Guest Post 11/30/11 Guest Post 11/30/11

4 Things Currently Improving My Sleep Life

Improve your sleep with these four tips.

Ahhhh, yes....sleep. What better way to keep hormonal balance in check, raise testosterone, improve insulin sensitivity, lower cortisol (stress hormone), keep body fat at bay, along with restoring and improving cognitive function? After all, in the hit series Dexter, when Lt. Maria LaGuerta asks Dexter how he's so smart and figures things out all the time, Dexter simply replies with (cue slow, monotonous Dexter voice.....): "Hmm...lots of sleep."

Sleep and I have an interesting relationship. She reels me in very quickly, but, when I want to leave, she doesn't let me go. In other words, for those of you who may not be getting it, I can fall asleep very quickly (and I mean VERY quickly), but have a terrible time getting out of bed in the morning.

For example, let me explain how easy it is for me to fall asleep, as it often leads to my own demise. Here's a truncated list of movies I've fallen asleep during, IN THEATERS mind you. And, keep in mind, I'm not just talking about a few minutes, but I literally missed the last three-fourths of all of each of the below:

The Bourne Ultimatum
Black Hawk Down. Twice. Yes, twice.
The Departed. Again, twice.
American Gangster

As you can see, I might as well have slept through an active mine field explosion during World War II. I've wasted over $150.00 by spending money on evening showings of top rated movies, only end up frustrated by having my sleep interrupted by constant gun fire, bomb detonations, and an uncomfortable theater seat. Not to mention, missing a good movie.

Not to mention the man-card I had to hand in by failing to see those movies (I still have yet to see the entirety of them...). There are many more I missed in the theaters, copious rental movies I conked out during, and don't even get me started on the fire alarms in college I slept completely through. Don't worry though, I'll spare you the prolixity.

Moving onward, getting out of bed is an entirely different bear. While sleep will take me within 3o seconds of hitting the pillow (not kidding), she is entirely recalcitrant when it comes to letting me put my feet on the floor in the mornings.

No, I am not a morning person, but it's beyond that. Call me weak-minded, unmotivated, whatever...but you know something is wrong with me when I'm pointing the TV remote at the toaster oven to make breakfast and wondering why it's not turning on.

In fact, things got so bad with my sleeping through fire alarms and alarm clocks that my mom actually ordered me a Sonic Boom alarm clock in college, when I was completing Clinical Exercise Physiology course that required me to be there at 5:00AM in the morning (we were working with cardiac rehab patients).

This alarm clock is the loudest, most obstreperous** thing you will ever experience in your life. It can actually be used for deaf people, as it comes with a vibrating "bed shaker" (you can see it in the picture) that you place under your pillow to literally convulse you into awakening. The noise also goes up to 113 decibels; the equivalent of someone walking into your room and revving up a freaking chainsaw!!

Needless to say, I couldn't use it for long as I'd wake up 5-6 times each night stressed out of my mind because I didn't want the actual sonic boom to wake me up. It was that bad...the first time it happened I fell out of my bed thinking that I was under attack by the entire cast of The Expendebles.

Okay, so I think I've proved the point that it's extremely easy for me to fall asleep (and stay asleep), but very difficult for me to wake up in the mornings, at least without feeling extremely groggy.

Never to fear! You can learn from my many mistakes and losses in my relationship with sleep. Here are four things I've found that have dramatically improved my sleep life, and subsequently, wakefulness during the day:

1. Using a Dawn Simulator Alarm Clock

You can find countless articles on tips for falling asleep, but very few on how to wake up. Given that waking up was one of my greatest pitfalls, I needed work in this department. Enter the dawn simulator alarm clock.

Getting one of the these things was the best thing that happened to me since discovering good coffee. Kelsey and I actually put it on our wedding registry, and, let me tell you, it has made my morning wake-ups SO MUCH BETTER. Here is a picture of mine below:

What does this little gem do? It slowly emits light throughout the thirty minute period leading up to your wake-up time. Then, when the clock strikes the hour you want to wake, an alarm goes off (with mine you can choose from various sounds from nature noises, the radio, soft beeping, etc.).

This way, it helps your body arise from sleep the way it was originally designed to: without the glaring jolt of a boisterous alarm clock.

I can't tell you how much easier I wake up now. I will often wake before the clock even goes off (even during the week when my clock is set for 530-6AM), and I feel incredibly more refreshed than I did in the past when using a traditional alarm clock.

I personally use the one by Philips, and I highly recommend it.

2. Avoiding TV and Computers Before Bed

Some of you may struggle with wasting time on both of these, for others of you it may be one or the other. For me personally, TV has never really been an issue. In fact, my wife and I don't even subscribe to basic cable, given that we feel it's an incredible waste of money and time. This being the case, we won't find anything more than black and white static even if we wanted to. Sarah recently alluded to the utter death valley of television, as well, in her 30 Things I Want to Share post last week.

