Knowledge is POWER! Part 2
Piggybacking off of my previous post (ta-da!), here are some more great reads to quench that thirst for knowledge that has been digging at you all week long.____________________________________________________________________________________________
Baseball/Softball season is right around the corner! Read these two posts by Eric Cressey on common injuries and how to keep them at bay.
- Baseball Injuries: What to Expect in the Next Few Months
- Oblique Strains in Baseball: 2011 Update
Do you ever sit there, enjoy a nice cup of coffee, and think about your dysfunctional movements patterns and the best way to fix them? I know I sure do! Here's a great post out of the Personal Trainer Development Center on how to use the FMS (Functional Movement Screen) to devise more effective corrective methods. Afterwards, schedule an appointment with one of our evaluation specialists so SAPT can help you get back to painless functional movement!
- How to Simplify Corrective Exercise Training with the Functional Movement Screen
It simply wouldn't be right if I didn't include a great read on periodization techniques for all your powerlifters out there. It's not always as easy as "Pick it up. Put it down. Repeat."
- A Practical Guide for Implementing Block Periodization for Powerlifting
Do you know what Prilepin's Chart is? Well, you do now.
Last, but not least, here are a couple of in-house articles by your excellent coaches at SAPT
- One highlighting a very special athlete of ours: Amanda!
- One urging you to think critically when it comes to nutrition. (P.S. Did you know that SAPT offers nutritional coaching?? Our very own Kelsey Reed is an absolute whiz when it comes to fueling your body for optimal performance. Schedule an appointment today!)
- One introducing you to the multitude of benefits from kettlebell swings!
Oh wait, I almost forgot! Here's another awesome video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5JIqrx0roE
If she can do it, so can you!
Super Pear Smoothie
It’s February, which everyone knows marks the beginning of pear season. Today I will bring you a delicious smoothie recipe guaranteed to make your taste buds smile. Pears are tasty, nutritious, and a great source of fiber and vitamin C. These fruits also just happen to be free of sodium, fat, and cholesterol. . . . Winning. In this recipe we unite an all-star lineup of fruits and veggies to deliver a rock star snack. Drink up and enjoy!!
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 Pears
- 1 Cup Whole Strawberries
- 2 Cups Fresh Spinach or Kale
- 1 Celery Stalk
- 1 Cup of Water or Coconut Water
DIRECTIONS:
- Put all ingredients into blender
- Blend
- Drink
Guest Post: Running Injury and Shoes
Today's post comes to us from "Middle Age Middle Distance Runner." He wrote a post back in January. Today he brings us information on running injuries and a shoe recommendation. Welcome to February! Well here we are about a month and a half into the New Year, and hopefully you are still excited about your fitness goals and have kept up your running routine be it old or new. Unfortunately this is about the point where injuries and weather have started to sideline some newer runners.
Typically running injuries in new runners are a result of overdoing it (though if it’s the weather that’s sidelined you, there is little you can do about that!). The common injuries include, but are not limited to, shin splints, various leg muscle strains, knee pain issues, plantar fasciitis, and in rare occasion piriformis strains, an easily-irritated hip external rotator. These injuries can be debilitating, and in the case of the latter, and literally be a pain in the butt! Any one of these injuries will certainly necessitate some time off, the amount of time off and ease of reentry into running will be determined by the care taken immediately after sustaining an injury.
A common problem that seems to plague more accomplished runners is the self-denial of having an injury, and even more so getting that injury looked at by a doctor. I speak from experience on this one. That initial pain sets in (pending it is not one of those drop-you-to- the-ground injuries), and instead of listening to your body you push through the pain to get the workout done, or keep up the routine and wind up to further injuring yourself. In this case the runner usually ends up with a far worse injury than if he/she used common sense and patience and took a few days off from running. Pain in the middle of a run is when this is the worst time, but there is no shame in walking the rest of the way home if running would only further aggravate the injury. Don’t get me wrong, the distance runner needs to train to run through some pain (i.e. muscle soreness). However, the pain of an injury is not that type of pain.
