Sprinting Mechanics & Fundamentals | Feed the Cats

This video is an excerpt from the Feed the Cats course - “The Speed Workout” - and is the first course of an ambitious Feed the Cats series created by Tony Holler.
The link to the full course can be found here:
coachtube.com/course/track-an...
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Feed the Cats is a revolutionary way of training, coaching, and teaching that values specificity, essentialism, performance, and love. After gaining a world-wide following in Track & Field, FTC has now gained a foothold in American football.
“The Speed Workout” gives the background needed to adopt the “Do Less, Achieve More” fundamentals needed to understand minimalist sprint training. The goal of the course is to give the off-season athlete everything they need to begin training speed three times a week. The videos are simple, detailed, and reproducible. Workouts can be done solo. With the crazy circumstances surrounding the pandemic, athletes may find this course to be exactly what they are looking for.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you on the next one!

[@calicoraven7332]

My sprint coach is almost never around at practice, doesn't teach us proper form, and only really focusses on the popular people that have had the opportunity to be in sports their hole life. So here I am learning good form to teach myself so I can get faster. I've been told by many people that my form looks good, but never my sprint coach, so I want to make sure.

[@coachtonyholler]

Good sprint coaches are relatively rare.

[@father5946]

Most middle-high school "coaches" will not teach you anything if you aren't their favorite. My "coaches" got big mad when I showed up their favorites though. Was pretty hilarious.

[@stevie586]

OMG, you’re preaching to the choir! When younger, I was more highly skilled than everyone naturally, but one injury from auto accident and my coaches lectured me instead of teaching me! They didn’t properly train me because I was naturally fast, and they instead focused on those they liked. They also didn’t give me simple education. Instead, they said to me, “you know better”! No, I didn’t know better…TELL ME! Then, when I got away from those particular coaches, I tried “running at 90%” instead of full speed. I won many titles and was great, but I knew I was faster than the three people who beat and were seen above me. Well, I taught myself properly, because all I was really doing was running “relaxed” instead of tense, and one day I raced every single one of those guys with my new technique and SMOKED them! They thought they’d gotten slow…no…I’d just learned to relax. Something that simple makes a big difference, and it is imperative coaches spend more time in the classroom than on the actual track. Good luck to you, and as a knowledgeable person, I say you can ask me any questions you want, because I now know most of the answers. Sprinters are made moreso than born!

[@calicoraven7332]

@@stevie586 thsnk you for the tips, I can't wait to try them next season. I never thought about being more relaxed before, but it makes sence.

[@stevie586]

@@calicoraven7332 my pleasure! Yes, relaxation is not a mere good thing to do…it is a MUST! The more tense you run, the more you slow yourself down and risk injury…especially in longer events. Also, run forward instead of pushing from the rear. Your steps and the power you’re generating will essentially pull you forward…getting those knees up and running tall will make this happen fairly naturally. But that requires more training. In any event, never, ever, ever flex or squint when running…even when trying to catch someone from behind, relax, be patient, trust that your skill and technique will enable you to catch and pass them. If you relax and don’t catch them, you simply weren’t gonna catch them anyhow, and no need getting injured over trying!

[@geoffhennessy275]

Great stuff to watch while I recoup from surgery. Thanks Tony.

[@stevie586]

Excellent video and thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom on a free platform. This is helping our youth, and even professionals tons! Much love.

[@mewovel7290]

This was really informative, thank you!

[@CoachFellows]

Very nice video. Ty from Brazil.

[@denisbeaulieu5600]

nice, thanks

[@krishsingh3357]

Fantastic info

[@coachtonyholler]

Glad you think so!

[@TommySkid]

Thanks

[@xavier3417]

This is great video. So when it comes to sprinting and proper form you recommend a certain amount of stiffness when it comes to arms, shoulders, and legs ?

[@coachtonyholler]

No. When I refer to stiffness, I'm referring to stiffness in the tendons. Tendons act like rubber bands. Loose rubber bands don't shoot as far.

