A Gift Guide For The Athlete in Your Life
It’s the most wonderful time of the year again so let’s take a look at some of the gifts for the athlete in your life that they may be craving but forgot to mention on their holiday wish list. The athletes of today require diverse gear and fabrics that can take a beating and keep them jolly. To save you time I combed the internet and spent hours researching and collecting data on products to make you the best gift giver of the year. Discussed below are twelve products, in no particular order, guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the athlete in your life come December 25th.
Trigger Point Grid Foam Roller
Muscles need work but they also need help recovering and recuperating to be strong and healthy. Give the gift of mobility with the foam roller that is just the right size to haul around. It comes in multiple sizes as well as some pretty slick colors.
Epic Bison Bacon & Cranberry All Natural Meat Bar
These awesome bars are a combination of trail mix and jerky. . . . Yum
The North Face ETip Gloves
There aren’t many things more annoying than having to take off your glove on a frigid day just to answer a text message. Etip gloves eliminate that experience by having a technical fabric on the fingertip that is recognized by touchscreen phones and devices so you can keep your digits warm and cozy.
"Mind Gym" by Gary Mack and Dave Casstevens
This is a great read for athletes of all ages to learn about the effects the mind has in reaching excellence.
Nike Epic Lux Printed Women’s Running Tights
Tights are very universal. They can be worn alone in multiple settings. They can also be worn as a base layer under jeans or sweats when it really gets cold outside. This functionality combined with an awesome snake skin print makes these pants a win win deal for a sporty lady.
Taylormade Lethal Pack
Perfect for the golfer who consistently runs out of golf balls. Taylormade now has tour caliber balls available in 20, 50, and 144 packs.
The Myobottle
If your favorite water bottle and foam roller had a child it would look something like this. This awesome bottle holds 1.5 liters of your favorite sports drink and has a eye catching four ball shape that can be used to release tacked down muscles fibers.
Re-Stringit Drawstring Re-Threader
If you've ever had to figure out how to restring a hoodie or your favorite sweatpants you know how tough and infuriating it can be. In comes this handy gadget to save the day.
Trail Mix of The Month Club Membership
One thing someone with an adventurous lifestyle doesn't want to forget is a snack. With a membership here, the athlete in your life won’t get caught hungry again with a new mixture of high quality trail mix delivered every month.
Tory Birch Gold Fitbit Bracelet
If the standard rubber Fitbit bracelet isn’t stylish enough for your loved one then spice it up a bit with this gold or silver bracelet that’s ready to transition from sweaty to chic when they are.
Endless Pool Spa with Underwater Treadmill Option
For those who like to go all in, the newest Endless pool spa may be just the gift you've been looking for. This spa has a current that allows you to swim in place plus a built in treadmill so you can knock out a nice run. The spa also has ample seating space so friends can have a seat and watch you train.
Experia by Thorlo Socks
These aren’t the socks grandma used to give out. This super light socks breath very well to let moisture escape. They also have reinforced cushioning in the strike zones of your foot to ensure your 14,000th step of the day is just as comfortable as your 1st.
Hopefully this list has given you some great ideas as Christmas day gets closer. If not, there is still plenty of time and remember if all else fails go with a Starbucks gift card.
Lembas Bread For Muscle Building Outside Middle Earth
Admit it, when you either read or saw lembas bread in Lord of the Rings, you really wanted some.
There’s several recipes out there for it, but I made up a protein and fiber-rich version for the nerdy-lifter that I am. *Disclaimer* I’m still tweaking the amounts, so this may not be perfect but it’ll at least be a platform in which to launch your own version of lembas.
I used coconut flour as my base. Say wha? Yep, coconut flour is merely dried coconut meat ground up into a flour-like consistency. What’s so good about coconut flour? I’m so glad you asked!
Coconut Flour Fantastic-ness:
1. Very high in fiber, about 9 grams for 2 tablespoons, which is terrific for, well, the whole poop thing. Compare that to the fiber content of wheat flour, which is a dismal 1-2 grams… ick. Perfect for keeping you regular while traipsing through Middle Earth.
2. It’s gluten free which is helpful for those who have a gluten intolerance or allergy and still want to eat lembas. Or, even if you don’t, it’s nice to give your system a break from the gluten of bread and other gluten filled treats. (it’s everywhere…).
