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Can we begin a massive shift in fitness and general health? We work in the best industry in the world, but even after changing lives I sometimes feel defeated when I see the sad state we have reached. If there is more money to be made from telling a lie, will the truth ever come out?

I share these concerns humbly. I share them with hope for a better future. We have snowballed as a nation into a pitiful state. We have let ourselves get so out of shape and desperate that the problem just keeps getting worse. But have we hit rock bottom yet? The demand for our help is very present, but this has ended up hurting more than it helps. Those that care and devote their life to this craft are now competing with the average Joe who just got certified over the weekend and only cares about money. The real experts are becoming hard to find. The weekend experts are hard to avoid.

People want it easy and people want it yesterday. Hard work is a thing of the past — not to mention, it does not make money. We are stuck in the “commercial gym culture” and this has made it hard to compete. The commercial gym culture equates to taking money from people that need qualified coaches, and not giving them anything in return. It’s nothing more than a business; the goal is simply to make money. Only a small percentage of people will pick up on this, though. They are blinded by their fears and motivated by hope. They continue to get nowhere.

This goes for the not only the members, but the trainers (sometimes with a ton of potential) who seek out the quick dollar. The first dollar is really easy to get. We are in demand because the majority of people need us. Some trainers get that first job in the commercial gym, get some money, but then fail to realize that they actually need some mentors in order to get through all the BS in the field. If you are young getting into this field, don’t get sucked into the 3,000-hour trap. Don’t be the coach that gets the first dollar easily, gets burned out by hour 3000, and then never reach full potential or learns anything. Please do us all a favor and choose this profession because you would do it for free. Only then will you get to 10,000 hours and become average to good (but have the potential to be great).

There are plenty of opportunities to see when money is made and people are hurt in the process.

It’s very hard to teach someone to get stronger (which is the foundation for everything). That goes for members, certification bodies, and even college programs. This takes time (not a weekend) to really understand. Time is money. Devote too much time in teaching this to your trainers at a commercial gym and they lose money (remember they make money off of memberships — who cares if clients actually show up?). It is much easier to sit them down on a machine with a trainer that has never been taught to teach. The trainer can then read the step-by-step pictures on the machine and hopefully not injure that individual.

Then there’s entertainment; “let’s sell them by making the place look like an amusement park!” They’ll give you cool machines, a movie theater, going-no-where-fast machines (treadmills), and a cup holder for that sugar drink they sold you on your way in.

The other extreme is selling those who actually want to work hard. Trainers come up with the hardest workout on the planet and make it a badge of honor to survive for the same workout a few more times that week. This is somewhat unique, so they can take even more of your money for a workout (not program) that a 10-year-old could plan. Who cares if the workout would have killed Rambo? It doesn’t matter if it could hurt your long term progress by causing a different injury every week.

Now, let’s move on to making some even more serious cash in the fitness industry. What happens when you create an event that anyone and their grandma can finish, and still get a prize if they finish last? The goal was to lose fat and get in shape for 99 percent of them, but they lost muscle, gained fat, and reached the finish line with a few more injuries. That registration fee might not cost much. but they sold it to millions of people, sponsors who want their name on a shirt, and created a business to sell running shoes and gear.

There is even more money to be made outside of this industry if you wait until they are completely messed up. It is called drugs and therapy, my friends. You see, they have higher standards (or they went to school longer) in their field, so they can charge even more.

Does it stop there? We still have the government officials who don’t seem to notice the purple elephant in the corner of the room. Who cares if children are obese at an alarming rate if there is money to be made feeding them sugar for breakfast? I am sure this helps test scores and makes us a better nation than allowing them to actually move during the school day.

Can we end the cycle?

Detric Smith, CSCS, USAW, ACSM-HFI

Deload and recovery

An advanced trainee who loves training needs to know when to back things off. He should have planned deload weeks, which should be included in his program, and he should know when his body needs a break. I consider an advanced trainee someone who can squat twice his body weight and deadlift two and a half times his body weight. If you can’t squat or deadlift, stop making excuses and get it done.

I wouldn’t be able to train without soft tissue work. Massages, foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and PVC pipes have allowed me to train without pain.

Drink more water to improve everything, and get more quality sleep to improve everything.

Training the mind is probably the most important part of success. It is also the most overlooked aspect of training.

Meal frequency and fat loss

Meal frequency is overrated when it comes to its effect on metabolism. Focus on quality. Most people don’t need a fancy diet to lose body fat. They just need to focus on the quality of the foods they’re eating. Go from eating fast food and junk to cooking and eating foods that have one ingredient and you’ll make progress.

Those individuals already lean (males at about 10 percent body fat and females slightly higher with visible abs) who are trying to get leaner need to have a detailed plan of how to get there. This is when you really have to understand your body and how it responds to different foods and exercise.

