Cross-Training by Lifting Weights...?!?

Cross-Training by Lifting Weights – that’s the title of a New York Times article I found online. I like to peruse the Health section of the NY Times in an attempt to stay abreast of what mainstream people are reading regarding the health/fitness industry. Why the NY Times? They present researched information and, it seems, are genuinely interested in helping those attempting to navigate through all things Health related (not trick them into buying products or creating anxiety by twisting facts).

You may want to know if I read “muscle magazines” too – I do not… generally speaking, they’re all full of absolute nonsense.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“A more recent study of experienced runners by a group of Norwegian researchers confirmed that weight lifting could increase performance. One group did half squats with heavy weights three times a week while continuing a running program. The other group just ran. Those who did the squats improved their running efficiency and improved the length of time they could run before exhaustion set in…

… It is not known why weight lifting would improve performance, but investigators speculate that it may train supporting muscle fibers in the legs, allowing runners or cyclists to use them to augment muscles that get tired.”

Did you read the bolded portions?... I’ll wait while you read it again and let it sink in a bit…

1.     It IS known why weight lifting improves performance even in “experienced” (code for endurance) runners: strength training improves endurance by improving the mechanisms responsible for improving running economy. Things like posture, leg turnover, reducing perceived effort, reducing injuries, improving speed (especially up hills and on uneven terrain) are all the amazing and, apparently, “not known” by-products of a strength training program.

2.     Can you imagine the improvements that would have been recorded by having this group use a program that involved more than just 3x/week of half-squats? Well, I can! If this programming were in the hands of an experienced professional strength coach, this group of test subjects could look forward to getting way more bang-for-their-buck. A periodized plan containing unilateral (see example video below) and other accessory movements plus special physical preparation exercises would no doubt blow the control group out of the water!

The NY Times makes a great effort to present unbiased information, but I would love to see more depth in their fitness articles. The research already exists and their readers can handle it!

If you’re ready to join the mighty training ranks of SAPT and be guided by a group of coaches that is not the least bit surprised by the above findings, then don't wait one more second and contact us here!

The Fine Art of Team Warm-ups

Designing a warm-up for a large team looks easy if you're watching passively from the sidelines. Unfortunately, this ease is quite deceptive. There are actually several critical aspects that need to be taken into account if you want you're warm-up to go from adequate to Fine Art status:1. Time: how much do you have? I usually try to end a minute or two before I told the coach I would be done (think under-promise and over-deliver, coaches LOVVVVVE that!). 2. Efficiency: you never have much of #1 and you may have as many as 30+ players. So, how do you keep them all moving, engaged, and organized? You gotta be efficient! 3. Effectiveness: Numbers 1 & 2 are components of this, but effectiveness speaks to the QUALITY of what you’re doing. Are you getting the most “bang for your buck” per movement? If not, go back to the drawing board. Be sure to take into account the 3 planes of motion, what the team’s first drill of practice will be, and general fatigue level (where are they within the season and within the training week?).

Beginning this past Saturday, I’ve been standing on a soccer field for about 5 hours a day working hard on the start of, what is certain to be, a legendary sock/farmer’s tan combo. Regardless, that’s just a fantastic by-product of my point: We just started the preseason training time period for women’s soccer and I’ve put together several warm-ups I think are pretty darn good. I’m going to share the two I used on Monday, August 8th and point out a couple important things about the two of them:

AM Session (the 5th practice within 48 hours):

Team Jogs 1 Field Lap in two lines

Upon return have two lines split apart on the 18

(one line on end-line other line on 18, lines face)

65% Builder Sprint to Back Pedal (long reach)

• Walking Spiderman to Overhead Reach

• Yoga Pushup x5

• Skip backwards with Heel Lift

70% Builder Sprint to Gate Openers

• Knee Hugs

• Cross-behind Overhead Reverse Lunge x5/side

• Frankenstein Kicks

75% Builder Sprint to Walking Opposites

• Walking Quads

• Bowler Squat x5/leg

• Skip for Distance

80% Builder Sprint to Alternating Side Shuffle

• Walking Toe Touch

• Split-Stance Kneeling Adductor Rockbacks x5/side

• Cradle Walk

Lateral Broad Jump x3 to Turn & Sprint (both directions)

Stretch on Own

Notes:

• This practice was the tipping point for the team. At the time it started, it was the 5th practice they would be attending within 48 hours – that’s a lot of soccer in a short window!

