Great article by Max Prokopy...
1997 was a landmark year for young athletes, burgeoning internet gurus, and helicopter parents. As Tiger Woods drained the final putt of a record-setting performance at the Masters, millions of parents, coaches, and educators watched in awe. Tiger's first TV golf appearance was at age 2(!). By age 21 he was the most formidable force in the sporting world. Either conscious or sub-conscious, these well-documented facts galvanized the early specialization movement. Best-selling books such as Outliers, The Talent Code, and Bounce are wonderful accounts of the grueling ascent to expertise. However, they might create as much trouble as inspiration. The message received by parents and coaches often places early specialization into one sport above the value of diverse movement. More importantly, it's held high above "play." While there may be more Tigers-in-progress than ever before, we've also seen a rapid rise in youth sport overuse injuries. Click here for the rest....
Showing posts with label Adrenaline Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adrenaline Sports. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Top 12 Thoughts on Strength Training for Kids (part 1)
I was recently watching a group of kids struggling the other day and was trying to figure out why. Was the drill too tough? Were they too tired? Did I not coach it correctly? As I left that night, I came to the conclusion that there could have been any number of reasons, but the fact that they were all physically not as strong as they should be stuck out more than anything else.
In looking at our program design layout, you will notice that we always perform strength and power training after our movement skills. Effective and efficient movement of the body is priority number one. However, I am convinced that movement patterns, especially speed, will only be reinforced and improved through gaining strength. So, I am going to modify our training protocols to include more strength than we have before.
Here are some thoughts as to why strength training is so good for young kids:
1) Before the onset of puberty and during puberty, the Central Nervous System can be thought of as moldable, or plastic. It is still capable of being introduced to a stimulus, adapting and starting the process of changing relatively quickly. Older athletes and adults are capable of this also but not at the level of young children. These tools will form the foundation for which further changes can occur.
2) We can move a kid as we strengthen them. Typically, strength training is limited to the space of the equipment in use, but in our world of bands, sleds, climbing, crawling, etc, the movement patterns and the strength patterns happen simultaneously. An example would be a walking sled press instead of a bench press, or a sled march instead of a squat. That doesn't mean we will not use those exercises, but there are options beside the traditional means.
3) While it is a cliche, balance of the body is important for performance and injury prevention. Generally, balance will involve front/back, side/side and top/bottom; it will not always mean an equal ratio, however. For instance, our baseball players will always perform 2 to 3 posterior upper body movements for every anterior movement. Runners may perform more hip extension than hip flexion. Jiu Jitsu players and wrestlers may do core work on their backs more often than a football player. Once the body is looked at Generally, it can be broken down Specifically and Competitively based on the demands and needs of the sport.
4) Strength, more than any other motor skill, seems to have the greatest transfer to improvements in all other motor skills. As strength improves, acceleration, deceleration, jump height, jump distance, and speed typically improve. Couple that with proper teaching of the mechanics of movement, and the athlete is poised to be a dangerous weapon.
5) Similar to #4, as strength improves, force production and force absorption also improve. Sports, in the big picture, rely on producing and absorbing forces, either into the ground, an object, or a person. Take running for example: As an athlete accelerates, he/she must be able to apply enough force into the ground to create the desired speed over a desired distance. If they are not strong (enough), they will not get to where the want to go as fast as they should (this is a very simple overview). Conversely, if they need to decelerate and change direction, they must be able to control their bodyweight, absorb any forces needed and slow down momentum, and possibly re-accelerate.
6) Many times strength is measured by how much an athlete lifts in the weight room, and rightly so. If Athlete A squats 400 and Athlete B squats 300, Athlete A is stronger...or is he? In powerlifting, that is true. Weight room strength is a tool that must be able to transfer into sport. Much has been debated about how weightlifters and powerlifters can hang with sprinters for the first10-20 yards of a race based on their strength levels, but don't win the race. That is for another time, but strength for strength's sake is only as good as the degree of transfer. Athletes should see a positive correlation between improved strength and improved performance. Also of importance is the concept of relative strength. There are a few interpretations of relative strength:
* Strength relative to bodyweight;
* Strength relative to their maximum or absolute strength (expressed as %1RM);
* Strength relative to the forces found within a given sport (ground reaction forces, for example).
Athletes obviously need both relative strength and absolute strength to be successful.
