All 8th Grade Parents and Athletes,
Just a reminder that the 2011 8th Grade Strength & Conditioning Camp Starts Tonight, from 5:30pm-7pm in The Edward "Tank" Donahoe Center. If you haven't already done so, the kids should bring completed registration and payment with them tonight.
Thank You,
Adam W. Rankin
Head Strength & Conditioning Coordinator
Elder High School
Monday, March 28, 2011
Thursday, April 22, 2010
8th Grade Strength & Conditioning Camp
Starting April 1, 2010, the Strength & Conditioning Staff began training 8th graders from our various feeder parishes who will be joining the Elder family in the fall. Let me tell you, we have some great young men coming up with unbelievable work ethic, character, and athleticism.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday these young men are schooled in the intricacies of the Elder Strength & Conditioning Program so they can 1.)Be SAFE lifters/spotters and be more injury resistant athletes out on the field 2.) Understand the meaning of GOOD character and how the Men of Elder conduct themsleves 3.)Enhance Athleticism and last but not least, 4.)Increase Team Unity!
Quote of the Day:
"We don't rise to the level of our expectations - We fall to the level of our training".
-Archilochus, Greek Soldier
-Coach R
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday these young men are schooled in the intricacies of the Elder Strength & Conditioning Program so they can 1.)Be SAFE lifters/spotters and be more injury resistant athletes out on the field 2.) Understand the meaning of GOOD character and how the Men of Elder conduct themsleves 3.)Enhance Athleticism and last but not least, 4.)Increase Team Unity!
Quote of the Day:
"We don't rise to the level of our expectations - We fall to the level of our training".
-Archilochus, Greek Soldier
-Coach R
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Quote of the Week
Elder fans and student-athletes,
Recently the Strength & Conditioning Dept. has implemented daily quotes to teach our guys the qualities that make a successful student-athlete. We will begin to post these quotes periodically to motivate our men to be the best they can be. The first of many goes like this:
"I use the word hungry to describe what I mean when I talk about desire. Being hungry provides you with the physical and mental energies necessary for success. The sacrifices that are necessary become easier when one places a goal or objective at a high level."
~Ara Parseghian
'Till next time,
-Coach R
Recently the Strength & Conditioning Dept. has implemented daily quotes to teach our guys the qualities that make a successful student-athlete. We will begin to post these quotes periodically to motivate our men to be the best they can be. The first of many goes like this:
"I use the word hungry to describe what I mean when I talk about desire. Being hungry provides you with the physical and mental energies necessary for success. The sacrifices that are necessary become easier when one places a goal or objective at a high level."
~Ara Parseghian
'Till next time,
-Coach R
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
THE SECRET IS HARD WORK
Alot of athletes ask me, "Coach, what is the secret to me reaching my physical goals like strength, speed, agility, or acceleration?". I always smile and tell them that, "deep down you know what the secret is!". The truth is that anything worth attaining, acheiving, or even doing is going to take Hard Hard Work. You have to be willing to pay the price every minute of every hour of every day to reach your goals. Even if you don't reach your ultimate goal, at least you won't have regrets or be able to make excuses. Let your hard work do your talking and remember that you're making yourself better not for you, but for the good of the TEAM!
-Coach R
-Coach R
Monday, March 30, 2009
#1 ATTRIBUTE OF ANY ATHLETE
As I approach my 5th year at Elder High School, I have worked with some of the best kids in the world in my opinion. They are extremely dedicated, hard working, make no excuses, and most importantly, they are selfless. When you put all of that together you get INTEGRITY. Something, in my opinion that has been forgotten in todays society of athletes. It's all about the individual these days. Who can run the fastest 40, who can jump the highest, who can make the most money, who can cause the biggest drama in the off-season. It makes me so thankful that our kids have integrity even in a world that tempts them not to have it. KEEP IT UP GENTLEMEN AND NEVER FORGET WHAT ATHLETES SHOULD BE MADE OF...INTEGRITY.
-COACH R
-COACH R
Sunday, March 15, 2009
OFF-SEASON FOOTBALL LIFTING
As we complete the first off-season cycle of lifting for football, we approach testing week for strength. The off-season program consists of 4, 8 week cycles, based on the priciples of undulating periodization progression. In lay-mans terms, undulating periodization just means we attack a different energy system in the body each day. Last week we tested linear speed, multi-directional change of direction, lower body power, upper body power, body weight and body fat. Almost all of the guys have shown improvement by shaving 1-2 tenths off of their 40 and pro shuttle times, while gaining feet in the kneeling power ball toss for upper body power and in the broad jump for lower body power.
This upcoming week we will test in the Bench, Squat, Power Clean, 1 minute sit-up, chin-up and the Sit-and-Reach for hamstring flexibility. I am confident we will see the same impressive jumps in strength as we saw last week in speed and power. We will use all testing results as motivation and for evaluation to continue making improvements as the next cycle begins.
- Coach R
This upcoming week we will test in the Bench, Squat, Power Clean, 1 minute sit-up, chin-up and the Sit-and-Reach for hamstring flexibility. I am confident we will see the same impressive jumps in strength as we saw last week in speed and power. We will use all testing results as motivation and for evaluation to continue making improvements as the next cycle begins.
- Coach R
Monday, February 2, 2009
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Upstate '08
Congrats to the 2008 Regional Champion Elder Panthers! Your hard work has certainly paid off! Go get yourselves a State Title Chance!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Nike SPARQ Team Challenge
On Wednesday, May 21, 2008 the Nike SPARQ truck rolled into Elder High School to test the football team. The kids were excited to compete with each other and with other schools across the country. The top two scores included Austen Bujnoch at an 82.32 and Adam Brown at an 80.16! The overall team score was a 76.93 which puts us right in line with other scores around the Cincinnati area. The main thing is that our guys had a blast and proved to be a great team building experience.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
GSSI: Sports Science Institute - Strength Training For Young Athletes
COACHES' CORNER
Strength Training for Young Athletes
Cameron J.R. Blimke, Ph.D.
McMaster University
1996
Increasing numbers of Americans, including children, are turning to the weight room and strength training in their pursuit of fitness. The scarcity of scientific information on strength training for children has raised a number of concerns for coaches, trainers, and parents.
STRENGTH TRAINING & STRENGTH GAINS
Some early scientific studies indicated that strength training was not effective for children prior to puberty. However, more recent experiments clearly indicate that strength-training programs can help increase strength in boys and girls, regardless of age.
STRENGTH TRAINING, BODY SIZE & COMPOSITION
Few scientific studies are available on the effects of strength training on body size and composition in boys and girls. The strength-training programs have generally resulted in small changes in body weight and fatness and have had no influence on height.
It appears that short-term (e.g., 20 weeks) strength-training programs have very little influence on body size and composition during early childhood, especially before adolescence. Whether long-term training will more significantly impact body size and composition remains to be determined.
Only a few studies have investigated the issue of strength training and muscle hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). Such training prior to and during early puberty does not appear to cause muscle hypertrophy in boys or girls.
By contrast, several studies have indicated that such training during adolescence produces significant increases in both arm and leg girths in boys implying a muscle hypertrophy effect of training. There is no information on the effects of strength training of muscle hypertrophy in adolescent girls.
STRENGTH TRAINING & PERFORMANCE
Many of the sports in which children participate demand considerable strength and power, and performance in these sports might be improved with strength training. From a logical perspective, performance could be improved through either the strength gains, changes in body size and composition, or the preventative and rehabilitative outcomes of strength training.
Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof that strength training directly causes improvement in sports performance during childhood. There is some evidence, however, that strength training may contribute to enhanced performance by reducing injury rates for contact sports and by reducing recovery time from injury.
STRENGTH TRAINING & SAFETY
Much of the concern for safety in strength training involves the potential damage to either the growth plates of long bones or toe joints and soft tissues. Such damage could cause stunted growth, acute or chronic pain, impaired motor function, and perhaps disfiguration. However, research suggests that well-supervised strength- training programs can minimize the risk of injury to growth plates, joints, and soft tissue.
STRENGTH TRAINING GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Undergo physical and medical check-ups before training
Use strength training as only one of a variety of sport and fitness activities
Use calisthenics to initially build muscle endurance and strength
Use a variety of training methods: calisthenics, free weights, machines
Always develop proper technique first, with low resistance
Progress from low resistance and high repetitions to higher resistance and fewer repetitions
Exercise muscles through their full range of motion
Restrict strength training exercise to three times a week
Use a circuit system approach to maximize cardiovascular fitness
Avoid emphasis on negative or eccentric exercise (e.g., lowering heavy weights)
Include warm-up before training and flexibility exercises after training
rovide constant and experienced adult supervision
Heed pain as a warning, and seek medical advice
http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=102
Strength Training for Young Athletes
Cameron J.R. Blimke, Ph.D.
McMaster University
1996
Increasing numbers of Americans, including children, are turning to the weight room and strength training in their pursuit of fitness. The scarcity of scientific information on strength training for children has raised a number of concerns for coaches, trainers, and parents.
STRENGTH TRAINING & STRENGTH GAINS
Some early scientific studies indicated that strength training was not effective for children prior to puberty. However, more recent experiments clearly indicate that strength-training programs can help increase strength in boys and girls, regardless of age.
STRENGTH TRAINING, BODY SIZE & COMPOSITION
Few scientific studies are available on the effects of strength training on body size and composition in boys and girls. The strength-training programs have generally resulted in small changes in body weight and fatness and have had no influence on height.
