Robert Dos Remedios - UK Seminar

I'm really pleased to be able to announce that Coach Robert Dos Remedios will be holding a 2 day seminar in April 2009. The seminar will be hosted by Smart Fitness and EXF will be providing vital support throughout the event. This will be the first time Coach Dos has presented in the UK and I know it is going to be a fantastic seminar. If you want to know a bit more about Coach Dos, read on.

Coach Robert dos Remedios has been involved in strength and conditioning for over 19 years. After completing his competitive football career at the University of California, Berkeley in 1988, he began training athletes on a full-time basis. "Coach Dos" has a masters degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Biomechanics from California State University, Northridge and has been a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the NSCA since 1990.

Coach Dos is a sought after speaker on a variety of conditioning topics such as Olympic Weightlifting applications, Sport-speed development, Explosive training, and CHAOSTM Speed Training which he developed with Jim Liston. Coach Dos serves as Director of Speed, Strength & Conditioning @ College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, CA, a position he has held since 1999.

Coach Dos is also the 2006 recipeint of the National Strength and Conditioning's prestigious Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Professional of the year for 2006. This award is given to the top collegiate strength coach in the country (as voted on by his peers). In addition to contributing to Men's Health on a regular basis, Coach Dos' first book Men's Health Power Training (Rodale Books) will be released in July 2007.

Coach Dos is an 'in the trenches' kind of guy and everything he will talk about in April will have been tried and tested on the gym floor. Keep an eye on the blog for updates in January. If you want more information you can send an e-mail to nick@smartfitness.org.uk

Quick Fire Q&A

I was recently asked to share some of my thoughts in a quick Q&A session with the owners of EXF, so here's what I had to say.

What are your favourite training techniques?
Anything with a good transfer of training effect. I’m not a coach that favours one training technique over another – I’m a coach that will use a variety of training techniques, if it works I use it, if it doesn’t then I don’t! It’s about getting results so I’ll use whichever technique is the most effective

What are the most common mistakes made in gym design and training?
1. Lack of floorspace – equipment is important but if you ask any coach what they would like more of they will all shout at the top of their voices “space”. With the increased popularity of functional training space is probably the number one consideration when designing a gym.
2. Not considering usage and traffic flow – too much equipment is going to cause bottlenecks if all of your clients or athletes want to use the same piece of equipment.
3. Low Ceilings – you need to get a facility with as much ceiling height as possible, realistically you don’t want your ceiling to be lower than 3.5m – the more the better.
4. Functionality – make sure the equipment that you purchase can perform an number of tasks. When kitting out our small facility we chose equipment that was portable and could perform a number of tasks. We chose carefully and now our clients can perform almost any exercise they want in a very small space.

What advice can you give about purchasing equipment for a functional performance training area?
Athletes have to be able to compete in a multidimensional environment. The equipment that you choose for your performance training has to work multi dimensionally. Your equipment also needs to be able to withstand the demands of performance training. Buy the best equipment that you can afford (it will be money well spent in the long run) and make sure that each piece of equipment that you purchase can perform several tasks.

What is the key to the success of your training?
We don’t blindly follow the training principles of industry ‘gurus’. We base our training on results – pure and simple. If a technique works we will use it, if it doesn’t we won’t. We keep our training simple and we make sure that we maintain a consistent approach to how we train our clients! That’s not to say we don’t make changes to our training methodology, we just make sure that the small changes are in line with our overall training paradigm.

What do you think is in the future for training?
I think that the industry is increasingly seeing the benefits of “functional training” and more and more of the general population want to train like ‘athletes’. Resistance machines are here to stay and will continue to take up floor space within the big gym chains but I think more and more health clubs and gyms will have dedicated “performance areas” where clients can train dynamic athletic movements, whether it’s for sport or simply a healthy lifestyle. Sports people “get it”.....the general public are starting to wake up to the fact that if they want to get results they need to train differently – sitting on a machine is not how we move around and function in day to day life.


How do you make sure your personal training clients reach their goals and keep coming back?
Fist of all we actually set training goals! Our clients don’t simply turn up and make it up as they go along. We provide them with the ‘road map’ that will help them get from their starting point to their chosen destination. We make sure their goals are SMART and we keep them at the forefront of our minds during every training session. What keeps them coming back? Results! Whilst most gyms are focusing on gym memberships, fads and crazes we focus on producing results. Most of our clients come to us because they are fed up of training with little or no improvements. When they come to GENR8 Fitness they see the results and they stick around for more!

What is the most important lesson you have learned about training athletes?
Each athlete is an individual. If you are still writing sport specific or position specific programmes then you are selling your athletes short. You must treat your athletes as individuals......evaluate your athlete and then programme according to the information that you have gathered during the evaluation, and finally don’t be afraid to change the programme – training should be a process not a prescription.


Where do you find new idea’s?
I was recently presenting at a conference and one of the other presenters said “Half of what we know is wrong – the problem is that we don’t know which half!” We need to keep on learning, we don’t know it all and the minute that we think we do is when we should find another job. I’m looking for ideas all of the time and they come from the world of sport and fitness (coaches, athletes), internet, books, DVD’s or seminars. I’ve also looked outside of sport and spent time with ballet dancers and performers from Cirque du Soliel (if you think your athletes train hard spend some time with people in the performing arts!). The most important thing is don’t believe everything you read.....and don’t only read everything you believe!

Achieving The Impossible

What would you think if Joe Average approached you and told you that they would like to train for 12 months and attempt to make it as a pro in the premiership? That is exactly what happened to me and after giving it some serious consideration I decided that I would lend Arton Baleci a helping hand. For the next 12 months I will be working with Arton to optimise his fitness levels as he attempts to achieve the impossible. You can follow his progress at www.thebeautifulaim.com and find out some more background at BBC Sport. You can be sure that I'll keep you up to date with his progress on this blog as well.

Stop and Think

I was looking through Alwyn Cosgrove's blog today and I took some time to watch this clip - I would encourage you to do the same.

Total Racing Inc - Winter Training Camp

I'm very lucky to do a job that I love and every now and then I'm fortunate enough to get the chance to combine the job I love with some of my favourite pastimes. This weekend saw me heading 2 hours west to the Lake District to speak to a group of triathletes attending the Total Racing Inc Winter training camp.

Fifteen triathletes (including international triathlete and UK Ironman 70.3 Champion, Fraser Cartmell)had travelled to the Lake District to spend two days on the trails, taking in a range of activities from trail running, moutain biking and strength and conditioning. The weekend was the first of its kind and was the brainchild of Phil Gray, founder of T.R.I.

When I arrived the group had just returned from a morning run session through the hills and had just finished refuelling before getting ready for an afternoon out on the trails on their mountain bikes (good job my bike was on the roof rack!). This was my kind of weekend! We headed off onto some fantastic trails around Whinlatter Forest and whilst I was dropped on the ascents my MTB skills came into their own on the fast and technical descents.

