NSA INTERVIEW 1

Malcolm Arnold

rrggl 'i^' by IAAF 8:2:61-64, 1993

bv Vern Gambetta

// is often said that coaching is as much an art as a science. Though slandard methodology is important, there is also a vital role for inierprelaiion. individuality and per.stmalitv in siicce.s.sful coaching. Recognising this, NSA has always sought to provitle its readers with something more than 'how to...' arlicles on coaching. With this i.s.sue, we are initituing a .scries of interviews in wehich we will examine lhe philosophy and methods of ttip coaches uroiuul the world. It is hoped that the insight provided will help all coaches to develop their own skills ami meihods.

Folhnving the practical theme for this issue of Sprint Hurdles, our first interview is with Malcolm Arnold who is currently the Chief Coach responsible for sprinis and hurdles for the British Athletics Federailtm. In tnore than 20 years of coaching iniernaiionid class ath­letes. Arnoltl has worked with, lunong others, the 1972 Olympic 400 meires Hurdles champi­on John Akii-Bua (UGA), the IW2 Olympic 110 tnelres Hurtlles champitm Mark McKoy ICAN) and the 1990 European I lOmeires Hurtlles champion Colin Jack.wn (GBR).

The interview was given to NSA Advisory Editorial Hoard member Vern Cambeita lUSA). Gambetia is Director of Conditioning for US professional baseball teatn Chicago White Sox and was US Satirmtd Hurdles Coordinalin- for Wtnnen between I9HI and 19H5. He was alst) the editor of The Athletics Congre.ss ofthe USA's 'Track and Field Coaching Manual.'

NSA: In y o u r o p i n i o n , what h a s h c c n t h c c o n t r i b u t i o n nf I he s p o r t s s c i e n i i s i t o improved hurdles performance?

M.-\: In Britain, this science is in its infancy, and sports science has not helped the devel­o p m e n t of h u r d l e r s t o o much . Advice for medical and dietary purposes , for example , has been available for some time, but noi too much b iomechan ica l informat ion has been forthcoming yet. The interface between sport scieniisi and coach is not yet complele,

i \SA; ^^'hal do you need to know from Ihe

spurts scieniisi lo be a more cffeclive hurdles

coach?

MA: We were in Australia earlier this year at the Australian Institute for Sport in Canberra. Thev are obviouslv in tune with their alhletes and have devised v a r i o u s r eg imes to he lp them. Force platforms placed before and after hurdles provide data that would be of greal use. parlicularlv in determining the efficiency of lake-offs and landings ei lher side of each hurdle. Unfortunately, we were not there long enough to lake advantage of ihis sophisticated equipment.

N S . \ : How impor lan i is flat IOf)m speed for success in hurdling?

M . \ : Flal speed is vital to successful sprini hurdling. Look at lhe personal hesi limes of

the wor ld ' s best h u r d l e r s ! But l ea rn ing lo apply lhe speed is a compl ica ted technica l

problem. f,

NS.\: How do you define hurdle rh>lhm?

MA: Hurdle rhvlhm comes about as a result of constani hurdling practice, Il seems thai many top class hurdlers do nol hurdle often enough. Good hurdle rhylhm comes about because thc athlete is familiar with what he is doing.

\ S . \ : How do you specifically train hurdle rhylhm?

M.\: Hurdle rhythm comes from hurdling. In my group athletes will normally do three drills sessions and Ihree hurdling sessions per week, except in the competitive season, when this reduces.

NSA: How important is size to hurdle suc­cess?

MA: Big men. like small men. are at a disad­vanlage when it comes to hurdling. Big men. like Greg Foster or Ario Brygarre modify iheir technique, especially iheir running tech­nique belween the hurdles, and hurdle suc­cessfully. Small men can rarely make thc compromises and are doomed! Change event might be the answer. "Medium' size men. like Mark McKoy and Coun Jackson also have big problems. The hurdles are always too close for them in parlicular seciions of the race. Modify and compromise are important words for hurdlers.

NS.A: Comment on strength training for Ihe hurdler. What role does it play? How does it change with advancing Iraining age?

M.\: Slrength training is vilal for lhe hurdler in the development of power. For lhe young a thle le the development of a sound endurance base is of first importance. This can be gained ihrough circuil training. Al a young age, athletes should also learn to lift light weighis with the bar and disc, so that their technique is excelleni when they are maiure enough to lift heavy weighis. The physically mature hurdler should develop both elastic and maximum strength,

NS.\: How about plyomelrie training? Where docs that come inlo Ihc h u r d l e r ^ pro­gramme?

