Day 63 - Testing Week

I'm a Professional...

Strength & Conditioning coach, and yet my training isn't reflecting it.

The endurance programming is fine. Nothing wrong there.

An issue that I have been seeing is that my weight training, mobility work, recovery efforts, and so on just aren't up to par.

I wouldn't have any of my athletes run a program that doesn't reflect their goals so why am I?

Today I'm fixing that.

I have a ton of tech and different assessment tools at my disposal, so why no use them?

So here's the plan:

Set up the testing, perform it, then actually program with it.

Not revolutionary is it?

What tests will I be performing?

Well today I will be first be performing the following:

• Countermovement Jump (Forceplates) - Overall Lower Body Power Production

• SL Countermovment Jump (Forceplates) - Lower Body Power Production Assymetries

• Hop Test (Forceplates) - Lower Leg Stiffness

• NordBord - Hamstring Strength & Assymetries

• Ankle Push Iso - Co-contraction Strength/Assymetries of musculature surrounding the knee ankle

• Knee Push Iso - Co-contraction Strength/Assymetries of musculature surrounding the knee

• Hip Push Iso - Co-contraction Strength/Assymetries of musculature surrounding the hip

The last three are probably the most foreign to everyone so here is a link with videos and explanations that should help explain. https://valdperformance.com/news/pre-season-assessments-and-monitoring

Finally we will finish up the day with some gait analysis using Ochy.

Ochy is an app that says it can "Analyze your run in seconds by recording a short video."

We will see...

So let's get started!

After a quick warm-up, including some soft-tissue and light jogging, I am ready to jump. It's been a bit since my last test so we will see what I can do.

My first rounds of jumps still don't feel quite there so I take another. During this set my metrics drive higher with each jump, showing me my warm-up wasn't quite sufficient.

Finally, I get a third set in that feels more maximal and move on.

After a short rest I move on to the single leg jumps. My legs definitely have some asymmetry issues as my right feels like I'm fighting gravity on Jupiter.

Next is the hop test and the data on this will be interesting. My left soleus is still a little banged up and I can feel the difference.

Finally we head to the Nordbord and the nordic hamstring testing. Assymetry-ville has called again.

The Iso Push trio goes off without a hitch. Can't wait to dig through this data and see what we have going on.

Now to the gait testing.

I grab a tripod from the office and head out to the curved treads we have out on our turf area.

Ochy asks for a side and rear view and after a few takes (due to my inability to read directions) we have the video uploaded.

Lastly, I grab a video running outside. You don't need to do this but I wanted to see the comparison for the app review later.

Tune in for more on Ochy.

After about an hour I am done with the strength and power portion of the testing.

Tomorrow I will take an off day and we can break down all of these tests...