Earlier this wee I received an email from a parent. I've worked with his son John for two off-seasons. He recently completed six months of training in preparation for the upcoming baseball season.
Over the 6 months he increased his arm speed by 9 MPH, his bat speed by 12.4 MPH, his Vertical Jump by 4 inches. He also dropped 2 tenths of second off his speed and agility.
Bottom line he worked hard- he put in the effort and now he's reaping the rewards. Benefits that transcend the physical. There are benefits to training beyond running faster and throwing harder. Benefits that can't be measured with a radar gun or speed timers.
Changes in work ethic and self-esteem. Through his hard work he's creating opportunities for himself and moving out of the shadow of his siblings.
Here is what his dad had to say about it:
Hi Mark,
I wanted to thank you for the work you did with John this past 6 months. I found the 4” gained in vertical jump as eye popping as the 9 mph gain in arm speed.
I think the program has not only taught him that he needs to work hard to achieve measurable goals physically but that the same is true with school work. John should be for the first time a high honors student. He also scored high enough on the Benet test to not need his sisters’ legacy status for admission.
The work you do with John is nothing short of amazing and he as well as I, look forward to the next 4 years to see what he can achieve.
Thanks for the time and thought you put into the best program I ever spent money on for my son.
Best,
John C
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Show Up
"Eighty percent of success is showing up." ~Woody Allen
Osmosis- diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal.
As a young student I can recall wondering if I could study for a test via osmosis. Some of my friends would put their text book and notes under their pillow hoping that while they slept information would cross through the book right into their brain. Study via sleep..... Didn't work.
I remember recording vital test tidbits onto a cassette tape.
For those of you younger a tape was all the rage before CD's.
CD's? They were the rage before IPODs
Then listening to the tape while going to sleep and let it play over and over while sleeping. I recall using this technique to study for the 8th Grade Constitution test. Fortunately my teacher was kind enough to let me retake it later after a day or two of actual studying. I shouldn't have to mention that I did better the second time.
I talked with a parent on the phone recently. Hes searching for a conditioning program that fits his sons needs. As we talked about the Explosion training system, he mentioned he was trying to determine if there was an Eastern Bloc "magic bullet" exercise that would guarantee his son get faster.
The secret is that you have to train- both hard and smart. The magic happens somewhere between hard training and recovery.
First you have to show up- every time.
Osmosis- diffusion of molecules through a semipermeable membrane from a place of higher concentration to a place of lower concentration until the concentration on both sides is equal.
As a young student I can recall wondering if I could study for a test via osmosis. Some of my friends would put their text book and notes under their pillow hoping that while they slept information would cross through the book right into their brain. Study via sleep..... Didn't work.
I remember recording vital test tidbits onto a cassette tape.
For those of you younger a tape was all the rage before CD's.
CD's? They were the rage before IPODs
Then listening to the tape while going to sleep and let it play over and over while sleeping. I recall using this technique to study for the 8th Grade Constitution test. Fortunately my teacher was kind enough to let me retake it later after a day or two of actual studying. I shouldn't have to mention that I did better the second time.
I talked with a parent on the phone recently. Hes searching for a conditioning program that fits his sons needs. As we talked about the Explosion training system, he mentioned he was trying to determine if there was an Eastern Bloc "magic bullet" exercise that would guarantee his son get faster.
The secret is that you have to train- both hard and smart. The magic happens somewhere between hard training and recovery.
First you have to show up- every time.
Monday, February 28, 2011
No Excuses
An injury is not an excuse to avoid training. You can always do something.
This past winter we trained:
1 Athlete who has a heart condition where his heart rate is not to go above 150 BPM.
2 People with their arms in casts
2 Others who had restrictions that prevented them from using one of their arms.
Countless athletes who's bodies are beat up from practice, PE class, a snow ball fight gone awry....
With an expert staff and solid programming, training can be modified to work around those problems and still get a training effect.
In my early days I used to train a lot of athletes who were rehabilitating after ACL reconstructions. At that time it was a minimum 6 month recovery from the day of surgery until a possible return to sports. Those who sat around only focusing on their knee rehab would later find out that even though their knee had been cleared for activity their body wasn't ready- add an additional 2 months to get back in fighting shape.
