Coaching Styles

Brian Grasso is the CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association and is considered one of the premier authorities on youth athletic development in the world. Access Brian’s free database of articles and exercises at Developing Athletics

Previously, I discussed the need to look at the personality traits of your young athletes when considering a coaching style. I do not believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach to coaching and work to make Trainers and Coaches understand that within every training session and team setting exists the need to conform and streamline your delivery style to fit the situation or athlete(s) – indeed, respect the ART of coaching.

I had one very insightful subscriber email me a great question based on the information I presented last week. Specifically, what do you do when you have more than one personality represented on a given team or within a given training session?

Points to Consider

This is not only common, but also almost impossible to avoid. Whenever you bring two or more young athletes togethers, you are bound to see more than one personality type (and therefore need to employ more than one coaching style).

When coaching a group of 2 or more athletes, restrict the tendency to have each of the athletes performing the same drill at the same time. For example, during a standard warm-up for me, my athletes will do some basic ROM activities (typically through the hips and shoulders) and then proceed on to technique skills instruction. Let’s say you have a group of 4 athletes. As opposed to each of them performing a hip circuit at the same time and then moving on to the next ROM activity, create 4 different exercises and segment them in such a way so that each athlete is performing a separate drill.

To the casual reader, that may sound like a chaotic mess!! In actuality, it allows for a much simpler training session, an individualized approach to coaching and an important feature missing from many basic training sessions – instruction and explanation time.

Here’s the Scenario

Athlete 1 (low motivation & skill) – requires a “direct” coaching method
Athlete 2 (low motivation & high skill) – requires “inspire” coaching method
Athlete 3 (high motivation & low skill) – requires “delegate” coaching method
Athlete 4 (high motivation & skill) requires “guide” coaching method

Warm-up Routine

Hip Circuits – 2 sets/leg, 3 reps/exercise
Prone Bridge with Leg Lift – 3 sets, 5 reps/leg
Shoulder Circuit – 3 sets, 4 reps/exercise
Hurdle Walk-Over – 3 sets, 10 hurdles

Sequence & Flow

First off, bring the whole group together and explain what the task of the day will be. Address each participant individually by name and welcome them. Explain what the training session will look like for the day and encourage verbal and non-verbal compliance.

Then… TEACH!

I have long maintained that every development program must begin with an introductory or assimilation phase for the young athlete. The bulk of your basic teaching should fall into this category. The teaching component at the beginning of each training session should be reminder-based or build off of previously taught skills.

Take 5 – 7 minutes to teach each of the 4 warm-up drills. Explain why the athletes will be performing these drills and why they are important (and yes… do this with even young pre-adolescents. You are building a long-term approach to their development and need to invest the time to acquaint them with your system. Even young kids are ‘teachable’ given the proper application of stimulus).

Once the teaching time is done, assign them each to an exercise.

Now, you have the time to flow and work with each of them individually and correct body alignment, movement habits and execise adherence. Because they are all doing different things, you can apply the proper style of coaching to each individul.

Application

Athlete 1 (direct) – Hip Circuit
Athlete 2 (inspire) – Prone Bridges
Athlete 3 (delegate) – Shoulder Circuit
Athlete 4 (guide) – Hurdle Walk-Overs

Coaching Cues

Athlete 1 – Get down to his level (which would be on your knees given the ‘Hip Circuit’) and quietly let him know what a good job he is doing. Ask him if he has any questions about what he is doing. Chances are, if he did have questions, he would not have asked them when the entire group was together. The key here is the tone of your voice – be patient, relaxed and easy-going.

Athlete 2 – ‘Seriously Johnny, that is even better than last week!’. ‘Your making this look easy, let me show you a more challenging method, because I know you can do it!’. Remember, they have low motivation, but high skill – Encouraging and challenging are good methods to employ.

Athlete 3 – Ask him what he thinks. ‘How’s it feel?’ ‘You feeling good with that today or you want to switch it up a little?’ ‘What do you think we could add to it?’ Delegate some of the responsibilities of their training to them and help them make it work . Empower them to seek out and create new ideas.

Athlete 4 – Verbally reward their effort and work to make them understand the movement better. “That looks great, Sally! Now, you see how your left leg is pointing out to the left when you go over the hurdle? How can we fix that?”

This flow and sequence of coaching can be taken through the entire workout – even through your movement and strength skill portions. Just create and segment the exercises, include a teaching component preceding each portion and apply the appropriate style of coaching to each individual athlete.

Learn more about Brian’s complete system of developing young athletes – completeathletedevelopment

Force on Force Drills

By Gabe Suarez

I think we have established that any one who does not do force on force in their program is only getting a partial picture of what the gunfight will be like, and like the blind men and the elephant, they are probably getting a very inaccurate picture at that.
 
If we are training for the gunfight, conducting marksmanship-based range drills alone will not do it. We need both to test our range work to see if it will hold up under true pressure, as well as educate ourselves to the true dynamics of a gunfight.  We cannot do either of these things on a square range.
 
Enter the force on force drill.  While many students are familiar with scenarios either from limited force on force, or from a traditional shoot house, a drill is very different from a scenario.
 
A scenario is an open ended, unknown outcome exercise where the trainee may get through it without even drawing his weapon much less shooting.  In fact, a student is often lauded for getting through a scenario without needing to shoot.  The scenario focuses more on picking up the pre-incident clues, and managing a contact, than on shooting drills.  While scenarios have value and are very important in the complete training of a gunfighter, doing scenario work too early, or without the proper foundation, will yield frustration at best, and repeated failure and a fear of engaging at worst. 
 
It would be like taking a novice boxer that was really good at hitting the bag and throwing him into a street fight with a veteran fighter.  There is a vast gulf of ground between  heavy bag drills and a real street fight.  A similar gulf exists between range work and a force on force scenario.  The missing link for the gun students is the force on force drill.