M.\: Plyometric training is the development of elastic slrenglh. I gave up using hopping and bounding in iraining - plyomeirics as some mighl call it - in 19SS. when one of the young ladies in my group developed bad shin problems and missed the Seoul Ohmpies. Lifiing with bar and disc seems to produce the right results.

NSA: H o « has your training wilh Colin Jackson changed during the lime you have been coaching him? Why?

MA: Training with Colin Jackson has chanued:

NSA: Who is (he ideal hurdler? or if you c(mld design Ihe ideal hurdler whal would he his characteristics?

MA: There is no such being as the ideal hur­dler and lhc only way a hurdler can run a perfect race is to change the positions of the hurdles in the race - which is obviously not possihle.

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a) as he has hecome more physically mature. h) as he has come lo understand the event beller. c) as he has become a better performer.

1 feel ihat coaches should include athletes in iheir plannmg from a very early age. especial­ly where the aihlele is perceptive, as Colin is. Now he knows all that I know (and maybe more) and has performed at lhe highest level. Because of this. I pick his brain!

VCi: Where .should Ihe emphasis he in Irain­ing the young hurdler?

duccs a successful platform for lhe outdoor season.

MA: The emphasis in training the young hurdler should be on acquiring a st)und lech- VG: How do you feel about indoor hurdles nique together wiih a good conditioning races as a performance predictor uf 111) base. meires Hurdles limes?

VCii What about race plan? Pa i i e rn of aceelcration?

MA: The race plan is to reach the finish before anv one else! It is difficull to plan 1."̂ or so seconds precisely in the way thai an athlele and coach can plan a 4(K) metres Hurdles race. Cerlainlv the athlete must hurdle a lol in train­ing, so that he can carry all ihose iraining experiences inlo ihe competititm. During a race ihings change so much that the athlele must think quickly and modify

VG: How- many races are necessary to reach t(>p form? What is Ihe ideal numher of races in a season fur a beginner? A world class hur­dler?

MA: This depends on the alhlete. Colin Jackson can become sharp in his running wilh aboul five seconds notice. Other athleles i have coached at this level lake 5 or 6 races. It is an individual problem for each athlete and his coach.

VG: Whal is the role of indoor running?

MA: Indoor running is a goal in itself. Athletes should he prepared properly lo run indoors. Any athlete who tries indoor compe­lilion "to see how- winier iraining is progress­ing' is stupid! Winter training does not pro­duce the sharpness required lo run fast indoors . If something is worth doing, it should be dtme properly, or not al all. If vou wish lo be successful, prepare properly! Indoor running also allows the alhlete to practise lhc firsi part of the race and pro-

MA: bO meires Hurdles and 110 meires Hurdles are enlirely different races. I do not think that the 60 metres Hurdles is a precise indicator fur the 110.

VG: Whal lesls do you use?

MA: I use very few lests in a formal way. The ultimate lest is the race iiselL Incessant testing as used by some coaches produces a thle les who are good at doing tests . Maximums in weighl iraining. speed over various relevant disiances and an experi­enced eye are the lesls I mainly use.

VG: Comment on thc value of assistance running (Towing, down hill running etc.) and resistance running (harness, tyre pulling etc.)

MA: I do not use any form of assistance run­ning in my training of hurdlers. This is not to sav it is not valuable.

VG: Could you give us sume insights into the consideralions of Ihe siruclure of Ihc pcriodisalictn plan for a lop class hurdler?

MA: The planning of systematic training is of \iial importance. The alhletes must also understand this. My framework is one that was devised in Eastern Hurope. but modified to lake into accouni the lifestyle of my ath­letes. The year plan also takes inlo account the methods which the Eastern Europeans and others use and the meihods which we have come to believe in here in Brilain. Work rates are lower in Britain, but they seem to work well! 63

NS,\: Ho\v importanl are hurdle drills? Whal drills are mosi elTeclive? Does lhe effective­ness of the drills change with Ihc age of Ihe hurdler?

MA: Hurdles drills are vitally importanl in giving a precision to hurdling, I use isolation drills - down one side of the hurdle with lhe irail leg. down the other side with lhe lead leg. then drills using the complete lechnique over the top of the hurdle. In preparation periods I do this wnh five running sirides between hurdles, wilh lhe hurdles spaced wider apart than their normal marks. This i;i\es athleles more lime to think when thev

are hurdling, fn the competition season. I do the drills with three running strides between the hurdles, with thc hurdles brought closer together. This represents the competiiion rhylhm. All drills are done al a high speed, with the emphasis on lhe technique of land­ing and running away from hurdles. This makes a huge difference.

I do not think that the effectiveness of drills changes, once the hurdler is competent . However. I see many lop class hurdlers whose drills are aimless and ineffective. The drilling of hurdles technique is a never end­ing process.

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