However, what did used to be an issue for me was spending time on my computer upon getting home from work. I usually get home between 830-9PM, and, upon sitting down, I would frequently flip it open my laptop to read articles, check email, peruse Facebook, you know the drill....

To make matters worse, sometimes I would even take my laptop into bed with me to watch AnimeBand of Brothers episodes before going to sleep.

However, what this was doing was not only stimulating my brain (instead of causing it to slow down, which would the obvious winning option for sleeping well), but also altering my body's circadian rhythm and delaying/lowering melatonin production.

This is a clear no-no for experiencing sound, quality sleep.

To give credit where credit is due: I can primarily thank my wife for helping me break free of this habit, as, once we got married and moved in together, she wouldn't have been too happy with me watching war movies in bed as she's trying to fall asleep.

So, what to do instead of watching TV or using your laptop?

Take the TV and/or computer out of your room. In fact, I now leave my cellphone out of the room, as well. The bedroom should only be used for two things anyway, sleeping being one of them.
Try reading a non-fiction book. Some light reading that won't get your brain going too much. I used to do this all the time in high school (The Lord of the Rings and Ender's Game series being some of the most notable ones ), but kinda got out of the habit during college and beyond. Currently I'm reading The Hunger Games, and it is awesome.

That's it for today. I'll be back on Friday for the remaining two tips on improving one's sleep life. Enjoy.

(Update: Part 2 is Here)

**It's a cool word I learned over Thanksgiving and wanted to share it with you all. Can be used to mean "noisy and clamorous" or "unruly; stubbornly defiant." You're welcome.

Sarah Walls 11/29/11 Sarah Walls 11/29/11

Strength Training In-Season & Cirque Video

For most of our readers this is a "preaching to the choir" study I found: "Effects of complex training on explosive strength in adolescent male basketball players." But, I thought it was worth posting for those few of our readers who may not be fully sold on in-season training:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a complex training program, a combined practice of weighttraining and plyometrics, on explosive strength development of young basketball players. Twenty-five young male athletes, aged 14-15 years old, were assessed using squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), Abalakov test (ABA), depth jump (DJ), mechanical power (MP), and medicine ball throw (MBT), before and after a 10-week in-season training program. Both the control group (CG; n = 10) and the experimental group (EG; n = 15) kept up their regular sports practice; additionally, the EG performed 2 sessions per week of a complex training program. The EG significantly improved in the SJ, CMJ, ABA, and MBT values (p < 0.05). The CG significantly decreased the values (p < 0.05) of CMJ, ABA, and MP, while significantly increasing the MBT values (p < 0.05). Our results support the use of complex training to improve the upper and lower body explosivity levels in young basketball players. In conclusion, this study showed that more strength conditioning is needed during the sport practice season. Furthermore, we also conclude that complex training is a useful working tool for coaches, innovative in this strength-training domain, equally contributing to a better time-efficient training.

As a college strength and conditioning coach and the owner of SAPT, I've seen countless times how important strength training is for athletes to remain strong, fast, and free of injury during the practice and in-season time frame. I always get a chuckle out of athletes (or their parents) who only "need" 4-6 weeks of preparation before their respective tryouts begin.

Check out this nonsense someone sent to me (and by nonsense, I mean this is absolutely so amazing that it is ridiculous):

Lastly, Ryan and I are expecting a new bambino or bambina at the end of May! Have you ever heard the term "Irish twins?" I hadn't... apparently, it refers to siblings born in close succession. It originated in the 1800's and was a derogatory term used to describe the reproductive tendencies of Irish immigrants. Someone suggested yesterday I will have Irish twins with baby #2. Technically, I think they would need to be born closer to 12 months apart... our kids will be 23 months apart, thank you very much.

Sarah Walls 11/28/11 Sarah Walls 11/28/11

Some Pre-Turkey Lifting Shenanigans

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Given that I am now married, I spent the majority of the weekend on the road, traveling to visit both my own family, and Kelsey's family. Yet another perk of being married: you get to have two, yes two, holiday feasts! The SAPT Thanksgiving Lift was a blast. It's like the Turkey Trot most people do on Turkey Day morning, except it makes you stronger instead of weaker. Okay, I'm kidding. (Not really though). You distance runners in the crowd know I still love you.

Speaking of distance runners, my brother and sister-in-law came on out for the first time, and had some fun with Thor (that would be our prowler) for the first time. Needless to say, they loved it, and will be back for more. Oh yes, they will be back for more...

