I'm Ready to Admit a Few Things
I wanted to give an update to my plant-based dietary efforts this week and also thought there were a couple other things on my mind worth acknowledging/admitting to. Thank goodness people tend to become wiser as they get older…
- Plant-based diets do not make you stronger, that’s for sure. BUT, they do keep you healthy and help you maintain a healthy body-weight. I’ve been eating a plant-based diet for about 18 or 19 months now. I won’t call myself a vegan or a vegetarian as that’s not completely accurate, but I will tell you that I consume animal products (dairy, meat, poultry, pork, etc.) only about 2% of the time. Here is what I’ve learned:
- Plant-based diets always get big criticism for their cost, well, let me tell you we spend about 35% less at the grocery store each week than we used to. When you’re not buying family packs of chicken breasts each week, plus all the other animal protein products, your grocery bill takes a nose-dive. We used to spend around $100/week on groceries and now we average between $50-70/week.
- I eat copious amounts of carbohydrates and maintain a lower body weight than I have in about 10 years. Read into the details there however you want, but I have zero cravings as compared to the way I used to eat (high protein, moderate fat, low/moderate carbohydrate).
- I’m reducing my risk of a variety of diseases – cancer being the most notable. Cancer risk has been (via credible research) linked to the consumption of animal products, especially dairy. The cancer reason is 100% why I started this endeavor in the first place as cancer has left its mark on my family.
- You can also reduce your risk of a variety of diseases by eating lots of plants and lean meats.
- Here’s the biggie: MY STRENGTH LEVELS ARE NOTABLY LOWER than they were before I embraced this dietary lifestyle. Initially, I thought this was a pregnancy by-product issue, but Arabella is now 16-months old, so clearly, that’s no longer the problem. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t morphed into a weakling, I am usually the strongest female in any room (unless Kelsey is around…), just not by such a large margin anymore! Honestly, I’m not surprised I haven’t been able to gain strength, but I am shocked I haven't been able to come close to achieving pre-pregnancy strength levels.
- Speed squats and/or speed deadlifts triumph over Olympic lifts each and every day of the week in terms of the MOST efficient way to improve explosiveness and strength (I feel like I preach this at least once a week). But, if you consider yourself a strength coach, you better have an excellent knowledge base about how to implement all aspects of strength-speed training – and this includes the Olympic lifts.
- In the past (thankfully, this is years in the past) I may have been overheard saying something to the effect of “I don’t get it why parents always use their kids as an excuse for not getting to workout. Just commit the time.” And I guarantee whatever variation of this statement I actually used would have been laced with some pretty heavy cynicism. But, I will now admit – as a parent myself – that fitting training into the details of every day is quite a challenge. But, I often remind myself that while I'm training for a lot of personal goals, I'm also training to set an example for my daughter. I want her to see that training is an essential and healthy part of being a responsible adult and something I want her to learn to embrace over time. So, if you’re a parent who fits training into their daily or weekly routine, give yourself a pat on the back!
This is a call to arms against New Year’s resolutions!
Ready to freak-out…New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner!!! Did you just break-out in a cold sweat? Did you just un-tuck your shirt to more seamlessly blend the muffin top into your lower extremities? Are you slowly moving towards your snack drawer to dispose of the various half-eaten processed delicacies stroon about…ya, I’m on to you. Folks, this is a call to arms against preventing what you really want for yourself; to once again have a waistline; finally beat your friend “Svelte Jerry” in your weekend tennis match, and not worry about your knee exploding in the process; to not live in fear of your annual check-up.
My friends, climb aboard the SAPT rowboat, and like GW crossing the Delaware, we’re gonna sneak-up and ambush our opposition...failed New Year Resolutions, no more. Don’t wait for the bleating attempts by surrounding commercial gyms to wrangle you into some membership you’ll never use, because at that point it’ll be too late (I’m a poet and didn’t even know it).
HEALTHY HABITS MUST BEGIN NOW. Trust me, it’s the only way you’ll be able to curb, and defeat, your unhealthy infatuation with snickerdoodles, the little cookies with Hershey kisses on top, and the latest “housewives” series? You know why, because GOING COLD TURKEY ON JANURARY 1ST DOESN’T WORK!