It appears that short-term (e.g., 20 weeks) strength-training programs have very little influence on body size and composition during early childhood, especially before adolescence. Whether long-term training will more significantly impact body size and composition remains to be determined.
Only a few studies have investigated the issue of strength training and muscle hypertrophy (increase in muscle size). Such training prior to and during early puberty does not appear to cause muscle hypertrophy in boys or girls.
By contrast, several studies have indicated that such training during adolescence produces significant increases in both arm and leg girths in boys implying a muscle hypertrophy effect of training. There is no information on the effects of strength training of muscle hypertrophy in adolescent girls.
STRENGTH TRAINING & PERFORMANCE
Many of the sports in which children participate demand considerable strength and power, and performance in these sports might be improved with strength training. From a logical perspective, performance could be improved through either the strength gains, changes in body size and composition, or the preventative and rehabilitative outcomes of strength training.
Unfortunately, there is no scientific proof that strength training directly causes improvement in sports performance during childhood. There is some evidence, however, that strength training may contribute to enhanced performance by reducing injury rates for contact sports and by reducing recovery time from injury.
STRENGTH TRAINING & SAFETY
Much of the concern for safety in strength training involves the potential damage to either the growth plates of long bones or toe joints and soft tissues. Such damage could cause stunted growth, acute or chronic pain, impaired motor function, and perhaps disfiguration. However, research suggests that well-supervised strength- training programs can minimize the risk of injury to growth plates, joints, and soft tissue.
STRENGTH TRAINING GUIDELINES FOR CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Undergo physical and medical check-ups before training
Use strength training as only one of a variety of sport and fitness activities
Use calisthenics to initially build muscle endurance and strength
Use a variety of training methods: calisthenics, free weights, machines
Always develop proper technique first, with low resistance
Progress from low resistance and high repetitions to higher resistance and fewer repetitions
Exercise muscles through their full range of motion
Restrict strength training exercise to three times a week
Use a circuit system approach to maximize cardiovascular fitness
Avoid emphasis on negative or eccentric exercise (e.g., lowering heavy weights)
Include warm-up before training and flexibility exercises after training
rovide constant and experienced adult supervision
Heed pain as a warning, and seek medical advice
http://www.gssiweb.com/Article_Detail.aspx?articleid=102
Monday, March 3, 2008
1-MINUTE BREAKFAST IDEAS FOR ATHLETES
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, athletes included. But often times excuses prevent this meal from taking place. Well athletes, no more excuses like "I sleep in too late", or "my mom doesn't make breakfast". These ideas will help you reach your fitness and performance goals.
By:Johnna Kudlac, MS, RD, LD
Ready-to-eat cereal topped with blueberries and skim milk
6- or 8-oz container of low-fat yogurt
Advocare Meal Replacement Shake
Small muffin topped with yogurt
Peanut butter on whole-wheat toast and skim milk
Small slice of cheese pizza and orange juice
Instant oatmeal with skim milk
Breakfast smoothie (skim milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ whirled
in a blender)
Toasted whole-wheat waffle, topped with fresh fruit
½ toasted bagel with peanut butter or light cream cheese
Lean ham on a toasted English muffin and a 6-oz juice box
Fresh fruit and string cheese
Packet of instant breakfast mixed with skim milk
Cottage cheese and fruit
By:Johnna Kudlac, MS, RD, LD
Ready-to-eat cereal topped with blueberries and skim milk
6- or 8-oz container of low-fat yogurt
Advocare Meal Replacement Shake
Small muffin topped with yogurt
Peanut butter on whole-wheat toast and skim milk
Small slice of cheese pizza and orange juice
Instant oatmeal with skim milk
Breakfast smoothie (skim milk, frozen fruit, and wheat germ whirled
in a blender)
Toasted whole-wheat waffle, topped with fresh fruit
½ toasted bagel with peanut butter or light cream cheese
Lean ham on a toasted English muffin and a 6-oz juice box
Fresh fruit and string cheese
Packet of instant breakfast mixed with skim milk
Cottage cheese and fruit
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Defensive Back Speed II
Part II
Last week, Shawntae Spencer shared his perspective with 49ers Fitness Corner about the physical characteristics a defensive back must possess to maximize performance on the playing field. This week’s column focuses on the 6 critical areas of movement which should be integrated into any defensive backs' training regimen in order to meet the demands of the position at any level.
1. Top End Speed- When a DB is defending a “go route,” it is important that he possess the ability to run with a receiver down the field no matter how fast the receiver may be. Top End Speed is developed by improving running mechanics and enhancing stride frequency and stride length. A simple but effective workout is executing a speed ladder. I.e. 10 yard dash, 20 yard dash, 30 yard dash, 40 yard dash each at full effort with full recovery (2-4 minutes) between each sprint.
2. Acceleration- A DB who possesses the ability to generate quick leg turnover within a 10 yard area poses a challenge to a receiver as they try and get in and out of their breaks. One of my favorite drills for improving starting and acceleration ability is learning how to execute a Two Point start. Start in athletic stance, maintaining a positive shin angle while keeping the abs tight. Load the gastrocsloeus complex by pressing the heel toward the ground, while simultaneously extending the hips forward and projecting the center of mass. Explosively punch one knee forward, keeping the toe cocked toward the shin and the opposite side arm backward. Concentrate on pushing the foot back into the ground while maintaining a power line position.
3. Deceleration is the ability to suddenly stop or slow down while being in control. A defensive back has to be able to stop on a dime as a receiver is getting into and out of their breaks while attempting to gain separation. Did you know most lower extremity injuries occur when suddenly stopping? The key to decelerating is learning how to absorb force by sinking the hips while keeping the body in an athletic position.
4. Reacceleration occurs after a DB suddenly stops. Once a DB stops, their ability to explosively accelerate forward again can be the difference of making a play or not. Most players have a tendency to take a long initial step when attempting to reaccelerate forward. An effective approach for eliminating a lunging first-step is to reduce a player’s first step by six inches which will ensure that the foot strike is on the ball of the foot at ground contact thereby producing a more explosive first-step.
5. Change of Direction- It is essential that a DB possess the ability to change direction in a smooth and fluid manner with minimal loss of speed, balance, and power. There are many ways to improve a DB’s ability to change direction; the most effective is mastering the technique of playing the position itself.
6. Short Area Quickness is often measured by having a DB perform the 3 Cone Drill and the 5-10-5 shuttle drill. They are two tests which require a DB to change direction quickly in a small area. Ladder Drills in combination with position specific drills is an effective approach for developing foot quickness in tight areas.
7. Back Pedal- Shawntae Spencer referred to the back pedal as a "lost art." Needless to say, he was very adamant about the need for a DB to be able to effectively back pedal. The foundation of a solid back pedal is the stance. Some characteristics of a proper stance include: setting the feet hip width apart, the butt should be positioned back and down, the back should be angled with the chin level and eyes focused straight ahead. The player’s weight distribution should be on the back of the ball of the foot.
www.perfrombetter.com
Last week, Shawntae Spencer shared his perspective with 49ers Fitness Corner about the physical characteristics a defensive back must possess to maximize performance on the playing field. This week’s column focuses on the 6 critical areas of movement which should be integrated into any defensive backs' training regimen in order to meet the demands of the position at any level.
1. Top End Speed- When a DB is defending a “go route,” it is important that he possess the ability to run with a receiver down the field no matter how fast the receiver may be. Top End Speed is developed by improving running mechanics and enhancing stride frequency and stride length. A simple but effective workout is executing a speed ladder. I.e. 10 yard dash, 20 yard dash, 30 yard dash, 40 yard dash each at full effort with full recovery (2-4 minutes) between each sprint.
2. Acceleration- A DB who possesses the ability to generate quick leg turnover within a 10 yard area poses a challenge to a receiver as they try and get in and out of their breaks. One of my favorite drills for improving starting and acceleration ability is learning how to execute a Two Point start. Start in athletic stance, maintaining a positive shin angle while keeping the abs tight. Load the gastrocsloeus complex by pressing the heel toward the ground, while simultaneously extending the hips forward and projecting the center of mass. Explosively punch one knee forward, keeping the toe cocked toward the shin and the opposite side arm backward. Concentrate on pushing the foot back into the ground while maintaining a power line position.
3. Deceleration is the ability to suddenly stop or slow down while being in control. A defensive back has to be able to stop on a dime as a receiver is getting into and out of their breaks while attempting to gain separation. Did you know most lower extremity injuries occur when suddenly stopping? The key to decelerating is learning how to absorb force by sinking the hips while keeping the body in an athletic position.
4. Reacceleration occurs after a DB suddenly stops. Once a DB stops, their ability to explosively accelerate forward again can be the difference of making a play or not. Most players have a tendency to take a long initial step when attempting to reaccelerate forward. An effective approach for eliminating a lunging first-step is to reduce a player’s first step by six inches which will ensure that the foot strike is on the ball of the foot at ground contact thereby producing a more explosive first-step.
5. Change of Direction- It is essential that a DB possess the ability to change direction in a smooth and fluid manner with minimal loss of speed, balance, and power. There are many ways to improve a DB’s ability to change direction; the most effective is mastering the technique of playing the position itself.
6. Short Area Quickness is often measured by having a DB perform the 3 Cone Drill and the 5-10-5 shuttle drill. They are two tests which require a DB to change direction quickly in a small area. Ladder Drills in combination with position specific drills is an effective approach for developing foot quickness in tight areas.
