When Karl Frank completed his graduate studies in kinesiology and biomechanics, he was as prepared as anyone to train athletes in sport specific movements. But since he graduated back in 1998, Frank has become much more than a trainer. He’s developed his own program, the renowned Speedology training method, and is the co-owner of Hardt of Champions, a sporting facility in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
“I developed the system of Speedology based on sports performance movements,” Frank said. “To perform sporting skills you have to look at mechanical efficiency in regards to human movement.”
The idea behind Speedology is to enhance an athlete’s speed and performance. Frank’s objective in his method is to utilize proper mechanics, efficient movements, and position specific skills to maximize a player’s athleticism.
“We start from the movement itself and work backwards to affect the body and enhance the movements,” Frank said.
After Frank completed graduate school, he wrapped up his studies at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. He was working on theories is applied mechanics when he moved back to the United States, to New Orleans. It was around this time that Frank began implementing his long-researched training program. In 2005, he partnered with Ryan Theriot, Tom Bernhardt, and Bill Dailey on the Hardt of Champions facility, a 40 acres sporting complex. Now, Frank is looking to take his methods to the next level.
“Our plan is to expand to a different market, places like Chicago and Detroit,” Frank said. “From there, we plan on marketing globally.”
Frank also has two inventions in the works, one that targets improvements in bat speed, the other for running speed.
As Frank develops, he’ll of course need more people who are qualified to teach the Speedology method. That’s why he’s developing a certification program with Louisiana StateUniversity where people can become licensed Speedology instructors. LSU had also agreed to conduct research and develop on Frank’s products.
Yet even with everything Frank has going on, his focus is always on training athletes of all ages. Right now, Frank works with over 20 professional athletes and over 100 young athletes for a myriad of sports.