This article will present an overview of the training methods I have used, and am currently using, with an elite youth fencer. Fencing is a sport that draws has roots from medieval European swordsmanship. Divided into three weapons; foil, epee and sabre, each weapon has distinct rules of engagement. Foil is probably the most well known weapon and is the category that my fencers have always competed in. Needless to say I personally would not make many changes in my training approach to the other weapons regardless of the differences.
I first trained cadet (youth) fencers while living oversees in Israel, and quickly developed deep respect for their sport and fitness levels. My passion is the martial arts, any martial art. Regardless of origin, universal rules of combat apply: hit the opponent before he hits you. All martial arts systems have to be effective as a means of armed or unarmed combat; they must be “functional” in the true sense of the word. Like other martial arts/combative sports, fencing is steeped in tradition. This is also true of the conditioning methods traditionally employed by fencers. Generally fencers practice blade work, footwork and general conditioning. When I first started to train fencers about 15 years ago the teams I worked with did not do any real resistance training other than using an old Universal machine. They did not use additional resistance to perform lunges, and never performed lunges with their non-dominant (non-blade) side. They never tried a push press or jerk. Interestingly enough their head coach was a two time Olympian. This all changed when I got there. The result was that at the next European championship, about four months later, the Europeans complained that my fencers were too strong to be only 16! The funny thing is that all I did was apply the same approach that any strength coach would use with any other sport.
I currently train a 16 year-old fencer that recently made the Canadian National team and is headed for the World Championships in April of this year. The same is true for him. Team conditioning usually consists of endless single side lunges, plyometrics, static stretching, and recommendations for some general aerobic work done on his own time. The coaches administer all the conditioning and, while they are incredible fencing coaches, as well as fencers, they often do not expose their athletes to current sports conditioning techniques. My approach, again, is “non-traditional” for the world of fencing. As anyone who knows me will say that that is “normal” for me.
Fencing is a sport that requires great strength, power and muscular endurance. It is an “anaerobic” sport that requires the athlete to train for many explosive bursts of action while maintaining a sense of finesse and a clear head. It is hard to say how long the average fencing bout is, since it can be over in two minutes or ten. For this reason I use a wide variety of stimuli to challenge his system and get the most out of our training sessions without risking injury or overtraining in his already hectic schedule. I train this athlete in his home and, while he owns a good quality home exercise gym, I have never touched it. Instead I focus primarily on bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, medicine balls, resistance bands, kettlebells and sandbags (and the occasional sledgehammer).
Warm-Up
His general pre-workout routine consists of self-myofascial release on the foam roller for about five minutes, and dynamic stretching with exercises like inchworms, “spidermen”, lateral lunge stretches, standing quad stretches and “airplanes”(single leg standing ham stretches) etc. These techniques have become mainstream in the world of sports conditioning. In my opinion this type of pre-workout routine is crucial to enhance overall performance.
Agility
Agility work generally follows his warm-up. I use a variety of agility and change of direction techniques, some of which are uncommon for most athletes. He regularly uses the agility ladder and fitness rings, which help him with his footwork. In addition, I try to push him outside his comfort zone with regards to footwork drill. Since fencers still have to “drive” with the rear leg to execute a lunge and forward thrust we use a variety of band exercises to develop the glut/hip complex and proper mechanics. One exercise is to place a thick band at his knees and have him push laterally in the direction he needs to go, basically a side push-off. In other words if he is moving towards the right he will focus on pushing in that direction using his left foot. This exercise is fairly common for most strength coaches nowadays. Since he is notoriously imbalance because of the demands of his sport I have always have him work bilaterally. He will drive with his left and right legs even though this is not what he is accustomed to. I also use several martial arts based footwork patterns coupled with small resistance bands to develop quick direction changes and “power-endurance”. These techniques include forward and reverse “triangle” steps and “star” patterns. We do these techniques for his lower and upper extremities and they have proved themselves to be very effective conditioning exercises. (For a more in depth explanation check out my article in Sportspecific.com or my “Martial Arts Agility” DVD.)
Strength
Our sessions focus on the total body so that I can integrate leg, core and upper extremity training in a single training session, and often in a single exercise. Over the last several months I have focused on kettlebell and sandbag training, which has developed greater overall core strength and power-endurance. High rep kettlebell swings and sandbag lunges are usually effective ways to get his heart rate up as well. I wholeheartedly recommend kettlebell and sandbag training for any athlete that requires power-endurance or strength-endurance in his or her sport.
One of the areas often neglected in fencing conditioning is grip strength. Often after a grueling tournament a fencer’s grip and forearm musculature become very fatigued and it is difficult to maintain good blade control. With this in mind I have used small 4 lb. sledgehammers to train his grip and shoulder strength. I incorporate many movements traditional to various martial arts, as well as Indian Club swinging. These movements are both circular and linear in nature and are performed slowly with constant tension throughout the body. Kettlebell and sandbag training has been a tremendous help in developing a superior grip as well.
The following are sample workouts that I have used. Our training sessions vary. I use straight sets, “supersets”, “tri-sets” and circuits. As stated earlier my focus is on overall power-endurance and agility, increasing core strength, leg strength, upper extremity strength as well as functional flexibility. In addition, I must balance the large volume of lunges and multiple tournaments he must undergo on a regular basis in order to maximize results and avoid overtraining. Our training sessions last one hour including warm-up and a cool down/passive stretch.
Sample Workout
Dynamic Stretch: 10 minutes.
Forward triangle steps with small resistance band: 1 x 10 each direction
Star Pattern with small band: 1 x 10
Agility Ladder: 3x each pattern, half ladder: approx 10 minutes
Forward “quick-step”
Lateral “quick-step”
Quick shuffle
Shuffle wide with a “stick”
“Jumping Jacks”
“Hop Scotch”
Perform each Medicine Ball exercise in succession then rest. Perform twice.
MB Swings x 15
MB Trunk Twists x 20
MB Squat while pushing MB out at chest level x 10
DB Swing: 3 x 15
Forward Lunge with contralateral dumbbell press: 2 x 10 each leg
Resistance Band Standing Rows: 2 x 15
Resistance Band Standing Chest Press: 2 x 12
Single Leg Squat to Bench: 4 x 4
Jackknife on Stability Ball: 2 x 15
Hamstring Curl on Stability Ball: 2 x 15
Medicine Ball Russian Twist: 2 x 20
Passive stretch
Sample Workout For Strength and Power Endurance
This is a very challenging circuit. We are preparing for the World championships and will need to increase the power-endurance component. He also recently returned from a “camp” in France. Just prior to the trip he sprained his ankle and was wearing a brace when I saw him. This session was intended to stress his total body without aggravating his ankle; therefore there were no single leg exercises in this program.
Sample Circuit
Warm-up
Dynamic stretching
X-Walks with ½ inch super band
Lateral band walks
KB Slingshots-20 reps
The Circuit
1 minute stations, exercise to fatigue, switch stations at the 1 minute signal
4 passes
Front carry Ketttlebell Squat (hold KB by the "horns")
KB Swings
MB Slams
MB Push-ups (roll the ball after each push-up)
Band rows
"Evil Wheel" (for some reason he loves this exercise)
Stretch
Most conditioning professionals will see similarities between the workouts that I have presented here and ones they may have used for other athletes. Most “power based” sports can use a similar functional training approach. I have been fortunate to have a great deal of success combining modern concepts in functional sports conditioning with more “warrior based’ techniques taken from various martial arts traditions. For those conditioning professionals that find themselves training fencers for the first time I suggest that you become familiar with the general and specific movement patterns as well as the bioenergetics needs of the sport. Once you have done this you can easily adapt and apply the training principals that already work for you. Fencers are great athletes that will only get better once they are exposed to effective strength and conditioning methods on a consistent basis.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Could Tag Be The Greatest Game Ever Invented?