At the end of the trail we returned to the accomodation and once everyone had cleaned themselves up I delivered two strength and conditioning sessions. The first session explored the potential that a good strength programme has to unlock a triathletes performance and the the second session focused on recovery and regeneration. The complimentary recovery drinks (GENR8 S2 and GENR8 Myoswitch) provided by the team from T.R.I really hit the spot and everyone commented on how great the new flavours tasted!

The Q&A session extended to the local pub where the refuelling continued, before I headed back home to Newcastle. A fantastic day in the lakes, great trails, a good group of riders and the chance to spread the word about strength and conditioning. Combine that with the opportunity to ride alongside someone as good as Fraser Cartmell and you have the making of a very good training camp.

I'm looking forward to attending the next camp in December, for more details check out http://www.multisportlink.com/

The Beautiful Aim

Can a 23 year old fanatic with average footballing skill, with the guidance of a team of experts, make Premiership football in just one year?

The Beautiful Aim will document the unique and incredible journey of this ambitious young man making his impossible dream come true.

I'm going to be working with Arton Baleci over the coming year, helping him to physically prepare for the challenge. It is going to be an very interesting journey.

If you want to experience Arton Baleci's journey as it unfolds check out his site The Beautiful Aim. There will be regular mini-documentaries, video diaries and blogs where you can see, hear and read about his radical transformation from recreational footballler to elite athlete as it happens.

Strength Training For Children

I'm often asked if strength training is suitable for children as part of their overall physical development. To answer this quetion I've dug out one of my old articles originally published in Peak Performance which explains why resistance training can be a safe and effective training method for children.

Resistance Training: Resistance Training: The message has got through to adults: should they keep it to themselves or pass it down to the juniors?

Mention the words 'resistance training' and 'children' in the same sentence and most people will start giving you funny looks. To say the subject is controversial is an understatement(5, 16). This is hardly surprising when you consider that until recently the benefits of resistance training to athletic performance have largely been dismissed in the UK. Only now are coaches, athletes and the general public beginning to realise that 'pumping iron' can not only transform your physical appearance but can also improve your health and sporting performance (1,7, 9,14).

As the UK wakes up to the fact that adult athletes can seriously enhance their performance if they adopt a structured resistance training programme a new question arises: is it too little too late? At what age can we start to introduce our young Beckhams and Henmans to resistance training? For the purposes of this article I am talking about children from the age of 11 and up and it is precisely this age group which many of the world's most successful sporting nations are introducing to resistance training during school training programmes.

So what do we mean by the term 'resistance training'? For some the phrase will conjure up images of muscle-bound ironmen pumping iron (and much else besides), posing in front of the mirror. In fact resistance training is simply a programme of exercise, which uses one or more types of training system(1). Methods include exercises using bodyweight, such as sit-ups, press-ups and dips. Resistive tubing, free weights and machines may also feature in resistance work. Even many of the traditional Olympic lifts, if taught with correct technique and light implements, can substantially improve a child's balance, proprioception, strength and power. What we should not do, however, is confuse resistance training with maximal-type exercises performed during competitive Olympic and power lifting competitions. The key is not to perform maximal lifts with young performers(13).

First, though, why the bad press for resistance training?
The popular myth that resistance training was not only potentially harmful to young performers but was also of little use for improving strength and power was first fostered in the research community. One of the earliest papers came from Eastern Europe back in the early 1960s. A study investigating the trainability of lower back muscles following a course of isometric resistance training failed to demonstrate any significant improvements in strength. Further studies looking at leg and arm strength also failed to find any substantial strength gains(18). During the next couple of decades a groundswell of support backed the notion that resistance training methods failed to provide significant increases in strength in young performers. As is often the case, subsequent research built upon the limitations of earlier investigations.

So why did earlier studies fail to provide evidence of strength gains? The 1960s investigators used only modest training loads, resulting in a lack of progressive overloading (possibly one of the most important training principles, irrespective of the training method being used). When combined with relatively short monitoring periods, it is hardly surprising that little or no improvement was seen. Modern training theory now confirms that, in order to achieve significant strength gains in young athletes, training mode, intensity, volume and duration must all be manipulated to provide the optimal combination. Researchers and coaches alike are now confident that if a suitable resistance training programme is employed, significant strength and power gains in young performers are possible (5, 10,11).

In recent years research has started to provide compelling evidence of the benefits of resistance training. Training programmes incorporating progressive overloading of the muscles have provided evidence that strength gains in young athletes is possible (even if they have not gone through puberty). In 1986 a group of boys aged between nine and 10 embarked on a period of resistance training. At the end of the training period significant increases in elbow and knee flexion and extension were recorded(11). Further studies found that over a period of 20 weeks, progressive overloading of the elbow flexor and knee extensor muscle groups, using isotonic training techniques, produced significant increases in strength(12). 1RM double leg press (22%), maximal voluntary isokinetic elbow flexion (26%) and knee extension (21%) were achieved.

Yet again, it has a lot to do with neurological systems
So recent evidence has shown that resistance training could be a useful tool in the coaches' 'toolbox' of training ideas. But you may find yourself asking: how can a boy who has yet to go through puberty (and has therefore yet to have testosterone coursing though his body) possibly experience gains in strength. Surely, gains in strength are related to muscle hypertrophy, which is influenced, by the amount of testosterone in the body? Early research showed that the young athletes were not experiencing significant gains in muscle size (as would be expected with adults) and, when coupled with the lack of strength improvement, it seemed sensible to conclude that resistance training was of little benefit. However, more recent studies have shown that strength can be improved even in the absence of muscle hypertrophy. The question is: how?
What the early studies failed to recognise was that children are not just miniature adults and that the mechanisms which bring about an increase in strength in adults may differ for children. So how can children improve strength if testosterone is not responsible? Testosterone does not start to increase until mid to late puberty, effectively ruling out the male hormone's contribution to strength gains in young performers(16).

And, given that girls (who, of course, don't produce testosterone) can also improve their strength, that very fact points us in the direction of a different explanation.

Theorists have pointed to the possible contribution of neurological systems(10). Evidence suggests that strength increases in line with the development of the nervous system, which is of primary importance in the exertion and development of muscular strength(16). Research has indicated that there are three likely determinants of strength gains: improved motor skill coordination; increased motor unit activation; and undetermined neurological adaptations(16,13). Early theories were based largely on indirect supposition and so direct assessment of these neurological adaptations was needed. Using ground-breaking techniques, researchers investigated the changes in motor unit activation (MUA) following a period of resistance training in pre-adolescent boys(12). Results indicated that after the first 10 weeks of training, MUA of the elbow flexors increase by 9% and MUA of the knee extensors increased by 12%. Slower increases in MUA were recorded during the second 10 weeks. The results confirmed current thinking that the nervous system has many roles to play in improving athletic performance, as demonstrated in many recent PP articles.
Subsequent research confirmed that strength gains in young performers could be attributed in part to increased neuromuscular activation. Both MUA and motor coordination increase still further when multi-joint complex lifting activities are used rather than isolated movements. Specificity is important for improved motor coordination: researchers have demonstrated that more significant improvements in strength occur in the specific exercises performed during training than with non-specific exercises such as isometric elbow flexion and knee extension(1).