In looking at our program design layout, you will notice that we always perform strength and power training after our movement skills. Effective and efficient movement of the body is priority number one. However, I am convinced that movement patterns, especially speed, will only be reinforced and improved through gaining strength. So, I am going to modify our training protocols to include more strength than we have before.
Here are some thoughts as to why strength training is so good for young kids:
1) Before the onset of puberty and during puberty, the Central Nervous System can be thought of as moldable, or plastic. It is still capable of being introduced to a stimulus, adapting and starting the process of changing relatively quickly. Older athletes and adults are capable of this also but not at the level of young children. These tools will form the foundation for which further changes can occur.
2) We can move a kid as we strengthen them. Typically, strength training is limited to the space of the equipment in use, but in our world of bands, sleds, climbing, crawling, etc, the movement patterns and the strength patterns happen simultaneously. An example would be a walking sled press instead of a bench press, or a sled march instead of a squat. That doesn't mean we will not use those exercises, but there are options beside the traditional means.
3) While it is a cliche, balance of the body is important for performance and injury prevention. Generally, balance will involve front/back, side/side and top/bottom; it will not always mean an equal ratio, however. For instance, our baseball players will always perform 2 to 3 posterior upper body movements for every anterior movement. Runners may perform more hip extension than hip flexion. Jiu Jitsu players and wrestlers may do core work on their backs more often than a football player. Once the body is looked at Generally, it can be broken down Specifically and Competitively based on the demands and needs of the sport.
4) Strength, more than any other motor skill, seems to have the greatest transfer to improvements in all other motor skills. As strength improves, acceleration, deceleration, jump height, jump distance, and speed typically improve. Couple that with proper teaching of the mechanics of movement, and the athlete is poised to be a dangerous weapon.
5) Similar to #4, as strength improves, force production and force absorption also improve. Sports, in the big picture, rely on producing and absorbing forces, either into the ground, an object, or a person. Take running for example: As an athlete accelerates, he/she must be able to apply enough force into the ground to create the desired speed over a desired distance. If they are not strong (enough), they will not get to where the want to go as fast as they should (this is a very simple overview). Conversely, if they need to decelerate and change direction, they must be able to control their bodyweight, absorb any forces needed and slow down momentum, and possibly re-accelerate.
6) Many times strength is measured by how much an athlete lifts in the weight room, and rightly so. If Athlete A squats 400 and Athlete B squats 300, Athlete A is stronger...or is he? In powerlifting, that is true. Weight room strength is a tool that must be able to transfer into sport. Much has been debated about how weightlifters and powerlifters can hang with sprinters for the first10-20 yards of a race based on their strength levels, but don't win the race. That is for another time, but strength for strength's sake is only as good as the degree of transfer. Athletes should see a positive correlation between improved strength and improved performance. Also of importance is the concept of relative strength. There are a few interpretations of relative strength:
* Strength relative to bodyweight;
* Strength relative to their maximum or absolute strength (expressed as %1RM);
* Strength relative to the forces found within a given sport (ground reaction forces, for example).
Athletes obviously need both relative strength and absolute strength to be successful.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
interview with Dawn Weatherwax - part 1 (audio only)
Owner of Sports Nutrition 2 Go, Dawn Weatherwax, discusses how she got into sports nutrition, some case studies of athletes utilizing her services, supplements and more.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
thoughts on strength - part 2
My last post (thoughts on strength - part 1) received a lot of good reviews, so here is part 2.
Before I go into detail on my opinion of strength training for youth, there are a few more highlights to share that will help strengthen my point (pardon the pun). As I mentioned, I started lifting weights when I was 13 or 14, I can't remember exactly. It never stunted my growth, I never broke a growth plate, I never was injured playing sports and I never committed random acts of violence because of my new-found passion. Had to get that out of the way to squash some myths :)
As I entered high school athletics, I realized that, while I was strong and fast, I was smaller than just about everybody else on the field, diamond, court and mat. So, just to compete, I had to attack the weight room with even more fervor and intensity. I remember the first time I could bench press 100 pounds...what a feeling! But, that only made me want to do more. Fast forward to my senior year: I was now a powerlifter in the 125 pound weight class with personal best's of 235 in the bench, 315 in the deadlift and 300 in the squat. Keep in mind I was 125 pounds soaking wet.
