Workout: Strength Endurance II

I recently took the Howard County Housewives + One, a highly motivated group of ladies and men, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through a strength endurance workout as part of their total conditioning class.

The workout:
Agility drills
Then:
Row for time (500m, 400m, 300m)
10 Slide Board Back Lunges
10 Row (horizontal row or 1 arm DB row)
10 Bench Press (barbell or dumbell)
25 Abs (pullover or Russian Twist w 15 lb. KB)
3 rounds
1st Round looks like this: 500m row + bench press + DB row + split squat + Abs

Notes:
500m: 1. Bill = 1:40 2. Tina = 1:54 3. Laura S. =1:57 4. Eliz = 2:00
400m: 1. Bill = 1:27 2. Eliz, Tina, Laura S. = 1:32
300m: 1. Bill = 1:00 2. Tina = 1:05 3. Anne = 1:07 4. Eliz = 1:08

Youth Strength Training: What Every Parent Should Know!

Why Strength Training?
In their quest to see their son or daughter reach their athletic performance potential or promote a healthy lifestyle, parents are looking for guidance as where to start in a strength training program. Strength training has numerous benefits as it will increase the child’s muscle strength and endurance, help protect the muscles and joints from injury, and improve their performance in virtually any sport. It is a misconception that preadolescents can not improve strength as studies have shown an overall strength gain of 74 percent in a two month twice a week program.

What are the Standards?
Striving to reach the 50th percentile and progress to the 85th percentile in strength, speed, agility, quickness, flexibility and endurance for their gender and age group is a good starting point. Standards in performance have been in existence for decades. Starting with the Presidents Physical Fitness Award in 1966, The Presidents Challenge has motivated millions of youth with standards for a basic level of fitness. Standards can be viewed at the following link:
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/educators/program_details/physical_fitness/qualifying_standards.aspx#

The physical fitness test recognizes students and athletes for their level of fitness in 5 events: curl-ups or partial curl-ups, shuttle run, endurance walk/run, pull-ups or right angle push-ups, and V-Sit or sit and reach. The standards start at age 6 and end at age 17.
The standards for selected exercises for a 10 year old male are listed below:

Presidents Challenge
National (50%)/Presidential (85%)
Curl-up 35/45
Push-up 12/22
Pull-Up 2/6
1 Mile 9:48/7:57
Shuttle 11.5/10.3

I would also add the one leg squat (diagram 1) to the above list of exercises for the purpose of developing lower body strength and power. Some authors have recommended that 15 one legged squats with correct alignment or holding the bottom position for 30 seconds without wobbling as an indicator of appropriate fitness. The athlete should first progress to the quarter squat, then a half squat.

Ultimately, improvement must be measured within one’s own ability. Don’t get hung up on someone else’s standards. Parents and athletes must be realistic in their goal setting, as body type and limb length will affect the over all results of the President Challenge. There are numerous ways to measure improvement (i.e. body composition), however, the exercises selected in the Presidents Challenge rely on very little equipment and can be performed virtually anywhere.

Strategies for Improvement
There are many strategies for increasing performance; however, the simplest form is to practice the exercises. Performing the tested exercises two or three days per week on non consecutive days will enable the athlete to improve their level of fitness. Training with your bodyweight can be productive assuming the athlete has the correct muscular ability for the weight. If the child does not have traditional free weights or machines to match their current level of muscular fitness, there are several strategies using their bodyweight to improve strength.

Perform more repetitions - The simplest strategy is to perform more repetitions of the selected exercise each workout. For instance, goals can be as small as increasing performance by ¼, ½, or ¾ of a repetition. If the athlete weighs 100 lbs. and performs ¼ more reps in a bodyweight exercise, the theoretical strength gain is 25 lbs. I often encourage athletes to achieve “one more inch”. This “inch” or small increment will lead to large gains over a period of time.