The following article was written by a colleague and friend, Mr. Lee Taft. For those of you that do not know the name, Lee Taft is one of the best teachers in the field of speed and agility development. He is a pleasure to listen to and you will always walk away with useful information that you can put to the test immediately.
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When we are talking about kids, tag may just be the greatest game ever invented. OK OK, after you stop laughing let me explain. What elements or components are involved in a game of tag, just remember there are literally hundreds of different tag games. There is linear speed, lateral speed, angular take offs, moving backwards, avoidance skills, cutting, change of direction, faking skills, breaking down skills, reaching skills, body control skills, balance, flexibility, coordination, raising and lowering of the center of mass, setting up opponents, strategies, team work, I know I am missing some others-think, think, think- oh well, you get the idea. Basically tag will force you to reach deep into the movement bag of tricks you body has stored, or better yet, not stored and force you to use it or learn it.
If we as trainers, coaches, parents, and teachers are smart we will use the game tag to develop and help along the development of certain biomotor abilities during the sensitive developmental stages in children. For example; coordination can be developed in the game of tag by forcing the youngsters doing the tagging to only tag with his or her left hand. This, at times, will force the child to reach across the body while stepping with the same side foot as the opponent is avoiding being tagged. Just having a child, between the ages 6 and 9, attempting to tag with their non-dominant hand with force coordination to be developed.
The great thing about the game of tag is the flexibility you have as a coach to emphasis certain components of athleticism. For example; if you want to play tag with an older group of athletes (ages 14-16), you can emphasis teamwork and strategies; you may want to focus on linear acceleration or the ability to breakdown under control.
There is so much versatility with tag games in terms of how you organize the games. For example; if you want to emphasis individual athletic moves, the game can be played one on one as in box tag. If the goal of the coach is to teach young children (ages 7-9) how to work together to keep teammates in the game, a game of prisoner tag is perfect. If you know what your goal is or what “sensitive learning period” the youngsters are in, you can match the tag game to meet the demands.
Let me give you a small list of tag games I like to use in different situations. Keep in mind this is a small list of the many possibilities.
1. Box tag- This is a great game for teaching more advanced athlete how to make offensive moves and conversely how to counter offensive moves. The art of breaking down and reacting to the opponents moves. Simply use a large box, half of a volleyball court is ideal. Form two lines on opposite corners of the box. Name one line the “taggers” and the other line the “avoiders”. I like to use a stop watch and time how long the avoider can stay in the box before being tagged. The players will immediately go to the opposite line after their turn.
2. Knee tag- This game is great for teaching athletes to stay in an athletic stance while they move. They must be able to move in all directions from this stance. This game is also great for teaching awareness and recognition of the positions of other athletes. To play this game all players are “it”. The goal is to tag one of the other players at the level of the knees. If tagged, the player must go outside a pre-determined boundary and perform one push up and enter back into the game. All players in the game must be aware of the players coming back in. They will tag from behind if unaware of them. All players can use their hands to block an attempted tag. This teaches great hand eye coordination and timing.
3. Get up Tag- If you truly want to improve acceleration of young athletes this game is a must. It is fun and challenges the athletes not to get tagged from behind. Simply ask the athletes to get a partner. The first partner will get around 2 to 4 yards (you need to play with the distance) in front. The lead athlete will be asked to get into different positions (crab stance, push up position, lying supine or prone…) while the back athlete will always stand in either a parallel athletic stance or staggered stance. The back athlete will chase the lead athlete under varying signals. The signal could be a “Go” command or whistle from the coach to use an auditory command. The signal could also be the lead athlete taking off when they are ready, this is a visual command.
4. Kick the Can Tag- This is a great game to teach teamwork and strategy for young and old athletes. Athletes will learn how to accelerate, dodge, change directions, use awareness, and breakdown. In this game two teams are formed. One team is chosen to protect the can and capture all the opponents. The other team is to kick the can before any teammates are captured to win the game or kick the can to free captured teammates. This game needs to be played on a large field. There needs to be large center circle, as is the case in soccer, in the center of the field. The can gets placed in the center of the circle. Only the person chosen to guard the can be in the circle on the tagging team. The boundaries should be set large enough to allow the offensive team to run and spread the tagging team out. If a player gets tagged they will be placed in a designated jail. The only way a player gets out of jail is if the can is kicked by another offensive player. If all the players are tagged the game is over. If the offensive team kicks the can before any player is in jail the game is over.
I hope you enjoy these tag games and use many more. Tag is a great way to teach many skills and to motivate your athletes. Tag can be played with just about any age and ability level. Have fun!
Lee Taft
www.sportsspeedetc.com
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When we are talking about kids, tag may just be the greatest game ever invented. OK OK, after you stop laughing let me explain. What elements or components are involved in a game of tag, just remember there are literally hundreds of different tag games. There is linear speed, lateral speed, angular take offs, moving backwards, avoidance skills, cutting, change of direction, faking skills, breaking down skills, reaching skills, body control skills, balance, flexibility, coordination, raising and lowering of the center of mass, setting up opponents, strategies, team work, I know I am missing some others-think, think, think- oh well, you get the idea. Basically tag will force you to reach deep into the movement bag of tricks you body has stored, or better yet, not stored and force you to use it or learn it.
If we as trainers, coaches, parents, and teachers are smart we will use the game tag to develop and help along the development of certain biomotor abilities during the sensitive developmental stages in children. For example; coordination can be developed in the game of tag by forcing the youngsters doing the tagging to only tag with his or her left hand. This, at times, will force the child to reach across the body while stepping with the same side foot as the opponent is avoiding being tagged. Just having a child, between the ages 6 and 9, attempting to tag with their non-dominant hand with force coordination to be developed.
The great thing about the game of tag is the flexibility you have as a coach to emphasis certain components of athleticism. For example; if you want to play tag with an older group of athletes (ages 14-16), you can emphasis teamwork and strategies; you may want to focus on linear acceleration or the ability to breakdown under control.
There is so much versatility with tag games in terms of how you organize the games. For example; if you want to emphasis individual athletic moves, the game can be played one on one as in box tag. If the goal of the coach is to teach young children (ages 7-9) how to work together to keep teammates in the game, a game of prisoner tag is perfect. If you know what your goal is or what “sensitive learning period” the youngsters are in, you can match the tag game to meet the demands.
Let me give you a small list of tag games I like to use in different situations. Keep in mind this is a small list of the many possibilities.
1. Box tag- This is a great game for teaching more advanced athlete how to make offensive moves and conversely how to counter offensive moves. The art of breaking down and reacting to the opponents moves. Simply use a large box, half of a volleyball court is ideal. Form two lines on opposite corners of the box. Name one line the “taggers” and the other line the “avoiders”. I like to use a stop watch and time how long the avoider can stay in the box before being tagged. The players will immediately go to the opposite line after their turn.
2. Knee tag- This game is great for teaching athletes to stay in an athletic stance while they move. They must be able to move in all directions from this stance. This game is also great for teaching awareness and recognition of the positions of other athletes. To play this game all players are “it”. The goal is to tag one of the other players at the level of the knees. If tagged, the player must go outside a pre-determined boundary and perform one push up and enter back into the game. All players in the game must be aware of the players coming back in. They will tag from behind if unaware of them. All players can use their hands to block an attempted tag. This teaches great hand eye coordination and timing.
3. Get up Tag- If you truly want to improve acceleration of young athletes this game is a must. It is fun and challenges the athletes not to get tagged from behind. Simply ask the athletes to get a partner. The first partner will get around 2 to 4 yards (you need to play with the distance) in front. The lead athlete will be asked to get into different positions (crab stance, push up position, lying supine or prone…) while the back athlete will always stand in either a parallel athletic stance or staggered stance. The back athlete will chase the lead athlete under varying signals. The signal could be a “Go” command or whistle from the coach to use an auditory command. The signal could also be the lead athlete taking off when they are ready, this is a visual command.