Can you really swim faster, jump higher and hit harder?
While you may be prepared to accept the body of laboratory evidence which shows that resistance training can improve strength in young performers and that the dominant underlying mechanism is neural in origin, it is legitimate to ask whether this can be translated to the sporting arena. It has been said that the stronger an individual is, the higher he will jump, the faster he will run or swim and the harder he will hit a ball. Sports such as netball, rugby, athletics, tennis and cricket all require strength and power in order to perform complex multi-joint movements. It's not unreasonable, based on the research, to suggest that the results seen in controlled laboratory studies could be transferred to the sporting arena. Although there is limited direct research in this area, studies have shown that intensive resistance training can improve both strength and swim speed in pre-adolescent boys and girls(2). Indirect evidence has shown that an increase in strength can improve specific activities, such as vertical jump, swim speed and running speed(15) and, if you look at the investment most high-performance teams are now making in strength training for their performers, I would suggest that resistance training is an extremely effective tool for improving athletic performance.

If you are still not convinced about the impact resistance training can have on performance, just look at leading sports performers from a decade ago and compare them with those competing now: today's competitors are bigger, stronger and faster than ever before. While the cynical may refer to illegal aids, the more astute will recognise that sports performers are increasingly using resistance training to help improve their performance. Although there is limited research on youngsters, it is reasonable to suggest that younger athletes could also enjoy the same type of improvements in athletic performance seen in adults following a period of resistance training.

But what about injuries? Surely, all that training can't be good for young bodies? In 1987 the US Consumer Product Safety Commission reported that resistance training was a harmful activity for children(1). The report highlighted the disturbingly large number of injuries associated with resistance type exercises; 8,543 injuries were incurred by 0-14 year olds and ranged in severity from sprains and strains to fractures. Approximately 40% of the injuries occurred during unsupervised sessions in the home. A subsequent study investigating sport-related injuries in school children taking part in 22 sports found that resistance training produced just seven injuries from a total 637, placing it 17th on the injurious list(17). The message is clear and obvious: if young athletes play around with weights at home or during unsupervised sessions they could well end up in their local A&E department. However, if you closely supervise your young athletes during resistance training sessions, ensuring they follow a structured training programme, they should be at no greater risk of injury than when they are taking part in their chosen sport.

But what about the immature musculoskeletal system?
Another area of concern is the potential damage resistance training can cause to the immature skeleton: increased physical activity in children is often associated with musculoskeletal damage(4). The skeletal system is in its formative stages during pre-adolescence and does not fully mature until early adulthood (6,8). It is commonly thought that the use of resistance training could contribute to damage of cartilage, bones, joint surfaces and tendons. It has even been suggested that damage to growth cartilage can result in stunted growth. Other structures, such as the spine, have also been highlighted as an area of potential injury. Although these issues are a serious cause for concern, some experts feel that the case may be somewhat overstated. Research has shown that sport-related musculoskeletal damage occurs very rarely. The majority of cases have been linked with maximal overhead lifts of the sort associated with power lifting, and no evidence has been found of skeletal damage in relation to resistance training (1).
So, based on sound research, it would be safe to say that a good-quality resistance training programme is an effective training method to complement the existing training regime of young performers. If you are a coach looking to introduce your young athletes to the benefits of resistance training, here are some guidelines to take into consideration.

The young performer:

should complete a medical examination by doctor before starting the training programme;
should be mature enough to accept instruction;
should want to participate in the programme;
must possess the basic motor skills of their primary sport;
must maintain correct form during lifting;
must avoid competition during training.

For his or her part, the coach should:
ensure the young performer is closely supervised during training sessions;
ensure the training offers variety;
pay particular attention to the strengthening of the back and abdominal muscles;
ensure that in the event of any pain, training is discontinued;
ensure that the resistance training programme forms part of a comprehensive programme designed to increase motor skills and fitness levels;
ensure that all exercises are carried out though a full range of motion;
Prohibit any attempts at maximal lifts.

If resistance training is a new area to you, here are some of the basic guidelines you should think of when putting together a training programme:
1. Begin and end each session with 5-10 minutes of warm-up and stretching.
2. Balance the workout by altering pairs of muscle groups, ie perform a 'pull' exercise after each 'push' exercise. (Examples of pull exercises are barbell or dumbbell bent over row, cable lat pulldown, seated row; push exercises may include barbell, dumbbell or machine bench press, squats and shoulder press.)
3. Exercise the larger muscle groups (pectoralis major - chest; latissimus dorsi - back; quadriceps) first, and the smaller muscle groups (biceps and triceps - arms; deltoids - shoulder; gastrocnemius/soleus - calves) at the end.
4. Perform 1-3 sets of 6-15 repetitions. Younger children may use fewer sets and more repetitions.
5. Allow 48 hours of recovery after each strength training session.
6. Work on the schedule 2-3 times per week while maintaining other sporting activities.
7. Younger children can spend 20-30 minutes per session while older children can increase the duration of each session.
Nick Grantham

References

1. Sports Medicine 15, 389-407, 1993

2. Australian Journal of Sport Science 1, 3-6 1981

3. Effects of Physical Activity On Children, Broekhoff J, Human Kinetics, 78-87, 1986

4. Child Health, Nutrition and Physical Activity, Cheung & Richmond. Human Kinetics, 1995

5. Designing Resistance Training Programmes, Fleck SJ & Kraemer WJ, Human Kinetics, 1987

6. Strength Training For Sport, Hazeldine R, The Crowood Press, 1990

7. Sports Medicine in Primary Care, August S.5-S.8, 1995

8. Exercise Physiology Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance (3rd Ed), McArdle WD, Katch, FI, Katch VL, Lea & Febiger, 1991

9. Sports Med 16, 57-63, 1993

10. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 26, 510-514, 1993

11. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 14, 134-139; 142-143, 1986
12. Strength Training Effects In Prepubescent Boys, 22, 605-614

13. National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal 13, 39-46, 1991

14. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 21, 105-116. 1993

15. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 6, 629-638, 1986

16. Wilmore JH & Costill DL, Physiology of Sport and Exercise, Human Kinetics, 1994

17. American Journal of Sports Medicine 8, 318-323, 1980

18. Medicine and Sport, 11, 152-158, 1978

3 Mistakes

Here are what I think are the 3 biggest mistakes an S&C coach can make.

