Sarah Walls 11/29/11 Sarah Walls 11/29/11

Strength Training In-Season & Cirque Video

For most of our readers this is a "preaching to the choir" study I found: "Effects of complex training on explosive strength in adolescent male basketball players." But, I thought it was worth posting for those few of our readers who may not be fully sold on in-season training:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a complex training program, a combined practice of weighttraining and plyometrics, on explosive strength development of young basketball players. Twenty-five young male athletes, aged 14-15 years old, were assessed using squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), Abalakov test (ABA), depth jump (DJ), mechanical power (MP), and medicine ball throw (MBT), before and after a 10-week in-season training program. Both the control group (CG; n = 10) and the experimental group (EG; n = 15) kept up their regular sports practice; additionally, the EG performed 2 sessions per week of a complex training program. The EG significantly improved in the SJ, CMJ, ABA, and MBT values (p < 0.05). The CG significantly decreased the values (p < 0.05) of CMJ, ABA, and MP, while significantly increasing the MBT values (p < 0.05). Our results support the use of complex training to improve the upper and lower body explosivity levels in young basketball players. In conclusion, this study showed that more strength conditioning is needed during the sport practice season. Furthermore, we also conclude that complex training is a useful working tool for coaches, innovative in this strength-training domain, equally contributing to a better time-efficient training.

As a college strength and conditioning coach and the owner of SAPT, I've seen countless times how important strength training is for athletes to remain strong, fast, and free of injury during the practice and in-season time frame. I always get a chuckle out of athletes (or their parents) who only "need" 4-6 weeks of preparation before their respective tryouts begin.

Check out this nonsense someone sent to me (and by nonsense, I mean this is absolutely so amazing that it is ridiculous):

Lastly, Ryan and I are expecting a new bambino or bambina at the end of May! Have you ever heard the term "Irish twins?" I hadn't... apparently, it refers to siblings born in close succession. It originated in the 1800's and was a derogatory term used to describe the reproductive tendencies of Irish immigrants. Someone suggested yesterday I will have Irish twins with baby #2. Technically, I think they would need to be born closer to 12 months apart... our kids will be 23 months apart, thank you very much.

Sarah Walls 11/1/11 Sarah Walls 11/1/11

Squat vs. Box Squat (+ Personal Update)

I just stumbled upon a study published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research in December 2010 titled: “Comparison of kinetic variables and muscle activity during a squat vs. a box squat.” Basically, what the study found is that box squatting was measured to produce both more force and more power than a traditional squat at certain working percentages!

I’m sure many people assume the box’s only value is to ensure depth, but those of us who are familiar with old articles from Westside Barbell or EliteFTS know better:

A pause on the box – with or without relaxation – takes away the stretch-shortening cycle and forces the athlete to generate all that speed and power from the bottom position. No relying on stored energy, this pays huge dividends when you finally get the opportunity to use a “bounce” out of the hole.
The same pause that removes the stretch-shortening cycle is also the responsible factor for why box squatting or dynamic effort box squatting can be considered valuable supplemental deadlift work, too. Why? In the deadlift you start from the bottom with virtually no stored energy.
A bigger squat and a bigger deadlift?!? Sign me up!

Below I’ve put in a repost of mine from last May. Maybe the big gains were due to the BOX? Eh, it was still the dynamic effort work, I’m certain. But, I've now found real science backing up that decision to use a box:

Dynamic Effort Training to Fuel Huge Strength Gains (from May 2011)

I had something wonderful happen last week: the George Mason Throwers – who just came off the season – retested in the squat and everyone PR’d. I’m not talking 5lb PR’s, we had HUGE PR’s of 55lb and even 60lb (that’s a 365lb squat moving up to 425lb and a 455lb squat moving up to 510lb)! The lowest PR was 20lb. This progress occurred over about 16-weeks. By the way, I called the depth on each attempt myself, anyone who knows me personally knows I’m a stickler for proper squat depth.

I will be (and that day I was) the first to admit how shocked I was at our new numbers. You see, we were retesting so everyone could be sure they are working off the correct percentages for their summer training program. Coming off the season, I figured everyone would be down around their old max (if we’re lucky) or even below… that’s how it works, right? Maybe not…In hindsight, my approach to this team (much like the sprinters and jumpers I wrote about last week) has been extremely conservative. So what was the catalyst for all these great PR’s? Dynamic Effort Squats (or Speed Squats as they’re sometimes called) are the key to their success.