4. Kick the Can Tag- This is a great game to teach teamwork and strategy for young and old athletes. Athletes will learn how to accelerate, dodge, change directions, use awareness, and breakdown. In this game two teams are formed. One team is chosen to protect the can and capture all the opponents. The other team is to kick the can before any teammates are captured to win the game or kick the can to free captured teammates. This game needs to be played on a large field. There needs to be large center circle, as is the case in soccer, in the center of the field. The can gets placed in the center of the circle. Only the person chosen to guard the can be in the circle on the tagging team. The boundaries should be set large enough to allow the offensive team to run and spread the tagging team out. If a player gets tagged they will be placed in a designated jail. The only way a player gets out of jail is if the can is kicked by another offensive player. If all the players are tagged the game is over. If the offensive team kicks the can before any player is in jail the game is over.
I hope you enjoy these tag games and use many more. Tag is a great way to teach many skills and to motivate your athletes. Tag can be played with just about any age and ability level. Have fun!
Lee Taft
www.sportsspeedetc.com
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Martial Arts Footwork for Enhanced Mobility on the Playing Field
Agility can be defined as the ability to move in different directions quickly and efficiently. It is an essential quality possessed by today’s best athletes. Long before football or basketball were popular sports ancient warriors from varied cultures developed drills to improve the agility of their fighters. If an athlete stumbles he/she may lose a game.
Agility for warriors of the ancient Philippines, China, Japan or the Americas could mean the difference between being maimed, killed or going home to their families in one piece. It would make sense to introduce some of these battle-proven drills to the modern day warriors of the sports world. This is not to say that today’s strength and skills coaches are doing anything wrong. In fact through modern training methods, proper nutrition and better medical care today’s athletes are stronger and faster than they were fifty years ago.
My contention is that by providing additional methods not easily accessible to many coaches the athlete will benefit both physically by the “cross-training” and mentally by the break in his/her everyday routine. Martial arts are, by nature, multi-directional, multi-jointed, core dominated and require a finely tuned sense of balance. Martial artists kick, punch, grapple, use weapons and fight. Combat is chaotic and to survive in that arena one must possess all the qualities of mainstream athletes. For years I have trained athletes using martial arts concepts and martial artists using modern conditioning principles. The results have always been favorable. The trick is to know what techniques and concepts are most applicable.
I have successfully used many of these drills in training football, basketball and baseball players. The first time I taught these footwork drills to football players I could see a light going off in their heads, all they could say was that these drills would be great for defensive backs, wide receivers and even linebackers. In addition to their surprise, they had a fun time performing them. These drills will improve lateral movement, quick direction changes and balance.
The following sampling of drills draws heavily from the Phillipine martial arts. Philippine arts are often weapons-based so it is easy to imagine that they take their footwork seriously. Being agile and mobile ensures that the warriors don’t accidentally lose any limbs. The goal is to teach the fighter to quickly change directions but be able to attack and counterattack. Give these a try and watch your lateral movement and overall agility improve. If you really want to get serious about enhancing your overall agility, balance and core strength try actually studying one of the many martial arts styles. I feel that any martial art that matches your body type and goals is a great cross-training method that will enhance your overall performance, whether that is karate, kung fu, jujitsu or Thai boxing. Fillipino stick and knife sparring greatly adds to one’s agility, hand and wrist strength, eye to hand coordination and balance. You would be amazed at how focused, and winded, you can become when you are fighting with a stick at full speed.
"Make it More Fun"
To add to the drill’s difficulty try holding a medicine ball, dumbbells, wearing a weighted vest, or placing resistance bands around your ankles or waist. I have found that placing a small rubber band around the ankles greatly adds to the difficulty and effectiveness of these drills. I have had football players tells me that their hips and legs got a tremendous workout and they were able to move with greater ease as a result. To really challenge your athletes perform these drills as part of an obstacle course or circuit.
Skip up, skip back (forward and backwards shuffle)
Start by standing naturally with your left foot forward. Quickly move your right foot up to your left and step forward with your left. Immediately reverse direction by bringing your left foot back to your right and stepping back with your right. Shuffling two or more times forward and two or more times back can modify this drill. It is important to shift your body weight forward and back, do not simple stick your foot forward or back.
Lateral Shuffle
- Stand with your feet apart in a natural stance. Bring your left foot to your right foot and smoothly step out with your right. Quickly reverse the step replacing your left with your right. Stay low and don’t allow your head to bob up and down.
Broken Triangles
Forward Broken Triangle*
- Stand with feet together. Imagine that you are standing at the apex of an upside down triangle without a base. Step out with your left foot at a 45° angle, keeping the right foot in place. Bring your foot back and quickly step out with the right foot on a 45° angle. Repeat the steps. Make sure to replace one foot with the other; do not simply place the left next to the right. Increase the difficulty by performing a lunge with each forward step. Remember to shift your bodyweight forward then back.
Reverse Broken Triangle
- The forward version utilizes the same concept introduced with the reverse broken triangle accept now you are stepping back on a 45° angle. Make sure to bend the back knee and lean the torso back slightly with each step. Here you are evading a blow.
Star-Footwork
- This step is actually a combination of broken triangles and a side shuffle. The pattern resembles a star/asterisk. From the center of the “star” step out 45° to the left, step back then quickly step out 45° with the right. Quickly step back with the right and then step laterally with the left. Quickly shuffle over to the right. Bring the right foot back to the center and then quickly step back on a 45° angle with the left. Step back up with the left then step back on a 45° angle with the right.
Triangles
Forward Triangle
- Imagine that you are standing at the left corner of an equilateral triangle (and you thought high school geometry wouldn’t come in handy later in life). Start with your feet together and step up on a 45-defgree angle with your right foot. Bring your left foot up to your right and quickly place it where your right foot is. Quickly bring your right foot back on a 45-degree angle to the lower right corner of the triangle. Bring your left foot to your right and then step out to your left touching the lower left corner. Bring the right foot to you left (your starting position) and begin the drill again. This can be done in the reverse direction by starting at the lower right corner of the triangle. Make sure not to have both feet on the ground at the same time except in the very beginning of the drill.
Take the time to master these simple drills and you will reap the rewards.
If you are interested in seeing these and more drills in greater details then take a look at my DVD “Martial Arts Agility”. You will see these drills and more demonstrated in an easy to understand format. For those skeptics I had a friend of mine, Robert Sedlor CSCS, perform the drills with a MEDIUM strength resistance band. All I can say is that Bobby is a very, very strong man, an ex-college football player, strength coach, and personal trainer and is currently studying for his Chiropractic degree. The pain and sweat on his face is no act. Try it for yourself…if you dare.
Agility for warriors of the ancient Philippines, China, Japan or the Americas could mean the difference between being maimed, killed or going home to their families in one piece. It would make sense to introduce some of these battle-proven drills to the modern day warriors of the sports world. This is not to say that today’s strength and skills coaches are doing anything wrong. In fact through modern training methods, proper nutrition and better medical care today’s athletes are stronger and faster than they were fifty years ago.
My contention is that by providing additional methods not easily accessible to many coaches the athlete will benefit both physically by the “cross-training” and mentally by the break in his/her everyday routine. Martial arts are, by nature, multi-directional, multi-jointed, core dominated and require a finely tuned sense of balance. Martial artists kick, punch, grapple, use weapons and fight. Combat is chaotic and to survive in that arena one must possess all the qualities of mainstream athletes. For years I have trained athletes using martial arts concepts and martial artists using modern conditioning principles. The results have always been favorable. The trick is to know what techniques and concepts are most applicable.
I have successfully used many of these drills in training football, basketball and baseball players. The first time I taught these footwork drills to football players I could see a light going off in their heads, all they could say was that these drills would be great for defensive backs, wide receivers and even linebackers. In addition to their surprise, they had a fun time performing them. These drills will improve lateral movement, quick direction changes and balance.