When they could walk we started conditioning. Rehab the knee and then focus on the rest of the body. These turned into 2 hour training sessions near the end.
Once the Orthopedic determined their knee was good to go, their body was as well. They could go to practice that same day or the next. A week later they were in games.
You can sit on the couch and wait for everything to be perfect- which may never happen, obstacles have a way of popping up one after the other. Or you can keep training and be ready when the time is right.
This past winter we trained:
1 Athlete who has a heart condition where his heart rate is not to go above 150 BPM.
2 People with their arms in casts
2 Others who had restrictions that prevented them from using one of their arms.
Countless athletes who's bodies are beat up from practice, PE class, a snow ball fight gone awry....
With an expert staff and solid programming, training can be modified to work around those problems and still get a training effect.
In my early days I used to train a lot of athletes who were rehabilitating after ACL reconstructions. At that time it was a minimum 6 month recovery from the day of surgery until a possible return to sports. Those who sat around only focusing on their knee rehab would later find out that even though their knee had been cleared for activity their body wasn't ready- add an additional 2 months to get back in fighting shape.
When they could walk we started conditioning. Rehab the knee and then focus on the rest of the body. These turned into 2 hour training sessions near the end.
Once the Orthopedic determined their knee was good to go, their body was as well. They could go to practice that same day or the next. A week later they were in games.
You can sit on the couch and wait for everything to be perfect- which may never happen, obstacles have a way of popping up one after the other. Or you can keep training and be ready when the time is right.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Results Are In
I haven't been blogging much lately, not because I'm at a loss for words, more of crunched for time. Explosion has been extremely busy the past few months, and something had to give.
Time well spent in fact, especially if you're an athlete getting ready to go into your high school season on Monday.
Here are some standouts:
Jake a junior increased his throwing arm by 10 MPH. From 78 to 88 MPH.
Mac a junior added 9 MPH to her arm.
Bryan a senior added 7 MPH to his arm speed.
Kelsey is senior- nickname bomb squad. This is her third year in Explosion. She's got a fast bat to begin with and continues to improve- adding an additional 5 MPH to her swing. She also added 5 MPH of arm power.
How does improving your arm speed by 3 MPH sound? How does it sound when you also consider Rachel's non-throwing arm was in a cast for 3 out of 4 months of training? With an expert staff and a well designed program, injury is not an excuse to skip training. As soon as she is cleared to play she'll be ready.
There were multiple improvements in Bat Speed of 10 MPH or more. Too many to mention in fact.
What did you do this winter?
Time well spent in fact, especially if you're an athlete getting ready to go into your high school season on Monday.
Here are some standouts:
Jake a junior increased his throwing arm by 10 MPH. From 78 to 88 MPH.
Mac a junior added 9 MPH to her arm.
Bryan a senior added 7 MPH to his arm speed.
Kelsey is senior- nickname bomb squad. This is her third year in Explosion. She's got a fast bat to begin with and continues to improve- adding an additional 5 MPH to her swing. She also added 5 MPH of arm power.
How does improving your arm speed by 3 MPH sound? How does it sound when you also consider Rachel's non-throwing arm was in a cast for 3 out of 4 months of training? With an expert staff and a well designed program, injury is not an excuse to skip training. As soon as she is cleared to play she'll be ready.
There were multiple improvements in Bat Speed of 10 MPH or more. Too many to mention in fact.
What did you do this winter?
Friday, November 5, 2010
Friday, October 29, 2010
Speed and Agility- Guest Blog
Mike Boyle is not only one of the premier Strength and Conditioning Coaches in the world, he is also one of the pioneers in the field. With over 30 years of experience working with college and professional athletes- when Mike speaks, I'm listening. And he doesn't disappoint. Written or verbal he always gets my mind thinking.
Recently Mike sent out an email with his thoughts on a forum post from his website StrengthCoach.com. The topic was improving speed and agility.
