Track & Field

What advice would you give to athletes training themselves in both horizontal jumps?

Surround Yourself with Amazing People: Advice for Self-Coached Athletes in Horizontal Jumps

What's up, Isaac? Hopefully you doing good. Hey, what advice would I give to Athletes Training themselves? In both horizontal jumps. My best advice is that, that you surround yourself with amazing people, and I mean, amazing. Somebody says going to be there to support you on the decisions that you make being your own coach. In the horizontal jumps, has a great amount of benefits because I go on what it feels like to jump. Our, I also go on with it looks like and a lot of coaches, don't know what it feels like from time to time what it takes to jump a certain distance. Or what that drill feels like when they're wanting me to do bounds for, you know, 300 yards and Plyometrics and drills like that, and things that might look good on video to them but does not feel that great to be. So the best advice I have for you is to surround yourself with great people that will also so be able to help you with your recording of every day sessions so that you can videotape and go back in and watch everything in slow motion, break it down and then come right back and perform those those efforts at 100% right away so that you don't have to wait like we did back in the 80s when I had to record something. Take it home, break it down. Watch it on VHS tape and Wait to the very next day to do to go back over it. These days you can get immediate instant feedback through tripods, through people who are able to hold your cameras for you and I that would probably be the best advice for you for me, from me to you, for you, to be better horizontal jumper, and being able to coach yourself, and train yourself to the elite level that you want to get to. Have a great day. Hopefully, that helps you talk to you soon.

My best advice for athletes training themselves in horizontal jumps is to surround yourself with amazing people and invest in equipment to get immediate feedback. Record your sessions, break them down and watch it in slow motion so you can see what you need to improve on.

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Hey Isaac! I hope you're doing well. If you're an athlete training yourself in both horizontal jumps, my best advice is to surround yourself with amazing people who can support you in your journey. Being your own coach in the horizontal jumps can have its benefits because you know how it feels to jump and what it takes to achieve a certain distance. Many coaches may not fully understand the physical sensations and challenges involved in these jumps.

To excel in your training, it's important to have a support system that can also assist you with recording your training sessions. By videotaping your jumps and reviewing them in slow motion, you can analyze your technique and make necessary adjustments right away. Unlike in the past when we had to wait to review recordings on VHS tapes, you now have the advantage of immediate feedback through tripods or having someone hold the camera for you.

Surrounding yourself with great people and utilizing technology for instant feedback will help you improve as a horizontal jumper and coach yourself to the elite level you aspire to reach. I hope this advice helps you. Have a fantastic day, and feel free to reach out if you have any more questions.

What was your training philosophy in 1996?

Olympic champion reveals 1996 training philosophy: Protect, dial back, and be meticulous.

What's happening? Isaac? What is my training philosophy in 1996? That's a tough question. The reason I'm going to answer this this way is because in 1990 1990. I was a Goodwill games gold medalist and ranked number one in the world 1991. I was ranked number one in the world and I was world champion going into 1992. I ended up having knee surgery due to a tauren. ACL in my left knee, which took me out of competing at the 1992 Olympics, which I was a large favorite to win the gold medal that year. So my 1996 philosophy was to make sure that I was completely healthy. I was making sure that I took care of every detail and made sure to protect my body, whether it was not jumping in a lot of track meets weather. It was not, you know, doing too much stuff in training sessions, just just dialing things back, and being more meticulous. And, and understanding that I've already put in Foundation over the last 20 years, to be able to accomplish my goals in 1996. So it made it very easy for me to to just sit back, protect my body and Get ready to rock and roll on the day that the Olympics were going to take place. I hope that answered your question.

My 1996 training philosophy was to make sure that I was completely healthy and took care of every detail in order to protect my body. This was done by dialing back on how much I did in training sessions and being more meticulous in preparation for the 1996 Olympics.

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In 1996, my training philosophy was focused on ensuring my complete health and well-being. This approach was shaped by my previous experiences, particularly the knee surgery I had in 1992, which prevented me from competing in the Olympics that year. As a result, my main goal was to protect my body and prioritize every detail to maintain my physical condition.

I was cautious about not overexerting myself, whether it meant reducing my participation in track meets or being mindful during training sessions. I understood that I had already built a strong foundation over the past 20 years, which allowed me to dial back and be more meticulous in my preparations.