Practical  Applied Stress Training For Tactical Law Enforcement                                   Reprinted with permission from www.brinkzone.com By Will Brink © 2008, 2009 As the demands of tactical law enforcement (SWAT) vary greatly, the training must prepare the SWAT operator for virtually any event. In the most extreme examples, the entire system, body and mind, are stressed to their maximal ability. Anaerobic, aerobic, and neural systems are challenged simultaneously, which will either lead to a successful outcome for the operator, who is both physically and mentally trained for the event, or it will end badly. Because these systems can and will be challenged simultaneously under “real world” conditions, it stands to reason training should be conducted that follows the pattern of “real world” events the operator may face. It’s the common practice for the majority of SWAT teams to train diligently on their firearms skills and tactics, while hitting the gym or the road as a separate training rotation. True applied stress training for SWAT should endeavor to parallel what the “real world” event may demand, which is the simultaneous demands on shooting proficiency, as well as anaerobic and aerobic energy systems which will greatly impact the operators abilities to perform under such pressure.   ” Nine of us used this type of training to prepare for the CT SWAT Challenge. It was the toughest training I’ve ever done, and I loved every minute of it. I felt like I was in the best physical condition of my life and our shooting capabilities under stress improved also, which is an essential skill in our line of work.  It’s one thing to walk through a shooting exercise and put some rounds on target, but when you simulate the adrenalin rush and physical exertion of a real mission, it’s a whole new ballgame.“ – Sgt. Jim Vaglica, NEMLEC SWAT/RRT   The most advanced shooter in great physical condition will find his marksmanship severely degraded when forced to shoot under intense physical stress. As expected, the operator who is not in adequate physical condition to begin with, can expect to see his marksmanship go completely “to hell in a hand basket” when put under physical and mental stress no matter how well he shoots under non-stressful conditions at the range. This of course applies to all shooters, non- SWAT LEO or civilian, but those groups are not generally going to face the type of dynamic conditions of SWAT operators who may have to scale a wall in full tac gear, drag a 200lb wounded person to safety, or perhaps carry a fellow operator over his shoulder both of whom are wearing full tactical gear, and doing so under fire. Uncommon yes, worst case scenario yes, but SWAT must train for worst case scenarios and when called upon; perform their duties at levels not expect of non-SWAT LEO or civilians. This means training that incorporates all possible stress modifiers in combined rotations with shooting drills. As well-known and respected firearms trainer Jeff Gonzales is known to say during his courses, when expecting students to perform well under situations they are statistically unlikely to face, “it may be statistically unlikely it will happen to you, but being on the wrong end of statistics really sucks.”  SWAT operators can’t afford to be on the “wrong end” of statistics no matter how unlikely, thus they must train and prepare for any situation to the best of their abilities. Firearms instructors have attempted to add stress modifiers – such as a short run followed by pushups for example – before shooting a course of fire for many years. Although an effective method of getting the heart rate up to mimic stress during the shooting rotation, it’s a far cry from the stress placed on the operator who has just pushed a car that wont start out of the line of fire – due to damage inflicted or the Murphy Factor – that may contain a wounded comrade or civilian, who then needs to return effective fire on target. Heart rate will be at full tilt boogie –taxing the cardiopulmonary system – and the musculature responsible for a stable shooting platform, already less stable due to the adrenaline dump experienced, will be at less than optimal conditions. The only way to perform in such a situation is to have experienced the effects of physical and mental stress on marksmanship skills, and test whether or not your conditioning and shooting skills are up to the task. The only way to prepare for that scenario, is to do it!   “I’ve always thought my shooting skills were very good.  This training program added functional training elements that tested my shooting under stress.  I found that with great physical exertion prior to shooting I went from a good shot to a marginal shot.  After going through this training my stress shooting skills improved immensely and I had fun doing it.  Not only did my shooting improve, so did my physical fitness.  I found this type of training fits perfectly in the ‘SWAT’ world.”  –  Sgt. Steven Keins NEMLEC SWAT/RRT   Practical Applied Stress Training Principles. This form of training should focus on functional strength, improving bodyweight to strength ratios, dealing unbalanced loads, and overall fitness and conditioning, combined with shooting rotations, that prepares the SWAT operator to perform efficiently under worst case scenarios which greatly improves survivability of dynamic situations SWAT is confronted with. “High tech” equipment is not required, with rope climbing, wall climbing, phone pole lifting, tire flipping, sand bags, chains, sleds, and other creative functional strength modalities are combined with shooting drills. Borrowing from relevant areas of functional strength and conditioning training that can be applied to this training, be it classic strong man training, Olympic lifting, football, martial arts/MMA, power lifting, Cross Training, etc., is encouraged, but must be intelligently designed and applied to be applicable to tactical LE. There’s often a disconnect between training hard and training smart, and injuries and overuse syndromes (e.g., tendonitis, etc) are not productive to the operational longevity of the SWAT operator. Taking into account existing injuries is also essential to productivity with such a program. Individuals who work in SWAT tend to be hard charging type-A “can do” personalities that don’t allow barriers to prevent them from mission success. These are the people you want coming through the door when things go ugly…however, the personality type will often work themselves to exhaustion and injury if not properly directed in a competitive environment. Again, working smart vs. hard is the key to success with this type of training… The drills are specific to the demands and requirements of SWAT/RRT, SOF, and other groups and or individuals where the ability to shoot under great physical stress is an essential component to success and survival. Exercise and shooting rotations need to be titrated in intensity and difficulty to both the group and individuals within the group, as there will always be differences, strengths, and weaknesses between individuals within a team. Early testing, of both groups, and individuals, is an essential component of making the experience a productive learning experience vs. simply beating the crap out of the group and sending them home bruised and demoralized! There’s a fine edge between productive training protocols that test the limits of an individuals abilities, and unproductive masochism. “I had the opportunity to be a SWAT team member for 10 years and initially was not prepared for the rigors of the job. After viewing this course first hand it will prepare you for the physical demands of the job; along with cutting down on injuries due to fatigue and stress.“ – Rodney Best. Boston Police Dept/ Mass Criminal Justice Training Instructor   Again, functional strength and conditioning is stressed simultaneously with shooting efficiency. It’s often the case that exercise related training and marksmanship don’t come together until the officer is in the middle of life and death situation, where the ability to perform is tested as never before, and the outcome unsure. Drills and Progression Program design should have a logical progression. For example, the day is usually split into three stages: Stage one is individual testing where a single operator is run through the stage and scored. This gives feedback to both the individual’s fitness levels and shooting abilities under physical stress. Stage two, may be run in two man teams with the stage being similar to stage one, but run in parallel – making for a highly competitive environment between individuals who hate to lose – or the stage may contain sections that require two people to complete: a fireman’s carry of your partner 100 yards up hill, or getting over an 8-10ft wall, scaling mock buildings, flipping 800lb tires, and so on. Shooting drills within the stage may require an individual to complete his shooting stage before the other can move on, and so on. Trainers can be committed to the stage to add additional physical essential training within the stage, such ‘hands on’ weapons retention training. Shooting drills within the stages are always based on essential shooting skills required by the SWAT operator, such as shooting on the move, shooting from cover, multiple target engagements, shoot/no shoot scenarios, etc. These are of course essential shooting skills for the non-SWAT law officer and well-trained civilian shooter, but the margin for error is essentially zero for the SWAT officer. Stage Three is often a full team event, where there may be two teams running in parallel in the stage or as a single team, depending the design of the stage and the number of operators on the team. Think of it as job specific cross-training with guns, which leads to improvements in physical conditioning and improvements in firearms proficiency under “real world” stress conditions. Additional benefits are improvements in functional whole body strength and conditioning, team building, and the ability to employ this type of training on your own range with a variety of tools. The system is dynamic and flexible, which prevents it being limited to “high tech” specialized equipment.   “I thought I was in good shape until I trained with Will for a SWAT competition last Summer. Will’s training methods and philosophy of combining strenuous physical activity and shooting not only prepared my teammates and myself for the SWAT competition but it has made us change some of our training methods on a regular basis. I would highly recommend Will’s training for any SWAT team. “  – Sgt. Patrick Towle NEMLEC SWAT    Sample Drills. A sample drill in the stage one category mentioned above, may be a quarter mile run to a barrier, from which a target at 50 yards is engaged using an M4 carbine. From there, the victim…I mean operator, scales an 8ft wall, goes up 30ft of rope, carries a comrade 100 yards fireman carry style –thus dealing with an unbalanced load- then goes directly onto engage targets with secondary weapon. A common target drill immediately following the above physical stress modifiers may be: a popper at 25 yards standing freestyle, a popper that activates a swinger at 10 yards (which may or may not be a friendly!), and a classic Mozambique Drill* from 5 yards on a graded scoring target, such as an IDPA target or other that allows graded scoring for head shots, center mass shots, and anything outside those two desired points of impact. The stage is timed and scored against the other individuals who go through the stage. Stages will usually include shoot/no shoot scenarios, as well as different positions (i.e., standing, prone, kneeling using cover, etc.) which challenge the shooters skills, which are already being tested by the fact muscles are tired and heart rate is up…Add full tac gear and a gas mask, and you have a real challenging day! The above is only a sample stage, there are many possible variations of the stages, and it depends on what’s available for use in the stage, the design and size of the range, the experience level and conditioning of the participants, and other variables. A stage cycle with generally look like so: Pre load skill sets.  This is working with the firearms instructor(s) on the shooting skill sets needed for the stage prior to running the stage. Shoot the stage minus physical stress modifiers. Shooters will go through the shooting portion of the stage and be scored. The pre stress modifier scores can then be compared the post stress modifier scores. Run the full stage with stress modifiers, timed and scored against other shooters and against expected scores for the stage. The better the condition and shooting skills of the operator, the closer the score of the pre and post stress modifier will be.     “The SWAT community in general seems to have embraced the “tactical athlete” idea. I think this is a excellent idea, one that will raise the bar for this high end of the law enforcement profession. Simply put it is easy to walk around with your thigh holster and tactical vest “looking the part”. It is another to have the physical fitness the call requires and not exhaust your ability to perform.” – Sgt. Jim Dickey, Waterbury, CT SWAT Conclusion This type of training can be a real gut check, team building experience, and to use the F word, a hell of a lot of fun to boot. OK, it’s not so much fun when every muscle in your body is screaming at you and you are two thirds of the way through the physical portion of the stage with a bunch of targets waiting for you to engage (and man those targets get small after all that work!), but I can guarantee you a real sense of satisfaction having finished the event. This is serious training, for serious people, in a serious business, but it’s also a hell of a lot of fun and a genuine learning experience to how well you perform under physical and mental pressure. Is that a bad thing? I think not….see you on the range! ** = AKA the Failure Drill, 2+1 Drill, or Rhodesian Drill. Bio: Will Brink is owner of Optimal SWAT Training Systems and an adjunct Trainer to Smith & Wesson Training Academy. He’s an avid shooter with over 15 years experience as a respected author, columnist and consultant, to the supplement, fitness, bodybuilding, and weight loss industry and has been extensively published. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies. His often ground breaking articles can be found in publications such as Muscular Development, Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors and many others. He runs the popular web sites www.BrinkZone.com and www.OptimalSWAT.com

