Break

With Nationals over I'm taking a quick break on this blog thing for a bit. Not sure how long, but I'll be back. Looking forward to switching gears to flag football season and snowboarding as much as possible as soon as the snow makes it's way West.

In the meantime, check out this dope video Faust sent me on Tyson Griffin training. Crazy metabolic.

Stay Frosty,
#40

STS 10-20-08 & The Show

"Imagine you're in a room you've never been in before, and you're blindfolded and have to walk across the room without touching any furniture. Hitting is harder than that." - Harmon Killebrew

Cool Links

- Paul Chek being Paul Chek. True examples of training movement paths, not body parts. I like Chek because he demonstrates what all the great experts demonstrate: that the true power of the muscular system is that it's all connected. Da Vinci recognized it first in his drawings and ever since we've applied to it to athletics, dance, yoga, etc (i.e. movement). Harness the power of the body's connectivity: train movements not muscles.

- Study on barefoot walking. Spend as much time as you can barefoot, open up the proprioceptive musculature of your feet & strengthen those ankle/heel/foot muscles. Feel the ground beneath you. Pillar strength starts from the ground up.

- hip mobility

- Duh.

- Good food for thought. Just use common sense for supplements. Remember that the supplement industry is not here to make you healthy. It's here to make them money.

- 10 tips for good nutrition

- Interval training article. Nice little add-on at the bottom as well to keep you thinking.

- Pools are up. Getcha popcorn ready!!

Workout

Warmup: Usual jump-rope & bodyweight exercises

Med-Ball & Plyos

Worked out with a partner. We set up a nice lil' circuit that consisted of medicine ball throws till failure, then bosu lateral bounds (2 sets till failure). That's 1 circuit, did 6 circuits. Each circuit incorporated different types of throws from list below:

• Pillar strength (standing) throws
• PS twisting throws
• PS 1-arm dominant throws
• squat-to-throw (all variations: throw at top, throw on the way up, throw at bottom, etc)
• split-squat-to-throw (all variations: split-squat forward, backward, throwing while moving, etc)
• side-lung throws
• overhead throws
• unilateral throws (1 leg throws, all types, example would be to chest pass with 1 leg at top of sprinter position, switch every throw, etc)
• step-out backhand throws with a 12lb ball (those are killer, re-create your backhand huck with the ball, focus on generating torque from the hips)
• jumping throws (all types)
• 1 arm throws

We got 300+ throws in easy, hitting every single muscle in the body as one complete unit. Explosive appendages moving independently around an active but stable core= what it's all about.

Functional Lifts

1: OH squats (3 sets moving as fast as possible with consistent pace n' form for 30 seconds)

2: Walking backwards OH split-squats w/twist (mad core stability) 2 sets

3: Cable punches (3 sets)

3: 1 arm kettlebell swings (2 sets)

Collapse.

Stay Frosty,

#40

STS 10-1-08

"I got a Chris Paul state of mind, I'm never out of bounds" - The Game

Cool Links

- Barry

- An interesting sprinting article. Like Dr. Harry Edwards says "We have made no further progress in sport than we have in society"

- More smartness from Vern Gambetta.

- Couldn't have said it better myself. Be creative, have fun in whatever you're doing.

- More on the effectiveness of intervals

- Mark Twight: The guy that trained the cast of 300. If you've never visited his site before you should check it out. Interesting stuff. And I love his attitude/intensity. "Appearance is a consequence of fitness" . Truth.

- Real Clear Sports- A sweet website to get all your articles at the same place. A great way to get your plaschke on. Plus my fellow Condor Robbie Gillies is a writer for them.

Workout:

Movement Prep: Pickup basketball game

Med-Ball: 1 arm throws, lots of twisting throws, chest passes, overhead passes, squat-to-pass, lunge-to-pass

Plyos

- Box March x2

- Sitting box jumps x2

Functional Lifts

1A: Backwards walking lunges w/bar overhead
1B: Jumping tuck pull-ups

2A: Hang Cleans
2B: Ring Dips

3: OH Squats- as fast as possible with consistent pace & form.

3 sets: 30 seconds on: 30 seconds rest

Finished with a core circuit:

- standing twists w/weight
- Hanging leg raises
- Decline situps w/weight

3x's through

Go DODGERS!!! suck it cubbys.

Stay Frosty,
#40

STS 9-12-08

"Strength training= coordination training with resistance" - Frans Bosch

Here's a great breakdown of sport-specific speed from Vern Gambetta. These skills are truly use-it-or-lose-it. Which area(s) is missing from your training?


Noteworthy links:

- More on strength-training from Vern. Like the man says: it's only about the application of strength. Strength is nothing if you can't do anything with it.

- The hang snatch. Looks like coordination training to me. Check out the part on the Triple Extension.

- Awesome article on positive running. Very interesting stuff.

- understanding pain. Good stuff for all those crazy-ass 8-games-in-2-days things we call tournaments. Hector is dead-on with match play being the way to go for the future of the sport.

- The pistol squat. Hip stability at it's finest.

- Interesting article on some rules of rest. I much prefer to keep the tempo as high as possible always but it's good food for thought nonetheless.

Warmup:

We just jumped right into the medicine ball starting with standard chest passes moving to overhead passes, vertical tosses, downward slams, & twisting throws etc. Mixed in jump rope, bodyweight squats & split-squats, handstand pushups, and finished with 1 arm throws (squat-to-throw, 2-touch throws, etc) good stuff.

Plyo Skills & Drills

Bosu Lateral Bounds:

I got this one from LT's trainer: we set up 2 bosu balls next to each other about a 2 feet apart and did Single-leg lateral bounds from one to the other (like this, but landing on the inside of the bosu ball). Focus is on minimal contact time & moving explosively with proper landing mechanics. So awesome cuz if you didn't land properly & explosively you either bounced straight off it or fell straight on your ass. Apparently LT is so ridiculous at them that his trainer throws med balls & weighted footballs at him in different sequences and he catches & throws them back in mid-air. Just. Dirrrty.

Now think about your lateral training, where could you go with it? Here's a starter to get ya thinkin'. No. Limits.

Functional Lifts

1A: split drops- same as these but split-squat instead of regular squat and the bar in front
1B: Jumping tuck pullups

2x's through alternating forward leg on the split drops

2: hang cleans

2 sets, threw in a couple jerks at the end of each set also.

Squat complex:

3A: OH Squat
3B: Superman Pushup (from standing, walk hands out to SP, do 1, then walk hands back)
3C: Pistol squat (sitting onto box behind for beginners)

8 reps of each, moving directly to the next with no rest. 2x's through.

Core Circuit:

Finished with a quick circuit of:

- Hanging leg raises
- Side twists w/weight
- GHD's

2x's through.

This Week:

Monday: Bikram (am) throwing workout (pm)
Tuesday: Field workout with plyometric emphasis
Wednesday: Heavybag work
Thursday: Workout Above
Friday: Throwing & Recovery
Saturday/Sunday: Sectionals "I do what I do and you do what you can do about it" - Lil' Wayne

Stay Frosty,
#40

STS 9-5-08

"A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey players plays where the puck is going to be" - The Great One

Noteworthy links

- Cool breakdown on bounding. You can really see how maximum impact it is and how well bounding improves both running & jumping simultaneously.

- Wooden's pyramid. Again. Because I can never look at it enough. The HBO documentary on his dynasty is truly amazing. Some of the best examples of Flow in sports ever.

- Bolt's NFLability

- More on Bolt, still flying fast. But not at the speed limit just yet.

- Great article on muscle balance with pretty informative ratios broken down by muscle groups.

- Decent article on lifting for beginners. Lots of good info with a bit of fluff thrown in. There's also 2 really good photos of cable punches. Instead of just flat-footed like photos think about being able to explode into the different footwork positions (when your form is good enough to allow you to progress) You want rotational strength? then do cable punches. Want to train your entire upperbody & core in 1 move? then do cable punches.

- MJ's old workout program

Workout:

Movement Prep:

Shot some hoops for 15 minutes

Med-ball

Trained with a partner today and did all 1 armed throws n' catches. Focus was on generating torque & rotational ability, catching everything while centered, and always moving explosively. Lots of throws, squat to throws, twisting throws, and 2-touch throws (catch with left hand immediately transfer to right and explode out, repeat opposite arm)

Cables/Plyos

Mixed in cable punches, squat-to-punch, with lateral shuffles for 40 seconds with mini-bands above knee. 4 sets moving from punches to shuffles, resting 30 seconds, then repeat.