What you need is plan, something to guide you through the season of endless fruit cakes. Perhaps something like an SAPT individualized training program? You need some motivation, and a sense of accountability. Perhaps the knowledgeable SAPT staff and encouraging-positive room dynamic created by our semi-private training model would do the trick? What you need is a reason to have only a small slice of cheesecake instead of the entire pan? Perhaps knowing that the SAPT Prowler (our weight sled) is in your metabolic finisher tomorrow and you’d rather not taint our pristine turf with bits of graham crack crust and heavy cream (too far (?)…probably)? Perhaps viewing the incredible physical transformation of SAPT’ee lifer, Ron Reed, in the video below will stoke your fire:
Ladies, and gents, the solution is simple, set yourself up for success by enrolling in one of our adult training structures. We understand that change is difficult, but as it’s been proven to us time and time again, with a little help and guidance, SAPT’ees can accomplish some pretty amazing things. Let us help you.
Cue “Rocky” soundtrack,
Chris
Taking “at home/on your own” training programs a step…more like a giant leap, further…
Now I’m not gonna sit here on my soap box and pretend that some of the “at home/on your own” programs and gadgets (both past and present…I won’t mention any names…ha-ha-ha-choooo-p90xgazellefreestylerinsanitybuttmasterorwasitthighmaster?totalgymchucknorrisissweetthough, pardon me, just allergies) haven’t “worked” for some people (define worked…), but what I’ll also say is that for every one “success story” there’s probably another five epic fails following close behind. Epic fails include: -Those three easy payments collecting dust in your video library or home gym.
-A visit to the orthopedic with a bum back or knee because what you didn’t know was that performing a-bajillion “plyometric movements” (it’s in quotes because, well, you really weren’t doing plyometrics in their true context…sorry) in a single training session isn’t a sound protocol for a freakin’ Olympic Triple Jumper, nor is it the proper prescription for you.
-Or, how about this, your preexisting knee condition has gotten worse because maybe attempting to execute an absorbitant amount of single leg broad jumps in one training session is, well, just silly. Or, maybe because the program overlooked the progressive overload of resistance that’s required to increase joint strength and integrity. Or, maybe it was because you were never provided any coaching or feedback, or heck, maybe you weren’t even shown proper form in the first place. The total acquired benefit from performing all those squats incorrectly…nada. To top it off, it sucks you’ll have to sit-out the father-son scrimmage, and the company golf outing again this year, huh?
-Finally, you haven’t gotten an ounce stronger, increased your lean body mass by a negligible amount, and subsequently are still holding on to that spare tire.
Well here’s the deal people, you’ve invested more money than you might like to admit in great marketing campaigns, now it’s time to stand-up against QVC and take a chance on SAPT’s Distance Coaching Training Programs. Well, that’s unless you feel training programs that include and deliver the following isn’t your cup of tea:
-Consideration of your current level of physical preparedness, medical history, and goals, FIRST, and construction of an appropriate training protocol SECOND…you know, so that you don’t quit on the program because the one size fits all shoe is a little too large for your size 8.5’s.
-Weekly correspondence with a real freakin’ certified performance coach who can quickly troubleshoot any questions or issues you may have encountered with your individualized training program.
-Video analysis of your movements to ensure you’re not just lunging just for the sake of lunging, rather trying to a-c-c-o-m-p-l-i-s-h something with each repetition.
-Mobile phone accessible, exercise demonstrations (coaching cues included!), performed by a certified performance coach (with his, or her, shirt on(!), imagine that…Steve, keep your shirt on…) so you know exactly how the movement is supposed to be executed.
- Did you know there is a 10% decrease in total number of muscle fibers per decade after the age of 50? Our distance coaching training programs safely implement multi-joint movements, and progressively increase resistance, to improve power output and elicit the physiological responses necessary to ward off muscular atrophy, and the increased disposition to store fat, that occurs as one ages. Check-out distance coaching client, Frank. Dude could barely hip hinge properly when he first started working with SAPT (come’on Frank, admit it). Now he’s safely smashing front squat to a box a bit below parallel…on his time, in the comfort of his garage gym!
Oh, and my Mom wanted me to note that her bone density readings have been much improved since she’s begun her distance coaching protocol. How many post menopausal, or soon to be, women do you know who need this? Mom also wanted me to note that she appreciates the positive change in my Dad’s mood since he’s begun his distance coaching protocol; she also appreciates the gluteal hypertrophy…gross.
