Next Level Strength & Conditioning

Complex Training For Speed, Power, And Explosiveness

2012-01-19T09:01:00.000-08:00

Many athletes include plyometric exercises in their training programs and are well aware of the benefits. However, it is slightly less well known that the combination of traditional strength and plyometric exercises together (complex training) results in greater improvements in power and rate of force development.

Complex training, one of the most advanced forms of sports training, integrates strength training, plyometrics, and sport-specific movement. It consists of an intense strength exercise followed by a plyometric exercise.

Complex training activates and works the nervous system and fast twitch muscle fibers simultaneously. The strength exercise activates the fast twitch muscle fibers (responsible for explosive power). The plyometric movement stresses those muscle fibers that have been activated by the strength training movement. During this activated state, the muscles have a tremendous ability to adapt. This form of intense training can teach slow twitch muscle fibers to perform like fast twitch fibers.

To maintain a high level of intensity throughout the workout, use low repetitions (two to five), high recovery intervals between sets (three to five minutes) and at least 48 hours of rest between complex workouts.

Lower Body Complex

Upper Body Complex

Double Kettlebell Exercises For Strength And Endurance

2011-12-22T08:54:00.000-08:00

Kettlebell training is fantastic for losing fat, building lean muscle, and helping you get into great physical condition. For some kettlebell athletes, double kettlebell exercises may not be an option, but if you do have two kettlebells of the same weight then double kettlebell training will fit nicely into your training program and really improve you strength and endurance.

The versatility of kettlebells is part of their appeal; all you need is a couple of kettlebells and an open space to train. Focus on exercises that provide the most bang for you buck. Pick one pressing exercise, one pulling exercise, one exercise for the quads, one for the hamstrings, and one core exercise.

Next Level Guide To Cows Milk Alternatives

2011-10-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

There are many reasons to stop drinking cow’s milk: You’re lactose intolerant, you’re protesting on behalf of animals, there’s too much fat in it… the list goes on.

It’s surprising to some, but we can actually get the nutrient fixes that milk gives us from alternative sources. It makes sense — we’re the only ones on the planet who drink another species’ milk, so it’s not like we naturally depend on it.

Soy milk — It’s the classic alternative and for good reason: It’s high in protein and B vitamins, low in fat, lactose-free and most are fortified with even more helpful minerals. Additionally, if you’re used to skim milk, the taste change is minimal. Take heed with more than a glass a day, though: It has components that stimulate estrogen production, which can encourage imbalances that create health issues.

Taste: Faintly sweet. Some varieties have a slight tofu flavor.

Pros: It has almost as much protein as cow's milk, plus plant chemicals that may help inhibit absorption of cholesterol. It's often fortified, so shake the carton well—added calcium tends to settle at the bottom, says Zied.

Cons: Some studies suggest that overconsuming soy promotes breast cancer. "A good guideline is about 25 grams of soy protein per day," says Zied.

Best in: Creamy soups and salad dressings, sauces, casseroles, and other savory dishes. Vanilla-flavored varieties are great in coffee or tea (or by the glass!).

Almond milk — This one’s been climbing the charts lately because both companies and consumers have discovered that almond milk is delicious. Some swear by it and say it tastes even better than soy. It has all the same benefits as soy (although it’s generally slightly less fortified with other minerals) and tends to stay fresh longer. The only caution to take with almond milk is with children: Some doctors say the early introduction of nuts into a child’s diet can predispose them to a nut allergy.

Taste: Creamy, rich, and slightly nutty with a hint of sweetness

Pros: The least caloric of the bunch, it's fortified with vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant that fights UV damage, as well as calcium and vitamins A and D.

Cons: While almonds themselves are a good source of fiber and protein, the milk contains skimpy amounts of these nutrients (that's because the milk is made by grinding the nuts and mixing with water). Almond milk is also higher in sodium than other alternatives.

Best in: Smoothies, coffee, and cereal

Hemp Milk — This is a newer alternative that’s yet to gain steam. It offers nutritious benefits similar to the above milks, although the protein content isn’t as high as it is in soy or almond. It’s creamier than most alternative milks, so it’s more than suitable for most cooking. For vegetarians or vegans wanting to vary the types of protein they consume, this is also a great choice.

Taste: Nutty and earthy

Pros: It's naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids—wonder nutrients for your heart, brain, and mood. Hemp milk is made with cannabis seeds, but it won't get you high, because it lacks significant THC (the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana).

Cons: Depending on the brand, you may gulp only 10 percent of your daily calcium needs. It's not a great source of protein either.

Best in: Mashed potatoes, muffins, and quick breads. Unobtrusive in flavor, it's a good stand-in for cow's milk in baked foods.

Rice Milk — Rice milk has all the usual benefits, except it exchanges high protein content for a high carbohydrate count. The taste can be suspect and it’s hard to cook with, but you certainly won’t find many people allergic to this product.

Taste: Light, watery, and sweet

Pros: The carbs. "Have a glass before or after a workout—it offers carbs to fuel and fluid to hydrate, and like a sports drink, it's a good source of electrolytes," says Nancy Clark, R.D., author of Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

Cons: The carbs. If you're trying to drop a few pounds, it's best to eat whole-grain carbs, which contain filling fiber; rice milk has zero.

Best in: Desserts, baked goods, pancakes, and French toast. Its natural sweetness complements indulgent foods.

Coconut milk - While coconut milk is high in saturated fat, it is much healthier than other saturated fat products, and the fat is easily metabolized by the body. Coconut milk also offers some particular health benefits. It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. The main saturated fat that it contains, lauric acid, is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health.

Taste: Thick, creamy, and, well, coconut-y

Pros: It has the least amount of sodium and can be fairly low-cal—even some flavored kinds will cost you only 90 calories per serving. Plus, most brands are fortified with half a day's worth of vitamin B12, a brain-boosting nutrient.

Cons: "The majority of fat is saturated," says Lauren Slayton, R.D., founder of Foodtrainers in New York City. But at five grams per serving, it constitutes less than 8 percent of your total daily value for fat.

Best in: Coffee, tea, pudding, smoothies, and oatmeal—it's a go-to thickener.