1. Slow steady state cardio training for athletes competing in speed/power based events. This one drives me insane and I have to say it usually gets spouted to me by old school coaches that are stuck in the 80's or sport sceintists that bang on about research having never coached in their lives. WAKEY WAKEY…….YOU ARE SO FAR BEHIND THE CURVE ITS NOT EVEN FUNNY. How do I know its wrong – because I used to do it and it didn’t work. I still see this all the time and the best answer they can give is that’s how we have always trained….wrong answer!! If I hear another coach tell me they are developing an aerobic base I will scream!!! There are so many reasons I won’t go into them now…trust me if you are still doing this (and you know who you are) then stop. I can feel an e-book coming on 101 reasons why steady state cardio sucks!

2. Taking the principle of specificity and flogging it until its dead. Seriously I’ve watched a coach working with a swimmer using a metranome so that the swimmer can lift at the same tempo as his stroke rate and……guess what….each set lasts as long as one race. Why don’t you just go and swim!! Strength work is about transfer of training effect…..not specificity…..if the strength drill is too close to the actual sports technique research shows you will actually reduce the sporting performance. Our job as coaches is to make the most out of the athlete that we are working with - we need to give the coach the strongest, fastest most powerful athlete possible. If we deliver that then the coach can go to town on the technical and tactical work.

3. Thinking that there are ‘bad’ exercises. Don't be fooled into thinking that full squats are bad or bench pressing is the devils exercise. There’s no such thing as a bad exercise, just crappy programming. I’ve worked with some pretty extreme sports and the nature of the sport means the body has to do some things that strictly speaking it’s not designed to do. it’s not that a particular exercise is bad, it’s more to do that the coach or athlete has not thought about proper progressions or whether the exercise is suitable for that individual. We must not do straight leg sit ups….its bad for your back…..what if your sport is gymnastics and requires that type of movement?

Deep Water Training Option For Runners

I'm a huge fan of the pool as a training tool and used it extensively whilst working at the English Institute of Sport.

Runners often find their chosen sport less attractive in the winter months - for obvious reasons. So if you're already shivering at the prospect or are injured and can't run on roads for a while, it may interest you to know that deep water running is a viable alternative.
In a joint study, researchers from England and Tasmania compared the effectiveness of deep water running and road running in improving maximum oxygen uptake in a group of 20 untrained young women.
After establishing baseline VO2max values, each participant was enrolled on a four-week training programme of either road running or deep water running, with progressive aerobic interval sessions carried out three times per week. After four weeks, VO2max was retested and the women then embarked on 10 weeks of detraining before swapping training programmes for a further four weeks.
Both training programmes produced similar and substantial improvements in VO2max, and the researchers concluded that deep water running, in common with other aerobic activities, offers significant cardiovascular benefits when performed at the appropriate frequency (3-5 days per week), intensity (60-75% of maximum heart rate) and duration (20-60 minutes). Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 14, no 2, pp191-195

The Art and Science of Making Weight - A Real World Guide to Weight Cutting

"In the 2008 Summer Olympics two boxers were sent home - one from Britain, one from the USA. One of them was the defending WORLD champion in his weight class.They weren't sent home because of a positive drug test. They were sent home because they couldn't make weight. Olympic dreams shattered because of an inability to beat their biggest opponent -- the scale. And it could all have been avoided..... Gina Carano (MMA fighter and american Gladiator) has failed to make weight for her last three fights. Thiago Alves failed to make weight before his last fight and had to contest the match at a higher weight class. Making weight is as much of an art form as it is a science. But it's been a closely guarded secret amongst those in the know. Includes sections by Brian Schwab, Justin Harris and Matt Kroczaleski. Nick Grantham and Alwyn Cosgrove spent almost ten years cutting weight and competing in combat sports.They have since moved on to the world of coaching others and have refined their methods - backed up with evidence from other coaches and athletes and some of what the latest research has to offer.

To get your copy of this e-book visit Elite Fitness Systems

Mike Boyle Interview

Mike Boyle is an internationally recognised strength and conditioning coach and he recently took the time to answer some of my questions about all things strength and conditioning.

NG: Thank you for the interview. Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about your current coaching commitments?
MB : For the summer I have about 20 National Hockey League and minor league players training four times a weeks as well as my Boston University Hockey players. In addition we have about 300 collegiate and high school athletes working out in our two facilities.

NG: Can you tell the reader your educational or previous career background and how you ended up developing Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning? MB: I’m actually a Certified Athletic Trainer so I started out on the sportsmed side of things. I have a bachelors and a masters from Springfield College. I’ve worked in the college environment for 25 years and also worked in the NHL for 10. NG: What in your opinion are the essential skills needed to be a successful athlete in a team sports? Are there similarities between the various sports (American Football, Soccer etc).....what training makes the difference?
MB: For team sports it all about strength, speed, and conditioning. We waste way too much time with sports specific bullshit. Get your athletes strong, get them fast and get them in shape.

NG: Many Pro sports don't seem to have much of an off season and raining and competing week in, week out is extremely demanding. What particular issues do athletes face trying to maintain fitness - how do you make sure that your athletes maintain their fitness levels during the season - what are your 3 top tips?
MB: 1-Get lots of frequent, brief and intense workouts. In-season training looks a lot like HIT training.2- Fitness is relative, Guys that play a lot of minutes need more rest, not more work. Guys that don’t play a lot need to get extra work in on game day.3- Make post-workout nutrition a priority. Shakes post game are key.

NG: What's the one thing that really gets under your skin when it comes to the strength and conditioning.
MB: Lying. It is amazing the bullshit that gets thrown around. This is a particular problem in the US with American football. Coaches lie about test results and that places undue pressure on other coaches to match these unrealistic results. I think a lot of these guys should have to film testing so everyone could see it.

NG: S&C coaches in the UK and Europe are always looking to America as the leading nation in S&C. I have to say I think the Europeans have a lot to offer the Americans. What do you think of the state of S&C in the UK and Europe.
MB: I think there are lots of great coaches abroad but, they don’t coach “American” sports. Americans don’t really understand sports like soccer. I think there is a broad range in training philosophy with European soccer from very progressive to Stone Age aerobic based programs. The US has a huge edge in facilites and equipment. American strength and conditioning was born out of an American football mentality and it is tough to break.

NG: You know from my articles that I'm not a fan of long slow steady state cardio training....it's a tradition that dogs many team sports in the UK......is it a problem in American sports, do the coaches still get athletes to complete endless hours of long runs during training - what's your opinion and solution?
MB: I’m with you. I hate long slow distance training. It’s getting to be less and less a problem in team sports in the US. There are still some dinosaurs left in ice hockey and soccer over here but, I think we winning that battle as it applies to team sports. The place we are losing it is in fitness.My solution? Get Oprah to interval train. Oprah can change the world.

NG: How do you monitor training intensity - how far do you push your clients?
MB: Depends on age etc. With my personal training clients I work on feel. I ask them about their day, their week etc. With my pro athletes we start very easy and build every week. I work on a work capacity model where we just keep adding more and more each week. It’s only a 10-12 week off-season and we have a lot to do.I learn the most from my college players that I work with year round. I really need to manage them to keep them fresh. It’s much harder.NG: How do you approach training players from different age groups?