The following sampling of drills draws heavily from the Phillipine martial arts. Philippine arts are often weapons-based so it is easy to imagine that they take their footwork seriously. Being agile and mobile ensures that the warriors don’t accidentally lose any limbs. The goal is to teach the fighter to quickly change directions but be able to attack and counterattack. Give these a try and watch your lateral movement and overall agility improve. If you really want to get serious about enhancing your overall agility, balance and core strength try actually studying one of the many martial arts styles. I feel that any martial art that matches your body type and goals is a great cross-training method that will enhance your overall performance, whether that is karate, kung fu, jujitsu or Thai boxing. Fillipino stick and knife sparring greatly adds to one’s agility, hand and wrist strength, eye to hand coordination and balance. You would be amazed at how focused, and winded, you can become when you are fighting with a stick at full speed.
"Make it More Fun"
To add to the drill’s difficulty try holding a medicine ball, dumbbells, wearing a weighted vest, or placing resistance bands around your ankles or waist. I have found that placing a small rubber band around the ankles greatly adds to the difficulty and effectiveness of these drills. I have had football players tells me that their hips and legs got a tremendous workout and they were able to move with greater ease as a result. To really challenge your athletes perform these drills as part of an obstacle course or circuit.
Skip up, skip back (forward and backwards shuffle)
Start by standing naturally with your left foot forward. Quickly move your right foot up to your left and step forward with your left. Immediately reverse direction by bringing your left foot back to your right and stepping back with your right. Shuffling two or more times forward and two or more times back can modify this drill. It is important to shift your body weight forward and back, do not simple stick your foot forward or back.Lateral Shuffle
- Stand with your feet apart in a natural stance. Bring your left foot to your right foot and smoothly step out with your right. Quickly reverse the step replacing your left with your right. Stay low and don’t allow your head to bob up and down.
Broken Triangles
Forward Broken Triangle*
- Stand with feet together. Imagine that you are standing at the apex of an upside down triangle without a base. Step out with your left foot at a 45° angle, keeping the right foot in place. Bring your foot back and quickly step out with the right foot on a 45° angle. Repeat the steps. Make sure to replace one foot with the other; do not simply place the left next to the right. Increase the difficulty by performing a lunge with each forward step. Remember to shift your bodyweight forward then back.
Reverse Broken Triangle
- The forward version utilizes the same concept introduced with the reverse broken triangle accept now you are stepping back on a 45° angle. Make sure to bend the back knee and lean the torso back slightly with each step. Here you are evading a blow.Star-Footwork
- This step is actually a combination of broken triangles and a side shuffle. The pattern resembles a star/asterisk. From the center of the “star” step out 45° to the left, step back then quickly step out 45° with the right. Quickly step back with the right and then step laterally with the left. Quickly shuffle over to the right. Bring the right foot back to the center and then quickly step back on a 45° angle with the left. Step back up with the left then step back on a 45° angle with the right.
Triangles
Forward Triangle
- Imagine that you are standing at the left corner of an equilateral triangle (and you thought high school geometry wouldn’t come in handy later in life). Start with your feet together and step up on a 45-defgree angle with your right foot. Bring your left foot up to your right and quickly place it where your right foot is. Quickly bring your right foot back on a 45-degree angle to the lower right corner of the triangle. Bring your left foot to your right and then step out to your left touching the lower left corner. Bring the right foot to you left (your starting position) and begin the drill again. This can be done in the reverse direction by starting at the lower right corner of the triangle. Make sure not to have both feet on the ground at the same time except in the very beginning of the drill.
Take the time to master these simple drills and you will reap the rewards.
If you are interested in seeing these and more drills in greater details then take a look at my DVD “Martial Arts Agility”. You will see these drills and more demonstrated in an easy to understand format. For those skeptics I had a friend of mine, Robert Sedlor CSCS, perform the drills with a MEDIUM strength resistance band. All I can say is that Bobby is a very, very strong man, an ex-college football player, strength coach, and personal trainer and is currently studying for his Chiropractic degree. The pain and sweat on his face is no act. Try it for yourself…if you dare.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Dan Furlong Q and A
The following is from my newsletter that you can subscribe to at www.real-strength-training.com
Strong to the Core Newsletter Q and A
The following newsletter series will focus on innovative strength coaches that you should know about. I feel very fortunate to have met them. This issue will feature Dan Furlong MS CSCS. Dan is a conditioning coach currently based in Brewster, New York.
Dan, we have known each other for several years now. I have always considered you to be one of the most talented, and thorough, conditioning coaches around. I remember watching you teach an “Athletic Development” program and being impressed not only with your breadth of knowledge but by the fact that your athletes were working hard and having a great time doing so. I was laughing most of the time myself. Would you share some of your thoughts with our readers?
A. First off, I want to thank you for the generous introduction. So that your readers understand what an “Athletic Development” program entails, it’s not just a speed and agility clinic, or a weight training class (actually we have yet to approach the weight room). We build upon all the underlying components of athleticism. Speed and agility but also power, balance, coordination, ambidexterity, strength, the whole package. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to attend a class and see a group of athletes learning how to juggle for improved hand/eye coordination. I just try to make it fun while connecting with the athletes.
Q. Dan, tell us a little about your background.
A. I have a Bachelors degree from St. John’s University and a Masters from the University of Connecticut. But I wouldn’t have time to list all the people that inspired me in different disciplines along the way. I’ve taken the eclectic route. I started out going towards athletic training. I worked in the training room at St. John’s, with the NY Knicks, at UCONN and even was a tour trainer with the United States Tennis Association (USTA). But my second season with the Knicks I really connected with our Strength & Conditioning Coach, and eventually ended up switching my Masters program to Sports Biomechanics. I had left the field for a short time for full time Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry and coming back into it I was fortunate to be hired in the Scarsdale Equinox. That club had an all-star caliber line-up of personal trainers, strength coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists. I spent about two and a half or three years there training along side of you and some other really knowledgeable professionals that it felt like another Masters program! I then ended up back in the NBA as an Assistant Strength Coach under Greg Brittenham with the NY Knicks for another two and a half years and now I’m out on my own.
Q. How did you get started in the fitness/conditioning field?
A. Its all because I got hurt lifting (incorrectly) in the gym and tore my rotator cuff. The doctor I went to see was (and still is) a chiropractor who had a Masters in Exercise Physiology as well. Dr. Steve Brown. His demeanor, professionalism, knowledge, the whole package, was inspiring. I knew I didn’t want chiropractics, but that’s when I learned about athletic training. Eventually, I just felt that I was a better strength coach than a trainer so I stayed with this.
Q. What is your personal philosophy with regards to sports conditioning and general fitness?
A. Really, what I’ve found, is if you get your client moving and moving correctly, while working on gaining their trust, eventually you will come to a place where your steadfastness in wanting them to achieve more for themselves will inspire them. If your forty years old, but can’t play with your young kids because you just can’t, your body has lost the ability to “play”, there’s a problem. So I just start with a goal close to home, and we just keep adding incentives. Next thing you know, your client is running a half-marathon. What does that say about my philosophy? Mobility with strength for an improved quality of life, I guess.
Q. Does your strong commitment to your spiritual beliefs and your experience as a youth minister influence your teaching approach when working with young athletes (or vice versa)?
A. I think my relationship with God is the basis for my commitment to all my clients really. If He could be patient with me, I should be able to handle anyone. But when it comes to young athletes, it’s hard for me to discern what really helps me connect with them outside of a genuine enjoyment of wanting to help them tap into their potential. Which, obviously, is what I hoped to do when I was a youth or children’s pastor. They invest money, effort, and sweat, so I look at it as I’m now responsible to invest my efforts and knowledge in them.