3. Contains the healthy fats of the glorious coconut. However, I’m not sure how much of it is actually retained in the flour version since it goes through a defatting process. Some of that fat is better than none though. This helps fuel long treks across Mordor. How else do you think Sam and Frodo made it? Not on fat-free Snackwell’s cookies!
4. Does not have the power to raise glucose levels like other flours (wheat, oat, etc) so those watching their blood sugar… rejoice! Steady blood sugar bodes well for sustained battles with orcs.
Now, onto the recipe. Sorry I don’t have pictures. I didn’t think to take any during the baking process.
- 1-1.5 cups coconut flour (depending on how big of a batch you want to make)
- 1-2 scoops protein powder-o-choice
- 1 somewhat-heaped tablespoon of coconut oil, melted
- Roughly 1 cup of almond milk (or regular milk). The amount will vary depending on the consistency of the batter you desire.
- 1 egg or 1 heaping tablespoon of nut butter. Coconut flour can be very dry, so the addition of either one will help cut that down a bit. Just know that the peanut butter will take away from the lembas-y taste. I doubt the real lembas had peanut butter in it.
- 1-2 tablespoons of agave or honey
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
1. Preheat oven to 275 and grease a cookie sheet.
2. Combine the dry ingredients, flour and protein powder, and break up any lumps with a spoon.
3. Add the coconut oil, egg (or PB), vanilla, and agave/honey and combine well.
4. Slowly add the milk until the consistency no longer resembles wet sand. It should be more clay-like or maybe slightly watery clay.
5. Spread evenly in pan and bake from 15-25 minutes or until lightly brown on top.
6. Allow it to cool before either gobbling it up or wrapping it in nice big leaves.
There we have it. A LOTR-inspired protein bar for the athlete or hobbit on the go!
Athlete Spotlight: Amanda, the Unassuming Ironmaiden
Meet Amanda:
She is awesome, and not in the over-used sense of the word, but she truly is awesome. She started training at SAPT last September. When she first showed up, she was familiar with the barbell but was looking for further instruction in the iron game. Her words were, "I just can't figure out the squat. It's just a mess." But she wanted to improve at barbell lifts, specifically the squat, bench, and deadlift.
Her first pushup was on a barbell elevated up to her waist and she really struggled with any sort of single-leg movement. Lunges and split squats were tough and she hated how she wobbled. Not only that, but we started her goblet squatting with 25lbs to groove her mechanics.
Amanda trained, with intensity, three times per week consistently for months and months (and still does!). She was the perfect client: she was consistent, she focused during her training sessions, and she did exactly what we told her to do. Lo and behold! She accomplished her goal of losing 55lbs AND increased her total body strength by enormous levels. Here is a video of some pushups:
I don't know if you, dear reader, can grasp HOW MUCH WORK that took for her to get there. She trained pushups- and their variations- almost every session for MONTHS. Some days she felt as if her arms would fall off and would be sore for days afterwards. Guys, you have no idea how hard it can be for women to accomplish pushups (with great form, by the way) on the floor. It does not come naturally for us and it takes twice as long (if not more) to gain any sort of strength. The above video is a testament to Amanda's tenacity and overall strength gains.
Aside from her pushup accomplishment, Amanda decided to compete in her very first powerlifting meet. This past weekend, actually, was the date. Below are some videos from the meet. (I apologize, Amanda, they're not the most flattering angles, but I was behind the platform.)
Squat- 137.5 lbs (A far cry from that 25lb kettlebell!)
Bench- 81 lbs
Deadlift- 181lbs
I am beyond proud of Amanda and all her hard work!! What you can't see from these videos is that this meet was enormous and there was so much confusion and frustration behind the scenes. But Amanda handled it with a cool, determined attitude and she did fabulously well!!
Amanda has rocked all her workouts and has improved in so, so many areas and it's been a privilege and a blessing to work with her and I'm looking forward to the next meet!
6 Christmas Gift Ideas for the Athlete in Your Life
Let's be real, Christmas shopping sucks, especially when you have no clue what to get your close ones. It's expensive, crowded and often ends in a gift-return regardless of how much thought you've put into it. So to protect you from the experience of mindlessly drifting through the crowded, animatronic-filled wastelands we call, "malls," I wanted to give you a list of items that may help you to develop a strategy for finding the perfect gift for the athlete in your life.
