterally with the rear leg being in front at all times. Good lateral movement form is important. This stretches all the leg muscles, hip flexors, pelvis, and lower back muscles as well as the stability and synergy muscles involved in the coronal and transverse planes.

Lateral Lunge — Does the same thing as the walking lunge but in the coronal plane. Make sure the upper torso is upright and this is done as a slow pace.

Upper Body — This warms up the upper body in the sagittal plane but it adds body weight and ground force reaction.

Bear Walk — A bear crawl at a walk. The butt should be down and the knees stay off the ground. The walk is to develop proper movement form for the full speed bear crawl. It stretches and warms up the muscles in the arm, shoulder, upper back, and chest along with the stability and synergy muscles. It also warms up the core. This is performed on all fours with the stomach facing the ground using all four appendages.

Bear Crawl — A full speed version of the bear walk. Further warms up and develops the upper body; also good for developing coordination in the four appendages and body awareness.

Crab Walk — This is performed on all fours with the butt facing the ground. This basically works out and stretches all the muscles that the bear crawl does but in reverse order.

Spider-Man — This is a more complex bear crawl. The athlete basically starts in the prone position with the arms and legs away from the body. He then lifts his body off the ground and crawls (like spider man). This is a much more complex movement that further develops body awareness and coordination.

Backwards Walk - This is simply walking backwards using good form. The athlete is warming up and stretching all the muscles that a form run or a linear exercise would do except in reverse. This is a complex movement that helps to teach and master backwards movement.

Backwards Run — Running Back wards applying good linear form and leaning slightly forward. Your eyes are forward at all times and you simply look for the last marker out of the corner of your eyes.

Slow Back Pedal — The chin is over the knee and the hips and knees are bent so you are low. The heels of the feet drive back in short slow steps as you pump your arms. Done at 50% of the normal speed.

Back Pedal — As above but at full speed.

If you need to see specifics on proper linear and lateral form you can refer to my website www.gregorydoublewing.com and click on Fundamentals.

In Closing

There are so many benefits to a proper dynamic warm up routine compared to a static stretching and traditional warm up routine. The multiplane warm up, proprioceptive awareness development, neuromuscular pattern development, and the additional muscular strengthening that occurs at the joint capsules, stabilizer muscles, and synergy muscles as well as the major muscle groups in all thre planes of motion goes a lot further then the traditional static stretching and warm ups that most coaches are using and in a time efficient manner. Again it is all about utilizing our time efficiently and developing better athletes.

Coach Jack Gregory
www.gregorydoublewing.com
www.fasterthenlight.net

The Smorgasbord Offense

August 8th, 2005

The following is a few excerpts from “The Smorgasbord Offense For Winning High School Football”

By Joe Blount

Copyright 1965
Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Englewood Cliffs, NJ

The term “Smorgasbord” originally coined by sports writers, trade-marks the multiple direct snap styles, all modified versions of the Short Punt, which have been incorporated into a single system and used effectively by the author. The terms “Short Punt” and “Smorgasbord” are used interchangeably throughout the book.

Variety
I want to say before discussing the advantages of the Smorgasbord offense that I have always been just a little bit prejudiced toward Short Punt and other direct snap styles of football. In eating, I have never been just a steak and potato man. I like to warm up with a soup or a salad, topping the main course off with a dessert, preferably fruit. I feel the same way about my football. If the attack is to be balanced, it must have great variety — power plays, first-rate passing game, deceptive runs and passes, screen and shovel passes, fake passes and runs and vice versa, along with a little hocus-pocus in the kicking game.

SP-1

Blending of “Snap-Back” Styles

Gradually, as the years have gone by, I have practiced a bit of petit larceny from time to time adding to our offense some of the same savory hors d’oeuvres from both the “T” and Single Wing formations, plus a wrinkle or two from the Double Wing, “Y” and Spreads. In the late ’40’s and early ’50’s when the trend was going more and more toward the T-formation, it found us leaning even more solidly on the Short Punt. As younger coaches, those weaned exclusively on the “T”, replaced their veteran counterparts, it became evident that there were many advantages to be realized utilizing a variation of direct snap systems which were not commonly coached or studied. This, perhaps more than any other factor, has kept me tinkering with and modifying my original Short Punt.

Presents Defensive Problems
The Short Punt, with its man-in-motion, various backfield alignments and scatter stuff from the shotgun, presents a most unusual problem to coaches of T-formation teams. For one thing, their defensive way of thinking often becomes more or less stereotyped as a result of facing similar offenses week in and week out. Confronted with the multiple direct snap styles, they must either spend long hours studying and erecting new defenses or else reconcile their regular “T” defenses to meet the varied attack. They generally take the latter course. Very few coaches will set aside their normal practice procedures to spend Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday defensing the Smorgasbord, an offense which they meet only once during the season.