7. Back Pedal- Shawntae Spencer referred to the back pedal as a "lost art." Needless to say, he was very adamant about the need for a DB to be able to effectively back pedal. The foundation of a solid back pedal is the stance. Some characteristics of a proper stance include: setting the feet hip width apart, the butt should be positioned back and down, the back should be angled with the chin level and eyes focused straight ahead. The player’s weight distribution should be on the back of the ball of the foot.
www.perfrombetter.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
LIFTING ON 2/22/08
Baseball Lifting today will be at two thirty for anyone who is allowed to drive and is optional because of the snow day. Expect to be done in one hour.
-Coach R
-Coach R
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Defensive Back Speed Part 1
Part I
What better way to find out about the type of speed a defensive back must possess than to ask one. So, I went to our starting right cornerback Shawntae Spencer and asked him a few questions about the subject at hand.
Q: How important is speed at your position?
A: It’s extremely important! During the course of a game a defensive back may get out of position when covering a receiver, but if you possess good speed you could possibly get back into position to make a play. I consistently work on my speed during the off-season.
Q: As a DB, how important is straight line speed?
A: Straight line speed is important to a certain degree, particularly on go routes. If a player has great straight line speed, it will allow him to close on the receiver quicker on deeper routes. As a DB, we need to be able to mirror the movement of a wide receiver while initially moving backwards. For example, a wide receiver may run a comeback route. Well, I need to be able to start off in a back pedal and be prepared to run with the receiver as he gets in and out of his breaks.
Q: So, you really need to be able to move efficiently in all directions?
A: Definitely! Personally, I think backpedaling is a lost art form. The key to executing an effective back pedal is possessing good feet and hips. For example, a DB needs to be able to change direction explosively out of a back pedal. A DB needs to be able to react to what they see. Eyes are very important to performing well at the position.
Q: Is it the receivers who are the fastest and the toughest to cover?
A: Not necessarily. Some of the toughest players I have faced haven’t been burners. Normally the guys who do not possess great speed possess great technique. I believe proper route running technique is 90% of what contributes to a being good receiver.
Q: By the way, what’s your best 40?
A: 4.36
As we just learned, a defensive back must possess an ability to move forward, backward, laterally and start and stop with minimal loss of speed, power, and balance. How do you develop good feet and hips as Spencer alluded to as being extremely important to excelling at the position? That’s a question we will answer next week.
by Duane Carlisle - Speed Development Coach for the San Francisco 49ers and President, Lightning Fast Training Systems.
http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_148_A_PageName_E_Carlisledbspeed
What better way to find out about the type of speed a defensive back must possess than to ask one. So, I went to our starting right cornerback Shawntae Spencer and asked him a few questions about the subject at hand.
Q: How important is speed at your position?
A: It’s extremely important! During the course of a game a defensive back may get out of position when covering a receiver, but if you possess good speed you could possibly get back into position to make a play. I consistently work on my speed during the off-season.
Q: As a DB, how important is straight line speed?
A: Straight line speed is important to a certain degree, particularly on go routes. If a player has great straight line speed, it will allow him to close on the receiver quicker on deeper routes. As a DB, we need to be able to mirror the movement of a wide receiver while initially moving backwards. For example, a wide receiver may run a comeback route. Well, I need to be able to start off in a back pedal and be prepared to run with the receiver as he gets in and out of his breaks.
Q: So, you really need to be able to move efficiently in all directions?
A: Definitely! Personally, I think backpedaling is a lost art form. The key to executing an effective back pedal is possessing good feet and hips. For example, a DB needs to be able to change direction explosively out of a back pedal. A DB needs to be able to react to what they see. Eyes are very important to performing well at the position.
Q: Is it the receivers who are the fastest and the toughest to cover?
A: Not necessarily. Some of the toughest players I have faced haven’t been burners. Normally the guys who do not possess great speed possess great technique. I believe proper route running technique is 90% of what contributes to a being good receiver.
Q: By the way, what’s your best 40?
A: 4.36
As we just learned, a defensive back must possess an ability to move forward, backward, laterally and start and stop with minimal loss of speed, power, and balance. How do you develop good feet and hips as Spencer alluded to as being extremely important to excelling at the position? That’s a question we will answer next week.
by Duane Carlisle - Speed Development Coach for the San Francisco 49ers and President, Lightning Fast Training Systems.
http://www.performbetter.com/catalog/matriarch/OnePiecePage.asp_Q_PageID_E_148_A_PageName_E_Carlisledbspeed
Friday, February 15, 2008
The Name of the Game is Effort
Courtesy of Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS, SPARQ Certified
Elite Athlete Training Systems
Should I use free weights or machines? Would it be better to use high reps or low reps? Should I move the weights explosively or in a slow and controlled manner? Are multiple sets more productive than single sets? Should I train my entire body each workout or only certain body parts? Do I need to do any isolation movements or will compound movements get the job done? How important is periodization? Should I use wrist straps and knee wraps? What about a belt? Should I max out on the bench and squat to see how strong I am? Will Creatine and Andro help me reach my potential? Should I train in the morning or in the evening? Do I need a training partner?
Athletes, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, strength coaches, personal trainers, and any one else interested in training and conditioning search for these answers on a daily basis - in hopes of finding the perfect strength training routine. Most of these people are under the assumption that if they find the answers to these questions that they (or those that they train) will start attaining maximum results. While I have my own thoughts and opinions on each of the above questions, I think they miss the big picture. The real question that needs to be asked is, "how hard do you train?" Regardless of your methods or modalities, I firmly believe that maximum results are a product of maximum effort (which in this case effort is a synonym for intensity). Without maximum effort and intensity the rest is rather meaningless. The more effort you put into each rep, set, and workout - the better your results. It's that simple.
Unfortunately, there is a catch. Putting forth true effort each and every time you train is easier said than done. It takes determination, perseverance, and a will to succeed. It takes discipline, focus, and extreme concentration. It takes the ability to fight through the "discomfort" that accompanies intense training as well as the power to push yourself to your limits. For these reasons, and these reasons alone, most people fall short of tapping into their true physical potential and never attain the results they desire.
Next time you work out, when you finish, take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself if you trained as hard as you could have. Ask yourself if you put forth the kind of effort necessary to be a champion. Ask yourself if you did everything in your power to reach your goals and improve yourself. Only YOU know the real answers.
www.sparqtraining.com
Elite Athlete Training Systems
Should I use free weights or machines? Would it be better to use high reps or low reps? Should I move the weights explosively or in a slow and controlled manner? Are multiple sets more productive than single sets? Should I train my entire body each workout or only certain body parts? Do I need to do any isolation movements or will compound movements get the job done? How important is periodization? Should I use wrist straps and knee wraps? What about a belt? Should I max out on the bench and squat to see how strong I am? Will Creatine and Andro help me reach my potential? Should I train in the morning or in the evening? Do I need a training partner?
Athletes, bodybuilders, fitness enthusiasts, strength coaches, personal trainers, and any one else interested in training and conditioning search for these answers on a daily basis - in hopes of finding the perfect strength training routine. Most of these people are under the assumption that if they find the answers to these questions that they (or those that they train) will start attaining maximum results. While I have my own thoughts and opinions on each of the above questions, I think they miss the big picture. The real question that needs to be asked is, "how hard do you train?" Regardless of your methods or modalities, I firmly believe that maximum results are a product of maximum effort (which in this case effort is a synonym for intensity). Without maximum effort and intensity the rest is rather meaningless. The more effort you put into each rep, set, and workout - the better your results. It's that simple.
Unfortunately, there is a catch. Putting forth true effort each and every time you train is easier said than done. It takes determination, perseverance, and a will to succeed. It takes discipline, focus, and extreme concentration. It takes the ability to fight through the "discomfort" that accompanies intense training as well as the power to push yourself to your limits. For these reasons, and these reasons alone, most people fall short of tapping into their true physical potential and never attain the results they desire.
Next time you work out, when you finish, take a good hard look in the mirror and ask yourself if you trained as hard as you could have. Ask yourself if you put forth the kind of effort necessary to be a champion. Ask yourself if you did everything in your power to reach your goals and improve yourself. Only YOU know the real answers.
www.sparqtraining.com
Thursday, February 14, 2008
CALORIC NEEDS FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETE
+ For maintenance, males will usually need an intake of approximately 20 calories per pound of body weight per day and females will need approximately 17 calories per pound. So a 180 lb male athlete will need a daily intake of about 3600 calories for maintenance and a 100 lb female athlete needs about 1700 calories.
+ Generally speaking, an intake of between 24-27 calories per pound is needed for building muscle mass.
http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=522840
+ Generally speaking, an intake of between 24-27 calories per pound is needed for building muscle mass.
http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=522840
TRICKS TO EATING OUT HEALTHY
Your are a busy person with your athletics and studies. Often, you will be on the road for games, which means you'll be eating out or eating "fast food." The following suggestions will give you ideas on how and what to order:
Ordering at a Restaurant
+ Choose items that are prepared by low fat methods-steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, stir fried.
+ Eat a salad chock full of vegetables with your meal. Don't load up on cheese and meats on the salad.
+ Ask for salad dressing, butter and sour cream on the side.
+ Enjoy the bread basket but limit the number of rolls and the butter.
+ Choose red sauces instead of white sauces.
+ Go for fish or chicken as long as it is grilled
+ Try low fat frozen yogurt or fruit for dessert
+ Check the menu and the nutrition analysis on line
Fast Food
+ Look for items that are broiled or grilled stay away from anything fried.