MB: The older they get, the safer it gets. Young kids are resilient. They can front squat, clean etc with no problems. As my guys age we do less Olympic stuff and more single leg stuff that doesn’t load the spine as much.

NG: I know you study the field a lot. Who do you go to for training advice?
MB: Truth is, it gets tougher each year to find new info. In the past 5 years most of my new ideas have come from the physical therapy world. Mike Clark, Gray Cook, Mark Comerford, Shirley Sahrmann. However, I think we have gone too far with the therapy side. I think these folks are brilliant but, they don’t do what we do. They can provide ideas but, they don’t actually work with athletes for a living.I’m really lucky to be on the Perform Better circuit. I get to hang with some of the best in the business and talk training. Mark Verstegan, Alwyn Cosgrove, Todd Wright, Al Vermeil. The list is endless.

NG: Who else in the field has influenced or helped you? What are the best tips you learned from them and can pass on to your readers?
MB: I’ve been heavily influenced by Vern Gambetta. He was way ahead of his time. Mark Verstegan and his staff ( Craig Freidman, Darryl Eto, Anthony Slater, Sue Falsone) have always been great sounding boards for me. I really like Todd Wright, he the S+C coach for mens basketball at University of Texas. Alwyn Cosgrove and Jason Ferrugia really get me thinking. I’m also a big Ryan Lee fan. He’s showed me how to really make a career out of this stuff.

NG: What tips could you add of your own?
MB: KISS. Keep It Simple Stupid. Great technique and great effort. Coach, that’s the job.

NG: There seems to be a real boom in 'old school training', tyre flipping, car pushing...strongman type stuff etc in America. I guess if you are competing to be a strongman it makes sense!!.....what's your thoughts on it's application to development of sport performance?
MB: I think it’s a dangerous waste of time. I like heavy sled work as I can see its application. Beyond that, I don’t have much use for it.

NG: What supplements do you think work?
MB: Protein supplements work. Fish oil is essential. I think a Greens product is a good investment. I also think that the Glucosamine/ Chondroitin supplements work if you have joint pain. After that it’s a crap shoot.

NG: What are your goals as a coach?
MB: I want to be remembered as an honest, ethical, hardworking guy who gave people good value. Beyond that, I’m not too concerned.

NG: What advice do you give athletes when it comes to recovery - how do they manage to keep training without breaking down?
MB: We roll, stretch, and do lots of mobility work. I think you need to care for your tissue. I also harp on my athletes about nutrition. As I said earlier, postworkout nutrition is a big deal.NG: What are your thoughts on the use of whole body vibration in strength and conditioning? MB: I’m becoming more and more of a fan. I think there is something to it although I’m not exactly sure what it is. It clearly is not a passive exercise fad. The big issue is in practicality and affordability. You need at least three units to make it work with groups and that’s about K US.

NG: What's the latest Mike Boyle project? MB: I’ve just bought back my training business in the last six months. Did a huge renovation in conjunction with my friends at Perform Better. Most of my energy is focused on getting that business back up and running. NG: Where can people read more about your theories and programs? MB: I write a column at www.coreperformance.com, I write for t-nation about once every two months, I’ve done lots of stuff for ptonthenet, and I have one of the best websites in the industry www.michaelboyle.biz

NG: Before we finish, I'm asking all of our contributors for their top five books - the ones every S&C coach should have in their library? We've had some great answers and I'm building a virtual library on the links page of the web-site....what are your top 5? MB: Just go to www.michaelboyle.biz I have a recommended reading list with all my favorites both from the training side and the personal development side.

How to Avoid DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)

Having trouble getting out of bed? Having to walk backwards down the stairs because your legs feel as though they are on fire? You are probably suffering from DOMS. Don't worry. It's not as bad as it feels and if you follow the recommendations of DJ Szyman-ski at Auburn University you may be able to avoid the associated pain altogether ('Recommendations for the avoidance of Delayed Onset Muscular Soreness,' Strength and Conditioning Journal, Vol 23 (4) 7-13).

Every athlete, regardless of his or her fitness level, has experienced sore and stiff muscles after moderate to strenuous exercise at the start of a new training programme. These symptoms usually occur after eccentric (downhill running, plyometrics, etc.) or unaccustomed exercise. During these activities your muscles become more susceptible to structural damage, resulting in muscle soreness, loss of strength, decreased range of motion and neuromuscular function. All of these symptoms together are generally referred to as DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).

Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is not a new phenomenon; research investigating the cause of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) dates back to the early 1900s and several theories have been put forward to explain the underlying cause. Probably one of the most popular explanations is the accumulation of lactic acid in the muscles. Popular yes, correct, no. Blood and muscle lactate levels typically return to normal values after 30-60 minutes of recovery. Eccentric exercise produces the most severe muscle soreness but requires relatively low energy expenditure (even less than needed for concentric exercise). Therefore if lactic acid were to cause delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), then muscle soreness would be expected to be greater after exercise with a higher metabolic cost (concentric activity). In addition, we know from bitter experience that the pain associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) peaks after 24-72 hours. When we consider that lactate concentrations return to pre-exercise levels within 60 minutes it seem ludicrous to suggest that the two are somehow related.

Subsequent research has suggested that damage to the muscle ultra structure and connective tissue may be responsible for delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is suggested that a sequence of events starting with exercise causes muscle damage and then muscle protein breakdown, resulting in cell inflammation and increased local muscle temperature. As a result pain receptors are activated, causing the sensation of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Further research suggests that muscle damage alone may not be the best explanation for the cause of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Inflammation and swelling should also be considered as they also activate and sensitise pain sensors around the muscle fibres.

So what does Szymanski recommend?With a better understanding of the underlying causes of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) it is possible to implement preventative strategies. Szymanski offers the following guidelines to follow when attempting to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
1.Don't bother to reach for the medicine cabinet prior to a match or workout. No research supports the use if anti-inflammatory drugs, antioxidant supplements, ointments or creams in the prevention of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
2. Conflicting evidence surrounds the use if post-exercise massage, post-exercise stretching and cold application.
3. Warm up: research indicates that concentric activity may better prepare the body for the stress caused by eccentric, damage- inducing exercise. Increased muscle temperature results in a reduction in muscle or connective tissue viscosity, a higher resistance of muscle tissue to tearing and increased muscle elasticity.
4. In addition to a warm up,repeated bouts of eccentric exercise performed within one to six weeks after the initial bout of exercise have been shown to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and muscle damage allowing for faster recovery of strength and ROM.What action to takeTherefore to avoid delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), try the following:(a) Perform a general warm up(5 mins, cycling, jogging etc).(b) Perform specific dynamic mobility exercises for 15-20 minutes.(c) When starting an exercise programme, avoid movements that entail strenuous eccentric muscle action (downhill running, plyometrics, etc).(d) Gradually increase the intensity and duration of exercise.(e) Complete additional bouts of the exercise that originally caused delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) - for instance, if DOMS was sustained during downhill running, additional downhill running within one to six weeks will help alleviate the problem).

