Archive for October, 2008
« Previous EntriesSports Fitness Question Of The Week, #14
Friday, October 31st, 2008Wanna improve your dynamic balance for your sport? Read this Q & A….
Client Q: Mark, what do you think about balance boards, BOSU balls, disc, etc. used to improve balance in my sport?
Mark’s A: An athlete’s dynamic balance is one of the top physical predictors of success in sports. Having said that, there are alot of companies selling sports fitness products for a profit. And, of course, their products are guaranteed to make you a better athlete.
I don’t use fitness gadgets when I work with clients. There are many ways to improve your dynamic balance using exercises like:
1. one-legged exercises (bodyweight and resisted),
2. exercises done on different surfaces like sand, grass and astro-play,
3. exercises done with your eyes closed,
4. jump rope exercises (one foot, shuffles, alternating feet, slaloms, etc.),
5. plyometric jumping, landing and bounding exercises,
6. exercises performed in all 3 planes of motion and
7. quickness and agility drills which force you to maintain balance over a constantly changing base of support.
So, I say save your money on sports fitness gadgets. You don’t need them to improve your dynamic balance.
Train hard and smart!
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or
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Happy Halloween! (and some ultra stories)
Friday, October 31st, 2008Improve Acceleration Speed By Starting From Different Body Positions
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008One of the reasons we love sports is that its unpredictable (unlike reality television)….one method used to train speed acceleration is to mimic the different situations that come up during a game.
You might get knocked down, fall down, roll around or crawl during a game. Its just that easy—-acceleration speed drills can start from stand-still, staggered-stance, one foot, kneeling and any other position you can think of. You can also lie flat on the ground and get up to find and chase the person with the ball. These drills will also improve your reaction-time skills.
One more thing……the best time to practice these acceleration speed drills is during actual team practices…..coaches are right—you play the game the same way you practice it…..this way, you don’t have to mimic anything because its happening in real-time. You rarely reach maximum speed in a game so speed acceleration and quick reactions are critical during games.
Train hard and smart!
Do you want to train like a champion? Check out my site, Your Fitness University, and see these specials:
Sports Fitness Hut’s Home Gym Power Workout and Nutrition Package!
or
become a Sports Fitness Hut Member and enjoy full benefits with access to workouts, exercises, sports nutrition planning and much more!
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my bi-weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23 and get a FREE 4-week sports power workout and 2 Speed and Power training ebooks!
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Defensive Players Need Great Backwards Acceleration
Wednesday, October 29th, 2008I played defensive back in college so I’m definitely an authority on the need for accelerating backwards……We practiced “running backwards at game speed” every day until it became a natural movement.
If you play a defensive position in your sport or transition to defense (as in basketball, lacrosse or soccer) then you need to train your body for backwards acceleration. Many times, you may be running forward and need to adjust quickly into a back pedal to defend your opponent. Or, you could be in a stand-still position and need to quickly accelerate backwards in a defensive position.
There are exercises that you can practice to improve your backwards acceleration. As with all speed exercises, backwards acceleration practice should be done with “game-time effort.” You also must keep your shoulders slightly leaned forward in order to maintain dynamic balance and to be able to stop and go forward “on a dime.” Some common exercises are: back pedal, hip turn and run, hip turn and shuffle, hip turn and crossover and continuous hip turns. Good hip ladder drills are: hip twists, hip in outs, leg swings and hip flexions/extensions
Obviously, hips and glutes strength and conditioning is critical for defensive players. See Sports Fitness Hut’s Hips and Glutes Training Guide for more information.
Train hard and smart!
Do you want to train like a champion? Check out my site, Your Fitness University, and see these specials:
Sports Fitness Hut’s Home Gym Power Workout and Nutrition Package!
or
become a Sports Fitness Hut Member and enjoy full benefits with access to workouts, exercises, sports nutrition planning and much more!
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my bi-weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23 and get a FREE 4-week sports power workout and 2 Speed and Power training ebooks!
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Holiday shopping - about as much fun as a rectal exam?
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008Metabolic Fitness Training For Sports
Tuesday, October 28th, 2008Many sports such as football, basketball and soccer require different levels of strength, speed and power. For example, soccer requires constant running—jogging, half-effort sprints and maximum effort sprints. Football requires short bursts of power, sprints, jogs back to the huddle and endurance. Football also requires relative strength, which is the strength level per unit of bodyweight. Basketball requires repeated sprints, jumps and sub-maximal effort runs and cuts during the game.
No matter the sport, metabolic fitness training can get you in peak condition for your sport.