What are they? Dynamic Effort squatting is a squat that is performed using relatively low percentages and performed as fast as possible through the concentric portion.

Why did we use them?The Throws’ coach communicated to me at some point in December or January that the group, generally speaking, needed to learn to accelerate through to the “block” portion of the throw. I suggested Speed Squats.

How do you use them? Don’t mess with success: There is a pretty tried and true method to speed squat success and you can work off of these parameters for YEARS. If you are new to speed squatting try this wave over a three-week period: Week 1 10x2@50% - Week 2 10x2@55% - Week 3 8x2@60% - stay strict with a maximum of 60 seconds rest between sets.

Can Olympic lifts take the place of Dynamic Effort Squats? Theoretically, yes. In practice, absolutely not! The problem with the Olympic lifts and their variations is the complexity of the movement – it is, after all, its own sport. You are better off taking a simple movement that an athlete is familiar with and squeezing out every drop of progress (which will last through 4-5 years of a college career, I promise).

It blows my mind how relatively unknown Dynamic Effort lifting remains to many coaches. But, then again, the only reason I know the ins and outs of the method is via my colleagues over the years. Okay, I NEVER do this, so since you’re probably already sitting down – stay there! I don’t want anyone injured… Below are a full 4 waves of lower body lifting I wrote for the throwers this past semester. You’ll see that we did a lot of speed squatting and very little heavy accessory work. Really take a close look at the last few weeks. Oh, and a note about Wave 3, the team’s CNS was trashed so I took the DE squats out to let the team recoup. Finally, in addition to this mandatory team session lower body training day, we had an additional Saturday lift that was to be completed on their own. It consisted of very basic movements to “clean up” what we couldn’t get to during the two days they see me.

Wave 1: Weeks 1-3

A1 High Pull

6x3@65%

5x2@75%

4x1@85%+

A2 Rocking Ankle Mob

2x10

Banded DE Box Squat

10x2@40-50%

9x2@45-55%

8x2@50-60%

B1 Band Pistol Sq

2x5

3x5

3x6

B2 Pallof Press

2x6

2x7

2x8

C1 DB Swing

2x12

3x10

3x12

C2 Plate Pinch

2x:15

2x:20

3x:15

Wave 2: Weeks 4-6

DE Box Squat

10x2@50%

9x2@55%

8x2@60%

A1 Oblique Deadlift

6x3

6x2

4x1

A2 Body Saw

3x10

B1 Bulgarian Split Sq

2x5

3x5

3x6

B2 St. Arm Walkout

2x6

2x7

2x8

C1 OH Plate Squat

3x6

3x8

4x6

C2 Plate Pinch Driver

2x10

3x8

3x10

Week 7: Deload Week – light DB and bodyweight work… step away from the barbell!Wave 3: Weeks 8-10 – Taper Begins

“Low” Bar Squat (1/4 Squat depth)

4x3@75%

3x2@80%

3x1@85%+

A1 Oblique Deadlift

4x3

3x2

skip

A2 Partner Plank

4x:15

3x:20

2x:10

B1 SL DB RDL

3x6

2x8

2x5

B2 MB Side Throw

3x6

3x7

2x5

C1 OH Plate Squat

2x10

3x8

3x6

C2 Hex Hold

2xFAIL!

Wave 4: Weeks 11-13 – Taper Continues to Conference

DE Box Squat

5x2@50%

4x2@55%

n/a

“Low” Bar Squat

3x1

n/a

A1 SL ¼ Squat

2x5

A2 MB OH Throw

2x5

DB OH Squat

2x6

2x5

3x6

Lastly, here's a personal update from the weekend: Arabella "successfully completed" her first 1K race - I believe it was with a blazing fast time of 17:25. She made it on her own for a little less than half the race and I carried her the rest of the way.

In all honestly, the "Fun" Run was anything but fun. 1. It was super cold outside which wouldn't have been so much of a problem if they had started the race on time, not made everyone stand there for an extra 25 minutes. 2. Number 1 led to a fairly uncomfortable and cranky Arabella (finely tuned athletes can not be kept waiting!). 3. There was ice all over the place! Arabella slipped several times as she pushed for a PR.

The Goblin Gallop was well run, as always, and they certainly didn't have control over the weather. Regardless, I think this will be a wonderful memory for my family in the future!

