Improved Youth Sport Performance-Part 3

  
     In part 1 and part 2 of this series I talked about the use of strength training and the inclusion of a comprehensive flexibility and mobility program in aiding in the improvement of youth sport performance. While the physical aspects of training are of obvious importance, perhaps more important are the psychological factors. If your mind isn't in the right place, no matter how well your program is designed, it will never give you the results you want. The mind is your most powerful and important asset. You must be mentally determined with a never say no attitude to succeed, in both training and life.


Mental Edge
    Many youth athletes today are mentally weak.  They have no drive, no passion, and no inner accountability for their behaviors. Perhaps this is the by product of trophies for everyone seen often in many youth sport organizations today.  Many kids have never in their lives known what defeat is and how to fight back from it. The have never been pushed physically, learning that they can achieve things far greater than they had ever perceived before. Tell a kid to do 10 push ups and 25 bodyweight squats and you'll more than likely get nothing but a complainer.
     However, I'm not sure if there is even a fix for this problem. This behavior is accepted and encouraged by adults at such an early age, that the children don't know any better. In school, PE classes have become more like social events rather than an arena for kids to jump, climb, crawl, and play. This trend leads to weak kids who will take a blow in life and won't be able pick themselves back up. As Rocky says "It's not about how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward." The kids today don't know how to bounce back from adversity. They don't know what it takes mentally to set your eyes on a goal and do whatever it takes, no matter the barriers, to achieve that goal. For these athletes to develop the mental edge required in life and in sport, parents must be the beacons of the attitudes and standards that they wish their children to exemplify, and let them know that nothing in this life will be given to you, but rather must be earned.

No Nonsense Attitude,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Improved Youth Sport Performance-Part 2

    In Part 1 of this series I discussed the utilization and need for strength training for improvement of youth sport performance. In today's post, I move on to the need for the implementation of a sound flexibility and mobility program into an athlete's training.

Flexibility/Mobility

   Relating back to the lifestyle discussion in part 1, many youth athletes lack sufficient flexibility and mobility in their hips, ankles, neck, adductors, shoulders, spine and others. Many issues can and will arise because of this. Faulty compensatory movement patterns develop, which, when more advanced strength training and competition periods arise, increase the chances the athlete suffers or develops an injury. As a strength coach and personal trainer, my number one priority is to make sure an individual stays healthy. 

     Performance wise, a lack of flexibility and mobility can hamper pretty much every athletic endeavor. Without adequate hip extension and flexion, high levels of running velocities will not be achieved. With inadequate scapular mobility, shoulder injuries can arise, especially in overhead throwing athletes. Heck, without good flexibility and mobility, the athlete will have troubles even doing a proper bodyweight squat. Bottom line, training these two variables is just as important, and in some cases even more important, than the resistance training portion of an athletes program.

No Nonsense Movement,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Improved Youth Sport Performance-Part 1

    While the demands of different sports are varied, when it comes to discussing youth athletes, for the most part, the areas that need to be focused on are the same. Sure there are imbalances, weaknesses, faulty movement patterns, and other such things that need to be addressed, however, most youth athletes today possess many of the same problems due to their daily lives and habits.  The rise of the internet, video games, fast food, and other influences have lead to a society of kids who lack certain physical and mental traits necessary for sport performance.
    I am going to break this article into three separate pieces. Today's topic is strength.

Strength
    It is a sad state of affairs when you witness a large amount of kids who can't perform a single chin up, push up, or a proper body weight squat. Today's PE classes in elementary school don't promote physical exertion and movement skills but rather will allow kids who aren't "physically gifted" to sit out of games and socialize with their fellow classmates. While this lack of play in today's youth certainly is largely influenced by parents, even the school systems, who should be set up to teach proper and healthy behaviors for adult life, fail to promote adequate physical activity. They allow a sedentary lifestyle and back it up with poor food choices in the lunch line. Heck, my high school even had a fully stocked Little Debbie stand.
    Almost all kids regardless of their chosen sport would greatly benefit from strength training. Not only will there be an improvement in sport performance, they will also see a decreased risk for injury, increased bone health, and improved self confidence to name a few. Youth athletes should focus on bodyweight movements such as push ups, pull ups, squats, and lunges, developing good movement patterns so when external loads are finally introduced, they have the necessary foundation to allow for safe and effective training.  The development of core strength will also allow the body to move more efficiently and absorb more impact during contact sports, aiding in injury prevention. Exercises such as planks, side bridges, and Russian twists are great for developing core strength and stability using only bodyweight.
    Bodyweight training seems to be a lost art in not only youth physical activity, but adult training as well. In all my programs, regardless of the goal, it is used to some extent or another to promote relative strength, core stability, flexibility, and functional movement pattens. If you don't already, I highly suggest you implement bodyweight training into your program today.