Breakdown the movement - Other methods to increase performance would be to breakdown the movement into parts until the whole movement can be completed. For instance, if the athlete can not perform a proper push-up, place a basketball or similar object under their chest as the range of motion goal. Once this height is mastered, lower the height by using a soccer ball (greater range of motion). Proceed until the athlete is capable of performing a full range of motion push-up.

The lowering phase - Performance of only the lowering phase is another option. Lowering the body is easier than raising the body because we don’t have to work against gravity. Gravity is assisting us. As an example, when performing the pull-up, the athlete starts with the chin above the bar and proceeds to lower themselves in the selected time. A progression of 12 repetitions could be performed with each repetition lowered in: 04. Progress to: 06 and eventfully: 30 seconds until the athlete is able to perform several pull-ups.

Additional bodyweight exercises like horizontal rows, dips, lunges, bodyweight squats, etc… can be included to provide variety and stimulate muscle development. Tubing and band exercises can also be incorporated to enhance the program.

When Should Youth Strength Train?
I think it is safe to assume that a child can start a training program as soon as they can accept coaching at the age of 6, 7 or 8. The Presidents Challenge standards start at age 6.

Should Youth Lift Heavy Weight?
What is heavy? If the athlete is striving to perform 12 push-ups as the above standards indicate and can only perform 6, is this lifting heavy? Or striving to get 6 pull-ups and can only get 4, is this heavy lifting? I don’t condone heavy lifting for youth in the weight room because of safety factors. There are however, several checkpoints the athlete should go through when performing a strength training exercise to avoid a potential injury: 1. perform the exercise through a full range of motion, 2. accentuate the lowering of the weight, and 3. avoid fast or jerky movements.

Help your child by incorporating strength training into the structure of their program, not only to win on the field, but win in life!

Diagram #1 (One Leg Squat)

• Stand on one leg.
• Pull chin back, shoulder blades together, stomach in and position your knee over your second toe.
• Keeping your heel on the floor, slowly bend your knee, lowering your body towards the floor.
• Slowly straighten your knee, raising your body back to the starting position.

"Easy AB Workout"

The goal of the core training program is to improve the athlete’s performance and function. An athlete must keep optimal postures for performance, even as gravity and other players fight against him/her. We want muscular support (stability) on all sides of the trunk. This includes strengthening muscles of the lumbar spine, pelvic, and hip area.

The abdominal area transfers power from the lower body to the upper body. The lumbar spine, pelvis and hip musculature are the origins and insertions of many muscles that power the arms and legs. Without a strong core, using these muscles is like an offensive lineman pushing a defensive lineman on skates. A strong core also leads to balanced and skillful movement because the body’s center of gravity is located in this area.

I recently took the Howard County Housewives, a highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through an abdominal workout as part of their group conditioning class. The structure of the workout was as follows: mini-band exercises, dynamic warm-up, agility ladder drills, abdominal exercises, 50 box jumps, squat ladder (1-10), and sprints on a basketball court.

I would like to have included a few more abdominal exercises but was restricted in equipment because the class was not performed in the weight room. The primary objective of this workout was to incorporate safe and effective exercises in a group setting to train the abdominal musculature.

1. V-Sit - Hold for 30 seconds
2. Static Hold - Top of push-up position for 30 seconds
3. Side Bridge (L) - Hold for 30 seconds
4. Front Bridge - Hold for 30 seconds.
5. Side Bridge (R) - Hold for 30 seconds
6. Vertical Sit-Up - Continuous for 30 seconds
7. Push-ups - 5 perfect reps
8. Horizontal Abduction w/ Tube - Hold for 30 seconds (balance the push-ups)
Repeat immediately for three rounds!


Holding a dumbell overhead stimulates the core and shoulders.

Interval Training for Fat Loss

A properly performed interval training program can increase fat burning and improve cardiovascular fitness. Interval training incorporates high intensity work effort followed by relief intervals. Research has shown that the total amount of calories burned is elevated up to 142 percent within the hour after exercise with high intensity intervals as compared to low level aerobics. Research has also shown that the calorie expenditure may last up to 48 hours after exercising. High intensity, short duration exercise is the most efficient route to effective fat loss and total fitness.