All milk alternatives have added vitamins and minerals in order to make them similar to cow's milk. To determine which one is the best is a bit tricky, but it would greatly depend on what your nutrition goals are.

It may come down to taste, so determine which of these milk alternatives you enjoy drinking the most while still fitting in with your dietary guidelines. My only recommendation would be to avoid the products with added sugar as the calories greatly increase in those.

Which of the above milk alternatives do you prefer?

Nutrition Questions and Answers

2011-10-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Q: What should I eat before I lift workout?

A: By eating carbohydrate before exercise, you’ll provide fuel for a stronger workout (even just 5 to 10 minutes beforehand offers benefits). By eating a little protein along with the carbohydrate, you’ll start to digest the protein into amino acids, which get used by the muscles during and after exercise. Good choices for a preexercise snack include fruit yogurt, low-fat chocolate milk, cereal with milk, a poached egg with toast, and almond milk and an granola bar.

Q: I’ve heard I should eat as soon as I finish lifting weights, but I’m not feeling hungry then. Why is immediate refueling so important?

A: After a hard gym workout, your muscles are primed for getting broken down: Their glycogen (carbohydrate) stores are reduced, cortisol and other hormones that break down muscle are high, the muscle damage that occurred during exercise causes inflammation, and the amino acid glutamine that provides fuel for the immune system is diminished. If you just guzzle some water
after your workout and dash to work, you’ll miss the 45-minute postexercise window of opportunity to optimally nourish, repair, and build muscles. You can switch out of the muscle breakdown mode by eating a carbohydrate–protein combination as soon as tolerable after you exercise.

Q: Why are protein supplements so popular? Are they better than real foods?

A: In today’s fast-food society, a mindless way to get healthful (no cholesterol, low fat) protein is through supplements. Plus, the label tells you exactly how much protein you are eating and takes away the guesswork. But protein supplements are not a whole food and fail to offer the complete package of health-protective nutrients found in natural foods. Use them to supplement wise eating, if desired, but not to replace it.

How To Properly Warm Up Before Practice Or Competition

2011-04-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

The warm up exercises are a crucial part of any sports or fitness training program. The importance of a structured warm up routine should not be under estimated when it comes to the prevention of sports injury.

In order to be ready to perform speed work or compete at high intensities, you must get warmed up properly. An effective warm up must consist of a series of dynamic and active movements that start with low impact, low intensity exercises and progress naturally to high intensity, full speed exercises that simulate the intensity of the upcoming practice or competition.

Dynamic flexibility is the act of quickly moving a joint through its range of motion with little resistance, improves flexibility, coordination, balance, proprioception, elasticity of the muscles and ligaments, increases core body and deep muscle temperatures, elongates active muscles, decreases the inhibition of the antagonist muscles and stimulates the nervous system and therefore helps decrease the chance of injury.

Conversely, static stretching involves passively stretching a giving muscle by placing it in a maximal position of stretch and holding it for an extended time, usually 10 seconds. The disadvantage of static stretching is that it may only improve flexibility and does little to elevate core body temperature.

Stretching is a critical part of the warm up, but stretching is NOT the warm up.

Perform dynamic exercises that are similar to the types of movements they will be going through during practice and competitions. Keep moving and gradually increase the intensity of your activity. That way you can get the blood flowing into the muscles through a natural progression.

The movements should be performed in a continuous and “down and back” fashion over 10-20 yards and be of low to moderate intensity. The entire dynamic warm-up can be done in as little as five minutes or as long as 20 minutes.

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Sign Up Today for the 2011 Sprint Camp

This program is designed to increase your speed, agility, coordination, explosiveness, injury prevention and much more.

WHAT CAN OUR PROGRAM DO FOR YOU:
· Increase acceleration and MAXIMIZE breakaway speed
· Increase your resting metabolic rate (burn fat while you rest)
· Teach you proper sprint mechanics to get faster immediately
· Learn drills, cues and workouts teaching you how to accelerate smoothly and reach your fastest top speeds
· Discover the secret tomaintaining near top speed so athletes can outrun their opponents every time…or run them down

This is a great opportunity for athletes to receive top of the line professional CERTIFIED instruction to significantly improve game-day speed.

Call me now at 410-645-0231 for more information.

Ladder Training For Speed And Agility

2011-04-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Agility is the skill of being nimble, being able to change direction quickly and respond decisively to a rapidly changing environment. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, the agility ladder helps improve neuromuscular coordination, or the relationship between the brain and muscle action. Some people are naturally more agile than others, but tailored exercise drills can improve reaction time and direction-changing speed, as well as strengthen muscles around knee and ankle joints to help protect against injury. The hopping and quick directional changes help prepare the ankles for unanticipated movements, such as tripping, so your body learns how to react to prevent injury.

Agility ladder training will increase speed, power, agility and coordination skills for better performance in any sport or in your personal workout. You can make ladder drills the main focus of your workout or perform them as part of a strength or cardio workout by weaving some of the ladder drills throughout your existing routine.

For each ladder drill, begin by learning the footwork pattern and then work at increasing the speed with which you put your feet down and get through the entire ladder. These drills help you increase the speed of your footwork.

Perform these agility ladder exercises either by alternating drills and repeating the entire routine several times or by focusing on one element during each workout--either speed, power or lateral motion. Whichever method you choose, you will see improvement in your performance by training with the agility ladder on a regular basis.

3 Lessons I Learned About Success From The Book Of Eli

2011-03-28T02:14:00.000-07:00

WARNING: I am about ruin the “twist” of this move AND reveal my age all over this post.....

I know this movie is considered “old” now, but I just love this movie. I love the action, the photography, the story, the action... and did I say action...... “Sooo, you are going to re-make The Road Warrior with Denzel Washington AND Gary Oldman... and sprinkle in a little Flashdance”... What's not to love about this movie.

Besides all the action and cool colors, The Book of Eli had some deep lessons on what it takes to be successful

Lesson 1 – Keep Going West

Eli had a goal and laser beam focus. “Take this book and keep going west until you get there.” No matter who got in his way, how many battles he had to endure, the next day he brushed him self off and kept going west.

