I Want To Be Batman... (*spoiler alert*)

Almost all of us grew up dreaming of becoming a super hero; whether it was G.I. Joe, Superman, the Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, etc.   When I was growing up I wanted to be just like Batman.  I had all the Batman toys, I watched Batman the animated series, I constantly watched the movies Batman and Batman Returns, I even safety pinned a towel around my neck and pretended to be him.  At that point I probably couldn’t tell you why.  Maybe it was the cool gadgets, or that he was a normal man who could kick ass, perhaps the sweet batcave and huge mansion, who knows but I wanted to be him.  Luckily, at the ripe old age of 25 I finally figured out why I want to be him after all these years, because anyone can truly be Batman… I know that might seem like a weird statement but its true.  I don’t mean that as far as jumping from building to building, taking down mob bosses and psychopaths, or striking fear into the hearts of criminals.  Anyone can be Batman in the sense of what he stands for and the ideals he instills. After watching the last installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, I found myself in an extreme amount of deep thought.  I was truly inspired by the trilogy and wanted to understand why I felt so strongly about all three movies, why they hit such a chord with me.  I decided to watch all three movies again and pull out quotes that I felt really exemplified the essence of what batman is and what he stands for and how it can apply to everyday life.

Batman Begins

“If you make yourself more than just a man, if you devote yourself to an ideal, then you become something else entirely…. A legend, Mr. Wayne.”

Henri Ducard says this to Bruce when he has found Bruce lost in the shuffle, searching for a way to become something more.  We were all like this at one point in our life, being 25 I’m young and still feel like this.  When you’re young you search for a way to do something great, to be something more.  The problem is that somewhere down the line you start to believe that you’re not great or that you have nothing to offer.  If this becomes your mindset then not only do you become lost in the shuffle, you may stay lost your whole life.  I don’t know about you but when it’s all said and done I want the people most important to me to know I stood for something more, that I made a difference.  And that’s the point of the quote; devote yourself to something bigger than you and you can truly help people and become something else entirely.  Why do we know about people like Louie Simmons, Jim Wendler, Arnold Schwarzenegger, or Mel Siff? Because they devoted themselves to a purpose bigger than them; they stayed out of the shuffle and on their own path.  We can all do this it’s just a matter of choosing too.

“It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.”

Batman says this to Rachel towards the end of the movie as almost a thank you to her for never giving up on him.  Deep down I believe I am something more, that I’m a good person, that I have the potential to do great things.  These are all just feelings though, not actions.  I found myself asking do I put these feelings into action in my everyday life and the answer was no, or really, not as much as I could.  Too many times do we make excuses for why we don’t live the way we believe we actually are.  How often have you not held an elevator door because you were in “too much of a hurry?”  How often have you half-assed your job or your workout because “you just weren’t feeling it today?” I’m not trying to be high and mighty because I’m guilty of this as well and I’m tired of it.  As corny as it sounds Batman doesn’t do this so I’m not going to either.  Because like I said I can feel that I’m this or that but that’s not what counts that’s not what defines me; my actions define me.  I can realize my potential, I can do better… You can do better.

The Dark Knight

“Endure. You can be the outcast. You can make the choice that no one else will face - the right choice. Gotham needs you.”

Alfred says this to Bruce when he feels Joker’s rampage has become too much for Gotham to handle and believes turning himself in is the only way to end it.  In life when problems arise there will always be an easy way out, and a lot of people will take that route.  Can you be different? Can you make the decision that no one else can? This is something we should all strive for because when it comes down to it the easy way out usually only benefits one person, yourself.  This opportunity really hasn’t come full circle yet for me but when it does I hope and I feel that I can endure, I can be the outcast where other people cannot.  This problem may arise for you and the hard solution might be one that causes people to not think as highly of you, it may cause you to lose a friend but the strength to endure may help those people in the long run.  Maybe it arises in the form of a job opportunity that pays a boat load of money but you have the choice of another job that may not pay as much but where you know you can make a real difference in people’s lives.  It can come in any form really but we all have the ability to endure we just have to realize it.