+ Request extra tomato, onion, and lettuce.
+ Ask for no cheese and order the smallest burger.
+ Ask for no mayonnaise or "special" sauce.
+ Top your sandwich with ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, or relish.
+ Think salads grilled chicken salad or garden salads beat fatty taco salads. Ask for non-fat salad dressing.
+ Look at the nutrition information to make the best fat gram or calorie choice.
http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=522834
Ordering at a Restaurant
+ Choose items that are prepared by low fat methods-steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, stir fried.
+ Eat a salad chock full of vegetables with your meal. Don't load up on cheese and meats on the salad.
+ Ask for salad dressing, butter and sour cream on the side.
+ Enjoy the bread basket but limit the number of rolls and the butter.
+ Choose red sauces instead of white sauces.
+ Go for fish or chicken as long as it is grilled
+ Try low fat frozen yogurt or fruit for dessert
+ Check the menu and the nutrition analysis on line
Fast Food
+ Look for items that are broiled or grilled stay away from anything fried.
+ Request extra tomato, onion, and lettuce.
+ Ask for no cheese and order the smallest burger.
+ Ask for no mayonnaise or "special" sauce.
+ Top your sandwich with ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, or relish.
+ Think salads grilled chicken salad or garden salads beat fatty taco salads. Ask for non-fat salad dressing.
+ Look at the nutrition information to make the best fat gram or calorie choice.
http://www.gopack.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9200&ATCLID=522834
Thursday, February 7, 2008
6 GOALS FOR OPTIMAL TEAM NUTRITION
Clyde Williams, Ph.D. and Ceri W. Nicholas, Ph.D.
www.gssiweb.com
SSE #70: Nutrition Needs for Team Sport
1.) High-carbohydrate, pre-exercise meals improve exercise capacity.
2.) Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks ingested during exercise are of benefit during competition and training.
3.) Fluid ingestion during prolonged exercise helps delay the deterioration in motor skills.
4.) Recovery is improved when about 50 g of carbohydrate are consumed immediately after prolonged exercise and at 1-h intervals thereafter.
5.) During daily training or competition, recovery is likely to be improved when carbohydrate intake is increased to 10 g per kg body weight each day.
6.) Rehydration is quickly achieved during recovery when athletes ingest fluids equivalent to at least 150% of the body weight lost during the exercise.
Adopting nutritional strategies within the broad recommendations for healthy eating will often improve exercise tolerance and help team-sport athletes recover rapidly from training and competition. High-carbohydrate meals 3 to 4 h before heavy exercise should result in greater exercise capacity than fasting or eating pre-exercise meals containing only modest amounts of carbohydrates. During prolonged training sessions or competition, there are likely to be performance benefits gained from drinking a well-formulated sports drink in small quantities (150 ml) at 20 min intervals. Recovery begins immediately after exercise ends, so it is essential to take advantage of the opportunity to increase the rate of glycogen restoration by consuming about 50 g of carbohydrate at the beginning of recovery and every 1 to 2 h up to the next meal.The dietary carbohydrate intake for team-sport athletes should be prescribed when recovery must be completed within 24 h or less. The carbohydrate intake should be increased to about 10 g/kg body weight during the 24-h recovery period and should include mainly high-glycemic-index carbohydrate foods. During recovery periods limited to only a few hours, rehydration and some refueling can be achieved by ingesting carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions in volumes of at least 150% of the exercise-induced loss in body weight (Shirreffs et al., 1996).
www.gssiweb.com
SSE #70: Nutrition Needs for Team Sport
1.) High-carbohydrate, pre-exercise meals improve exercise capacity.
2.) Carbohydrate-electrolyte drinks ingested during exercise are of benefit during competition and training.
3.) Fluid ingestion during prolonged exercise helps delay the deterioration in motor skills.
4.) Recovery is improved when about 50 g of carbohydrate are consumed immediately after prolonged exercise and at 1-h intervals thereafter.
5.) During daily training or competition, recovery is likely to be improved when carbohydrate intake is increased to 10 g per kg body weight each day.
6.) Rehydration is quickly achieved during recovery when athletes ingest fluids equivalent to at least 150% of the body weight lost during the exercise.
Adopting nutritional strategies within the broad recommendations for healthy eating will often improve exercise tolerance and help team-sport athletes recover rapidly from training and competition. High-carbohydrate meals 3 to 4 h before heavy exercise should result in greater exercise capacity than fasting or eating pre-exercise meals containing only modest amounts of carbohydrates. During prolonged training sessions or competition, there are likely to be performance benefits gained from drinking a well-formulated sports drink in small quantities (150 ml) at 20 min intervals. Recovery begins immediately after exercise ends, so it is essential to take advantage of the opportunity to increase the rate of glycogen restoration by consuming about 50 g of carbohydrate at the beginning of recovery and every 1 to 2 h up to the next meal.The dietary carbohydrate intake for team-sport athletes should be prescribed when recovery must be completed within 24 h or less. The carbohydrate intake should be increased to about 10 g/kg body weight during the 24-h recovery period and should include mainly high-glycemic-index carbohydrate foods. During recovery periods limited to only a few hours, rehydration and some refueling can be achieved by ingesting carbohydrate-electrolyte solutions in volumes of at least 150% of the exercise-induced loss in body weight (Shirreffs et al., 1996).
Monday, February 4, 2008
5 NUTRITIONAL MYTHS ATHLETES BELIEVE BY DAWN WEATHERWAX
Dawn Weatherwax of Sports Nutrition 2 Go is a dietician who works closely with Elder Athletics to ensure athletes reach their maximum physical potential. Here is a link to 5 common nutritional myths most athletes believe:
http://www.sn2g.com/downloads/SN2Go_Download-Myths.pdf
http://www.sn2g.com/downloads/SN2Go_Download-Myths.pdf
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
8TH GRADE SPRING/SUMMER LIFTING CAMP
A registration form regarding the 8th grade lifting camp will be sent out to all students planning to go to Elder in the Fall of 2008 during early February. A Parents night will take place in late March, with the camp will begin in Early April. Any questions please contact Strength Coach Adam Rankin at rankinaw@gmail.com.
Thanks, we look forward to seeing you!
Adam W. Rankin
Thanks, we look forward to seeing you!
Adam W. Rankin
Friday, January 25, 2008
THE IMPORTANCE OF FLEXIBILITY IN ATHLETES
Flexibility is the ability to perform a joint action through a range of movement. In any movement there are two groups of muscles at work:
-protagonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place
-opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the antagonistic muscles
Why do flexibility exercises?
The objective of flexibility training is to improve the range of movement of the antagonistic muscles.
What are the benefits?
Flexibility plays an important part in the preparation of athletes by developing a range of movement to allow technical development and assisting in the prevention of injury.
What do I need to consider before conducting flexibility exercises?
The body responds best to a stretching program when it is warm and the muscles and joints have been exercised through their current range of movement.
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/mobility.htm
-protagonistic muscles which cause the movement to take place
-opposing the movement and determining the amount of flexibility are the antagonistic muscles
Why do flexibility exercises?
The objective of flexibility training is to improve the range of movement of the antagonistic muscles.
What are the benefits?
Flexibility plays an important part in the preparation of athletes by developing a range of movement to allow technical development and assisting in the prevention of injury.
What do I need to consider before conducting flexibility exercises?
The body responds best to a stretching program when it is warm and the muscles and joints have been exercised through their current range of movement.
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/mobility.htm
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
5 KEYS TO PRE AND POST WORKOUT NUTRITION FOR OPTIMAL MUSCLE GAINS
1. The goal of proper post-workout nutrition is to quickly and efficiently refuel the muscles and then provide them with the raw materials they need to rebuild themselves to be bigger and stronger.
2. Pre workout meals should be consumed about 60-90 minutes before exercise begins to allow the body time to digest and make the nutrients available to the body during exercise.
3. The pre-workout meal needn't be all that different from one of your normal meals (assuming you make eating for mass gain a practice). It should be focused on protein and complex carbohydrates. It is important that both of these macronutrients be present.
4. For mass gain, a good goal is to try and make your post-workout meal about 15-25% of your total daily caloric goal (if your diet calls 3,000 calories a day, your post-workout meal would be about 450-750 calories). It should contain a quality carb mixture and a quality protein source.
5. In short, there is no other time that the muscles are as receptive to being fed as in the post-workout period. The muscle cells are incredibly hungry for nutrition and will suck up all you can give them, lessening the chance that fat cells will instead be the recipients of the provided nutrients.
- http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/post-workout-nutrition.html
2. Pre workout meals should be consumed about 60-90 minutes before exercise begins to allow the body time to digest and make the nutrients available to the body during exercise.
3. The pre-workout meal needn't be all that different from one of your normal meals (assuming you make eating for mass gain a practice). It should be focused on protein and complex carbohydrates. It is important that both of these macronutrients be present.
4. For mass gain, a good goal is to try and make your post-workout meal about 15-25% of your total daily caloric goal (if your diet calls 3,000 calories a day, your post-workout meal would be about 450-750 calories). It should contain a quality carb mixture and a quality protein source.
5. In short, there is no other time that the muscles are as receptive to being fed as in the post-workout period. The muscle cells are incredibly hungry for nutrition and will suck up all you can give them, lessening the chance that fat cells will instead be the recipients of the provided nutrients.