A reason for muscle loss in the field-Part I

By Nathan Cragg

It’s happened to all of us at one time or another. You set out for a field problem feeling strong and proud of the new lean mass you’ve put on in your off time. Then you come back a couple days or weeks later and suddenly your 5, 10 even 15 pounds lighter and feeling about as strong as a freshman cheerleader.

Some try explaining this phenomenon by saying its water weight or due to lack of nutrition and hard work. Although these may be at play, I’ve always felt there was something deeper. And up until a couple months ago it perplexed me for years.

Recently I joined Coach Staley’s coaching group. Among the benefits was a bunch of interviews on MP3 of some of the top dogs in the fitness and nutrition industry.  One such interview was with a favorite of mine.  John Berardi. An expert nutritionist and soon to be PhD. So anyways I’m sitting here listening to the interview, when protein comes up. Nothing special there. Then outcomes a piece of dialogue that becomes a revelation for me. It’s what I’ve been searching all these years for. It was the Holy Grail for every skinny guy with “high metabolism”. What was this little gem.

Protein turnover. Pretty anti-climatic I know. But that’s what it was. The basic concept behind it is the way the body metabolizes protein is changed by the amount of ingested protein. Yes, yes Mr. Wizard this is common sense, but the actions behind this aren’t quite as obvious. When a high protein diet is consumed it creates the process of protein synthesis. When there is more protein coming in to re-build tissue, the old tissue is discarded due to the plenty fullness of protein. Well what happens when this high protein diet is dropped suddenly? Like going to the field. Or a weekend on the lake. Or maybe just some Atkins reject who gives up. Well unfortunately our body maintains this high level of protein turnover for quite some time. According to John it can be anywhere from a simple week to an agonizing month. So what does this mean in terms a jarhead can understand? You drop your protein levels in a short period of time; your muscle is eaten up like it’s just had flesh eating bacteria. Not good.

So what do we do with this disaster situation? Check back next week for Part II to find out!

 If you would like to learn more about John Berardi, check out his site here

The Role of Nutrition in Martial Arts, Police, Military Personnel Reprinted with permission from www.brinkzone.com :: by Will Brink