“Because he's the hero Gotham deserves, but not the one it needs right now...and so we'll hunt him, because he can take it. Because he's not a hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector...a dark knight.”

Commissioner Gordon tells his son this when he asks his father why the police are chasing Batman at the end of the movie.  This goes hand in hand with the other quote from above.  The right decisions may not always be the easiest but that’s not the point of a right decision.  The point is to make the decision that will benefit your life, your family, and your friends later down the road.  They may not like you for it but you didn’t make the hard decision to be liked you made it because you knew it’s what they deserved.  I imagine this is something parents are confronted with on a daily basis.  I can’t imagine what it’s like to watch your child as you tell them something that might crush them but you know it’s a decision that had to be made.  I hope I can be as strong as my parents were and some of the parents I know when it comes time to make a decision that has my kid questioning whether or not I’m truly their “hero.”  But sometimes parents and mentors aren’t heroes; they’re silent guardians, watchful protectors.

The Dark Knight Rises

“There’s a point far out there, when the structures fail you. When the rules aren’t weapons anymore, they’re shackles, letting the bad guy get ahead… “

Commissioner Gordon says this to Detective John Blake when Gotham finds out that it was really Harvey Dent (Two-Face) who killed those people instead of Batman.  TDKR brings everything back home and relates a lot back to Batman Begins and this quote does just that.  Bruce Wayne couldn’t work within the constraints of the law in order to shake people out of apathy.  He saw Gotham’s judicial system as a constraint and their rules at that point in time were letting the bad guy get ahead.  This goes back to what I was talking about toward the beginning.  We know when we are young that we can do great things but soon the rules we feel we must follow become shackles and we no longer feel we are great, we become lost.  It’s up to us to overcome these rules, these shackles, we just have to figure out how and if you don’t it’s only a matter of time before you start losing belief in yourself.  I have faced this before in terms of a career.  When it came down to making the hard decision I realized that if I went the easy route then the rules that would have been put in place by the structures over me would have prevented me from becoming something more.  I would have become lost in the shuffle.  I chose to take the hard route and devote myself to an ideal.  As a side note, this is why I’m so happy with the people I work with because they’ve all been faced with these decisions before.  They made the decisions no one else could have. 

“A hero can be anyone- even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting their coat around a young boy's shoulder to let him know the world hasn't ended.”

Batman says this to Jim Gordon when he asks Batman who he really is because Gordon feels Gotham should know that it was Bruce Wayne who gave them everything that he was as a man.  I’m going to go a little more in depth in just a little bit about why this quote sums up the whole point of the trilogy.  You may not know it but you could be doing something heroic everyday of your life.  You could be helping someone and not even know it.  I recall a couple weeks ago I was having a conversation with one of our athletes and she was talking about some rough stuff she was going through and all of a sudden she started to cry.  I felt awful I really had no idea what to do.  I felt helpless and all I wanted to do was to help and I didn’t know how.  All I did was give her a hug and told her that everything will work out, it may not work out like you want it to but I promise it will work out.  I still felt I could have done more, I don’t and still don’t feel what I said was heroic by any means.  But maybe what I did was something simple and hopefully reassuring to her.  The point is that we can all have an impact on people every day if we just take the time.

This was a long article I know, but it was an article I really wanted to write.  You can view it as corny, I don’t care.  In the time we live in, there are so few opportunities to be inspired and these three movies were one of my opportunities.  As I read different articles about the trilogy when attempting to shape this blog post I stumbled across a blog by just a random guy who I believe really summed up the main theme of this trilogy and really my main reason for writing this post.  He said “A major theme in the story is “Who was Batman? He was just Batman; the person under the mask doesn’t matter, because ANYBODY can be Batman.” We hear this several times, and it speaks back to the longstanding concept in the Nolan trilogy that a symbol is eternal and cannot be killed or destroyed, and that is what Batman became — an eternal symbol for Gotham, a symbol that would be anybody.” I couldn’t have said it any better.