Those who fall in the already lean category need to examine their need for foods like milk, bread, certain types of fruits, and so called “healthy” low fat/low calorie/low carb packaged foods. They also need to have a basic understanding of how hormones affect fat loss and how meal frequency affects how much they eat. This is different for everyone. Not everyone needs to eat five or six times a day to feel full. For some individuals, this will hurt fat loss efforts more than it helps. For example, a small female trying to lose body fat would need to eat 200-calorie meals all day. This wouldn’t do anything to satiate her hunger. It would just make her hungrier.

You will never look your best if you don’t realize the importance of cooking and preparing your food in advance. You can have the greatest “diet” in the world, but if you only have Ding Dongs in your cabinet and you don’t pack your lunch, you won’t follow your plan. In addition, just because a food is healthy for you doesn’t mean that it’s great for fat loss and it doesn’t mean that it’s a great food for you individually.

The best way to track progress when it comes to fat loss is by taking pictures. Pictures don’t lie.

Learn and focus

Focus on quality. When it comes to exercise, learn to squat, bench, deadlift, and row and how to do single leg work, pull-ups, and functional core work. Leave the machine exercises behind, except for a few.

You’re weak at something, and you can work harder in the gym than you do currently. Work harder at your weaknesses and you’ll make progress.

Every program is really just a matter of stressing the body and recovering from that stress. Learn how to design a program that will bring you closer to your goals or have someone do it for you. People have others wash their cars, clean their houses, and do their taxes, but most will never invest in someone to train or help them with a training program or diet. I don’t understand this at all.

Just about all of us are beginners. The only people who will ever be advanced are those who can accept that they’re beginners. Only those with specific behavioral goals make real progress.

Young athletes will never realize the importance of good nutrition and using proper recovery methods (the other 23 hours). Do your best to get them to master the basics. Focus on improvement.

Supplements

The basics of supplementation are a daily vitamin, fish oils, and whey protein. You can get all of these things from food, but it will be difficult. But don’t waste your money on the latest greatest supplements if you don’t have the basics taken care of when it comes to a grocery list, meal plans, and food preparation.

I hate to talk about supplements because it takes the focus off of the big picture. Train hard, eat the right foods, and focus on recovery methods.

Supplements that work for reducing hunger are fiber, fish oil, and chocamine.

Detric Smith, CSCS, USAW, ACSM-HFI

Performance training for improved looks is a concept that seems to get lost behind the dozens of magazines that promote your favorite bodybuilder and the supplements they’re trying to sell us. However, it can also be used as a means to improve the way you look (along with the proper diet and lifestyle of course), not just the way you perform in your given sport. You might think that you should copy your favorite bodybuilder to look like your favorite bodybuilder, but this isn’t the case.

There are many questions you need to consider when choosing the program that is right for you:

• Do I have over 6–7 hours per week to devote to training?

• Am I training so hard that I need a full week to allow my biceps (or any other body part) to recover in order to improve from my last workout?

 

• Without using what these bodybuilders use, can my body handle the amount of volume that these bodybuilders can handle?

 

• Do I need to devote an hour to my triceps? Or can I devote this time to bringing up a weakness that can help with an injury I have?

Our bodies are built to perform, and they need to be treated that way. The following are some changes that you can make to your program to start seeing results that will carry over into your life in the form of improved looks, reduced injuries, and better performance.

• Developing single leg strength is crucial to developing performance and the way that others see you. I’ve seen many men ignore single leg work as something that is only needed for females. Men who take the time to develop their glutes, quads, and hamstrings through single leg work will enjoy the benefits of decreased injury risk, improved power output, and increased attention from the females who (believe it or not) notice more than a man’s muscular chest and biceps. The addition of split squats, step-ups, and lunge variations will go a long way in developing your lower body.

• With exercise selection being the most important component of program design, it is crucial to choose multi-joint exercises. Performing exercises such as squats, deadlifts, military presses, and the bench press with correct technique while adding a little more weight to the bar each week will lead to your quickest results. Multi-joint exercises allow you to hit multiple muscles at once. When you focus on these exercises, you will no longer need to spend countless hours with single joint exercises and machines. The time you save can be devoted to the many other aspects of a successful program.

 

• Training your core like an athlete will not only allow you to expose your abdominals (if you’re lean) but will help prevent injuries, improve posture, and improve power output. Try replacing your crunches with some stabilization (bridges and side bridges) and rotation work to feel the difference.

• Another aspect of training that seems to get lost with most bodybuilding programs is recovery, which can be seen in what you do before and after lifting and cardio. Attention must be given to improving mobility and stability with a warm up that includes movement preparation and soft tissue work. Static flexibility work after your session is a must and can also be of benefit for some lifters before the session. Recovery work will allow you to push yourself that much harder going into the next session and over the long haul.