Metabolic fitness training means that you are is being conditioned at the cellular level. You can make improvements in resting heart rate, cardiac output and blood volume. Your body fat will also decrease.
Metabolic conditioning will make you a better conditioned athlete and will allow you to use your skills more efficiently for a longer period of time. The strongest and fittest players and teams at the end of the game usually end up as the winners.
Metabolic training for football players could be set up to mirror the actions, plays and situations found in a 4 quarter game. That is, the training would mimic every play in the game as well as rest periods and time between plays. The same could be done for any sport’s game. The goal is for you to be physically fit to play your sport at the highest level.
Train hard and smart!
Do you want to train like a champion? Check out my site, Your Fitness University, and see these specials:
Sports Fitness Hut’s Home Gym Power Workout and Nutrition Package!
or
become a Sports Fitness Hut Member and enjoy full benefits with access to workouts, exercises, sports nutrition planning and much more!
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my bi-weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23 and get a FREE 4-week sports power workout and 2 Speed and Power training ebooks!
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Sports Fitness Hut’s Top 100 Training And Nutrition Tips, #11
Monday, October 27th, 2008Exercises that you should be doing as an athlete:
90. Core Exercises for Stabilization, Strength and Power. See this post.
91. Squats (2 legs and single leg) - Don’t leave squats out of your workout!
92. Deadlift - The deadlift is one of the best full body exercises there is.
93. Clean and Hang - A great exercise because you execute the exercise from the same position that you jump from (or the power position).
94. Medicine Ball Throws and Chops - These exercises are great for full speed power exercises.
95. Multiplanar Lunges and Step Ups - These 1 legged exercises use the same pathways you use to run.
96. Hip Strength and Flexibility - You won’t be a good athlete without well-conditioned and flexible hips.
97. Hamstring Flexibility and Strength Exercises - Hamstring conditioning and strength should be on-going.
98. Improve dynamic balance with 1 legged exercises and by training on different surfaces.
99. Squat Jumps, vertical jumps and long Jumps - These exercises will tell you how much leg power you have.
100. Ladder Drills, Cone Drills, Speed Drills and Bounding Drills -
Train hard and smart!
Do you want to train like a champion? Check out my site, Your Fitness University, and see these specials:
Sports Fitness Hut’s Home Gym Power Workout and Nutrition Package!
or
become a Sports Fitness Hut Member and enjoy full benefits with access to workouts, exercises, sports nutrition planning and much more!
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my bi-weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23 and get a FREE 4-week sports power workout and 2 Speed and Power training ebooks!
Share Sports Fitness Hut!
Research on Women Ultrarunners
Sunday, October 26th, 2008Sports Fitness Hut’s Top 100 Training And Nutrition Tips, #10
Friday, October 24th, 2008Plyometrics….a popular topic out there in the sports world….here is what you need to know:
83. 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. Strength training gives you the muscular and nervous system development needed to develop optimal power, so you shouldn’t skip the strength training to do plyometrics.
84. Plyometrics represent high intensity training, placing great stress on the bones, joints, and connective tissue. While plyometrics can improve your speed, power, and performance, they also place you at greater risk of injury than less intense training exercises. It is important to perform the exercises correctly before moving on to full-speed exercises. Jumping and landing techniques should be mastered.
85Choose plyometric exercises that mimic your movements yor sport (transfer-of-training-effect).
86. Safety concerns during plyometric training are: quality footwear for the athlete, safe training surfaces (hard surfaces like concrete and asphalt should be avoided) and a program designed and supervised by a fitness professional.
87. Training progressions should follow this path:
a. Simple to Complex
b. Stable to Unstable
c. Body Weight Exercises to Resistance Exercises
d. Low Loads to High Loads
88. Signs of over-training in plyometrics include:
a. Prolonged foot contact with the ground
b. Lack of control
c. Decreased vertical height or horizontal distance
d. Longer rest periods are needed by the athlete
89. Newbies and young athletes are not ready for plyometrics! To avoid injuries, they should focus on strength and core stabilization exercises first.
Train hard and smart!
Do you want to train like a champion? Check out my site, Your Fitness University, and see these specials:
Sports Fitness Hut’s Home Gym Power Workout and Nutrition Package!
or
become a Sports Fitness Hut Member and enjoy full benefits with access to workouts, exercises, sports nutrition planning and much more!
Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my bi-weekly Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter23 and get a FREE 4-week sports power workout and 2 Speed and Power training ebooks!
Share Sports Fitness Hut!
Life-Adjusted Race Times
Thursday, October 23rd, 2008« Previous Entries