Sports Are Healthy Right? by Tadashi Updegrove
Continuing from my last post about the do’s and don’ts of an intern, SAPT received someone who exemplified pretty much exactly what I felt a good intern should be. For the past semester Tadashi has made an impact on SAPT through his knowledge, coaching, and ability to learn and apply. In his brief time here he became a colleague and a good friend. Unfortunately, his time at SAPT has come to an end and he has decided to take his talents to South Beach and by South Beach I mean College Park, Maryland to pursue an internship with the S & C department. With that said, here is Tadashi’s final task for completing his time at SAPT.... As a Kinesiology major, I was required to enroll in a “Senior Seminar” class this past semester, where we basically got in a big group and discussed health. Most discussions were centered around the importance of health, how we can inspire others to be healthy, and the future of health in the United States and the world. As many of my fellow classmates declared their own personal mission statements to become soldiers in the war against obesity, or how to combat the big tobacco companies, I sat quietly in the corner, hoping I didn’t get called on. Then I got called on:
“Tadashi, why are you so interested in health?”
After stumbling over my words I finally managed to utter something like “err… I, um... I’m not.” I went on to explain that health was not my primary interest. What I was interested in was sports and sports performance. I wanted to understand how the human body adapts so I could understand how to manipulate the applied stimuli to make someone stronger, jump higher, hit harder, and pick up heavier things.
Then I was approached with a follow up question:
“Well, sports are healthy right?”
I don’t know how I feel about that one. Sure being physically active and exercising is healthy, but after looking through countless research articles it’s hard to ignore the high percentages of participant injury in sports. Competitive lifting, both powerlifting and weightlifting, ranks at the low end of participant injury with something between 40%-50% (Yup, ½ of participants getting injured apparently is low compared to other sports). The NFL is under scrutiny right now because of the concussion rates and the violent nature of the game. I know the NFL is easy to hate on when discussing health and safety because… well it’s football, and the game involves Hulk-Smashing people against their will.
But football players aren’t the only ones getting hurt. Even the concussion rates in girls’ lacrosse are high enough to raise concerns about helmet requirements. Take a look at ACL injuries and you’ll find that the overwhelming majority of ACL tears occur because of non-contact situations. ACLs tend to rupture during a sprint, a jump landing, decelerating, or change-of-direction task. Athletes in sports that demand a high volume of these tasks are placed at a higher risk of injury. Think soccer, volleyball, basketball, etc.
During my experience working with the SAPT coaches and athletes, I began to realize more and more that training for performance is training for health. Learning to squat with the knees out and the hips back makes you more of a beast because you get more recruitment of the glutes and your legs are placed in a structurally ideal position to produce force into the ground. This also happens to be the healthiest position for your knee joint by reducing the load to the medial compartment. Bracing the midsection during a lift will increase performance because of an improved transfer of force between the upper and lower body. This ability to create a rigid torso also happens to be the best way to keep your spine from folding in half under load. Similar performance and health benefits can be said about keeping the scapulae retracted during rows or tucking the elbows during a pushup.
I played lacrosse and ran track in high school, and now compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu/submission grappling, and like many athletes in other sports, have come to understand that injuries are just part of the game. Most athletes can expect to get banged up here and there. Sometimes, unfortunately, they’ll get hit with a more serious injury that takes them out for a length of time that really puts their patience (and sanity) to the test. For me it was a back injury that occurred during a grappling session which required surgery last September. Looking back it’s easy to say I should have done more soft tissue work, anterior core exercises, mobility drills, and gotten more rest but… hindsight’s always 20/20. What is it going to take for me to get healthy? Strengthening the right muscles, mobilizing the right joints, and training the neuromuscular system appropriately. Sounds eerily like training for performance...
I realize now that I am interested in health (specifically musculoskeletal health), because it goes hand in hand in optimizing athletic performance, but I still have to disagree with a blanket statement like “sports are healthy.”
Even a sport like distance running boasts a participant injury rate upwards of 70%! The next time you watch a baseball or softball game watch the pitcher’s shoulder as he/she pitches. Try and convince me that they throw this way to improve their health.
However, despite the risk of injury there are many reasons why I believe sports are awesome, and most of these reasons are not necessarily health related. Growing up my Dad always told me that I would learn more from playing sports than I would learn in the classroom, and I’m pretty sure he was right (but I went to class too…). I learned what it meant to work hard towards a goal, work with others, and make sacrifices for the benefit of the team. Not to mention it’s FUN, and I’ve had some of my most memorable moments on a lacrosse field or a grappling mat.
