Feed the Cats Speed Training | Converting the Infidels 

What event and times do you run?

@@MarkBFitness504 I couldn't sprint I was in like 14-15s shape and then a few months later I ran 12.79 into a headwind

​still can't.

Thanks Daquan!

Thank you Nick!

@@coachtonyholler honestly my first thought was man I got to drive out and meet this guy with my kids. Then I noticed in the video that you had said something about virtually training someone. I'm probably going to binge watch the rest of your videos. Do you have training programs somewhere either available online for free or for purchase. Botth my boys definitely need to work on their running technique. I think we definitely fell into the category of focusing on distance running.

@@NickPelletier trackfootballconsortium.com/holler/

@@NickPelletier let me know if you want the whole bundle at half off

@@coachtonyholler Which would you advise, the track or the football bundle to start with? Also the link for the track bundle seems broken.

Awesome! Thank you!

baseball and speed? lol. talk about oil and water

I'm in the same camp as Mike Whiteman of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Let soccer take care of skills and game specific endurance. Outside of the game, build athletes. "Lift heavy. Sprint fast. Jump high. Jump far. Become an APEX PREDATOR". Here's a podcast I did with a couple guys from UMass. www.buzzsprout.com/938536/3383953

@@coachtonyholler Thanks Tony, you are the man.

Indeed, one liners and platitudes w little to scienctific basis or explanation. good thing that marcellous dude came through huh.... "One of my main focuses was trying to get my endurance up, get some more mobility" college marcellous

I would love to visit New Zealand!!! There has been talk that I might be invited to a bi-annual conference there. Thanks for the kind words. Isn't it strange that speed is the #1 attribute of athleticism, yet it is the most neglected? My theory... coaches were hard-working slow athletes, therefore they think speed is genetic and they neglect it. The like fast athletes but they don't train it.

@@coachtonyholler hi coach ..will be awesome with you come to NZ . Do you know when this conference will b ? I will check it here About your theory you are 100% right But NZ is really an apart world from the real world we come from .. I’m originally from Brazil I moved to NZ in 2005... what for somethings are amazing - like we don’t have covid here when all the world are burning NZ is like nothing happened- but for other like sports things is really really hard for them moving forward .. NZ compare to USA in developing athleticism for multidirectional athletes are at least 20-25 years behind for sure When I arrived here the only preparation they used to do for sports besides lift weights were jogging or tempo runs And for high schools then is way more than 20 years because when I started work at mine school in September 2014 I wasn’t the head coach yet I was assistant so was m and mine boss the head coach- we were the only school in all NZ to have 2 S&C coaches full time contract ...the 3 or 5 schools close to us had just 1 and was part time... and the others schools nobody When we start the program had just 1 rugby team and 1 netball team no more then 50 kids And until today most schools don’t have S&C coaches there full time or even part time So we are really just doing the first steps but because here people has this culture to b apart of the world it’s very very difficult for they move or at least try a new things It’s a very different culture from where we come from let m say Anyway coach if u come to NZ for sure I will go see u talk at the conference and will b pretty cool if we could catch up after maybe ... and if you need something here from NZ some information ... whatever I’m your man ! Kkk

Do they teach writing in NZ?

Yes. Joseph Fahnbulleh was trained in a Feed the Cats program in “TrackTown” MN (Hopkins HS under HC Nick Lovas).

and as soon as he got to college he started some real and actual training to access the natural talent that ftc rakes credit for.

Have fun!

@@coachtonyholler Thanks coach. My son won his County champs in the UK for 200m u15 age group. We had been doing short sprints 2 to 3 times a week in between his soccer for a month or so and had 2 races leading up to it. His best over the distance from standing is 23.97. Now we have the timing gear we can track improvements I know he can go much quicker with some training. We never did any lactic acid 3x150 or 3x200m workouts would that help over 200m or not is is it more just for 400m? Soccer is a big sport over here and trying to get him to do track is difficult so your way of training is great for him thank you.

@@fatmansprinter … this is awesome. Lactate workouts are more for the 400, but really good for 200 too.