I was gaining strength weekly, it seemed. I gradually weaned myself from my love of playing sports to only concentrating on my lifting. In my senior year, I was hospitalized for a month for various ailments, but still managed to lift. I would lie under my bed and do push ups with the bed frame, put two chairs side by side and do dips. I would load up my book bag and squat and deadlift with it. Yes, I was a little nuts. When you find your desire, no one can take that away from you. As I entered college, my powerlifting transferred into bodybuilding. My body finally hit puberty around 18 and I was adding muscle by the week. I entered my first of 17 bodybuilding shows and the rest is history...
When I look back at the tools that were forged via lifting weights, the one constant that never stopped growing was my self-confidence. I was a classic under-achieving student and a pretty good athlete, but was also aware that I never quite fit in with everyone else. High school can break a young kid if he/she let's it. The ironic thing is that while I was using weights for my own selfish gains, I also became more popular. It was purely unintentional, but it happened. Strength and muscle have always had a cartoonish or cult like-quality to those that admire the athletes that partake in it. Weights then had a two-fold purpose: the obvious one of strength gains but also gaining acceptance among my peers. It felt phony but I didn't care.
The reason I bring this up is to show the wide ranging effects that strength training can have on a growing boy or girl. In short, strength training can:
* Improve self-esteem, self-confidence and body image perceptions;
* Decrease injuries by making connective tissue, joint structures and muscles more resilient to potential trauma;
* Improve ALL indices of sport and athletic skill development. This is the biggie. If you want to:
Jump higher....run faster....stop quicker....tackle harder....kick further....swing faster, etc. then strength is the one component that will help every other component of athleticism.
Every sport relies on one major aspect: the production and application of FORCE. From hitting to kicking to swimming to throwing to jumping to running and everything in between, the constant is the application of force to an object, whether it be a ball, a person, water, or the ground. In order for force to improve, strength must improve.
If you think your son or daughter is too young to strength train, think again. They will be exposed to more dangerous conditions while playing sports then through lifting weights. Gymnastics? Strength training! Football? Strength training! Baseball, soccer, jungle gyms, swing sets, recess, phys. ed., running, cutting....all involve the application of force, thus are forms of strength training! The negative perception of strength training stems from junk science from several years ago outlining the dangers of strength training for young kids. This has since been updated to reflect new research. All forms of activity come with risks, but lifting weights, under supervision, has one of the safest track records relative to sports such as soccer, football and gymnastics, among others.
Notice that I am not using weight training in the same context as strength training. They are not necessarily synonymous. The strength training that I advocate for youth consists of medicine balls, bands, ropes, tires, sleds and, of course, bodyweight. There is room for light dumbell and kettlebell work as well. To be blunt, kids are weak (it hurts me to watch kids struggle with their own bodyweight as resistance). I have several theories why that is, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how they got that way; the question then becomes, "What are we going to do about it!?"
I hope that you enjoyed this and maybe even learned something. Strength is an unbelievably powerful tool that can transcend the weight room, playground or athletic world. Get strong. Stay strong.
Before I go into detail on my opinion of strength training for youth, there are a few more highlights to share that will help strengthen my point (pardon the pun). As I mentioned, I started lifting weights when I was 13 or 14, I can't remember exactly. It never stunted my growth, I never broke a growth plate, I never was injured playing sports and I never committed random acts of violence because of my new-found passion. Had to get that out of the way to squash some myths :)
As I entered high school athletics, I realized that, while I was strong and fast, I was smaller than just about everybody else on the field, diamond, court and mat. So, just to compete, I had to attack the weight room with even more fervor and intensity. I remember the first time I could bench press 100 pounds...what a feeling! But, that only made me want to do more. Fast forward to my senior year: I was now a powerlifter in the 125 pound weight class with personal best's of 235 in the bench, 315 in the deadlift and 300 in the squat. Keep in mind I was 125 pounds soaking wet.
I was gaining strength weekly, it seemed. I gradually weaned myself from my love of playing sports to only concentrating on my lifting. In my senior year, I was hospitalized for a month for various ailments, but still managed to lift. I would lie under my bed and do push ups with the bed frame, put two chairs side by side and do dips. I would load up my book bag and squat and deadlift with it. Yes, I was a little nuts. When you find your desire, no one can take that away from you. As I entered college, my powerlifting transferred into bodybuilding. My body finally hit puberty around 18 and I was adding muscle by the week. I entered my first of 17 bodybuilding shows and the rest is history...