Lesson 2 – Know Thyself

*Spoiler Alert* Eli knew he was blind, but that didn't stop him from kicking ass and going west. He used his strengths to get him through. He smelled his enemies before they had a chance to attack, he could hear the intention in their voice, the rhythm of their breathing. He was well aware of his strengths and worked with them masterfully.

Lesson 3 – Watch What You Eat

There are cannibals out there, feeders of human flesh. Eli knew he couldn't eat just anyone's food and neither should you... If you want to be successful. Be careful of what you eat. Poor nutrition no matter how dialed in the rest of your program, your results will go up in smoke.

6 Things You Must Have For A Successful Spring Training

2011-03-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

As a strength coach, I am constantly looking for ways to improve my clients athletic ability or—more importantly— strength, speed, and mental. I want them to have a program that would make a difference. I want them to have both the mental AND the physical advantage going into a game.

Throughout my quest to achieve this goal, I have always been looking for programs that work. I’ve tried EVERYTHING. I bought about every book, dvd, attended every seminar I could find and talked to as many people as possible for ideas. Some of the programs allowed for some success while others have been an epic fail.

So, my quest continued as I patched together programs and had moderate success, but not the success that I knew that I could achieve.

Finally, though years of trial and error, I have come to the conclusion that success is the result of hard work—brutally hard work—that follows a well-developed plan of attack. The reason that most people are not successful is that they are victims of poor planning or not planning at all.. I get the most out of my clients because in addition to making them work hard and want to win, my training involves careful planning. Success depends on identifying needs along with your weaknesses and then formulating an appropriate plan of attack.

The Next Level plan of attack includes the following:

Strength training – the foundation on which the plan of attack rests. We use barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, sleds and more with the idea to develop the greatest levels of strength possible.

Speed training - my thoughts on the significance of speed can be summed up in this quote from The Art of War, by Sun Tzu: “Speed is the essence of war.” Special sprint training will employ a variety of drills to maximize absolute speed.

Agility training – start, slow down, change directions, and accelerate with a minimum loss of speed. Agility drills require rapid changes of forward, backward, vertical, and side-to-side movement.

Flexibility training - one of the most important, yet misunderstood, areas of athletic development is range of motion, or flexibility... often mistaken as simply stretching.

Mental Toughness training – toughness is flexibility, responsiveness, strength, and resiliency under stress. Toughness training puts you in control of your performance level on and off the field.

Recovery Training – recovery must be planned, scheduled and “trained” just like any other element of your complete training plan of attack. Knowing how and when to recover may prove to be the most important skill in your life.

One thing is for sure the possibilities are endless and there’s no way you’ll get bored with your training using this plan of action..

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sign Up Today for the 2011 Sprint Camp

This program is designed to increase your speed, agility, coordination, explosiveness, injury prevention and much more.

WHAT CAN OUR PROGRAM DO FOR YOU:
· Increase acceleration and MAXIMIZE breakaway speed
· Increase your resting metabolic rate (burn fat while you rest)
· Teach you proper sprint mechanics to get faster immediately
· Learn drills, cues and workouts teaching you how to accelerate smoothly and reach your fastest top speeds
· Discover the secret tomaintaining near top speed so athletes can outrun their opponents every time…or run them down

This is a great opportunity for athletes to receive top of the line professional CERTIFIED instruction to significantly improve game-day speed.

Call me now at 410-645-0231 for more information.

Mental Toughness Advice From Ancient Japan

2011-03-18T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Samurai.. the privileged warrior class of feudal Japan. The samurai were indifferent to death or pain and wore two swords which symbolized the “soul of the samurai.” These guys trained as though their very lives depended on it... because... it did. It wasn’t just about losing a competition it was about surviving to fight another day. They knew from experience that in order to win battles—most of which were fought in hand-to-hand combat—they had to develop their minds as well as their bodies.

3 MENTAL TOUGHNESS STRATEGIES FROM 3 OF THE GREATEST MARTIAL ARTIST

1. PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE

“Once you have trained yourself well, your body and limbs will move automatically without any conscious effort. Your mind will not be overwhelmed by your physical movements. You will employ techniques without having to think. Once you have attained this state of mind, not a single doubt nor hesitation will arise... Train yourself thoroughly and then forget about it. Throw away your mind.”

Yagyu Munenori – the most respected samurai serving the Tokugawa Shogun family.

2. HAVE A SHORT MEMORY

“It is not good to hold on to one's previous thoughts or to retain what is presently in the mind. You must make a clean and complete cut between the past and the present. If the mind is drawn off into thoughts of the past, that means it has stopped. It is important that the past does not interfere with the present, so cut off your previous thoughts and be careful not to stop you mind.”

Takuan Soho – revolutionary samurai priest who was fired because he advocated the separation of religion and the shogunate government. He was later rehired by our friend Yagyu Munenori.

3. EXERCISE YOUR BRAIN

“Never forget to make your mind work when your body is quiet, and to make your mind calm when your body is in action. It is important to make your mind useful and enrich it with knowledge. Take no account of the trifles and thoroughly keep your spirit strong... Keep your mind clear and maintain a broad view of things.”

Musashi Miyamoto – genuine samurai badass. Between the ages ages of 13 and 39, he had over 60 to the death sword fights and never lost one! Not only was he a master swordsman, he also was a master of drawing, poetry and sculpture.

Marinate on that....

The Mental Toughness Pyramid

2011-03-11T08:46:00.000-08:00

How do the super-successful separate themselves from the rest? The average?

I'll let The Don answer this one...

“Creative people rarely need to be motivated – they have their own drive that refuses to be bored. They refuse to be complacent. They live on the edge, which is precisely what is needed to be successful and remain successful.”

Ya see... The average live their lives on cruise control, resisting change and avoiding risk. They have the same talent and opportunity but they choose to play it safe to avoid the pain of failure and the agony (temporary) defeat.

At Next Level S&C, we use the Mental Toughness Pyramid as a tool we use to help you determine which stage of the pyramid you are performing.

At the first stage you are Playing Not to Lose, which is doing just enough to avoid getting fired, benched, or cut. The next level up you are Playing To Cruise, which is just going through to motions without really engaging in any serious thought or action. The next level is Playing to Improve, which is when you begin to actively engage their mind and body to the task of getting better. The level above this is Playing to Compete, which is when you begin to believe you are capable of beating the competition and being the best. Sadly, at this level you can find success and power, but since this stage is highly ego driven people are sometime left felling empty wondering if “this is all there is?”