For a considerable amount of time, nutrition has not played a prominent role in the life of many martial artists, police, and military personnel as a means of improving performance. Top athletes are always looking for an edge. Although the martial arts are more of a way of life and a life style than a sport per se, the needs of the martial artist are the same as that of the elite athlete. Mental aspects not withstanding (i.e. mental awareness, strategy, cunning, etc.), the need for speed, agility, strength, flexibility, and the ability to recuperate from tough workouts (and unforgiving sparing partners) is paramount to the success of athletes and martial artists alike. Police and military personnel can also have unique requirements that require them to perform at peak physical and or psychological levels. Over the past decade our knowledge of sports nutrition has evolved into a science that has swept the athletic world and has been partially responsible for the ever increasing numbers of athletes who are pushing the envelope of human ability and performance. Although a handful of the worlds top martial artists, police, and elite military units have taken advantage of the “cutting edge” nutrition being used by top athletes, the majority of these communities has not taken advantage of the new science of sports nutrition. The advantage of improving one’s performance through nutrition and correct supplementation is obvious for the athlete, but what about the martial artist? Obviously technique, form, and knowledge of one’s chosen martial art is essential to the mastery of that art, but what if the person, regardless of skill level, becomes a little faster, stronger, and able to resist and repair from injuries and training better? Will they not be an improved version of their former self? Of course they will! Proper nutrition can make the martial artist, as it has for so many of today’s top athletes, an improved and potentially more accomplished practitioner of their art, plain and simple. If a policeman is able to stay alert, has more endurance or strength, etc., will he/she not have an added advantage to the job? Of course.. The benefits to the soldier are obvious. Bottom line? To not take advantage of the science of nutrition and supplementation, is to short change the martial artists, police, and military personnel. As a trainer for many athletes from various sports, police, and ,military personnel, and the author of numerous articles on sports nutrition and training, I have come to a few general guidelines that should be of considerable help and interest to the martial artist, police, etc. who want to improve both health and performance. Though nutrition is a complex topic, I have devised a basic guide to the major and minor nutrients that should be helpful to the martial artist, police, and athlete alike who are trying to make food and nutrient choices. Of course this guide is in no way total or complete, and many individual differences may apply, but as a basic guide to examining these nutrients, it could give you the edge you have been looking for.   Protein Proteins are made up of amino acids which are the structural units of the protein molecule. There are approximately 20 amino acids. Eight of them are considered “essential” because the human body cannot make them on its own – which is the definition of an essential nutrient. Link a few amino acids together and you get a peptide. Link a bunch of peptides together and you get a protein. The shape of the individual amino acids (and resulting proteins) is unique and highly specific, so I won’t go into great detail about it here. Suffice it to say, proteins are an essential part of virtually every function in our body from the muscles, to certain hormones, to our immune system(s) and a whole lot more. In particular, the amino acids known as the “branched chain” amino acids (leucine, isoleucine, and valine) and the amino acid L-glutamine are of particular interest to active people as they are anti-catabolic (muscle sparing) and immune enhancing, to name only a few functions and benefits of these particular amino acids. Though the RDA for protein is generally sufficient for couch potatoes (with some debate) the majority of athletes and/or highly active people will benefit from higher intakes of high quality proteins. Proteins with the highest biological value (BV) are the proteins that should constitute the majority of the active person’s diet, as they are superior for maintaining positive nitrogen balance, reducing recuperation time from workouts, improving immune function, etc. Whey protein concentrate (WPC) and isolates (WPI) have the highest BV of any protein, is almost 50% branched chain amino acids, and is high in L-glutamine, which is why I recommend several servings a day of WPC/WPI to all the athletes/martial artists/police I work with. There are several brands of WPC/WPI on the market. Other high quality proteins such as skinless chicken, fish, eggs, soy, and lean red meats, have relatively high BV values and are good proteins. Another point that is important to know, the higher quality the protein, the less the person has to eat and this allows the person to keep total calories lower by sticking to these high BV proteins. For a person who is active in the martial arts, has a busy job, and probably does some weight lifting and/or aerobics, an intake of .7 – .8 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight is what I have generally recommended. For high level bodybuilders and competitive distance athletes, the protein intake will be higher, approximately 1g of protein per lb /bodyweight being the most common. In certain situations, amino acid supplementation is useful, but most people will have no problem getting what they need by eating plenty of high quality protein foods. Low grade, high fat, preservative loaded, protein foods such as luncheon meats, hot dogs, etc., should be avoided for obvious reasons.   Carbohydrates Carbohydrates are made primarily of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms that cycle into a ring. They can be “simple” or “complex” depending on the number of rings that are hooked together and the way the carbohydrate effects blood sugar (1). Though the rings can be slightly different in shape, their common theme is the ring structure. Similar to amino acids that make up proteins, when you link the simple units (the sugars) together you get carbohydrates with different properties. As most people know, carbohydrates are a primary source of energy for the body. The best type of carbohydrates to eat are those that are high in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Though foods such as pasta, breads, and white rice are considered “complex” they are highly processed foods, totally inadequate in fiber, vitamins, and minerals and should not make up a high percentage of a persons carbohydrate intake. Though these foods are often fortified with certain vitamins, in my opinion this does not truly replace what is lost during processing, not to mention the many nutrients that are not replaced. Americans are notoriously low eaters of fiber, and heavily processed foods mentioned above do nothing to correct this deficit. High fiber carbohydrate foods such as brown rice, beans, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, and many others, are the preferred carbohydrate foods for health, performance, steady blood sugar levels, and reduced bodyfat levels. Though the high carbohydrate/low fat diet is all the rage these days, it has not been in my experience the optimal diet for the many athletes, martial artists, and “normal” people I have worked with (see fats below). Data continues to support the fact that high carb low fat diets are not optimal for either health for weight loss. Eating too much of anything, including carbohydrates, will make one fat (too bad the makers of non-fat foods fail to tell you this) and cause a host of other ills I don’t have the space here to cover. There are many researchers, books, and studies using both animals and humans that seriously questions the high carbohydrate/low fat diet as the optimal diet for health and performance. Two grams per pound of lean bodyweight of carbohydrates is more than sufficient to fuel the energy needs of most athletes if other aspects of their diet is adequate (i.e. correct use and amounts of certain fats and proteins). And, as mentioned previously, the source of those carbohydrates is of paramount importance.   Fats The very word sends a shiver down the back of the leanest person. There is not a more misunderstood nutrient in all of nutrition than fats. Many people know there are big differences in how various carbohydrates effect the body and some people even know that different proteins have different properties, but “a fat is a fat, no?” is what the majority of people would say if you asked them about this much maligned nutrient. Fats have just as many biochemical differences in the human body as do carbohydrates and proteins, and thus have just as many different effects on the body that range from very good to very bad. It really depends on the type and amount of fat(s) we eat(2). Americans tend to get their dietary fats from saturated fats, rancid fats, and highly processed fats ( which contain by products such as trans fatty acids) , thus giving fats a bad name. As mentioned earlier, an essential nutrient is anything the human body cannot manufacture on its own and must be obtained from the diet, or the person will become sick and/or perish if the nutritional deficit is not corrected. We know there are a multitude of vitamins and minerals, eight amino acids, and two types of fats that are considered essential nutrients for life itself to continue. You should be aware that there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate, but that’s a whole other story. The two fats that are known to be essential to health are Linoleic acid (LA) which is an Omega-6 fatty acid and Alpha-linolenic acid (LNA) which is an Omega-3 fatty acid. Both of these fats can be found in various foods that have not been heavily processed. These two fats are highly sensitive and reactive to heat, light, and oxygen (i.e. they go bad quickly) , and are totally ruined or lost during the processing of our foods. The reason poly -unsaturated vegetable oils that line the shelves of most super markets can sit there for years on end is because they have been heated, deodorized, and generally processed to the point that they are the nutritional equivalent of white bread and table sugar. I recommend people avoid those oils. Because of all the fat bashing by the popular media and health professionals who should know better, most people have come away thinking that all fat is bad and serves no other purpose than to make our hips and stomach wider while ruining our health. Nothing could be further from the truth. The membrane that surrounds every single cell in your body, the sheath around nerves, various hormones, prostaglandins, and countless other parts of the body (especially the brain) depend on the dietary intake of the right fats. The importance of the essential fatty acids for health and performance cannot be understated. It is true that certain fats, such as, saturated fats, rancid fats, and trans fatty acids (found in margarine, Crisco, and other products) , can cause numerous health problems from heart disease to cancer and insulin resistance, to name only a few ills of a diet high in the wrong types of fat. However, the essential fatty acids (especially the Omega-3 fatty acids) are anti-lipolytic (stop fat storage), anti-catabolic (stop the break down of muscle tissue), increase metabolic rate and beta oxidation (burn calories/increase fat burning), improve insulin sensitivity, reduce the chances of heart diseases, and a whole lot more (3). Though early research told us that we need a bit more LA (the Omega-6 fatty acid) than LNA (the Omega-3 fatty acid) in our diet, we find in practice that a diet containing higher amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids (LNA) gets the best results in health, bodyfat levels, and performance. The richest source of the Omega-3 fatty acid LNA is Flax oil, which also contains a small amount of the Omega-6 oil LA (4). Flax oil can be found in the refrigerated section of any good health food store and is derived from the careful processing of flax seeds (5). As a nutritional consultant to various athletes, I have used flax oil with many of the country’s top bodybuilders (a group of athletes notoriously fearful of eating fat) to reduce their bodyfat levels and improve their performance and health. Two–three tablespoons a day over a salad, taken straight, or in a protein drink does the trick (6). Another major source of Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in deep water cold fish such as sardines, mackerel, and salmon (7), and I recommend that people eat two to three servings of these fish per week. Good sources of LA are unprocessed vegetable oils such as safflower, sunflower, sesame, and many other oils found in health food stores. Fats to avoid are highly processed vegetable oils and other processed vegetable products (such as margarine), rancid fats, and to a lesser degree, saturated fats. The key to health and performance is a proper balance of essential fatty acids (LNA and LA), mono unsaturated oils (found in olive oil, avocados, etc.), and small amounts of saturated fats found in lean meats and other sources combined with the right carbohydrates and proteins.   Vitamins/Minerals Obviously a full description of every vitamin and mineral and all their functions would take several large text books, so I won’t even attempt it here. A good multi vitamin is an insurance plan to make sure we get all the major vitamins and minerals that for what ever reason we failed to get from our food on any given day. There is not a single cell in our entire body that does not require the use, or interaction with, some vitamin, mineral, or biological function that is dependent on the above nutrients in adequate amounts. If you think we get all the vitamins and minerals we need from our highly processed food supply (as some health professionals maintain), than I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you. Some (but not all) nutritionists and other health related professionals will often say something like “vitamins supplements just cause expensive urine.” The last time I checked, chemo therapy, heart bypass operations, and hundreds of other medical treatments cost considerably more than the average multi vitamin. If the intake of vitamins were to prevent any major disease in say one out of a 100,000 people, it would have been worth every cent in my book. In my opinion, the correct use of vitamins, minerals, herbs, essential fatty acids, and many other nutritional based compounds, is the best route to optimal health and performance. Any major brand of multi vitamin from such manufacturers as Twin Lab, Solgar, or Nature’s Best, to name only a few good brands, would be fine.   Anti – oxidants “Anti-oxidants” and “free radicals” are the hot buzz words these days on television news shows, news paper articles, and magazine features. Though scientists in the health and nutritional fields have known about them for decades, they have recently been getting a lot of attention by mainstream media and more open minded medical researchers. Anti-oxidants are a special class of vitamins and other non vitamin compounds that  neutralize free radicals before they can damage cells in our body. What is a free radical? A free radical is a highly reactive molecular fragment that has a single unpaired electron. The unpaired electron wants to “pair up” with another electron. The free radical will steal this electron from virtually anything it comes in contact with, including our cells. This reaction, if left unchecked, leads to a free radical chain reaction and damage to various parts of the cell depending on where it takes place. An anti-oxidant can donate an electron without itself becoming a free radical and thus can break the chain of events leading to an uncontrolled free radical chain reaction (8). Free radical pathology is now believed to be linked to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and dozens of other afflictions. Without going into a long (and boring) biochemical explanation, there are many things that cause free radicals to be released, such as smoking, exposure to various toxins found in air, food and water, sickness, exercise, and stress in general. Anti-oxidants such as vitamin E and C and other compounds such as selenium, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), and proanthocyanidins (derived from grape seed extract), to mention a few, will help recuperation from tough workouts, improve immunity, possibly prevent certain diseases, and improve your health in so many different ways it would take another article to explain. A good anti-oxidant formula made by any one of the brands I mentioned previously, should be added to the diet in addition to the multi- vitamin. Whey proteins can also greatly improve anti oxidants status and is recommended.   Sports Supplements:   The topic of sports nutrition supplements, such as: androstenedione and other “andros,” Arginine, Colostrum, CLA, Creatine, Ecdysterone, GH Supplements, Ginseng, HMB, Myostatin Inhibitors and Tribulus, to name just a few, is beyond the scope of this article. Each supplement has its potential uses, dawbacks, doses and other variables that need to be examoned on an indavidual basis. People in the martial arts, law enforecement, or military that want to understand these supplements ; whether or not they are worth useing, doses, types, etc., should consider reading my ebook on the topic of sports nutrition supplements, nutrition, and training called Muscle Building Nutrition at: http://www.MuscleBulidingNutrition.com   Conclusion The above list of foods and supplements is in no way complete or the entire picture when it comes to additional ways the martial artist, police, and military personnel can improve his or her health, strength, bodyfat levels, and recuperative abilities. However, the information presented here can make for a foundation of health and performance that could add a considerable edge for those who seeks it.   (1)The way a carbohydrate effects blood sugar after it is eaten is known as the glycemic response. The glycemic index (GI) is a list of foods and how they effect blood sugar. Some foods we think of as “complex” actually raise blood sugar much faster than many foods we think of as “simple.”   (2) The health problems related to fats is are far more complex than most people appreciate. The pathology of disease(s) caused by high fat intakes of the wrong types of fat is a complex interaction between certain fats, carbohydrates, a lack of certain vitamins and other nutrients, free radical/anti-oxidant mechanisms, and other factors that are poorly understood.   (3) For more information on the many benefits of the essential fatty acids and to find out more information about fats and health in general, read “Fats the Heal fats that Kill” by Dr. Udo Erasmus published by Alive books.   (4) LNA and LA are in a 4:1 ratio in flax oil.   (5) Like fresh eggs, milk, meat, etc, all fresh unprocessed oils will spoil (go rancid) if not refrigerated constantly and eaten shortly after opening the bottle.   (6) All highly unsaturated oils, including flax, should NEVER be used to cook with as this will change the structure of theses oils making them toxic and of little use for the purpose they are intended for.   (7) The “fish oils” DHA and EPA can be formed in the human body from LNA by desaturase enzymes.   (8) It is important to note that free radical reactions are a normal and essential part of metabolism. It is the uncontrolled free radical chain reactions that we are concerned with.   About the Author – William D. Brink   Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate, Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors. He is the author of Priming The Anabolic Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients Revealed. He is the Consulting Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine and an Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies. He has been co author of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors, nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television programs. William has worked with athletes ranging from professional bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.