Go back to the questions asked above and take a look at what you are currently doing. If what you are currently doing isn’t working, it may be time to change your program with a goal of improving performance.

by Detric Smith, CSCS, USAW, ACSM-HFI

For most of you reading this article who used to compete in sports, think back to your younger days. Can you imagine stepping on the field without the direction of a coach? Without someone calling the plays? Without someone providing structure and discipline? Without someone making you do the things you hated or without setting standards and providing goals that were high, yet attainable? Can you imagine competing without that “coach” who probably knew more about you than you knew about yourself?

In life, I feel that we all need coaches and that we all have the potential to be great coaches in some aspect. However, my definition of coach is not limited to sports. A coach can be a teacher, business owner, mentor, or anyone who guides someone else or an organization to reach their potential.

The following is a list that I feel all great teams, organizations, and individuals have:

Discipline: Ever see a successful business where the employees come in whenever they feel like it? Ever see a successful team with no guidelines or disciplinary procedures for those who skipped practice? I see success as reaching your potential. Champions raise the bar even further. We have all seen that team with all the talent in the world but that never seems to win. If you’re a good coach, you have discipline because without it, you have nothing.

Work ethic: It’s true that to reach the top of your given field you have to have some “natural talent.” If you are 5’6” with no athletic ability at all, maybe the NBA isn’t for you. However, for the most part, it’s overrated. If you take a look at champions from any sport or life endeavor, they worked harder than most, if not all, of those beneath them. You want to be like Tiger? Then maybe you should have started hitting golf balls when you were two years old. You want to be like Mike? Wake up every morning at four and start practicing your jump shots. If you’re a good coach, you will make sure your athletes work hard and smart.

Goal setting/focus: Being able to set goals is important. They have to be high but achievable. You have to have short- and long-term goals or else you won’t be able to stay focused for the long haul. Goals need to be broken down into years, months, days, and even hours. If you’re coaching a team that says they want to be champions but can’t focus on what is important right now such as practice, forget about the long-term goal.

Mental toughness: The goal that you set above (if it’s worth anything) will be tough to reach. You will have setbacks. The strong will fight through it. The losers will give up.

Motivation: A good coach is able to find out why their athletes are doing what they’re doing and how to get even more out of them. This extrinsic motivation needs to be internalized as intrinsic motivation inside that person. Most major changes in a person’s life come after some failure or the realization that they are not even close to their potential. Motivation needs to be individualized, and it comes in many forms, though anger is the most common. Anger is a strong energy, and if channeled the right way, can make your average person downright dangerous in a good way. Remember those people who told you “you can’t.”? The company that didn’t hire you? The person who wouldn’t give you a reference? The times you failed and had to look yourself in the mirror for what you truly were?

Consistency: All of the above need to be done over the long haul. If you want to be Tiger but you’re just picking up the clubs at 25 years old, you might need to find another profession. It takes years of the above to be successful (see my definition) at anything.

You can not do it alone because knowledge is necessary to reach your goal. Take a look in the mirror now. See yourself for who you really are and what you want to be. Print out this article and read it again in the near future. If you see the same person, analyze what you have been doing since you first read this. If you see a different person, stay on that same path that leads to success.

8 Factors That Could Be Holding You Back

Wondering why you aren’t seeing the success that you desire? Feel as though you aren’t moving forward as you had hoped you would?

The fact is, many things can hold you back from reaching your goals. And, only when you realize what it is that’s holding you back will you be able to move forward and see the success that you desire.

Not quite sure what it is for you? Let’s go over a few of the big things that commonly hold people back and how you can resolve them and get on with your progress.

Time

The first issue is simply an issue of time. Do you have enough time in your life to reach the goals you have set for yourself? You need to go in with a realistic approach. Remember, just because you happen to be very busy right now does not necessarily mean that you shouldn’t start a program. All it means is that you need to be more realistic in terms of what goals you should set for yourself.

Make the most of the time you do have. Consult with a personal trainer if you need assistance to figure out the most time-effective way to train that will yield optimal results.

And most importantly, keep in mind you do not need to spend hours each week in the gym to get good results.

Comparisons

How often do you look at other people and wonder why you aren’t where they are? Do you berate yourself after seeing another gym-goer achieve success while you are still not at your goals?

Realize that comparisons are going to get you nowhere. All they will do is cause discouragement and a feeling of not being good enough.

Stop the comparisons with other and focus on yourself. If you are better today than you were yesterday, that’s all that really matters.

Missing The Big Picture

Another big problem for some people is getting held up in the details. Do you often examine the trees while forgetting to see the forest?

Remember that little things such as whether you eat breakfast at 7 am or 8 am won’t matter if your calorie intake is not in line for instance. Focus on the big musts first.
Only once those are in place should you focus elsewhere. Many people get hung up on the little details that they overlook the things that really matter most.