In the last week a few parents with kids involved in the Explosion program have asked me about including more speed drills in the training sessions. Over the past 3 years I've been decreasing the amount of sprints and "form running" we perform in favor of training that better prepare the athlete to run faster. I touched on my reasoning here here. Interesting that we've spent less time sprinting, but our speed improvements have improved.
Mike's email covers those questions so well, that I wrote to ask him for permission to post it here.
___________________
A couple of threads on the Strength Coach forum got me thinking about the question of foot speed and athletes. I can't tell you how often I hear a parent or a coach ask, "How can I improve my son's/daughter's/athlete's foot speed or agility?"
It seems everyone always wants the shortcut and the quick fix.
The better question might be "Do you think you can improve foot speed?" or maybe even the larger question, "Does foot speed even matter?"
That begs the larger question, "Does foot speed have anything to do with agility?" I know coaches or parents reading this are asking, "Is this guy crazy?" How many times have we heard that speed kills? I think the problem is that coaches and parents equate fast feet with fast and quick feet with agile. However, fast feet don't equal fast any more than quick feet equal agile. In some cases, fast feet might actually make an athlete slow--often I see fast feet as a detriment to speed. In fact, some of our quick turnover guys, those who would be described as having fast feet, are very slow off the start.
The problem is fast feet don't use the ground well to produce force. Fast feet might be good on hot coals, but not on hard ground. Think of the ground as the well from which we draw speed. It is not how fast the feet move, but rather how much force goes into the ground. This is basic action-reaction physics. Force into the ground equals forward motion. This is why the athletes with the best vertical jumps are most often the fastest. It comes down to force production. Often coaches will argue the vertical vs. horizontal argument and say the vertical jump doesn't correspond to horizontal speed, but years of data from the NFL Combine begs to differ. Force into the ground is force into the ground. In spite of what Brett Contreras may say, vectors don't seem to matter here. The truth is parents should be asking about vertical jump improvement, not about fast feet. My standard line is "Michael Flatley has fast feet, but he doesn't really go anywhere. If you move your feet fast and don't go anywhere, does it matter? It's the old "tree falling in the woods" thing.
The best solution to slow feet is to get stronger legs. Feet don't matter. Legs matter. Think about it this way: If you stand at the starting line and take a quick first step but fail to push with the back leg, you don't go anywhere. The reality is that a quick first step is actually the result of a powerful first push. We should change the buzzwords and start to say "that kid has a great first push." Lower body strength is the real cure for slow feet and the real key to speed and to agility. The essence of developing quick feet lies in single-leg strength and single-leg stability work… landing skills. If you cannot decelerate, you cannot accelerate, at least not more than once.
One of the things I love is the magic drill idea. This is the theory that developing foot speed and agility is not a process of gaining strength and power, but rather the lack of a specific drill. I tell everyone I know that if I believed there was a magic drill we would do it every day. The reality is it comes down to horsepower and the nervous system, two areas that change slowly over time.
How do we develop speed, quickness and agility?
Unfortunately, we need to do it the slow, old-fashioned way. You can play with ladders and bungee cords all you want, but that is like putting mag wheels on an Escort. The key is to increase the horsepower, the brakes and the accelerator. I think the answer for me is always the same. I wrote an article last year called "IS ACL Prevention Just Good Training?" In much the same way, development of speed, agility and quickness simply comes down to good training. We need to work on lower body strength and lower body power and we need to do it on one leg.
I also love ladder drills. They provide excellent multi-planar dynamic warm-up. They develop brain-to-muscle connection and are excellent for eccentric strength and stability. We do less than five minutes of ladder drills, one or two times a week. I don't believe for a minute that the ladder is a magic tool that will make anyone faster or more agile, however I do believe it is a piece of the puzzle from the neural perspective. People waste more than five minutes on biceps curls, but we have long debates about ladder drills.
These are also a great tool to show to coaches who want "foot speed." Sometime it's easier to "yes" them than to argue with them. Give a guy with "bad feet" a jump rope and you get a guy with bad feet and patella tendonitis.
Regards,
Mike Boyle
http://www.strengthcoach.com/
_________
Recently Mike sent out an email with his thoughts on a forum post from his website StrengthCoach.com. The topic was improving speed and agility.