No Nonsense Youth Development,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Be Like Water

   
    When it comes to both training and life, many obstacles will plant themselves within your path towards your ultimate destination. For many, these barricades seem insurmountable and prevent the individual from growing and improving. The affected person will continue to use the same habits as before, and many times, push those same habits even further. Not only does this not help or encourage improvement, it actually serves to build the obstacle to even greater heights.
    When this situation arises, a quote by the late great Bruce Lee, serves to give you a mental plan to master the obstacle in your path.


"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way round or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend."

    Recently I was battling a minor illness in which I was constantly nauseous and was ready to fall asleep by 3pm. I was having to force feed myself to get any bit of nutrition in, but I was nowhere near my needed caloric number. While I felt well enough to train, I knew that because of the lack of adequate nutrient intake I did not have the capacity to recover from a high volume of intensive exercise. In a lot of similar situations, some individuals would continue with the plan, hampering their recovery from the training sessions, and most importantly from the illness itself.
    My plan however, was to play it by ear. My only goal was to at least get in my first key exercise and attempt to set a personal record (PR). After that, I went based on feel. On Monday I went in, performed my first lift (Box Squat) in which I PR'ed, and decided to call it a day. I felt I had some energy for supplemental work, but decided the energy would be better served for recovery. Wednesday, already feeling better, but not great, I hit my main lift (Bench Press) where I PR'ed again, decided I had a little more energy than before, and hit 3 sets of heavy chins and ended it there. Come Friday, feeling almost 100%, I decided to undergo the full planned session, but reduced the volume by 1 set on every lift.
     Soon after, I was fully recovered and ready to get after it again full-bore. The bottom line is, I adjusted to the situation. I didn't push through the planned workouts, and instead went for promoted recovery. In the process I was able to set 2 PR's, and recovery from the illness quickly. 
    I believe that in all aspects of life, everyone could stand to "Be like water." It allows for further growth in the face of adversity, and promotes mental and physical well-being. Now, while the case I presented about my recent experience is a rather small obstacle, it still gives an example of how to adapt your life to your surroundings. Whether it be a stressful day or week, an illness, or a plateau in your training, adjusting to the situation WILL ALWAYS be the best choice.


No Nonsense Adaptation,


Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com

Leadership

In honor of the late Major Dick Winters, a man whom I respect and admire greatly, I wanted to post his 10 Principles for Success highlighted at the end of his book, "Beyond Band of Brothers." In case you are unaware of Major Winters, he was a member of Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Divison of the 506th Parachute Infantry Reginment in World War II. His story was highlighted in Steven Ambrose's book "Band of Brothers" and in the following HBO mini-series of the same name. If you have any interest in learning about how to act as a human being and how to behave as a leader, I highly suggest reading his book. In fact, it should be a mandatory read for all Americans. Major Winters passed away January 2nd after a battle with Parkinson's disease, he was 92.

Without further ado, here are his 10 Principles for Success.

1. Strive to be a leader of character, competence, and courage.
2. Lead from the front. Say, "Follow me!" and then lead the way.
3. Stay in top physical shape-physical stamina is the root of mental toughness.
4. Develop your team. If you know your people, are fair in setting realistic goals and expectations, and lead by example, you will develop teamwork.
5. Delegate responsibility to your subordinates and let them do their jobs. You can't do a good job if you don't have a chance to use your imagination or your creativity.
6. Anticipate problems and prepare to overcome obstacles. Don't wait until you get to the top of the ridge and then make up your mind.
7. Remain humble. Don't worry about who receives the credit. Never let power or authority go to your head.
8. Take a moment for self-reflection. Look at yourself in the mirror every night and ask yourself if you did your best.
9. True satisfaction comes from getting the job done. The key to a successful leader is to earn respect-not because of rank or position, but because you are a leader of character.
10. Hang Tough!- Never, ever, give up.

Living in Gratitude,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Jacked up on Energy Drinks Part III

    In the final installment of this series, (Part 1 &  Part 2)  I want to bring to light an alternative to energy drinks that will help get you focused and in gear, ready to attack some weights. While in the previous posts I mentioned some of the negatives caffeine can possess, it is important to note that it isn't the devil. The key is to use it sparingly to avoid the disrupted sleep patterns, dehydration, headaches, etc.

     What I suggest as opposed to the typical energy drink is a combination of caffeine and the amino acid L-Tyrosine. Caffeine as you know is a central nervous system stimulant, a catalyst to increased free fatty acid mobilization, and can potentially allow for sustained muscular contractions.  L-Tyrosine is an amino acid which, when ingested, stimulates the release of adrenaline, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This serve to increase energy and mood. L-Tyrosine also increases the "mind-muscle" connection, allowing for the increase of the number of motor units called upon during exercise increasing strength.

