Strengthcoach.com Top 10 From the home office in Reading, MA we bring you our first informal, reader recommended top 10 articles list. These are articles that our readers feel fall in the must read category. If you are new to the site, start here. . . . keep reading
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RECOVERY METHODS IN THE NHL Sean SkahanStrength Coach Anaheim Mighty Ducks During the course of an NHL season, the ability to recover from games is crucial. There are multiple instances of back-to-back games as well as situations where a team may play up to 5 games in a seven-day span. With the fact that each team plays 82 games with the possibility of advancing to the playoffs, recovery becomes a key component for success. Recovery can easily become an after thought when you are busy playing games, practicing, and participating in an in-season strength and conditioning program. What we've found to be the most beneficial for our players is a blend of different methods that are quick and efficient and have helped us succeed. It is important to note that without proper nutrition, hydration, and rest, the application of these methods would be a waste of time. . . . keep reading
Chin Up or Chin Down? Jonathan Messner, MS, CSCS A long time ago, before the invention of the wheel and the internet and when we thought knee extensions were part of leg workouts, it probably sounded and looked like a good idea to tell clients to get their heads up while lifting to correct sloppy technique: specifically, thoracic and lumbar rounding. This simple fix was reflective of our simplistic thinking of the day. Unfortunately, we still have caveman walking around with us who have automatically adopted this mentality without question. I think this teaching cue may work well with weighted-bending (not so much with weighted-squatting.) However, we have carried this thought process over to bodyweight training, and when it comes to teaching someone how to move for the first time with only their bodyweight, I'm not convinced that keeping your chin up is the best way to groove a healthy movement pattern. . . . keep reading
Reactive Agility Training Tyler Fagan Reactive agility may be the most underrated and underused training method for athletes. Think about it, how often in a game does Allen Iverson or Ladanian Tomlinson know where a defender will be, how fast they will be attacking them, and from what angle? The answer is they don't. They rely on their gifts of instinct and reaction to their environment to make a highlight move. Moves like this cannot be taught, you either have it or you don't, right? Wrong! . . . keep reading
Prilepin's Chart
As Seen on www.elitefts.com Tim Kontos My first experience with Prilepin's chart was in the summer of 1993. I had entered my first powerlifting competition in the spring of that same year and bombed out in the squat. I didn't give up and did the right thing by seeking out professional help. Not psychiatric mind you (although I may have needed it); I looked for a powerlifting coach. My search brought me to Mike's Olympic Gym in Mechanicsville, VA. That summer I had a job painting houses, worked 10 hours per day and lived an hour (one way) from Mike's. I knew if I were going to get any stronger I would have to go where the strong go and in Richmond it was Mike's. My training up to that point was progressive over load. I would do a set of 8's one-week and depending on how I felt I would go up 5 to 10 pounds for the next week when I went to a set of 7. At the time (and I think to this day) Mike Craven would hand write all of the programs for his members. Mike is without a doubt the most passionate and intense person I know when it comes to strength training. He networked with individuals like John Gamble (Strength Coach for UVA at the time, now with the Miami Dolphins) and Fred Hatfield (otherwise known as Dr. Squat) This was all well before the internet so networking was not nearly as easy back then. . . . keep reading
Sample Programs
The 10/30/20 Two Day Program Michael Boyle One of the most popular items on sportspecific.com, the site that preceded www.strengthcoach.com were the pre-made workout templates. I eliminated a lot of these as I felt that the quality was not what we wanted the site to represent. However, I still get lots of program questions. As a result beginning today I will post sample programs. These are generic but, will be a reasonable representation of what we are currently doing with our clients or athletes at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning or at Boston University. First up is the basic two day program. This is designed for a personal training client or for an in season athlete who is not familiar with the Olympic lifts. . . . keep reading
Episode 26- Strength Coach Podcast Anthony Renna Highlights include: Nick Tumminello- I interviewed Nick about a few of his articles. Coach Boyle on the Coaches Corner Gray Cook is back answering a question on the Chop & Lift Using Ropes from Perform Better. . . . keep reading
Getting Back to Basics Dana Cavalea, CSCS As the fields of strength and conditioning and performance training continue to grow, we have seen an increase in the amount of material, both intellectual property derived from research and practicality, as well as the amount of devices that have been heading to the open market. With every new device seems to come a new following of "groupies" that arise as a result. Then, after the "groupies" hit the scene, so does the backend sales of certifications, t-shirts, and training videos. This has turned into somewhat of a vicious cycle, leading to high profit margins, new fitness trends, and often times confusion for beginner and novice coaches as to how to maximize gains for their athletes. So with our continued growth, we have continued regression as well. . . . keep reading
You're Never Ready to Open Your Own Training Facility Vince Gabriele, IYCA My dream has always been to have my own Fitness and Sports Performance Training Facility. The problem was that I never thought I was ready. I did not know enough about business, I haven't learned everything I need to about training, where do I get the money etc. After traveling to Boston and spending a day with Mike Boyle this fear simply went away. Mike told me "You're never ready" Those words stuck in my head like glue and I figured if I am never going to be ready why not start sooner rather than later and I have not looked back since. This was about 3 years ago and my dream became a reality a few months ago. The purpose of this article is to share with you some of the steps I took to get the business off the ground. . . . keep reading
10 Nutrition Tips for Parents of Young Athletes Tom Sullivan The following article is written by Tom Sullivan. Tom runs Sullivan Training Systems in Braintree, Ma, where he specializes in helping young athletes develop speed, strength, and injury proof bodies. He can be reached at tssullivanjr@gmail.com and at www.tsullsworld.blogspot.com. It is your responsibility as parents to start developing good habits for your children in all aspects of life. Nutrition is no different. We need to start building a solid foundation of habits that lead to higher levels of performance and health. Below I have put together 10 simple tips that you can use immediately to get your kids eating better. . . . keep reading
Advanced Program Design Part 2 Michael Boyle Part 2 Designing The Ideal Program (this is part 2 of a two part article. Before continuing make sure to go down and read part 1 of Advanced Program Design. The ideal program is designed with the previous three goals in mind. The ideal program takes risk, but analyzes risk to benefit ratio. The ideal program works on all aspects of training but, in a progressive manner that minimizes exposure to undue stress. The big key is that the program improves performance but, never at the expense of health. . . . keep reading
Advanced Program Design Part 1 Michael Boyle My recent experiences with Crossfit caused me to put some ideas down on paper. I think it is important to write down what you really believe just so you have to think about what your philosophy actually is. In my Advanced Program Design DVD set (http://www.performbetter.com/detail.aspx?ID=5039&CategoryID=259&im) I expanded on a lot of these concepts. I think the real key to program design is not to adopt someone else's philosophy but to develop your own? What does this mean? This means that coaches need to do what's best, not what's trendy. Coaches should not simply copy someone else's system. In order for a coach to do this they need to do three very important things. . . . keep reading
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