Presentation by Fuzz Ahmed, Senior Coach for British Athletics

1. HJ & HJ Training
Fuzz Ahmed HJ UKA

3. High Jump and high jump training
Athletics Northern Ireland
Fuzz Ahmed UKA

4. Overview
• Introduction
• Philosophy
• High Jump
– Definition
– Drills
– Transitions into HJ
– Why do drills
– HJ Gymnastics
– Posture/Core
• Questions

5. Who I am
• Fayyaz Ahmed (Fuzz)
– Jumped 2.21m aged 20
• Coached by Mike Smith in Southampton
– Roger Black Kriss Akabusi Ewan Thomas
• Iowa State in the US from 1986-1990
– Injured from 21-24
• Returned to UK
• Retired in from athletics in 1994
• Started coaching the same year
• NEC HJ UKA
- October 2009-2012
- Senior Coach GB Athletics 2012-Onwards

6. How I learned
• Learned because I had to!
• In athletics I have 32 years’ experience of L L C
• In coaching have not spent 20 years repeating the same
thing
• I stick to what works
• I realised it’s not revolution but evolution
• Quality for LTD is more important than Quantity
• I approach coaches all over the world and ask “why?”

7. Philosophy - Anatomy
• Da Vinci
– Vitruvian Man
– 1.61 (e) Golden Ratio
– Renaissance Artists
- Divine Proportion
– Wingspan = Height
– Forearm = Foot
• Ankles = Wrists
• Knees = Elbows
• Hips = Shoulders
• Belly-button = Centre
• Motion creates emotion

8. Philosophy - Coaching
• Sagittal Plane
- Left/Right
• Frontal or Coronal Plane
- Front-(Anterior)/Back-(Posterior)
• Transverse Plane
- Upper/Lower

9. Philosophy - Children are perfect

10. High Jump

11. High Jump

12. High Jump - Definition
• A run up
• For most it is a straight line followed by a curve
• An explosive/gymnastic element at the end
high jump
noun ( the high jump)
an athletic event in which competitors jump over a bar that is raised
until only one competitor can jump over it without dislodging it

13. High jump
• Steve Smith - an excellent natural talent

14. High Jump - more detail
• The curve has strong forces that can be harnessed
• Entrance to the curve determines the way you exit it
• A good curve gives more energy for a good arch
• A good arch has gymnastic elements
• Your best jumps need to be your last jumps
• You compete against yourself over a bar
• Most of the time you end in failure

15. High jump
• Angles/Strength

16. High Jump-even more detail
• In time 90% of a high jump is running
• 6-10 massive power efforts
• The athlete has to be very strong from toe to head
• Distance judgement is very important
• Spacial judgement is also hugely important
• It is a very very technical precise event
• The bar is 3 cm wide

17. High jump
• An excellent example of plant and forces

18. High Jump
• So we know what the needs of the event are?
• This should in simple terms determine the training

19. Training should include
• Lots of skill development - athletics
• Skills/drills that support running
• Should incorporate various jumping elements
• Be about getting strong from toe to head
• Have lots of mobility or strength in range
• Should have lots of distance proprioceptive skill
• Should have lots of spacial awareness skill
• Should incorporate lots and lots of technical elements
• Never leave technique alone

20. High jump drills
• Ankle rolls on curve

21. High jump drills
• Heel pick up on curve

22. High jump drills
• Delicate straight leg on curve

23. High jump drills
• Delicate straight leg open on curve

24. High jump drills
• Straight leg penultimate on curve

25. High jump drills
• Straight leg penultimate on curve

26. High jump drills
• Two ones on a curve

27. High jump drills
• Two ones on a curve

28. High jump drills
• Delicate 3 2 1’s on a curve

29. High jump drills
• Both sides 3 2 1’s on a curve

30. High jump drills
• Standing 321 on curve

31. High jump drills
• 5 4 3 2 1’s on a curve

32. Technique
• Don’t do B before you master A
• If an athlete can do C, it doesn’t mean they can do
A&B… so check!
• Athletes from other coaches may not have covered
the same basics
• Technique must develop to keep up with speed/power
improvements
• Maximise the benefit of training
• Reduce the likelihood of injury
• Sloppy technique will become habit if not improved upon

33. Transitions into high jump
• 3-5 stride scissors into sand

34. Transitions into high jump
• Hurdles on a curve

35. Transitions into high jump
• Rhythm run ups, lots and lots

36. Transitions into high jump
• Rhythm run ups, lots and lots

37. Transitions into high jump
• Rhythm run ups, lots and lots

38. Really high jumping 2.46m

39. Why do drills?
• Improve movement through detailed repetition
• Develops core if done correctly
• Excellent base for plyometrics
• Develops power from a strong position

40. Tom Parsons-pre drills 2.15m August 2006

41. Tom Parsons-post drills 2.20m Jan 2008

42. Robbie Grabarz-pre drills 2.18m May 2010

43. Robbie Grabarz-post drills 2.25m May 2012

44. High jump Gymnastics

45. High jump Gymnastics
• Daley 2 knees

46. High jump Gymnastics
• Back roll to Daley

47. High jump Gymnastics
• Head spring to front somersault

48. High jump specific
• Back arch off 55 cm box

49. Permanence
Practice does not make perfect -
Practice makes permanent
Repeating imperfect movements develops bad habits,
which are difficult to replace once ingrained
Perfect practice makes perfect permanently
Ensure that the athlete focuses on detail

50. Posture

51. A thought
• Excellent Posture
– Is the Basis of Power

52. Posture
• A plumb-line divides the body into two
halves
• Six main landmarks
- The Ear
- The Shoulder
- Lumbar Vertebrae L3-L5
- The Hip
- The Knee
- The Foot

53. What is Core?
- Visualise it as a firm cylinder that surrounds the body
and gives it structural integrity
- Allows for the expression of dynamic functional strength
- Improves neuromuscular efficiency
- Greater neuromuscular control leads to optimal muscle
function
- That leads to improved performance
- A strong core enables the body to assume various
positions with instantaneous changes
- All training is core training, the body is a linked system
- Movement occurs from toenails to finger tips
- (Gambetta)

54. Core

55. • The Core
Core
- Muscles in the centre of the body
- Stabilise the body when in a upright position
- Serape -Mexican Wrap
- Core is a set of connecting muscles
- Transfer energy from arms to legs
- All training is core training, body is a linked
system
- Movement occurs from toenails to finger tips
- Training movements, not muscles

56. Fuzz Ahmed Nov 2013
London 2012 2.29m Q

57. Summary
• Introduction
• Philosophy
• High Jump
– Definition
– Drills
– Transitions into HJ
– Why do drills
– HJ Gymnastics
– Posture/Core
• Questions

58. Questions