Metabolic Circuit

My legs were still pretty rocked from Labor Day to go heavy so we set up a full-body circuit instead. We were working out at an MMA studio so we had access to a heavybag and lots of open space, which was awesome.

Round1 (1 min each, no rest till finish)
Heavybag: power punches (1 min)
Kettlebell swings (1 min)
Jump rope (1 min)

Rest 1 min

Round 2 (1 min each, no rest till finish)
Heavybag: speed punches
Hang snatches
Jump rope

Rest 1 min

Round 3 (same as before)
Heavybag: switch-kicks
OH squats
Decline sit-ups

Rest 1 min

Round 4 (same as before)
Heavybag: speed combos
backwards walking split-squats
Jump-rope

Round 5:
Heavybag: switch-kicks
kettlebell swings
GHD's

Finished with 3 rounds of plyometric arms swings (30 seconds on: 30 seconds rest)

This week:
Monday: Recovery
Tuesday: Yoga (am) pickup basketball 1/2 court (pm)
Wednesday: Workout above
Thursday: field workout w/acceleration & deceleration emphasis
Friday: Weights
Saturday: pickup basketball & beach volleyball. Endless summer out here. :)
Sunday: More beach.

Stay Frosty,
#40

STS 8-20-08 & The Bolt

"Three words Gentlemen: Tempo, Tempo, Tempo." - Godfather, Generation Kill

If anything was going to topple the hysteria & mystique of Phelps, the Bolt of Lightning just did it. Simply jaw-dropping. I hope people recognize what occured these past few days, Bolt winning like he did is the equivalent to Tiger Woods winning the masters by 12+ strokes. He might be the guy to finally make Track & Field cool again. The craziest thing to me when watching the 200 was he easy he made it look. Michael Johnson made it look like work when he was flying, Bolt makes it look fluid & effortless. He's so fast his 200 times would translate over to a 3.53 40-yard dash. Marinate on that for a second. a 3.53 40. He set the 200meter world-record time for his age when he was 15 (a 20.5) , 16, and 17. He's now 22 and we'll probably be watching him break 19 for the next 2 olympics.

Yup. Here it is again. Don't static stretch before sprinting. It has a negative effect.

Static stretching before sprinting resulted in slower times in all three
performance variables. These findings provide evidence that static stretching
exerts a negative effect on sprint performance and should not be included as part of the preparation routine for physical activity that requires sprinting

I don't care that it feels good (of course it does! putting your muscles to sleep should feel good.) Yes, of course flexibility is a crucial part of athleticism, but that's most effectively obtained through dynamic stretching and a static stretching regimine post-workout. Nothing is more ridiculous to me than watching people train to be faster for months and then undercut all their progress by temporarily disabling the elasticity in their muscles right before they step onto the field and put all that work into use. It might be time for you to get over your stretching-I-need-it-mentally-thing and use that time instead to get some more throws in before you play. Just sayin'.

Here's a fantastic article from Alwyn Cosgrove on Metabolic Training. Couldn't find it in link form so here it is in full. He always does a great job of linking movements that complement each other and every thing he does has a purpose. Like always, it's a great framework. You can tweak it around how you see fit to work on your own specific weaknesses if need be. Remember, these movements are about developing your "Pillar Strength" i.e. your hip, core, and shoulder stability. Pillar Strength is the building blocks of your fundamental movement skills, you need a strong base if you ever want to truly improve athletically. Alwyn's program combines that with a metabolically-taxing tempo & linkages of movements so it'll improve your work capacity base as that same time, which is exactly what you want. If this workout looks daunting then try to remember that your brain is 10x's weaker than your body. So test your mettle & push past what you think you can do. You might just surprise yourself.

Metabolic Acceleration Training: A better way

I'm a huge believer in using the "alternating set" system when training. For time management reasons, I tend to do exercise one for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, do exercise two for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, and continue. This allows me to increase work density while still getting "true" rest.

In other words, I perform a set of squats, rest 60 seconds, perform a set of push-ups, rest 60 seconds, and repeat. So in effect, I've almost tripled the rest period between squat sets (60 seconds plus the time taken for push-ups plus 60 seconds) as opposed to using a straight set system. And for fat loss training, it's unparalleled.

However, the biggest problem or complaint I get from clients who use commercial facilities is that it's really hard for them to tie up two pieces of gym equipment at peak hours. I have my own facility, but I realize this can be a real problem elsewhere. So I started experimenting with a few things--doing dumbbell lunges and push-ups for example or step-ups and dumbbell bench presses where I could use one set of dumbbells and one piece of equipment.

It was an okay compromise, but it started to somewhat limit my exercise selection. And to be honest, it still had the issue of people working in and possibly disrupting your rest periods.
So I went a step further. What if I created a fat loss or conditioning program based around one piece of equipment where you stayed in the same spot, using the same load for the entire duration. So I tried it. At first it was awkward, but after reading Istvan Javorek's work and talking with über strength coach, Robert Dos Remedios, I started to implement different variations of combination lifting.

I just hoped that it would work as well as alternating sets for fat loss and conditioning or at least close enough that it wasn't too much of a tradeoff. As it turns out, it worked better! In fact, it worked so well that it became a cornerstone of my conditioning programs with several athletes.
Part twoPart two of the evolution of our fat loss programs came shortly after. I have always recommended interval training as a superior form of fat loss over steady state cardio. Interval training is essentially periods of hard work alternated with easier periods of work using a cardio exercise.

The problem--running a mile doing intervals involves about 1500 repetitions. For someone looking to cut body fat, and hit total body weight training two to three times a week, that is a lot of extra volume and potential joint stress. So I started thinking. Interval training is similar to weight training in that it involves sets (and reps) followed by a rest period (albeit active). What if I used a lighter version of traditional strength training and created metabolic circuits?

Timed sets

This is the simplest variation of metabolic work. Pick a load that is about 80% of your 10RM. Perform as many reps as possible at a constant tempo for a period of time (e.g. 60 seconds) and try to perform as many repetitions with as good form as possible. Rest for 15-30 seconds and perform another exercise.

Example #1

Barbell reverse lunge, left leg, 60 seconds Rest 15-30 seconds
Barbell reverse lunge, right leg, 60 secondsRest 15-30 seconds
Barbell push press, 60 seconds Rest 15-30 seconds
Repeat three times for a 12-minute routine.

Example #2

Kettlebell swings, 30 seconds Rest 15 seconds
Push-ups/burpees, 30 seconds Rest 15 seconds
Prowler push, 30 secondsRest 15 seconds
Repeat for five rounds for a 12-minute finisher.

Metabolic density training

This is a modified version of EDT as popularized by Charles Staley. However, Charles recommends two exercises performed as a superset for 15 minutes. In this case, we are going to use three exercises and work for ten minutes.

Example #1

Dumbbell bench press
Alternating lunges
Swiss ball crunch

In this method, select a load that will allow 10-12 reps and perform sets of 6-8. There is no rest between exercises. Work continuously for ten minutes moving from one exercise to the next. The alternate version is to perform five rounds of 6-8 reps of each as fast as possible.

Complexes

Be warned, these are pretty grueling. Perform the complexes at the beginning of your workout when you're fresh. They'll elevate your metabolism beyond anything you've ever experienced before. The most frequently asked question about complexes is how much load to use. Remember, it's a metabolic stimulus, not a strength or hypertrophy stimulus so be conservative. Now, don't go too light either. A good "Cosgrove rule of thumb" is that if you're not questioning why in the hell you're doing these exercises or convincing yourself that twice around is enough, you're not going heavy enough.

Let's get into it. Perform each complex once per week for four training sessions per week. Use the following progression:

Week one: 4 sets of 5 reps of each, 90 seconds rest
Week two: 5 sets of 5 reps of each, 75 seconds rest
Week three: 5 sets of 6 reps of each, 60 seconds rest
Week four: 6 sets of 6 reps of each, 45 seconds rest.

Then puke.