The highest level is Playing to Win, which occurs when you move from just competing to creating, where the primary goal of you performance is to be the best that you can be. At this stage you are competing only with yourself with the objective of being better than you were yesterday. Your competition is with yourself, not the person next to you.

If you have never challenged yourself beyond your known limits, either physically or mentally, I suggest you find an area you desire to push yourself in and set a goal in that area that will stretch you for an extended period of time.

Whatever goal you set, if it is high enough and hard enough, by definition, you must question yourself somewhere along the way: “Do I really want to do this? Is the reward that great?” You will rationalize how little you want the reward, and you must think about how much easier it would be if you were to rest, if only for a little while. If you do that, you are pushing yourself. If you quit, you quit; you lose for now. If you continue to try, you are among the minority. If you continue to quit, you are part of the majority. It does not matter what excuse you make. They all have the same result—failure. If you continue to try and you succeed, you are part of the elite, a winner.

Discover The Secret Formula For Dominating The Competition

2011-03-01T10:45:00.000-08:00

Adapted from Mark Bender's Train Tough The Army Way

“Set the example in physical fitness. It is a fact that physically fit people are mentally, physically, and emotionally stronger than people who are not. Physically fit people are better able to withstand stress in peace and war.” - Army Field Manual

The secret?

Are you ready for it?

The secret to dominating the competition is... SUPERCONDITIONING

Huh? What's that, you ask?

It's the result of almost all world class athletic performance... It helps to cover up the weaknesses in your game... and it will pay off when you see the other guy quit and you are still ready, pushing forward.

Superconditioning is being SUPREMELY conditioned for your sport. And the only way to get there is to train harder and smarter than your competitors.

YOUR ROAD TO THE PATH OF SUCCESS

OK Dorothy,

Here is your yellow brick road:

First, list the critical skills for your sport. Focus your plan on these skills, and be sure that what you are practicing is fundamentally sounds. It is a big waste of time getting good at doing the wrong things.

Next, tailor your conditioning program to the sports you play. Undoubtedly, this will include a mix of strength, flexibility , and endurance training. It should also include speed and agility training.

Again learn correct technique. The best way to do this is to hook up with a competent trainer. There are also a number of helpful videos and books on the market. Trust me, life is too short to waste time training without the right program and the proper technique.

Along with strength training, you need an aerobic workout and for most of us that means running. You run to build endurance and stamina. Running raises your metabolism and burn off fat. For maximum effect in the shortest amount of time, consider wind sprints. Try sprinting 100 yards at 70 percent effort and jog back to your starting point. Do that 6 times and add a rep each workout until you can do 12 sprints in a row.

With any strength and conditioning program that you choose, you must first establish a base and never allow yourself to get to the point where you have to start from scratch. You lose 80 percent of your conditioning after 4 weeks of inactivity and it would take a whole month of hard work to get it back to where it WAS. And don't forget about the basics, like push ups, pull ups, squats, lunges, jumps, and sit ups – it's amazing what you can accomplish with no equipment at all.

To discover how you can take your game to the NEXT LEVEL call me NOW at 410-645-0231 to request your Free STRENGTH ACCELERATOR Audio Interview and Special Report.

STRENGTH ACCELERATOR is a unique, no nonsense, and powerful sports performance
system conceived to hone your mental and physical strength and toughness. STRENGTH ACCELERATOR will prepare you to take on the competition – and the world!

Call 410-645-0231 for your FREE CD and Special Report.

7 Tips To Create The Perfect Conditions To Take Your Game To The NEXT LEVEL

2011-02-02T08:43:00.000-08:00

“There is no try. There is only do or don't.” - Yoda

Adapted from Mark Bender's Train Tough The Army Way

How bad do you want it?

How bad do you want to achieve excellence in the sports you play? Are you gunning for the top or just putting in time? Do you have goals Or are you waiting to see what happens?

Go ahead, be honest. How bad do you want it. What kind of effort are you willing to put in? Fifty percent? Seventy-five percent? Ninety percent?

You think you're busting your butt; you might even be a starter. Seventy-five percent is a solid effort; you feel pretty good about yourself....

A 90 percent want-it rate makes you a player.

Guys look up to you. You have a few weaknesses... The only question is... are you going to own up to them?...

A 100 percent effort means every fiber of your being is on a mission...

At 110 percent, we leave planet earth and enter a whole new realm...

110 percenters rise to levels beyond there physical their physical gifts. They don't set out to be anything less than they are capable of being – they want to amaze people.

Here Are 7 Top Tips To Reach The Next Level:

Have a Goal – As an athlete, goal selection is part of your job. It's your job to define your destination and develop a strategy for getting there. Your destination is where you want to be, not a mythical wonderland of see-what-happens. Once you know your goal, you can focus all of your efforts on hitting it – and blasting through to the other side.

Make it a Habit – Good habits strengthen performance; bad habits add friction that makes achievement difficult. Every habit builds on every other habit. Good training habit make for good study and career habits. Identify, break down, and destroy bad habits; identify, build, and reinforce good habits.

Be a Warrior – Becoming a dedicated athlete is not an easy decision – but it's a choice that leads to extraordinary results. Dedicated athletes are like warriors. Warriors proceed as though the limits of their abilities do not exist. Most athletes try. Warriors don't just try. They perform as though their live depend on success.

Want It BAD – If you want something badly enough, you find a way to get it. You close off distractions and concentrate on the task. Your mind is right. Your desire is focused.

Set High Goals – Teams and individual players need goals. They need to ask the question, “What will it take to achieve the goals?” The answer always involves a tremendous amount of work. If it doesn't, then the goals aren't high enough. Lofty goals have high requirements.

Be Coachable – When somebody points out a problem or a weakness you have, accept it. Be open. Be coach-able. Don't take it personally. Getting defensive is taking a step away from the reality you need to confront. The truth eventually comes out in the sporting world – usually during the game. Get it out before then, so you can learn from it.