- http://www.gain-weight-muscle-fast.com/post-workout-nutrition.html
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
TRAINING FOR POWER
Power in athletic competition is a sought after ability by almost all athletes. Power is simply the ability to produce the most amount of force in the shortest amount of time. Genetic capabilities often determine how much power an individual athlete could potentially produce, but there are specific modalities of training that can be done to optimize power regardless of genetics:
-plyometric exercises promote high movement speed, fast twitch fibre recruitment and elastic tendon energy release.
-Olympic lifts involve very high power outputs, high rates of force production and increases in muscular co-ordination of whole-body movements, such as combined ankle, knee and hip extension.
-ballistic weight exercises are very useful for developing high power in specific areas of the body – eg arm extension power with bench press throws – and will result in high rates of force production and muscle activity in the specific muscle groups involved.
-http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/power-training.html
-plyometric exercises promote high movement speed, fast twitch fibre recruitment and elastic tendon energy release.
-Olympic lifts involve very high power outputs, high rates of force production and increases in muscular co-ordination of whole-body movements, such as combined ankle, knee and hip extension.
-ballistic weight exercises are very useful for developing high power in specific areas of the body – eg arm extension power with bench press throws – and will result in high rates of force production and muscle activity in the specific muscle groups involved.
-http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/power-training.html
Thursday, January 10, 2008
What are the keys to gaining muscle mass?
Muscle mass can be gained through moderate to intense strength training several times each week, coupled with taking in extra calories.
For each pound gained as muscle in a week, you will need to consume about 500 extra calories each day. The extra calories should come from a variety of foods: milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, and grains.
The key is to be consistent. Eating three meals a day with snacks in between is an essential part of gaining lean body mass. If you sleep in and skip breakfast, you miss a chance to add extra calories to your diet.
Eat enough to satisfy your appetite and then try to eat a little more. This can be done by:
-eating larger than normal portions
-eating an extra snack or meal
-drinking commercial liquid meals or milkshakes with regular meals or as snacks.
Some good snacks if you are trying to gain weight are:
-peanut butter sandwich
-low-fat milkshake (with skim milk and low-fat ice cream)
-dried fruit
-cottage cheese
-pasta with sauce.
Commercial protein supplements will not help you gain weight and will probably add too much protein to your diet. If you need a liquid supplement, make sure it provides the extra calories you need as carbohydrates, not protein.
-http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_weigain_sma.htm
For each pound gained as muscle in a week, you will need to consume about 500 extra calories each day. The extra calories should come from a variety of foods: milk, meat, fruits, vegetables, and grains.
The key is to be consistent. Eating three meals a day with snacks in between is an essential part of gaining lean body mass. If you sleep in and skip breakfast, you miss a chance to add extra calories to your diet.
Eat enough to satisfy your appetite and then try to eat a little more. This can be done by:
-eating larger than normal portions
-eating an extra snack or meal
-drinking commercial liquid meals or milkshakes with regular meals or as snacks.
Some good snacks if you are trying to gain weight are:
-peanut butter sandwich
-low-fat milkshake (with skim milk and low-fat ice cream)
-dried fruit
-cottage cheese
-pasta with sauce.
Commercial protein supplements will not help you gain weight and will probably add too much protein to your diet. If you need a liquid supplement, make sure it provides the extra calories you need as carbohydrates, not protein.
-http://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/sma/sma_weigain_sma.htm
Saturday, December 29, 2007
What are tips for staying motivated late in the season?
Gatorade Sports Science Institute
To stay motivated, you need to set goals. Goals keep you on target or help you refocus late in the season. Setting goals involves the process of self-evaluation, and requires more than outcome goals. Outcome goals, such as a win or specific time, are the end products of your efforts. Process goals are more controllable, regulating the steps you need to accomplish to reach favorable outcomes. These preferred goals should be stated positively, specific to your abilities, and set for practices as well as competition.
-- Linda Petlichkoff, Ph.D., Professor, Boise State University
To stay motivated, you need to set goals. Goals keep you on target or help you refocus late in the season. Setting goals involves the process of self-evaluation, and requires more than outcome goals. Outcome goals, such as a win or specific time, are the end products of your efforts. Process goals are more controllable, regulating the steps you need to accomplish to reach favorable outcomes. These preferred goals should be stated positively, specific to your abilities, and set for practices as well as competition.
-- Linda Petlichkoff, Ph.D., Professor, Boise State University
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Hot Tips for Nutrition, Training, and Immune Function
David C. Nieman, Dr.P.H.
Appalachian State University
Prolonged and intensive exertion causes numerous changes in immunity in multiple body compartments. These exercise-induced immune changes occur at the same time the human body is experiencing physiologic and oxidative stress, inflammation, and suppressed function against foreign pathogens. Risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is 2-6 times higher in endurance athletes compared to controls during the 1-2 week period following competitive race events. URTI risk may be compounded when the endurance athlete goes through repeated cycles of unusually heavy exertion, has been exposed to novel pathogens, and experienced other stressors to the immune system including lack of sleep, severe mental stress, malnutrition, or weight loss.
Although endurance athletes are at increased infection risk during heavy training or competitive cycles, they must exercise intensively to contend successfully. Can athletes use nutrient supplements to counter exercise-induced inflammation and immune alterations? Supplements studied thus far include zinc, dietary fat, plant sterols, antioxidants (e.g., vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, N-acetylcysteine, and butylated hydroxyanisole), glutamine, and carbohydrate. Antioxidants and glutamine have received much attention, but the data thus far do not support their role in negating immune changes after heavy exertion. Most of the focus on nutritional countermeasures has been on carbohydrate.
Research during the 1980s and early 1990s established that a reduction in blood glucose levels was linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation, an increased release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol, increased plasma growth hormone, decreased insulin, and a variable effect on blood epinephrine levels. Given the link between stress hormones and immune responses to prolonged and intensive exercise, carbohydrate compared to placebo ingestion should maintain plasma glucose concentrations, attenuate increases in stress hormones, and thereby diminish changes in immunity. Carbohydrate supplementation may also alter immunity following exercise by increasing the availability of energy substrate to immune cells. Glucose is the major energy substrate for immune cells.
Several studies with runners and cyclists have shown that carbohydrate beverage ingestion plays a role in attenuating changes in immunity when the athlete experiences physiologic stress and depletion of carbohydrate stores in response to high-intensity (~75-80% VO2max) exercise bouts lasting longer than two hours. In particular, carbohydrate ingestion (about one liter per hour of Gatorade) compared to a placebo has been linked to significantly lower blood cortisol and epinephrine levels, a reduced change in blood immune cell counts, lower pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and diminished gene expression for IL-6 and IL-8 (two important cytokines) in the muscle. These data demonstrate that the endurance athlete ingesting carbohydrate during the race event experiences a much lower perturbation in hormonal and immune measures compared to the athlete avoiding carbohydrate. Overall, the hormonal and immune responses to carbohydrate compared to placebo ingestion indicate that physiologic stress is diminished.
Appalachian State University
Prolonged and intensive exertion causes numerous changes in immunity in multiple body compartments. These exercise-induced immune changes occur at the same time the human body is experiencing physiologic and oxidative stress, inflammation, and suppressed function against foreign pathogens. Risk of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) is 2-6 times higher in endurance athletes compared to controls during the 1-2 week period following competitive race events. URTI risk may be compounded when the endurance athlete goes through repeated cycles of unusually heavy exertion, has been exposed to novel pathogens, and experienced other stressors to the immune system including lack of sleep, severe mental stress, malnutrition, or weight loss.
Although endurance athletes are at increased infection risk during heavy training or competitive cycles, they must exercise intensively to contend successfully. Can athletes use nutrient supplements to counter exercise-induced inflammation and immune alterations? Supplements studied thus far include zinc, dietary fat, plant sterols, antioxidants (e.g., vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, N-acetylcysteine, and butylated hydroxyanisole), glutamine, and carbohydrate. Antioxidants and glutamine have received much attention, but the data thus far do not support their role in negating immune changes after heavy exertion. Most of the focus on nutritional countermeasures has been on carbohydrate.
Research during the 1980s and early 1990s established that a reduction in blood glucose levels was linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal activation, an increased release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol, increased plasma growth hormone, decreased insulin, and a variable effect on blood epinephrine levels. Given the link between stress hormones and immune responses to prolonged and intensive exercise, carbohydrate compared to placebo ingestion should maintain plasma glucose concentrations, attenuate increases in stress hormones, and thereby diminish changes in immunity. Carbohydrate supplementation may also alter immunity following exercise by increasing the availability of energy substrate to immune cells. Glucose is the major energy substrate for immune cells.
Several studies with runners and cyclists have shown that carbohydrate beverage ingestion plays a role in attenuating changes in immunity when the athlete experiences physiologic stress and depletion of carbohydrate stores in response to high-intensity (~75-80% VO2max) exercise bouts lasting longer than two hours. In particular, carbohydrate ingestion (about one liter per hour of Gatorade) compared to a placebo has been linked to significantly lower blood cortisol and epinephrine levels, a reduced change in blood immune cell counts, lower pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and diminished gene expression for IL-6 and IL-8 (two important cytokines) in the muscle. These data demonstrate that the endurance athlete ingesting carbohydrate during the race event experiences a much lower perturbation in hormonal and immune measures compared to the athlete avoiding carbohydrate. Overall, the hormonal and immune responses to carbohydrate compared to placebo ingestion indicate that physiologic stress is diminished.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
WHAT ENERGY SYSTEMS ARE MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR SPORT?