To contact us and get more details regarding our Distance Coaching Training Programs, click HERE.
We look forward to helping you.
Chris
A Little Bit About Knee Injuries
Why Do Knee Injuries Occur?1. Poor biomechanical alignment 2. Suboptimal muscle function and strength 3. Poor mobility at adjacent joints 4. Poor strength in surrounding musculature 5. Excessive tension in surrounding muscle and fascia 6. Overuse Types of Knee Injuries 1. Acute knee injuries are those that occur in a moment – as in "if you blink at the wrong moment you’ll miss it" kind of thing. Acute knee injuries result in ligament tears, meniscal tears, etc. By taking a small mental step forward, acute knee traumas can further be classified into two separate categories: contact and non-contact injury.
Anytime I find out an athlete I work with has sustained the ever popular ACL tear the first thing I want to know is if it was a contact situation or not. Why? Because in the situation of a contact injury, there is really nothing that can be done to avoid sustaining that ACL tear (or insert your own injury of choice). In fact, the knee in question can often be functioning perfectly without any strength imbalances or deficiencies whatsoever. And that means that there was an outside force that initiated the injury sequence. A good example is that of a soccer player who is slide tackled. If the foot is planted as the impact occurs, say goodbye to continued knee health and hello to months of therapy. Even the most “perfect” knee will usually not make it out of that situation unscathed.
On the other hand, a non-contact injury typically occurs because the athlete is not strong enough to decelerate his or her own body mass safely. For example, if a basketball player goes to plant and cut and the knee simply “goes-out.” In this instance there was no contact to blame, instead the cause is simply lack of strength (with probable issues of joint restriction about certain joints, too). Chronic Myofascial Injury This is another extremely popular knee injury amongst young athletes. This one is very general and more of the “my knee hurts” kind of pain in which there are no signs of traumatic injury of any kind. In reality, this isn’t so much a knee injury, as a problem with the muscle tissue. My caution here is if you are a coach be sure you don’t write off these types of complaints as unfounded because this is a real problem that should be addressed by improving movement techniques and taking a look at the volume of work (so, think improve strength and address overuse). Chronic Joint Injury These are the old injuries that really settle in as we age and usually affect people that have had serious knee pain or have been dealing with a traumatic injury for and extended period of time. “Current literature indicates that a one-time trauma (such as an ACL tear) significantly increases the probability of knee osteoarthritis, pain, and functional limitations later in life.” – Bulletproof Knees In the case of chronic joint injury, performance improvements are no longer important. At this point the emphasis must be placed on improving the comfort of daily living, longevity of the joint, and avoiding major surgery.
10 Things You Must Do for Healthy Knees 1. Get your glutes firing!!! 2. Strengthen the posterior chain 3. Lots-O-Single-leg work 4. Strengthen the quads 5. Work frequently to improve hip mobility (like it’s going out of style) 6. Address ankle mobility 7. Maintain and improve tissue length 8. Maintain and improve tissue quality 9. LEARN TO ABSORB FORCE CORRECTLY!!! (This one is crucial, but you must have already gone through a focused period working on numbers 1-8 before attacking force absorption whole-heartedly) 10. Improve diet and supplementation (when appropriate)
So, where/how should you get started? The obvious answer is to click here and start training with us in-person or via our distance program. Buuuuuuut, if you're really eager, here is a great starter exercise that will knock out at least 5 or the 10 listed above: Stepback Slider Lunges
Many thanks to Mike Robertson's excellent source on all things knee related in Bulletproof Knees - I've referenced it many times over the last two years and leaned on it heavily for this post, too.
Monday Guest Post
Stevo is still pretty under the weather. So, in his place on this fine Monday, Ryan Wood will make his blog post debut! Enjoy: I was recently talking to a friend of mine who is a former collegiate basketball player about strength and conditioning for basketball. Our conversation was centered on getting faster in the change of direction aspect of defensive slides. He asked me what he should do and I began thinking about what I used to do or what coaches would make me do in order to get better at this same exact thing. Endless amounts of wall sits, shuttles, and defensive slide drills flooded back into the forefront of my mind as well as stomach acid in my esophagus. After the thoughts and stomach acid dissipated I began thinking as a professional strength coach and not as a high school basketball player. Because of my troubles playing defense when I was younger I wanted to give him good sound advice.
