Mike Clegg
Mick Clegg
Father of Mike, Mark, Steve,
Mandy and Shaun.
Manchester United Strength & Conditioning Coach
for 111/2 years. Professional coach for
33 years. Owner of Olympic Sports Gym, a multi-sports training complex since 1983 now
incorporating the S.P.I. laboratory. Personal
trainer specialising in power, speed and cognitive development. Founder of
Seed of Speed. Director of Sports Performance
Innovation. Member of the scientific advisory board for CogniSens Athletics on cognitive training technology.
Mark Clegg
Steven Clegg
Shaun Clegg
Acquisition Of Speed
Amanda Clegg
Technologies For Speed
Seed Of
Speed
How To Produce A Superpower Brain For Athletic Performance Including
The philosophy behind the methodology of Seed Of Speed.
Seed of Speed is a precise understanding of the need for speed in sport, that is controlled and allows the brain to maximize its full cognitive processing whilst engaged in the heat of the battle of athletic performance under intense pressure. These training methods have been reached after years of study and research by Mick and the Clegg family as a whole.
OSG is a serious, no frills, no nonsense gym which aims to be the number 1 gym catering for Olympic Lifters, Powerlifters, Weightlifters and Strongmen. Incorporating the S.P.I. lab it offers exceptional facilities for general fitness, everyday health and well being. The S.P.I. type of training is being actively promoted exclusively in Micks Olympic Sports Gym.
Goalkeeper Magazine went to Mick's Olympic Sports Gym in Ashton-Under-Lyne to interview Mick after he was praised by Matty Gilks in his magazine feature. Mick talks about his thoughts and ideas on SeedofSpeed and S.P.I. as well as training Matty Gilks, Roy Keane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.
Interview courtesy of Alex Roberts Video Production.
S.P.I., founded by Mick Clegg, is a company dedicated to finding sporting methods and aids at the forefront of cutting edge design and technology in the field of improving elite athletic performance. In the modern world of elite athletic sports efficiency, anything that can aid the ability of any given athlete to improve his game is worth the effort to find.
Muscle & Fitness - July 2011
"the father of power"
We talk to the father of the Clegg family whose training methods have helped
his children achieve remarkable sporting success and brought him to the
attention of Manchester United.
Sky Sports News Special Report on Taekwondo Aaron Cooks preparation for the 2012 Olympics featured Mick Clegg at his Olympic Sports Gym in Ashton-Under-Lyne.
Catch All The Clegg Family Muscle & Fitness Features
>> Here <<
Aaron Cook
(Taekwondo Record Holder)
Read more on Aaron Cook
>>> HERE <<<
"Who Is The Speed Athletes Greatest Friend?"
Seed of Speed want the
agile fast speed athlete to meet his greatest friend and
biggest potential foe to increase his quickness. There are more neurons contained in this small area than the rest of the
brain put together but takes up only 10% of the total
brain volume.
What are we talking about?
>>> THE
CEREBELLUM
<<<
To increase speed production we need to understand this awesome piece of
material that lies in our heads. mick clegg
In
most sports, it is far more important to display force quickly rather
than to just display as much force as possible’ (Janz, et al, 2008)
Limitations
to Speed:
Key Study: Weyand et
al, 2010:
Hypothesis:
Running velocity is not limited by maximal forces applied to the ground but by how rapidly forces can be generated.
Findings:
‘the most effective training strategies may be those that enhance limb extensor muscle force production without increasing the body’s mass or compromising rates of muscular force production.’
This
study concluded that a limit to
sprint running speed is imposed not by the maximum forces that can
be applied to the ground but rather by
the maximum
rates at which the limbs can apply the forces required.
Key
Study:
Brughelli et al, (2011)
Findings:
The
findings agree with many recent studies that above around 65%-70%
maximal running velocity, vertical force production does not have a
major influence on increased velocity running
In
conclusion, the authors suggest that gym based programmes may be better
suited on producing power in the horizontal plane rather than simply the
vertical plane as most weight training programmes do.