The Do's and Don'ts of Being an Intern
Internships are the bridges that lead into a career in strength and conditioning whether it’s at the collegiate level or the private sector. If you want to pursue a career in this industry at some point you need to do an internship. If you don’t then you won’t gain hands on knowledge and you won’t be able to learn from people more experienced and smarter than you. Internships are almost a rite of passage. They mean you paid your dues. If you successfully completed an internship it means you worked hard every day, you cleaned equipment, you organized storage closets, you woke up at 4:00AM to be in the weight room for a 5:00AM team and then worked till 4:00PM, you read endlessly, you watched some of the most knowledgeable people you’ll ever meet coach, you got to ask those coaches questions, you got to listen to those coaches answer your questions, and if you were lucky those coaches threw you to the wolves and told you one morning “hey, I’m going to let you run women’s soccer today to see how you do” then they watched you fail miserably which gave you the opportunity to find out what your made of, then they showed you how to learn from your mistakes and how to do it better the next time! And you did it all for no money, just for the experience, the knowledge, the pride and to see if you had what it takes. It was all for the opportunity to gain the ability to help people and athletes become better versions of themselves. Or at least this is what it should be about; sadly a lot of people just want to get by. You’d be amazed by the amount of people who want to say they put in the work rather than just putting in the work. People who do the internship because they need the credit to graduate so they try to put in as little effort as possible instead of taking advantage of a great situation in which they can learn.
With all that said here are some do’s and don’ts to follow in order to get the best possible experience out of your internship…
1) Be Quiet
You are there to learn, not socialize. The coaches don’t care about how “crazy” your weekend was. Unless your asking questions there is no need for you to talk, until the coach states otherwise.
2) Understand That You Know Nothing/Be Open Minded
It’s important to grasp the concept that unless you have coaching experience your opinion doesn't hold much value. There’s nothing worse than someone who spouts off exercise science trivia but can’t goblet squat to save their life or teach it for that matter. It doesn’t matter what your training methodology is because it’s over for the time being. Take this time to step out of your comfort zone and learn something new. Is your internship somewhere that is Olympic based? Well if it is guess what? You are going to train the Olympic lifts for the next semester or year. If you go into the whole thing thinking you know it all then then you’ve demonstrated that you truly know nothing.
3) Do as Your Asked and Do it with a Smile on Your Face
Your job is whatever the strength coach you’re working under deems it to be. If they want you to go reorganize the whole storage closet then do it and whistle while you work, trust me it helps. If they want you to observe a training session then you need watch intently and have questions ready to ask them when the session is done. It’s a privilege that these coaches have taken you under their wing so show gratitude by performing each task no matter how minute it is to the best of your ability
4) Show Initiative
Sadly, this was my biggest problem during my internships. If someone told me to do something I definitely did it to the best of my ability. That was the problem though, most of the time I had to be told when to do something. If you see plates unorganized then go organize them before someone tells you. Is everything organized in the storage closet by the end of the day? If not, take it upon yourself to organize it. If the strength coach is running behind schedule and has a collegiate baseball team getting out of line then put your big boy/girl pants on and go lay down the law. One of your jobs is to assist the strength coach so they can focus on their job. If they have to stop what they’re doing in order to tell you what to do all the time then you’re just making things worse. Taking initiative shows leadership qualities and that you can handle yourself in all different situations.
5) Have Fun
I know that sounds a little hard after all the things I just mentioned BUT I promise you that if you observe the other rules listed number 5 will come naturally. If you can successfully observe the previous rules then the strength coach you work under will probably make your job a lot more enjoyable. If you don’t heed the other rules you’re going to have a really angry strength coach as a boss. Working under Sarah I learned this quick, that’s not a person you want angry at you; I have nightmares to this day…. joking…. But seriously. In all seriousness though, depending on where you end up for your internship you have been given a great opportunity to change yourself for the better. It’s important to do everything in your power to seize the opportunity.
Happy Tuesday!
Happy Tuesday? I know, who says that.
Apparently, ladies who just gave birth.
I'm pretty low on sleep and have about a million work things to do before the next set of relatives join us for the rest of the week (t-minus 30-min, not looking good for me getting everything done).
So, I'm just going to do a short round-up of some miscellaneous posts and a personal update:
- Alex Hutchinson has the breakdown of an interesting study regarding diet and hydration relating to workload at Sweatscience. It's title says it all: Nutrition and Hydration: Science 1, Experience 0. Pretty cool info, especially if you think your body operates on some different plane than everyone else (it doesn't).
- This morning I received a link from Brian Levenson directing me to a Ted talk called Philippe Petit: The journey across the high wire. If you've got about 20-minutes to spare check it out, the main points are about magic (yes, like magic tricks), pursuing your passion, and doing the impossible.
- My new favorite equipment supplier for both commercial and home applications is Rogue Fitness. Their stuff is made is the USA, comes at very reasonable prices, and - best of all - they don't "bend you over" on shipping rates. Sorry for the imagery. I just ordered a few things for our backyard and anticipate using them heavily for SAPT orders in the future.
Personal update: I know most people who read Saptstrength.com also frequent Stronggirlswin.com, so you're probably aware of the "self-experiment" I've been running on myself throughout this pregnancy.
Now, that the birth is over, I'm beginning a new self-experiment that will last from Duke's birthday of May 23rd through the beginning of the fall semester at Mason (August 27th). That's just short of 15-weeks.
