Want to jump higher?

I'm going to dare to say that vertical jumping is one of the most desired athletic attributes in all of sports, (except perhaps in Curling and Table Tennis). It's one of the key indicators for how "athletic" someone in a given sport is, as well as certainly one of the most measured attributes by coaches. It gives us a good idea of an athletes general lower body power and strength.  However I feel that many people try and get too "cute or fancy" with trying to train athletes to jump higher.

Check out Shawn Myszka from Explosive Edge Athletics, in Edina, MN, and his series of videos on improving the vertical jump. Shawn did a great presentation at the NSCA National Conference last July on Eccentric Training. I had a chance to speak with him after his presentation and he's incredibly knowledgeable about training and the proper mechanics of getting athletes to be more explosive. Also this guy is jacked! Which tells me as a fellow coach and professional that he practices what he preaches, and I love that about great coaches that they are in the trenches coaching as well as being positive role models for their athletes.

Shawn says right off in his intro video that people are trying to be too "gimmicky" (is that a word?) with special shoes, etc., while really getting better at jumping comes down to a few key things; Technique and Coordination, and then REPETITION! He makes another good point that science shows us the best lines of force and that many times athletes are jumping with too wide or narrow a stance which in turn messes up the foot position and joint angles necessary for optimal jumping. And of course when he's talking about Repetition that means good reps friends, remember our 10,000 hours principle? The athletes who are the best in the world at something may not necessarily be the strongest, fittest, or most athletic (however that helps) but they've had the opportunity to put in more REPS. Shawn gets into a lot more detail about jumping in his ,
video series on his YouTube page here.

Back to work and fired up!

Sorry for my lack of updating the blog while I was away with my swimming teams for training trip.  It feels like I've been gone for months instead of days so I'd say that means it was a great trip and I really got a chance to "recharge" the battery.  I've been thinking a lot about goals recently since my time spent with Martin Rooney from the world famous Parisi Speed School in Fair Lawn, NJ.  One of the main points that Martin made was that your goals need to be focused and clear and even more importantly that you need to have the goals written down.  We even went so far as to create Physical, Educational, and Financial goals for 2011.  You don't have to use those categories but they certainly seem like good ones that everyone can relate to.

Now when you ask most people if they have goals many times they'll answer yes, but when you probe deeper they really have no idea what their actual goal is.  For example most everyone seems to answer that a goal is "to lose weight", OK- well how much weight exactly?  And over what period of time?  See if we don't make our goals Specific, Measurable, Realistic, and Time Bound then we're setting ourselves up to fail.  As the saying goes "failing to plan is planning to fail", without written goals you're doing just that. It also helps if you post your goals somewhere that yourself or others will see them, this is just more quality assurance that you're conscious on a daily basis of what your trying to achieve.  I've even gone so far recently as to keep a "mini copy" of my goals for 2011 on me at all times!

And since I'm talking about keeping your goals where you can see them and be held accountable I'm going to post my Physical & Educational goals right here on my blog so that you all can see them as well.  I'll refer back them frequently and cross them off as I accomplish them.

GOALS FOR 2011
Physical
1) attain less than 10% body fat
2) work on mobility & flexibility 10 mins per day
3) do 100 push ups 3x week
4) compete in an Olympic Weightlifting contest
5) go snowboarding 10 times

Educational
1) write or contribute to a strength training book/manual
2) write an article for NSCA's PTJ or TSAC journals
3) read a non training related book every 3 months
4) read a training related book every 3 months
5) contribute more to the NSCA

Me and my new friends from the Parisi Mentorship visiting Ground Zero in NYC. 

Expect big things from this group in 2011!

I'm outta here for a few days....

I'm not sure how much I will be posting over the next 2 weeks.  I'm headed to St. Croix and Puerto Rico with the Dartmouth Men's & Women's swimming teams for their annual winter training trip.  It's going to be a lot of training as they'll be in the pool 2x day and we'll be lifting every other day.  But I'm sure we'll find some beach time in there somewhere...