In the last week a few parents with kids involved in the Explosion program have asked me about including more speed drills in the training sessions. Over the past 3 years I've been decreasing the amount of sprints and "form running" we perform in favor of training that better prepare the athlete to run faster. I touched on my reasoning here here. Interesting that we've spent less time sprinting, but our speed improvements have improved.
Mike's email covers those questions so well, that I wrote to ask him for permission to post it here.
___________________
A couple of threads on the Strength Coach forum got me thinking about the question of foot speed and athletes. I can't tell you how often I hear a parent or a coach ask, "How can I improve my son's/daughter's/athlete's foot speed or agility?"
It seems everyone always wants the shortcut and the quick fix.
The better question might be "Do you think you can improve foot speed?" or maybe even the larger question, "Does foot speed even matter?"
That begs the larger question, "Does foot speed have anything to do with agility?" I know coaches or parents reading this are asking, "Is this guy crazy?" How many times have we heard that speed kills? I think the problem is that coaches and parents equate fast feet with fast and quick feet with agile. However, fast feet don't equal fast any more than quick feet equal agile. In some cases, fast feet might actually make an athlete slow--often I see fast feet as a detriment to speed. In fact, some of our quick turnover guys, those who would be described as having fast feet, are very slow off the start.
The problem is fast feet don't use the ground well to produce force. Fast feet might be good on hot coals, but not on hard ground. Think of the ground as the well from which we draw speed. It is not how fast the feet move, but rather how much force goes into the ground. This is basic action-reaction physics. Force into the ground equals forward motion. This is why the athletes with the best vertical jumps are most often the fastest. It comes down to force production. Often coaches will argue the vertical vs. horizontal argument and say the vertical jump doesn't correspond to horizontal speed, but years of data from the NFL Combine begs to differ. Force into the ground is force into the ground. In spite of what Brett Contreras may say, vectors don't seem to matter here. The truth is parents should be asking about vertical jump improvement, not about fast feet. My standard line is "Michael Flatley has fast feet, but he doesn't really go anywhere. If you move your feet fast and don't go anywhere, does it matter? It's the old "tree falling in the woods" thing.
The best solution to slow feet is to get stronger legs. Feet don't matter. Legs matter. Think about it this way: If you stand at the starting line and take a quick first step but fail to push with the back leg, you don't go anywhere. The reality is that a quick first step is actually the result of a powerful first push. We should change the buzzwords and start to say "that kid has a great first push." Lower body strength is the real cure for slow feet and the real key to speed and to agility. The essence of developing quick feet lies in single-leg strength and single-leg stability work… landing skills. If you cannot decelerate, you cannot accelerate, at least not more than once.
One of the things I love is the magic drill idea. This is the theory that developing foot speed and agility is not a process of gaining strength and power, but rather the lack of a specific drill. I tell everyone I know that if I believed there was a magic drill we would do it every day. The reality is it comes down to horsepower and the nervous system, two areas that change slowly over time.
How do we develop speed, quickness and agility?
Unfortunately, we need to do it the slow, old-fashioned way. You can play with ladders and bungee cords all you want, but that is like putting mag wheels on an Escort. The key is to increase the horsepower, the brakes and the accelerator. I think the answer for me is always the same. I wrote an article last year called "IS ACL Prevention Just Good Training?" In much the same way, development of speed, agility and quickness simply comes down to good training. We need to work on lower body strength and lower body power and we need to do it on one leg.
I also love ladder drills. They provide excellent multi-planar dynamic warm-up. They develop brain-to-muscle connection and are excellent for eccentric strength and stability. We do less than five minutes of ladder drills, one or two times a week. I don't believe for a minute that the ladder is a magic tool that will make anyone faster or more agile, however I do believe it is a piece of the puzzle from the neural perspective. People waste more than five minutes on biceps curls, but we have long debates about ladder drills.
These are also a great tool to show to coaches who want "foot speed." Sometime it's easier to "yes" them than to argue with them. Give a guy with "bad feet" a jump rope and you get a guy with bad feet and patella tendonitis.