I was always told when my man got by me that I had to be faster changing direction. Well 10 years later after no one was able to tell me exactly how to do that, I found out for myself. When a ball-handler decides to cross over with the basketball it is up to the defender to suddenly stop a full speed slide, plant, push off their outside foot to switch directions, and continue into another full speed slide. Sounds like a lot right? Now you can see why defenders get beat so much off the dribble and why things like help defense exist.
In the scenario I described what you see is the product of the defenders ability to start and stop. This may seem easy but it’s really quite hard, especially when you are not genetically gifted. In order for a defender to stop they have to be able to absorb the force of their own body against the floor while almost instantaneously using the same side of the body to produce force into the floor to start their movement again. Now if this still seems easy let me throw another wrench into the equation. Not only do you have to absorb and produce force in order to change directions you have to be able to do it fast (high velocity). If there lacks an ability to perform this change of direction quickly, then you just got beat by your man.
Can anyone pick out the two key words that are extremely important to this whole defense thing? If you guessed “wrench” or “easy” then take another guess. The two key words are force and velocity. And what do we get when we multiply force times velocity? POWER! Power is the key to being an excellent defender. Now I’m sure you’re asking how you can increase your power output in order to become a better defender. I could write something lengthy on this subject but I’ll just give you a couple key exercises to use. These exercises will help you produce more power and provide specificity to the change of direction aspect of defensive slides.
First, dynamic effort squats to depth. This type of squat is performed at maximal speeds with submaximal weight (50-65% of a 1RM). This type squat will allow you to switch from the eccentric to the concentric phase at high speeds not unlike the change of direction that occurs during a defensive slide. This exercise will call on the same main musculature that is required when playing defense (knee and hip extensors).
Second, lateral bounds and stick. This exercise is extremely important for players looking to better their man-to-man defense. The reason being is that it improves power output by working on your ability to absorb and produce force unilaterally (one side of the body). I would argue that during the change of direction phase of defense that it is predominantly a unilateral movement rather than bilateral. However, that whole argument is a different topic for a different day. This exercise will also help in ACL injury prevention by improving the musculature and connective tissue of the knee.
Third, banded monster walks. This exercise provides some great activation and strengthening of the glutes. Considering most people are very quad dominant, especially basketball players, the ability to properly activate your glutes is vital to being able to produce force at high velocities. Defense is as easy as Power = Force X Velocity. It’s a bad joke; but you’ll remember it.
In-Season Training Programs for Fall Sport Student-Athletes: Retain and Rejuvenate
Scientific research and my own personal experiences have proven to me how critical in-season training is to ensure optimal performance, and ultimately realization of off-season training goals. SAPT in-season training programs aim to deliver the following: -While it’s not uncommon for novice and some intermediate trainees to garner strength and power improvements even while in-season, the focus for most should be on strength and power retention. Studies have shown that within just 2-weeks of training stoppage, one will begin experiencing declining strength levels and power output. Considering that the majority of a season’s most important competitions occur well after the 2-week mark, and you can imagine the competitive advantage one will possess if he or she remains consistent with training through the duration of a season.
Closely managed in-season programming will allow one to peak when the stakes are at their highest. Don’t let the 2”+ vertical jump improvement you worked so hard to attain during the spring and summer months dwindle before your most important competitions!
-Maintain the overall physiological health and well being of the organism. Often overlooked is the asymmetrical nature of sport. The countless, often times one-sided, repetitions one takes during a competitive season can snowball into overuse injuries. In-season training programs should include the mobility drills, corrective exercise, stretching, and soft tissue work necessary to limit restrictions and imbalances caused by sport.
-Rejuvenate the mind and body. An appropriately structured in-season maintenance plan considers both the physiological and psychological demands of a competitive season. Balancing school work, practice, travel, and competitions is friggin’ a grind. A focused, concise training session that incorporates some soft tissue work, total body movements, and some good conversation, will go a long way in ensuring both the mental and structural stability of a student-athlete.
To learn more information about our in-season maintenance training programs, CLICK HERE!!!
Chris