Ultimately, my philosophy was centered around taking care of my body and being ready to perform at my best when the Olympics arrived in 1996.

Do you think stress ruins your performance? If yes, how so? 

Unleashing the Power of Stress: A Double-Edged Sword for Peak Performance

Do I think stress ruins my performance? Stress, in my opinion is it's a double-edged sword for, for a lot of people my job. And my, my sport is to put stress on you, to go to our track, meet stress gives me energy, and I'm what I mean by that, I want to be stressed, I want to be nervous. I want to be like uncomfortable because with that uncomfortability gives me energy to be able to execute the things that I want to. Accomplish that day. So stress for me, gives me energy with stress for somebody else. Does not allow them to compete at the highest level or the level that they want to compete at. And for me, I'm looking towards making you uncomfortable or stressing you out or making you know, mentally unstable and that's just being honest. And what I want to do is by performance only is to make you understand that this is something, maybe you shouldn't be doing, and I'm not sure if you know Sports is the best place to do that. But without saying a word to somebody else, By just coming out there and performing with the stress that I came to the track meet with. I want to bring that stress to you so that you will not compete against me at the level that you might be capable of competing against. So, I hope everybody does have the same stress and mentality. Well, I'm competing against them, but at the same time, I'm there to win and to see how amazing my body can be. During that time. Hopefully, that's not too bad for people to understand.

Stress can be beneficial in giving energy to perform well, but it can also hinder people's performance if it becomes too overwhelming. Everyone has different levels of comfortability with stress, so it is important to find the right balance for optimal performance.

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Do I think stress ruins my performance? In my opinion, stress is a double-edged sword in my line of work and sport. As an athlete, stress actually gives me energy and motivation. I thrive on the pressure and discomfort it brings because it fuels me to execute my goals. However, I understand that for others, stress can hinder their ability to perform at their desired level. It may prevent them from competing at their best.

In my sport, my aim is to make my competitors uncomfortable, to stress them out, and to mentally challenge them. I want to perform in a way that makes them question their own abilities. While I acknowledge that this may not be the best approach in all situations, I believe that through my performance alone, I can convey the message that maybe they shouldn't be competing against me. I want to bring the stress I feel to the competition, so that my opponents are not able to perform at their highest level.

Ultimately, I hope that everyone I compete against shares the same stress and competitive mentality. However, my primary focus is on pushing myself to see how amazing my body can perform under the stress and pressure. I understand that this perspective may not resonate with everyone, but it is an integral part of my approach to competition.

What is the best way to build a high school athlete's speed?

Harnessing Strength: Key to High School Athletes' Speed

What's up? And it's Steve, great question. What's the best way to build a high school athlete speed for me? Creating a foundational strength. Is the most important thing for me to get the kids started in the first place because usually when High School coaches prepare the athletes they are they're really not they're not strong enough through their core and their basic strength, their body strength and body awareness yet. So that when we're asking them for their speed and Technical work, their body is not really prepared yet to, To apply like Sprint technique and some of the high-end technical things that are necessary for improving speed. So my first thing would be to increase the strength level of the athlete which is just pure athleticism, whether it's Plyometrics, whether it's body way, whether it's the push-ups sit-ups, ABS core, I kind of implement like gymnastics cartwheels front rolls all that stuff. So you have body awareness so that when I An athlete to perform, the technical things, like arm arm, swing knee drive, all those things, hip flexors. All those things I asked athlete to do, they're capable of actually making those adjustments and they do not get frustrated when they are not able to process that stuff when they're trying to Sprint. And usually kids get really frustrated because you're asking them to do something and their bodies. Just simply is not prepared yet. To do it, it's not that they're not capable of doing it. It's the fact that they have not built there, there's their foundational strength quite yet, and I think that would be my main thing is to help increase their, their, their body strength, their foundational strength. And then once you were able to add their technical process of their, their body mechanics that will live with them for the rest of their lives. And I think that will be my first thing. It will help increase high school kids speed that and flexibility as well. Have a good one.

The best way to build speed for a high school athlete is to focus on foundational strength, like plyometrics, body weight exercises, and even gymnastics. Once the athlete has increased their body strength, they can then add the technical aspects of sprinting, such as arm swing, knee drive, and hip flexors. This will help the athlete increase their speed and flexibility.