Regards,
Mike Boyle
http://www.strengthcoach.com/
_________
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Do You Need Speed Training or Athletic Development?
Two athletes arrive for training to make them faster. After an evaluation its determined that both athletes are slow. The solution? Speed training right?
Maybe....maybe not.
Depends on your definition of speed training. Some define speed training as running mechanics, and sprint training- but is that always the answer?
Athlete # 1 may not know how to run, has sloppy mechanics and poor form. In that case speed training would help. Working on the movement of running- head position, arms action, and leg drive. Refining how they move and then applying it to sprints.
Athlete # 2 is incapable of running correctly. Tight hips and poor core strength don't allow the athlete's body to move as a unit. While running the body is working harder on not falling over more than it is at generating speed. In this case speed training would be ineffective. Most likely it would make the athlete miserable. Running on its own is hard. When you're body is incapable of effectively running becomes even more difficult.
Athlete #2 may actually be quite fast, but is unable to tap into that speed because the body is acting more like the brakes on a car than the accelerator. How fast can you drive if you have one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. Release the brakes and the car runs smoother and is more efficient.
Training to release the brakes is challenging, but enjoyable. This type of training produces the desired result- running speed. Isn't that the point of training?
Maybe....maybe not.
Depends on your definition of speed training. Some define speed training as running mechanics, and sprint training- but is that always the answer?
Athlete # 1 may not know how to run, has sloppy mechanics and poor form. In that case speed training would help. Working on the movement of running- head position, arms action, and leg drive. Refining how they move and then applying it to sprints.
Athlete # 2 is incapable of running correctly. Tight hips and poor core strength don't allow the athlete's body to move as a unit. While running the body is working harder on not falling over more than it is at generating speed. In this case speed training would be ineffective. Most likely it would make the athlete miserable. Running on its own is hard. When you're body is incapable of effectively running becomes even more difficult.
Athlete #2 may actually be quite fast, but is unable to tap into that speed because the body is acting more like the brakes on a car than the accelerator. How fast can you drive if you have one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. Release the brakes and the car runs smoother and is more efficient.
Training to release the brakes is challenging, but enjoyable. This type of training produces the desired result- running speed. Isn't that the point of training?
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Bad Patient
I'm a Fitness Professional. Not a personal trainer. Turns out to qualify to become a personal trainer you need about $150.00 and access to a computer. Pass a test and 6 weeks later in your mailbox is the validation that you are now qualified to wear spandex, carry a clipboard and count backwards from 10.
I've got a Masters Degree in Athletic Training, I'm certified by two national certification bodies. I'm a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), as well as Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and have held both for more than 13 years. Neither of those certifications can be obtained by attending a weekend course or reading a book and mailing in a test. Both exams require a college degree in a related field before you can even register to take the test.
Before qualifying to sit for the ATC exam I had to log 1500 hours of working with athletes along with meeting the classroom requirements. This certification exam has a failure rate of 65%. The CSCS exam also requires a related degree and has a failure rate of 35%.
When you watch sports on TV and a player goes down. The guy who runs onto the field to evaluate their condition and begin the process of getting them back on the field- that's me. Over the years I've helped countless athletes return to competition after injury. My specialty are knees, ankles and shoulders. Not surprisingly those are the areas most often injured during sports.
I spend more time now helping athletes to prepare their bodies in the hope of avoiding some of those injuries. But I still interact with my fair share of injured athletes.
Turns out while I am a good Athletic Trainer I'm a terrible patient. Earlier this week I strained a muscle in my hip. Apparently my brain and my body do not agree on what I'm capable of. If an athlete were to come to me with a hip strain 13+ years of experience would kick into gear and I'd go into ATC mode. After an evaluation to determine the severity of the injury a plan would be formulated to help them get back to 100%. Seems when I'm the patient my brain doesn't contain the same information. I should easily be able to formulate a plan for myself.
When an athlete has an injury its easy for me to be a little impartial. Of course I'm not the one in any sort of discomfort. I outline the plan, help with its implementation. The athlete leaves with instruction of what to do on their own. The next day or a few days later I see them again and the process repeats itself. If they've followed the plan they are usually feeling better and we can progress.
