Training for any sport requires emphasis on a combination of the following areas:

• Coordination - the use of your muscles in the same manner you will use them in competition.
• Speed - the use of your muscles at the same speed or faster than you will use them in competition.
• Strength - the use of your muscles against resistance in the same manner you will use them in competition.

Coordination

Coordination is a very complex process. The eyes are the first link in the system; they send the images you see along a pathway of nerves to your brain. The brain interprets the signals, decides which muscles should contract and how hard and fast the contractions should be, and it then sends out that message along another network of nerves. For every muscle that contracts, there is an opposing muscle that relaxes, and the brain coordinates the movements of every muscle in the body simultaneously. The entire process takes a fraction of a second.

When an athlete dives into a pool, or hits a tennis ball with a racket, every one of the 500 muscles receives instructions from the brain. That is why an athlete can spend an entire lifetime improving coordination.

Practice improves coordination in two ways; first, through training the brain interprets the message faster.

Second, the brain sends more specific direction to the muscles, so that the motion is more precise and efficient.

Speed

To be fast in competition - you must train fast in practice.

The human body is composed of two different types of muscle fibers, slow twitch and fast twitch fibers. The slow twitch fibers are for endurance. Because of their rich blood supply, they appear red under a microscope. The fast twitch fibers are for speed and strength. Because these fibers have a limited blood supply, they appear white under the microscope.

The ratio of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers are determined by genetics. An athlete can not do anything about changing this ratio. However, the athlete can maximize the performance of the fibers they possess through training. For example, slow running develops slow twitch fibers, just as fast running develops fast twitch fibers.

Years ago marathon runners trained only by running long distances. Training today dictates to race fast you must train fast. World class marathoners run 5:00 mile pace in races, but they know they can not run 26.2 miles fast every day. Therefore, they use interval training techniques. Generally long distance runners train three times a week at short distances at a very fast pace, close to 4:00 per mile.

Olympic weight lifters also need speed. How fast the weight bar moves determines how much can be lifted. That is why a common training technique is to perform sets of ten repetitions moving the bar as fast as possible.

Training is so specific that an athlete may be able to train their arms to move very fast, and still not be able to move their legs very fast. Take the example of former Miami Dolphin quarterback Dan Marino. Marino was known for the quickest release with a pass in the National Football League, but Marino was also known as a "pocket passer" for his lack of running speed.

Strength

An athlete develops strong muscles by making them lift heavy weights, but a traditional weight lifting program is not always the answer. The athlete must use their muscles in the same manner that they use them in competition. The best way to gain sports specific strength is to perform the sports skill against resistance. "Against resistance" means using heavier equipment to do the same thing the athlete will do in competition.

Specificity of training will enhance performance if an athlete desires stronger arms to carry heavy loads, or wants great finger strength to grip a heavy bowling ball - the athlete should concentrate on strength exercises done isometrically - using the arm muscles in the same way they are used to carry loads or using the fingers the same way a bowling ball is held. On the other hand, if the task or skill for which the athlete is training is performed istonically, the strength program should be primarily isotonic (exercises of which are those in which a resistance is raised and then lowered as in weight training) use of the muscle involved in that skill.

If the athlete is training for a particular sports skill that requires explosive power, such as throwing, striking, kicking, or jumping - the strength exercises should be done with less resistance and greater speed. If the athlete is training for a skill that uses both concentric and eccentric contractions or is plyometric, the athlete should perform strength exercises using these characteristics.

Analyze the Skills

Training today is so scientific that the athlete and coach who ignores or fails to understand the law of specificity of training maybe throwing away an Olympic gold medal, a Super Bowl, a Stanley Cup, or a World Series ring.

Keep your training specific, perfect the skill, train at full speed, and use the muscles in the same manner as one would in competition. Specificity will enhance coordination, speed, strength and ultimately performance to reach to the next level.