Q. What would an initial session with you look like assuming you are working with an athlete?
A. My preference would be to get them on a field or turf, warm them up my way, then see how they run and check their balance. I’ve made up a test where they sprint 20 or 30 yards and I time them and count their steps. We do that twice. Then we get into breaking down running form and spend time opening up their stride length. Generally, you can knock off anywhere from 1-2 steps and more than half a second after just working with them an hour. If we were talking strength training, I’m just like anyone else. I have a certain routine I like to take them through to see how they move, how they manipulate the weight or their body, learn a little about their strength levels, watch their coordination, etc. But, with athletes, I like to get out on turf first and see what we can work with.
Q. What would a session look like with that same athlete one month later?
A. A lot cleaner. We go through drills a lot faster. I don’t talk as much except to say, “PERFECT!” “EXACTLY!” I tend to get more excited than my athletes when it goes right. In the beginning there is so much teaching involved. And sometimes, even a month later, their form may not be DVD ready, but it has improved so much from when they first started that you feel like, “okay, we can get started now.” From there small adjustments are made each and every time.
Q. What projects are you working on currently?
A. Too many, but I guess that’s good. Building a website for the other company I am involved in with my former boss, NY Knicks Strength & Conditioning Coach Greg Brittenham. It’s called Academy For Human Performance. Also, we are revamping a book/manual DVD series he had previously out on the market called Complete Conditioning For Basketball. Then a solo project of my own, a manual/DVD set called Going Mobile, which is pretty much what I do to take my clients to my “Base Camp” so to speak. Here’s what we need to achieve so we can get going.
Q. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
A. I think training less people, but mentoring other coaches. Still teaching Total Athlete, though. I can’t give that up. Probably back in ministry in some capacity. Why? Where do you see me in five years? It sounds and rings familiar, but I want more time for my family. My wife Lisa and my now 1 year old son Dan, The Sequel, and I have so much fun together and I greedily want more of it. Maybe even venture out over the Tappan Zee Bridge to visit a friend of mine and actually meet his wife and daughter.
Q. Dan, how can our readers contact you?
A. I’m just a mouse click away. I have a contact page on my website www.TrinityBiomechanics.com and soon to be up and running on
www.academyforhumanperformance.com.
Strong to the Core Newsletter Q and A
The following newsletter series will focus on innovative strength coaches that you should know about. I feel very fortunate to have met them. This issue will feature Dan Furlong MS CSCS. Dan is a conditioning coach currently based in Brewster, New York.
Dan, we have known each other for several years now. I have always considered you to be one of the most talented, and thorough, conditioning coaches around. I remember watching you teach an “Athletic Development” program and being impressed not only with your breadth of knowledge but by the fact that your athletes were working hard and having a great time doing so. I was laughing most of the time myself. Would you share some of your thoughts with our readers?
A. First off, I want to thank you for the generous introduction. So that your readers understand what an “Athletic Development” program entails, it’s not just a speed and agility clinic, or a weight training class (actually we have yet to approach the weight room). We build upon all the underlying components of athleticism. Speed and agility but also power, balance, coordination, ambidexterity, strength, the whole package. It would not be a stretch of the imagination to attend a class and see a group of athletes learning how to juggle for improved hand/eye coordination. I just try to make it fun while connecting with the athletes.
Q. Dan, tell us a little about your background.
A. I have a Bachelors degree from St. John’s University and a Masters from the University of Connecticut. But I wouldn’t have time to list all the people that inspired me in different disciplines along the way. I’ve taken the eclectic route. I started out going towards athletic training. I worked in the training room at St. John’s, with the NY Knicks, at UCONN and even was a tour trainer with the United States Tennis Association (USTA). But my second season with the Knicks I really connected with our Strength & Conditioning Coach, and eventually ended up switching my Masters program to Sports Biomechanics. I had left the field for a short time for full time Children’s Ministry and Youth Ministry and coming back into it I was fortunate to be hired in the Scarsdale Equinox. That club had an all-star caliber line-up of personal trainers, strength coaches, athletic trainers and physical therapists. I spent about two and a half or three years there training along side of you and some other really knowledgeable professionals that it felt like another Masters program! I then ended up back in the NBA as an Assistant Strength Coach under Greg Brittenham with the NY Knicks for another two and a half years and now I’m out on my own.
Q. How did you get started in the fitness/conditioning field?
A. Its all because I got hurt lifting (incorrectly) in the gym and tore my rotator cuff. The doctor I went to see was (and still is) a chiropractor who had a Masters in Exercise Physiology as well. Dr. Steve Brown. His demeanor, professionalism, knowledge, the whole package, was inspiring. I knew I didn’t want chiropractics, but that’s when I learned about athletic training. Eventually, I just felt that I was a better strength coach than a trainer so I stayed with this.
Q. What is your personal philosophy with regards to sports conditioning and general fitness?
A. Really, what I’ve found, is if you get your client moving and moving correctly, while working on gaining their trust, eventually you will come to a place where your steadfastness in wanting them to achieve more for themselves will inspire them. If your forty years old, but can’t play with your young kids because you just can’t, your body has lost the ability to “play”, there’s a problem. So I just start with a goal close to home, and we just keep adding incentives. Next thing you know, your client is running a half-marathon. What does that say about my philosophy? Mobility with strength for an improved quality of life, I guess.
Q. Does your strong commitment to your spiritual beliefs and your experience as a youth minister influence your teaching approach when working with young athletes (or vice versa)?
A. I think my relationship with God is the basis for my commitment to all my clients really. If He could be patient with me, I should be able to handle anyone. But when it comes to young athletes, it’s hard for me to discern what really helps me connect with them outside of a genuine enjoyment of wanting to help them tap into their potential. Which, obviously, is what I hoped to do when I was a youth or children’s pastor. They invest money, effort, and sweat, so I look at it as I’m now responsible to invest my efforts and knowledge in them.
Q. What would an initial session with you look like assuming you are working with an athlete?
A. My preference would be to get them on a field or turf, warm them up my way, then see how they run and check their balance. I’ve made up a test where they sprint 20 or 30 yards and I time them and count their steps. We do that twice. Then we get into breaking down running form and spend time opening up their stride length. Generally, you can knock off anywhere from 1-2 steps and more than half a second after just working with them an hour. If we were talking strength training, I’m just like anyone else. I have a certain routine I like to take them through to see how they move, how they manipulate the weight or their body, learn a little about their strength levels, watch their coordination, etc. But, with athletes, I like to get out on turf first and see what we can work with.
Q. What would a session look like with that same athlete one month later?
A. A lot cleaner. We go through drills a lot faster. I don’t talk as much except to say, “PERFECT!” “EXACTLY!” I tend to get more excited than my athletes when it goes right. In the beginning there is so much teaching involved. And sometimes, even a month later, their form may not be DVD ready, but it has improved so much from when they first started that you feel like, “okay, we can get started now.” From there small adjustments are made each and every time.
Q. What projects are you working on currently?
A. Too many, but I guess that’s good. Building a website for the other company I am involved in with my former boss, NY Knicks Strength & Conditioning Coach Greg Brittenham. It’s called Academy For Human Performance. Also, we are revamping a book/manual DVD series he had previously out on the market called Complete Conditioning For Basketball. Then a solo project of my own, a manual/DVD set called Going Mobile, which is pretty much what I do to take my clients to my “Base Camp” so to speak. Here’s what we need to achieve so we can get going.
Q. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
A. I think training less people, but mentoring other coaches. Still teaching Total Athlete, though. I can’t give that up. Probably back in ministry in some capacity. Why? Where do you see me in five years? It sounds and rings familiar, but I want more time for my family. My wife Lisa and my now 1 year old son Dan, The Sequel, and I have so much fun together and I greedily want more of it. Maybe even venture out over the Tappan Zee Bridge to visit a friend of mine and actually meet his wife and daughter.
Q. Dan, how can our readers contact you?
A. I’m just a mouse click away. I have a contact page on my website www.TrinityBiomechanics.com and soon to be up and running on
www.academyforhumanperformance.com.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Fun with Squat Thrusts and Kettlebells
Check out this intense but strangely fun (in a sado-masochistic way) workout.