• The previous two days had a portion of testing (think non-contact) that was significant enough that I knew they would still be feeling pretty good for this session.

• My warm-up “template” typically consists of 3 levels of warm-ups. One is fairly intense and is for pre-match or other situations when the group is fresh, the second is a mid-level warm-up that respects the training volume the team is currently enduring (or the point in the season), and the third is a very low-level warm-up that is appropriate for recovery and respects the teams general level of fatigue but still preps them for the drills to follow.

• The AM Session warm-up was a Level 2.

PM Session (the 6th practice within 54 hours):

Team Jogs 1 Field Lap in two lines

Upon return everyone grabs ball and circles up

Soccer Ball SMR :20-:30/location:

Calves

Hamstrings

Quads

Adductors

IT Band

Glutes

Squat Mobility Series x1

Team Lines up on Sideline:

2 Tuck Jumps to 65% Builder Sprint to Gateopeners

2 Tuck Jumps to 70% Builder Sprint to Frankensteins

2 Tuck Jumps to 75% Builder Sprint to Skip for Height

2 Tuck Jumps to 80% Builder Sprint to Alternating Side Shuffle

Stretch on Own

Notes:

• After a morning training session that lasted a full two-hours and was jam-packed with intense sprinting and full contact, I knew the team would be starting to get very sore and tired.

• I gave them as much time as I could (in this case only 8-minutes) to do some self-massage with the soccer ball and a mobility circuit before we started moving around to get the heart pumping.

• The PM Session warm-up was a Level 3.

Orchastrating an excellent warm-up day after day is certainly one of the less "sexy" aspects to the job of Strength & Conditioning Coach, but it is nonetheless extremely important. Keep in mind a solid dynamic warm-up on a regular basis is the opportunity to improve general fitness and work on power, strength, speed, change of direction, mobility, flexibility, and injury prevention... I think anyone would agree that's a great opportunity to have on a daily basis, so don't waste it by not planning properly!

As a side note, if you train with us in Fairfax, you may soon get to experience warm-ups similar to the AM session - did you hear we got TURF last week?!? If you don't already train with us and wish to experience the excellence that is SAPT, please contact us here for information on in-house performance coaching, distance coaching, Buttkamp, or any combination of the three!

Q & A:60-Yard Dash Improvement

Question: My son has excellent speed stealing bases, but only has a 7.56 60-yard dash speed. Looking for training specific to increasing that speed. Tips on start/end of run, running technique, etc., not just strength training. Thanks While the answer to this question is definitely multifaceted, I'll do my best to summarize some of the main points:

1) Avoid large volumes of long distance running. This one should be obvious, but I continue to be astounded at the number of coaches who require their athletes to perform steady state cardio, even when the training goal is increased speed and power. Apart from the fact that distance running will negatively affect the stretch-shortening cycle (a key component in sprinting) and decrease strength and power output (again, critical to sprint acceleration and top speed), you also have mobility concerns to think about. Distance running doesn't allow sufficient hip flexion to truly activate all of the hip flexors (especially the psoas, which is responsible for hip flexion above 90 degrees). You also receive little to no hip extension during steady state cardio. By using a repetitive motion (like jogging) over a long period of time, where you're not bringing your lower extremity through a full range of motion, you're losing mobility at the hip joint - the very same mobility depended upon to generate stride length, and, in turn, velocity!

The psoas.