 

Saint Croix is an island in the Caribbean Sea, and a county and constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands (USVI), an unincorporated territory of the United States. It is the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands, being 28 by 7 miles (45 by 11 km). 

Incredible Push up variations;

I just spent 3 1/2 days with Martin Rooney from the Parisi Speed School in NJ. Martin is the most motivating and inspirational person I have ever met in my life. He took me and a bunch of other guys from all over the US and Canada though a ton of these Push Up variations. They were brutal!!

Best part of the whole thing was that inbetween each set of push ups we were writing down goals for 2011! Talk about stimulating your brain and body at the same time, wow. Give some of these a try and let me know what you think.

A sign that the Apocalypse is upon us...

Does anyone remember this section in Sports Illustrated back in the day?  They may even still have this column in the magazine but I (sadly) haven't read SI in a long long time (apologies to longtime SI writer and my friend Alex Wolff).  It was always a funny yet sad column and I figured I include it from time to time here in my blog.  Now I truly mean this to be a bit of joke and keep things light but the sad reality is that this stuff is real!  This makes me want to go do a triathlon and I didn't even eat it!
If you want to see even more stuff to avoid check this out.  This is why your fat .  Might make you take it a bit easier on Thanksgiving even...  ; )

Pulled Pork Donut Sandwich

(uh oh I feel my breakfast coming up...)

Big Green Swimmers sweep Brown.

The Dartmouth men's swimming and diving team competed against Brown on Saturday at Providence College. The meet came down to the final race, the 400 freestyle relay, and the Big Green took first and third to win the meet, 151-149.

Freshman Nejc Zupan (Kamnik, Slovenia) continues to dominate in the distance events as he won the 800 and 400 meter events and also had success in the individual medley, winning that event as well. Junior Michael Ahern (Old Westbury, N.Y.) beat Brown rival, Ryan Kikutchi, in the 100 backstroke.

The Dartmouth women's swimming and diving team edged Brown on Saturday, 156-144, at Providence. The Big Green again used the strength of their freshmen class to earn the victory. The team had strong finishes in the distance events, with freshman Christine Kerr (Gainesville, Fla.) winning both the 800 and 400 meter freestyles. In the 800-meter free freshman Kirstin Hocheder (Tucson, Ariz.) finished second, and freshman Erin Henn (Lawrenceville, N.J.) finished third. Freshman Kendall Farnham (Severna Park, Md.) won both the 100 and 200 butterfly events as well as finished second in the 200 individual medley.


These athletes have been killing it in the weight room (and the pool) since October and it was really great for me to see them have success and they can see how all the hard work pays off.   I expect a lot more good things to come this season from these teams.

Dartmouth Swimming ranks top 25 in Mid Majors poll.

I'm looking for a big year for the Big Green swimmers and this is the first step in the right direction.  Coming off a great win over Cornell by the womens team (including some pool records!) both the men and women are back in the pool this Saturday against Brown.

Poll link

I'm as pumped as Mike !

NSCA’s All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete(s) of the Year program

I'm going to assume that the following information will be news to most of you, given that I've just found out about it, and I've been a member of the NSCA since 2003!  If you're a current NSCA member you should really be taking advantage of this benefit and recognizing your athletes.

The NSCA’s All-American Strength and Conditioning Athlete(s) of the Year program recognizes high school and collegiate athletes whose athletic accomplishments reflect their dedication to strength training and conditioning.  If you are a current NSCA member and work as a strength & conditioning or team coach at the high school or collegiate level, you may nominate one male and/or one female candidate for this prestigious award. 

 
Take advantage of this great NSCA membership benefit to reward your athletes with recognition for their hard work and dedication off the court/field as well as on it.  Nominations are currently being accepted through December 15, 2010 for the 2011 NSCA All-American Strength and Conditioning Athletes of the Year.