Don't forget to do a proper dynamic warm-up prior to starting. It's also a good idea to perform some core exercises and any other movements that you want to start with.
Time the workout
Try 3 passes of these "supersets"
Equipment: Kettlebell and your body.
Squat Thrust to Swing x 15
Squat Thrust to High Pull x 15
Squat Thrust to Clean and Press x 15 (each arm)
Most of my clients did each exercise with each hand. Drop the intensity down by doing the first 2 exercises with 2 hands. Raise the intensity back up by changing the press to a "lunge and press".
Have Fun.Stay Strong.
JF
War Against the Machines
Functional Training advocates tend to shy away from training with machines. Whether you agree with that approach or not the topic deserves a look. The following article is by John Grady, a Functional Training and Performance Enhancement Specialist currently living in the Netherlands. About two years ago he e-mailed me and I checked out his website. He definitely seems to get the whole functional training paradigm.I hope you enjoy his article as much as I did.
The War Against The Machines – The Revolution will not be televised.
By John Grady
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Just like a feature film. In a way there is sort of an ongoing war in the fitness/strength and conditioning industry; an untelevised war, fitness machines versus free weights. What’s better, what's safer? It's sort of parting the industry like Moses parted the red sea. On every issue there are pros and cons. So what's my take on this?
Those who know me know where I stand on this issue. I'm a born iron-head, and I’ve been lifting weights for as long as I can remember. While not being totally hard-core, I do love the feel of steel. Machines can give you a nice pump, but from a psychological and physical standpoint they just didn’t do it for me anymore. Basically, I became bored. I needed something different. Machine work just wasn’t challenging enough me anymore. So I would have to say; for sheer overall strength and power I have to go with free weights to get results - hands down (as long as you know what you're doing). Safety is always number one in my book. And if you train responsibly (using proper form and a reasonable load) weight training is very safe. Just respect yourself and the weights you’re using and you should be fine.
As far as function is concerned: that's so multifaceted. Leading fitness manufacturers would like to lead you to believe that their seated exercise machines are functional. I’ve even seen some marketing material from some top equipment manufacturers depicting professional athletes training on their so-called “new line”, using the seated leg extension, chest press, etc. Is that blasphemy or what? Then I would have to ask myself is this functional? If the answer is yes, then functional for whom? What I do know is that at least 90% of all sports are played in a standing position – except rowing, kayaking and wheelchair basketball to name a few.
When you use the typical machines found in most gyms or "life-style centers" you put your body in a position that doesn't even closely resemble how your body functions or operates (like Carlos Santana has said, it's like fitting your body with a cheap suit. It doesn't fit very well.) It's difficult to find a machine that perfectly fits over 700 muscles and 206 bones!
But for certain populations they probably are useful in very limited doses. I repeat – very limited doses, for example, for people with very little training experience (fitness novice) who is new to weight training, can’t control their own body weight and doesn’t like to perform bodyweight exercises, this might be a solution. And for the bodybuilder, whose primary purpose is to load a muscle group with a freakish amount of volume to increase muscle size. Trying to so-called pump and "isolate" a muscle group - which we all know is impossible and isn't a testament of true strength – but don’t try to tell them that! Useless strength is what it is (but no problem if that's their goal). These two groups are basically concerned about their appearance, not performance.
I still laugh to this day, because I was also sold on the same B.S. when I first started weight training. Hell, all I had for reference were all those muscle magazines (...no offence Joe Weider, but you know it's B.S.!) I had nothing but chronic injuries while trying to strength train. Performing pure bodybuilding routines (which I thought was true strength training back in the day) and play high level basketball at the same time. The two just don’t just don’t mix. Show muscle is not the same as performance muscle. But since I’ve become more involved with athletic performance, I’ve managed to eventually see the light.
There isn't a day that doesn't go by where I catch a client squirming in his seat (compensating) trying to push 80 to 100kg on the chest press or a behind the neck press on the Smith machine, and so on. I literally see the beginning of the end! These people just don't know what they're doing to themselves! And talking reason into them is like talking to a...a... Smith machine! We all know the types, with the unshakable, dogmatic mindset (almost cult like), that is not founded on fact or any functional or scientific principle...just gym science. They see Arnold and Coleman doing the latest muscle max routine using particular pieces of equipment, and they no doubt think that if it worked for Arnold and Ronnie Coleman, then it will work for me. - But anyway…
Bodies are meant to move three dimensionally through space (which is what free weight training allows). Muscles contracting, balancing and stabilizing and all three planes of motion (frontal, sagittal and transverse).The interplay of all these factors is what determines and creates human movement. Lack of this interplay is what causes injury. When you take a way the body's mobility to balance or stabilize, (which is exactly what machine training does) you've got a problem. You decrease the body's ability to protect itself during those dynamic, but rehearsed movements that we all encounter during a sporting event or while performing everyday activities.
Maybe you may not realize it at that very moment, but eventually it will come back to haunt you. Machine training causes movement pattern overload, placing unnecessary stress on your joints, tendons and ligaments; creating back, shoulder, and knee injuries of all sorts. For example while using the seated chest press; your transverse abdominus (part of your core musculature) which initiates all movement is basically asleep; while unnecessary loads are being placed on your wrists, shoulders and elbows, because you are forced to train in a certain movement pattern.
I'm not going to give machines a total thumbs down. They have their place in a training program... somewhere, in a rehab setting for example. Sometimes you have to try to isolate a muscle to improve its function, and then integrate later. But it seems that something has gotten lost in the way we prepare our bodies for sport/athletic movement. Somewhere between physical therapy and bodybuilding something has gotten misplaced. Ironic isn't it; the same machines physical therapists use to rehab an athlete are the very same ones that create most of the problems in the first place! I think we all have to make sure we give everything it’s proper place and know when enough is enough (e.g. too much volume, too much so-called isolation).
Like I said, maybe machines have their place in a program somewhere. But you'll never find them in any of mine. A good cable/pulley system is all I need (the Keizer functional trainer and Ground-Zero are good examples). I can’t imagine a coach or trainer telling me – with a smile on his face that their weight room injury rate is zero, is something to be proud of! - While half the team is on the injured list and their overall athletic performance sucks! I'm not an advocate of the sport safety for weight room safety trade-off -sorry. I can't count how many bodybuilders and athletes that have fallen to machine related injuries, myself included! Just out of pure ignorance. That’s a shame, because they're so easy to avoid.
So you have my answer. Machines use them sparingly and at your own risk. Free weights- you can't beat the carryover (e.g. balance and stabilization components), which is needed in every sport. Then there's also the creativity factor. The possibilities are endless. You can basically train your entire body with one or two sets of dumbbells, and build a nice one at that, (for those interested in only aesthetics) for a fraction of the cost of one of those multi-systems (you know the ones, with the chest press/ leg extension/ lat-Pulldown /leg-curl/ ETC, Etc, etc.) Name one piece of equipment where you can do so much with so little.
Free weights are definitely better.
Train intelligently, and remember – it’s about quality, not quantity.
John Grady
Specialist in Sports Conditioning
www.training-for-athletes.com
The War Against The Machines – The Revolution will not be televised.
By John Grady
Sounds exciting, doesn’t it? Just like a feature film. In a way there is sort of an ongoing war in the fitness/strength and conditioning industry; an untelevised war, fitness machines versus free weights. What’s better, what's safer? It's sort of parting the industry like Moses parted the red sea. On every issue there are pros and cons. So what's my take on this?
Those who know me know where I stand on this issue. I'm a born iron-head, and I’ve been lifting weights for as long as I can remember. While not being totally hard-core, I do love the feel of steel. Machines can give you a nice pump, but from a psychological and physical standpoint they just didn’t do it for me anymore. Basically, I became bored. I needed something different. Machine work just wasn’t challenging enough me anymore. So I would have to say; for sheer overall strength and power I have to go with free weights to get results - hands down (as long as you know what you're doing). Safety is always number one in my book. And if you train responsibly (using proper form and a reasonable load) weight training is very safe. Just respect yourself and the weights you’re using and you should be fine.