I recently took the Howard County Housewives, a highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, through an interval training workout. An interval training workout can incorporate various activities such as a row machine, stair stepper, elliptical trainer, sprinting, etc…this particular workout took place on a Cybex Arc Trainer. I used a training protocol promoted by Doc Wilson (docwilson111@yahoo.com). Doc holds a PhD and is a biochemist, physiologist, and nutritionist.

The interval training regimen recommended by “Doc’ calls for a 40 second “fast” portion followed by a 20 second “very fast” portion. This is followed by one minute of a “slower” portion of active recovery. I would characterize the effort level for the “fast” portion as a 7 on a scale of 1 to 10. The “very fast” portion is an all-out effort or a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10. Five to eight cycles are recommended however fewer (4 intervals) may be necessary if the athlete is working very, very hard.

0:40 “fast” (effort level 7 on scale of 1-10)
0:20 “very fast” (effort level 10 on scale of 1-10)
1:00 “slower” (effort level 3-5 on scale of 1-10)
Repeat 5 to 8 reps (only 4 are necessary if going very, very hard)

The housewives proceeded to complete 7 cycles of intervals on the Cybex Arc Trainer with an incline adjusted to level 10 and a resistance to level 50. I thought this was an appropriate incline and resistance level for the majority of participants for a first time workout on the Arc Trainer. Individual adjustments can be made in the future to accommodate the varying fitness levels. Less fit participants can push their heart rate to easily tolerable limits while the more fit individuals can be aggressive in their approach and push their heart rate to higher levels. *

An interval training workout would typically include an appropriate warm-up and cool down. Because this was part of a group conditioning class, the structure of the workout was as follows: mini-band exercises, dynamic warm-up, mini-hurdle agility and plyometric drills, Tabata squats, intervals on the Cybex Arc Trainer, and abdominal exercises.

*Check with your doctor to make sure you do not have a health problem that can make exercise unsafe for you.

Counting 64 jumps in 30 sec.

Group Conditioning (Boot Camp) - "Howard County Housewives"

A few weeks ago I was approached by an Ellicott City (Howard County) woman who was looking for a strength and conditioning coach to take her and her friends through a “boot camp” type workout. The highly motivated group of ladies, with an average age in the upper 30’s, are former athletes trying to get back in shape as well as weekend warriors who want to accelerate their game. They participate in a variety of sports such as basketball, tennis, triathlons, and ½ marathons.

Although this type of program wasn’t one of my existing offerings, I decided to accept the challenge of creating a workout that fulfilled their varying needs. I structured the workouts the same way I would prepare a group of athletes for a competition. In order to meet their goals, I also incorporated strength training exercises into the format.

My group conditioning workout combines activities for cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. It challenges your muscles, heart, and lungs. The combination of a strenuous exertion with little or no rest periods will produce high levels of strength, flexibility, and endurance. The workouts are intense but they are appropriate for the conditioning level of the participant.

The "Howard County Housewives" recently completed the following workout on a basketball court:

Mini-band walk +
Dynamic warm-up +
Agility ladder drills which included plyometrics +
Then:
Line Drill +
Shoulder tap +
Wall sit with 10 or 20 lb. sandbag on shoulders +
Brachiation with mini-bands on wrists performed on a balance beam +
Ball slam @ 6 lb. medicine ball +
Towel push ½ court and back +
Right angle push-ups +
Repeat for 3 rounds (1 minute rest after each round)

Notes:
Seven stations were set-up on a basketball court. Each athlete had their own station and rotated until all stations were completed. Each exercise lasted until the Line Drill was finished (approximately 34 seconds). The rest interval between exercises was 15 seconds. The procedure for the Line Drill starts with the athlete on the the near baseline and makes four consecutive trips: 1) from the near baseline to near free throw line and return: 2) from near baseline to mid court line and return: 3) from near baseline to far free throw line and return: 4) from near baseline to far baseline and return (150 yds. of running).

