Running • Handball Fitness Coach

Let me ask you a couple of questions - what does the running that you perform in a match look like?

Do you set off at the start at a moderate speed, and maintain this general level of speed and intensity for a prolonged period?

Or do you walk for extended periods, before than exploding into all out short and flat-out efforts of exertion?

Additionally, are your efforts all moving in a straight line, straight ahead?

Or are you also required to move sideways, backwards, as well as accelerate, decelerate and change directions repeatedly?

We both know the answer to these.

So my next question for you is why are you still making these mistakes?

Running 4 or 5km to 'get fit'
Always running at the same general speeds
Never manipulating work/rest ratios
Not taking into consideration your playing position and role in your team
Performing all your running work in a straight line - with no consideration for lateral and backwards movement
No deceleration nor changing of direction
Performing the same runs and the same distances every session
No consideration for how the running-based work ties in with your strength-based work and your overall goals
Performing 'running training' as totally separate from 'strength training' in your overall program
Forgetting that any running in a game also involves jumping and blocking in consistent amounts as well
Making yourself slower in the process rather than more powerful, explosive and athletic like handball requires

It's OK, you are not alone - and it is largely because the information and direction out there about conditioning for handball is seriously lacking.

You are making the effort to do extra running in your own time – so make sure that you are gaining the maximal possible benefit from it, by doing the right things. There is nothing worse than doing all this extra training in your own time, and not seeing all that much extra benefit over others who haven’t trained as much as you.

It may be a cliché, however, it’s about training smarter more so than it is about training harder – especially with more and more guys doing the extra work too.

Agility, Speed & Conditioning for Handball solves these pitfalls for you

This resource importantly ties in with the strength and power based work from Strength & Power Training for Handball, to create a complete picture or road map of your own athletic conditioning work done away from club or team training training.

In short, when out at team training for pre-season or in-season, your coaches are largely in control. This book is about what you do in in your own time prior to pre-season, to have you well ahead of your competition, as well as what you do in your own time on top of club training once you return to team training, in order to continue to build.

So what do we cover?

A demands analysis - based purely on the running component, including GPS analysis of both elite and sub-elite games, and for each position

How speed in handball is actually misunderstood and what is actually more important

Agility – in-depth discussion of both the physical component, and the often forgotten perceptual component

As well as specific, simple to set-up and repeat, yet effective agility focused drills and explanations

Together with specific and adaptable programming of agility-based drills into the rest of your program

Energy systems - and how they will impact how to maximise your conditioning work for handball

Slow & fast twitch fibers, and why aerobic fitness is important, but not for the reason you may think

How strength and plyometrics improve running – and importantly how to program them together, to create a complete picture and complete program

Progression in types of running and training throughout the off-season and pre-season

As well as a fully laid out - and importantly adaptable - 16-week running-based program, that ties in together with the strength and power-based work (as well as team training when you return)

Plus a lot more than we could possibly show in this short space here

So what are the benefits to you and your training?

More effective acceleration, deceleration and changing of direction
'Fitter' in the traditional sense of the word - however in multiple directions and speeds, rather than just in straight line running (which is straight out useless in handball)
Properly match prepared rather than just 'fit' in its traditional sense
Tying in the running based work with your strength work - leaving you with a complete and unified program, rather than a disjointed 'mish-mash' of training modes
Fits in and around club/team training
Time efficient - Achieve the maximum possible benefit from the time available
Actually learn why you are doing what you are doing, rather than just being told to do it - meaning you will be far better placed with designing your own training going forward, and making decisions about what you should be doing
The satisfaction that comes with knowing that you are part of a select few who will actually make some changes and impact their training and their handball for the better, while most others continue on doing what they have always done, together with the minimal result this will bring.

The most important thing about Agility, Speed and Conditioning for Handball, is that the entire book is all actually relevant and usable by the readers. Rather than being a textbook-style conditioning book with page after page of detailed information, yet with no real direction or substance for the individual athlete, we have focused on making the book as relevant to each individual reading it as possible. This is done by explaining the science behind the correct training methods in a no-nonsense and simple to understand manner, as well as giving actual direction with specific drills and detailed programming guidelines to follow, as well as an actual program layout to follow.

And you get all these ongoing benefits for less than half the price for half an hour with a trainer or athletic development coach

Additionally, with a money back guarantee if you aren't impressed, there is a whole heap of upside and literally no potential downside.