Book Review: Speed and Agility Revolution - Movement Training for Athletic Success

When I first started strength training, even strength training itself was not so common. Today, that's changed a lot. With the advent of the Internet, there's information abound on strength training, speed and agility training, and sports training in general. The problem is finding the "real" information in the pool of misinformation.

Speed and agility are subjects, quite honestly, that I know little about. When I played sports, there was no coaching of proper running form. You either had it or you didn't. It was pure luck as to whether you had your natural abilities maximized. With my kids both getting into sports, I have tried to become more knowledgeable about all aspects of training (besides just strength training). Jim Kielbaso's new book entitled Speed and Agility Revolution - Movement Training for Athletic Success is just the ticket I needed to broaden my knowledge and avoid what I call "bunk".

Let me cut to the chase right away. The INTRODUCTION ALONE is worth the price of this book. Here are some short excerpts from the Introduction:

Good coaches know what drills are only tools which are used to practice technique.

No drill will magically make an athlete better if proper technique is not emphasized.

Good coaches understand that slowing down to learn proper mechanics will ultimately allow an athlete to excel.

From warm-ups and flexibility, the mechanics of sprinting, to explosive starting, Jim covers it all in this book. I wasn't surprised when Chapter 1 was entitled "Foundations of Speed and Agility." Without a foundation, there can be no building! He does a great job of providing the foundation for not only the subjects of the book but also the foundation for the reader to go forward into the book. What I really liked where the pictures that complemented the text rather than just "fill" the book like some other authors. I especially liked the pictures that demonstrated what NOT to do. The end of the chapter "coaching tips" alone are also worth the price of the book.

Jim also devotes a whole chapter to the agility drills (complete with diagrams) needed for anyone to set up a program and then completes things nicely by ending the book with a chapter to help one actually design a program.

I would highly recommend this book to ANYONE who is interested in Speed and Agility. This includes parents, athletes, and coaches.

Jim's new book can be found at www.crewpress.com