Complex A

Bent over barbell row
Hang clean
Front squat and push press hybrid
Jump squat (bar on back)
Good morning

Complex B

Romanian deadlift
Hang clean and front squat and push press (combination lift, perform one rep of each in series)
Reverse lunge (alternate legs)

Complex C

Deadlift
High pull (onto toes)
Squat clean (clean the bar from the hang and then drop into a full squat on the catch)
Military press (strict)
Jump lunges (switch legs)
Insert my evil laugh here!

Complex D

Jump squat
Squat
Squat and hold for 10 seconds
Military press
Push press
Squat and press (combination lift, perform one rep of each in series)

Note: Try to work all exercises at a speed of 1-2 reps per second.

Tabatas

A Tabata protocol is a very high intensity anaerobic interval program that involved eight rounds of 20 second work periods at 170% of your VO2 max with a negative recovery period of 10 seconds. The best way to use these with strength training exercises is to alternate one upper body with one lower body exercise. The second progression we used is to vary the work to rest ratio.

Beginner: 10 seconds work, 20 seconds recovery
Intermediate: 15 seconds work, 15 seconds recover
Advanced: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds recovery

A great pairing is squat jumps and running push-ups (a single push-up and two reps of mountain climbers in alternating fashion) in pairs.

Medley conditioning

This is similar to the other methods in that we are working for time, but we will use 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off and perform multiple rounds with different pieces of equipment. For example, an MMA fighter competing in five-minute rounds may use four exercises in a circuit and perform multiple rounds until the five-minute period is up.

Example #1
Prowler push15 seconds, rest 15 seconds
squat jump15 seconds, rest15 seconds,
sledgehammer or medicine ball chops15 seconds, rest15 seconds,
kettlebell swing15 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Keep working through the medley until the five-minute period is up.

Finishers

Finishers are just short body weight or single piece of equipment only, 3-5 minute routines at the end of each workout.

Screamers:

3 push-ups,
1 tuck jump
6 push-ups,
2 tuck jump
9 push-ups,
3 tuck jumps
12 push-ups,
4 tuck jumps
15 push-ups,
5 tuck jumps

Continue to add three push-ups and one tuck jump to each set until you miss a rep. Then climb back down the ladder.

Leg Matrix:

24 squats
12 lunges each leg (alternating)
12 lunge jumps each leg (alternating)
24 squat jumps(If you can complete this in under 90 seconds, do two rounds with no rest.)

Squat series:

20-second squat jump
20-second squat
20-second isometric squat
Repeat for three rounds with no rest.

Countdowns

Select two exercises (e.g. kettlebell swing and burpees or squat jumps and plyometric push-ups).
Perform 10 reps of each, nine reps of each, eight reps of each and so on.
Each week start with one set of one more rep than your top set (e.g. 11 reps, 10 reps, 9 reps, etc.).

A final warning

This isn't for the faint hearted or de-conditioned. They are not beginners' routines. If you're coming back from injury or illness, don't try this program yet. It's brutal. However, if you follow this routine for four weeks, you'll see a very significant improvement in your conditioning and a massive drop in your body fat!

This article originally appeared at EliteFTS.com

Workout

Movement Prep

Shot hoops for 15 minutes, lots of lateral movement off the dribble and pulling up for the J. I'm totally gonna bring back the mid-range jumper.

Med-Ball Work

Did everything today 1 handed, just for fun.

1 arm rotational tosses against wall w/catch - 15 each arm
1 arm sumo-squat toss (start in full squat with ball next to ankle on the outside) - 15 each arm
1 arm split-squat vertical toss w/jump (hold ball just under chin like shot putter, throw ball up as you switch legs in the air) - 12 each arm
1 arm toss to sprint- 8 each arm

Cable Work

Tons of cable chops, cable punches, squat-to-cable punch, and push/pulls (like these, but with a cable in both arm so you truly get the push/pull action)

Functional Exercises

1A: OH Squat- 30 seconds moving as fast as possible with proper form.
1B Jumping pull-up w/tuck

2x's through

2: Hang clean

2 sets

3A: Hang Snatch
3B: 1 Leg'd squats

2x's through

Core Circuit

3x's through resting only when possible.

Decline situps
Standing twists w/weight
Floor wipers

This Week:

Monday: Recovery
Tuesday: Yoga (am), Field work w/sprint mechanic emphasis (pm)
Wednesday: Workout above
Thursday: Field work w/lateral agility emphasis
Friday: Heavybag work & throwing practice
Saturday/Sunday: Practice, practice, practice

#40

STS 8-14-08

"No. I want to be the first Michael Phelps." - The man himself, in response to being asked if he hoped to become the second Mark Spitz.

With the Olympics in full swing I'm having trouble concentrating on anything else except for watching the games, mostly in awe at the sheer athleticism, as usual. And we're not even at the field events yet. Man I can't wait for the decathlon. The true greatness of the games is that it showcases every type of athleticism you could think of (and some you've never even fathomed) all in different platforms, all in 2 weeks. When watching swimming the part that is the most amazing to me is the extension (especially through the hips & legs) that the athletes get with their bodies. They just get crazy l-o-n-g in the water.

I do find it tragically hilarious that coke & mcdonalds are 2 of the biggest corporate sponsors of the olympics though. 2 of the biggest contributors to the obesity epidemic cozying up to the greatest displays of athleticism is such a ridiculous oxymoron. That's like budweiser hanging out at an AA meeting. Just goes to show again how intertwined fast food & soda are in our society, which sucks as it makes an uphill battle even tougher. Good thing there's that whole personal responsibility thing then, I guess.

Coupla noteworthy links:

- Cool article on phelps

- Vern Gambetta has been on roll lately, challenging you to think further & further about the whole system to develop complete & balanced athleticism. As always it's about a complete comprehensive program (use it or lose it), perfecting fundamental movement skills then progressing to sports-specific skills, and continually working on your weaknesses. Athletic development is no different than any other type of development: you get out of it what you put into it. Simple. As. That.

- More on a balanced program

- More on Flow

- The maze. It's been said before by others many times, but I really like the idea of working in blocks (this article states 4 weeks). Makes things much easier to break down. As Magic Johnson said: you must set small goals to reach big goals.

- new ross video. This guy fires me up so much.

- more food for thought.

Workout

Movement Prep

Standard stuff, lots of jump roping today

Med-Ball

3-throw sequence 5x's through with mini-band shuffles mixed in

Cables

First off, by cables I mean the freedom-allowing cable machines with the arms that move vertically and horizontally, (like this)not the old-school square frames with cables that just move vertically and restrict movement. I f'ing hate machines that restrict movement.

I mixed in a bunch of standing cable chops, cable punches (both punching to the side for rotational strength, and punching downwards while exploding into a lunge) and other full-body cable movements with some plyos work.

Some of the plyos I worked in:

- Box march w/mini bands above knee

- sitting box-jumps

- Lateral shuffle w/mini bands above knee

Functional Lifts

- split-squat quick drops- same as video but split-squat instead of standard squat

3 sets alternating legs

Finished with a sick squat complex

1A: quick drops- original style
1B: OH Squat
1C: Thruster

Finished with a set (each arm) of 1-arm kettlebell swings moving as fast as possible with proper form for 30 seconds.

Core/Upperbody Circuit

- GHD's
- jumping pull-ups w/tuck
- 1 leg GH situps
- Dips
- Side Plank

2x's through resting only when necessary

Go USA!!

#40

STS 8-5-08 Head Games & The 'wood

"A dog is forever in the push-up position"- Mitch Hedberg

Cool Links:

- The man himself on flow. The Theory of Flow is really, really interesting as it extends much further than the field and into all facets of life. Like a jazz musician in his element, flow is so f'ing beautiful to see on the field. Most people can't articulate it, but everyone knows it when they see it.

- it's all in your head.

- suspension training

- agility techniques

- these dudes= mad athletic. That's hip mobility/stability at it's finest.

- Cool study on the "hot hand" of basketball. Pretty applicable to ultimate, especially given how streaky our sport can be.

- interesting article on the validity of recovery methods.

