Stephen Walsh B. Sc.
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Meet the Team
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Adults >
      • PERSONAL TRAINING FOR PERFORMANCE
      • SMALL GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING
    • Youth Athletes >
      • SPEED SCHOOL
    • Team Strength & Conditioning Sessions
  • WHO WE HELP
    • Client Success Stories
    • What People Say About Us
  • FREE STUFF
    • EBOOKS >
      • Performance Nutrition Guide
    • ATLAS HIGH PERFORMANCE PODCAST
    • Written Articles

Managing Stress and Controlling the Controllables at Atlas High Performance Centre

14/4/2025

0 Comments

 

Managing Stress and Controlling the Controllables at Atlas High Performance Centre

At Atlas High Performance Centre, we know that success in sport isn’t just about how hard you train in the gym. It’s also about how well you manage stress outside of it. Whether you're preparing for the All Ireland Irish Dancing Championships or a key match in your season, stress management is a critical part of performance.

This guide gives a high-level overview of different types of stress, how to manage them, and how to stay focused on what you can actually control. These strategies apply across sports and levels - from youth athletes to adults, dancers to footballers.

Read More
0 Comments

Effective Goal Setting: A Practical Framework for Athletes

14/4/2025

0 Comments

 

Effective Goal Setting: A Practical Framework for Athletes

This is a bonus piece on something that doesn’t get talked about enough: goal setting. A few of you have asked how to approach it, and I also want to share how we think about goals from a coaching perspective - how we design them with you in mind, and more importantly, how you can start setting better goals for yourself.

We want to move you toward owning your goals. That way, coaches act as guides and sounding boards, not the only people steering the ship. Because when motivation dips - and it will, especially during the off-season - it helps to have your own framework in place.

The full presentation is available at the end!


Read More
0 Comments

Unlock Your Speed: Performance Assessments Now Available at Atlas High Performance Centre

10/4/2025

0 Comments

 

​Unlock Your Speed: Performance Assessments Now Available at Atlas High Performance Centre

Are you working hard to run faster, move quicker, and boost your athletic performance but not sure where to start? Whether you're searching for the best speed exercises, workouts to improve sprint speed, or wondering how to increase speed for sports, it all begins with one thing: a clear understanding of your current performance.

At Atlas High Performance Centre, we offer Performance Assessments for Personal Training that break down exactly what you need to improve speed, acceleration, and overall fitness

Read More
0 Comments

Best Exercises to Improve Sprint Speed

10/4/2025

0 Comments

 

Best Exercises to Improve Sprint Speed

Sprinting is one of the most important athletic skills, whether you’re a footballer, rugby player, or just looking to move faster. If you want to increase your sprint speed, the key is to develop explosive power, efficient sprint mechanics, and strong force production.

Many athletes search for how to improve sprint speed, but the best approach is a combination of specific sprint drills, strength training, and plyometric exercises. Below, we break down some of the best exercises to improve speed so you can start training smarter and getting faster.

Read More
0 Comments

Performance Assessments at Atlas High Performance Centre – February 24th

13/2/2025

0 Comments

 

Performance Assessments at Atlas High Performance Centre

Is your child looking to run faster, move better, and gain a competitive edge in their sport? Speed is a game-changer in football, rugby, GAA, and other field sports, and improving sprint mechanics can make all the difference. At Atlas High Performance Centre, we’re offering speed and performance assessments for young athletes (ages 11-16) throughout the year! This is a unique opportunity to measure and improve sprint speed, agility, and movement mechanics with expert coaching.

Read More
0 Comments

MAXIMAL AEROBIC SPEED: A GUIDE TO IMPROVING ENDURANCE AND PERFORMANCE

1/10/2024

0 Comments

 

MAXIMAL AEROBIC SPEED: A GUIDE TO IMPROVING ENDURANCE AND PERFORMANCE

For athletes involved in endurance sports - or any sport that requires sustained high-intensity effort - understanding your Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) can be a game-changer. While it's a concept often utilised by elite coaches and sports scientists, MAS is increasingly gaining attention among athletes at all levels. Knowing your MAS can help you tailor your training, improve endurance, and enhance your overall athletic performance.
In this article, we’ll dive into the science behind MAS, how it impacts performance in endurance sports, and why every athlete should be aware of their MAS.

What Is Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS)?