Vibration Training

Move over, wobble board -- the vibration platform is here. In the past 10 years there has been an increasing interest in the somewhat strange concept of vibration training and its potentially positive impact on athletic performance. Can simply standing on a vibrating platform improve a players strength, power and flexibility? Is this a gimmick providing a short-term fix, or can players and coaches expect to see some valuable long-term training adaptations? Is vibration a useful rehab tool?

What is Vibration training?
Early work by the Russian space agency looked at the use of vibration training in combating the effects of zero gravity conditions on the musculoskeletal system. It didn’t take long for scientists working within sport to start using vibration training with a variety of athletes (rowers, track and field, gymnasts and ballet dancers). Although this pioneering research indicated that vibration training had the potential to enhance both strength and flexibility, it was another 10 years or more before the international sports science community dusted off the old research papers and began to take a closer interest in this training intervention.

Among the advocates for vibration training within the sporting world are: American Football (Tampa Bay Buchaneers); Ice Hockey (Anaheim Mighty Ducks); Baseball (Chicago Whitesox); Football (AC Milan); Cycling (Lance Armstrong); Running (Alberto Salazar -Marathon runner and head coach of the Oregon Project); Skiing (Herman Maier) and Rugby (Lead Physiotherapist for the Scottish Rugby Union team, Stephen Mutch)

The concept
When a player stands on a vibrating platform, the repetitive movement presents a strong stimulus to musculoskeletal structures due to the muscle stiffness changing in response to the vibration, which researchers believe produces physiological adaptations to accommodate the vibratory waves.

We do not clearly understand the exact mechanisms for enhanced athletic performance and injury prevention. Potential adaptations include:
increased excitation of peripheral and central structures (pre-activation of musculoskeletal system, resulting in improved readiness for the training stimulus).
increased synchronisation of motor units;
stimulation of GTO (golgi tendon organs), inhibiting activation of antagonist muscles;
increased hormonal secretion;
variation of neurotransmitter concentrations (dopamine, serotonin); and
excitation of sensory receptors such as muscle spindles, leading to improvements in the stretch reflex cycle.

Training effects: Performance Enhancement and Rehabilitation
Enhanced physical preparation is arguably the birthplace of vibration training and is where most of the research has been conducted. It was in the late 1990s that claims started to circulate that 10 minutes of vibration training could produce the same training effect as completing 150 leg presses or half squats with loads of three times body mass twice a week for five weeks; and that 10 days of vibration training was the equivalent to completing 200 drop jumps from a height of 60cm, twice a week for 12 months! Recent research has also shown improvements in strength as well as improvements in flexibility and muscle activation. Professionals working in sports rehabilitation have been quick to set about establishing a role for vibration training within injury treatment and rehab. Initial work has already investigated the effect on bone health and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) rehabilitation strategies. At the start of 2005 it was reported that the Edinburgh and Scotland flanker Allister Hogg had used vibration training during his rehab from a knee injury sustained during a cup match.

Take Home Messages
1. Vibration training may be an effective intervention for reducing the ageing process in musculoskeletal structures.
2. Vibration training may be an effective rehab tool for people that have not exercised for some time (e.g. injured players).
3. More research is needed to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms involved in muscle activation.
4. Optimal amplitude and frequency need to be identified.
5. Vibration training seems safe when standing on the vibrating platforms for a relatively short time with the knee semi-flexed to limit transmission of vibrations to the head.
6. Prolonged exposure to vibration training can have a negative impact on health and proper care should be taken when exercise programmes are prescribed.

Should we all rush out and buy a vibration platform? Despite the mounting body of evidence in support of this modality, the jury is still out. Vibration training could yet be the next big thing to revolutionise performance enhancement, injury prevention and rehabilitation. But so far, the men in white coats cannot give us a green light, and anyone using this technique will be doing so with their fingers firmly crossed behind their backs.

Bench Press - Alternatives

It happens to us all, you’re halfway through your training session, the next exercise is bench press and as you walk over to the benches you are faced with what appears to be the latest round of the ‘King of the Bench Contest'. Every inch of every bench is loaded, you’ve no chance of sliding under a bar this side of midnight….but you still have to train your upper body.

What can you do to ensure you still get a killer chest workout. It’s time to get back to basics. Prepare to be amazed at how diverse the humble press up can be and discover why it should become the cornerstone of your upper body training. If an athlete working with me can’t rep out with their bodyweight – they don’t slide under the bar.

At this point you are probably thinking this is too basic. Well you are right, the press up is basic but you will be amazed at how many people with good benches can’t rep out their own body weight. If you master the basic press up you will have laid the foundation from which all other work can begin.

For all of the exercises make sure you maintain good form, don’t just bang the reps out, get a controlled tempo and aim for multiple sets of 10-20 reps.

PRESS UP V.1 – OLD SCHOOL
Place your hands underneath your shoulders with your arms fully extended and your fingers facing forward.
Bend your arms at your elbows, lowering your chest until it is two inches above the floor and your elbows reach 90 degrees.
Keep your butt down, you want to maintain a normal body line throughout.
Mix up your hand spacing to change to emphasis of the exercise (take your hands wide or bring them in close to get a bit more tricep involvement)

PRESS UP V.2 – DECLINES
Take the basic press up but this time elevate your feet onto a step or box.
Raising your feet above the head is going to increase the intensity of the basic press up.

PRESS UP V.3 – LOADED
If you are finding your bodyweight is too easy to handle crank the intensity up by slipping on a weight vest or simply getting a training partner to add some manual resistance.
You can even get some bungee cord, run it from one had, over your back and down to the other hand – the beauty of this is you load at the end of the movement (the exercise get harder at the end – something you can only achievie with some very fancy resistance machines.

PRESS UP V.4 – UNSTABLE
If you want to get the maximum bang for your bucks and you’ve mastered the basic press up then now’s the time to get a little bit unstable.
Dig out some of the kit that’s probably gathering dust in the corner of the gym (you know what I’m talking about – stability balls, stability discs, rocker boards, BOSU ball etc). Challenge your upper body strength and stability by placing your hands on say the BOSU ball and start to rep out. All of a sudden the press up has moved to another level.

PRESS UP V.5 – EXPLOSIVE
Three ways to do an explosive press up.
1. Place one hand on a medicine ball and the other on the floor. At the bottom of the press up explode up and shift your weight while switching hands so that the opposite hands are on the floor and medicine ball. Aim to get some air during the switch.
2. Get two boxes or steps and place them around shoulder width. Start in a press up position on the floor, explode up and jump your hands up onto the boxes. Return to the starting position using the opposite action and repeat.
3. Clap press ups – start at the bottom position, explode up and you’re your hand together before coming back to the start position (get it wrong and your nose and the floor will become very intitmate!