[@samserwadda253]

​@@coachtonyholler how important is the correct arm swing compared to foot placement on the ground. Or do they work hand in hand together.

[@coachtonyholler]

@@samserwadda253 Fast people do it naturally. Sprinters typically have full arm motion, not restricted… the important thing is for the hand to pass the hips driving the elbow to the sky and creating a stretch reflex in the shoulder.

[@abdullaalalawi4176]

I think Michael Johnson had the best mechanics. You need horizontal force more than vertical force. Michael had great posture. His style conserves energy.

[@coachtonyholler]

Most people think Michael Johnson's mechanics worked great for him, but not a blueprint for training high school kids.

[@staysolidshades254]

Romans 10:9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.dd

[@davids5980]

@@staysolidshades254 Amen.

[@stevie586]

His mechanics are so controversial. He was successful with that form, but, I personally feel he was simply very talented and could’ve been much faster with better mechanics. Watching him as a teen, I always thought his form was not the best and wondered how he could be so good with those mechanics. I definitely wouldn’t recommend others to try it his way.

[@gokunowork2674]

@@staysolidshades254 amen

[@robertbosse314]

Great video! What about strides. Does a sprinter in the drive phase, not only have a high knee, but also extends the underleg to max the stride ( in line with Bud Winters theory)

[@coachtonyholler]

Don't understand your question. Acceleration is a piston-like motion, whacking the track horizontally. Getting long in stride length early in acceleration would cause a "braking effect".

[@stevie586]

@@coachtonyholler this is what many don’t understand! Driving is building momentum which will eventually help propel them forward into the acceleration. So many over-extend their hamstrings in thinking they will go more forward, but don’t realize they’re actually losing momentum and risking injury. Many also mix up the effects high knees VS longer front mechanics with feet too far ahead. Great point!

[@gpowder911]

1) You drop your knees in 400m after 120m. 2) Plus, there are still photos of Johnson in the 200m with optimal knee-lift. 3) Your picture is a distortion: Johnson's upper torso is NOT forward (but, you proved my theory that he's NOT leaning BACK).

[@coachtonyholler]

No sprint coach uses Michael Johnson as a model of sprint mechanics. Elites are professional compensators.

[@SheffKane]

W

[@amartya9034]

Will a sudden change in acceleration cause a trip if back is too leaned or foot is not placed in the centre?

[@coachtonyholler]

Usually trips are caused by trying to “stay low”. Like anything else, acceleration must be practiced.

[@michaeldillard1408]

A few years ago They called it feed your face, hands not past your mouth

[@berner]

Thanks for explaining the form/biomechanics :) Out of curiosity, how much does weight play in progress as a sprinter when first starting out? For someone who's say 5'10 and 200 lbs versus someone who's 5'10 and 170 lbs, will that 30 pounds extra that the first person has give them an advantage over the lighter person once that 200 lbs goes down to 170 lbs? I know it's not an easy question to answer because of all the different variables but I've always wondered if starting sprinting as a heavier person before the weight comes off gives any kind of advantage over starting sprinting when a person is much lighter.

[@coachtonyholler]

Weight is generally anti-speed (gravity is a bitch). Weight from natural growth and weight that allows more force into the ground may be beneficial. Greyhounds would not be faster with added weight.

[@ialreadydidmyese6422]

Hello coach, what can I do to get my knee past my other knee at touchdown?

[@coachtonyholler]

Sprint more.

[@scotthill7927]

One of my runners has a longer stride and struggles with getting his foot under center mass, keeps landing I little in front. Any tips on how to break this habit?

[@coachtonyholler]

Might be effective for him. Could try to shorten his stride with 5.5’ wickets at full speed.

[@scotthill7927]

@@coachtonyholler I’ll try it. Thank you!!! My kids are loving feed the cats!!! Can’t wait to see what they do this upcoming season

[@guilhermeribeiro7733]

I have issues with my back side mechanics. It's like I run in a "sitting" posture where my legs on ground contact aren't straight. How do I fix this?