Lead the Way – Think of yourself as a leader. Demonstrate leadership by the way you conduct yourself. Quiet at first, and deferential, you slowly but powerfully exert the force of your personality on others. You accomplish this by doing – by demonstrating that you have control of yourself and are fit to lead others. Leadership is a trust that is earned.

To be a successful athlete you need to have a successful plan of attack and plans don't just happen by chance. You basically have 4 choices.

You can do nothing and keep getting the same results that you have been getting. I'm wondering though, are you getting the results you deserve?

You can spend years reading books, testing various programs out on yourself. Unfortunately, very few people people actually turn their knowledge into action.

You might even go to a friend or a family member and ask them to help you out. That's OK if that person has the knowledge and experience to implement the strategies you need to step up to the next level. If not than you probably still wont get the results you deserve.

The last thing that you can do is to work with a professional, someone who can guide you step by step and hold you accountable for your actions and results. You see, when you are working with a professional you are guaranteed results.

To discover how you can take your game to the NEXT LEVEL call me NOW at 410-645-0231 to request you r Free STRENGTH ACCELERATOR Info-Pak.

STRENGTH ACCELERATOR is a unique, no nonsense, and powerful sports performance system conceived to hone your mental and physical strength and toughness. STRENGTH ACCELERATOR will prepare you to take on the competition – and the world!

Call 410-645-0231 for your FREE Info-Pak now.

Top Chef: Next Level - Breakfast

2010-08-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

You don't have to be a TOP CHEF to prepare healthy, satisfying meals that meet all your nutrient and energy requirements.

As athletes, you must fuel yourself for performance with a proper mix of carbohyrates, proteins, fats and micronutrients. Every meal should include three essential components:

1. A source of quality protein

2. A source of fiber

3. A complex carbohydrate.

To ensure that you have enough energy, it is important to front load your food intake. Too-often, student-athletes skip meals and consume more low processed nutrient-density foods (ie. fast food, junk food, etc) to get them through the day, then have one large meal at the end of the night when they are extemely hungry.

Front load you food intake by starting with a healthy breakfast and then eatingmeals and snacks throughout the day, so the energy and nutrients you comsume all day long can be used to improve training and recovery.

Many athletes' biggest food-related mistake is eating too small a breakfast or skipping it entirely. Even if they eat a full lunch, those who skip breakfast will consistantly underperfrom in the afternoon training sessions and are likely to overeat at night.

Quick Breakfast Ideas

- Oatmeal with your choice of peanut butter, raisins, chopped nuts, brown sugar, and/or honey mixed in

- Yogurt parfait: fruit, granola, and yogurt

- Whole fresh fruit

- Granola with added nuts and raisins

- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread

- Fruit smoothie made with yogurt, whole fruit, juice, and soy or whey protein powder

- Apple, string cheese and hard boiled egg

- Egg white omelet with vegetables and lowfat cheese, wrap in whole wheat tortilla

Football Two-A-Days: What Color Is Your Urine?

2010-08-08T15:53:00.001-07:00

What can your urine color tell you about your hydration? At what point are you dehdyrated? How do keep from dehydrating?

It's so important that you learn the dehydration symptoms. Learning the dehydration signs and how to treat someone who is dehdyrated can save a life, perhaps even your own.

What does it mean if you see a dark yellow urine color? Typically, this can be a sign that you are not drinking enough water. Are you dehydrated? How much water have you drank for the day? In general, you should be drinking 8 glasses of water a day. If you're working out and sweating, you'll want to drink additional water. If you do not drink enough water, then your urine becomes over-concentrated with waste, which is why it is a darker yellow urine color.

A urine color rating of 1, 2 or 3 is considered to be well-hydrated

But how do you know if you're dehydrated? What does it mean to be dehydrated?

In general, most people consider urine color to be a sign of dehydration. The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you might be. At the very least, urine color can be an early indictaor of dehydration. Now, while your urine color can be used as a guide to know your level of dehydration, it is only one of the symptoms, there are other symptoms of dehydration you will want to watch for as well.

Do you have a headache? Do you feel dizzy? Both are signs of early dehydration. Other signs to watch for are nausea, weakness, fatigue, walking funny or unsteady and muscle cramps.

If you notice any of these symptoms, especially with an abnormally dark urine color you should immediately take the following steps.

- Stop your activity and get out of the sun.
- Loosen your clothes.
- Sit down and rest.
- Take sips of water.

Off Season Agility Ladder Drill for Football - Icky Crossover

2010-07-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

The agility ladder is a time-tested and proven effective tool for improving your footwork. The training effect is similar to jump rope, but with several advantages. First, agility ladder training is multi-directional. In most sports, you are not staying in one spot. You are moving forward, sideways and sometimes backwards. Second, your feet are also allowed to move independently in more complex patterns than a jump rope allows. And third, the cycle time can be increased greatly, because you are not limited by the speed of the rope turn. The end result is that you can train your feet to move quickly through complex footwork patterns. The benefits to any ground-based sport are huge.

Agility ladder training will improve your speed, coordination, timing and balance. Plus, it will set your calves on fire. I’m not a muscle isolationist, but this is seriously effective calf training because it engages the fast twitch muscles. Olympic lifts, sprinting and other power training will help you move large distances quickly and that is a very important component of sports movement. Agility ladder training will add precision to those last few steps that get your body into perfect position. The importance of quick adjustment steps cannot be understated. They are like putting in golf.

Adding it to your workout program is simple. You can throw it in as a warm-up. It elevates your heart rate and awakens your CNS.

Eating for Two-A-Days

2010-07-21T07:08:00.000-07:00

Once two-a-days start, players should consume at least three meals per day with snacks in between. Aim to proportion two-thirds of the plate to consist of carbohydrates, and choose foods with higher water content such as fruits and vegetables.

Skipping breakfast is not an option!

Especially when a player has an early morning practice or lifting session. If you feel like you do not have alot of time or money, a smoothie(McDonalds sells them now), yogurt, cereal and fruit, or even a sports drink and sports cheap and fast option

Adequate caloric intake is very important. To support a large, hard-exercising body, this can mean consuming a lot of food. That is okay. Players should not be trying to lose weight during this time.