Limitations
to Acceleration:
Key
Study: Hunter et al, (2005)
Summary:
for acceleration as for high and maximum velocity running the horizontal
component of ground reaction force is the key. Gym and resistance
training exercises should focus more on improving horizontally expressed
power rather than the traditional vertical power seen in most training
drills.
Olympic
Lifting and Athletic/Sports Performance
Key
Study: Hori et al, (2005)
Findings:
Many
authors suggest that plyometrics is more effective as part of a
programme. Utilising additional ballistic exercises (explosive resisted
movements in which the body or an object is subjected to full
acceleration) such as weightlifting as these accentuate and enhance
power output through the triple extension of hips, knees and ankles
(Hori et al, 2005). These lifts are also advocated by many to increase
Rate of Force Development and may develop the active state fundamental
to SSC activities.
Key
Study: Hedrick and Wada, (2008).
‘It
is believed by many that weightlifting movements best meet these
requirements and that the complex nature of the weightlifting movements aids in the
development of a wide range of physical skills that transfer to enhanced
performance (Numerous studies cited).
Olympic
Lifting: Balance, Co-ordination, Flexibility and Injury Issues
As
well as increased explosive power, weightlifting can aid the development
of balance, co-ordination and flexibility (Tricoli et.al, 2005)
Risks
of injury in well taught weightlifting is much less than most sporting
activities and although they do occur, they are uncommon (Stone et al,
1994)
Bibliography
Janz, J, Cal, D, and Malone, M. Training Explosiveness: Weightlifting and Beyond. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 30(6), 14-22 (2008).
Hedrick, A. and Wada, H. Weightlifting Movements: Do the Benefits Outweigh the Risks ? Strength and Conditioning Journal, 30, 6: 26-35 (2008).
Hori N, Newton, RU, Nosaka K, Stone MH. Weightlifting exercises enhance athletic performance that requires high load speed strength. Strength Cond J. 27: 50-55, 2005.
Hunter JP, Marshall RN, and McNair PJ. Relationships between ground reaction force impulse and kinematics of sprint-running acceleration. J Appl Biomech 21: 31-43, 2005.
Matt Brughelli, John Cronin, and Anis Chaouachi, Effects of Running velocity on running kinetics and kinematics. J Strength and Cond Res 25(4): 933-939, 2011.
Peter G. Weyand, Rosalind F. Sandell, Danille N. L. Prime and Matthew W. Bundle. The biological limits to running speed are imposed from the ground up. J Appl Physiol 108:950-961, 2010.
Stone, MH, Fry, AC, Ritchie M, Stoessel-Row L and Marsit JL. Injury potential and safety aspects of weightlifting movements. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 16: 15-21, 1994.
Tricoli V, Lamas L and Carnevale R, Ugrinowitsch C. Short term effects on lower body functional power development: weightlifting vs vertical jump training programs. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Res. 19(2): 433-437, 2005.
Olympic lifting requires the athlete to lift the bar as high as possible so to allow him to jump under the bar and hold it in either a front squat position for the clean or full overhead squat on the snatch. There is a millisecond phase where the feet leave the floor to either jump horizontally forward ( split jerk ) or sideways for cleans and snatches. These horizontal jumps, forward or sideways, are the key to horizontal movements in sprints to the side or forward. Maximum forces used to leave the ground then push horizontally is the perfect primary explosive speed work for an athlete. That is why the Olympic lifts are key in exercise development for rapid movements horizontally.
"Tom at his best, whether he is ripping hundreds of kilos off the floor or jumping like a winged animal, that's our tom!" Mick Clegg
Mick asks - so what is most important to your training?
strength with speed? or speed with added strength?
Tom Martin
(Deadlift Record Holder)
See more on the seedofspeed YouTube video channel