2) Train the first 10 yards of the sprint. When we evaluate a test like the 60 yard dash, we are really measuring a test of acceleration as much as we are a test of speed. Now, this will depend largely on the training age of the athlete, as world-class sprinters accelerate for up to sixty meters (each ten-yard split continues to get lower up to sixty meters). Novice sprinters will reach peak velocity much earlier than an advanced sprinter.

Anyway, whether you are an advanced or a novice athlete, it is going to improve your 60 yard dash if you learn to accelerate faster. Work on increasing power and decreasing steps for those first ten yards. The first ten-yard increment takes the longest to complete and thus is the easiest to impact in training. Shoot for three steps during the first five-yard segment, and about five steps for ten yards. Do this by teaching PUSHING, not overreaching (don't tell the athlete to cut down steps, either; telling an athlete you're counting steps may cause over-striding). Tell the athlete to push the ground as hard as possible! Push the ground away from you as hard as you can, and minimize stutter steps. Here's a good indicator of a powerful start: the foot taking the second step does not touch the ground while the front foot is still on the line (after step one you shouldn't see two feet in contact with the ground).

**Another bonus for training the first ten yards:** the chance of injury is greatly decreased! Heading out to the track and running 60-yard repeats, especially if the athlete does not have good mechanics for sprinting AND hasn't had much running training prior, is a recipe for injury. How well do you think the athlete will perform in a timed 60-yard dash if he or she has a pulled hamstring, hip flexor, or adductor from training? You can train ten yard increments (focusing on increasing power and decreasing steps) with little to no risk of injury.

3) Get Stronger. This should really be at the top of the list. I hate to break it to you, but your child just isn't strong enough. I know that the answer to your question was to include techniques "besides just strength training," but honestly this (resistance training) will be one of the greatest additions to your son's training. Proper strength training, utilizing progressive overload on both bilateral and unilateral lower body lifts, will help your athlete run faster. Quite simply, the stronger the athlete is, the more force he or she will be able to exert into the ground.

This is nothing more than physics. Those who can produce the greatest force into the ground (the action), will yield the greatest benefit from the ground (the reaction). In fact, The Journal of Applied Physiology published research in the year 2000 in an article called Mechanical Basis of Human Running Speed. The article synopsis begins with the line, "Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces, not more rapid leg movements."

How do you achieve greater ground forces? Increase strength.

This is a concept that many would benefit from if they embraced it and ceased looking for the token silver bullet speed drill. All other things equal, the stronger athlete is going to be faster.

4) Improve Conditioning. More specifically, improve efficiency of the anaerobic alactic energy system ("the first 10 seconds") and the anaerobic lactic energy system (the "feel the burn" energy system). This will help the athlete maintain peak velocity for as long as possible during the sprint. Remember that, depending on the race distance, the winner will be the one who slows down the least at the end. There are many ways to improve conditioning for this, but one would be to begin with linear drills (ex. 110-yard dash at 80% intensity), and progress to 150-yard shuttle runs (divided into 25-yard increments). I'm a huge fan of shuttle runs as they also play a great role in injury prevention by incorporating acceleration, deceleration, and direction change. As Mike Boyle says, injuries are most often associated with the muscular stresses caused by speeding up, slowing down, or changing direction. Shuttle runs add a muscular component to the energy system program. However, note that you really don't need to do many of these prior to the season, as the glycolytic energy system can be trained pretty quickly, and many people will not even need to train it for the 60.

Some heavy sled pushing/pulling will work well in a conditioning program, too, as they also work on sprint-specific leg mechanics and are relatively easy on the joints. Keep the "work" duration to 30 seconds and below during the aforementioned drills.

5. Improve Sprint Technique. Keep in mind that attaining perfect sprint technique is much more in depth than many think and it takes years to master. It is beyond the scope of this post to teach proper sprint mechanics, but a few tweaks in your running form can drastically improve your efficiently of movement.