Crossfit-The good, the bad and the not that ugly, your buddy would hit it

This article from the RAW Program pretty much sums up the good and bad of Crossfit type workouts- Are Crossfit and Gym Jones Compatible with RAW (Word doc.) They can put things on paper in smarter terms than me, but it’s exactly how most of us in the strength and conditioning world feel about this type of programming.

The Kool-Aid for Crossfit, Gym Jones or any other program of high intensity all the time is a strong brew. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t valid. It has a lot of good things going. Bodybuilders get smoked cause they have to do actual hard conditioning. Triathletes get destroyed by having to lift things heavier than their bike for the first time. Everybody but the gymnasts get crushed by the bodyweight exercises. There is a ton of balance in the crossfit program….from a strictly exercise standpoint. Where there isn’t balance is in intensity level. It’s high intensity all the time three days on, one day off.

This Kool-Aid is can be very poisonous for extreme type A personalities running missions to drink. There are people in this world that have an extremely high recovery capacities. No matter what you do to them, their body recovers…faster than those around. They don’t necessarily recover to an optimum level, they just recover better than everybody else. This in lies our paradox. Extreme Type A personalities with this recovery capacity perform better on constant high intensity programs like Crossfit. This makes all the rest of us think we can do the same, cause we are aggressive type A personalities as well. Unfortunately the rest of us got the short end of mother nature’s stick, and our nervous system just can’t handle it and will go into over-training very quickly. The recovery monsters also over-train, but for what ever reason it just doesn’t affect their body as it should. These 1 percenters are the posterchilds for extreme workouts without pharmaceutical enhancement. They succeed in spite of their training not because of it.

So here’s what it boils down to. If you are not in a position of risking your own life or saving that of others, go for it. If you’re running missions or a first responder, you need your nervous system at full strength. The risk vs the reward is not worth it. In fact Coach Sonnon has mentioned in the Tacfit program, “It is better to be fully recovered, than in your best condition”. Read that again and ask yourself are you fully recovered or constantly shooting for better conditioning regardless of cost?

The other negative to Crossfit as an actual program, is approximately 75-90% of those that ‘do’ crossfit, have absolutely no clue what it is. They do the workouts, feel challenged, see results and think they can mix and match their own wokouts or design thier own programs. Every program and workout designed by a good coach, will always have subtle things that will never be known, unless you know what to look for. Doing any program for a couple months will not enable you to see these small but very important details. It takes years of study and designing programs. And sometimes you may never even see them then unless you pick the brain of the coach that designed it. Don’t be ‘That Guy” that thinks he knows, yet truly knows nothing. The following video is a good example of the good and the bad. Good being variety some good form on the the o-lifts by the girl. Bad being they chose absolutely the worst examples for each catergory. A girl jogging while smiling is ‘Speed’?! The kettlebell form was absolutely attrocious. In the following video, they do a much better job, and the differences between the ‘doer’ and ‘knower’ of Crossfit is obvious.

My personal experience with Crossfit on deployment left me unable to perform one ring dip prior to R&R. After two weeks of no training, just relaxing and light stretching, I knocked out 50 with ease. My nervous system was fried. I couldn’t access my conditioning because I wasn’t recovered till after a two week(almost three with travel) break.

A lot of the fire service, special ops and swat teams have been pimping the Crossfit. It is good, but it’s not ideal for those of us in those professions. I do like it and there is a ton of resources on the crossfit site. The individual workouts are excellent, they just need a different format which will be covered below.

But I can’t live without my Crossfit!! Well guess what there is a way to do it without total burnout. But it is NOT to be done during active mission status. It’s called a hard controlled push. Push hard for 4 weeks. Then take two weeks at a low intensity working on strictly recovery and compensation. NO hard training, just active recovery in a style as guided by the Low Intensity day described below. Self-discipline is the key here.