-Sports Science Exchange Roundtable 49
· The Phosphagen System
On the one extreme would be the so-called "phosphagen" system that supplies energy for brief, high-power events like the sprints, jumps, vaults, and throws in track and field; batting, base-running, and fielding in baseball; power lifting and Olympic weight lifting; and much of the blocking and tackling done by interior linemen in American football. Each of these activities lasts only a few seconds, and the energy is provided mostly by the breakdown of phosphocreatine stored in the muscle. Oxygen is not required during the exertion, so the energy is said to be supplied "anaerobically."
If you are using mostly the phosphagen system in your sport, spend most of your strength and conditioning time on brief, near-maximal exertions. In other words, train as you compete. It would be largely a waste of time and probably detrimental to their performance for sprinters and interior linemen to train by running repeat miles and lifting light weights for 50 repetitions. Rather, most of the conditioning time should be devoted to repeated maximal-intensity sprints, e.g., 10-100 yards with sufficient recovery time between sprints to allow high-quality repetitions, and heavy lifts, e.g., 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions with the maximal load that can be lifted correctly for each repetition and at least 3 minutes separating each set.
· The Aerobic or Oxygen System
At the other end of the energy-system continuum is the aerobic (oxygen) system that provides most of the energy for activities that last longer than a couple of minutes and for recovery between repeats of brief, high-intensity activities. Other than sprints at the beginning and end of the race, distance runners and swimmers and road cyclists rely almost entirely on aerobic metabolism. Under most circumstances, athletes in these endurance sports are not required to produce high-power outputs, so excessive time spent in the weight room that may add unwanted muscle mass would be counterproductive. If yours is an aerobic sport, you should be building up your cardiovascular system and the aerobic capacity of your muscles with longer-duration activities that require less than maximal intensities of exertion. In the weight room, your focus should be on lifting relatively lightweight, i.e., those you can lift correctly for 3-5 sets of 15-30 repetitions with about 90 seconds of rest between sets.
· Anaerobic Glycogen Breakdown: The "In-Between" System
For activities that last longer than about 10 seconds but less than 2 minutes, the majority of the energy is supplied by the anaerobic breakdown of glycogen (a carbohydrate) stored in the muscles. (This is sometimes called the "lactic acid" system.) Events like a 400-m run in track, a 50-m swim, a series of fast-breaks in basketball, or a series of sprints down the field in soccer or football would require energy from this system. Strength and conditioning activities would be intermediate between those recommended for the phosphagen system and those for the aerobic system.
· Mixed Energy Systems
For most player positions in most sports, soccer, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse, rugby, tennis, ice hockey, field hockey, and rollerblading athletes must rely on both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism to produce their energy. This means that the optimal training for most sports should include a combination of brief, high-intensity activities along with more-prolonged, lesser-intensity exertions. If you believe that the majority of your movements rely on anaerobic metabolism, you should emphasize more of the high-intensity activities in your program, but if most of your efforts are of an endurance nature, you should focus more on endurance training.
What Sport Skills Can You Improve During Your Strength and Conditioning Workouts? Determine the most important skills in your sport especially those you must improve to raise the level of your performance and then modify your strength and conditioning program to emphasize those skills. For example, soccer players can work on both their aerobic conditioning and their ball dribbling skills simultaneously by dribbling a soccer ball as they do their running practice. Alternating performance of this conditioning activity with a partner who is simultaneously trying to intercept the ball on the soccer field could be especially useful training. As another example, tennis players can build their endurance while simultaneously improving their skills by working with a partner who intermittently hits lobs and drop shots, requiring sprinting back and forth from net to baseline.
In the weight room, it makes sense to design your strength exercises so that they reflect the general movement patterns used in your sport. It’s not necessary (or even possible) to truly mimic sports skills in the weight room, but what is important is to develop increased strength in the muscle groups used in the activity. For example, part of a baseball pitcher’s strength-training program should be designed to strengthen the pectoral and anterior/posterior deltoid muscles in both shoulders, not just in the throwing arm.
· The Phosphagen System
On the one extreme would be the so-called "phosphagen" system that supplies energy for brief, high-power events like the sprints, jumps, vaults, and throws in track and field; batting, base-running, and fielding in baseball; power lifting and Olympic weight lifting; and much of the blocking and tackling done by interior linemen in American football. Each of these activities lasts only a few seconds, and the energy is provided mostly by the breakdown of phosphocreatine stored in the muscle. Oxygen is not required during the exertion, so the energy is said to be supplied "anaerobically."
If you are using mostly the phosphagen system in your sport, spend most of your strength and conditioning time on brief, near-maximal exertions. In other words, train as you compete. It would be largely a waste of time and probably detrimental to their performance for sprinters and interior linemen to train by running repeat miles and lifting light weights for 50 repetitions. Rather, most of the conditioning time should be devoted to repeated maximal-intensity sprints, e.g., 10-100 yards with sufficient recovery time between sprints to allow high-quality repetitions, and heavy lifts, e.g., 3-5 sets of 1-6 repetitions with the maximal load that can be lifted correctly for each repetition and at least 3 minutes separating each set.
· The Aerobic or Oxygen System
At the other end of the energy-system continuum is the aerobic (oxygen) system that provides most of the energy for activities that last longer than a couple of minutes and for recovery between repeats of brief, high-intensity activities. Other than sprints at the beginning and end of the race, distance runners and swimmers and road cyclists rely almost entirely on aerobic metabolism. Under most circumstances, athletes in these endurance sports are not required to produce high-power outputs, so excessive time spent in the weight room that may add unwanted muscle mass would be counterproductive. If yours is an aerobic sport, you should be building up your cardiovascular system and the aerobic capacity of your muscles with longer-duration activities that require less than maximal intensities of exertion. In the weight room, your focus should be on lifting relatively lightweight, i.e., those you can lift correctly for 3-5 sets of 15-30 repetitions with about 90 seconds of rest between sets.
· Anaerobic Glycogen Breakdown: The "In-Between" System
For activities that last longer than about 10 seconds but less than 2 minutes, the majority of the energy is supplied by the anaerobic breakdown of glycogen (a carbohydrate) stored in the muscles. (This is sometimes called the "lactic acid" system.) Events like a 400-m run in track, a 50-m swim, a series of fast-breaks in basketball, or a series of sprints down the field in soccer or football would require energy from this system. Strength and conditioning activities would be intermediate between those recommended for the phosphagen system and those for the aerobic system.
· Mixed Energy Systems
For most player positions in most sports, soccer, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse, rugby, tennis, ice hockey, field hockey, and rollerblading athletes must rely on both anaerobic and aerobic metabolism to produce their energy. This means that the optimal training for most sports should include a combination of brief, high-intensity activities along with more-prolonged, lesser-intensity exertions. If you believe that the majority of your movements rely on anaerobic metabolism, you should emphasize more of the high-intensity activities in your program, but if most of your efforts are of an endurance nature, you should focus more on endurance training.
What Sport Skills Can You Improve During Your Strength and Conditioning Workouts? Determine the most important skills in your sport especially those you must improve to raise the level of your performance and then modify your strength and conditioning program to emphasize those skills. For example, soccer players can work on both their aerobic conditioning and their ball dribbling skills simultaneously by dribbling a soccer ball as they do their running practice. Alternating performance of this conditioning activity with a partner who is simultaneously trying to intercept the ball on the soccer field could be especially useful training. As another example, tennis players can build their endurance while simultaneously improving their skills by working with a partner who intermittently hits lobs and drop shots, requiring sprinting back and forth from net to baseline.
In the weight room, it makes sense to design your strength exercises so that they reflect the general movement patterns used in your sport. It’s not necessary (or even possible) to truly mimic sports skills in the weight room, but what is important is to develop increased strength in the muscle groups used in the activity. For example, part of a baseball pitcher’s strength-training program should be designed to strengthen the pectoral and anterior/posterior deltoid muscles in both shoulders, not just in the throwing arm.
Friday, December 14, 2007
DEVELOPING LOWER BODY POWER
Depth Jumps are a great way to develop lower body power and sprinting explosiveness.
-thefastest40.com
-thefastest40.com
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
6 TIPS FOR BETTER SPORTS NUTRITION
By: Dawn Weatherwax
Sports Nutrition can improve performance up to 15%! What you eat and drink, in specific quantities, at appropriate times will make a difference in your personal performance. To get this detailed with your nutrition requires help from a Dietitian who specializes in Sports Nutrition. The tips provided below can assist you in making changes now! Even the smallest change makes a difference!
1. EAT REGULARLY: An athlete must eat every 2-4 hours to have consistent energy, build muscle mass and lose body fat.
2. GET ENOUGH PROTEIN: Many female athletes do not eat enough protein. Protein’s main function is to build, maintain, and repair tissues. Female athletes need at least 14-21 grams of protein every 2-4 hours whereas males need 21-31g every 2-4 hours to achieve full recovery from trainings, to repair any damage done to the muscle during practices, and to complete all the other functions that protein is desperately needed for health and performance.
3. EAT AT LEAST 9 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES A DAY.
This is not a joke! Athletes need the vitamins and minerals from these food groups for optimal performance. The nutrients such as Vit A, C, & E, help prevent damage from occurring to our body. Also without them we have less energy, we are more susceptible to colds, flu, and illnesses, and we can recover slower from training to training.