We had over 45 people in attendance to get their lift on, pick up some heavy things, set some new PRs, get their heart rates up, you name it...before indulging in food later in the day. Needless to say, I was proud to share in the fun with everyone, and thanks to all who came out and attended!

I managed to sneak in a few video clips from the morning, I hope you all enjoy it. And for those of you missed out, it will give you a way to have been there in spirit and hopefully encourage you to come on out next year.

Sarah Walls 11/24/11 Sarah Walls 11/24/11

Six Degrees of a Sterling SAPT-EE & FREE TRAINING!!!

Greetings, Six degrees of...say wuh???? You know the game where, for instance, you’d attempt to connect Will Smith to Kevin Bacon in 6 degrees of separation or less…Will Smith was in “Men in Black” with Tommy Lee Jones (1); Tommy Lee Jones was in “JFK” with Kevin Bacon (2)…I win, I’ve done it in less than three degrees…however, there’s still 18 hours left in our cross country road trip…I spy something…sorry, wrong game…anyways you get the gist, right? Great, stay with me!

Many of you know, and maybe some of you don’t, that we’ve set-up shop out in Sterling. It’s a shop of humble beginnings, much like SAPT Fairfax was merely 4 years ago…

Well, we’re coming-up on about a year out in Sterling, and enrollment is still moving a bit slower than anticipated. Maybe it’s something in the protein powder? Or, maybe it’s because Fairfax has grown almost entirely on referrals (yup, not a dime spent on marketing), and, well, it’s hard to grow on referrals when you’ve only had a couple handfuls of people experience “the SAPT goodness,” out here in Sterling…

So, here is my respectful plead to you, in honor of “Small Business Saturday” we’re asking that you think of SAPT…we’d like for you, and those that surround you this long Thanksgiving weekend to play a little game called “Six Degrees of a Sterling SAPT-EE…” You ready? Here it goes:

I am married to my wife (1); my wife works with Tom Shultz (2); Tom Shultz was complaining about back pain when he plays golf, and has three athletic, motivated kids…and the kicker…he lives in Leesburg…8 miles from SAPT Sterling(3)…That’s less than four steps, you win, pat yourself on the back…Next, immediately locate Tom Shultz’s email address and write it down…Repeat the game 4 more times, with the goal to compile a list of 5 of your contacts who could benefit from our services, and live in Loudoun County.

What you choose to do with this list is completely up to you. You can use it to dab the wine stain on the carpet after Uncle Chuck has had a bit too much to drink. Maybe you shoot those 5 people a quick email letting them know that you’re thinking of them in this time of gluttony, and if they’re looking for a training service to help them shed a few after Turkey Day, you’ve got just the place. Or, maybe you email your list of 5 contacts and their respective email addresses to Chris, at chris@studentathletept.com and earn yourself, or your son/daughter, a training session on us (FREE SAPT TRAINING!!!)…I think the latter sounds pretty sweet…Don’t worry, we aren’t going to hound them with spam mail and promises of free “enhancement” pills…we just want to briefly, and politely, let them know we’re out in here in their neck of the woods…This promotion will end on December 31^st.

We appreciate you taking the time to read this email, as well as participating in our silly little game. We wish you and your loved one’s a happy and healthy holiday season. Please know that you are one of the "things" we are thankful for this year.

Appreciatively,

SAPT

Sarah Walls 11/23/11 Sarah Walls 11/23/11

Wednesday Musings: Thanksgiving, Exercise Selection, Pizza is a Vegetable?!, etc.

I know most of you have already hit the road or are soon initiating your plans for Thanksgiving, so I hope everyone has a great time with family and friends. Here are a couple random thoughts before I get my own eat on this weekend: 1. SAPT Thanksgiving Lift. Tomorrow at 8am. I've been looking forward to this since, oh I don't know, 364 days ago when the last one ended? As I mentioned, along with the video footage on Monday, please feel welcome to join us, even if you're not an "SAPTer." We don't bite, I promise. We even wrote a few sample workouts and conditioning options for those of you looking for something different.

So, come on out and wobble before you gobble.

2. Exercise Selection. Is it really the most important programming variable?

The other day I got thinking about, how (correct me if I'm wrong), it seems that most people tackle their training merely by choosing which exercises they are going to do. When in fact, I would argue that this is a short-sighted approach given that exercise selection is only ONE variable when it comes to intelligent program design. And, I will go so far as to say that choosing the exercises is pretty far down the list of primary factors to consider.

Programming for athletic performance, fat loss, muscle gains, etc. is much more than just picking which exercises to do on each day of the week. For example, when I write programs, the actual exercise choice is usually the last thing I put down on the paper! I'm not going to delve into detail here, but it's an idea I have for a future blog post.