Maximal Aerobic Speed (MAS) is defined as the lowest running speed at which an athlete reaches their VO₂ max - the maximum rate at which the body can take in and use oxygen during exercise. Essentially, MAS is the speed you can sustain using your aerobic energy system, meaning the system that uses oxygen to fuel exercise. At this speed, your body can supply enough oxygen to the working muscles to maintain activity without producing excessive fatigue. If you push beyond your MAS, you start using your anaerobic energy system, which doesn't rely on oxygen but causes a buildup of lactic acid. Lactic acid accumulation can lead to muscle fatigue and a decrease in performance.

Read More
0 Comments

The Benefits of Sprint Training for Children: Building Speed and Confidence

25/9/2024

0 Comments

 

The Benefits of Sprint Training for Children: Building Speed and Confidence


​When it comes to youth sports and physical development, many parents and coaches focus on skills training and general fitness. But one often overlooked yet highly beneficial area is sprint training. Sprinting isn't just about running fast; it's about building strength, coordination, and most importantly, confidence. Whether your child is involved in football, basketball, soccer, or simply wants to stay active, sprint training offers both physical and mental benefits that last a lifetime.

In this article, we’ll explore the numerous advantages of sprint training for children, including how it improves athletic performance and builds confidence - both on and off the field. And, if you're a parent of a young athlete reading this, you can sign up for your FREE speed school trial below.
View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephen Walsh (@sw_elite)


Read More
0 Comments

TOP 5 EXERCISES TO INCREASE YOUR SPEED

24/6/2024

1 Comment

 
Make sure you join us on the 23rd April for our live webinar looking at Maximal Aerobic Speed Conditioning in athletic performance. You can find all the details by clicking here

TOP 5 EXERCISES TO INCREASE YOUR SPEED

At Atlas High Performance, our Speed School sessions are all about getting athletes faster, more confident, better able to change direction and also improving their movement abilities on the pitch. We've taken the best parts of coaches like Les Spellman, Tony Holler and the guys at Speedworks and structured our sessions around that to give young athletes exposure to the best programme you can find. Here are 5 of our top exercises for increasing sprint speed and learning how to accelerate better.

Read More
1 Comment

ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT - PART 2

9/6/2020

0 Comments

 

ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT - PART 2

After discussing energy systems as a whole and briefly introducing the phosphagen system - read about it again here if you missed it - we move onto part 2. This, in my own opinion is where things get confusing. Our main priority here will be to introduce the glycolytic system. This series of reactions happens WITHOUT the presence of oxygen. Here's where we introduce the famed lactate for the first time properly and talk about it - it is your friend not your enemy. If you can get a handle on this section, the rest of it is easy. This article is a bit biochemistry heavy so if you're not a fan of it, I suggest you look away now!

Read More
0 Comments

ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT - PART 1

8/5/2020

1 Comment

 

ENERGY SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT
​PART 1

To be fit - "of a suitable quality, standard, or type to meet the required purpose" . So, before we can think about getting fitter, we must first define the required purpose effectively.

As a strength and conditioning coach & sport scientist, I'm well aware that people perceive my main role within a sports team or with a client is to improve 'fitness'. While this is true, the term fitness itself means so much more. Very rarely do people specify which part of fitness they want to improve or how they are going to do it. Getting stronger, faster, leaner, more powerful could also classify as getting fitter. For the most part though, and it's going to make up the majority of this article, we'll be talking about the commonly thought about 'fit'. Being able to run further, being able to run faster for longer, being able to do something for longer before being tired, also known as 'work capacity'. What is it, how do we define it properly but most importantly, how can we train it properly.

Read More
1 Comment
<<Previous
    Check out our most read blog article of 2024 on "5 Best Exercises for Sprint Speed"

    Archives

    April 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    February 2021
    January 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    October 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016


    Categories

    All
    Athletic Performance
    Biochemistry
    Female Athletes
    Improve Sprint Speed
    Mental Health
    Movement Preparation
    Nutrition
    Resistance Training Myths
    Speed Training
    Sport Psychology
    Strength And Conditioning
    Supplementation


    RSS Feed


We Would Love to Have You Visit Soon!


Telephone

087-4396891

Email

[email protected]
  • Home
    • Contact
    • Meet the Team
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Adults >
      • PERSONAL TRAINING FOR PERFORMANCE
      • SMALL GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING
    • Youth Athletes >
      • SPEED SCHOOL
    • Team Strength & Conditioning Sessions
  • WHO WE HELP
    • Client Success Stories
    • What People Say About Us
  • FREE STUFF
    • EBOOKS >
      • Performance Nutrition Guide
    • ATLAS HIGH PERFORMANCE PODCAST
    • Written Articles