Archive for July, 2008
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Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008Rotational Power Is Needed For Many Sports
Monday, July 21st, 2008Some sports such as baseball, tennis, lacrosse and hockey require explosive levels of rotational core power. The medicine ball rotational throw should be done full speed to train your central nervous system and body to move faster and more explosive. The medicine ball rotational throw is an advanced exercise and should not be done by those athletes with inadequate body strength and core strength.
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Place your left foot approximately one foot in front of your right foot.
2. Hold medicine ball with both hands and your arms slightly bent.
3. Swing ball over to the right hip and explosively underhand toss the ball forward to a partner or wall. Keep the stomach drawn in to maximize proper usage of muscle.
4. Catch ball on the bounce from your partner or wall and repeat immediately for the desired repetitions.
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my weekly “Sports Performance Tips” eNewsletter23!
Erik Skaden and Mike Wolfe Share USATF 100-mile Championship at Tahoe Rim Trail 100
Monday, July 21st, 2008Client Sports Fitness Question Of The Week, 3
Friday, July 18th, 2008Is strength overrated in sports? Read this question and answer:
Client Q: How important is a high max weight on the bench press to my success in football?
Mark’s A: This is a very good question. One of the primary tests required of athletes at the NFL scouting combine is how many times they can bench press 225 pounds. While this may show how much strength the player has, it says nothing about how good of a football player he is.
From my experience of playing football at the Division I level in college as a defensive back (my bench press max was 400 lbs.), a big-time bench press max had little to do with successfully playing the game. Speed, power, quickness, agility, acceleration, explosion, etc. were all more important than brute strength.
And, on the occasions that bench press strength came into play, such as taking on a tight end, leverage and body positioning was more important than bench press strength. I know a former NFL lineman who started on 2 Super Bowl championship teams who said that leverage and positioning was more important than bench press strength. He should know.
When I train football players, I focus on building their full-body strength and endurance as a foundation for speed and power training. A big-time bench press max is not a bad thing, but I stress more importance on speed, power, quickness, agility, etc. using exercises that simulate game-time actions.
That’s why SPARQ testing is a more reliable predictor of tangible athletic skills. SPARQ football testing procedures assign scores in the vertical jump, 40 yard dash, kneeling powerball throw and shuttle run. There is also a SPARQ Pro testing procedure that includes things such as vision and reaction tests. Individual and total scores can be compared to others in your sport to see how you measure up.
Need more sports fitness tips? Subscribe to my weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23!
Bear Attacks Trail Runner in Calgary
Friday, July 18th, 2008What Are You Doing This Summer?
Thursday, July 17th, 2008One great thing about the summer is that you can try out a ton of new fitness activities that you may have never tried before. Fitness never has to be boring, particularly during the summer months, because there are so many things you get to do outdoors. Besides the typical activities such as [...]
Are You in the Fast Lane?
Wednesday, July 16th, 2008This is a guest post by Matthew Perry.
Hello again!
I am one of those “visual” people…meaning, if you are going to try to explain something to me you better bring a pen and paper or make sure that I already have some props stored in my memory bank. And no, drawing with your hands in [...]
Sneak Preview of the New Movie - Dean Karnazes 50 Marathons, 50 States, 50 Days
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008Get In Shape To Play Weekend Sports!
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008“Weekend Warriors” and “Rec League” athletes need to exercise to prevent injuries and win those games for bragging rights! It doesn’t help you to continually get stronger if power development is not there also. Power, or speed strength (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one of the best physical predictors of success in sports.
Plyometric exercises help you to increase power. Traditional barbell and dumbbell strength exercises do not allow you to move at the speeds necessary to improve power. Strength training gives you muscular and nervous system development needed to develop optimal power.
Advanced sports power training supersets a strength exercise with a biomechanically similar power exercise. An example would be barbell squats and repeating full-speed squat jumps. The squat jumps would be performed immediately following the barbell squats to get maximum neuromuscular adaptations.
You would do a set of squats at 85% of 1 Rep Maximum (5 reps) followed immediately by a set of full-speed repeating squat jumps (8-10 reps). This is an advanced training method and should not be performed by those who do not have adequate stabilization strength and muscular strength. Other plyometric exercises can also be superset this way. It is also advisable to choose exercises that mimic the movements in your sport (transfer-of-training-effect).
Surprise your friends with improved power and explosion during your games!
Need more sports fitness tips? Subscribe to my weekly “Sports Performance Tips” eNewsletter23.
Exercising in the Heat - Take Precautions!
Monday, July 14th, 2008The summer time is great for getting outdoors for exercise but it is also important for us to be aware of the temperatures outside. According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) site:
How Heat Affects the Body Human
Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water [...]