4. EAT ENOUGH! The mistake that many female athletes make is not eating enough food. We have found that many female athletes eat the same caloric values as non-athletes. This can cause you to hold on to body fat, lose muscle mass, have lower energy levels, sleep more or less than usual, longer wound healing, and more susceptible to illnesses. Please make sure you are eating no less than 1800-2200kcals a day if you are a female athlete and 3000-3500kcal a day if you are a male athlete. Please understand that you should see a Dietitian who specializes in Sports Nutrition to get your exact calorie needs.
5. EAT VARIETY: You need to eat a variety from each food group. Milk/Dairy, Meat, Fruits, Vegetables, Grains and Healthy Fats are the groups to select from. This ensures you are getting the numerous nutrients your body needs to function optimally.
6. LIMIT CANDY, FRIED FOODS, SWEETS, FAST FOOD, PROCESSED FOODS AND FOODS WITH LITTLE NUTRIENT VALUE! It is very important to limit these food items. You should consume no more than 5 servings of these types of foods a week! The average athlete consumes 5 a day! Please understand when you do this you are hurting your body and how it functions. Your body needs nutrients from the food groups listed in tip number 5. When you eat a large amount of foods that have no nutritional value your body can not maximize recovery, energy, speed, agility, power, quickness, immune system etc……This hinders you more than you realize.
Special Thanks to Sports Nutrition 2Go
6659 Liberty Court
Liberty Township, OH 45044
(513) 779-6444
www.sn2g.com
Sports Nutrition can improve performance up to 15%! What you eat and drink, in specific quantities, at appropriate times will make a difference in your personal performance. To get this detailed with your nutrition requires help from a Dietitian who specializes in Sports Nutrition. The tips provided below can assist you in making changes now! Even the smallest change makes a difference!
1. EAT REGULARLY: An athlete must eat every 2-4 hours to have consistent energy, build muscle mass and lose body fat.
2. GET ENOUGH PROTEIN: Many female athletes do not eat enough protein. Protein’s main function is to build, maintain, and repair tissues. Female athletes need at least 14-21 grams of protein every 2-4 hours whereas males need 21-31g every 2-4 hours to achieve full recovery from trainings, to repair any damage done to the muscle during practices, and to complete all the other functions that protein is desperately needed for health and performance.
3. EAT AT LEAST 9 SERVINGS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES A DAY.
This is not a joke! Athletes need the vitamins and minerals from these food groups for optimal performance. The nutrients such as Vit A, C, & E, help prevent damage from occurring to our body. Also without them we have less energy, we are more susceptible to colds, flu, and illnesses, and we can recover slower from training to training.
4. EAT ENOUGH! The mistake that many female athletes make is not eating enough food. We have found that many female athletes eat the same caloric values as non-athletes. This can cause you to hold on to body fat, lose muscle mass, have lower energy levels, sleep more or less than usual, longer wound healing, and more susceptible to illnesses. Please make sure you are eating no less than 1800-2200kcals a day if you are a female athlete and 3000-3500kcal a day if you are a male athlete. Please understand that you should see a Dietitian who specializes in Sports Nutrition to get your exact calorie needs.
5. EAT VARIETY: You need to eat a variety from each food group. Milk/Dairy, Meat, Fruits, Vegetables, Grains and Healthy Fats are the groups to select from. This ensures you are getting the numerous nutrients your body needs to function optimally.
6. LIMIT CANDY, FRIED FOODS, SWEETS, FAST FOOD, PROCESSED FOODS AND FOODS WITH LITTLE NUTRIENT VALUE! It is very important to limit these food items. You should consume no more than 5 servings of these types of foods a week! The average athlete consumes 5 a day! Please understand when you do this you are hurting your body and how it functions. Your body needs nutrients from the food groups listed in tip number 5. When you eat a large amount of foods that have no nutritional value your body can not maximize recovery, energy, speed, agility, power, quickness, immune system etc……This hinders you more than you realize.
Special Thanks to Sports Nutrition 2Go
6659 Liberty Court
Liberty Township, OH 45044
(513) 779-6444
www.sn2g.com
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
THE 40 - IT'S ALL IN THE START
THE BUNCHED START
By Roger White, CSCS
There are two common start techniques associated with the 40. One is the bunched start where the front foot is right on the starting line. In some combines, this technique is not allowed (such as the NFL Indy Combine). In most cases, this technique is allowed and is the technique I teach all my athletes.
I prefer this technique for a simple reason. With the front foot on the line and proper hip and leg angles (see pics above and below), athletes gain about 4-6 inches from the first step. In an event where hundredths of a second can mean scholarships and millions of dollars, these 4-6 inches come in handy.
To optimize this starting technique, leg angles must be aligned properly. Most track coaches will coach their sprinters to have “high” hips in the blocks, and often this advice is transferred to the start mechanics of the 40. High hips with the bunched start will lead to disaster. Hips must be low to optimize shin and leg angles coming out of the start.
Typically the hips should be shoulder height, no higher. Also, the weight should be loaded on the front foot so the heel is up. In the “up” position, it should feel as if you are going to “fall on your face.”
This technique takes practice, mostly from a comfort issue. Every athlete who has learned it feels more comfortable this way, and in some cases, in their first session with me, have taken off as much as a tenth in the first 10 yards.
Roger White is Owner of Sport X Training. For more information, visit www.SportXTraining.com.
By Roger White, CSCS
There are two common start techniques associated with the 40. One is the bunched start where the front foot is right on the starting line. In some combines, this technique is not allowed (such as the NFL Indy Combine). In most cases, this technique is allowed and is the technique I teach all my athletes.
I prefer this technique for a simple reason. With the front foot on the line and proper hip and leg angles (see pics above and below), athletes gain about 4-6 inches from the first step. In an event where hundredths of a second can mean scholarships and millions of dollars, these 4-6 inches come in handy.
To optimize this starting technique, leg angles must be aligned properly. Most track coaches will coach their sprinters to have “high” hips in the blocks, and often this advice is transferred to the start mechanics of the 40. High hips with the bunched start will lead to disaster. Hips must be low to optimize shin and leg angles coming out of the start.
Typically the hips should be shoulder height, no higher. Also, the weight should be loaded on the front foot so the heel is up. In the “up” position, it should feel as if you are going to “fall on your face.”
This technique takes practice, mostly from a comfort issue. Every athlete who has learned it feels more comfortable this way, and in some cases, in their first session with me, have taken off as much as a tenth in the first 10 yards.
Roger White is Owner of Sport X Training. For more information, visit www.SportXTraining.com.
Monday, December 10, 2007
21 KEYS TO BETTER SPEED BY VERN GAMBETTA
The key to improving speed is a systematic and progressive approach to speed development. Systematic refers to a structured approach, never losing sight of the specific objective: A FASTER ATHLETE. My system of speed development, evolved over 33years of coaching, is called the 3S System® - Sport Specific Speed.
In my system, speed is broken into its component parts-Straight Ahead Speed and Lateral Speed and Agility. Each of these broad components is developed sequentially through detailed progressions. The system is also progressive. Each step in the progression must be mastered before attempting the next step.
Over the years I have developed a number of practical tips that will make your speed development program more effective.
1. Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough, active warm-up.
2. Eliminate distance running! It reduces explosiveness that compromises speed. If conditioning is a concern, condition specifically for your sport. There are many ways to get in shape for explosive sports without doing slow, aerobic work which diminishes explosiveness.
3. When do you focus on speed development? It should be at a time when your body is in a non-fatigued state. Therefore, plan your speed development emphasis at the start of the workout, following an easy workday or a day of complete rest.
4. For the very young, speed development work should be playful and game like. No formal drill work is required before the ages of 9-10. Everything should be quick, short bursts with rapid changes of direction. Tag games and short relays are very effective.
5. Maximal strength and acceleration ability are closely related. Spend time developing maximal strength through traditional means like squatting and utilizing derivatives of Olympic lifting movements.
6. Hip mobility is a key aspect of improving stride length and the ability to move laterally. This is best achieved through dynamic activities like hurdle walks.
7. Always stress correct mechanics. Relate the mechanics to the specific movements of your sport. Emphasize correct mechanics without making the athlete robotic. All for individual expression of each athlete.
8. Beware of a drill for the sake of having a drill! Each drill should be related to the “total action”. No drill is an end unto itself. A drill should always lead somewhere. Know why you are using a specific drill and where it fits into your entire training program.
9. Maximum speed is highly dependent on the optimum combination of stride length and stride frequency. Do not get caught up on developing one to the exclusion of the other.
10. Optimum Speed is the goal. Speed that you can use and control in the game. Never lose sight of the “moment of truth”. When you least expect it and are most fatigued, speed will be the deciding factor.
11. Speed is a motor task. You can learn to run faster through correct mechanics and situational awareness. Correct arm action is very important in sprinting. In acceleration, arm action helps with force application. In maximal speed, the arm plays more of a role in balance.
12. Starting is extending ankle/knee/hip. This triple extension is highly related to work done in the weight room.
13. Stopping is bending ankle/knee/hip.
14. Reaction can be improved by working on the primary stimulus: auditory, visual or kinesthetic depending on the sport or the situation.
15. Assistance training (overspeed) methods develop specific strength to improve stride frequency as well as stride length.
16. Resistance training develops specific strength and improves acceleration.
17. Remember the 10% rule. Never add more than 10% of bodyweight to a sled. A corollary to this rule is that you should never slow the movement down for a particular distance more than 10% slower than the athlete’s best time. Greater than 10% in resistance or time will change the dynamics of the movement and speed development will be negative.