Another version I’ve found to work with other programs is three weeks of increasing intensity followed by a down week. I’ve mainly used this in periodized models where the down week was learning the new exercises and getting the weights to the right level. Then for three weeks steadily increase either the weights or total reps. It’s a bit harder with program semi-randomized like Crossfit and would take an enourmous amount of discipline to maintain the appropriate levels of intensity. I wouldn’t reccomend this format for time dependant workouts. It works best with stregth workouts that you can more easily have discipline over the volume and intensity.

H3>Sports ALL Kids Should Play

Brian Grasso is the CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association and is considered one of the premier authorities on youth athletic development in the world. Access Brian’s free database of articles and exercises at Developing Athletics

One of the questions that I get asked most routinely is which sports I believe offer the best development capacity to young athletes.

This is a loaded question for several reasons…

First of all, ANY sporting activity lead by a quality-based coach is wonderful for kids. 

That being said, the true crux and efficacy of that statement is based largely on the ‘quality-based coach’ comment.

It is only when poorly educated and over zealous parents and coaches (i.e. adults) get involved too heavily in youth sports that the experience can become sour.  Parents often push too hard and seek success at a young age; coaches often are limited in their understanding of developmental science and routinely ‘drill’ kids with ‘sport specific’ (I hate that phrase) exercises that are too narrow in scope (not to mention that many youth sport coaches don’t know how to TEACH specific aspects of movement or speed and yet get annoyed when their athletes don’t perform a given drill to a high enough standard).

One the most prominent and problematic realities of the above comments is that there don’t seem to be many (any?) outlets for kids just to play anymore.  Every young sporting activity is a life or death struggle that MUST climax in a victory… heaven forbid we actually teach developmentally sound skills in a fun and energetic way in order to promote a wholeness to our youths development – which by the way should include emotional stability (for instance highlighting the skills gained in a given season rather than the ‘wins’ and trophies accrued) and mental stimulation (in the form of engaging life lessons that instill a lifelong love for physical activity rather than a win-at-all-costs mentality which can burden kids with various complexes for years).

Having said that, I encourage parents to remove the desire to watch their 8 year olds win the weekend tournament; I encourage coaches to remove there ‘Lombardi’ hats when they walk into a practice or game situation; I also encourage strength and conditioning coaches to remove there yearning to ‘test’ young athletes from a biomotor perspective and look only to increase a child’s ability from a performance outlook.

In fact…

My message is simple…

Play sports seasonally. 

Find coaches and programs that highlight skill acquisition rather than victory. 

Find trainers who do the same – work towards instilling skills into kids rather than creating performance markers. 

So, here than are my top four sports that all kids should play (in no particular order)–

1) Soccer

In most parts of North America, kids lack foot dexterity and soccer is a wonderful natural enhancer of both foot dexterity and foot-eye coordination.  Don’t pigeon hole this ability as only necessary for soccer either.  Remember, the crux of developing a ‘whole’ athlete is to engross them in as much athletic stimulus as possible at a young age.  Increased foot dexterity will, in time, round out a youngsters overall ability and allow them to progress in there ‘chosen’ sport more proficiently.

Additionally, although many North Americans find soccer to be ‘boring’ (although I will need an explanation on how soccer is boring, but baseball and golf are America’s pastimes) it is a wonderfully athletic and tactical-based sport.  Sudden bursts of explosive power, change of direction, looking two plays ahead, playing a ‘forcing’ based defense in which the defender uses their body/skills to change what the offensive player wanted to do – these are fantastic athletic lessons that can be filed away in the nervous system and used at a later point in any sporting activity.

2) Swimming

Unloaded shoulder and hip mobility adds a great deal of pliability to the frame of a young athlete.  With so many injuries occurring due to restrictions and tightness in kids (yes… I do believe wholeheartedly that many of the youth sport injuries we see annually throughout the world could be prevented with a simple and basic increase in both systemic strength and mobility) hip and shoulder mobility initiatives are crucial.

Additionally, kinesthetic differentiation is a physical skill lacking in many kids (this refers to the knowledge of how much force is necessary to produce a desired result).  My opinion on this matter is simple – everything we tend to do with kids, both in sport and training, is based on maximal efforts.  In our zeal to search for those ‘performance markers’, we overlook the notion that sub-maximal efforts are both developmentally sound and build certain physical qualities not seen in high force-based outputs.  Swimming is the essence of building kinesthetic differentiation – kids simply won’t last long in a pool if they put as much force as possible into every stroke. 

3) Martial Arts

Almost every martial art I am familiar with is based on skill acquisition as a primary marker.  Not only is that mentally and emotionally good for a child, but it infers the teaching of patience and ‘enjoying the journey’ rather than ‘searching for the destination’.

While a great deal of martial arts practices in North America have become watered down (8 year olds earning black belts – if you knew anything about traditional martial arts, you know how ridiculous that is), most organizations I am familiar with teach a wonderful style of patient skill development and discipline.

Athletically speaking, dynamic flexibility, end-range systemic strength, mobility, spatial awareness – the physical ability built through martial arts is awe-inspiring and can apply to any sport.

4) Gymnastics

Again, the physical elements that can be built through gymnastics are amazing – spatial awareness, flexibility, relative strength, dynamic and static balance – the list goes on.

If for no other reason, the ability to know where you are in space and take a fall ‘well’ is a required skill for any sport.

So… there’s my list.

Don’t get me wrong, the list is nothing without a quality coach at the helm of each of these respective sports.  Martial arts instructors for instance, are often archaic in their knowledge of warm-up design as are gymnastic coaches in their practices of flexibility enhancement.  Having said that, good coaches do exist and I urge you as a parent to find them.  I also encourage trainers to seek out joint venture partnerships with quality coaches and augment a child’s development with solid strength and skill acquisition-based training habits.

Play soccer in the autumn.

Swim in the summer.

Participate in martial arts through the winter.

Take gymnastics in the spring.

Mix in some developmental training and play other sports recreationally for interest and development sake (basketball and baseball for example).

By the age of 13 – 14, you’ll have a solid athlete with limited injury who understands sport tactics and is strong, mobile and flexible…

Not a bad place to be!

Learn more about Brian’s complete system of developing young athletes – completeathletedevelopment

ACL Injuries in Young Female Athletes

Brian Grasso is the CEO of the International Youth Conditioning Association and is considered one of the premier authorities on youth athletic development in the world. Access Brian’s free database of articles and exercises at Developing Athletics

There has been an epidemic of sorts in the past few years regarding ACL injuries and young female athletes.  In fact, 50,000 ACL surgeries were performed in the United States in 1982, with the majority of ACL injuries being the non-contact variety – essentially, no direct contact led to the injury itself.  That statistic goes right to the heart of my concerns with young athletes.  If the majority of ACL injuries are non-contact based, then either biological or mechanical issues are to blame.  That is, either the injuries are due to unfortunate, yet genetic structural dysfunctions or the result of improper loading and mechanical faults – which is a matter of poor coaching.

Here is the fact – women have higher incidences of non-contact ACL injuries within the context of sporting events than do men.  In fact, according to a 2000 study on this topic ‘recent reports from the National Collegiate Athletic Association institute that female collegiate soccer and basketball players were three to four times more likely to have non-contact injuries than their male counterparts.’  There simply has to be an answer accounting for why this is.

In separate studies, several factual elements of ACL injuries were shown:

1. 
   

   Non-contact ACL injuries often occur with the knee at modest flexion along with a valgus motion.

   
   
2. 
   

   Quadriceps contraction applies an anterior shear force on the tibia.

   
   
3. 
   