PRESS UP V.5 – COMBINATION
Once you can handle all of the above with good form, take things to the next level and start to look at some combinations.
Loaded / Unstable
Incline / Loaded
Incline / ExplosiveExplosive / Loaded

Wise Words

When I worked with elite athletes we were always looking at how we could improve performance - rather than working on what they were good at we would spend time working on areas that they struggled with. Sounds obvious but many people will focus on what they enjoy doing or feel are their strengths. Last week my dad gave me a newspaper cutting which sums it up nicely.

"The key to success - regardless of the activity - lies in focusing your efforts on your weaknesses and the areas you like least, rather than concentrating purely on your strengths"

Now that I'm working in the private sector I still adopt the same approach - we get our clients to look at their blind spots (e.g. they are very good at telling me how good their training has been but brush over the fact that their diet has been less than satisfactory - we work with them on their blind spots to really boost their efforts).

My dad is always offering some great words of wisdom and sent me another gem. This tale is called Two Wolves.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside all people. He

said, 'My son, the battle is between two 'wolves' inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.'

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: 'Which wolf wins?'

The old Cherokee simply replied, 'The one you feed.'

Eric Cressey Seminar

Eric Cressey will be holding a two day seminar in Ireland on the 15th and 16th of March. The seminar is being hosted by Kieron Dolan and is based at Tullamore Rugby Club.

If you are interested in seeing Eric during one of his rare visits to Europe then get your booking form now from one2onetraining@eircom.net

I hosted Eric last year for a fantastic two day seminar - he will be covering some pretty special topics this time round and you will get to hear the findings of his research on unstable training - direct from the author.

Countdown To Summer

British Summertime officially starts on the 30th March - That's just 6 weeks away! If you've not started your fitness and nutrition programme then now is the time to start. Two great products that will help you get started are:

Alwyn Cosgrove's - Afterburn

and

Michael Roussell's - Naked Nutrition

We use many of the principles outlined in the above manuals with our clients and we are seeing some fantastic results. What are you waiting for - the summer is just 6 weeks away!

The Power of Full Engagement

Alwyn Cosgrove gave me a great Christmas present this year, a book called The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz. What's it about - well essentially it looks at the fact that the hours in the day are fixed, but the quantity and quality of energy available to us is not. I'm pretty sure Al bought if for me after he spent some time with me in December. It was a particularly busy time having just set up the new training facility and I think Al felt I needed to get some balance! This book is really good and has made me take stock.

What I found interesting was that the book highlighted the fact that recovery is every bit as important in the work environment as it is in fitness and training. As a strength coach I'm always telling my clients about the importance of recovery (I've even written an e-manual about it!)- but I'm working all the hours available in the day with very little recovery.

Death From Overwork
It is not the intensity of energy expenditure that produces burnout, impaired perforamnce and physical breakdown, but rather the duration of expenditure without recovery. The Japanese call it 'karoshi' or 'death from overwork'. They have identified 5 key factors that contribute to karoshi.
1. Long hours that interfere with normal recovery and rest patterns.
2. Night work interferes with normal recovery and rest patterns.
3. Working without holidays or breaks.
4. High pressure work without breaks.
5. Extremely demanding physical work and continously stressful work

Ring any bells? It did with me and I'm now making sure that I'm getting some more balance in my life. A great book - thanks Al!

Do Something Useful With a Stability Ball!!

Finally, something that’s really useful to do with a Stability Ball. To help improve shoulder strength and stability go and fill a stability ball with water (as much or as little as you feel is appropriate 10-15lbs is good). Have your client perform the following drills for between 30-60 seconds each repetition. Not only will they get a great workout for the glenohumeral complex, they will have to remain strong throughout the whole of the body (especially when working with the ball overhead!), More bang for your bucks!

1. Overhead Press (partner taps) – Press the ball overhead – whilst overhead have a training partner tap the ball in a random manner. The water will move and the working athlete will have to work hard to stabilise the ball as the water swishes around inside! Increase the intensity of the taps to push the workload higher.
2. Figure 8’s – Hold the ball out in front (arms slightly bent), move the ball through a figure 8 motion. Once the ball starts moving, so will the water and pretty soon you will feel your shoulder muscles working overtime to stabilise!
3. Circles – Same as Figure 8’s but switch between clockwise and anti clockwise circles every 2-3 reps – the quicker you switch the harder you will need to work to stabilise the joint.

Providing Good Feeback

I recently read an article in the Olympic Coach newsletter written by Cheryl Coker from New Mexico State University which I felt delivered some great tips for providing feedback to clients.

1. MORE IS NOT BETTER
If you are constantly providing feedback after every rep of every set your clients may develop an overdependence on you. It is important for them to be able to actively engage in the coaching process - take the time to understand how they feel during an exercises, what works, what doesn't. If you give too much feedback they may simply wait for your response after every single repetition without ever actually understanding what is happening to them.
2. OFFERING FEEDBACK TOO QUICKLY
Don't be in arush to jump in with the feeback. Give your client time to process what has just happened. A good strategy is to ask them to assess thier performance before telling them what you observed.
3.INFORMATION OVERLOAD
Don't overload your client with feedback. You may see ten things that need to be corrected but you should resist the temptation to bombard them every point. I like to keep my feedback to a maximum of three points. Pick the most important point and keep the feeback nice and simple.
4.INTERFERING WITH AUTOMATIC PROCESSING
If you are working with high level athletes much of what they do will happen automatically. It's easy to disrupt an athletes performance by providing feedback that makes them consciously focus on an element of a normally automatically performed movement.
5. MISDIRECTING ATTENTIONAL FOCUS
Choose your words carefully! By telling your client not to do something will actually plant that thought into their mind. By telling your client not to worry about being unable to complete the required number of repetitions actually makes them think they won't be able to do it - something that may not have even crossed thier minds!

Shifting Paradigms - Why Endurance Athletes Should Strength Train

Shifting Paradigms
For most endurance athletes, the benefits of strength training are outweighed by the fear of gaining too much bulk, loss of flexibility and diminished ‘feel’ of their sport. Unfortunately this thinking keeps many endurance athletes from participating in a properly designed strength and conditioning program.

Many have a traditional ‘endurance training’ based paradigm, centered on volume of training and time spent training for the actual event itself. It’s all about wearing a badge of honour for the number of hours spent running, cycling or swimming. Unfortunately this is a pretty flawed approach, not least because there is a mass of research showing that volume of training is one of the main culprits of overtraining and injury incidence.

By and large the endurance community has overemphasised the benefits of endurance-based training and underestimated the benefits of strength training. Endurance atheletes will spend hours completing endurance sessions in the hope that they can squeeze a little bit of extra performance from their cardiovascular system, but are reluctant to spend just a couple of hours a week in the gym.


