Ryan Banta's Critical Mass System: Sprint Training Philosophy & Methods

with Ryan Banta, Parkway Central High School (MO) Head Girl's Track & Field Coach,
2022 Missouri Class 4 Girls State Champions;
In 2022 - Banta's athletes won the 100HH (new state record!), the 300LH, 200, 4x200, and 4x400 + were 2nd in the 200m and 400m and 5th in the 400m!;
2022 St. Louis Suburban Conference Coach of the Year;
Missouri Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (MTCCCA) Hall of Fame (2021);
MTCCCA Coach of the Year 2021;
In 20 years of coaching, has produced 163 All-State medalists, including 16 state champions, 3 state records (3200, 4x800, 100HH) & 21 runners-up;
Teams have won 13 district plaques and seven top-5 state finishes in the last ten seasons;
Past President of the MTCCCA;
Served on the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) Advisory Board;
USATF Level II in endurance, jumps, relays, hurdles and sprints;
USTFCCCA Technical Certification;
ALTIS Apprentice Coach's Program;
USATF Emerging Elite Coach (2012)

In this video, Coach Ryan Banta breaks down the ins and outs of his planning model to help coaches create a complete, effective training program for their teams. Featuring a variety of graphics, discussion, and demonstrations from his athletes, this video is designed to help coaches:

• Understand the foundations of concurrent training and critical mass
• Plan effective weight training
• Put a training plan together

Understanding concurrent training and critical mass:

Coach Banta opens up the video by discussing his coaching philosophy and how he uses a concurrent training model to help create his critical mass system designed to address all of the skills needed to develop great sprinters. Banta discusses how he programs major components into training simultaneously, and how to effectively dose each training session to ensure his athletes are getting the correct amount of exposure to each skill required to thrive and excel.

Planning Effective Weight Training:

In this segment, Coach Banta discusses everything about his programming for the weight room, including when to lift and the most effective exercises to choose. Banta expertly breaks down the best way to create simple, safe, and effective strength training plans, scaling exercises to the needs of athletes at various stages of their progression. By using an athlete-centric approach, Banta shows coaches how to adjust their programs to help novice athletes progress safely, while challenging more advanced lifters in the weight room.

Putting it all together: 

Using a sample three-week training plan, Coach Banta shows coaches how he pulses training throughout a cycle to ensure all major themes and key performance indicators are addressed. Coach Banta also discusses the importance of varying races each weekend to help athletes sharpen their skills.

This video is a must have for all high school coaches looking to create effective training plans for a wide variety of athletes. This program is full of programming ideas, advice, and adjustments needed to help your athletes thrive in a wide variety of environments. Among the most interesting adjustments, Coach Banta discusses his weight room without walls. By using med balls and other portable pieces of equipment, coaches can create strength training programming even with limited or no access to a weight room.

This video offers great insights and instruction for intermediate to advanced coaches interested in refining their programs. It also offers a great starting off point for novice coaches looking to expand their professional development. 

99 minutes. 2022.