Sarah Walls 10/31/11 Sarah Walls 10/31/11

On the Other Side of the (Training) Coin

My wife and I just returned from an awesome honeymoon in Boston, where we enjoyed some much-needed quality time together, experienced the city of Boston for the first time, and also got in some (five, to be exact) sweet training sessions up at Cressey Performance. Upon returning from the Northeast, there are a few summarizing points that immediately come to mind:

The food in Boston is outstanding. We tried a number of restaurants and ordered an eclectic assortment of food, and are yet to be disappointed with the food quality/taste. *Fist bump to Boston for making it hard-pressed to find bad food.*
While the food in Boston may be outstanding, the drivers are not. I couldn't believe I was experiencing drivers more moronic than those in DC. I understand it's expected to find ridiculous drivers when you enter any crowded area, but, I mean, it was literally as if the lane markers, stop signs, and traffic lights were casual suggestions as opposed to, oh I don't know, RULES maybe? To their credit, there quite a few ambiguous lanes and intersections, but needless to say we put on our bulletproof vests every time we set out for a drive, and I'm surprised we ended each day unscathed.
The city of Boston is my favorite city thus far. I've been to most of the major U.S. cities (Atlanta, DC, Philly, New York, Chicago, L.A., San Diego) and I have to say that Boston takes the cake. Walkable, plenty of beautiful scenery, people biking/running everywhere, lots of history, delicious food (see point #1)
Training at Cressey Performance was awesome. The staff was friendly/knowledgeable, the training atmosphere was invigorating, they have a dog mascot, Tank, who frequents the premises (see picture), and it was an incredible learning experience.
Tony Gentilcore consumes dead animal flesh faster than anyone I have ever met (we went to dinner with him and his girlfriend, and I think he was finished his turkey tips and double serving of broccoli long before I got my first bite of new york strip down).

Anywho, as previously mentioned, we trained at CP five out of our six days there, and it was well worth every minute/penny. Not to mention, we enjoyed staying active and getting after it far more than had we sprawled out on a sandy beach for hours on end somewhere in the tropics. Don't get me wrong, we love sunshine and beautiful beaches, but this was our version of spicing it up a bit and doing what we love.

We got to play with some new toys, too. I used the giant cambered bar for the first time, which rendered me able to posteriorly load myself (with a barbell) for the first time without shoulder pain. It felt pretty darn good:

Kelsey played with rope pullups for the first time:

We worked on our "yokes" with the farmer carry implements:

And we tried a variety of lifts using chains for added resistance. Deadlifts vs. chains, side planks vs. chains, hip thrusters vs. chains, and pushups vs......yep, chains.

Not to be outdone, my wife busted out a pretty impressive set:

(one of the CP interns made a pretty amusing comment to her - upon being shocked when she asked him to place 45lbs of chain on her - but I'll refrain from mentioning it here out of fear of offending a particular training camp).

I used to think people primarily used them (chains) for the general bada**ery obtained by doing any lift with them, but, after using them for the first time I can say that on top of the fact that while yes, you do automatically achieve mild superhero status when you add chains to a movement, they also offer a very practical loading tool. I'm foreseeing a trip to a marina sometime soon to pick up a few, and am definitely open for suggestions if anyone in the area knows of a good one.

Finally, getting to the central point of this post, I'd like to touch briefly on one of the bullet points I made at the beginning (specifically, that training at CP was an incredible learning experience). If I dug up only one golden nugget out of our experience up North, it was this:

Everyone, EVEN strength coaches, should be periodically coached and trained by someone else.

This was so invaluable for Kelsey and I that I can't even put into words all the benefits we received from this experience. Considering that Kelsey and I both spend 5-6 days a week coaching and helping OTHER people under our watch, it was a huuuge difference when we flipped to the other side of the coin last week and had the CP staff coach us.

From the assessment Tony gave us, to the program he wrote for us (working around the myriad injuries we both have), to the coaching cues and tips we received, to talking shop with the staff after our sessions, it was enlightening to learn from someone else (in person) for a change. It reminded me of what it's like to be corrected, to ask questions, and to have a coach oversee your every move. I've already seen how this experience will help me become a better coach myself (hint: A LOT). Furthermore, it was quite refreshing to have my form corrected or given tips on various set-ups (ex. I had never really been cognizant of rib flare during exercises and/or everyday life and how this negatively alters kinematics further up/down from the diaphragm).

