Random Thoughts

1. When treating ankle sprains most people resort to the RICE treatment, which means Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. I am not completely against this, as I will ice the ankle for the first two days to reduce the swelling. After that I will start actively rehabing the ankle and try to get as much movement out of it as possible. I like to go a little more agressive than ankle alphabets, and use Jump Stretch bands to actively stretch and strengthen the ankle. You try to get as much range of motion as possible without pain (uncomfortable is acceptable). This is also a great movement to strengthen the ankles before they get sprained (which is the better solution). The reason behind this is that this way we promote pumping the blood into the ankle which in return elicits faster recovery. This is not just some theory as I have had great success with this method. I have to thank the original “band man” Dick Hartzell for this great information. I guess this one isn’t so random since I have to apply it as I have sprained my ankle (eversion sprain at that - more uncommon)v two days ago which SUCKS.

Don’t let the age fool you, Dick’s the real deal…..

2. Baseball pitchers should do less, and with less I mean almost no distance running. I haven’t done any long distance running with my pitchers in years. First off I would ask which component of pitching involves long distance running? I don’t want to hear the whole “baseline of conditioning” argument either. Some of the reasons why you should start eliminating long distance running if you are a pitcher: negative effects of stretch shortening cycle, reduces strength and power production, decreases mobility, concerns with immunity and endocrine systems. Honetsly you should read more about this from the genius himself Eric Cressey here and here.

3. Stretching the lumbar spine (a.k.a. low back) is not necessarily a good thing. Most people I hear complain about low back pain always tell me that they stretchthe low back to relieve the pain. Even though the strecthing may feel good at that moment doesn’t mean it is good overall. It is kind of like a rash, when you scratch it, it feels good but after you get the infection and immflamation - not so good. A big reason people have back probelms in the first place is because they flex and extend at the lumbar spine which is intended to be stable. A better idea is to improve hip mobility/flexibility, stabilize the lumbar spine and activate the glutes (also know as your butt). So next time you want to stretch your back, rather do some hip flexor stretches, planks and glute bridges.

Hmmmmmm……

4. I love pushups and they are a great movement for people with shoulder issues (if done right). Push ups are a closed chain movement and the scapula is free to move, unlike the bench press. You can load push ups with weighted vests and also plates (more advanced) to get work done in different rep ranges. Many athletes I see in the gym are struggling to bench a bar with jaffa cakes on each side and they don’t work on their push ups. You should be able to do 40 crisp push ups before you ever pick up a weight.

5. Im excited about the trip to New York and Connecticut in a couple of weeks. I will be attending a fitness seminar with some of the top people in the business concerning fitness business and training. Not only is more than worthwhile when it comes to the knowledge gained but the networking is incredible. I will be able to interrogate some of my mentors and believe me I will take notes for days. What’s just as exciting is that I will see my brother who will meet me in New York and join me for the seminar. Haven’t seen him in a while so this will call for some catching up and good times in general.

6. On a similar note I hopefully will be able to meet up with some of my friends and fellow players from when I played in upstate New York. I will again revive my Brooklyn accent and start every sentence with “whats good?” If that’s not exciting then please tell me what is……

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Training Update

                             

General Specific Warm Ups - this will get you ready for the rest of the training session

As many may know that I use the conjugate periodization model a lot, mostly because it has produced superior results to other programs most of the time. The reality is that there is many methods that work if you apply them right. I tend to use different methods and training models when I feel they are going to be the most productive at that point in time. I also believe that the most effective program is the one that you are not on. That is why I love the conuugate model, because you can change the variables and continually progress. 

Well, I decided that I needed a change and put together a 8 week program based on the two steps forward, one step back model. There are two 4 week blocks where the intensities go from moderate in week 1, a 10% increase in week 2, a 5% deload in week 3 and finally another 10% increase in week 4. The second cycle will be started at a 10% higher intensity than the previos one. Eachof the series of four week blocks prepares the trainee for the next. The programs main focus in these 8 weeks is improving strength and power.

