Workout of the Week (WOW)

20 minutes AMSAP (As many sets as possible) of the following circuit:

100 meter sprints or treadmill sprints with 2% grade for .60 distance on fastest speed possible

25 Push ups

15 Centipedes

Post sets completed:

Note: Photo and description of centipede exercise is listed below.

Movement:

• Start by leaning over at the waist, and place the of the palms on the floor (as shown)
• Ensure that there is a soft bend in the knees for proper load transfer through the pelvis
• Maintain stiffness in the core and walk your hands away from the feet one at a time
• Continue hand movement until shoulders are in full flexion
• Hold the hands over the head, palms on the floor and slowly start walking the feet towards the hands one at a time (like a centipede) then continue the movement for the require repetitions.
  
  

WOW (Workout of the Week)

Complete the following for time:
100 Jump rope or jumping jacks
100 Close grip push ups
25 Jump Squats
25 Pull ups
100 Squats
25 Back extensions
50 Sprinter sit ups
100 Push ups
50 Walking Lunges
50 Underhand inverted rows
100 Mountain Climbers
50 Decline push ups feet on bench
25 Overhand inverted rows
50 Squat Thrusters
50 Box step ups (25 +25)
25 Chin ups
100 Jump rope or jumping jacks

Post time:

Top 6 Exercises for Speed Development

The following exercises are currently my main exercises of choice for athletes when I am working on developing linear and multi-directional speed. Efficiency of movement in speed development is also important of course and should be trained concurrently with the exercises I am recommending.

1. Deadlift- In my opinion is the best all around strength development exercise. In terms of muscular recruitment it gives you the most bang for your buck! In terms of specificity to sprinting, its a posterior chain focused exercise meaning it targets the muscles of the glutes, hamstrings and lower back which is perfect for the maximum speed phase of sprinting.


2. Split Squats - Sprinting is a single leg activity and the demands placed upon the body during unilateral activities are much different from bilateral movements, therefore we need to train for this in the gym. Split squats are a good choice for this because it can be easily over loaded and a number of different stance widths can be used to emphasize different muscle groups. The shorter stance emphasizes more quadricep development which a good choice for the acceleration phase of the sprint while the wider stance requires greater use of the glutes and hamstrings. I personally like them because it requires torso stabilization, balance and they are hard as hell! Either way splits squats help build a better well rounded athlete.


3. Hip Flexion Work - Muscles of the hip flexors (iliopsoas, if you don't know what this means, its the muscles that allow you to lift your leg up), are highly under developed in most athletes. The hip flexors are huge contributors increasing stride length in sprinting which mean faster running ability. I like to use cable machines for hip flexion and begin in supine and work to a standing position over time. The supine position allows for greater loads to be used while the standing position ensures that the core is engaged fully in a unilateral stance. Remember when doing hip flexor work lift the knee above 90 degrees as this places the stress on the psoas more so than the hip flexors.


4. Bounding and Variations - Up to now the exercises have been focused on loading in a vertical plane but sprinting requires forces to be transmitted in a horizontal plane and I think bounding is an awesome choice for developing this type of force production capability. There are other options such as broad jumps, single leg hops, skipping, but for the purposes of this blog bounding is my choice. Bounding can be used with all levels of athletes as well as all types of sprinting based sports and is highly applicable. In the early phases the exercise should be done with a hold on one leg emphasizing quiet landings between each repetition and progress to quicker, shorter contacts emphasising horizontal propulsion through the ball of the foot.


5. Sled Dragging- Sled dragging is considered by some to be a specific speed strength exercise, its focus is primarily on the posterior chain muscles while mimicking the driving phase of a sprint. You get triple extension of the ankle, knee and hip all which is important for explosive movement. There have been many disputes that sled dragging will not increase overall speed development. While I agree sled dragging will not increase top end speed it will aid in increasing an athletes acceleration phase of the sprint! The ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 is a greater asset to most team sports than top end speed. The sled can be used with as little of 10% of the athletes body weight to sprint over short distances or as much weight as one wants to increase strength in the horizontal plane.


6. Weighted Rows - This will probably be a shocker for those who know me as the pull/chin up king! Yes, yes I know it doesn't sound like me talking but as I evolve as a coach so is my exercise selection for performance enhancement. Rows play a key role in posture and the athletes ability to increase speed throughout the upper torso when sprinting.

So there you go. There are so many other exercises you could put into this list. As I said these are my go to exercises, give them a shot and see if they will help you increase your speed.

Restoration Methods For Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts

I'll start off putting it simply - you must train hard and recover even harder! I work with a variety of athletes and clients and one of the main culprits to their success is their ability to recover from a previous training session. Here are some healthy ways to help your body recover and restore your muscles.

Food: When you're done training, you need to eat a protein source to build muscle. Muscles are made up proteins, and without consuming any protein quickly (in the first 45 minutes after the training session - the earlier the better), muscles won't grow.

On top of that, eating quality meals with a protein source, carbohydrate, and additional vegetables will help your body feel better after training. Here are some suggestions of foods and drinks to aid recovery.