When its me the discomfort stays with me 24 hours a day. Everything seems magnified and its harder to be objective.
Good thing I have a large network of health care professionals. I checked in with AthletiCo for some piece of mind and the plan comes together.
More proof that working with a professional will always speed your progress compared to going it alone and hoping what you try works.
I've got a Masters Degree in Athletic Training, I'm certified by two national certification bodies. I'm a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC), as well as Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and have held both for more than 13 years. Neither of those certifications can be obtained by attending a weekend course or reading a book and mailing in a test. Both exams require a college degree in a related field before you can even register to take the test.
Before qualifying to sit for the ATC exam I had to log 1500 hours of working with athletes along with meeting the classroom requirements. This certification exam has a failure rate of 65%. The CSCS exam also requires a related degree and has a failure rate of 35%.
When you watch sports on TV and a player goes down. The guy who runs onto the field to evaluate their condition and begin the process of getting them back on the field- that's me. Over the years I've helped countless athletes return to competition after injury. My specialty are knees, ankles and shoulders. Not surprisingly those are the areas most often injured during sports.
I spend more time now helping athletes to prepare their bodies in the hope of avoiding some of those injuries. But I still interact with my fair share of injured athletes.
Turns out while I am a good Athletic Trainer I'm a terrible patient. Earlier this week I strained a muscle in my hip. Apparently my brain and my body do not agree on what I'm capable of. If an athlete were to come to me with a hip strain 13+ years of experience would kick into gear and I'd go into ATC mode. After an evaluation to determine the severity of the injury a plan would be formulated to help them get back to 100%. Seems when I'm the patient my brain doesn't contain the same information. I should easily be able to formulate a plan for myself.
When an athlete has an injury its easy for me to be a little impartial. Of course I'm not the one in any sort of discomfort. I outline the plan, help with its implementation. The athlete leaves with instruction of what to do on their own. The next day or a few days later I see them again and the process repeats itself. If they've followed the plan they are usually feeling better and we can progress.
When its me the discomfort stays with me 24 hours a day. Everything seems magnified and its harder to be objective.
Good thing I have a large network of health care professionals. I checked in with AthletiCo for some piece of mind and the plan comes together.
More proof that working with a professional will always speed your progress compared to going it alone and hoping what you try works.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Breaking the Rules
Explosion training breaks most of the "rules" regarding sports conditioning. Here are two examples.
Rule #1- You need to be training 5-6 days a week if you're going to get any better. (Maybe at the college or professional level you can bump it up to 4 days a week.)
We've been proving that one wrong for years. The majority of our athletes train 2 days a week, 90 minutes each time. A total of 3 hours a week.
Athletes are busy, we don't want to spend one additional minute training if it isn't necessary to improve your speed, strength and power.
Rule #2- If you can still walk after the workout it wasn't hard enough.
There is no reason training can't be enjoyable. Not easy, not eyewash- challenging, but satisfying. If training is miserable there is less chance that you will work at it, and stick with it. We strive to have fun while working hard.
Want to see what other rules we're breaking? Come in for a free trial and find out for yourself.
Rule #1- You need to be training 5-6 days a week if you're going to get any better. (Maybe at the college or professional level you can bump it up to 4 days a week.)
We've been proving that one wrong for years. The majority of our athletes train 2 days a week, 90 minutes each time. A total of 3 hours a week.
Athletes are busy, we don't want to spend one additional minute training if it isn't necessary to improve your speed, strength and power.
Rule #2- If you can still walk after the workout it wasn't hard enough.
There is no reason training can't be enjoyable. Not easy, not eyewash- challenging, but satisfying. If training is miserable there is less chance that you will work at it, and stick with it. We strive to have fun while working hard.
Want to see what other rules we're breaking? Come in for a free trial and find out for yourself.
Do You Have the Recipe?
Even if you don't know how to cook making good food isn't impossible. Get a recipe and follow the steps. Follow them closely and the final product will probably taste pretty good. Guess at the amounts or make some substitutions and better have the pizza place on hold.