Workout:

I just moved from the Eastside back to Hollyhood again. Among the many, many awesome things about living in the 'wood (if you don't the others you really should come visit here. Trust me.) is that I'm back to being a couple blocks away from Runyon Canyon. RC is simply awesome, yoga in the grass every evening, tons & tons of trails to hike, and at the top you're standing at the same height as the Hollywood sign (just one hill to the west) looking out in the basin below. After the rain when the smog is cleared out you can see from Pasadena to Catalina. Not too shabby of a view. the city looks okay too. :)

I started off the workout with a full-body circuit consisting of:

- 1 arm kettlebell swings (w/dumbbell)
- plyo-pushups
- pullups
- 1 leg squats
- ab wheel

4x's through resting only when necessary. Did this in my living room for all you i-hate-going-to-the-gym excuse people.

Jogged up the canyon till I got a to a part I call Hurdler Hill. It's about 40 yards with soft dirt/sand at the bottom and two seperate 2-foot "walls" of hillside near the top that you have to hurdle over to keep going, with every step uneven. In 1 40-yard sprint you get sand training, hurdling, and uneven ground work for proprioception skills & foot/ankle stability. SICK. Did 7 sprints up, resting at the top, then "sprinting" down working on minimal ground contact time and quick feet (which is pretty much the only way to do it without falling down the hill).

Jogged up a bit further till I got the start of the trail that leads up to the top. This trail is soft sand all the way, with steep uneven stairs, chunks of concrete mixed in from when it was paved long ago, and wood 4x4's barriers that make for either great hurdles, or steps to spring off of for some sprint-to-jumps. Just tons of cool terrain to creatively challenge your legs, every single step is a new one. The trail to the top is easily 3/4's of a mile, so I broke it up, sprinting as far as I possibly muster, resting till my lungs stopped burning, then off again. My focus was on making every step explosive & minimal ground contact time while keeping a proper uphill forward lean with explosive arm drive through the shoulders.

The best part is the run back down. There's a couple great not-too steep sections that are about 100 yards long and you can just fly running downhill in the soft dirt, hurdling over the 4 x 4's. Overspeed training is the sh*t. Just fluid through the hips, leading with the core. I did the hill twice, then sprinted all the way down running as fast I possibly could downhill. My lower abs were straight burning at the end from stabilizing out in front.

So yeah, training uphill running (which forces proper running form), ankle/foot stability, leg/foot proprioception, plyometrics, and downhill (overspeed) training all at the same place. As it should be.

Med-Ball Field Workout

Only had a quick 1/2 hour at the park to get in a workout today. The medicine ball is the best way to kill yourself metabolically in a short amount of time.

Movement Prep

Standard plyos

Throws

- 30 sumo squat-to-toss throwing the ball backwards w/jump, then turn n' sprint to catch on 1st bounce.

- 40 overhead slams w/jump. Arms & ball slam down, body jumps up, core stays stable. Dissasociation at it's finest.

- 30 front-squat vertical tosses w/180 jumps. Stand with med ball in front squat position, jump squat and do a 180 in the air, land in a squat, explode out with toss, catch on 1st bounce, repeat. SO sweet for training proper landing mechanics.

- 20 side tosses to 15 yard sprint (each side). Don't fight the energy of the ball, harness it to propel you into your sprint.

- 25 chest-passes to 15 yard sprint

Finished with med-ball burpees to failure.

This week:

Monday: Recovery
Tuesday: Runyon Canyon
Wednesday: Med-ball field workout above
Thursday: Summer League
Friday: weights
Saturday: field workout w/agility emphasis
Sunday: beach workout

#40

STS 7-25-08 & Wednesday Night Lights

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia." -Charles M. Schultz

Photo from the Condor vs. Dingos Scrimmage

Some cool links:

- This guy is the mothaf'ing man. IOC tells him he can't compete, and he responds by breaking his personal best. That's what I'm talking about.

- From the perform better seminar

- barefoot running

- What it's like to workout with Alwyn Cosgrove. Great article. And you thought my workouts were tough.

- The A-11 offense that's got every football coach on it's ear right now. Smart stuff, lots of options. Again proves how much innovation is possible within a set system of rules.

- sprint training for endurance competitions

- Lessons from Mike Boyle

- Dingos in the news

Wednesday night we had the excellent opportunity to scrimmage the Aussie National Team. We managed to get the sweet, sweet synthetic fields at Occidental College in LA, and it was a great night for SoCal Ultimate. Playing under the lights always get me fired up and we had a great crowd come out to see the action. I still can't get over how fast the fieldturf surface is...too much fun. The Dingos are tall, athletic, disciplined, and seemed to be all clicked in with each other as they've been practicing & playing together for a while now. We started off slow, had trouble adjusting to their physical underneath man D and had some defensive miscues, spotting them a 9-4 lead at half. Definitely not how we wanted to start things out. But we maintained our poise like true Condors, we knew we still had a lot of game left and just focused on making some key adjustments. We finally busted the deep game wide open in the beginning of the 2nd half, and also started playing some sick Team D, tightened our marks, and forced some turns. Went a nice 11-5 run where our offense was really clicking & moving with flow, and some of our rookies stepped up huge and made big plays on D to bring it to 15's. We traded to 17's (game to 19) and had the ball to take the lead for the first time but turned it on a huck. They marched it back up patiently for the score, then closed it out on the next point after a lay-out drop to take the W. The game was extremely well-spirited, clean, and one of the most fun experiences I've had playing disc. We took over a sweet LA bar afterwards with the crowd and showed 'em a good time droppin' carbombs like rain. Funny post-game story: A group of the aussies stopped at the Taco Truck outside the bar for some food and they ordered one of the guys (the captain I think) a tongue taco which he devoured without knowing. They still hadn't told him by the end of the night, hope he's finally figured out that that wasn't carne asada...

Workout

Movement Prep- Same story, see previous posts if you need details.

Med-ball

30 1-arm front-squat vertical tosses (each arm)

20 side-twists throw against wall w/catch (each side)

Plyos Skills & Drills

1. Sitting box jumps

2. Split-squat jumps

3. Box lateral shuffle with weight overhead (locked arms)

Functional Lifts

1. Split-squats w/weight- as fast as possible for 30 seconds with proper form. rest 1 minute, repeat alternating leg. Twice through

2. Hang Snatches- 3 sets

3. RDL's- 3 sets

Core Sequence

Moved from swiss-ball pikes, side plank, leg lifts w/med ball between leg, and standard plank. 3 times through, each exercise to failure. Resting only when necessary.

#40

STS 7-14-08

"You ever see a cheetah stretch?" - Deion Sanders

You know you miss primetime

This makes me so f'ing happy. Ultimate being shown for what is really is: athletic, especially on an industry-recognized website. Also some great information on jumpability.

- Vern Gambetta on athleticism

- Decent video on acceleration

- Good ideas for mini-band training

- Breaking down the nervous system

- Muscle fatigue: it's all in your head

- Good information on Tabata Intervals

Workout

Movement Prep- same shizzle, different dizzle

Med-ball- 3-throw sequence

Throw 1: sumo-squat vertical toss
Throw 2: Overhead slam
Throw 3: front-squat vertical toss

5x's through the sequence with no rest between throws. Moved immediately from there to mini-band shuffles & high-knees. Repeat 3x's.

Plyos Skills & Drills

1A: Cable Punches
1B: Outside-in Stepups- stand over small plyo box with legs on the outside. Step up explosively with left leg onto box followed by right, then back down to floor in same sequence. Focus is on landing everytime with no noise (minimal ground contact time + explosive fast-twitch movement). Alternate starting leg 2nd time through.

2x's through resting only when necessary

2A: Split-squat jumps
2B: depth push-ups

2x's through resting only when necessary

Functional Lifts

1A: Crossover Step-ups
1B: Jumping tuck pull-ups

2x's through resting only when necessary

2: Overhead Squats (30 seconds focusing on moving as fast as possible with absolute pure form)

3 sets, with 1 minute rest in between.

3: 1 arm snatches

1 set each arm

Core Circuit

A: GHD's w/swandive
B: Hanging leg raises
C: Standing twists w/weight
D: Side Plank

2x's through with no rest

This Week:

Monday: Workout above (AM); throwing workout (PM)
Tuesday: Field work w/agility emphasis
Wednesday: Basketball (AM); throwing workout followed by heavybag work (PM)
Thursday: Strength Training
Friday: Recovery
Saturday: Surfing & beach sprints
Sunday: Field work with plyometric emphasis

Hit it hard this week!