[@coachtonyholler]

Your poor form is a habit. Habits are formed by repetition. Do drills, sprint, do wickets. Video. Cue yourself to "stay tall".

[@guilhermeribeiro7733]

Useful, thanks 👍

[@chartrechant]

I am 75 years old and I want to run a competitive sprint. I run after my border collie/ kelp 3 days a week. And I want to sprint without hurting my self because it takes so long to recover when hurt. Are what you teaching in the course applicable to a person my age.

[@coachtonyholler]

Train only when fresh. Microdose workouts.

[@pancraseash9002]

If your sprinting for fitness training not for competitive time would you recommend a safer technique ?

[@coachtonyholler]

Sprinting is only unsafe for those who never sprint.

[@BDR-yo6ss]

@3:20 is the arrow on her thigh to see what angle her thigh is at at take off lol

[@nikolaygavazov1799]

its to know which way to run

[@sommerday77]

nothing in this video demos how to develop a dominant fast twitch sprinters ham (says guy who had crazy speed)

[@coachtonyholler]

Don’t think that was the topic of the video.

[@jaredconnaughton4194]

michael johnson broke the 20 second barrier for the first time at the age of 23, not 18

[@waterglass7075]

Yeah I was wondering about that 😅

[@barashhikkk5844]

Black money 31

[@OriginalNuckChorris]

Some coaches prefer the other form

[@Michael-gi5th]

I dont know, thinking about mechanics while running seems like youll be losing the competiveness while running which may actually slow down your time

[@coachtonyholler]

For sure. That’s why we PRACTICE.

[@coachbsportsperformancecoa945]

One can have picture perform and still be slow.

[@coachtonyholler]

Explain

[@coachbsportsperformancecoa945]

@@coachtonyholler bo jackson, Herschel Walker, Barry sanders, tyreek hill did not have picture perfect or text book form and where extremely fast. None of these guy lifted there knees high or poke their eyes out with there thumb. If your fast your fast, yes some minor technical adjustments can be made, arm swing across the body, squatting while sprinting needs to be correct, beside that put a bigger engine under the hood.

[@ishowvelocity1010]

@@coachbsportsperformancecoa945 what do you mean when your said put a bigger engine under that hood? Explain

[@ishowvelocity1010]

@@akshajbist1518 Oh thanks

[@stevie586]

I know what you’re talking about. I’ve seen folks with amazing form who are slow due to lack of strength and also frequency. This is especially the case with beginners, as well…they’ve “got it”, but need more time. Also, FYI, the examples you gave, I think there is a huge misunderstanding many folks have in having fast twitch and being “fast”. We see 60M runners explode out of the blocks and get way ahead, but they get smoked in the 100M. Sometimes, it’s just the build of the person. Others, simply ineffective form. It’s extremely important for a competitive sprinter to have great form not just for speed and speed endurance, but also to prevent injury. A world class athlete with slower turnover and excellent technique can absolutely smoke a person who is naturally more powerful & with faster twitch muscles with simple technique. Sprinters truly are made today.

[@TrackStar42]

the pic of michael is in the latter half, his form was better than that in a 100m or 200m !

[@coachtonyholler]

100% correct

[@OrangeCaps]

Mike's pic is just wrong pic..you know it lol

[@coachtonyholler]

???

[@judetheman1562]

@@coachtonyholler He means that the picture you used was just him at a bad moment in time.

[@TheCelticer]

2:00 " you want to see, how you look like" Me: Better not...

[@TranelHawkins]

There is no optimal. Just beat everyone to the finish line. Running is the most natural thing anyone can do. All these coaches act like they make the athlete. The best thing they can do is write up a good workout and get out of the way. Talent is much more important to running then drills. Carl Lewis always ran the way he did in high school. As a matter of fact he was a long jumper before going to college?

[@coachtonyholler]

OK

[@LaCajunWash]

I thought you want suppose to swing your arm alot

[@coachtonyholler]

Down-sweep, hand crosses hip, elbow to the sky, arm snaps back with stretch-reflex.