When I look back at the tools that were forged via lifting weights, the one constant that never stopped growing was my self-confidence. I was a classic under-achieving student and a pretty good athlete, but was also aware that I never quite fit in with everyone else. High school can break a young kid if he/she let's it. The ironic thing is that while I was using weights for my own selfish gains, I also became more popular. It was purely unintentional, but it happened. Strength and muscle have always had a cartoonish or cult like-quality to those that admire the athletes that partake in it. Weights then had a two-fold purpose: the obvious one of strength gains but also gaining acceptance among my peers. It felt phony but I didn't care.
The reason I bring this up is to show the wide ranging effects that strength training can have on a growing boy or girl. In short, strength training can:
* Improve self-esteem, self-confidence and body image perceptions;
* Decrease injuries by making connective tissue, joint structures and muscles more resilient to potential trauma;
* Improve ALL indices of sport and athletic skill development. This is the biggie. If you want to:
Jump higher....run faster....stop quicker....tackle harder....kick further....swing faster, etc. then strength is the one component that will help every other component of athleticism.
Every sport relies on one major aspect: the production and application of FORCE. From hitting to kicking to swimming to throwing to jumping to running and everything in between, the constant is the application of force to an object, whether it be a ball, a person, water, or the ground. In order for force to improve, strength must improve.
If you think your son or daughter is too young to strength train, think again. They will be exposed to more dangerous conditions while playing sports then through lifting weights. Gymnastics? Strength training! Football? Strength training! Baseball, soccer, jungle gyms, swing sets, recess, phys. ed., running, cutting....all involve the application of force, thus are forms of strength training! The negative perception of strength training stems from junk science from several years ago outlining the dangers of strength training for young kids. This has since been updated to reflect new research. All forms of activity come with risks, but lifting weights, under supervision, has one of the safest track records relative to sports such as soccer, football and gymnastics, among others.
Notice that I am not using weight training in the same context as strength training. They are not necessarily synonymous. The strength training that I advocate for youth consists of medicine balls, bands, ropes, tires, sleds and, of course, bodyweight. There is room for light dumbell and kettlebell work as well. To be blunt, kids are weak (it hurts me to watch kids struggle with their own bodyweight as resistance). I have several theories why that is, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter how they got that way; the question then becomes, "What are we going to do about it!?"
I hope that you enjoyed this and maybe even learned something. Strength is an unbelievably powerful tool that can transcend the weight room, playground or athletic world. Get strong. Stay strong.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Workout - June 29, 2008
Had the pleasure to train with one of the baddest mo-fo's around~Jim Kelly, who trains many of the Iraqi troops on combative techniques and co-owner of the Cincinnati Jiu Jitsu Academy. Here we go...
1. Hose Arm Bars [feet can't touch] - 5x + DB Single Arm Snatch - 5x/arm
2. Weighted Vest Sit outs - 20x + KB/Vest Front Squats [1.5 pood per arm] - 10x
3. Prowler Push - 70 yards + Backward Sled Drag - 70 yards
4. Barbell Bus Drivers - 10x + 45# rubber plate halos - 10x
5. Barbell Roll out - 10x + Stability Ball ABC Hip Thrusts [like a suplex] - 15x
6. Kneeling Tire Flip - 5x + Barbell/Band Single Arm Clean/Jerk - 5x/arm
Finished with some stairs and track work.
1. Hose Arm Bars [feet can't touch] - 5x + DB Single Arm Snatch - 5x/arm
2. Weighted Vest Sit outs - 20x + KB/Vest Front Squats [1.5 pood per arm] - 10x
3. Prowler Push - 70 yards + Backward Sled Drag - 70 yards
4. Barbell Bus Drivers - 10x + 45# rubber plate halos - 10x
5. Barbell Roll out - 10x + Stability Ball ABC Hip Thrusts [like a suplex] - 15x
6. Kneeling Tire Flip - 5x + Barbell/Band Single Arm Clean/Jerk - 5x/arm
Finished with some stairs and track work.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Workout - June 22, 2008
As usual, 6 stations x 5 minutes per station:
- Elbow plate crawl - 10 yards + Guard position alternating band row - 20x
- MB Single arm Push up hold - 5x/side + Band full Turkish get up - 5x/side
- BOSU Circles - 5x/direction + Chains/KB Backward Drag - 35 yards
- KB/Vest Front Squat - 1ox + KB/Vest Lunge Walk - 35 yards
- Alternating Hose Waves - 20x + KB Arm Bar - 5x/side
- DB Kneeling Tuck Jump - 5x + KB Chopper - 10x/side
Monday, May 12, 2008
Workout--May 10, 2008
Each of the following stations was done for 5 minutes....