#40

STS 7-8-08 & The Development of Power

"The season is not about maintenance; it's about manipulation"- Dr. Craig S Duncan

"The most effective way to boost power is to lift weights rapidly. This trains muscles to contract quickly and react appropriately when it is necessary to exert force.- Mike Boyle"

Back at it again after a quick break. Summer has been stacked n' packed in the best kind of way, with 2 weddings, birthday, vegas, the 4th, and a full training schedule. Too much fun. Hope your training is progressing solidly as the season ramps up.

Some awesomeness:

- Impossible is nothing

- Some sweet stairs action. Check out the jump-to-sprints, among other things. Landing mechanics with flow= where it's at.

- Switch kicks. My new favorites.

- more impossible is nothing. So dirrty.

- A great video to get you thinking about your field workouts. where could you go from here? how could you incorporate a disc into these?

- Cool article on athleticism. Obviously as subjective as it gets, but still smart.

- Titans gettin' in on some kettlebell action

- Vern on recovery

- Ross with some great reads

- Once again proving how little we really know about the human body. This is just Mind-boggling.

- Such a great article on power. Another must read for any athlete.

Power is the ability to exert great force in a short period of time and
results in being able to move quickly and explosively, says Mark Verstegen,
founder of Athletes’ Performance in Tempe, Ariz. His facility specializes in
training competitive athletes, teaching them, among other things, to accelerate
and change direction quickly. That ability is developed by lifting weights
rapidly and helps athletes move more explosively during games and
other competitions.

A significant degree of power is the efficiency with which your nerves
communicate and your muscles respond to the need to apply force.

Workout:

MP- standard, see previous posts for description.

Med-Ball

20 front-squat vertical tosses
20 sumo-squat backwards tosses (against wall w/catch)
25 side twists each side
20 chest throws in lunge position (against wall w/catch)

Plyo Skills & Drills

1A: sitting box jumps
1B: depth push-up

2A: Box jump march
2B: Jumping pullups w/tuck

Jump Shrug

2x's through resting only when necessary

Functional Lifts

1: Hang Clean

2: Split Drops- same as these, but into a split-squat instead of regular squat. Love these.

3A: Overhead Squat- as fast as possible with proper form for 30 seconds.
3B: Walking superman pushups- 8x's (stand, walk hands all the way to front, perform superman pushup, walk hands back to standing)
3C: 1-leg squats (use the bench like this video if necessary)

2x's through each one resting only when necessary.

Upperbody/Core Circuit

40 arm swings w/5lb each hand
GHD's
GHD sit-ups

2x's through no rest. Finished in just under 55 minutes.

Couple of off topic items:

- A teammate of mine just bought a 40lb sandbag at OSH for $2.50. Yeah, that's right. 100+ difference awesome exercises for $2.50. That whole $$$-excuse for not lifting just got tossed out the window.

- Something that bugs me about the top teams in Ultimate is their unwillingness to share pertinent information with each other. I'm not talking about set plays, specific strategies, or other proprietary information (of course that information stays in-house, as it should.) I'm talking about frameworks of smart drills or Energy System Development (work capacity) programs, etc. Concepts that make the sport better for everyone. But for teams & players to straight stonewall each other, (especially mutually-respectful teams & players) just makes no sense to me and shows a lack of athletic professionalism. It's a very different attitude in other sports. HS football coaches meet the week before and trade game films. (college and pro's don't because tape is already available for them. Unless of course, it's defensive play signals. :) They do this for the same reason I post my so-called "secrets" in full view of my competition. First, because there's a HUGE difference between knowing about something and actually incorporating it into a progressive comprehensive program. And then actually bringing those refined abilities and combining them with your throwing skillset and incorporating it into the actual game. Secondly, because it's silly to think you could keep anything a secret anyway, the information is going to get out there somehow, most likely by a teammate changing teams and bringing what they've learned with them. So you're really just delaying the inevitable. But mostly because my philosophy of preparation & competition runs a little different: You can have my training, you can know what I do; and it won't matter for a second. Because I'll still beat you with it. Because you won't train as intense as I train. And you won't put train in as many creative combinations as I do. Your drills won't be as mentally & physically demanding as mine are. So you can watch all the tape you want on me (I'll even give it to you) and think you know all my tendencies; I'll just beat you with my 2nd & 3rd options. Because it's not about what the other team does or knows; it's only about what my team does.

So don't stonewall. Show some professionalism and give a smart framework that promotes thinking so that that framework can eventually trickle down and be passed along to all the other college, league, & youth, etc teams in that area that that team influences. It's not going to hurt your team (if giving away a drill hurts your team, you've got much bigger issues than drill strategies) and it's the only effective way to advance the sport: from within. Props to The Huddle for recognizing this and doing an fantastic job of getting smart information to players and promoting the on-field advancement of the sport. Only good things can come from the sharing of information like this.

My strong makes your strong look like cottage cheese,
#40

Quicker, Faster, Stronger, More Explosive

The abdominal and lower-back muscles work as a team. The point guard is the transverse abdominis, which is the first muscle that's recruited each time you move. If you can keep that "TA" activated and your tummy tight, you'll be well on your way to optimum movement and preventing long-term deterioration. - Mark Verstegen

Here's a preview for Bigger, Faster, Stronger. This documentary is definitely going to turn some heads. Too bad for 95% of the gym rats out there that all that size doesn't mean a thing if you can't do something athletic with it. Strength is necessary, but not sufficient. It needs to be transferred into athletic movement. Forget bigger, faster, stronger. Think quicker, faster, stronger, more explosive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KzGfuFFSxA

Training secrets from Vern Gambetta:

http://functionalpathtraining.typepad.com/functional_path_training/2008/06/training-secret.html

Conditioning Research has had some really great posts recently. This one on proprioception training is especially pertinent to ultimate players because knee joint position sense is extremely useful when pivoting and marking as you often find yourself with your legs spread away from the body during footblocks, step-out fakes, etc. Proprioceptive training and proper landing mechanics should always be an important part of your program.

http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2008/06/more-on-balance.html

Some proprioceptive training ideas. Expand upon these when you're ready, think outside the box and be progressive. Keep the body guessing.

http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/proprioceptive-training.htm

Another CR post, this time on water consumption. The whole point of proper energy consumption for an athlete is to never be hungry, never be thirsty, and never be full. Never hungry, never thirsty, but never full.

http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2008/06/water-is-heavy.html

An article confirming what you probably already knew: that eating a smart meal is 10x's better than those $120 post-workout nonsense hype shakes & any ripped/cut/stacked/jacked pills. The supplement industry is as lucrative as it is unregulated; anyone can sell anything at any price. As such 99% of the stuff on the market is pure fluff and will have no discernible difference on your training. Skip the hype, there's no "magic" pill (if there was, I'd would have found it by now), and as always, do your own research and find your own answers. If you really want to learn more about nutrition, read "Nutrition for Serious Athlete's" by Dan Benardot.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/health/nutrition/05Best.html?em&ex=1213243200&en=b265fe277e59fd2e&ei=5087%0A

My strength coach in HS always said a glass of milk had all the amino acids the body needs post-workout. Follow that up with a healthy meal and you're now smarter than 99% of the US population. (Turns out he was right, check out the study below).

http://insidefatburning.blogspot.com/2007/08/post-workout-milk-boosts-fat-burning.html

Mark Verstegen once again being The Man. Do yourself a favor and read anything this guy writes.