The following list is filled with items that I commonly recommend to our clients and things that anyone who likes the feel of sweat shouldn't go without. They're useful, relatively inexpensive and best of all, can be bought online. Here ya go:
6. Cleatskins
I didn't know what these were at first, either. But, if you've ever worn metal cleats, you know how much of a pain it can be to be anywhere but the playing field. They also could prove handy for the wrestlers in the crowd, enabling you to not have to worry about dirtying your shoes during those long tournaments. Starting at 15.00, they would make great stocking stuffers.
5. Flipbelt
We've all run into the problem of where to leave our keys, how to hold our iPods, and what to do with our wallets while training. Rather than constantly checking your pockets to ensure you haven't dropped anything during a workout, you can now store it in your Flipbelt and not worry about it. They also have many different colors, so you can get one to match you shorts so that people won't realize you're wearing the sporty version of a fanny-pack.
4. Easy Strength by Dan John and Pavel
This book is the definition of simple, yet gives so many gems of knowledge that you seem to never hear anywhere else. It's an easy read and anyone will be able to decipher its training philosophy. If I could recommend one book to get someone started on the right path to training intelligently and appropriately, this would be it. The world would be a much better place if more gyms and weight rooms were filled with the words of Dan and Pavel.
3. VooDoo Floss Bands
VooDoo Floss bands are inexpensive, durable, compact and extremely effective. They're used almost daily in our facility to help athletes flush inflammation from certain tissues or to even aid in mobility work. These bands are slowly becoming a must-have for athletes whilst in-season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnTs8XCc9WY
2. Training Apparel
There's nothing better than having a nice hoodie and sweats to train in or to just wear around. It's become a necessity for me to wear sweatpants and a sweat shirt when I train, otherwise it'll seem take me 30 minutes just to warm up. They're comfortable, and when you're an athlete, appropriate for all occasions. You can find apparel for powerlifters, crossfitters, and tons more for traditional athletes.
2. The Jawbone UP24 Tracker
We've come a long way from the clip-at-the-side pedometer. Jawbone's UP24 stays with you as a wrist band, even as you sleep, to help provide you with invaluable data about your daily habits and how they're affecting your bodily functions. It tracks your sleep patterns(giving you the option of working you at optimal times in your sleep cycles), counts calories, helps you track your diet and helps you set goals. This gift may be more appropriate for your fitness enthusiast friend, but could also aid with athletes who are constantly battling poor recovery habits. For $50 more, you can get the version with a heart-rate monitor so that you can more efficiently monitor your conditioning. There are several similar trackers on the market, but I've heard nothing but good about Jawbone's products
1. Training at SAPT
Is this a shameless self-plug? Maybe. But there's nowhere else in the DMV that has a more thorough initial evaluation to pick apart the athletes' movements and put together a comprehensive and affordable program to ensure continual athletic development. I've had countless parents tell me that training with us was one of the best decisions they ever made for their kids. So bring 'em in and lets get better!
Sweet and Good For You Desserts
As Bob Rivers so poignantly points out, it's the most fattening time of the year...
I love Christmas music parodies. We all know it's true; cookies, cakes, candies, and other c-starting foods that contain lots of calories. (See what I did there?) To combat the oh-so-sugary tempting treats, I have a couple of recipes that won’t send you into a glucose coma should you have an extra helping.
4 Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are great because they’re pack with fruit (instead of refined, straight sugar) so you get some fiber in there to boot. The nut butter acts as the binder and 3 tablespoons of peanut butter is a LOT less calories (and crap) than two sticks of margarine found in traditional cookies.
The oat flour, again more fiber than refined flour, has a lot of soluble fiber in it which promotes heart health. Chocolate, well, that’s just tasty. If you're into dark chocolate, the Reed household is a regular purchaser of Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips.
Recipe:
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup dried fruit (I used apricots)
- 3 Tbs nut butter (I used peanut butter but almond butter will have milder flavor)
- 1/2-2/3 cups oat flour (just grind up oats in a food processor)
- 1-2 handfuls of chocolate chips (we use the dark chocolate chips)
1. Preheat oven to 375-ish.
2. Pulse fruit, nut butter, and oat flour in a food processor until combined and rather sticky looking. Remove blade (this is a very important step) and toss in the chocolate chips and fold in using a spatula.
