"Dr. Al Biancani, who was Head Coach at Cal State Stanislaus in 1977, apprenticed under Gerard Mach using the Mach system to train track athletes. The cornerstone of Mach’s system is the A, B, and C drill series."
Read an article written by Vern Gambetta, Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems and co-founder of USA Track & Field coaching education program. In his article, Vern speaks about meeting Al Biancani and discussing the Mach system that Al still uses in his training today.
Vern specializes in Coaching Multi-Events, Decathlon and Heptathlon. He is a consultant coach for Nike Oregon Project. Vern also edited Track Technique, the technical journal of USA Track & Field, as well as the associate editor of the IAAF technical journal, New Studies in Athletics.
"Al Biancani, is the power behind Lee's injury-free career."
In 2003, he took home the World Series Championship with the Florida Marlins and a Gold Glove. The NL Batting Title and a near miss at the Triple Crown highlighted his 2005 season with the Chicago Cubs. Lofty accomplishments for all-star first baseman Derrek Lee. But the list doesn't include the most amazing thing about this super-slugger. In his nine-year major league career, he's never spent a day on the DL.
If you think there's some injury-prevention magic in Lee's hometown of Sacramento, Calif. you're only half right. It's in Sacramento, but it's not magic. Strength coach and owner of Biancani Fitness, Al Biancani, is the power behind Lee's injury-free career.
"50 years of Optimist All-Star memories: Al Biancani, Norte Del Rio, 1959."
"I went over to the sideline, threw up, then came back in the game and scored a touchdown," he said.
By the time he was done, Biancani was named the outstanding back, he said, and his South team had won 22-12 in the third Optimist game.
A track star who had run 100 yards in 9.7 seconds, Biancani gave football a try as a senior. He said he was unstoppable through four games, averaging nearly 11 yards per carry, before a broken collarbone knocked him out for the rest of the season.
"It was a lot of fun," Biancani said of the Optimist game. "I scored either two or three touchdowns, and I had a 79-yard kickoff return. I didn't score, but I must have run 100 yards in trying to get away from people."