One heart, two lungs, lots of muscles!
Part of the reason for the above is that many have forgotten about the huge potential that the musculoskeletal system has to offer to performance and pay scant regard to its training benefits. Let’s not forget that the only reason your cardiovascular system is involved in the first place is because of the demand from your muscular system; your muscles don’t move because of cardiovascular demand – the demand on the cardiovascular system is elevated because of muscular demand.

If the musculoskeletal system cannot handle the stress of thousands of repetitions (which is what happens when you are training for endurance) then you need to condition the musculoskeletal system first. In other words, you should program your body based on the movements it’s going to perform – not based on the cardiovascular system, which is an upside down method of programming!

Strength training in the gym can make a real performance difference via a direct ‘transfer of training’ effect into the event. Typically the endurance athletes that I’ve worked with have had so little structural integrity that a resistance training program to target their muscular weaknesses and imbalances had to be our first approach.

The fact is that for many endurance athletes, moving the body is the biggest problem – not their ability to transport oxygen! I’m currently working with a number of endurance athletes who have seen the light and are now benefiting from a structured strength training program. For years they’ve been focusing purely on improving their cardiovascular system but more often than not, they’ve broken down at some point during their season through illness or injury. Using a motoring analogy, they were trying to trying to put a new engine in a beaten up old car with worn out chassis and suspension. A better approach is to set to work on improving the chassis and bodywork first and tinker with the engine later.

Best In The UK

Congratulations to Tim Parkin on reaching a new personal best pole vault height of 4m 20cm at this weekends competition at Sheffield. Tim is now ranked as the No1 U17 Pole Vaulter in the UK. The coaching team at GENR8 Fitness have been working with Tim since October at our facility in Newcastle and we have been helping him literally go from strength to strength in his training, both in the gym and out on the track. This was Tim's third competition and the result topped off a hat trick of successes. The GENR8 team wish Tim all the best for the 2008 outdoor season.

Sporting Shoulder Symposium

I've just returned from the Sporting Shoulder Symposium where I presented two sessions on the role of strength and conditioning in shoulder rehab. It was a pleasure to be invited to attend and present at this event not least to be on the same programme as some of the worlds leading authorities on shoulder rehab.

The 3 day event was a fantastic success and the sessions included a combination of seminars, practical workshops and live surgery! The list of presenters looked like the who's who of shoulder research including, Alex Castagna, Tim Uhl, Don Buford, Jo Gibson and Lennard Funk. I was the loan strength and conditioning coach in a room full of surgeons, medics and physiotherapists - I survived, even after this keeping this qoute in my presentation!

"Medical and health care professionals (surgeons, doctors, physiotherapists etc.) are experts at getting injured people healthy – they are not experts at training people!"

The message was well received and the feedback from the audience was very positive - many of whome left with a greater understanding of the role of the strength and conditioning coach in the rehabilitation process.

Many thanks to Lennard Funk for inviting me to such a fantastic event. I'll leave you with some words of wisdom from Don Buford's presentation on the overhead atheltes shoulder.

"Half of what we believe is wrong - the problem is we don't know which half!"

The take home message - keep on reading ensuring that you don't believe everything you read, or only read everything you believe!

Five Things People Get Wrong When It Comes To Recovery And Regeneration

1. Not having a recovery and regeneration strategy.

‘The hardest thing for an athlete to do is not to train. You can’t sit still. You feel you should be out there working’ Graham Obree – World Champion Cyclist

Not having a recovery strategy is the biggest mistake you can make. We all have mobile phones, I-pods and laptops and they all run off batteries. If we don’t charge the batteries they won’t work. The human body is no different; we need to take time out to recharge the batteries. Work alone is not enough to produce the best results. Athletes need time to adapt to training. To encourage adaptation to training it is important to plan recovery activities that reduce residual fatigue. The sooner you recover from fatigue and the fresher you are when you complete a training session, the better the chance of improving. Increasing rate of recovery increases ability to train.

2. Concentrating on the percentage points.

Change allows the field to stay interesting for us but it’s easy to get caught up looking for the next big thing. Everyone focuses on getting the ‘edge’, looking for the one thing that will make the difference. They concentrate so hard on the 2% that they forget about the other 98%. Get the fundamentals of recovery sorted before you go for the fancy stuff. Walking round in compression garments all day is not going to help recovery of you have crappy nutrition; crappy training programmes and you don’t take time to rest (active and passive). Use the recovery pyramid (details can be found in Recovery and Regeneration: The Essential Guide to Training Without Falling Apart)

3. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting to get a different result!

Prolonged use of any given means of restoration (recovery) will decrease the recuperative effect. Eastern block experts recommend that the same recovery strategy should not be applied more than once or twice a week in the same form (Mel Siff – Supertraining). You wouldn’t do the same type of training year round, so why do people invest in one recovery strategy. Fatigue is multi factorial and there are a number of different recovery strategies that you should use depending on the type of fatigue you are suffering from.

4. Not keeping a training diary.

One of the simplest things you can do to improve your recovery from training is to keep a training diary. A good training diary can act as an early warning system sending out red flags that highlight when you need to pull back from training. Training diaries don’t need to be complicated; you just need to keep one. Keep a track of the quality of your resting heart rate; sleep quantity and quality, energy levels, training quality, motivation, health and nutrition.

5. Thinking that it’s what you do immediately after training that is important.

You need to think about recovery and regeneration as a 24-hour thing. You will train for say 1-2 hours per session maybe 3-5 times a week. Most people will then only think about recovery immediately after the training session and will devote say 30 minutes to some form of recovery. That’s just 1.5-2.5 hour per week of focused recovery, which leaves 165.5-166.5 hours when you are not thinking about recovery. You do the maths! You need to become a 24-hour athlete and make sure you are taking care of all the recovery guidelines highlighted in Recovery and Regeneration: The Essential Guide to Training Without Falling Apart

Happy New Year

Happy New Year - I hope 2008 brings you everything you are hoping for. It was interesting to sit with my daughter this morning playing in our front room - every now and then we watched one of our neighbours run past the house - I've counted 4 so far, non of whome I've ever seen go for a run before. Now I'm not knocking it, all power to them if they have decided to get fit in 2008 - I just wish they would take the advice of people like Alwyn Cosgrove and get fit for running rather than trying to run to get fit. Over the next couple of days people all around the country will be dusting off their trainers and taking to the streets, only to return home with sore shins and knees, vowing never to run again - bang goes the New Year resolution and any plans of regaining their fitness.

Why does everyone think that running is the first step to a new active lifestyle? Most of the clients that I see coming into the gym have poor conditioning and usually need at least 4-6 weeks of general conditioning before we even begin to think about taking to the streets for a run. If you want to get fit - get strong first and then take to the streets.

Have a great 2008.