For the player desiring to gain weight, the most important point is to be consistent, eating more calories every day. Some tips:

- Start a meal with food, not liquids, so have the sandwich first, then the shake.
- Replace low or no calorie beverages with juice, lemonade, milk, and sports drinks instead of water.
- Try to eat one-quarter more at every meal and snack.
- Keep snack food around to nibble on.
- Add higher calorie foods to every meal: granola instead of sugared cereal.
- Add nuts to cereal, or snacks.
- Eat bagels instead of bread.
- Add more protein, but only 4 ounces more a day, through food, not supplements. Choose cheese, low-fat lunch meats, an extra piece of chicken or fish, milk, and yogurt.

To make the most of your talents, MAKE NUTRITION A PRIORITY!

Camping Season

2010-05-02T11:39:00.000-07:00

A summer strength and conditioning camp can give high school athletes in all sports a constructive activity for their months off and a competitive edge for the coming year.

By Jeff Decker & Tim McClellan

Jeff Decker, MEd, CSCS, is Strength and Conditioning Coach at Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix, Ariz. He can be reached at: jedecker@cox.net. Tim McClellan, MS, CSCS, is Director of Performance Enhancement for Makeplays.com and author of the book Inner Strength Inner Peace. He can be reached at: tim@strengthandpeace.com.

Mountain Pointe High School in the Tempe (Ariz.) Union High School District has enjoyed a tradition of achievement both academically and athletically since it first opened its doors in 1992. With 31 state championships, 26 state runner-up finishes, and 125 regional titles in less than two decades, the school has a lot to be proud of.

Last year, in an effort to continue this level of success, Principal Bruce Kipper adopted the mantra of the International Center for Education Leadership: "Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships." For the athletic programs, this meant it would be a year of new ideas and expanding horizons.

Among the changes was a new head coach taking over the football program. Kipper and Athletic Director Ian Moses wanted an experienced coach with a proven track record in all aspects of coaching who would also serve as an educational leader. They found Norris Vaughan, who brought with him a team-building philosophy that had achieved impressive success at other schools. Vaughan looked forward to turning around a program that had struggled through a 2-8 season the previous year, and a major part of his rebuilding philosophy involved a renewed emphasis on strength and conditioning.

As part of this renewal, we worked with him to create the 2009 Mountain Pointe High School Summer Strength and Conditioning Camp. Participating in a summer program is an outstanding way for high school athletes to gain a leg up in the coming year's sports and to do something constructive during their time off. When planned properly, a summer strength camp can be productive, educational, and a lot of fun for everyone involved.

Read the full story HERE

_________________________________

CLICK HERE

The Rest of the Story Part1

2009-09-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

Success-driven athletes push themselves harder and harder in the weightroom, on the practice field, and in every other aspect of their lives. It's up to you to teach them that rest and recovery are essential parts of the performance equation.

By Dr. Terry Favero - Taken from Training - Conditioning Magazine Issue: 19.05 July/August 2009

Every athlete and every coach understands that hard work is a key to success. Athletes looking for an edge will train harder in an effort to outwork their opponents, teams going through a slump will try to "train their way out of it" by ramping up practices and workouts, and many athletes view working to exhaustion and beyond as a badge of courage and a sign of ultimate commitment.

But there's another component of athletic success that's too often overlooked, and that's recovery. When athletes do too much or coaches push too hard, the regimen eventually becomes counterproductive--the body wasn't designed to work without adequate rest. Evidence of this imbalance isn't hard to find: In a recent survey of published literature, I found roughly 30 articles championing various training methods for every one article about the role of rest and recovery in the adaptation process.

Planned recovery takes many forms, from improving sleep habits and eating patterns to scheduling days away from the gym that allow for regenerating tissue and rejuvenating the mind. Too many coaches spend their time scripting daily and weekly training programs, yet fail to strategize for recovery and regeneration with the same depth and precision.
Science has proven that proper recovery facilitates faster physiological adaptation and enhances performance. Ignoring recovery today leads to tomorrow's poor practice session and, eventually, poor recovery habits that are tough to break. It also reinforces attitudes that can lead to overtraining injuries. But by taking advantage of planned recovery and making it an integral part of a comprehensive training program, you can help athletes experience the gains that elude them when they work hard, but not smart.

STATE OF AFFAIRS

Most high school and college athletes understand at least the basics of appropriate recovery. If they haven't learned it from coaches, health classes, or other educational sources, they've at least felt the soreness after overworking their muscles, the fatigue from working out without proper fueling, or the overall misery of trying to function on too little sleep. And still, most athletes fail to follow an optimal recovery strategy.

Today's student-athletes must balance demanding training schedules with complex personal, social, and educational demands. The pressures of daily life are rarely factored into an athlete's total training or overall workload, but they're a major factor in the individual's health and well being.

What happens when an athlete has too many commitments and not enough time to meet them all? Recovery is usually among the first things to suffer. Rather than cut short a training session, they might skip a post-workout meal. Instead of missing practice to study for an exam or complete a class project, they'll sacrifice a few hours of sleep that night. In the long run, these decisions take a serious toll, both physically and mentally, and performance begins to decline.
To better understand the current landscape surrounding this issue, I recently conducted an informal survey of high school and NCAA Division I athletes, examining nutrition, sleep, and recovery behaviors. While not scientifically rigorous (the sample size was only 40 people), the results provide an interesting snapshot that's probably typical of many athletes in these age groups.

Nutrition.

I found no significant differences between high school and college athletes in eating habits--both were equally poor. Half the athletes skip breakfast at least once per week, while 20 percent said they miss it several times per week. Sixty percent reported missing other meals occasionally as well. Perhaps most troubling, only 46 percent of the athletes said they regularly eat within 60 minutes after completing exercise.

Sleep.

On average, most high school and college athletes get far less than the recommended eight hours of sleep per night. In fact, 38 percent of college freshman athletes in my survey get less than seven hours in a typical night. Sleep is one of the most frequently mismanaged recovery habits among athletes of all ages, and the consequences are immense.

Regular recovery activities.

My survey showed that in general, high school athletes do more in terms of recovery activity than college athletes, but only when directed to do so by their coaches. Essential recovery activities include (but are not limited to) a daily cooldown, especially following demanding workouts, active re-stretching or lengthening of the most active muscle groups, and post-workout rehydration. In addition, foam rolling and deep static stretching should occur at least twice weekly apart from normal practice times.