Before we start we have a thororugh warm up that includes foam roll (or lacrosse ball), dynamic mobility, activation, general specific exercises (the sandbag tosses in the video…..the sandbag is around 40 lbs and we catch and throw in different positions. The two athletes I’m training are in wrestling and football). We have just finished the second week of the first block and here is the last training session (for power we are using Olympic Liftsa an their variations and I will be discussing them in a later post):

Power Snatch      warm up to   5 sets  x   2 reps          (155 lbs)

Snatch Pull         5 sets   x   5   reps         (235 lbs)

Standing Military Press           5 sets   x  5 reps   (150 lbs)

Barbell Back Box Squat           5  sets  x  5 reps    (295 lbs)

Neutral DB Bench Press (slow eccentric)       3 sets  x  10 reps   (105 lbs)

Pull Ups w/ Weight Vest  (25 lbs)    3  sets x  failure

This training sesssion we finished with 3 rouns of thick rope climbing (10 feet with no legs x 2 without stopping) and single leg RDL holding a kettlebell in one hand (72 lbs x 10 reps/each leg).

So far the training has been going well and it has been a welocme switch from the conjugate training. The Olympic Lifts have the most potential to improve as they are very technical but they have already showed improvements in power production which is what was lacking with some of the guys.

I will keep you posted on the progress………….

X-Band Walks

X-Band Walks (overhead variation) -part of the warm up

Something that is completely off topic……one of my athletes puts bread into his protein smoothies?! I was wondering if anyone else has tried it? Also, let me know if you need the recipe…..

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How To Improve Athletic Performance?

Improving athletic performance is in high demand and athletes continualy ask how to better their strength, speed, vertical leap, agility, etc… The question that needs to be asked first is: "Where is your leak"? What I mean by that is that everyone has inefficiencies and weaknesses (leaks) that stop them from taking their perfromance to the next level. Without figuring out what they are, we are just guessing and possibly spinning circles in our training.

Before I continue, I would like to point out that many athletes and coaches take the conditioning route when it comes to improving performance - this is a short term solution. This route will improve performance short term but will in no way yield long term results, as it can also flare up some underlying problems that already exist. Taking this route is like putting a bucket to catch the water from the leak (a quick fix). The bucket of water will get full and overflow and then we are in real trouble……

We have to find the cause of the leak (the hole in the roof) and fix it. Taking steps in this manner will give us short term results and most importantly long term success. The type of training that addresses these underlying problems and the one we should be focused on is neuromuscular training. Now, let’s look at what could be causing the "leaks". Here are the major shortcomings that could be holding you back from taking your perfromance to the next level. Find your leak (or leaks in most cases) and find the right guidance and training that will fix them:

 

Definitely a form of maximal strength training....

You guessed it, it’s maximal strength training…..

Poor maximal strength and relative strength (it is in first place because I have yet to train an athlete that was too strong and the majority are actually weak)

- Injuries that require rest and rehab (high volume conditioning training will only reinforce bad mechanics and poor technique which will lead to compensation patterns - this is only good if you are looking to get injured)

- Carrying too much body fat (I think this one needs no explanation, but the sad fact is that I see athletes that are overweight all the time because they eat like crap and think they can just go hard in practice and stay in great shape)

- Poor strength - speed and/or speed - strength

- Lack of explosive strength (this would also be considered rate of force development - how fast you can apply the force into the ground)

- Lack of reactive ability (you may be strong but lack reactivity so you cannot keep up with your opponents on the field/court)

- Lack of mobility and dynamic flexibility (thjs is one of the most underrated issues! Athletes need dynamic mobility and almost never focus on it)

- Structural imbalances

- Technical flaws

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Training reactivity or tripping over the mat?

Hopefully this list will open your eyes and make you look at yourself and think about the underlying issues that are holding you back. Also, this list should have you realize that playing one’s specific sport year round doesn’t improve the general qualities that are key in athletic performance. Spend the off-season and work on these issues and then see where it takes your perfromance! 

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