18. Speed work demands a high level of motivation and concentration.
19. 6-8 reps is the optimum number for speed development work.
20. Vary speed training methods and intensity to avoid building a speed barrier.
21. In your session, develop speed before speed endurance (microcycle and macrocycle).
In a strength development program designed to improve speed, address postural needs first and foremost (The Core). Strength to stabilize the trunk is essential. It provides a strong pillar through which the limbs may transfer forces essential to improving sprint mechanics.
-Vern Gambetta, www.thefastest40.com
In my system, speed is broken into its component parts-Straight Ahead Speed and Lateral Speed and Agility. Each of these broad components is developed sequentially through detailed progressions. The system is also progressive. Each step in the progression must be mastered before attempting the next step.
Over the years I have developed a number of practical tips that will make your speed development program more effective.
1. Always prepare for each speed training session with a thorough, active warm-up.
2. Eliminate distance running! It reduces explosiveness that compromises speed. If conditioning is a concern, condition specifically for your sport. There are many ways to get in shape for explosive sports without doing slow, aerobic work which diminishes explosiveness.
3. When do you focus on speed development? It should be at a time when your body is in a non-fatigued state. Therefore, plan your speed development emphasis at the start of the workout, following an easy workday or a day of complete rest.
4. For the very young, speed development work should be playful and game like. No formal drill work is required before the ages of 9-10. Everything should be quick, short bursts with rapid changes of direction. Tag games and short relays are very effective.
5. Maximal strength and acceleration ability are closely related. Spend time developing maximal strength through traditional means like squatting and utilizing derivatives of Olympic lifting movements.
6. Hip mobility is a key aspect of improving stride length and the ability to move laterally. This is best achieved through dynamic activities like hurdle walks.
7. Always stress correct mechanics. Relate the mechanics to the specific movements of your sport. Emphasize correct mechanics without making the athlete robotic. All for individual expression of each athlete.
8. Beware of a drill for the sake of having a drill! Each drill should be related to the “total action”. No drill is an end unto itself. A drill should always lead somewhere. Know why you are using a specific drill and where it fits into your entire training program.
9. Maximum speed is highly dependent on the optimum combination of stride length and stride frequency. Do not get caught up on developing one to the exclusion of the other.
10. Optimum Speed is the goal. Speed that you can use and control in the game. Never lose sight of the “moment of truth”. When you least expect it and are most fatigued, speed will be the deciding factor.
11. Speed is a motor task. You can learn to run faster through correct mechanics and situational awareness. Correct arm action is very important in sprinting. In acceleration, arm action helps with force application. In maximal speed, the arm plays more of a role in balance.
12. Starting is extending ankle/knee/hip. This triple extension is highly related to work done in the weight room.
13. Stopping is bending ankle/knee/hip.
14. Reaction can be improved by working on the primary stimulus: auditory, visual or kinesthetic depending on the sport or the situation.
15. Assistance training (overspeed) methods develop specific strength to improve stride frequency as well as stride length.
16. Resistance training develops specific strength and improves acceleration.
17. Remember the 10% rule. Never add more than 10% of bodyweight to a sled. A corollary to this rule is that you should never slow the movement down for a particular distance more than 10% slower than the athlete’s best time. Greater than 10% in resistance or time will change the dynamics of the movement and speed development will be negative.
18. Speed work demands a high level of motivation and concentration.
19. 6-8 reps is the optimum number for speed development work.
20. Vary speed training methods and intensity to avoid building a speed barrier.
21. In your session, develop speed before speed endurance (microcycle and macrocycle).
In a strength development program designed to improve speed, address postural needs first and foremost (The Core). Strength to stabilize the trunk is essential. It provides a strong pillar through which the limbs may transfer forces essential to improving sprint mechanics.
-Vern Gambetta, www.thefastest40.com
Saturday, December 8, 2007
DYNAMIC FLEXIBILITY
The age of static flexibility (stand in place stretching) before training or practice is slowly coming to an end. The days of dynamic flexibility (stretching while moving, bringing warm blood to muscles) is being ushered in with scientific research to back it. Here are some sample exercises for hip dynamic flexibility from the www.thefastest40.com
Friday, December 7, 2007
PRINCIPLE #13 - REST & RECOVERY
Strength and conditioning is undisputed as being important to any athletic program, but a common misconception is that gains in strength are made during the workout. On the contrary, muscle fibers and energy stores are broken down and depleted during workouts. It is only during rest days and sleep where athletes restore energy and rebuild muscle in response to progressive demands. Therefore, our training will allow for at least 48 hours of rest between training days, while educating our athletes on what and when to eat on those valuable days of recovery.
PRINCIPLE #12 - SPORTS NUTRITION
Sports nutrition may be the most overlooked, yet most important part of an athlete’s daily living. The conjunction of any well structured strength and conditioning program along with sound nutritional habits is the ultimate key to any athlete wanting to achieve his/her physical goals.
PRINCIPLE #10 - ADDRESS ALL NEEDS OF ATHLETES
Strength and Conditioning is a very general term, in reality what must be done in an off-season to prepare an athlete physically and mentally can be broken down into many specific areas. Ask any coach what they look for in a polished athlete and you may get a number of the following adjectives and nouns: fast, agile, powerful, muscular, strong, balanced, explosive, disciplined, tough, hard-working, smart, durable, and leadership. If these are all the areas that coaches feel are important to success as an athlete, then the strength and conditioning department must address and attack all of these areas.
PRINCIPLE #9 - BALANCED TRAINING
In terms of the human body, what does it mean to have balance as far as strength? Balance between different groups of musculature means that agonist/antagonist groups receive equal volume and intensity. If they are not trained in conjunction, overtime the development of strength imbalances along with the eventuality of injury is inevitable.
PRINCIPLE #8 - GROUND BASE EXERCISES
In every athletic competition, the success of the athlete is almost always determined by how fast and how much overall force he/she can exert on the ground. Thus, we will train our athletes in a manner that has this concept in mind by having them train in ways that make them exert maximum force on the ground. Ground base exercise will activate the largest groups of musculature with the largest loads. In the end, this is how gains in strength and power will be achieved most efficiently.
PRINCIPLE #7 - DEVELOP CORE STRENGTH
The core, otherwise known as the “powerhouse” is the center of all-ground base and extremity movements in the human body. It stands to reason that if the core is weak, then all extremity and ground base movements will not perform at optimum levels of performance. The core, consisting of a multitude of muscles, coordinates these muscles to work in all planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse. The core acts as a shock absorber and is the foundation of kinesthetic movement in the human body, without it, no movement can occur.
PRINCIPLE #6 - AVOIDING THE “STRENGTH PLATEAU”
As the physiological adaptations occur in the body through regular training, the body will eventually plateau if intensity isn’t increased. We accomplish this through progressive overload using a variety of modalities with changes to: workout volume, rep tempo, exercise selection/sequence, and rest between sets. These many options make it relatively easy to continually confuse the athlete’s body and ensure that the program is progressive.
PRINCIPLE #5 - RISK TO BENEFIT RATIO
Every exercise performed has a risk and benefit ratio associated with it. Every exercise in our program has gone through careful scrutiny to weigh out this important ratio. Simply put, if the potential gain from an exercise doesn’t significantly outweigh the risk for injury, the exercise will not be a part of our program.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
PRINCIPLE #4 - TRAIN ON A REGULAR BASIS
A maximum of three days a week, and a minimum of two days a week will be used for strength and conditioning, with a minimum of 48 hours of rest between training days. Training on a regular basis will induce positive change to the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular changes, which will give our athletes a better tool to work with on the playing field. If training becomes irregular, it stands to reason that the pre-determined goals of the program will not be met and continuity of the program will suffer.
PRINCIPLE #3 - EXHAUST YOURSELF
To obtain G.C.L. and State dominance, we must train, practice, eat, sleep, and drink differently than other programs. Success and dominance comes at a price, and we will pay that price day in and day out, until our attitude reflects our day-to-day work. We will scream and claw for another rep, set, or exercise until our intensity on the field is superior.
PRINCIPLE #2 - ASSESS THE ATHLETE
How does a program know where Point A is and what Point B is if testing isn’t done? Assessing the athlete is critical to finding overall and individualized strengths and weaknesses. Once these weak areas are uncovered, a plan can be developed to attack those weaknesses, so in time they eventually become strengths and imbalances in strength can be remedied.
PRINCIPLE #1 - WHERE TO BEGIN
Getting from point A to point B is the key to any program’s success. Having a predetermined plan of action with fundamental exercise physiological ideals, and combining predetermined results is how we, as a Strength & Conditioning Department will reach point B. Splitting the athletic year into four different phases is the mode in which we will use. This method, generally termed as periodization is how we train all areas of muscle function in order to have our athlete’s peak physically at the most important times.
PROGRAM PRINCIPLES
Principles of a Strength & Conditioning program are individual components, that when added up, give a form and individuality to the program. It clearly states what, when and how the program will be conducted and why chosen components are important.
Thursday, March 8, 2007
ELDER HIGH SCHOOL STRENGTH PHILOSOPHY
We will train our athletes in an environment that has safety as a number one priority and a blue- collar work ethic as a close second. The Strength Program will bring about change by using proven and wide ranges of training methods, which will challenge our athletes both physically and mentally. This will all be carried out in a manner that will enhance time efficiency of training, team unity, and aid our athletes in the prevention and reduction of injuries. All of these factors will facilitate in our pursuit of GCL and State dominance.
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