Without a recipe you're just guessing. If you had enough time and ingredients you may eventually figure out how to make a good cookie, but odds are you would lose interest and have an upset stomach. Much easier to let a professional work out the details. Someone with a track record demonstrating they know how to cook and make good food.
When it comes to conditioning there are a lot of lousy recipes out there. Recipes that fail to include all the ingredients needed to be a better athlete.
Sure you could experiment on your own and see what works. Give your recipe a try for a few weeks, gauge your improvements, then try a different combination to see if that's better. But it might be worse, or the same.
Or you could remove the guessing and simply get to work in a program with a proven track record of getting athletes ready. All the benefits with none of the wondering if its working.
Without a recipe you're just guessing. If you had enough time and ingredients you may eventually figure out how to make a good cookie, but odds are you would lose interest and have an upset stomach. Much easier to let a professional work out the details. Someone with a track record demonstrating they know how to cook and make good food.
When it comes to conditioning there are a lot of lousy recipes out there. Recipes that fail to include all the ingredients needed to be a better athlete.
Sure you could experiment on your own and see what works. Give your recipe a try for a few weeks, gauge your improvements, then try a different combination to see if that's better. But it might be worse, or the same.
Or you could remove the guessing and simply get to work in a program with a proven track record of getting athletes ready. All the benefits with none of the wondering if its working.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Training Smart
Sam has been training in Explosion for almost 2 months. She is a high school freshman looking to improve her basketball abilities. 7 weeks ago if you asked her to do a push-up she would get on the ground, her mid-section and hips would go up in the air, her arms would go out beyond her head and she would bend her elbows slightly and reach her head towards the floor. It was not a push-up, more resembled a yoga pose.
Relying on the principles of "unloading" her muscles, her strength has improved significantly. A few weeks ago I watched her perform 1 perfect push-up. Yesterday she knocked out 6 in a row.
The secret- Improved core strength and stability as well as putting her in a position to succeed. On the path of continuing to perform countless poor pushups its unlikely that the result will be the ability to suddenly blast out some good ones.
At the beginning she wasn't strong enough, so we changed the angle to one where she was strong enough. As she finds success, we progress. Tougher, but still possible. Within a couple weeks shes progressed all the way back to the floor and can while its still not easy, she can do it.
As her Dad stated- "I brought you a yoga stretch, you gave me a pushup"
Relying on the principles of "unloading" her muscles, her strength has improved significantly. A few weeks ago I watched her perform 1 perfect push-up. Yesterday she knocked out 6 in a row.
The secret- Improved core strength and stability as well as putting her in a position to succeed. On the path of continuing to perform countless poor pushups its unlikely that the result will be the ability to suddenly blast out some good ones.
At the beginning she wasn't strong enough, so we changed the angle to one where she was strong enough. As she finds success, we progress. Tougher, but still possible. Within a couple weeks shes progressed all the way back to the floor and can while its still not easy, she can do it.
As her Dad stated- "I brought you a yoga stretch, you gave me a pushup"
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
VHS vs DVR
Explosion Tip of The Week
In 1976 the VHS format was created. Now you could record programs and watch them later.
In 2000 technology improved with the creation of TIVO and the DVR. Now you could record more than one show at a time, get program information and start a show without trying to determine where on the tape it began.
In 2006 more than 55% of households utilize a DVR.
If you have a DVR, imagine still being locked into VHS format. If you don’t have a DVR, you won’t believe what you’re missing.
Parallel that to the Exercise World.
In the 80’s and 90’s bodybuilding reigned supreme. Everyone wanted giant biceps and a big bench press. The thought process was if you had big muscles you probably would make a good athlete.
In 1987 The White Sox pioneered development of a comprehensive conditioning program at all levels. They were the first Major League team to have a conditioning coach with each level from single A to the big leagues. Other clubs would slowly follow suit.
In the early 90’s Michael Jordon begins training with conditioning coach Tim Grover. As he became more dominant each year the concept of conditioning for sports becomes a part of popular culture.