Initially it might be hard to discern the types of pain, but over time you get good at identifying the “I’ve ran hard and my chest hurts from breathing, and my legs ache from effort,” from the instant or prolonged, “My x-body part is sore and hurts”. As far as treatment goes I always recommend seeing your healthcare provider, and in the meantime apply the R.I.C.E. method of injury care; rest, ice (15 minutes per day), compress (use a compression bandage on applicable injured body part), and finally elevate the injured part (especially easy for leg injuries). Too many times I see runners fall into the bad habit of ignoring pain then an inevitable injury occurs.
Alright, that’s enough about pain and the struggles of running, let’s discuss shoes. After all a good pair of shoes can go a long way to help prevent injuries in the first place. As mentioned in my January post, I love Hoka One One running shoes and no, I am not sponsored by them (though I’d love to be). I am a big fan of their shoes after many years of running on several different brands. Hoka’s One One are considered a maximum cushioning shoe, and offer an answer to all the minimalist movement that has taken over running in the past few years. I know that initial reaction to seeing these shoes can be, “Oh my, they look like a colorful orthotic shoe!” I assure you that these are not a corrective shoe, and despite the oversized heel and foot bed, these shoes are surprisingly light and responsive.
Another plus to these shoes is that they are designed for folks training for marathons and ultra-marathons, so for the average runner these shoes will last almost twice as long as traditional running shoes. For example I like to switch out my shoes every six months, or roughly 500 miles of running. I found that the four pairs of Hokas I owned I got another three months or 250 more miles out of them.
This is good for two reasons: first, it’s easier on the budget, and second, the shoes hold up and provide excellent cushioning and support through the life span of the shoe. I usually run in the Bondi road model (I owned the Bondi 2 and 3 and currently run in 4), and the first model of the Conquest. If trail running is your thing, then the Rapa Nui 2 is an excellent choice. There are a number of YouTube videos about Hokas, some officially by Hoka, and some from individuals offering reviews of the shoes on their own. I encourage you to go check them out!
The beginning of March starts the race season for a lot of folks. Spring heralds the increase in the number of regional 5 and 10 Ks. This is also the time when marathon training accelerates as folks prepare for marathons in late spring and early summer. For the March post I will focus on how to prepare for 5 and 10 Ks. If running a 10K is a goal for you, and you like the idea of a destination run I recommend checking out the Cooper River 10 K in Charleston South Carolina. This is one of the largest 10 Ks in the US and it is run on either the last weekend of March, or the first weekend in April. The weather there at that time is great, and the run is a lot of fun. Until our next conversation take care and enjoy the run!
The Middle Age, Mid-Distance Runner
Less is More When Teaching A New Skill
Friday afternoon we had a new athlete in. He's 9 years old and a rock star. Seriously, he's one of the most coachable young athletes I've worked with. One of our new interns was tasked to take him through his warm up and workout (with my oversight). Intern did a pretty good job, for his first time coaching. Again, our new athlete was pretty coachable so he had an easier first client.
A few days before I gave an in-service on coaching the deadlift and squat. Since most new athletes learn to goblet squat on Day 1, I was excited to see what he had retained.
I will replay the conversation as best I can:
Intern: Ok, we're going to squat to this box. I want you to push back you butt, turn out your toes a little, try not to pick up your toes, but it's ok if they come up a little bit. I want you to lean forward, but not too much, and try to keep your knees out. The most important thing I want you to do is push your butt back, ok? (Intern looks at Athlete with a hopeful and eager expression) Do you know what you need to do?
Athlete: (blank stare) No.
What happened? Intern gave Athlete all the information he needed to execute a perfect squat.
Intern gave Athlete too much information.
One of the points I made during the coaching in-service was to avoid over-cuing. Providing to much information to someone, particularly someone learning a new skill, will lead to system overload and, usually, a poorly executed movement.
As coaches (or teachers of anything really) we must remember that while we know all the major points and nuances of an exercise, our trainees do not. It's even more pronounced in brand-new lifters. General lifting habits such as hinging from the hips, chest up, tight mid-section etc. are not automatic so they have to consciously think about those things along with the new movement itself.
I, too, crashed-and-burned when I first started coaching. There were just so many things that my clients needed to know when it came to learning a new exercise, that I felt I couldn't leave anything out. I quickly learned that by cuing only one or two major points (i.e. the most important), clients a) learned the movement more quickly, and b) they didn't stare at me as if I had sprouted antennae out of my head.