As far as function is concerned: that's so multifaceted. Leading fitness manufacturers would like to lead you to believe that their seated exercise machines are functional. I’ve even seen some marketing material from some top equipment manufacturers depicting professional athletes training on their so-called “new line”, using the seated leg extension, chest press, etc. Is that blasphemy or what? Then I would have to ask myself is this functional? If the answer is yes, then functional for whom? What I do know is that at least 90% of all sports are played in a standing position – except rowing, kayaking and wheelchair basketball to name a few.
When you use the typical machines found in most gyms or "life-style centers" you put your body in a position that doesn't even closely resemble how your body functions or operates (like Carlos Santana has said, it's like fitting your body with a cheap suit. It doesn't fit very well.) It's difficult to find a machine that perfectly fits over 700 muscles and 206 bones!
But for certain populations they probably are useful in very limited doses. I repeat – very limited doses, for example, for people with very little training experience (fitness novice) who is new to weight training, can’t control their own body weight and doesn’t like to perform bodyweight exercises, this might be a solution. And for the bodybuilder, whose primary purpose is to load a muscle group with a freakish amount of volume to increase muscle size. Trying to so-called pump and "isolate" a muscle group - which we all know is impossible and isn't a testament of true strength – but don’t try to tell them that! Useless strength is what it is (but no problem if that's their goal). These two groups are basically concerned about their appearance, not performance.
I still laugh to this day, because I was also sold on the same B.S. when I first started weight training. Hell, all I had for reference were all those muscle magazines (...no offence Joe Weider, but you know it's B.S.!) I had nothing but chronic injuries while trying to strength train. Performing pure bodybuilding routines (which I thought was true strength training back in the day) and play high level basketball at the same time. The two just don’t just don’t mix. Show muscle is not the same as performance muscle. But since I’ve become more involved with athletic performance, I’ve managed to eventually see the light.
There isn't a day that doesn't go by where I catch a client squirming in his seat (compensating) trying to push 80 to 100kg on the chest press or a behind the neck press on the Smith machine, and so on. I literally see the beginning of the end! These people just don't know what they're doing to themselves! And talking reason into them is like talking to a...a... Smith machine! We all know the types, with the unshakable, dogmatic mindset (almost cult like), that is not founded on fact or any functional or scientific principle...just gym science. They see Arnold and Coleman doing the latest muscle max routine using particular pieces of equipment, and they no doubt think that if it worked for Arnold and Ronnie Coleman, then it will work for me. - But anyway…
Bodies are meant to move three dimensionally through space (which is what free weight training allows). Muscles contracting, balancing and stabilizing and all three planes of motion (frontal, sagittal and transverse).The interplay of all these factors is what determines and creates human movement. Lack of this interplay is what causes injury. When you take a way the body's mobility to balance or stabilize, (which is exactly what machine training does) you've got a problem. You decrease the body's ability to protect itself during those dynamic, but rehearsed movements that we all encounter during a sporting event or while performing everyday activities.
Maybe you may not realize it at that very moment, but eventually it will come back to haunt you. Machine training causes movement pattern overload, placing unnecessary stress on your joints, tendons and ligaments; creating back, shoulder, and knee injuries of all sorts. For example while using the seated chest press; your transverse abdominus (part of your core musculature) which initiates all movement is basically asleep; while unnecessary loads are being placed on your wrists, shoulders and elbows, because you are forced to train in a certain movement pattern.
I'm not going to give machines a total thumbs down. They have their place in a training program... somewhere, in a rehab setting for example. Sometimes you have to try to isolate a muscle to improve its function, and then integrate later. But it seems that something has gotten lost in the way we prepare our bodies for sport/athletic movement. Somewhere between physical therapy and bodybuilding something has gotten misplaced. Ironic isn't it; the same machines physical therapists use to rehab an athlete are the very same ones that create most of the problems in the first place! I think we all have to make sure we give everything it’s proper place and know when enough is enough (e.g. too much volume, too much so-called isolation).
Like I said, maybe machines have their place in a program somewhere. But you'll never find them in any of mine. A good cable/pulley system is all I need (the Keizer functional trainer and Ground-Zero are good examples). I can’t imagine a coach or trainer telling me – with a smile on his face that their weight room injury rate is zero, is something to be proud of! - While half the team is on the injured list and their overall athletic performance sucks! I'm not an advocate of the sport safety for weight room safety trade-off -sorry. I can't count how many bodybuilders and athletes that have fallen to machine related injuries, myself included! Just out of pure ignorance. That’s a shame, because they're so easy to avoid.
So you have my answer. Machines use them sparingly and at your own risk. Free weights- you can't beat the carryover (e.g. balance and stabilization components), which is needed in every sport. Then there's also the creativity factor. The possibilities are endless. You can basically train your entire body with one or two sets of dumbbells, and build a nice one at that, (for those interested in only aesthetics) for a fraction of the cost of one of those multi-systems (you know the ones, with the chest press/ leg extension/ lat-Pulldown /leg-curl/ ETC, Etc, etc.) Name one piece of equipment where you can do so much with so little.
Free weights are definitely better.
Train intelligently, and remember – it’s about quality, not quantity.
John Grady
Specialist in Sports Conditioning
www.training-for-athletes.com
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Medicine Ball Training for Throwers
Check out this article from Mike Boyle,one of the best strength coaches around. He's also a nice guy that has taught me a lot.
Power development for throwers is often limited to Olympic lifting and plyometric drills. In recent years medicine ball training has made a comeback to become an integral part of training for any athlete interested in power development. The development of a wide range of both elastic and no-elastic medicine balls has re-popularized a long lost technique. For throwers the opportunity to develop rotational power is the primary benefit of medicine ball training. With both plyometrics and Olympic lifting, power development is uni-planar with no trunk focus. Medicine balls can be a tool like Olympic lifting and plyometrics for the trunk musculature. I often tell our athletes and coaches to think of medicine ball training as Olympic lifting for the core. The medicine ball as a tool for power development is unparalleled. No other training mode provides the specific strength and power potential of the medicine ball. Rotational medicine ball throws are the key to developing torso power for athletes involved in the throws. The new rubber medicine balls combined with a masonry wall are excellent for these applications due to the elasticity of the ball.
For overhead athletes like the javelin thrower the medicine ball provides great eccentric training for the rotator cuff while developing power in the core muscles. In addition for all throwers total body power can be developed through total body throws with heavy balls. Total body throws should be done in a large open area and are great to simulate the actions of the Olympic lifts. Total body throws are particularly useful for coaches who do not feel comfortable teaching Olympic lifts. Balls like the Dynamax Ball and the D-Balls are excellent for these applications as they do not bounce. The Dynamax balls are also great for exercises like Medicine ball bench presses. Medicine ball bench presses are excellent for upper body power for larger athletes since they do not stress the rotator cuff and shoulder like plyometric pushups and other bodyweight upper body plyometrics. The Dynamax ball can also be caught with minimal stresses on the wrists due to its soft feel.
The limit to the Medicine Ball is the limit of the coaches’ imagination.
For rotational throws it is best to find an area with a masonry wall. In rotational throws the athlete can throw as hard as possible against the wall with balls in the 4-5 kilo range to develop true power in the core and hips. Excellent imitative drills for throwers can be developed once the athlete masters the basics.
Rotation Progression:
The rotational progression begins with the athlete on both knees in what is called a “tall kneeling” position.
Tall kneeling is a position with the athlete kneeling and the hips extended. Beginning with kneeling eliminates the ankle and knee joints and exposes weaknesses and compensation patterns that may not be visible in standing throws. In addition “tall kneeling” teaches the athlete to use the glutes. For rotational exercises use heavier balls to force the core to work. Adult males can start with 4-5 K balls.