My personal goal is pretty darn simple:see if I can get myself into a BodPod measured and confirmed 14-16% body fat level. Why? Well, over the last 3-years I've been pregnant for a total of 20-months and spent the other non-pregnant 16-months learning how to balance being a mom with work.
But, another EXTREMELYimportant goal for me is to provide proof of success and, eventually, a framework for other new moms to gain motivation and direction from.
I simply don't agree with the idea that once you have kids you have to accept a body that you don't really want.
I'm quite excited and anxious to spend some serious and focused time working on ME. I'll be documenting this process and progress over at Stronggirlswin.com.
Whoooo Hoooo, Happy Tuesday!
Congratulations to Kelsey!
With the current sale that ends this Thursday (be sure to sign up in case you missed it!), Kelsey and I have been seemingly drowning in a pool of emails to respond to and programs to be written. Kelsey named our current situation "Medusa" as, for those of you not-so-well-versed in Greek mythology, 5 new emails/programs will pop up for every 1 written. Given this, I've had much less time than usual to write articles and compose blog entries, but I wanted to take a moment to congratulate Kelsey on her completion of the RKC certification this past weekend. It was 23 hours (yes, TWENTY THREE hours) of rigorous coaching, training, and refining; and the attendees had to pass a pretty arduous test at the end of it in order to walk away with the certification.
One of the things I like so much about the RKC is that their standards are nothing to be sneezed at, and that they are a school of strength and form. According to them, the two are intertwined (something I find many individuals/organizations seem to miss....), and I found myself frequently nodding in agreement when Kelsey would arrive home each night and fill me in on what she learned/did. Not to mention, Pavel (head Yoda of the RKC), is the co-author of Easy Strength, the "no BS" book on all things strength training that I find myself continuing to recommend to fellow strength coaches in the field.
(Note: Kelsey wrote a brief synopsis of her experience HERE)
Just yesterday, Kelsey attempted a Turkish Get-Up with a 28kg (62lbs) kettlebell for the first time, putting into practice a few of the techniques she picked up over the weekend. Needless to say, she nailed it:
Not bad for a woman that weighs just over 50 kilos!
I've been REALLY proud of her as she's learned to train, intelligently, around her injuries (torn labrums in both hips, along with a few herniated lumbar discs), and I'm quite excited to see her continue to press forward despite numerous setbacks in her training. She trained her butt off for this past weekend, and passed with flying colors.
In addition, I've already witnessed HUGE dividends - regards to our continued refinement of coaching at SAPT - as a result of everything Kelsey learned throughout the RKC course over the weekend.
Congratulations, babe!!
BIG News: SAPT is Moving!...
...Just down the road!
This is another HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY effort I"ve made to say "thank you" to our loyal clientele and Team Fantastico (aka, the SAPT coaches).
While we"re only going about 1-mile from our current location, we"ll be taking a huge step forward in terms of improving working conditions for the SAPT coaches.
Don"t worry, the actual training floor will retain all the aspects that keep us out of the "commercial gym" category... you know the concrete floors, concrete block walls, high ceilings, and big bay door.
Where we"ll be getting "soft" (if you can call it that): We will FINALLY have a CLIMATE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT!
The coaches will also have some pretty nice offices (check out the picts below).
I wish I could say this deal is 100% done and done. But, we will be having a public hearing to see if we get approved for the permit required for us to make this move on June 5th with Fairfax City"s Board of Zoning Appeals.
If you"re in the area or are a City resident, please consider coming out to the hearing to support us and our continued online casino occupation within Fairfax City! The meeting will be Tuesday, June 5th at 7pm at City Hall in the City Council chambers.
In the meantime, check out what we hope will soon be our new digs:
At this point you may be wondering about the exterior and how it compares to Pickett Road. While I don"t have any photos to share, I can say with full confidence, our clients and visitors will no longer get to enjoy the sights of "bombed-out" and abandoned vehicles in our parking lot.
A Witness to Female Strength
Today’s post is in honor of “Female Strength”. I had the privilege of seeing two feats of strength this past week. The first was with three of our softball girls who train with us at SAPT. They had their senior night last Friday and it was pretty cool to watch them perform on the field. Not only did I get to see them beat the other team 11-0 but I got to watch Nancy lay out for a line drive up the middle. I’m pretty sure at one point she was parallel to the ground. Did I mention that their team has 3 captains and it just so happens that all 3 girls who train at SAPT fill those slots. Coincidence?
These girls can drive me crazy sometimes but their work ethic and general awesomeness makes me feel privileged that I get to coach them. Great job girls!
The second feat of female greatness comes from one of our adult clients, Lisa. For anyone who reads our blog I’m sure you already know the legend of Lisa. This woman refuses to be weak and proves it just about every 12 weeks. I got to watch Lisa retest her bench press and deadlift from 12 weeks ago this past Saturday. Check out the video below to see her 15lbs bench press PR and her 35lbs deadlift PR!