Also, the program I was given FORCED me to work on the things I suck at:

Hip extension and rotation (primarily on the left side)
Hamstring strength (or lack thereof)
Breathing patterns
Pec length (or lack thereof)
Deadlifts
General mobility (really Tony? Three E-series movements, repeated TWICE, at the end of EVERY session??)

This is great because these are all things I generally tend to skip/forget about in my everyday training as of late because of:

A) Rushing through training sessions either in between coaching sessions at SAPT and/or at the end of the night. B) Writing my own programs (and, as I've mentioned before, writing your own programs leaves you wide open to favoring your strengths and neglecting your weaknesses). C) In all honesty, failing to train myself (comprehensively) in the same way I train the clientele at SAPT.

Alright, it's time to wrap up this marathon of a post, so if you retain anything from this read, let it be that it will only be to your benefit to be coached by someone, and yes, this applies to strength coaches, too. If you're a competitive athlete or general fitness enthusiast, it is going to help you work on your weaknesses, reach your goals more efficiently, and give you a plan that will guarantee success. If you're a strength coach or personal trainer, it's going to give you all the benefits of the groups above but with the added benefit of allowing you to better serve your athletes/clients because you've walked in their shoes.

It's a win-win.

Sarah Walls 10/19/11 Sarah Walls 10/19/11

Personal Update: I'm Getting Hitched

So, as a number of you know, I'm currently engaged to the love of my life, Kelsey. And, this Saturday, we are officially tying the knot! We'll be heading up to Boston for our honeymoon to enjoy the city, on top of training/talking shop at Cressey Performance (the co-owner, Tony Gentilcore, actually played a major role in my proposal to Kelsey last March). I'm pretty stoked to say the least, as I haven't taken a vacation in over two years now. Not to mention, we'll have a chance to have someone else coach us and write our programs for a change, train alongside many other like-minded individuals, and enjoy one of America's coolest cities during my favorite time of year (Fall). All this on top of the fact that I get to share it with my best friend.

And I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty darn proud that my bride-to-be can team up with her man to pick up heavy things off the ground without breaking a sweat. See the team deadlift photo below:

(thank you Ryan for coming to the rescue with the photo)

The best part about it was, upon setting the weight down, Kelsey turns to me, shrugs, and goes: "Meh, I say we definitely have 500 in us next time."

And yes (boys I'm talking to you), my lovely soon-to-be-wife is stronger than you. Not to rub it in or anything.

Anyway, all this to say I'm unfortunately going to need to take a hiatus from writing for the next week. I am, admittedly, a borderline workaholic and I've made a covenant between me, myself and I to refrain from anything work-related while I'm gone (not that I really consider writing to our loyal readership "work" per se, but it will be nice to relax away from the computer screen for a change). Not to fear, though! You will still get to read awesome content from Sarah and Chris as you usually do each week, AND coach Ryan may even make a celebrity appearance, so be sure to stay tuned.

I really can't thank everyone enough (primarily my family, friends, and the SAPT family) for all your support through this process. Looking forward to seeing you all shortly!

Sarah Walls 8/1/11 Sarah Walls 8/1/11

Monday Musings: Captain America, Exercise Pairings, etc.

1. Lyme's. So I forgot to mention that - when I went on a backpacking trip a couple weeks ago to catch some breathtaking views of the Shenandoah Valley - I also went to, apparently, catch a nice dose of Lyme's disease. This bear is brutal (crazy how large a punch that little tick packs), and I don't wish it upon anyone. It completely wipes you out, and is extremely tough to diagnose (all my blood tests came back negative). When I was in the ER, they even shoved a needle into my spine to withdraw spinal fluid in order to search for an infection in the nervous system. (Doctors, I know you meant well, but I'd kinda like my spinal fluid back whenever you get a chance). Anyway, I'm extremely blessed to have access to medical aid, a family/fiancee that took incredible care of me, and awesome co-workers that were able to pick up the slack while I was out. Those 10 days were pretty grueling (lost about ten pounds, too), but I'm on the mend and fortunately they were able to catch it before it evolved into something much worse. And, yes, I realize you spell the fruit in the picture l-i-m-e, but give me a break! Just trying to keep some pictures in here for you all.