   The above mentioned quadriceps contraction can cause an ACL injury if the knee flexion angle is less than 30 degrees and the hamstring musculature does not supply necessary posterior shear force (when functioning well, the hamstrings provide a counter force which pulls the tibia back from any translation forward). 

Given these points and knowing that female athletes are more prone to non-contact ACL injuries, several assumptions can be made –

1. 
   

   Young female athletes likely do not show as great a degree of knee flexion and yet more valgus motion than do young male athletes during athletic events and/or training.

   
   
2. 
   

   Young female athletes likely have stronger anterior thigh dominance than posterior (i.e. more quadriceps involvement than hamstring involvement) during athletic events or training.  This factor, of course, has influence over the anterior versus posterior shearing forces. 

If these assumptions are true, and in fact basic biological factors (such as Q-angle) are not entirely to blame for this ACL epidemic, then does poor coaching play a role, at least to some degree, in the female ACL injury syndrome?  For instance, referring to point #1, non-contact ACL injuries occur when the knee experiences too modest a degree of flexion and too much valgus during activities such as running, jumping and cutting – are those not mechanical issues that a qualified coach should notice and correct?

Here is what one study found when attempting to decipher these concerns (the findings were based on a observations of running, side-cutting and cross-cutting) –

1. 
   

   Knee flexion angle for female athletes was lower than that for male athletes.

   
   
2. 
   

   Female athletes’ knees were steadily in a valgus direction (in fact, 11 degrees more valgus than male subjects).  This is a definitive problem.  According to one study, the load on the ACL due to even a 5 degree motion towards valgus can increase to as much as 6 times of that when the knee is lined up properly in the frontal plane. 

   
   
3. 
   

   Especially during running and side cutting, female athletes experienced more dominance of the quadriceps than did male athletes.

   
   
4. 
   

   Especially during running and side cutting, female athletes experienced less dominance of the hamstrings than did male athletes.

The combination of points #3 & 4 indicate a strong concern.  While the increased quadriceps activation does not necessarily infer an anterior shear, the combination of an increased quadriceps force coupled with decreased hamstring activation will most certainly increase the likelihood of anterior shearing on the tibia through the patella tendon. 

The point is that female athletes tend to incur knee motions during activity that are typical for experiencing non-contact ACL injuries. 

Here is where the debate and argument gets heated for me.  I have been an outspoken critic for years on the ‘quick fix’, ‘short term’ training approach that many trainers and facilities implement with younger athletes.  When you are young and athletic, getting is shape for the upcoming season, improving your vertical jump in 6-weeks, adding 25 pounds to your bench and being able to run at 20 MPH on those high speed treadmills should be distant concerns in contrast to developing fundamental, multi-joint and systemic strength, learning movement economy (or the most efficient means of running, changing direction etc) and perfecting safe and biomechanically sound movement patterns.  A study on the ‘jumping & landing techniques in elite women’s volleyball’ concluded brilliantly that ‘concerning technique, athletes who regularly perform landings and are exposed to the concurrent large impact forces should concentrate on performing landings using a toe-heel contact pattern with greater knee flexion.’    

What a novel concept!  Actually TEACH young athletes the technique of how to run, jump, land and move BEFORE you program endless numbers of drills and exercises. 

Therein lies the crux of my concern – far too many trainers and facilities make the erroneous error of trying to maximize the ability of a young athlete as it relates to performance markers (such as vertical jump) rather than advocating for a developmental approach to improvement that is founded on fundamentals and basics.  In doing so, these trainers are dampening the potential success a young athlete may achieve down the road, and compounding the problem of injury potential rather than easing it.

Here is an example of how you would teach a squat, for example, to a young female athlete –

Four Step Process –

1. 
   

   Foot Position – I typically start with feet shoulder width apart and toes pointing straight ahead.  Once the athlete is comfortable with the exercise, we can explore other comfortable positions.

   
   
2. 
   

   Lift In-Step – I don’t want this to sound as though I have young athletes ‘remove’ their in-steps completely off the ground, but we instill the notion that they need to be performing the squat exercise by ‘pushing’ through the outside portion of their heels.  This accomplishes a couple of things: a) the issue of knee valgus is removed b) hip, knee and ankle alignment is guaranteed.

   
   
3. 
   

   Set Eyes & Head – When the eyes are down, the head and upper torso will follow.  This causes a forward motion during the eccentric phase and causes both an anterior force through the knee as well as misalignment of the cervical, thoracic and lumber spine.

   
   
4. 
   

   Push Hips Back – first time squatters and young athletes who were poorly guided will often automatically descend into the squat with an anterior motion (i.e. weight on the toes).  By actively pushing the hips back, we are promoting more hip extension during the concentric phase of the squat and therefore higher activation of the hamstrings and glutes with proportionately less quadriceps involvement, consequently reducing anterior shearing forces at the knee joint.

Some, and in many cases all, of the steps in the preceding sequence can be used to teach several lower body exercises including single leg squats, step-ups, lunges and side steps. 

One of the most important factors to understand is that squatting, long considered by many to be an ‘unsafe’ exercise, is actually a critically important progressive action that aids in teaching the fundamental movement patterns associated with preventing ACL injuries. 

Learn more about Brian’s complete system of developing young athletes – completeathletedevelopment

Making Healthy Eating Work –
Food Preparation Strategies
by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS

Most people nowadays know at least the basics of what they should eat and what they should avoid to improve their health, their body composition, and their performance. Yet most people are overweight and/or obese.

So what’s the problem? Where’s the disconnect? Why is it so hard for them to make the change? Well, unless they really don’t want to change, the two biggest impediments to their success are:

1.Their habits — or their ingrained set of day to day food and activity related actions — remain poor because they don’t have a conscious, logical plan for changing them.

2.They aren’t ready for the tough times. Things might be getting better; then the tough times hit. They “get busy”. Eating well becomes inconvenient. No one else supports their decision to make a change. When these inevitable circumstances come up, they bail.

Habits are more powerful than momentary desire. Habits are more powerful than information. Habits are more powerful than guilt. And only a concerted, conscious effort to override habits will lead to success.

So, in some respects, better nutrition is more about altering lifestyle habits and less about the food. Sure, you’ve gotta know which foods are good to eat and plan to eat them. But, as GI Joe once said, knowing is half the battle. Even if you know what’s good and expect to eat good foods, if the good foods aren’t around when it’s time to eat, you’re doomed. In other words, preparation is the other half. Here are my top food preparation strategies to ensure you win the other half of the battle – the doing part.

Strategy #1 — The Sunday Ritual
No, no, this ritual doesn’t include lamb’s blood or any special Kool Aid. The Sunday Ritual is performed by setting aside 3 hours or so every Sunday (any day of the week will do but Sunday is easiest for most) to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week.
First, on your Ritual day, sit down and come up with your meal plan for the week. It should only take a few minutes to lay out 7 different breakfast meals, 7 different lunch meals, 7 different dinner meals, and 2-3 additional snacks for each day.

Next, once the meal plan is laid out, add up exactly how much of each food you’ll need over the 7 days and go pick those foods up at the grocery store.

Finally, once you’ve got all those groceries home, it’s time to start cooking for the week. Some people choose to prepare all their meals for the week on Sundays (excluding shakes). Others prefer to figure out which meals will be easy to cook just prior to meal time and save them for later, preparing only the meals that will need to be eaten during work hours or during busy times of the day when food prep becomes difficult.

For example, some people can easily prepare breakfast meals and dinner meals on demand by setting aside a few minutes each day for meal preparation. Others have a significant other who can prepare these meals for them. Either way, these meals can probably wait until they are needed. However the lunches, 2-3 daytime snacks, and workout shakes usually present a problem for the unprepared so they should be made in advance. Sunday is a good time for most to do this preparation.