3. Pizza is now considered a vegetable? I read this post by Tony Gentilcore earlier this week, and, if anything, it just made me sad. In short, the government as mandated that pizza can be served in schools as the one serving of veggies each day for the children. I'm not going to rant here, but I may or may not have thrown myself in front of a school bus after finding this out.

Juliet (of HeyJoob) then brought up a great question: "Where is the line drawn between the government supporting its economy/freedom vs. the health of its people?"

However, I would argue that the gov't isn't even supporting its economy in this case, given that we'll have millions of kids with diabetes, needing health care, in the next decade or two.

Okay, maybe I just went back on my promise and ranted a bit. I apologize, I'm better now.

Before I go though, watch the video below by Jamie Oliver if you haven't watched it already...it is THE best speech on obesity I've ever seen:

^^^Seriously, watch Me^^^

4. Sarah had a fantastic post yesterday on both life and training lessons she has picked up over the past thirty years. You would be remiss not to read it if you haven't yet.

Click Me ==> 30 Years, 30 Lessons <== Click Me

5. Speaking earlier of exercise selection, Rob Adell snatches 319lbs. Makes you think twice about obsessing over a sub-par bench press when there are people throwing 319lbs over their heads, right?!?!

Oh, and this kid is only 20 years old:

THAT's how to demonstrate athleticism and power, and THAT is an example of someone who should be performing a barbell snatch.

6. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Sarah Walls 11/22/11 Sarah Walls 11/22/11

30 Things I Want to Share

I started this post back in September when I noticed that I was exactly 30 years and 30 weeks old, thus, the 30 points I want to share. I hope you enjoy this one... going back and rereading what I had written, I realized this post was better than I originally gave it credit for. Lots of things I've learned about training, coaching, and life throughout!

I’ve discovered that with every moment older I get, the less and less interested in material objects I become. I guess this is how real adults are able to buy things like vacation homes and afford retirement.
Weight training does not make women gain weight, unless they are eating like they want to gain weight.

Considering the cost of gas consumption when purchasing a car is one of the greatest financial lessons my parents ever taught me. It is also the reason why we own a Prius.
Imposing a strict tempo is probably the most important change I’ve made in my programming over the last 4 years. Prior to that I really had very little appreciation for how powerful training the eccentric and isometric portions of every movement can be.
Knowing you can provide well for you children is hugely satisfying.

I frequently feel that only a handful of trainers/coaches in the world actually know how to teach a squat correctly.
A professor I had in undergrad once told me "a Bachelor’s degree simply shows you have the ability to commit to something and finish it over a long period of time. The people at your first job will still have to teach you what you really need to know." It’s all about experience.
Certifications mean very little. It’s, again, all about experience.
Everyone who lives in and around DC should check out the National Arboretum. It’s a beautiful and relaxing place to unwind.
I recently read a running book that did a much greater job explaining the importance of working at your current pacing level (i.e. % of 1RM for weights) than any weight-training book I’ve ever read. The book is Daniel’s Running Formula.
Every trained female should be able to perform at least 3 pull-ups. I used to make excuses for myself about why I would never be able to do them… then I smartened up and figured out a great pull-up progression (see #9). After a bit of time, I found myself doing sets of 10 dead-hang pull-ups.
Mel Siff’s Supertraining is still the most comprehensive book about anything ever written. My mind is blown every time I crack that book open. How someone produces a work like that is beyond my understanding.
You can tell a great deal about how parents raise their children by how their kids act in the face of a challenge.
“If you want to be fast, you have to move fast.” This is referring to bar speed in the weight room.
“You will pass out before you die.” Another great weight room quote from a mentor of mine.
If you’re unsure about set/rep schemes as they relate to percentage of 1RM. You MUST read Tim Kontos’ article on Prilepin’s Chart. I continue to reference this when I need solid guidance on final decisions in volume and intensity.
Working to become less egocentric is an important endeavor to improve overall satisfaction with your life. For example, women who avoid the free weight area of a gym because “all the guys stare at me.” No they don’t. Get over yourself.
Coaches (strength or sport) who become frustrated at athletes easily are not well equipped to be teaching in the first place. We’re teaching more than how to set a screen or do a pushup, we’re teaching life skills.

Not having spent any time around babies before having one, I never really knew what the big-deal was… I get it now!
Everyone should consider wearing shoes that have a zero drop or a very low drop. I don’t like the term “barefoot” shoes because you’re not barefoot. You still have shoes on they just don’t have any elevation change from heel to toe.
You will be better off if you make an effort to go to sleep and wake up at around the same time every day (yes, weekend days are still days, so they count towards this).
You don’t have to yell at athletes and put on a big show to get them motivated to perform. Just treat them calmly and with respect. Get excited when appropriate.