In 2003 the concept of functional training becomes widespread in the athletic world.
In 2010 science is advancing training so quickly that training programs that were beneficial 2 years ago about as cutting edge as a VCR.
If you are still training the same way you did 3 years ago, or 20 years ago then it’s time for a change. DVR your workout, skip past the fluff and get to what matters- the results. Check out Explosion today.
In 1976 the VHS format was created. Now you could record programs and watch them later.
In 2000 technology improved with the creation of TIVO and the DVR. Now you could record more than one show at a time, get program information and start a show without trying to determine where on the tape it began.
In 2006 more than 55% of households utilize a DVR.
If you have a DVR, imagine still being locked into VHS format. If you don’t have a DVR, you won’t believe what you’re missing.
Parallel that to the Exercise World.
In the 80’s and 90’s bodybuilding reigned supreme. Everyone wanted giant biceps and a big bench press. The thought process was if you had big muscles you probably would make a good athlete.
In 1987 The White Sox pioneered development of a comprehensive conditioning program at all levels. They were the first Major League team to have a conditioning coach with each level from single A to the big leagues. Other clubs would slowly follow suit.
In the early 90’s Michael Jordon begins training with conditioning coach Tim Grover. As he became more dominant each year the concept of conditioning for sports becomes a part of popular culture.
In 2003 the concept of functional training becomes widespread in the athletic world.
In 2010 science is advancing training so quickly that training programs that were beneficial 2 years ago about as cutting edge as a VCR.
If you are still training the same way you did 3 years ago, or 20 years ago then it’s time for a change. DVR your workout, skip past the fluff and get to what matters- the results. Check out Explosion today.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Are you 1 Step Closer
What did you do today to get one step closer to your goals?
Are you working towards achieving them, or are you doing the same things you always do?
Reality check. You are not going to achieve your sports goals with one workout, or one week of workouts. 1 week of eating differently is a start to a healthier lifestyle, but on its own won't solve your problems.
Consistency is the key. The long haul is whats important. Did you take action today that will move you a bit closer to your goal?
If you had a back account that doubled you investment each day- you could deposit a penny on day 1 and by day 30 you've got over 5 million dollars. Watching that each day the first few days are not that impressive. On day 18 suddenly the amount jumps from $655.36 to $1,310.72. On day 22 the total is over $20,000.00. 10 days later 5+ million. The chain of events began very small. A single penny, then another penny. As the momentum grows so does the payoff.
The conditioning world is similar. Every day small efforts add up, over time the payoff is HUGE!
The required efforts include making the right choices for training, nutrition and recovery. An occasional bump in the road is not a big deal as long as you quickly get back on track.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that for 1 single day, or that in 1 total week you can make your dreams a reality. You need to make a commitment to the long haul. The time commitment doesn't require that your whole life revolves around training. But it does require that you train smart, make the most of the time you commit and make good decisions. Clock in and get to work.
Are you working towards achieving them, or are you doing the same things you always do?
Reality check. You are not going to achieve your sports goals with one workout, or one week of workouts. 1 week of eating differently is a start to a healthier lifestyle, but on its own won't solve your problems.
Consistency is the key. The long haul is whats important. Did you take action today that will move you a bit closer to your goal?
If you had a back account that doubled you investment each day- you could deposit a penny on day 1 and by day 30 you've got over 5 million dollars. Watching that each day the first few days are not that impressive. On day 18 suddenly the amount jumps from $655.36 to $1,310.72. On day 22 the total is over $20,000.00. 10 days later 5+ million. The chain of events began very small. A single penny, then another penny. As the momentum grows so does the payoff.
The conditioning world is similar. Every day small efforts add up, over time the payoff is HUGE!
The required efforts include making the right choices for training, nutrition and recovery. An occasional bump in the road is not a big deal as long as you quickly get back on track.
Don't fool yourself into thinking that for 1 single day, or that in 1 total week you can make your dreams a reality. You need to make a commitment to the long haul. The time commitment doesn't require that your whole life revolves around training. But it does require that you train smart, make the most of the time you commit and make good decisions. Clock in and get to work.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