We all have these ideals inside of us, these feelings, and this potential to do great things and to make an impact.  Right now though, those things are all just underneath and are irrelevant, because it’s not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us.

Joint-Friendly Conditioning, Part 1

Kieran Sprint

Aerobic training, energy systems work, metabolic training, get-sexy-for-beach time. However you want to put it, it's loved by many, and even if for those who don't love it, it needs to get done.

Unfortunately, the large, waving red flag I continually see soaring above the majority of people's conditioning* routines, is that they quickly leave their victims injured and broken, rather than better equipped for the arena of athletics or simply leaner and healthier.

*Note: I realize this term means completely different things to different people, and entire books could be written (and have been) on the matter. However, for the rest of the post, for all intents and purposes "conditioning" will be used to simply imply anything elevates your heart rate up for the purpose of  enhanced work capacity, performance, fat-loss, or health. 

Traditional running programs boast one of the highest injury rates among participants to date, and the incalculable group exercise classes and exercise DVD sets out there have people performing lunge jumps,  broad jumps, repeated box jumps, and other so-called "plyometrics" until they're blue in the face. Or, until their patella tendon shoots out front side of their leg, whatever comes first I suppose.

As as aside, please keep in mind that when I use the term "injury" I'm not so silly to presume that all of you out there undergoing a common conditioning regimen are going to become paralyzed or some equivalent of being blasted by the Death Star's ray gun, but it could be something as simple as tendinitis, tendinosis, back pain, or any developing some sort of "achy" joint in general.

So, given that you're likely either A) an athlete, or B) someone who cares about feeling, looking, and moving better, this begs three questions, along with the part of this article that you actually care about:

#1. How do you perform conditioning routines that reduce the risk of injury occurring during the process?

#2. If you're currently currently suffering any form of injury, how can you still become a mean, lean, fighting machine despite your achy knees, back, and/or shoulders?

#3. If you're a competitive athlete, how do you obtain enhanced work capacity, yet spare your joints and central nervous system in the process?

In general, you're going to want to avoid exercises that place high stress on the joints, and movements that, when performed under a state of fatigue, aren't likely to degrade in form. So running, jogging, flat-ground sprinting, and repeated jumping and bounding (incorrectly dubbed 'plyometrics' by the fitness gurus) are going to be considered "higher risk."

Oh, and I can't believe this should even need be addressed, but the olympic lifts for high reps are out, too.

So, what to do? Below are a few of my choice, joint-friendly conditioning options (feel free to chime in any of your personal favorites below), which I've divided into two "spectrums:" Beginner ---> Intermediate and Intermediate ---> Advanced. There's obviously overlap between the two categories, and everything isn't black and white, but hopefully this will help you get a decent idea of some of your options to toy with.

Beginner ---> Intermediate

1) Loaded Carries (Farmer Walks)

A bread-and-butter movement.  Quoting the man Dan John himself: "The loaded carry does more to expand athletic qualities than any other single thing I've attempted in my career as a coach and athlete. And I do not say that lightly."

Virtually anyone can do them, the majority of the variations are extremely joint-friendly, and not to mention they get the heart rate up at an alarming rate. The other week I took my farmer walk implements to the local high school track and walked 800 meters with them. The next day I no longer wondered what loaded carries were good for.

Below is a real quick video on a bunch of different variations you can  use if you don’t have access to implements. Note that you can certainly use a dumbbell instead of a kettlebell for a large majority of these.

Bill Hartman also wrote an excellent recent post on how loaded carries make for quite a remedial exercise selection. Check it out HERE.

2) Sled Pushing, Pulling, Dragging

This has to be one of my favorites, by far. Easy on the low back, shoulders, and knees. It’s relatively “dummy proof,” it teaches one to simultaneously flex one hip and extend the other, and produces very little post-workout soreness (extremely important for athletes in particular). Just last year, when I was dealing with a nagging leg injury that made squatting problematic, I was still able to push it hard on the sled while concurrently healing my injury.

3) Jumping Jacks. Who said it had to be complicated?