PILLAR STRENGTH Pillar strength is the foundation of all movement. It consists
of hip, core, and shoulder stability. (if you're having a hard time getting your
head around this concept, it might help to picture your body as a mannequin with
no limbs.) Those three areas give us a center axis from which to move. If you
think of the body as a wheel, the pillar is the hub, and the limbs are spokes.
We want to have the hub perfectly aligned so we can draw energy from it and
effectively transfer energy throughout the body. It's impossible to move
the limbs efficiently and forcefully if they're not attached to something solid and stable. There's a reason why parents are forever telling kids to
sit up straight. Without pillar strength, without what, I call "perfect
posture," you will significantly increase the potential for injury in a chain
that starts with your lower back, descends all the way to the knees and ankles,
and rises up to your neck, shoulders, and elbows. The reason we train
body movements instead of parts is because everything about the body's
engineering is connected. What happens to the big toe affects the
knees, the hips, and ultimately the shoulders. The muscular system is
both complex and simple, a series of muscular and fascial bands that work seamlessly to produce efficient movement. Many workout programs do more damage than good by producing muscle imbalances and inefficient movement patterns that sabotage this highly coordinated operating system that we're born with.
Remember the way that movement evolves in infants. They move on their backs
until one day this action allows them to roll over, initiating the hip crossover
movement. Soon they progress to crawling, standing, and, finally, walking. With
each step, they realize how to stabilize their bodies. Aging reverses that
process. Many people lose the ability to squat and maintain their balance,
creating poor posture. Eventually, they lose the ability to stand, surrendering
the core fundamental movement patterns they developed as toddlers. But instead
of conceding that devolution as an unavoidable part of aging, why not look at
getting older as a process of taking these movements to new levels? It's
possible to become physically stronger every day of our lives. Instead of
looking at movement as coming out of the arms and legs, remember this perfect
posture. If you can master the following three elements of pillar strength --
shoulder stability, core stability, and hip stability -- both while working out
and in everyday movement, you will go a long way toward a healthier life.

SHOULDER STABILITY Anyone who participates in a sport involving hitting
or throwing understands the importance of the rotator cuff. It's even more
important in everyday life. We tend to think of the hands and arms as carrying
the workload for the upper body, but it's really the shoulder, or at least it
should be. After all, we think of someone shouldering a burden. The shoulder
"girdle" consists of the humerus, scapula, and clavicle. It's engineered for a
remarkable range of three-dimensional movement. From the shoulder, it's possible
to rotate, press, and pull. We can raise our arms to the side or across the
body. We can rotate shoulders by holding the elbows in and by moving the hands
up and in -- or in a 90-degree angle to the torso. Our natural instinct is to
drop the shoulders forward, especially after long periods of sitting. But you
want to do the opposite, bringing the shoulders back and down, which will give
you proper posture. Remember The Karate Kid? Mr. Miyagi, the wise martial arts
instructor, made his young student Daniel LaRusso paint his fence and wax his
cars. For days this went on and Daniel wondered if he was ever going to learn
karate. When he confronted Miyagi, the old man asked him to demonstrate the
various motions of painting and waxing and then attacked Daniel from all angles.
Using the same motions, Daniel easily defended himself and quickly realized that
he had not just been painting and waxing but stabilizing and strengthening his
shoulder muscles and mastering these vital, functional movements. If you're
involved in martial arts, this program will help by stabilizing your shoulders
-- and I won't make you wax cars and paint houses. Even if you have no desire to
become the next Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris, you must strengthen this area to
perform everyday activities from cleaning to passing objects to filing to, yes,
waxing and painting. Most of us don't realize how hunched over we are from
sitting at computers and traveling in cars and airplanes. People tend to think
that this affects only the elderly, but that's not the case. The next time
you're people-watching at a mail or airport, pay attention to the position of
their thumbs. If they're rotated in, pointing toward the body, that means their
heads and shoulders have moved forward. Unless those people do something, I
guarantee that they will soon have rotator cuff and back problems, which will
limit their ability to participate in the daily activities of life. As
people age, they tend to flex forward, as if the chest is caving in. We want to do the opposite, almost as if there's a fishhook inserted under the sternum, pulling us up. This will allow the shoulders to fall into place and
help give perfect posture. We're not trying to be military cadets, standing at
attention. Instead, think of this as standing or sitting tall in a comfortable
position, always elevating the sternum. To make lasting change, we want to
lengthen the chest and strengthen the muscles of the upper back. Think
of pulling your shoulders toward your back pockets. This posture is the exact opposite of the shoulder shrug, the same motion that you make when you say, "I don't know." That's what a sitting lifestyle does to you. If you create a habit of bringing your shoulders down, you'll be amazed at the results. People will find you more confident and think you've lost weight because you're no
longer slouched over. They might even think you've grown. There have been
instances of adults following this program and gaining up to an inch of height
from standing tall and bringing their shoulders back, as well as improving hip
and core stability.

CORE STABILITY The middle third of our pillar is the
"core," which consists of the muscles of the abdominals, torso, and lower back.
It's the vital link between shoulder and hip stability, and it includes such
muscle groups as the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, internal and
external obliques, lats, the erector spinae, and many small stabilizer muscles
between the vertebrae of the spine. These are the tiny muscles that often get
shut off because of a back injury and never become reactivated, causing
long-term back problems. These small stabilizer muscles cannot function alone;
they must be helped by training the muscles of the core to become strong and
stable with the right types of recruitment patterns that will enable them to
work in tandem with the shoulders and hips. Core training is not just
about the abs -- abs are less than a third of the equation. Countless
books and magazine articles promise great abs, and though many of them have
terrific exercises that we believe in, they're of little use unless done in
conjunction with exercises aimed at integrating your shoulders and hips. Instead of just focusing on the abs, we want to create the framework for all
movement. The aim isn't just a well-sculpted midsection; it's a high-performance core. In order to maximize the benefit of the exercises in this book,
it's important to keep your tummy tight, not just while exercising but all day.
Think of your tummy flat against the hip bones. Keep your tummy tight, as if
pulling your belly button off the belt buckle. This isn't the same as sucking in
your gut and holding your breath. Keep the abdominals in, but still breathe. The
abdominal and lower-back muscles work as a team. The point guard is the
transverse abdominis, which is the first muscle that's recruited each time you
move. If you can keep that "TA" activated and your tummy tight, you'll be well
on your way to optimum movement and preventing long-term deterioration. - Mark
Verstegen

Workout:

Movement Prep: standard stuff, also mixed in dynamic plyos

Med-ball: standing throws, overhead throws, downward slams, sumo squat-to-throw, front-squat vertical toss, 1-leg chest & overhead passes, twisting throws, throws-to-sprint (these are awesome and killed me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtpgLMmDyPU )

Plyo skills

Twice through resting only when necessary

1A: 50 double-unders on jump rope
1B: hanging leg raises

2A: sitting box jumps
2B: cable punches

3A: Hang snatches (15)
3B: 1 leg'd squats (12 each leg)

4: thrusters for 30 seconds focusing on moving as fast & elastic as possible with proper form
(3 sets, 30 seconds on: 1 minute rest)

5A: GHD's w/swan dive
5B: GHD lockout 1-arm bench press (from mark twight's video)

6: push-press focusing on moving as fast & elastic as possible with proper form
(3 sets, 30 seconds on: 1 minute rest)

7A: row machine (1 minute max intensity)
7B: Box jumps with different takeoffs/landings (ex: two footed jump w/1 foot landing, 1 foot'd jump with opposite foot landing, etc)

Core Circuit:

3x's through resting only when necessary

-Jumping tuck pullups
-Standing twists w/weight
-Reverse crunches w/weight
-Leg raises locked out at top of dip position

Quicker, faster, stronger, more explosive,
#40

STS 5-5-08 & The Serape Effect

“We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.” - John Dryden

Keegan-tino providing me with video proof that I need to jump earlier, especially when covering a dude 6 inches taller than me. Great slowmo footage to analyze throws as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94XSS9XM3I4

This video is awesome! So many ideas & combinations, check out how well these guys move laterally.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZajP6CKhPdM

Cool article on the Serape Effect. Again hits back to how connected the body is. When it talks about ballistic action, think in terms of your huck throw.

http://lsabin.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/runnning-and-the-serape-effect/

Awesome article from Alwyn Cosgrove on his training program. A great read for desiging workout programs, he really encompasses all pertinent areas of athleticism.

http://alwyncosgrove.blogspot.com/2008/06/rhode-island-workout.html

Article on Psoas muscle and it's role in movement.

http://resistancetraining.wordpress.com/2007/04/06/pelvic-girdle-and-psoas-muscles/

More than you ever wanted to know about muscles:

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/M/Muscles.html#Anatomy_of_Skeletal_Muscle

Smart article on post-workout eating. Always remember that you have a 15-minute window from the end of your training to eat, anything past that and your body's ability to absorb what it so desperately needs decreases exponentially. Be proactive about having smart food nearby, and you have to eat irregardless of your hunger level. Remember muscle is built not in the training, but in the recovery.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/01/sports/playmagazine/601physed.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&ref=playmagazine&oref=slogin

Add-on to the article

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/05/30/sports/playmagazine/20080531_RECOVERY_GRAPHIC.html#step1

It seems everybody lately has an opinion on the Olympics, from Tibet to drug testing. With the steroid issue still lingering in the media I came across this pretty incredible article. Interesting stuff.

http://www.gladwell.com/2001/2001_08_10_a_drug.htm

Workout:

Today's emphasis was on elastic/reactive strength.