Pineapple and Papaya
Good for: Muscle recovery

Salmon or Fish Oil Supplement
Good for: Cardiovascular fitness

PB&J or Pasta with Meat Sauce
Good for: Muscle building and repair

8 ounces of Chocolate Milk
Good for: Hydration after workout
Why? Milk has more electrolytes and potassium. The addition of chocolate gives the perfect balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat for a speedy muscle recovery.

Coffee
Good for: Minimizes muscle soreness after workout

Cold Water
Good for: Endurance

Green Tea
Good for: Muscle recovery

Self-myofasical release: This includes foam rolling, Theracane, the Stick, or any other massage tool. When a muscle stretches near the point of injury, the Golgi tendon organ (GTO) tells the muscle spindles to relax. Foam rolling stimulates the muscle and works the GTO so the athlete can work in a more complete range of motion without the muscles shutting down.

Contrast showers and baths (Cold and Hot): Contrasting relaxes and excites the muscles, moves blood through, and shorten the restoration time.

Warm up, stretch, and relax: I recommend performing a dynamic warm up before doing your workout as this increases your core body temperature, excites the nervous system and allows your body to increase its range of motion. Save the stretching routine for after the workout to further aid recovery.

Hydrate: Keep it simple, always have a bottle of water near by during workout sessions and drink when thirsty. Drinking on your rest days will help push toxins out and keep the muscles loose.

Relax (sleep): Recovery requires relaxing. Take Nike's advice and "Just Do It!" Enough said.

To summarize, if you implement these recovery and restoration methods, you will feel better and more importantly you can train harder! To maximize your chances of obtaining your goal you must work hard and recover hard, otherwise you're just spinning your wheels.

Workout of the Week

"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." Mahatma Gandhi

For time:
100 Squat Thrust

Variation 1, squat, hop into push up position, hop the feet to chest and stand up then repeat.

Variation 2, squat, hands to the floor and do a push up then hop feet to chest and stand up. Repeat.

Feel free to post your time in the comments section.

Happy Holidays!!

WOW (Workout of the Week)

Run 800 yards or meters (on treadmill its 0.50 miles)
21 Dips
21 Hanging Knees Raises
9 Dips
9 Dips
Run 800 yards or meters

For Time.
Feel free to post it in comments section.

7 Simple Steps To Get Lean And Healthy

I didn't originally write this but wanted to share it with everyone. It was written by Paul D' Arcy of www.Sportfit.com.

Step 1: Eliminate sugars and Simple Starches.
This should be a no-brainer, but unfortunately, it isn't. If you overweight or suffer from high blood pressure, unbalanced cholesterol, aches, pains and joint discomfort, well buddy, you have inflammation and should stay away from sugar or simple starches. Stay away from things like soda pop, sports drinks, fruit drinks, dried fruit, chewing gum, candy bars, cookies, chips, sauces, spreads and whatever candy you have been shoving down your throat.

Step 2: Eliminate grains from diet.
Rice, wheat, rye, corn, oats, barley and anything made with flour should be eliminated entirely. This includes pasta, breads, cereals, and yes even oatmeal. These agricultural products contain exogenous allergens and antigens that cause inflammation and allergic reactions in those intolerant to grains. You may or may not be intolerant of grains but if your fat and/ or suffering from inflammation, its best to assume your intolerant and eliminate grains altogether. You can gradually reintroduce grains and monitor your reactions at a later time after you have sorted out your body fat and inflammation issues.

Step 3: Eliminate dairy from diet.
If your like the vast majority of the population, you don't tolerate dairy very well. More over if your fat and suffer from inflammation you definitely don't need milk, cheese, yogurt or anything that squirts from the udders of a cow or goat. What about calcium? You can get calcium from fruits, vegetables, lean meats, poultry and seafood. Forget the diary, cows milk is for calves.

Step 4: Eliminate prepackaged foods.
Do not eat anything from a box, bag, a tube, a can or wrapper. Avoid eating anything that is processed, preserved or anything with a ingredient label. Sounds harsh? Too bad.

Step 5: Eat more lean protein.
Another no-brainer, we already know that right? But where are you getting it from. Hint- stop drinking your protein! Its making you fat! Liquid protein has enormously high glycemic load and insulin response compared to animal protein, and if your protein shake isn't after a hard and heavy training session its just making you fat. Knock it off! Get your protein from grass fed animals like steak, sirloin, lean ground beef and any wild game especially if you can get it without added hormone and antibiotics. The same goes for fish and crustaceans.

Step 6: Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables - a lot more!
Fruits and vegetables provide necessary vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber to support healthy immune function, avoid cancer, improve recovery, improve mental clarity and a lot of other things. Another added bonus its hard as hell to get fat eating them too. Nuff said.

Step 7: Drink more water.
I'm not going to waste a whole paragraph on this, if your drinking only 1 to 3 bottles or cups of water per day, add five more cups. Unless your drinking close to a gallon of water a day your not drinking enough. Water is a necessity not a luxury.

There you have it. Can you do it? Will you do it? May vitality and health be with you.