Line Drill times
E.C. #1 0:30 #2 0:30 #3 0:32
M.G. #1 0:36 #2 0:36 #3 0:35
P. M. #1 0:34 #2 0:33 #3 0:35
J.M. #1 0:35 #2 0:34 #3 0:34
C.P. #1 0:35 #2 0:34 #3 0:36
T.R. #1 0:34 #2 0:33 # 0:32
L.S. #1 0:35 #2 0:34 #3 0:37

Warning: Athletes should be in fairly good shape before they try this routine.

Completing the push-up only to start the row.

NFL COMBINE – From an Insider Perspective

The NFL combine is held each year in February to evaluate and assess the talent of future professional football players. Over 300 hundred players are run through a battery of psychological, physical, medical, and football related tests. With over 600 NFL personnel critiquing and scrutinizing each event to gauge each individual’s NFL potential, I am often asked the role of a strength and conditioning coach in this process.

While the assistant coaches and scouts are present for the field events such as the 40 yd. sprint, 3 cone drill, 20 and 60 yard shuttles, vertical jump, and broad jump, the majority of strength coaches attend the Measurements session and the bench press workout.

During the Measurements session, the athletes are dressed in shorts giving the observer an opportunity to grade the physique of the athlete (height, weight, arm length, and hand width). Strength coaches are concerned with those qualities that define muscular fitness. This session provided me with the opportunity to grade the body condition of the athlete. The grading scale was determined by various factors including body type (ectomorph, mesomorph, and endomorph), visible muscle imbalances (upper/lower, front/back), body composition (muscle to fat ratio), and level of muscular development. I used the following five point grading scale to evaluate body condition:

5 - Excellent
4 – Very Good
3 – Average
2 - Below Average
1 – Poor

In the bench press, players are required to perform 225 lbs. as many times as possible. The NFL views this lift as a measure of upper body muscular fitness. Besides recording the number of repetitions accomplished, I also look for an uneven bar trajectory. The uneven trajectory is often a result of an existing shoulder problem. The bench press scores are recorded from highest to lowest with accompanying notes for bar trajectory or repetition mechanics. The results are normally evaluated by position (offensive linemen verses other offensive linemen) because of comparable height and weight ratios.

The body condition and the bench press results are incorporated into a spreadsheet and given to assistant coaches and personnel staff to help complete the player profile. This information is useful in formulating an opinion as to whether the organization will invest in the player through the draft or free agency. It is important, however, to keep the results of these tests in perspective and use them as a reference guide rather than as absolute criteria. The true test is whether the athlete can be successful where it counts – on the field.

Speed Development

SPEED DEVELOPMENT – STRIDE LENGTH and STRIDE FREQUENCY

Speed is the result of stride length and stride frequency. In order to increase speed, it is necessary to increase either stride length and/or frequency. Both can be developed and increased through training, however, one more than the other. Stride length can be developed and increased in an athlete much more than stride frequency. Stride frequency is determined by heredity, so the development capacity is limited.

Stride length can be increased through a strength program. The strength program should include a combination of weight training, multi-jumps, and flexibility exercises. These varying methods contribute to the development of stride length in the athlete.

Biomechanically, athletes with good strength will be able to lift their legs higher than an athlete that lacks optimum strength. If that athlete also has adequate leg frequency, the stride will be longer than the athlete that lacks strength. The more force you apply to the ground with your stride the stronger the reaction will be; therefore, the length of your stride will be longer as a result of the impulse. This is stated in Newton’s law of every reaction there is an opposite ….

Exercises to improve stride length include but are not limited to the following: lunges, step ups, squats, leg press, one leg bench squat and split squats. Multi-jumps include hops over low hurdles, broad jumps, and jumps onto a box. The strength training program should also be complimented with a flexibility program. The objective is to increase the range of motion of the muscle groups and to prevent injuries from a lack of flexibility.

The improvement in strength is essential in developing acceleration, explosive power, stride length improvement, and the maintenance of maximum sprinting speed.