Movement Prep:

Similar to last post, also mixed in standard plyo warmups. Buttkickers, skips, etc.

Medicine Ball:

Trained with a teammate this morning so were able to do a number of standing throws, overhead throws, 1-arm throws, twisting throws, squat-to-throws and split-squat-to-throws. There's no limit on the explosive movements you can create with the medicine ball. Also mixed in front-squat vertical tosses and overhead slams with mini band shuffles.

Elastic/Reactive & Plyometrics

Each station twice, resting only when necessary.

1A: down n' back step-ups on small plyo box (see archives if you need a description)
1B: Cable punches

2A: Sitting Box Jumps
2B: Plyo pushups

3A: squats with low weight for 30 seconds, focus is on moving as fast and elastic as possible. These are sick.
3B: kipping pullups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAZaHzd6qAY

4A: Lateral shuffles with 10lb plate overhead http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxLateralShuffle.html
4B: GHD swan dives (same as GHD's but with 10lb dumbbells, and as you raise up bring the dumbbels out in a reverse fly) here's a cool video of GHD's with a twist: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvNlaaFYnPg

5A: Box March with mini-bands just above knee http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxMarchHigh.html
5b: hanging leg raises

6A: Push-press with just the bar for 30 seconds focusing on moving as fast as possible & explosively from the feet
6B: GHD situps

Finished with 10 minutes hard work switching between different hip swivels with the cable machine focused on minimal ground contact exploding off the balls of the feet. Nike SPARQ program calls them your "power pads" and it's a great way to describe landing and moving from the balls of the feet. Also mixed in standing core twists w/weight and more cable punches to finish it off. We worked at a relentless pace and was out in an hour.

This week:

Monday: Recovery
Tuesday: Boxing Workout, dynamic recovery on the legs
Wednesday: Field work with speed transition emphasis
Thursday: Workout above
Friday: Yoga
Saturday: Field work with lateral movement emphasis
Sunday: Either beach day where I'll get some sand training in, or some pickup ultimate.

Can't wait to watch The Lake Show win tonight. Suck it Boston.
#40

STS 5-28-08

"If you meet the Buddha in the lane, feed him the ball." - Phil Jackson

Check out this sick video on bounding. Bounding is the culmination of all your sprint training, the ability to move with maximum full-body impact with consistent pace & form. If a 180lb male can generate 370lbs of force with each footstrike during a sprint, think of how much force is generated through bounding and how that translates over to fast-twitch muscle development. (Hint: Kobe generates around 1200lbs of force when he jumps off 1 foot for a dunk. Yeah, 1200lbs. That's not a typo.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yZ3kp_IMk0

The full article

http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2008/05/bounding.html

A great article on box squats. Box squats are absolutely the best tool for learning to overhead squat and 1-leg (pistol) squat correctly.

http://stronglifts.com/build-explosive-strength-how-to-perform-box-squats/

Speaking of squats, here's how to front squat properly. If I'm not overhead squatting it's my primary form of squat as it requires much more core control & stabilization than a traditional backsquat. Plus I can transition into a push-press, hang-clean, etc at any time. Try 1 set regular and 1 set front squat and see if you notice the functional difference.

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-front-squat-with-proper-technique/

A good article on anterior core training

http://www.t-nation.com/article/performance_training/anterior_core_training

and a couple videos for examples of isometric exercises and some other types. Good stuff to incorporate into your field workouts.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSQjvTMN_A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXD69lc1OTY

Workout:

I've gotten a good number of questions regarding my workouts and it's important to note that what I post are just my weightroom sessions, which make up only 25% of my training program. (sorry, can't give away all my secrets) I follow Jim Radcliffe's program, the strength coach at U of Oregon, and the father of plyometrics. I had the extremely fortunate opportunity to train with him in high school and he's forever left a distinct impact on my athletic career. My program follows as such:

This week I spent a lot of time analyzing the sportlab videos and concepts and figuring out how to incorporate it into my training, which exercises were pertinent, and how I could re-create some of the movements at my gym as they pretty much use what looks like a glorified calf-raise machine. It's important to realize that when it comes to exercise science new ideas don't necessarily negate old ones, but rather build upon them. I don't have all the answers to the questions (yet), but it sure is fun exploring these new movements and how they translate over to the field.

Movement Prep: Circuit consisting of:

Jump-rope (1 min)
Handstand pushups against wall (TF)
bodyweight squats (12)
Jump-rope (1 min)
Handstand pushups (TF)
Walking split-squats w/core twist forewards, then backwards no twist (8 each direction)
Jump-rope (1 min)
inchworms (10)
Side-lunges (8 each direction)
Jump-rope (1 min)
step-ups (8 each leg)
bodyweight squats (12)

Med-Ball

25 front-squat vertical tosses
25 Overhead slams
25 side-twist throws (in backhand position) each side
10 1-arm front-squat vertical tosses each arm(keep ball next to chest like shotput position, then explode upwards)

I mixed in mini-band shuffles between the different throws as well, switching between wearing the bands on both the ankles and just above the knee.

Plyo Skills & Drills

Each sequence performed 2x's resting only when necessary

1A: Box March with mini-band at knees http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxMarchHigh.html
1B: plyo-pushups

2A: Split-squat jumps (not a lunge jump. There's just no lunging involved)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zLTDUFjbXA
2B: jumping pull-ups w/tuck

3A: Lateral shuffles w/mini bands and holding medicine ball overhead
http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxLateralShuffle.html
3B: Ab wheel (To failure)

4A: Box jumps w/1 foot landings
4B: jumping pull-ups w/tuck

Functional Exercises:

For this portion I performed a number of the arm swivels/circles on top of the swiss medicine ball that I saw from the sportslab videos as well as a bunch of balancing stability exercises such as bulgarian split-squats with back leg on the swiss ball, glute bridges, etc. I really just explored new movements and what their respective areas of focus were. I finished with a cable machine that has a foot attachment and did a number of different hip swivels and leg extensions focusing on minimal but explosive ground contact time and moving with hip mobility & stability. Great stuff and I could really feel it in the pelvic girdle muscles.

Core Circuit:

-GHD swandives (from sports lab video w/weights in each hand
- Standing core twists
- Side plank
- GHD situps

3x's through resting only when necessary.

This week:

Monday: Yoga/recovery
Tuesday: field work w/lateral agility emphasis
Wednesday: Workout above- plyometric/explosive emphasis
Thursday: Short but intense (always train as close to game speed as possible) sprint workout consisting of short-yardage sprints & speed transition work, followed by 4 rounds of heavybag work, punches & kicks. Kicks= the shit for making your legs strong.
Friday: Recovery
Saturday/Sunday: Cal States

#40

STS 5-22-08

“If you look at a track guy or a jumper, his foot is only in contact with the ground two-tenths of a second; it takes six- to eight-tenths of a second to create a maximum contraction in weight lifting. It looks good, but you can’t use it. Your foot can’t be on the ground that long. If you train slow, you’re going to be slow. You have to train explosively fast.” -Marv Marinovich

Crazy interesting article on Troy Polamalu's workout program and a style of training that truly increases athleticism. Reminds me a lot of the concepts of Fre Flo Do with more of a strength aspect. Damn it gives you lots to think about. Charlie Francis (Ben Johnson's old coach) says that "training is 5 years ahead of the science to back it up" and that qoute definitely fits here. I'm going to spend a good amount of time figuring out how to incorpate these principles into my workouts. Thanks to Robbie for showing it to me.

http://www.postgameheroes.com/?p=2338

Here's the website where he does his training

http://sportslab.net/

another cool video on them

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZTcrYVXMFY

and check out this pyramid of athleticism, really smart stuff.