 
If you're an NSCA member all you need to do is follow this link to nominate your athletes.  If you're not an NSCA member, then join today and start taking advantage of some of these great benefits.  Nominate your athletes here.

How to Bench Press, Get a Big Chest, Add Muscle All Without Wrecking You...

I just spent yesterday doing a clinic with James "Smitty" Smith here in NH and it was great to finally meet him (after all I've been taking ideas from him for a long time!). I wanted to put up this video of his to share with everyone. It's funny how so many people take for granted that certain strength training exercises are "simple". I bet many of you have never though much about how to bench press but watch this video because it has some key points that you should be including (if you aren't already).

Athletes Spotlight

I wanted to put the spot light on some more of my athletes - Dartmouth Rugby just finished up the 2010 Fall season with a 7-0 Ivy League record.  I've been working with some of these athletes now for 3 years so it's really great to see them grow into great rugby players (as well as becoming better athletes overall).  We've just started our intensive winter training program which will take them up until they go home for winter break.  This period of our training is possibly the most important time of the year in terms of athlete development and "pre habilitation", especially considering there's approximately 120 days until the Division I national championship tournament.

The following link has various rankings and scoring info from the Ivy League and Dartmouth Rugby is featured prominently.  Ivy League Season Wrap Up
Check out the total points scored by team for a devastating Dartmouth Rugby statistic.

Check out this FREE video

I can't take full credit for this post, I got the idea from one of my "blog mentors" - Jason Ross from Train Out Pain.  You can check out his blog on the links along the right side of my page here.  He's been very helpful to me as I began this blog and been a really great resource for my continuation of learning.  Jason posted this a link to this video from Mike Roberston, which I just finished watching it and it's awesome!  Mike Roberson has a number of great products like Magnificent Mobility that he's come out with as well as being one of the most highly sought after presenters in the country.  This video is from a performance seminar that Mike holds every year in Indianapolis, and I remember wishing that I could have gone when it was advertised!

Mike put this video of his entire presentation on Single Leg Training and it's about 45 minutes long, and worth every minute.  I encourage you to watch the whole presentation before he takes it down.

Single Leg Training presentation



 

Weekend workout

I hope this will give you some motivation for a workout this weekend.  I did this last Friday as a "challenge".  I don't normally do a single set of 50 reps for ANYTHING!  But sometimes you need to put your back against a wall and really challenge your body and mind to reach deeper than it's ever had to before.

Remember that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.  What have you done different recently if you are not getting the results you're looking for?

Video link below -
50 Rep deadlift challenge

Nutrition Tips for Athletes

I know nutrition is a huge topic for serious (and even young) athletes.  It can also be one of the most confusing topics as well.  I'd like to "keep it simple" and give you a few tips and then give you a quick list of things you can have ready to take in your gym bag with you for recovery.

Here's 3 quick tips to give you a jump start on your competition;

1) Eat every 2-3 hours regardless of hunger.  

Meal frequency is the most important factor in any weight management program!  Eating frequently keeps the metabolic rate elevated, maintains blood sugar levels, maintains energy throughout the and provides small "packets" of macro and micro nutrients all day long.

2) Get Amino Acids (aka Lean Protein) at every meal.

The continous flow of amino acids will translate into continual resources that the body uses to enhance recovery from exercise and stress, so it will be willing to go harder and faster the next time you need it to. 

Don’t take amino acid supplements unless you know what you’re doing, and don’t overdo the protein – you don’t need 300 grams/day. But you should try to eat lean protein with every meal – meat, protein shakes, cottage cheese, milk – and let the body make what it needs.

3) Treat pre workout and post workout nutrition as two of the most important times of the day, because that's when the brain is most vulnerable.  

Studies show that if given the proper resources, the body will respond to strength & conditioning training by burning even more fat, increasing glycogen stores, building more muscle, and generally allowing the body to be “better than average.”  If you don’t give the body these things, you will still see progress from your training, of course, but no more progress than anyone else.  there's not much advantage to that, unless you only want to be as good as everyone else.