@@fatmansprinter If you know Andrey Kanchelskis and think he had great speed, he was doing jump exercises every day and he said he wasn't naturally fast before he started to do them. As he said in one of his interview, he did 30 tuck jumps every day both legs and single leg variations. You could add some more exercises like triple jumps, 5-le jump, hops, bounds to make it diverse. But for young lad may be too much volume of load and lad could fall into overtraining hole easily (I got that 2-3 times before setup suitable proper training volumes for myself at youth level. Specific lactic threshold (or tolerance) training for soccer, IMO, not necessary at youth level at all. Only if you would like to compete in 400m youth track events and have fun (but it's not fun for many athletes, it's a lot of pain). Even for 200m it still don't affect 200m performance so much, you will just waste time, better do something else (like aerobic slow running for 15-30mins at morning, wich helps for recovery end give some aerobic capacity) or rest. Rest and recovery even more important then training itself. No recovery, no progress, bad adaptations, lower desire and motivation ( lad become too tired phisically and mentally and at some point may even quit all sports, will not want to go to school and will want to play only in videogames for week or even more, I have fell in that condition couple of times as I said). If your lad will want to raise his workrate in game, long aerobic training about 30-60min couple of times per week with velocity range between 130-160bpm of heartrate will be easier to handle for him and will give amazing results - he will be able to make more sprint work, will get more endurance and not being tired to death at the same time (will be tiring less and recover faster between sprints even during the match). I did that in my past, worked out very well, could run 90min doing sprints and accelerations with short pauses of jogging and walking during matches, almost could have ran "nonstop". But with emphasis to become as fast as possible, additional endurance workouts should be at minimum or avoided completely (games in training and competition matches are good enough by themself to develop oxidative energy system or "endurance" (which is used 30% in soccer) plus mixed glycolysis-oxidative (20%). And skills with the ball and smart running (even not so fast), perception of space and time is even more important then ability to run under 11 for 100m. I was doing plyos consistenly (as Andrey Kanchelskis, I was studied in same sport school, with same coaching methodology) - every day, some day more, some day less, depends on mood and feel, except Sunday rest and Saturday matchday) + hill runs (and other integrated in soccer training) + general bodyweight strength training + March Drills and similar for running technique and mechanics integrated in warm-ups. Went from 12.6 secs to 10.6 secs in 3 years. (15-16 to 18-19 years old period).

@@El_Suertero I know this is a late reply. We stuck with minimal training and let the races get Matt fit. He got down to 10.75 and 21.75 @16 with no lactic sessions, no hills, no additional plyometrics apart from drills and sprinting. Max volume was 480m a week + racing every 2 weeks to a month. Plus playing his sports at school and with friends etc. Looking for 10.50 or better this summer season and not interested in the 200m but may run one or two.

Yes. I think that speed is "THE TIDE THAT LIFTS ALL BOATS". When speed is prioritized, weight room strength becomes power. When you supplement your training with plyometrics and x-factor work, you become more explosive. Too many team sports (like rugby), prioritize slow-strength in the weight room and "conditioning". Both make you SLOWER and LESS EXPLOSIVE. Let the game train the game, and train athletes to become APEX PREDATORS.

Not enough sprinting in most programs.

trackfootballconsortium.com/soccer-ten-ways-to-feed-the-cats/

coachtube.com/course/track-and-field/the-off-season-speed-workout/12361114?track=52bcb13b3d69083d64d906287aafd8e9

coachtube.com/course/track-and-field/feed-the-cats-102-x-factor/12398301?track=5e8b93549b4e08e4eb0c15330c0aaae5

coachtube.com/course/track-and-field/rocket-fuel-for-sprinters-ft-coach-kyle-edwards/12671226?track=6fc74936e1d155a898120480e7c2c4a7

He's slower in the longer runs because he is out of shape for the longer runs. The fast kid is used to running fast for short periods. He is not used to running fast for long periods. The fast kid is not in 400m shape

Of course. But, 90% of athletes never reach their genetic ceiling.

@@coachtonyholler thanks for the response. Doing more research on your program. My 6’3” 185 15yr old has to improve on his 60yd time for baseball. Looking forward to learning more and perhaps starting your program! Good stuff!