3. Scoop out dough with either a spoon or ice-cream scooper onto a lightly greased baking sheet.
4. Bake about 15-20 minutes.
5. Scarf down accordingly.
Coconut Luvers Cookies (I found it over at Healthful Pursuits, a fabulous food blog by Leanne Vogul found here)
I adapted this a bit because the first time I made them, Steve said they were a bit dry. Unsweetened coconut provides healthy fats (gotta keep those cell membranes healthy!) and fiber (see, all these desserts will keep you regular!) and the sugar content on these babies isn’t sky high as in a lot of other desserts.
- 2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut
- 2 eggs
- 2 TBS of cocoa powder
- 1 small-ish handful of chocolate chips, melted
- 1/2 cup honey or agave nectar
1. Preheat oven to 350… as it is for seemingly every baked good.
2. Melt chocolate chips either in the microwave (my preferred method) or on the stove.
3. Combine the shredded coconut with the cocoa powder and eggs. Add in the melted chocolate and agave/honey. Stir vigorously until goopy and thoroughly mixed.
4. Plop batter into desired cookie size on a lightly greased baking sheet. Leanne Vogul recommends using your hands, as if you’re making mud pies, but I used a large serving spoon (I had a couple of cuts on my palms that I didn’t want goopy-goop getting into).
5. Bake about 17-20 minutes. Then, dig in!
p.s. Steve has found these to be fantastic pre-workout snacks.
Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpeas
I know, it sounds weird, but these things are absolutely addictive (and better for you than say, M&Ms or Puppy Chow). Chickpeas come stocked with fiber (notice a theme? Besides keeping you regular, fiber helps blunt the blood sugar spike thus preventing crashes post-sugar intake), a cup of these little buggers contain roughly 14 grams of protein (better than M&Ms for sure), and they have phosphorus (good for bone development), potassium, and manganese (super important mineral for cellular functions and wound healing). These guys pack a punch!
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2-3 teaspoons cinnamon (depending on how much you like cinnamon)
- 1-3 teaspoons raw sugar, stevia, or coconut sugar (pick you favorite)
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil (trust me, this makes clean up a lot easier)
2. Place chickpeas in a mixing bowl. Combine the sweetener-o-choice with cinnamon and sprinkle over the chickpeas as you toss them to coat.
3. Spread out the chicky-peas on the baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they look crispy.
4. Place in a bowl (after they’ve cooled a bit) and munch on during your next movie night.
p.s. you can, should you desire, to sprinkle some sea salt on them before baking to give a sweet-n-salty taste.
Enjoy your extra desserts today!
Book Review: Science and Practice of Strength Training
On a trip to Portland during the summer I stumbled into Powell’s City of Books, a 68,000 square foot bookstore (the largest bookstore in the world) and while browsing the selection came across “Science and Practice of Strength Training” by Vladimir Zatsiorsky. I had heard of the book before but not until I finished reading it did I understand how much of a gem this book can be to coaches, trainer, and athletes looking to get stronger for sports. The book is easy to read and uses plenty of pictures and illustrations to help readers understand the subject without getting too sciencey. Keep in mind this is NOT an exercise cookbook that will tell you what exercises to do, how many times to do it, and with what weight. Throughout the book Zatsiorsky shares basic and advanced training ideas from his experiences of training athletes around the world. This book is broken down into areas including:
Basic Concepts:
This section covers two theories of what happens following an exercise session. One theory, Supercompensation, is said to cause a decrease in performance following a training session followed by an overcompensation which allows the body to come back stronger. The second theory mentioned is the fatigue-fitness theory. With this theory the book proposes that fitness gains occur immediately but are masked by fatigue and may not appear until this fatigue subsides.
Training Intensity:
In this section Zatsiorsky explains many different methods of manipulating repetitions, resistance, percentages of 1RM, and density to produce a desired training effect.
Special Populations Training:
The author shares great insight on specific techniques for training women, youth athletes, and senior athletes. These sections cover the key differences that a relevant to getting members of these groups safely prepared for strength sports or sports requiring significant amounts of strength and power.
All and all I think this book is a great read and would make an excellent addition to anyone’s professional library as it covers many key aspects of training in a practical manner. This book can be found online for purchase here.