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To build a high school athlete's speed, the most important aspect, in my opinion, is to establish a foundational strength. Many high school athletes lack core strength and basic body awareness, which hinders their ability to apply sprint techniques and improve speed.

My first focus would be on increasing the athlete's overall strength and athleticism. This can be achieved through various methods such as plyometrics, bodyweight exercises, push-ups, sit-ups, core exercises, and even incorporating gymnastics movements like cartwheels and front rolls to enhance body awareness.

By developing their foundational strength, athletes become better equipped to perform technical aspects of speed training, such as proper arm swing, knee drive, and hip flexor engagement. This helps prevent frustration and allows athletes to make necessary adjustments during sprinting.

It's important to note that the goal is not to push athletes beyond their capabilities but to ensure they have built a solid foundation of strength. This foundation will support their long-term development and serve them well throughout their athletic journey.

Additionally, flexibility should also be addressed to complement speed training. Improving flexibility can enhance range of motion and overall athletic performance.

In summary, the best way to build a high school athlete's speed is to prioritize foundational strength, body awareness, and technical development. This approach sets the stage for long-term success and should be coupled with flexibility training.

What was your go-to when stiffness set in during competition?

Stiffness? Not for me. Preparing for explosive jumps in competition.

What's happening, agent? What was my go-to? When stiffness said, in during competition for me, I really didn't have issues with getting stiff, usually because of my pre-made preparation or what. I come to the track needs to do is to see if I can get a performance in my first two jumps out of the way and make sure they're absolutely. I'm absolutely prepared for those jumps. I'm 100%. Warm, I don't go to track me to work my way into jumps, like start off slow, and then get better and better, and better and better. I come there 100 miles an hour to make sure that my first two jumps are my best jumps. So that I don't have to jump for the rest of the competition. But if I am going to be at the competition for the whole duration, I usually am walking pacing. Making sure that I am sitting down stretching And stretching doing my stagnant stretches on the sidelines. Usually there would consist of my butterfly sit, where you put your feet together and push your knees down to the ground. That keeps my hips open because in triple jump the, the more fluid, you are in that the more explosives, you're going to be when it comes time for you to jump. Hopefully, that helps

When competing, I prepare beforehand and come to the track 100% ready. During the competition, I focus on pacing, stretching, and doing my butterfly sits to keep my hips open so I can be as explosive as possible when it comes time to jump.

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Hey there! When stiffness set in during competition, I didn't usually have issues with it due to my pre-competition preparation. My go-to strategy was to ensure that I performed my best in the first two jumps. I would come to the track fully warmed up and ready to give it my all right from the start. I didn't believe in gradually working my way into the jumps; I wanted to make sure my first two jumps were my absolute best so that I wouldn't have to jump again for the rest of the competition.

However, if I did have to stay at the competition for the whole duration, I would keep myself active by walking and pacing. I would also make sure to stretch and do my stagnant stretches on the sidelines. One stretch that I found helpful was the butterfly sit, where you put your feet together and push your knees down to the ground. This helped keep my hips open, which is crucial for fluidity and explosiveness in triple jump.

So, that was my go-to approach to handle stiffness during competition. I hope it helps!

Stay focused on your prize & never let yourself or others down

What is my single best advice in life? Single best advice is for me, is to stay focused on your prize of what you want to accomplish and doing that and doing that, you never let yourself down and you never let others down. So to be focused on the things that you really care about and you're concerned about allows you to be a better person towards and with everybody else around you.

Stay focused on your goals and never let yourself or others down.

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My single best advice in life is to stay focused on your goals and aspirations. By remaining dedicated to what you want to achieve, you will never let yourself or others down. Being focused on the things that truly matter to you allows you to become a better person in your interactions with others.

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Kenny Harrison is a retired triple jumper, winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 1991 World Championships, and setting two American records at the Atlanta Olympics. He was a three-time NCAA Champion at Kansas State University, where he was All-American 11 times and the first track & field athlete to enter the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a four-time USA Champion (1990-91, 1996-97) and won the triple jump at the 1990 Goodwill Games and a silver medal at the 1987 World University Games. He was inducted into the USATF Hall of Fame in 2013 and later formed Signature Athletics, which helps elite athletes with speed and agility training. His 18.09m jump in Atlanta is still an Olympic record and third best all-time.