In the survey group, 52 percent of high school track athletes used a foam roller daily, compared with 18 percent of college track athletes. And 88 percent of the high schoolers stretched daily, compared with 53 percent of the college athletes. However, I found that in general, unless the coach leads a team through specific recovery activities, most athletes are consistently inconsistent in their recovery choices.

The above data should sound an alarming note: Recovery behaviors for both high school and college athletes need serious attention. Athletes develop training habits at an early age, and most carry these habits--good and bad--into college sports. College often provides a wake-up call, since talented and healthy athletes might not have experienced any real consequences for poor habits in high school or club sports, where practices are far less demanding, competitive seasons are shorter, and athletes can get by on pure skill even if they're not performing at 100 percent.

Terry Favero, PhD, is Professor of Biology and Conditioning Coordinator for the women's soccer team at the University of Portland. He has also worked with the U.S. Olympic Development Program, and can be reached at: favero@up.edu.

Do You Have What It Takes To Be More Successful Than The Guy Lined Up In Front Of You?

2008-12-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Without clearly defined goals, you simply can’t achieve the success you want!

Goal-setting is a common weakness for struggling athletes and a common strength for successful athletes. Good goal setting will improve your motivation and self confidence, while poor goal setting or avoiding goal setting altogether will greatly decrease your chances of success.
Let’s start with a research-proven fact: if you believe in yourself, you’re more likely to be successful. I know that’s not rocket science. But ask yourself: what affects your belief in yourself as an athlete?

Read the rest HERE

PS. - If setting, meeting and EXCEEDING your goals in the weightroom, on the playing field and in LIFE sounds interesting to you sign up for the Next Level Strength & Conditioning Program TODAY
http://nextlevelapp.blogspot.com/

"Atmosphere"

2008-12-11T10:06:00.000-08:00

Michigan S&C coach Mike Barwis talks about giving his players his intensity and energy.

The bottem line is, APPLY TODAY for the 2009 Next Level Off Season Strength & Conditioning Proram.

Do you know an athlete that needs to put on 10, 15, 20+ pounds?

2008-12-06T15:28:00.000-08:00

I would like to take this opportunity to inform you that on January 21st 2009 I am launching my Next Level Performance System's Off Season Strength and Conditioning for Football Program.

This program is designed to increase an athletes' speed, agility, coordination, explosiveness, mental toughness, injury prevention and much more.

The Application Deadline is on January 5th 2009. CLICK HERE to subit your application TODAY.

This customized, sport-specific program offers the cutting edge in athletic performance enhancement with an emphasis on injury prevention. Next Level Performance System offers an unparalleled, individualized and comprehensive approach to personal performance enhancement at any level.

WHAT CAN OUR PROGRAM DO FOR ATHLETES:

· Increase acceleration and MAXIMIZE breakaway speed
· Pack on slabs of rugged lean MUSCLE
· Increase raw STRENGTH and explosive POWER
· UNSTOPPABLE endurance for the 4th Quarter and BEYOND
· MAKE YOUR ATHLETE BETTER AND DOMINATE THE COMPETITION!

We seek to create a positive environment to help your athlete meet their performance goals.

We practice SAFETY FIRST. The athlete will:

· Be properly supervised by a full-time CERTIFIED fitness professional
· Master proper exercise technique for MAXIMUM size and strength gains
· Establish, meet and EXCEED realistic weight room GOALS that are guaranteed to carryover to the playing field

This is a great opportunity for athletes to receive top of the line professional CERTIFIED instruction, to pack on pounds of durable lean muscle and significantly improve game-day speed.

Submit your application today and get these Wonderful FREE Bonuses:

BONUS #1 - FREE Strength and Conditioning Evaluation
($79 Value)
This is an excellent opportunity for the athlete to know exactly were they stand, strength-wise and get a feel for the work they will need to do to be ready for next season on the playing fields at the next level.

BONUS #2 - FREE Next Level Performance Systems
4 Week Beginner/Intermediate
Sample Program ($29 Value)
This jam packed resource is a sneak peek into the philosophy behind the Next Level Performance Systems Off - Season Strength & Conditioning program. 12 easy to follow workouts guaranteed to make any athlete in any sport bigger, faster, stronger.

BONUS #3 - FREE Reading Nutritional Labels
SPECIAL REPORT
($29 Value)
All the lifting weights and running sprints will not matter without a sound, healthy nutritional plan. Learn to navigate around the false health claims and hidden calories in the supermarket in 10 easy steps.

The Application Deadline is on January 5th 2009. CLICK HERE to subit your application TODAY.

PS - Don't forget the Original Blog at http://www.nlpf.net/

Ten Ways to Discover Your Sports Potential

2008-11-12T16:52:00.000-08:00

Simple Strategies for Athletic Success
By Elizabeth Quinn

I've worked with athletes and studied sports performance for over a decade and in that time I've noticed some basic characteristics that many of the top athletes share. Of course, there are exceptions: I've known elite cyclists who have awful diets and party late into the night and win races the next day. I've also seen the most disciplined and regimented athletes have mediocre results year after year. So while not all of the following characteristics are essential to achieve athletic success, this list comprises many of the strategies used by some of the world's best athletes and it is a sure-fire way to start recognizing your own sports potential.

What Is Your Sports Potential?

If you haven't yet practiced these principles you may not even know your true sports potential. That's perfectly fine. In fact, that's the point. The concept of discovering your potential is not a fixed concept. Potential in anything is always relative to where you are now. For this reason, you will have to adjust your goals as your abilities improve. Remember the saying that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step? That is how you find your potential. One step at a time.

Ten Ways to Discover Your Sports Potential

1. Love Your Sport
A major theme in human psychology is based upon the concept that success is a by-product of doing what you love and humans struggle when we attempt to apply the principle in reverse; mistakenly believing that success will bring happiness. This fundamental theory is also applied to sports success. If you love your sport, you will easily find pleasure in every aspect of it from training to racing -- and this is what brings success.