@@brfan11 90% of baseball players play way to much baseball, lift weights, and do tons of mindless conditioning. Zero speed training.

This quote comes from Frans Bosch. Ben Johnson was the most weight-room strong sprinter of all times. He also had an incredible set of Jamaican genes. His steroid supplementation is legendary. In 1981, Johnson started with alternating days of 5 mg and 10 mg of Dianabol for a nine week period. He later added HGH. Then he added Testosterone, Furazabol, oral Turinabol, and Stanozolol (aka Winstrol). Johnson started taking steroids in 1981 and finally tested positive (for Stanozolol) at the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Was it Ben's genetics, his steroids, or was it the fact that he could squat over 650 pounds, bench over 450, and bent-over-row 315 pounds at a body weight of only 165? We will never know. Here's what I do know, the people I follow see the seeking of infinite strength as counter-productive to speed. Period. Thanks for watching!

@@coachtonyholler That's awesome, thanks. I've personally come across many talented high school sprinters who begin a weight training program after graduating and end up running slower, despite significantly increasing their strength to weight ratio. Joe Fisher from Kansas is a classic example.

@@coachtonyholler Is the reason guys who lift heavy often become less explosive over time because they get heavier as a consequence? What would happen if they could get stronger by lifting heavy training like Barry Ross and not miss any speed training sessions? Would they still run slower?

@@gothops2632 ... yes, increased mass makes it difficult to sprint as fast. The other thing is this: when you put weight on your back, you remove "muscle slack". Muscle slack happens when sprinting, not when squatting. Two very different things.

@@coachtonyholler How about if a sprinter did low volume deadlifts and was able to increase his strength significantly without gaining additional muscle mass? Would that not be of benefit to a sprinter?

simplifaster.com/articles/400-sprint-feed-the-cats/

Sprinting is the best core exercise in the world! We do nothing else.

No, hed have to be at practice a whole hour for things like ancillary work.

Typically, we don't get shin splints. Sometimes it's just one guy. If it happens we try to shut him down or at least have him work on turf. This year with such a long layoff, we may see more. I've had a four-day practice week for both the first two weeks to try to prevent this.

@@coachtonyholler Thanks!

No because they don't run enough

trackfootballconsortium.com/the-origin-and-philosophical-basis-of-feed-the-cats/

coachtube.com/bundles/feed-the-cats-track-bundle?track=500549b745bc852140a4bade2885812d

Football players must build body armor... mass is important in a collision sport. However, physics tells us that more mass creates more gravity -> slower sprinting. This is why max speed must constantly be reinforced. We are always either getting faster or slower.

Agree completely. If I'd been born 60 years later I'd use your methods and enjoy my running years much more.

Max velocity sprinting IMO is the best way to prevent hamstring injuries. Too many programs "just run" in practice, then they are shocked when kids injure themselves in meets.

@@coachtonyholler Why is it then that hamstring injuries occur most often toward the end of the competitive season? Some say it's because at that stage sprinters are no longer doing exercises that can reduce the likelihood of hamstring injury such as Nordics and stiff leg deadlifts/Romanian deadlift etc. What's your take on that?

Weak glutes, hamstrings doing two jobs because of glute weakness.

We dont do exercises, we just sprint full speed and barely practice! But marcellous moore was fast!

100% simplifaster.com/articles/400-sprint-feed-the-cats/

@@coachtonyholler Thanks!

itccca.com/12114/2016/08/andre-de-grasse-stuart-mcmillan-and-sub-max-training/

All roads lead to Rome. All coaches are equally good. That's traditional thought. But that's not how I think. I've learned that combining contrasting philosophies leads to confusion... but that's just me. I have a very strong *why* and *how*. And... I can't recruit the world's top sprinters year after year. The kids running for me live in our school district.