Rotation Progression:
1. Kneeling Front Twist: (facing wall, 2-3 feet away)
2. Kneeling Side Twist: (90 degrees to wall, 2-3 feet away)
3. ½ Kneeling: front and side. Half kneeling is a one knee down position. These throws can de done with the inside knee up or down.
4. Lunge Position: same throws as above. Throwing from the lunge position challenges stability, strength, and flexibility. In addition throwing from the lunge position develops isometric strength. Lunge position throws may in fact be may be harder than standing.
5. Standing: front and side
6. Standing with step
7. Single leg
In addition to developing rotary power, the same progression of positions can be used for overhead throws for javelin throwers. Overhead throws should be done with 2-3 kilo balls. Care must be taken when providing stress to the rotator cuff.
Total Body Power:
As I mentioned in the introduction, the medicine ball is also a great tool for total body power. This is particularly useful for athletes that are unfamiliar with Olympic lifts or have injuries that prevent them performing exercises like cleans or snatches. In addition total body throws allow coaches uncomfortable with teaching the Olympic lifts to get hip and leg power work in a resisted situation.
Some suggested throws are from a squat position forward, a scoop type throw from a squat position, and throws from the lunge position.
It is important that athletes not attempt to catch a medicine ball thrown by a partner. Catching heavy medicine balls can be dangerous to both the shoulders and the fingers of the athlete.
Medicine ball throws should be treated like any other strength and power exercise. 20-30 throws ( 2-3 sets of 10) of each type can be done twice per week. For rotational throws follow the progression above. As the athlete moves from tall kneeling, to half kneeling, and eventually to standing, the link between the hips and the hands will show rapid improvement. Throwers should perform rotational throws a minimum of two days per week but, a maximum of three days per week. Keep volumes low to moderate and tell your athletes to throw the ball like they want to break it. For throwers the medicine ball may be the most underrated tool to develop rotational power.
Michael Boyle is a Boston based strength and conditioning consultant. Boyle is the author of Functional Training for Sports and Designing Strength Training Programs and Facilities. In addition Boyle has just produced a Medicine Ball Training DVD. All are available from Perform Better website.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Movement is Life
This article was written by my friend Giles Wiley. I hope you enjoy it.
By Giles Wiley MS CSCS
The Article
I’ve just returned from the Renegade-Athletic Training Workshop for sports conditioning and, once again, I was reminded that movement is life. In order to lead a high quality and dynamic life, we need high quality and dynamic movement.
We have to remember that the only time we’re ever totally still is when we’re dead!
I’ve got to tell you the amount that most people move in modern life is pitiful and leads me to the question: “Are we now in the Land of the Living Dead?”
I’ve seen a change over the last decade in the level of people's activity. People are literally forgetting how to move, their muscles are tight and becoming atrophied and their nervous systems are shutting down. They spend their entire lives sitting behind a desk, sitting in a car, or sitting on a couch and then, if they do go to a gym, they once again sit down.
For many people, the energy, passion, and fun have gone from exercise and with it their passion for life. Take a look around your local fitness club and you’ll see the majority of people sitting on a machine staring aimlessly into space. Very few people will even break a sweat; the majority will push or pull on some token handle for 30 seconds, then take a 5-minute rest to watch TV before the next exercise.
My background is in rehab and I still remember clearly my internship on an Orthopedic Ward. The majority of patients were elderly and in the hospital for major surgery. It was our job to get the patients up and moving again as soon as possible after surgery. The longer they stayed in bed the less potential they had for a healthy recovery. In fact, after a few weeks working on the ward I realized that the patients who spent much more than a few days without moving would start to deteriorate fast. I’d literally see some of them giving up hope and dying in front of my eyes.
It doesn’t have to be this way! We are all amazing creatures capable of incredible movement, power and grace. Refuse to be trapped in the rut any longer. Break out and start to think of each exercise session as a chance to fully express yourself and the sort of life you desire.
If movement is life – I’ll take a fun, dynamic, and flexible, life everyday!
About The Author
Giles Wiley has spent 14 years scouring the world, seeking out the best of the best in all aspects of peak performance in an attempt to improve his own performance and ultimately yours. This search came about through both his desire and his frustration - his desire to realize his full physical potential, and his frustration with the information that he was currently finding on human movement and the 'secrets' of power development.
With this in mind Giles set out on his journey of discovery, and what a journey it’s been! He's studied with, trained, and worked alongside world and Olympic champions, internationally renowned sports scientists and rehabilitative experts, masters of ancient systems and creators of innovative new physical systems. He's obtained numerous degrees and diplomas in exercise physiology, physiotherapy, human nutrition, sports restoration and massage, and strength and conditioning.
In addition Giles has trained with many of the top martial artists in the world, he's obtained black-belts and won national championships, he's represented his country internationally and sold all of his belongings (numerous times) to go on martial arts pilgrimages.
Currently, Giles is a Manhattan based Personal Trainer and Martial Arts Instructor. He is the author of a number of books and DVDs on combat conditioning and success in celebrity personal-training. Check out Giles at www.gileswiley.com
By Giles Wiley MS CSCS
The Article
I’ve just returned from the Renegade-Athletic Training Workshop for sports conditioning and, once again, I was reminded that movement is life. In order to lead a high quality and dynamic life, we need high quality and dynamic movement.
We have to remember that the only time we’re ever totally still is when we’re dead!
I’ve got to tell you the amount that most people move in modern life is pitiful and leads me to the question: “Are we now in the Land of the Living Dead?”
I’ve seen a change over the last decade in the level of people's activity. People are literally forgetting how to move, their muscles are tight and becoming atrophied and their nervous systems are shutting down. They spend their entire lives sitting behind a desk, sitting in a car, or sitting on a couch and then, if they do go to a gym, they once again sit down.
For many people, the energy, passion, and fun have gone from exercise and with it their passion for life. Take a look around your local fitness club and you’ll see the majority of people sitting on a machine staring aimlessly into space. Very few people will even break a sweat; the majority will push or pull on some token handle for 30 seconds, then take a 5-minute rest to watch TV before the next exercise.
My background is in rehab and I still remember clearly my internship on an Orthopedic Ward. The majority of patients were elderly and in the hospital for major surgery. It was our job to get the patients up and moving again as soon as possible after surgery. The longer they stayed in bed the less potential they had for a healthy recovery. In fact, after a few weeks working on the ward I realized that the patients who spent much more than a few days without moving would start to deteriorate fast. I’d literally see some of them giving up hope and dying in front of my eyes.
It doesn’t have to be this way! We are all amazing creatures capable of incredible movement, power and grace. Refuse to be trapped in the rut any longer. Break out and start to think of each exercise session as a chance to fully express yourself and the sort of life you desire.
If movement is life – I’ll take a fun, dynamic, and flexible, life everyday!
About The Author
Giles Wiley has spent 14 years scouring the world, seeking out the best of the best in all aspects of peak performance in an attempt to improve his own performance and ultimately yours. This search came about through both his desire and his frustration - his desire to realize his full physical potential, and his frustration with the information that he was currently finding on human movement and the 'secrets' of power development.
With this in mind Giles set out on his journey of discovery, and what a journey it’s been! He's studied with, trained, and worked alongside world and Olympic champions, internationally renowned sports scientists and rehabilitative experts, masters of ancient systems and creators of innovative new physical systems. He's obtained numerous degrees and diplomas in exercise physiology, physiotherapy, human nutrition, sports restoration and massage, and strength and conditioning.
In addition Giles has trained with many of the top martial artists in the world, he's obtained black-belts and won national championships, he's represented his country internationally and sold all of his belongings (numerous times) to go on martial arts pilgrimages.
Currently, Giles is a Manhattan based Personal Trainer and Martial Arts Instructor. He is the author of a number of books and DVDs on combat conditioning and success in celebrity personal-training. Check out Giles at www.gileswiley.com
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