Technology plays an integral role in sports in so many ways. Coaches have more access to athlete data than ever before, and in every way, technology can enhance performance across the board.
In training, gyms, and weight rooms, there are hundreds of ways coaches can extract data on athletes’ performance. With solutions such as XPS Network, you can get a 360 view of this data, making it easier to improve performance and areas that athletes and other training staff need to focus on.
One of those areas is Velocity-Based Training (VBT). With a well thought-out, strategic approach to VBT, coaches can get more out of training in weight rooms and gyms. Turning VBT-based gains into advantages on the field and in competitive games.
What are the advantages of data-driven VBT?
Using data when implementing Velocity-Based Training in a weights room is crucial if you want to make the most of this type of training. It does require an upfront investment, but the payoffs are worth it when performance improves.
As with any technology investment, the purpose is to help coaches make informed decisions. Without data, you are coaching in the dark.
For example, imagine if you’ve got a big game coming up. But the data is showing you that players aren’t recovering from injuries as quickly as normal. Do you keep pushing forward with the same training plan, or do you adjust? Giving players more time to recover, ready for the big game?
A smart coach will adjust, based on the data. Give players time. And in most cases, this will payoff, not only in competitive games, but in the outcomes from training sessions. With data inputs from every source — including weight rooms — coaches benefit from a consistently clear picture of where every athlete is, and what they need.
With a data-driven VBT system installed on weights, coaches and therefore teams benefit in numerous ways:
- Gain a clear overview of the number of reps athletes do with weights. Are they sticking to the plan?
- See whether athletes are struggling with the reps they’re meant to do: Can we support them more?
- Create new VBT-based training, using data from the sensors to understand how weights sessions can improve
How can coaches implement data-driven Velocity-Based Training?
Depending on your budget, there are numerous systems on the market.
Bluetooth-enabled sensors need to be attached (usually with velcro) to weights, bars, and other gym equipment. Once these are attached to the various weights and other equipment, you need a system that can take the raw data and turn it into something a coach can use.
Most VBT systems come with software, and there’s a good chance this software can plug into other data inputs in XPS, which means you can have everything visible within a single application.
Once you’ve got everything up and running, the trick is to start with a small group of athletes. Start with your top players. Let them get used to the system, and then encourage those athletes to train other members of the team on the equipment and any new training routines.
How can coaches use data-driven Velocity-Based Training?
Now you’ve got all of this data pouring in from weights and weight-based exercises, it needs to be put to good use. With the right inputs from weights training, coaches can pull together the following:
- Long-term trends in power outputs and the loads athletes can handle;
- Team and individual trends with weights and power outputs;
- Individual player trends in power production (is this going up or down, and why?);
- Load-velocity trends for every player on the team;
- Targets for individual athletes to aim for over specific timescales, or in preparation for competitive games
When you combine VBT data with other sources (as you can using XPS), coaches will have everything at their fingertips. Coaches will know exactly how well players are doing, where they’re struggling, and an understanding of why performance changes over time.
Using multiple data sources, you can adjust weights-based and other training elements to improve performance, speed up recovery, and produce better outcomes from training plans.
Would your team, club, youth association, or sports association benefit from XPS and its wide range of features? Contact XPS Network if you want to find out more, or Sign-up for a Free Trial today.
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