@@coachtonyholler I’m not for combining ideas but using them for each athlete. For instance your top sprinter needed your training, you might have another sprinter that is seeing gains but needs Hart’s training. With that becomes more work on the coach but isn’t that why we are there to get the most out of every single athlete? If one should be seeing more gains but aren’t then their training might need to change. It’s a very hard act to juggle and we can’t have 55 different training programs. Not all coaches are willing to put in extra time to try to fit training for each athlete. You do a lot more than most coaches (HS or college) with all of your recording and analysis. Kudos to you for doing all of that. We can’t have cookie cutter training and everyone (including myself) tries to do it or find it. I still believe that I have athletes that can benefit from your program and some that can benefit from Hart’s. It’s my job to find out which is better for whom. I hope all of this makes sense. I’m not trying argue or cause more work. I am thinking out of the box and trying to get others to do the same.

@@tommybarksdale5783 So I should have 41 individualized training programs for my 41 sprinters. Sheesh. It’s already a full time job. Good luck coach! 🙂

@@coachtonyholler if you could do that then yes. That’s why I said what I said. It’s not always possible. I can’t even do it. With that I do try to group particular ones in certain groups and if I see it’s not working then I change. It’s definitely a balancing act. Like I said earlier I didn’t say it to argue and I do believe you have validity in your training. You opened a lot of eyes with it. I love how your whole thought process is for the athletes to love the sport. I was just trying to get people to think outside of the box.

@@tommybarksdale5783 I gotcha. I just can’t trust a coach wiling to put a high school freshman through 20x200 because that’s what Clyde did. 🙂

He has talked about both the Olympic Trials and u20s.

I believe the FTC *approach* can be plugged into any type of training. Performance-based practice. Quality over quantity. Recovery. Sleep. Joyful eagerness to train. But, the 800 requires a ton of aerobic work. trackfootballconsortium.com/how-to-train-the-400-800-group/

@@coachtonyholler Thanks! Wow, my son is definitely in the mold of the “exceptions”. 1:55 800 kid who can run a 50L 400 split. I’ve always said 800 specialists are weirdo’s 🤣

Do you disagree with every point of FTC or are you simply a troll?

Speed is the Tide that Lifts All Boats Rest, Recovery, Sleep (Foundation of High Performance) Record, Rank, Publish Tired is the Enemy, Not the Goal (Racehorses not Workhorses) Never Let Today Ruin Tomorrow (Never Burn the Steak) 100% Healthy, 80% in Shape, Not the Other Way Around Perform in Practice (Moderate Exercise Never Leads to High Performance) Let the Game Be the Hardest Thing You Do Kids Are Good at What They Like, Obsessed With at What They Love Make Practice the Best Part of a Kid’s Day

But not with traditional XC workouts. Modified.

Thanks for commenting Spoony

60% of my sprinters are 🏈 players. I’ve coached sprinters for 43 years. The 🏈 players who become obsessed with the weightroom plateau in late high school and get SLOWER in college. ALL OF THEM (and I’ve coached high level NCAA and NFL players). I couldn’t care less if people “turn me off”. I’ve presented my ideas in 25 states and 2 (soon to be 3) foreign countries. People can accept my ideas or reject them. Good luck to you.

Hey Tony, appreciate your POV. I really like your talks / presentations and that is why I keep coming back to watch. I just don't see why there is so much bickering between the top strength/ speed experts- seems obvious that training is very complicated and that each athlete needs different things to be at their best. I guess a multidisciplinary approach is too complex and that is why everyone tries to defend one major aspect of training and stick to it. Anyway- just wanted you to know I think you are a great coach and have learned a lot from you. Cheers Tony!

@@axleochidae2853 I think you will find the Venn diagram among speed coaches to be more inclusive than you think. I’m talking about coaches who have “skin in the game” and must actually coach a team to win races or college 🏈 players to run a fast 40. The pollution seems to come from people who have invested their life in a weight room and want strength to be the priority in sprinting. I’m a 100% believer that strength is fundamental to speed (but it’s not even close to being the priority). trackfootballconsortium.com/strength-vs-speed/ Happy Thanksgiving!

Would a cheetah become faster , if it got stronger ? Would a gorilla become more powerful if it squatted and bench pressed all day. Side note cheetahs and lions Jaguars , ect. Sleep most of the day , don't warm up much , before they sprint , and don't get muscle tears. And don't overly fatigue themselves , because for one that means death.