4) Medicine Ball Work. Note that I'd recommend sticking to overhead slamming until one knows how to use their hips (not low back) to do wall throws.

5) Airdyne Bike. 

6) Low-level + Low Repetition Bodyweight Drills in Sequence

7) Dynamic Mobility Work

Intermediate ---> Advanced

1) Any of the list above (sled work, farmer carries, jumping jacks etc.). It's all scalable, after all.

2) Crawls!

People usually make fun of these until they try them. They're deceptively challenging when performed for reasonable distances, and the beauty of them is they can literally be done anywhere.

See the video below for numerous demonstrations. I’d recommend starting with just the bear and tiger crawls, and make sure you’re keeping a stable spine throughout. The chicken, kangaroo, gorilla, spider, and scorpion wouldn’t be advised to those with injuries.

3) KB Swings

4) Burpees. Maybe. Just be sure you're achieving full hip extension at the top and not looking like a pile of doo-doo as you land from the jump and transition into the pushup. 

5) Sledge Swings

6) Hill Sprints

7) Jump Rope

8 ) Barbell (and Kettlebell) Complexes

9) Low-level Push/Pull/Hinge/Squat Patterns

I'll be back on Friday to briefly discuss a few options on how to string these together.

(Update: You can see Part 2 HERE)

Rentable Practice Space: You Want It, We Got It

Beginning Monday, August 13th...

Rentable Practice Space Available:

• Features:
• 35' x 35' open area for sport specific skill development.
• Get creative! We think it's perfect for baseball & softball, basketball, soccer, dryland training, golf, lacrosse, and more!
• Group and Team reservations WELCOME!
• "Freelance" skill instructors WELCOME!*
• 3-Batting Cages
• 15' x 40'
• Ideal for soft-toss and tee work
• Group and Team reservations WELCOME!
• "Freelance" skill instructors are WELCOME!*
• Maximum 3 athletes and one coach per cage (or 4 athletes).
• Or, Take the Cake, with a TOTAL FACILITY RESERVATION!
• 40' x 80' open space
• Benefits:
• Make reservations online & from your SMART PHONE. Easy peezy.
• Monitored by SAPT staff to ensure a safe, clean, and welcoming environment is maintained at all times.
• A low total facility capacity is enforced to encourage a safe & spacious training environment!
• Pricing:
• 35' x 35' skill space - $30.00 per hour
• 15' x 40' batting cage - $40.00 per hour
• 40' x 80' total facility - $150.00 per hour
• Location:
• 3831 Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA 22031

Ready to roll?!?! Contact Ryan at ryan@studentathletept.com or 800-511-9685 ext. 7 to get setup!

Limited reservations available beginning Monday, August 13th. Book today before the rest of NOVA gets wind of our little gem on Pickett!

*Skill instruction is subject to SAPT's review and acceptance. No, personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches, please.

Directed Attention - Part 1

Part 1:  What’s in a word?Focus!  Your teacher, coach, or parents have all snapped that word at you at some point, or a lot of points.  The word focus has become the standard to garner attention.  However, the word itself has become dull, unoriginal, and lost meaning.  Focus also has many different meanings, which makes it even less potent.

The word itself has become a bugaboo for athletes in particular.  Many athletes think they have to completely “lock in” to perform, which often leads to tension and self-doubt in ability.  Focusing solely on raising intensity and energy is often the wrong place for athletes to focus.  Additionally, the idea to just “focus” is so vague that athlete’s don’t believe they have control over their ability to do it.

The definition of focus, which is often used as a verb in athletics, is defined as one’s ability to direct attention.  When working with athletes, I often talk about directing attention rather than simply focusing.  When the athlete understands they can direct attention to a needed action they become more in control of what they need to do and have a better grasp of how to take ownership of their attention.

Many athletes become so focused on the result that they lose the ability to direct their attention to their needed process.  The ability for an athlete to direct their attention to things in their control, rather than things that are out of their control, often determines an athlete’s ability to perform in the moment.  By simply “focusing” and not directing attention, the athlete loses control over their own focus.  Giving them something to direct their attention to will allow them to get back to the moment when they drift awry.