Coaches: Throwing out a dozen cues will only frustrate and confuse your athlete and the movement deteriorates to the level of "poop" rapidly. Highlight the one or two most useful points and then let the athlete/client try to perform the movement. Once a client masters the big things, then you can move on to fixing/cuing the smaller things.
Mike Robertson recently had a fantastic article on cuing the squat and deadlift HERE. It's the epitome of minimalist coaching.
Coaches and teachers of any sort will do well to remember that "less is more" when it comes to teaching new skills!
Knowledge is POWER!
Good Thursday, my lovely SAPT blog readers! This morning I bring you a special blog post aimed at nurturing that big ol' brain of yours. I'm an avid reader, and make a point to try and set aside at least an hour a day to read. I frequently have upwards of thirty tabs open on my computer... a "to-do" list of material that I want to get to. To my delight, this list never seems to get any shorter, as each article leads to 3 others, and so on and so forth. Here's a quick screen shot to show I'm not speaking hyperbole.
As ridiculous as this may seem, this is my way of forcing myself to improve. Every day I strive to be better then I was the day before. Whether this improvement comes as a result of learning a new exercise or gaining a more complete understanding of a certain conditioning method, it doesn't matter. The point is that I'm evolving and growing every day, and reading plays an instrumental role in this process. Below are a few tidbits from the internet to help you evolve. Remember: knowledge is power.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We frequently use forearm wallslides here at SAPT. This is a fantastic exercise that targets your serratus, helps increase scapular stability, and combats the droopy, shoulders-forward posture that many overhead athletes develop. Here's a great video by Eric Cressey, owner of Cressey Sports Performance, where he discusses the finer details of the exercise and how to perform it correctly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPF1sA4Ph94
Ever wonder why your SAPT coaches are having you roll on the ground? Read this article to find out!
- Rolling Patterns for Core Development and Functional Movement
Any avid runners out there? Here's a great article explaining the science behind program design for runners like you!
- What are Strength Exercises for Runner? The Science and the Programming
New to the strength training scene? Check out this article by Dean Somerset showing you how to succeed as a new lifter.
- 5 Ways for Beginners to Succeed in The Gym in 2015
Here are two article by the guys at Darkside Strength. Dr. Quinn Henoch and Ryan Brown are huge players in the sports performance and rehabilitation industries. If you're not keeping already reading their material, start now. You won't regret it.
- Movement to Master for Youth Athletes
And finally, I'll leave you with what may be my favorite pre-lift video of all time. Donny Shankle of California Strength, ladies and gentleman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdhOdJ_NVao
Getting Away From The Whistle
A while back on my way into SAPT, I found myself face to face with a 10 ft. long piece of lumber laying across my lane on 495. I was immediately bombarded with a ton of information to process and a decision to make. Do I slam on the brakes (not smart on the highway), or blindly jump into another lane (also not smart on the highway)? I immediately pulled a high speed precision driving maneuver to avoid the collision. Unfortunately, this maneuver didn’t work out quite as well as I had seen it done in some movies.
Immediately following this encounter I began thinking about how athletes have to do perform reactive movements and skills tens if not hundreds of time within a competition. In volleyball for example, every time a ball is passed to a different player that player has to respond rapidly; or in football after an interception, a skill player like a quarterback immediately must transition and become a defender.
http://youtu.be/RF9PFJI_t5I
How does one prepare his/her athletes for rapid game-time decision-making? One training tool I like to include are reactive cues rather than having athletes strictly focus on reacting to a horn, bell, or whistle. This is a great way to get your athletes thinking, add competition to a practice, and have some fun at the same time. Explained below is a fun drill that you can implement at your next practice, training session, or family BBQ.
- Have an athlete or group begin on a court or field line
- Inform the person of your specific cue and the predetermined distance. This can be just a few yards or longer if you desire. (Example: Even numbers = athletes run left, Odd numbers= athletes run right)
A example of this would be to have an athlete straddle the half court line of a basketball court facing the bench. The athlete will then be instructed to turn and sprint 5 yards to his left if an even number is called out and to turn and sprint 5 yards to his right if an odd number is called. If the coach of this example calls out "67" the athlete would turn to his or her right and sprint through the marker signifying 5 yards.
Mix this up by having athletes start from various positions (push up position, seated) or asking them perform various actions during their round (side shuffle, backpedal back, carioca, etc.)
Have a blast training your muscles and brains.