Here is a video for that day...
- Hose Arm Bars--10x + Dragon Pushups--20x
- Stability Ball Skiers--20x + KB Turkish Get Up--5x/side
- KB Single Arm Band Swings--5x/side + Barbell Snatch--10x
- Med Ball Rotational Throws--10x/side + Prowler Push--70 yds
- Burpee Box Jump--5x + Lunge Jumps--20x
- Tire Sledge Hits--5x + Alternating hand tire touches--20x/hand
Here is a video for that day...
Monday, May 5, 2008
Workout--May 4,2008
Each pair of exercises lasts 5 minutes:
I have had a few people ask what the hell these exercises are, so I will be adding video footage in the coming posts....
BTW, this class is full; we are no longer accepting applications.
- Dragon Walk + 3 Dragon Push Ups every 10 yds
- Perpendicular kneeling MB rotational passes--10x/side + 300 yard shuttle
- Hose Fallout--5x + Chain Raise--10x
- Tire Clean/Overhead slam--10x + Band Push/Pull
- Sled Walk + KB Snatch every 10 yards
- Double KB Swing--5x + Double KB Front Squat--10x
I have had a few people ask what the hell these exercises are, so I will be adding video footage in the coming posts....
BTW, this class is full; we are no longer accepting applications.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Workout--April 27, 2008
Each grouping of two exercises was performed for 5 minutes, with 30 seconds between.
- Weighted [40#] Box Jump--5x + Weighted Lunge Walk--40 yds
- Tire Flip--5x + Sledgehammer Hits--5x
- Body Prop Walk--10 yds/direction + Prowler Push--70 yds
- Box Hose Push up--10x + Box Hose Rows--10x
- MB OH 300 yard shuttle + MB Shoulder Snaps--10x/side
- Sled Chest Press--40 yds + Sled Row--40 yds [both on rubber floor]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
502# Trap Bar Deadlift
Big Phe [6'6, 315] crushing the Trap bar for 3 solid reps with 502 pounds. Andrew will be playing in the Big 33 Classic next month, and then onto Miami University...
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Lakota lacrosse YouTube videos
Latest videos on YouTube are from the preseason conditioning training for the Lakota boys and girls lacrosse teams. You can access the boys team video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2IUyhbeupc
The girls video is not as long because I did not have as much time to shoot their training...sorry ladies!
Their video is here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dKsCqlsv5c
The girls video is not as long because I did not have as much time to shoot their training...sorry ladies!
Their video is here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dKsCqlsv5c
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Workout--February 3, 2008
3 rounds of the following in under 30 minutes:
I felt my eggs come up a few times, but quickly swallowed them back down!!
- [10] DB burpees + [10] DB reactive box jumps
- [5] sledgehammer tire slams + [5] tire flips....320# tire
- [35 yards] 90# prowler push w/ 45# sled belt runs
- [5/arm] KB clean/jerk + [5/arm] KB snatch
- [5] band bulldogs + 70 yard sprints
- [5] KB speed swings + [5/arm] KB pulls
I felt my eggs come up a few times, but quickly swallowed them back down!!
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Welcome (1/17/08)
Welcome to the first Adrenaline Sports & Fitness blog...
- I am excited that we finally received two 24 kg [1.5 pood] kettlebells to torture our athletes and adults! I used them a little last night and almost took them to sleep with me because I loved them so much. Yes, I have issues.
- ASF will be running a baseball/softball strength and conditioning camp for 8-12 year olds starting in February. Please call Nigel at 779-1234 for more info.
- Finally, don't forget that we offer training for adults too. Boot Camps are every night at 6:30 pm and personal training runs all day and night. We will get the fastest results possible and have the most fun possible. Some parents even train the same time their kids train! Ask Tony how to get a free session of Boot Camp or Personal Training.
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