Directing attention to controllables such as effort, attitude, and self-talk often give the athlete the best opportunity to succeed.

Next week in Part 2, find out how to direct and control your focus!

Friday Musings: Mental Mondays, Zelda Symphony, Walking into Mordor, and Harry Potter

1. As Sarah mentioned earlier this week, starting on Mondays, we're going to have a pseudo-permanent guest blogger, Brian Levenson, do a "Mental Monday" piece each Monday. Check HERE for a bit more information. Brian's extremely skilled at what he does, and he and I are actually working together on an upcoming project which, to say the least, I'm quite excited about.

I know this means you won't be hearing from me on Mondays for a while, but hey, at least you'll be spared the continual nerd references I can't seem to stop myself from making, right?

2. Speaking of nerdy things. Any of you who have been reading my material on here for an extended period of time know that I have a borderline dangerous love of all things Zelda.

Well, last night, the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) was playing at Wolf Trap, which is America's National Park for the Performing Arts and also just happens to be 30 minutes from my house. And guess what the event was? The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddess. In which the NSO was performing a symphony based on the themes from the game, along with highlighting memorable moments from all the Zelda games on the big screen above the orchestra.

So of course I had to go. And it was amazing. The only thing that could have made it more enjoyable was consuming a Chipotle burrito during the show. Which I did, thank you very much, so it was as good as it gets.

The place was PACKED, with nerds and non-nerds alike, and heck, even if you have no interest in the Zelda series, you'd still enjoy the show as the symphonic movements the the orchestra played were spectacular.

Before the show started, I met the guy in the picture below, who, come to find out, owns the most valuable Link outfit currently on the internet. It's valued at over $2,100 and he fashioned it all by hand himself. He even has chainmail under the cloak....crazy!

DCIM100SPORT

3. Guess what fun fact I found out recently?

If you go into GoogleMaps, click on Walking directions, and type in "The Shire" as your origin, and "Mordor" as your destination, a little box pops up saying:

"Caution - One does not simply walk into Mordor"

Hahahaha. Enter #255 why Google is the coolest company ever. I'm sure the programmers over there have a boatload of fun messing around with stuff like that.

4. I recently began reading the Harry Potter series for some fun reading to do in my spare time, and I must say: I'm hooked, and I finally see what all the fuss is about. It makes for a fantastic "cooldown" session when I get home from work around 9pm, and am able to read it for two hours thirty minutes or so before plopping into bed.

I realize I'm - oh I don't know, maybe a decade or two behind on this one - but I can't recommend them highly enough for those of you who haven't read them. J.K. Rowling is obviously a brilliant writer, and I'm continually blown away by her sequencing of events, character development, and the themes she weaves throughout the series.

I honestly can never seem to extricate myself from the book once I get started, and it has become my latest Sunday afternoon pastime. I just began the fifth book (Order of the Phoenix) and I think the only thing I'm regretting about beginning these books is that they have to end at some point.

.....Well, that wraps it up for today. I do apologize for completely inundating today's post with all things dorky. I'll do my best to make it up next week by discussing manly things like chopping wood, blowing up stuff, sports, and lifting heavy things.

Squat Grip Revisited

I still feel people aren’t grasping the importance of a proper squat set up in regards to the upper body.  The whole movement starts from the upper body so to have that first line of defense be lackluster will undoubtedly make the entire lift suffer.  The goal of the upper body during the squat is to be as tight as possible; engaging every muscle from the scapular retractors all the way to the spinal erectors and everything in between.  I will inform you now that using a grip with a “bent” or “lazy” wrist position will prevent your squat from being all that it could be.  Failing to straighten the wrist during a squat will cause a failure to engage all necessary musculature equaling out to “force leaks” both in the eccentric and concentric portions of the lift.  I have posted the video below before but I figured I would post it again to show people how to use a different type of squat grip in order to overcome mobility problems to achieve a straight writs position.  Check it out again!