http://sportslab.net/aboutus.html

Here's Victor Conte's (former head of BALCO) letter to Dwain Chambers about his doping regimine and how easy it was to circumvent the drug tests. Think about this the next time you hear someone hate on Barry, cuz he sure wasn't alone. Sports Sociologist Dr. Harry Edwards once wrote that "we've made no further progress in sports than we have in society" and that definitely applies here. Ethical/moral issues aside, this is one crazy-ass doping regimine with true science behind it.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/othersports/article-566744/Victor-Contes-letter-Dwain-Chambers.html

Workout:

Movement Prep

Med-Ball-

1A: 3-throw sequence (sumo-squat overhead toss, overhead slam, front-squat vertical throw with jump)
1B: Mini-band shuffles

2x's through

Plyos

1A: split-squat jumps- switching legs in the air
1B: plyo-pushups

2A: box jumps alternating regular and 1 foot landings
2b: jumping tuck pullups

2x's through each one

Functional Lifts

1- Hang clean w/jerk- 3 sets of 4

2- Kettlebell swings- 50, used dumbbell instead of kettlebell

3- 1-arm snatches w/dumbbell- 2 sets of 10 each arm-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bg77Os9mtXs

4- wide-grip hang snatches w/barbell- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht62GrOj5_Q
3 sets of 8

Finished with GHD's and a crazy-awesome 1-arm press exercise I got from Mark Twight's video I posted last time.

Beginner- grab a swiss ball and make a table-top with your body with just your upper back & neck on the swiss ball and a 90-degree bend at the knee (torso & upper legs horizontal) and grab a weight plate or dumbbell and do 1-arm bench press while squeezing the glutes & core and locking out in the tabletop. Same as this video but keep a tighter tabletop. I like to use a weight plate because it strengthens your hand/forearms in a different way than usual. Routine is the enemy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53GQNWHE1N4

Intermediate: same thing but alternate each arm while holding the other dumbbell up locked out with the other arm.

Advanced: perform 1-arm press while locked out on GHD machine with upper-body suspended in air. These rocked. You can see an example at 1:48 of the video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=628qphA1-8M

#40

STS 5-15-08

Of all the people I evaluate, including the best athletes in the world, the No. 1 focus is hip function and stability, which is to say how we use our pelvis. If people better understood how to use the pelvis and hips, we could eradicate lower back pain, knee pain, foot ailments and a host of other aches that make us miserable. - Mark Verstegen

This article is one of the best I've read in a really, really long time. Read it, adopt it, & share it with everyone you know. There's not a single person who can't benefit from this.

http://www.coreperformance.com/article.php?p=1&s=1&id=794

We want to move from the hips in everything we do, while maintaining
perfect posture. The reason we see so many running-related injuries is
because people don't have the necessary hip stability. Runners have to
be able to effectively balance on a single leg and move from the hips. If the hips don't stabilize, the force created by the pounding of
running is stored in the body.But if you're stable in the hips, core and
shoulders, the energy transfers through the feet, legs, core and through the opposite arm, creating maximum energy. If you lack stability, the
energy is absorbed and stored in the muscles, tendons and joints, leading to overuse injuries. By creating a mobile and stabile hip joint, we will store and release energy efficiently, creating optimum movement. Muscles are our suspension system. Their job is to store and release energy efficiently.

Here's Mark Twight being his usual badass self. Check out the Overhead Squats to sled runs...just filthy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=628qphA1-8M

Here's a pretty decent website with video displays, great for any beginners.

http://askthetrainer.com/exercise-information.html

An article on an interesting concept. I remember my hurdle coach in High School yelling at us to sprint with a "soft face" over and over, really goes to show what kind of effect it can have. Also shows yet again how connected the muscles are to each other, tense facial muscles means tense neck muscles. Tense neck muscles means tense traps, which run down to the middle of the back, etc. Curious to see some further studies done on it, but good food for thought nonetheless. When you read about the increased rotational ability think about it in terms of your backhand huck.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/twins/18914659.html?page=1&c=y

"There are so many gimmicks out there, but the other day I watched Michael
getting fitted, and they put the sensors on his face and looked at the large
muscles of his neck, and his facial muscles, and he had increased range of
motion," Castellano said. "Not an inch. Eight to 10 inches.

If you think my workouts are tough, check out JumpCoach's Monday session. Dirty, just dirrty. Then go back to your training and ask yourself if you can work harder.

http://jumpcoach.blogspot.com/2008/05/shortmedium-length-rant.html

Workout:

Movement Prep: standard movement prep

Med-ball:
50 overhead slams w/heavy ball mixed in w/mini band shuffles
25 side-tosses w/feet in backhand huck position (each side)

Plyo drills:

1A: box march w/mini bands on knees http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxMarchHigh.html
1B: Plyo pushups

2x's through

2A: lateral shuffles w/medicine ball overhead http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxLateralShuffle.html
2B: Jumping tuck pullups (10)

2x's through

Functional Lifts

1: Quick Drops http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/QuickDrop.html
3 sets

2: Split-squat Quick Drops- same as above except landing in split-squat instead of regular squat, alternating legs each time. 3 sets.

3: 1 Arm Snatches- 3 sets of 8 each arm.

4: Kettlebell Swings- 50 swings, used a dumbbell instead of kettlebell.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LI37d_1gZVU

F yeah Lakers,
#40

23/1 & STS 5-12-08

The best posture is the one that's constantly changing!- Eric Cressey

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Here's Nike with yet another awesome commercial:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-EyRUgp9Mk

Here's a short article by Eric Cressey that I really like.

The 23/1 Rule

The 23/1 rule states that although you may do everything
perfectly from a technique standpoint while you're in the gym for ONE hour per
day, you have TWENTY-THREE hours to do everything incorrectly outside the gym.
This is especially applicable to the desks jockeys who spend 8-10 hours per day
at the computer using poor posture. Make a point of getting up and moving around
as often as you can. Reach up to the sky, walk around, and do some doorway
stretches for your pecs and lats. The best posture is the one that's constantly
changing!- Eric Cressey

He speaks to what I emphatically believe, that athleticism is truly a lifestyle. Athletes don't stop being athletic when they leave the gym/field. Athletes move always with a proper, athletic gait. Athletes sit, reach, twist, & bend with an athletic posture. Postural control isn't something you only have when you're playing sports, it's something you practice and perfect all throughout your day. Yoga practitioners seem to grasp this concept best, as a direct result of the emphasis that's placed upon correct posture during poses.

Here's a great article on where to look while squatting, really good information for everyone, not just beginners. Remember, where your eyes go, your neck follows. And where your neck goes, your spine follows.

http://stronglifts.com/where-to-look-during-squats/

and another one on pushups:

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-perform-push-ups-correctly/

Workout:

Movement Prep: changed it up this morning and shot hoops at my gym for 15 minutes to warm up, just moving with the ball and shooting mid-range jumpers & finger-rolls. Basketball, such a fun game and a really effective way to warm the entire body up.

Med-ball:
20 sumo-squat tosses
20 front-squat tosses
15 side-twist tosses against wall each side (in backhand throw position)
20 sumo-squat backwards tosses against wall
10 front-squat 1 hand tosses (each hand)

Catch every throw with an emphasis on catching it with soft hands, accepting the energy of the ball, not fighting it.

Plyos:

1A: split-squat jumps
1B: plyo pushups

twice through, resting after pushups

2A: Box jumps w/1 foot'd landings
2B: Superman pushups

twice through, resting after pushups

Functional lifts:

1: Hang Clean w/jerk: 6,4,4

2. Lateral Step-ups w/crossover: 8,8 each leg

3. Deadlifts: 8,8,6,4,4,4.

Circuit:

Finished with a circuit of:

Dips
Pullups
GHD's
GHD situps
Side twists w/weight
Side plank raises-12 each side

Two times through, resting only if necessary.

This week:

Monday: Workout above
Tuesday: Field work w/lateral movement emphasis
Wednesday: Goaltimate w/short yardage sprints afterwards.
Thursday: Weights w/elastic & reactive strength emphasis
Friday: Recovery
Saturday/Sunday: Condor Tryouts

Fired up that the pre-season is just around the corner. Curious to see who has been working out in the off-season, and who is going to get exposed. Most of all just excited to see the boys all together again, working towards something all bigger than ourselves. Also really excited to see new faces and what talent they can potentially bring to the squad. This year's going to be a fun one!

#40