10 recovery options for your gym bag 

1. Recovery shake (i.e., Gatorade..™ Protein Recovery Shake, Muscle Milk Collegiate™, Go Energy Recovery Shake™) + 16 ounces water
2. 1 portable 12-ounce chocolate, strawberry, or vanilla milk (e.g. Horizon Organic™ portable cartons) + 1 granola bar + 16 ounces of water
3. 1-2 portable pre-made instant breakfast  drinks (i,e.. Carnation Instant Breakfast™)
4. 4 graham cracker/peanut butter square “sandwiches” with an 8-ounce 100% juice box + 16 ounces water
5. 16 ounces sports drink (e.g. Gatorade..™, Powerade™) + 1 sports bar + 16 ounces water
6. 1 cup trail mix (equal parts cereal, sunflower seeds, and dried fruit) + 16 ounces water
7. 24 ounces sports drink + 1/3 cup almonds.
8. 2 high-protein, whole grain mini bagels ..with peanut butter + 16 ounces water
9. 2 oatmeal packets mixed with 2 Tablespoons peanut or almond butter and hot water + 16 ounces water
10. 16 ounces sports drink + 1 cup high-protein cereal (i.e.,. Kashi Go Lean Crunch™)

Youth Resistance Training

I just came back from a great certification this weekend.  The USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Certification held by Essex Middle School Physical Education teacher and Senior Level USAW Coach, Chris Polakowski.  The certification was an in depth and technical (yet fun) 2-day course on how to properly teach and coach the 2 main lifts in Olympic Weightlifting; the Clean & Jerk, and the Snatch.

Chris Polakowski (or "Coach Pol" as his students refer to him) speaks a great deal about the young athletes he's coached over the years and a large number of these youth have gone on to become very successful in sports from soccer, football, and track & field to the actual sport of Weightlifting.  It was really great to hear that Coach Pol begins teaching a physical education unit on Strength Training to the incoming 6th Graders each year and he has an school sponsored after school program where he teaches them the variations that many of us use from Olympic Weightlifting.  He'll have up to 20 athletes from ages 12 and up lifting in his after school program at one time.  

Coach Pol has coached literally THOUSANDS of young lifters during his 20 yrs as an educator and coach.

The health effects of a properly designed resistance training program include bone health, body composition, and sports injury reduction and should be recognized by teachers, coaches, parents, as well as health care providers. These health benefits can be safely obtained by most children and adolescents when prescribed age-appropriate resistance training guidelines.

Just thought I'd give a quick review of the National Strength and Conditioning Association's position stand on Youth Resistance Training which is based on a comprehensive analysis of the pertinent scientific evidence regarding the anatomical, physiological, and psychosocial effects of youth resistance training.  In the position statement when using the term "children" it's referring to youth approximately up to the age of 11 years in girls and 13 years in boys, and the term "adolescence" refers to the period between childhood and adulthood and includes girls aged 12–18 years and boys aged 14–18 years.

The current NSCA position paper states that:
1. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program is relatively safe for youth.
2. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can enhance the muscular strength and power of youth.
3. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can improve the cardiovascular risk profile of youth.
4. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can improve motor skill performance and may contribute to enhanced sports performance of youth.
5. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can increase a young athlete’s resistance to sportsrelated injuries.
6. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can help improve the psychosocial well-being of youth.
7. A properly designed and supervised resistance training program can help promote and develop exercise habits during childhood and adolescence.

Many parents, coaches, and even trainers may misunderstand the specific needs of youth regarding resistance training.  There are a great deal of outdated concerns regarding the safety and effectiveness of youth resistance training.  The scientific evidence and practical implications prove that youth resistance training has the potential to offer a variety of health and fitness value to children and adolescents, provided that appropriate training guidelines are followed and qualified instruction is available.  Seeking out a qualified and certified strength and conditioning specialist can help guarantee that your youth will be participating in a program that will safely and properly show them how to strength train and reap all the benefits from a structured training program.