2. Develop Training Discipline
Elite athletes have extremely rigorous training, dietary schedules and skill development routines. While you may not have the luxury of training full time, if you want to reach your potential, you'll need to set aside a specific amount of time to train each week. Sometimes finding time to train amid conflicting priorities such as work, family and social obligations can make it a challenge. For this reason, developing a structured training plan or routine can help.

3. Build More Strength
Building strength is a simple way to improve your performance in nearly any sport. More strength equals greater power, speed, stability, and endurance, while reducing muscle fatigue and reducing the risk of injury.

4. Eat Right and Stay Hydrated
Proper nutrition is often overlooked as a way to reach your peak sports potential. But consider how the right food and drink at the right time can be the difference between feeling strong through a race or bonking. Good nutrition alone may not win you medals, but poor nutrition is definitely going to lower your success potential.

5. Have the Right Parents
Yes, it's true, your genetics are important when it comes to determining overall sports ability, but they are not the only thing. What you do with your genetic gifts are entirely up to you.

6. Get Enough Rest
Adequate rest is a largely ignored component of most athlete's training programs. But more evidence is supporting the idea that it's the quality, not the quantity of your training that will have the largest impact on your performance. In fact, there are some many problems related to overtraining, that it actually has becomes a condition. It's called overtraining syndrome and it's an athlete's enemy because it saps not only your energy for your sports, but it robs you of your passion and enthusiasm for your sport as well. Remember that adding appropriate rest and recovery days into your training is critical for success.

7. Work With a Qualified Coach or Trainer
Not everyone needs, wants or can afford a coach or trainer, but if you really want to find your potential it's not a bad idea. Think about it. Every elite and professional athlete has a coach or trainer. Why? Because a qualified professional makes it his or her job to help you find your strengths and weaknesses. They provide objectivity and sees things you don't. They fill that gap in your training knowledge and offer variety, expertise and motivation when you can't find it. They also figure out the details and let you focus on doing your best. Who doesn't want that?

8. Take Advantage of Technology
Whether it is an aerodynamic bike wheel, blister-resisting socks, a heart rate monitor or shaped skis, taking advantage of the technology that is available in your sport can often help save seconds or improve your accuracy. Not every product delivers what it promises, though, so do your research and talk to experts before you drop you dollars on products that are mostly hype.

9. Practice Specific Skills Until They Become Automatic
The more your train the more efficient you will become. If your sport requires specific skills, such as a serve in tennis or cornering at high speed while cycling, you need to spend time honing these skills so they become natural and automatic. Nothing will lower your performance faster than analyzing your actions while you are competing. Take time to train sports skills exclusively and perform repeat drills once a week. This is another area where working with a coach or trainer is essential.

10. Consider Honing Your Mental Game
Sports psychology isn't just for elite athletes. While they may be more likely to work with a sports psychologist, the benefits of visualization training and guided imagery, relaxation training, and mental rehearsal can be used by anyone to increase confidence, reduce pre-race jitters and anxiety and help you avoid psyching yourself out during training and competition.

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sampleworkouts/a/SportsPotential.htm

The Randy Moss Method

2008-08-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

THE MOSS METHOD finds Randy Moss sharing his fitness methods and philosophies on athletics in a candid instructional way. Football fans and fitness hounds will want to see this motivational program from one of the most recognized and respected players in the NFL.

In this AWESOME DVD Moss shows why he is seperate from all others in the NFL... HE HAS DETERMINATION!!!

WATCH!!!

Workout of the Day 07/29/08

2008-07-30T15:41:00.000-07:00

Kettlebell Circuit
- Squat Clean x 5 each arm
- Push Press x 5 each arm
- Clean and Press x 5 each arm
- Reverse Lunge x 5 ea arm
one minute rest
5 rounds

3pt Kettlebell Chest Press - 3x8

Wall Ball x 12
Rack Walk - down and back twice
Pushups x 20
- 2 rounds

WOD 7/16/08

2008-07-16T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dynamic Warm Up

Double Kettlebell Circuit x 3 @ 16kg
-Cleans x 5
-Rack Squats x 5
-Swings x 5
-Press x 5

Bench Press
-5 @ 12RM
-5 @ 8RM
-5 @ 10RM

-3 @ 5RM

-5 @ 8RM

-3 x 1 @ 2RM

-As many as possible @ 10RM

Double Kettlebell Push Press x 10

Tire Flip x 2 minutes

- 3 rounds -

WOD 7/9/08

2008-07-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

1.
Deadlift x 10 @ 205#
Kettlebell Press x 10 @ 16kg
- 3 rounds -

2.
Push Ups x 20
Kettlebell Swings x 20 @ 20kg
- 3 rounds -

3.
Wall Ball x 10
Rack Walks - down and back twice
- 3 rounds -

The Benefits of the Dynamic Warm up

2008-03-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

• Increases body temperature and warms the connective tissues
• Increases blood flow to muscles and heart (i.e. charges the circulatory system)
• Delivers more oxygen to muscles (specifically greater exchange of oxygen to tissues because hemoglobin gives more oxygen at higher temperatures as well as greater oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange)
• Increases nerve conduction velocity (i.e. activates the nervous system)
• Improves efficiency (rate and strength) of muscle contraction and reaction time
• Promotes more efficient cellular metabolism (i.e. facilitates metabolic transition to activity-specific energy systems)
• Excites the hormonal system
• Increases the amount of synovial fluid in joints (thereby decreasing the viscosity of the joint capsules)
• Decreases muscle viscosity
• Lubricates the joints and reduces muscle and joint stiffness
• Increases joint range of motion
• Increases muscle coordination through related movements
• Increases work capacity
• Prevents injury

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO

2008-03-12T19:13:00.000-07:00

The off-season is a time of relaxation for most students, but unfortunately for you as a football player, it is your time to put in extra work to get ahead of the curve and get yourself ready physically for the upcoming season.

Although two-a-day practices leading up to the season will get you in solid cardiovascular shape assuming your coach does them right, it's not going to be enough in most cases to get your prepared for a long football season.

All players should spend their summer time both running and in the gym lifting heavy weights....
Read the entire article here.

DOING WHAT WE DO

No Excuses!!!!

2008-03-12T18:37:00.000-07:00