So, if it suits your lifestyle, use the Sunday ritual to get these meals ready for the week. Cook all the meat, chop all the vegetables, measure out all the yogurt and/or cottage cheese, and distribute all the powders. Have them ready and set aside so that you can grab them in the morning and bring them with you regardless of what your day or your boss holds in store for you.

Strategy #2 — The Breakfast Ritual
Rather than preparing all their food for the week on a single day, some people prefer to do a little food preparation each day. That’s what the Breakfast Ritual is for.

Using the Breakfast Ritual, simply perform all your cooking for the day each morning. Since you’ve gotta prepare breakfast anyway, make sure you’ve got a couple of meals going while breakfast is being prepared. Again, this need not be a huge production. I can prepare all my meals for the day with a max prep time of 30 minutes.

Of course, as with the Sunday ritual, think about what your day will hold under both the best conditions (i.e. home from work early and a relaxing evening ahead) and the worst (i.e. unexpected deadline, all nighter at work, long day at work and soccer practice for the kids) and act like a boy scout — be prepared.

One great strategy for being prepared is to bring both the meals you expect to eat as well as some “back-up” options, just in case. So, as discussed earlier, even if you expect to grab lunch at TGI Fridays and have dinner at home, bring with you both a lunch alternative and a dinner alternative, just in case something else comes up. If you don’t need the meals, that’s fine — just eat them another day. But if you do need them, you can chow down without skipping a meal or choosing a poor alternative.

Here’s another idea for you. If you don’t want to bring several full meals that you’re unlikely to eat, another great option is to bring some homemade snacks with you. Things like homemade protein/energy bars are a fantastic alternative to the mostly crappy, store bought, sugar laden, artificial ingredient containin’, protein bars.

Strategy #3 — Have Others Cook For You
If you love the idea of having 5-6 ready made meals always available yet can’t see yourself using the Sunday or the Breakfast Rituals above or buying all the Tupperware, there are a number of options at your disposal.

First, you can hire commercial food preparation services to do all the cooking for you. If you’re anywhere near a metropolitan area, you’ll be able to find dozens to choose from. The two biggies nowadays are Atkins At Home (Atkins Diet) and Zone Nation (The Zone Diet). The Atkins At Home company delivers 3 meals and 1 snack to your door by 6 AM each morning. The cost of this is between $35 and $40 per day. Alternatively, the Zone Nation company delivers 3 meals and 2 snacks to your door by 6 AM each morning for the cost of $35-40 per day, just like the Atkins company. I hear good things about both services.

Now, if you’re not interested in supporting the Atkins or Zone programs, there are many smaller companies who can assist you with your meal preparation needs. For example, when I lived in Miami Beach I found a local woman who provided this very service for $5 per meal. Every day for lunch she brought me an 8oz chicken or turkey breast, a baked potato or serving of rice, and a large serving of steamed veggies. Other days, I’d have her bring me 2-3 meals just like this.

Here’s another tip. Pick 4 restaurants in your immediate area (2 fast food places, 1 medium-priced restaurant, and 1 higher priced restaurant) that prepare meals in a way that conforms to your nutritional plan and have them prepare the food for you when necessary. Of course, you’ll have to do a little research on your potential eateries by collecting hard copies of their menus or visiting their web sites (if they’re online).

If you’re looking for a few examples, here ya go. Dave Thomas’ Wendy’s makes a couple of tasty chicken salads and a chili that you can eat when on the go. Even McDonalds is offering healthier meal selections — I’m lovin’ it.
Choose healthier fast food meals that conform to your meal plan when you don’t have much time or much money for a meal and choose a medium-priced restaurant like TGI Fridays (US) or Kelsey’s (Canada) for a better quality menu to provide you with a solid daily lunch. TGI Fridays, for example, has a great list of Atkins-friendly selections.

Finally, choose higher priced restaurants if it’s time for a power lunch to impress colleagues. Since most people don’t really know where they want to go eat anyway, if you get roped into a business lunch, you can be the one to make the definitive decision as to where the group is going to eat. Your decisiveness will win you big points with colleagues and you’ll also be able to control your eating habits.

Of course, if you don’t have the resources to entertain strategy #3 and pay others to cook for you, consider the fact that if you use the first two strategies to effectively build a lean, muscular body, you might just be able to convince attractive members of the opposite sex to take over for you. However, getting them to drop them off at your place by 6 AM every morning is a trick I’ll teach you in a later article.

In the end, whether you choose to regularly prepare your own meals by using the Rituals described above or you regularly choose to have others prepare your meals for you, circumstances will arise in which you’ll have to “cross over” and use a different strategy than you usually use. It never ceases to amaze me how much time those interested in health and fitness spend seeking out “the perfect plan” and how little time they spend figuring out what they’ll do when life’s circumstances prevent them from following it.

Side Note: Food Support Systems
In order to make the Sunday Ritual and the Breakfast Ritual work, it’s important to pick up a few items — nutritional support systems, if you will. Here’s what we recommend picking up before you start using either of the two Rituals:

• A good countertop grill. Since you’ll most likely need to cook relatively large batches of lean protein, it’s important to have a quick way of doing this. If you’ve got a great backyard grill that you can use year-round that’s great. If not, pick up a Foreman or Hamilton Beach grill and you’ll be all set.
  
  
• A good cooler in which to store and carry your meals for the day. Coleman makes a few good ones. Before buying one, however, make sure there’s enough room to carry a few meals and a few shaker bottles.
  
  
• 5 small Tupperware-type containers. These containers will be for storing and transporting your daily meals. Make sure they are small enough to fit into your cooler but large enough to accommodate a full meal. Your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
  
  
• 5 large Tupperware-type containers. These containers are for storing larger quantities of food. For instance, if you chop your veggies for the week or cook all your chicken breasts for the week, store them in one of these. Again, your choice of glass or plastic is up to you.
  
  
• 3 Rubbermaid Chuggable drink containers — 1L size. These containers are for your liquid supplements. Be sure to choose the blue top variety as these are far and away the best drink containers out there. Most others leak.

Follow the guidelines in this article and you’ll be able to display the adaptability necessary to move from nutritional novice to “seasoned” nutritional veteran.

SEE ALSO:
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Dirty Trick Beats Fat Loss Plateau

By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

I once had a training partner that would put more weight on the bar than I expected. For example, if I planned to do 200 lbs for 8 reps, he would sneak on 210.

And the thing is, I often ended up doing it just as easily as I
expected to do 200.

The point to his dirty trick?

He knew I was stronger than I let my mind believe.

(Note: Don’t try this at home. He was also spotting me during each repetition.)

But how can you benefit from this dirty trick?

2 ways.

1) Change your mindset and self-image.

If you are stuck at a fat loss plateau and keep telling yourself you are meant to be fat, then guess what? You’ll never win.

Instead, tell yourself you are meant to lose the fat. And believe it when you say it! Picture yourself with a better body. Picture
yourself buying clothes for your new, better body.

Here’s a great example of a fat burning mindset shift mentioned by SteveH on the member’s forum…

“Yesterday’s eating went well. I even resisted a plate of fries and didn’t order the burger I was wanting. I used the mindset that Craig mentioned – “I am a healthy person. Healthy people don’t eat Burgers and Fries”. So I got a turkey sandwich with steamed veggies.”

Having a strong, positive thinking attitude will put you on the road to success.

2) Break a new record in the gym each workout.

Your body won’t change if you aren’t improving. My friend’s dirty trick ensured that I was always doing more each workout, and therefore, always making gains.

So for your fat loss workout, pick one area you can improve on each workout. Whether it’s one more pushup, a faster interval, or 5 more pounds on an exercise, break a record and you’ll bust your plateau.

Train for performance, and the fat burning will follow.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training

About the Author

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com