If they are willing to sacrifice the time, a three-day period is hardly long enough to teach the solid low, penetrating type of charge that is so essential in contesting two-on-one or three-on-one blocking, to say nothing of the wedge. Opposing coaches prefer to kid themselves into believing that the Short Punt is old-fashioned and out-of-date and feel that their “T” defenses will hold up against such an archaic style of attack. I feel that you cannot contain a good Short Punt or Single Wing running team, with their ability to concentrate mean at the point of attack, with modern T-type defense.

Passing Potential
Another factor that has kept me Short Punt-minded has been my thinking in regard to the forward pass. Many coaches consider the pass a frill or a weapon of last resort. I feel that the pass is equal to the run and as a result have made it an integral part of, rather than a mere adjunct to, our style of attack. I believe that Short Punt, as we use it, has decided advantages over all other formations, especially the “T”, with respect to the passing game. There are four major advantages which come to mind:

1. It is very easy to get three, four or even five receivers out quickly.
2. Operating from a balanced line and a strongly deployed backfield, it affords an excellent cup, straight back or right and left, which protects the passer quickly and effectively.
3. Location of backs sets the stage for a deceptive shovel and lateral-passing game.
4. The passer, five yards back, has a clear view of his receivers and does not have to turn his back on the target as the pattern materializes.

Deceptive Running Game
The Short Punt’s normal running game is deceptive, contrary to popular belief which views it only as a power and passing offense. The short-man, the quarterback, with his ball-handling ability, provides an outlet for spinner plays which tend to “freeze” the defense in place until the play starts to develop. The quarterback can fake or hand the ball quickly to either the fullback or tailback, and, behind fakes to these two backs, can “bootleg” or give the ball off to the blocking back coming around on reverses. The fullback is in good position to spin either to the tailback or blocking back, providing the latter is set out as a wing. When driving straight ahead, the fullback can flick the ball off to the quarterback who continues a course on around right end.

Short Punt’s running game, just like any other, is amplified when the coach takes time to perfect timing and faking in his backfield. The T-formation boys are not alone when they say, “It’s easier to fool ‘em than block ‘em; the same thing holds true with the Short Punt.

Strong Off-Tackle
The most vulnerable point in any normal defense is the off-tackle hole. We do not know of any offense which can match Short Punt’s ability to amass power at this point. Moving to the right, the fullback and blocking back are in excellent position to kick-out on the defensive end while the offensive tackle and end are positioned well to double-team the defensive tackle. The quarterback and o-side guard present a two-on-one problem for the linebacker whose duty it is to fill the hole. The offensive advantage results in having six men to block three, a “majority” any way that you look at it.

Short Punt teams do not necessarily have to use the “flip-flop” technique to salt down an equal amount of power to the weak side of the formation. Operating from behind a balanced line, backfield symmetry probably affords an even stronger off-tackle play to the weak side. The quarterback and on-side guard kick-out on the defensive end; the offensive tackle and end act as a team to drive the defensive tackle down the line of scrimmage; and the fullback and blocking back clean out the hole. Again the offense has a “two-to-one” advantage, and it is increased when the off-side guard pulls.

Philosophy of the Sweep
Plays which strike to the outside can be broken down into two general categories, those based on power and those based on deception.

The starting point for building Short Punt’s running game is the power sweep. It is one of the most consistent plays in the overall attack and must be developed before off-tackle and straight-ahead plays can take on any measurable significance.

SP-2

If a team can move the ball to the outside consistently, it will, in time, force the defense to widen its outer perimeter. As a result, defensive linemen will site back a little, at least mentally, and wait for the sweep to unfold. This makes the defense vulnerable to the quick cutback off-tackle and the bruising attack straight ahead.

SP-3

In theory, the power sweep is not designed to “go all the way”; whereas, in contrast, the deceptive sweeps, patterned after other phases of the running and passing games, are projected to do just that…score.

Off-Tackle Plays Favored
An audit of game charts for the past three years reveals that our Short Punt teams have averaged nearly 67 offensive plays per game. This compares with the opposition’s 48 plays, indicating we have had the ball slightly over 58 per cent of the time.

SP-4

On average we have punted or quick-kicked the ball four times per game, passed ten times and have had five plays nullified by either fumbles or penalties. This leaves an average of 48 running plays for each game.

SP-5

Thirty-two per cent of the running plays (over 15 per game) have been off-tackle, attacking either side. Such being the case, one can easily draw the conclusion that the off-tackle play is the heart and soul of Short Punt football. There are two prime reasons for this:

1. The balanced line and backfield symmetry of Short punt provides greater potential for amassing power off-tackle than any other formation.
2. The most vulnerable point in any normal defense is off-tackle. The one-yard split between offensive tackle and end handicaps any normal defense in its attempt to fortify this area.

Anytime the opponent strengthens its defense at the off-tackle hole, it has weakened itself somewhere else. More than likely the defense becomes pregnable somewhere inside tackle or in the secondary. If this is the case, it becomes the duty of the quarterback to discover and direct the attack at the weakness of the defense.

Snap & Go!
Adam
adam_wesoloski at yahoo.com