6. "Count Your Blessings." Recognize that your son possesses a great sport-specific skill!! If he is proficient at stealing bases, that will go a long way! Technique in base-stealing is a completely different skill set from a timed 60-yard dash in front of recruiters (not to mention the mental acuity needed during live gameplay to successfully steal a base). While improving his 60-yard dash time will certainly aid his baseball career, don't overlook the techniques he already possesses that will make him a valuable asset to a team.

One last note: remember that training for sprint speed is not a "get your sweat on" session. A proper understanding of the energy systems utilized in a max-effort sprint will go a long way in ensuring effective training sessions. If your athlete is breaking a sweat, or breathing heavily, during his sprint sessions (unless it's hot outside or he's finishing up a dynamic warm-up), this is a decent indicator he isn't resting enough between sets.

Goal Setting at the 50% Mark

We are now halfway through 2011. Well, actually, tomorrow marks the halfway mark, but I'm preparing you in advance. You can thank me later, no worries. 50% of 2011 is gone, never to return.

How are those New Years Resolutions looking?

If your goal was to lose 30lbs of fat, have you lost 15lbs by now?

If your goal was to add 40lbs to your max squat (or bench, deadlift, weighted chinup, etc.), are you at least 20lbs stronger?

If your goal was to get in 156 workouts this year (that’s just averaging 3 workouts a week), are you on track to complete your 78th workout today?

Or even if your goal was to get in just 104 workouts this year (an average of two workouts a week), are you going in to take charge of your 52nd workout today?

It’s amazing how quickly time passes by. Don’t waste a single moment.

If your goal is fat loss, get back on track NOW. If your goal is muscle gain, start TODAY.

If your goal is to run a Marathon (*injury free*) next year, please don’t wait and try one of those “16-week” training programs (they’re a hulk of B.S., by the way). No one ever became world-class at something in 16-weeks. Begin your movement training, mobility work, dynamic flexibility, core work, energy systems development, strength training, and running training now.

Not sure where to begin, or having trouble holding yourself accountable? Easy. Hire a coach to guide you through the process. After a long day's work, the last thing you probably want is to worry about is knowing whether the workout you’re doing is actually optimal for your desired outcome.

Hiring someone to design the program for you, and walk you through the process, takes all the guesswork out for you. All you need to do is show up. Not to mention, you get to train alongside a group of other like-minded individuals, which will only fast track your progress and make training more enjoyable.

Not sure of the optimal number of sets and reps for a fat loss workout? Uncertain if you’re following the 80-20 rule in order to ensure you’re putting on muscle mass as fast as you could be? Confused as to how to efficiently prepare for your next running event? (Hint: the answer isn’t logging endless miles on the road each week).

Start now. Where are you going to be another six months from now?

It's a simple question: Look at your behaviors. Look at your goals. Do your behaviors match your goals?

But the time is going to pass anyway.

-Steve

Great Warm-up Movement You've Never Tried

MB Push + StartWhat is it? A great warm-up tool for getting the CNS firing and reminding the body how to produce a lot of force against the ground. The movement approximates the start for a sprint event. You can’t get as low as you do in the blocks, but it helps teach and reinforce how to produce great amounts of force as you are falling forward.

Why use it? See above, plus it’s fun!

Who should use it? Any athlete that is concerned about a “quick first step.”

If I were to coach myself based on my demonstration in the video, I clearly need to work on allowing myself to fall a fraction of a second longer and spend another fraction of a second extending through and taking advantage of the triple extension moment.

Overall, not too bad for a woman who had a baby exactly one-year ago tomorrow!

Hello Sensei, Please Improve my Running Technique

I've written in the past how roughly 60-70% of runners will suffer a serious injury in a given year. This is primarily due to two critical variables: poor general movement quality, and less-than-optimal running specific technique. The terrible movement quality that most runners possess is a byproduct of musculoskeletal weakness, mobility restrictions (in key areas), and lack of stability (in key locations). When you take all of those deficiencies and utilize them to perform roughly 1,500 plyometric repetitions per mile, it’s no surprise that most runners end up injured in one form or another. When it comes down to running technique, most people don’t think twice about hiring a coach to help them. They just hop on the road and get after it. Let me ask you:

• If you had never been shown how to swim, would you jump in the deep end for a casual dive?
• If you had never been taught how to spar, would you enter a cage for a mixed martial arts fight?
• If you had never been instructed on how to drive, would you just hop in the car and speed off on the highway? Well, maybe some of you would, but I digress.