    Along with all of that, the two seem to have a synergistic relationship with each other, in that, when taken together, they serve to elevate the effects of the other.

    So what is the recommend way to supplement the two? Used sparingly, one should take 150-200mg of caffeine with 1500-3000mg of L-Tyrosine.

No Nonsense Supplementation,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Reasons for Baseball Players not to Perform Distance Running

Boy, don't they look like they could throw some heat

    

    Often times, when baseball season comes rolling along, you'll see players performing an endless number of 'poles' or runs through the local neighborhood. Why is there a large amount of coaches who do this? Is it because they are lazy and just want the kids out of their hair for awhile? I don't know the true answer, but what I do know is that distance running is unrelated to the demands of their sport.  One pitch in baseball takes about 2-4 seconds depending on the pitcher, with a fraction of that time being the determining explosive action. When running the bases, average times from home to first fall within 3.5-4.5 seconds. Do either of these actions sound like they involve the same demands as distance running? Are you beginning to get the message? Distance running for any strength and power athlete is inappropriate and will only serve to drain the athletes and zap them of the strength and power they need to compete at a high level. Below is a list of 5 issues that I have with distance running when it comes to baseball.

1. Due to already present stressors in their lives, natural testosterone and growth hormone levels are already depressed, both crucial for strength, power and recovery. These issues can arise from poor sleep pattens, a poor diet, school work, traveling for games, etc. Distance running only serves to worsen this condition by depressing testosterone further and giving rise to chronically high cortisol levels (a stress hormone which can cause break down of muscle tissue). 
2. Do to its repetitive nature, the pattern of movement can become ingrained in the system, affecting capabilities to produce other movement patterns when called upon. It robs athletes of their ability to be athletic. Seeing as how baseball, and namely pitching, is a repetitive motion, pattern overload is a serious issue.
3. Due to the lack of a full range of motion at the hip, the hip flexors (mainly the psoas) as well as the hip extensors(glutes and hamstrings) can remain under-activated . This will result in a lack of hip mobility. It is common for baseball players to suffer from HIRD, or hip internal rotation deficit, which takes away from the necessary range of motion that their hips must undergo to perform specific movements such as pitching and hitting. To compensate, the body will call on other areas to take on the stressors of the action, leading to injuries in ill-prepared and inappropriate muscles and joints.
4. Distance running isn't powerful, plain and simple. Pitching requires a large amount of power to be moved from the legs up through a strong core and then transfered up the arm to the ball to produce high throwing velocities.
5. Long distance running can lead to illness due to a depressed immune function. Combined with the issues that baseball players have to face in their daily lives discussed in the first issue, distance running leads to chronically elevated cortisol levels and an impaired ability to recover from illnesses.

CC Sabathia, not exactly the most conditioned athlete.

    While there are other reasons not to undertake distance running, those 5 should give you a really good idea on why you or your athlete should not be using it as part of their program. Sprinting should instead be utilized. You might ask, 'But how will they get conditioned?' Let me ask you, how many times have you seen a MLB game where the pitcher looks as if EMTs should be on the dugout steps ready to take action if the pitcher pases out from the trip to the mound? Now that isn't to say those pitchers couldn't use some extra conditioning to lose weight, but the bottom line is, you don't need high conditioning levels to play baseball. In fact, those pitches often are 'workhorses' throwing 200+ innings for multiple years. For pitchers, a smart preseason throwing program including progressions from long tossing and flat ground work to mound work and bullpen sessions is plenty to get into top condition for the season.

No Nonsense Baseball,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com

Home Gym Workout of the Day

    Today I wanted to throw together a quick home gym workout for those of you out there that don't have access to or just hate going to large commercial gyms. For today's workout you will need a supply or two namely 1-3 50 pound sand/rock bags (these can be purchased at any home improvement store for about $5 a bag. To go along with those, by some heavy duty construction trash bags, duct tape, and a canvas duffle bag. Put the sand/rocks in the trash bag, duct tape them shut, put the bags in the duffle bags, and finally duct tape that and you are ready to go.

1A Sandbag Clean and Press 4x6-12
2A Pushups 3xmax reps
2B Sandbag Bent over Rows 3x max reps
3A Sand Bag Bear Hug Farmers Walk 3x~60 yards
3B Sand Bag Walking Lunges 3x~30 yards

Simple and Effective Strength. Keep the rest times to a minimum to build up work capacity. Alternatively, you could pick a time to complete the last two exercises in and try to complete as many sets as possible during that alloted time.

No Nonsense Home Training,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS
Owner/Head Trainer
kyle@trainstrive.com
www.trainstrive.com