2. Captain America. I have to admit, I was very disappointed with this one (you let me down, RottenTomatoes!). As the worse of the Lyme's symptoms were dying down over the weekend, I decided the natural course of action for my first low-key outing would be to go see the latest Marvel character on the big screen. Even though I cringe when spending the outrageous fee that theaters are charging, I generally enjoy Super Hero movies (Batman, X-men, the first Spider Man, etc.), so I decided to take my chances with Captain America. Anyway, they pretty much blew it with this one. The plot was sub-par, and even the action just seemed a bit forced. Not to mention, whenever the bad guys would salute their leader, they'd throw up both arms and yell 'Hail, Hydra!'

Hail Hydra?! Really??? Is that the best you can do?

The only thing they did correctly with this movie was show Chris Evans with his shirt off intersperse a fair amount of humor throughout the film, which was actually pretty funny.

3. Quick Thoughts on a Common Exercise Pairing. Is a Chinup and Bench Press a *true* antagonistic pairing? Most lifters who’ve investigated training understand how important it is to balance one’s program. For example, you should “pull” just as much (if not more) as you “push” in order to promote structural integrity and keep shoulder health in check. In other words, if you perform 3 sets of a bench press, you should also be performing 3 sets of a row variation. Or, if you perform 4 sets of a military press, then you should perform 4 sets of a lat pulldown or pullup. Often these are performed as supersets, or “alternating sets” to save time and increase work density. One premise of this, in the context of shoulder health, is to include as much external rotation of the humerus (upper arm bone) as internal rotation.

HOWEVER, while it's a great place to start, it's not always just about 'pulling' and 'pushing.' Using just one example: It's very common to see a chinup and bench press pairing. What many don’t realize is that as you execute a chinup, you actually drive internal rotation of the shoulder joint. Guess what you’re also driving when you bench press? Internal rotation.

So, a chinup and bench press pairing, while it may look good on paper, isn’t a true antagonistic pairing. I’m not saying it’s a bad pairing and should never be used, but just trying to elucidate the point that it’s not always just about pushing and pulling, It’s important to understand what is occurring, mechanically, at each joint, if we’re seeking true balance in our programming.

4. The Bull Shark is the only shark that can live in both salt and freshwater. Just sayin.'

5. My Current Program. Well, more accurately, the program I'll be following once the Lyme's is out of me. Long story short, I'm pretty beat up. As I noted in a post a couple weeks back, my left shoulder is pretty angry, so not only is bench pressing going to be nixed for a lonnngg time, but unfortunately I need to cease back squatting, too (holding the bar in back squat places the shoulder joint in a position of pretty extreme horizontal abduction and external rotation, which can be pretty risky (depending), and I've experienced plenty of pain from it so it's out for now).

Also, I did something pretty stupid a couple months back (for the sake of brevity) and injured my left leg. I haven't figured out exactly what it is yet, but I do know that I experience a significant piercing sensation in my quad when I'm under load and undergo hip flexion greater than roughly 110 degrees. As such, unfortunately, I need to omit any exercises that exacerbate the symptoms (which, through experimentation, include most quad-dominant exercises such as front squats, forward lunges, and also pretty much any plyo drill involving significant deceleration).

As such, here's what the jist of my program is going to entail:

- Loads of horizontal pulling (can't really do enough of this)

Pushup Variations (weighted, suspended, etc.)
Hip-Dominant lower body exercises (namely, deadlifts and their variations)
Sled work
Lots of Pullups. I'm going to use this time to see what I can get up to in the pullup realm.

I'll be sure to keep everyone posted, and, hopefully, garner some solid results from the program in spite of the injuries.

That's it for today. Hopefully it was random enough for you all and that you learned some things (you'll thank me later for the Bull Shark trivia).

Sarah Walls 7/29/11 Sarah Walls 7/29/11

The Best Mobility Series You're Not (Yet) Doing

This series is from Grey Cook and I absolutely LOVE it. It's a staple mobility movement for all my teams at Mason, especially while they're in-season. The very first and very last portion that gets cut off is simply an overhead stretch (lift your chest and straighten out your arms).

The sequence is very time efficient and takes care of mobilizing everything you need to prior to a squat session like these NAAAASTY speed squats I did a couple years ago: ...I used to be able to move some weight.

This mobility series also works great at home should you find yourself monitoring a small child's breakfast and not actually eating yourself: Okay, I know that was a reach, but I really wanted to post an Arabella video - it's Friday, after all!!