Yet most of us, when we want to run, just go out and do it. Interesting, huh?

I’ve previously discussed how hiring a coach is extremely important if you’re serious about reaching a particular goal. This may be a business coach, a martial arts coach, or a strength coach (wink wink). It’s a no brainer that if we genuinely want to reach our goals as efficiently and effectively as possible, then we should hire an expert to guide us to a desired outcome.

Well, this past weekend was an opportunity for me to put my money where my mouth is. As I’m increasingly falling in love with obstacle course races, and would like to pursue this endeavor for quite a long time (and thus need to keep myself free of chronic injury), I decided to meet with a running instructor (and fellow strength colleague) John, to help me “fix my stuff.” In fact, Kelsey (my fiancée, and also a CSCS) joined in, too, so it created something fun/relaxing to do as a couple in the midst of wedding preparation.

It was an incredible learning experience for both Kelsey and I, and also a fantastic reminder for what it’s like to be on the other side of a coaching session. Given that both of us spend the majority of our week helping others with movement-related exercises/improvements, it was definitely cool to be the ones receiving the coaching cues for a change. It was also a great reminder to experience what it feels like to try something new, and go through the step-by-step process of learning a new skill.

Here is a video that John took of me running before any instruction. He just told me to run as if I was going on a nice Summer jaunt. I slowed down the video so you can see what’s actually happening.

You can see that I reach WAY out in front of me, landing on my heel and keeping my center of mass well behind my foot strike. There’s a host of other problems (that John pointed out to me), but I’ll keep it simple for now.

After John filmed Kelsey and me running in our “natural” form, he took us inside for about 75-minutes of instruction and practice. We performed drills on a wall, partner-assisted exercises, and various progressions to help us learn proper running technique. It was pretty cool and John did an excellent job of teaching us to “crawl” before we run. It reminded me of how, at SAPT, we teach someone to goblet squat well before placing them under a barbell.

Now, look at my running form after John worked with us. Obviously it is still far from perfect (you can only perfect so much in 75-minutes), but I was still amazed at the improvement in such short a time span:

You can see that I now land on the ball of the foot, keeping my center of mass over my foot strike (thus significantly reducing the impact force on my body). Again, there were MANY other improvements that John helped us with (slightly leaning forward to take advantage of gravity’s assistance, “pulling” with the rear leg, maintaining a neutral pelvic tilt, landing softly, etc.), but I’ll spare the detail for now.

I still have a LOT to work on, and the greatest challenge for me will be to resist the urge on performing 800-meter repeats (or even 200 meters) with a different running form than I'm used to. Just like we SAPT coaches won't put someone under a barbell until they've proved they're ready for it, I need to "cook myself slow" in order to set myself up for success in long haul. Rome wasn't built in a day, ya know?

Anyway, I guess the point of this post was to:

A) Give a gentle reminder that, no matter who you are, you're never above receiving instruction from someone else. It would have done me no good to stubbornly insist that I don't need help with something exercise-related because I'm a performance coach. We can ALWAYS improve on something, even if it's within the same general sphere as our "expertise."

B) Bring home the point that we need to be PROactive in our modalities for treating dysfunction, not REactive. Most runners (and lifters) tend to treat their problems only after they arrive (surgery, ice, NSAIDs, etc.) instead of taking measures to prevent an issue before it even arrives. In this case, for me, it was learning how run more efficiently (reduce ground impact forces upon landing, expend as little energy as possible on each step, etc.), in hope that I can enjoy something I love for a longer period of time with minimal interruptions.

C) There is no C, but I wanted three points, so there we go.