RVC Strength & Conditioning Coach Jen Karr gets coached by Coach Pol during one of the practical portions of the certification.

USA Weightlfitng in Essex, VT

In case anyone is wondering what I'm up to this weekend, I'll be participating in the USAW Level 1 Sports Performance Coach Certification at Essex Middle School in Essex, VT with my friend Chris Polakowski. 

I've been practicing the Olympic lifts for quite a few years and feel very comfortable teaching them but the USAW cert just gives me the credibility and some more technical instructions on how to coach the lifts for my athletes.  It should be a great weekend with some of my best friends, Jen Karr and Scott Prince both master trainers at RVC, and one of my best friends Wayne Burwell who owns his own gym now.

Oh yeah and Saturday is my birthday!!  40 years young baby....  I'm in the best shape of my life and looking forward to the being in the prime of my career as a strength & conditioning coach.

Be careful with that Fish Oil.

Fish oil is getting a lot of publicity lately for benefits such as lowering triglycerides, reducing inflammation, mental health and even body composition.  Unfortunately what you think you are getting may not be the case.  A recent independent study just found almost 30% of 24 brand name supplements failed to meet quality standards for contamination, freshness, and active ingredients.

You can check out a brief article about it here -
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/28/something-fishy-in-some-omega-3-supplements-consumer-group-says/

Weekend workout

I was out in Colorado Springs this past weekend so I thought I'd show you what I did for a workout.  I've heard about the "Incline" from my friends at NSCA headquarters and I've always wanted to try it. 

Ashley and I gave it a whirl on Saturday and man, it's a workout!  One mile straight up a mountain, 2000' vertical of elevation, 2800 railroad ties.  Many fitness types, Olympians, and other athletes frequent this spot virtually year round for their conditioning and (mental toughness) workouts.

Congratulations are in order.

One of my Hanover HS soccer athletes just broke the Hanover High all time goal scoring record that has stood for 45 years.  Eric Jayne is one of the nicest and hardest working kids I've ever has the pleasure of working with and I'm very proud of him for breaking this record, especially since opposing teams double and triple cover him because of his lethal scoring ability on the field.  All the attention this year hasn't slowed him down a bit he's averaged 1 goal per game to go along with his 6 "dimes", and he doesn't show an ounce of being rattled with pressure.  It's going to be fun to watch them in the next few weeks as the Marauders are 10-0 this season.

Way to go EJ...!

Hanover HS All Time Leading Goal Scorer.

NSCA Northeast Regional Clinic

Just a quick update from this weekends clinic at RVC.  The clinic featured a great line up of presenters and great presentations, featuring a "scientific" track or a "hands on" track to choose from each hour.  The Scientific track began with NSCA Northeast Regional Director, Dave Heikkinen, presenting on Training for the Reduction of Knee Injuries.  Following that were presentations on Strength & Conditioning for Endurance Athletes, Strategies to Improve Olympic Weightlifting, Factors Underlying Performance, and Conditioning for the Post-Operative Shoulder.  The hands on track began with me presenting on the Fundamentals of Barbell Training which gave participants a chance to actually get "under the bar" and be coached in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press.  Following me was 2009 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year, Mark Nutting, on High Intensity Interval Training.  Mark did a brief review of the research and history behind Hiit and then got people into the high end of their heart rate zones with a variety of tabata protocols.  The hands on track continued with Joe Hashey from Synergy Athletics presenting on Training on a Budget, and Joe provided attendees with some great ideas and suggestions for making your own equipment.  Joe and I were also able to get together Friday before the clinic and get a killer workout in, featuring a brutal strongman style conditioning circuit.  The hands on portion of the clinic rounded out with Developing Power for Rotational Athletes by NSCA NH State Director Joil Bergeron, and then Acceleration for Sports by University of Vermont Track & Field Coach, Brett Wilmott.   Both of their presentations were very well attended and provided participants a great chance to learn by doing from two great coaches.