Being Scared

This may seem like an odd one, but simply being scared can be a problem for some. Are you worried about how success will change your life? Are you worried about how others will react to the results that you are seeing?

Being scared of change could be causing you to sabotage your results without even realizing it. If this is the case, until you get past your fear, you’ll likely never get the results that you are going for.

Negative Self-Talk

It’s also important that you take a good look at your own self-talk. What are you saying to yourself on a daily basis? Is it building you up? Or does it tear you down?

Self-talk can happen without you even realizing it, and when it does, it shakes your confidence level.

Pay attention to what you’re saying to yourself over the course of the day. As you do this, start swapping out the negative self-statements with positive ones instead.

Accountability

Lack of accountability is another problem for many people. One of the best ways around this is simply getting yourself an accountability partner. Find someone who will check in with you from time to time and ensure that you are staying on track as you should be.

Remember, if you don’t stay consistent with your program, you’ll never get results. This could be the very thing that holds you back from the body of your dreams.

Repetition Of The Same Thing

Feel stuck in a rut? You aren’t alone? Another thing that commonly holds people back is repeating the same thing over and over again. Realize that if it didn’t work for you before, chances are, it’s not going to work for you now.

Change is necessary to get results. Don’t do the same thing over and over again yet expect a different outcome. Venture out and try something new – you’ll be happy you did.

Temptation To Take The Easy Route

Finally, the last thing that may hold you back is the temptation to take the easy route. Rather than focusing on building good habits that stick for instance, you may find yourself wanting to jump onto that quick fix diet or use the supplement that promises fast results.

Remember, these rarely lead to long-term success. Focus on building good habits and even though it may be harder upfront, it’s what will help you most over the long run.

So there you have the most common reasons why people don’t succeed. If you notice any of these in your life, it could be what’s holding you back. Make a few adjustments so that you can get back on track to maximum results

Baseball Sports Performance- Injury Prevention

Baseball is a long season that demands precision and excellence at every turn. You’ve got to time split second reactions, whip a throw to first, smack a ball out of the park or leap to keep it from sailing over the fence. How you train and play at a young age sets the foundation for performance in college, into the pros, or just pick up ball in the park. The longer you can outlast injury, the more you can work at honing your craft. While you want to get the reps, you also need to make sure you can play through the season unscathed. Sure, you’ll get some bumps, bruises, and maybe a few battle scars from a home plate collision. But if you do these four things, you can outlast any serious injury and stay in fighting shape.

Prevent Injury – Stay Mobile

With better range of motion, the further your muscles and tendons can stretch across a joint before injury. If things are all tied up in there, one wrong throw can lead to injury. If your muscles and tendons aren’t mobile, they won’t respond to sudden external loads as well. Therefore, all the pressure gets put in the joint – such as your AC joint or ulnar collateral ligament (in your elbow). Tommy John surgeries and thrower’s shoulder are often attributed to a lack of internal rotation at the shoulder and depression in the scapula. This altered range of motion at the shoulder, over time, contributes to more repeated stress on the elbow during high velocity throwing.

Thoracic spine rotation, banded distraction stretches at the lats and pec, and regular soft tissue with a baseball can do wonders. Spend a few minutes every day with your baseball pinned between your chest and the wall to open up your overhead mobility.

Train for more than just looks

As teens are developing athletically, it’s also a time when training for looks can be tempting. While in some cases having more muscle can help protect you from injury, training solely for size can make you unbalanced. Excessive use and tightness can mean strains or chronic, overuse injuries. Rather than fighting your own body to produce force, create a balanced system that performs like a well-oiled machine.

Upper traps, lats and pecs look really good at the beach. However, athletes that are overly dominant in these areas risk too much tension in the wrong places. Train your mid and lower trap to stabilize your scapular movement and allow for shoulder elevation. Start with bodyweight and bands first – light resistance but perfect form. Wall slides, band pull aparts, scap push ups and Y’s, T’s and W’s will improve your throwing mechanics. Add 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of these exercises to your warm up. Set a strength foundation here, and then progress to reverse flys and face pulls.

Get Proper Nutrition to Perform

If I had to pick one area in which most young athletes are lacking, it would be nutrition. Sodas and sugary foods spike your insulin levels unnecessarily. Even “sports drinks” can cause problems if used outside of the training window. Over time, your body loses sensitivity to insulin and it starts to forget to respond to it. And that’s bad news for athletes, as insulin is what tells us to uptake the carbs we need for energy. Add to that the saturated and trans fats from fast and fried foods, and you’ve got a recipe for a slow metabolism. Since metabolism is what provides us with energy, ignoring good nutritional habits makes us feel worse, slows recovery, and lowers performance.

To stay at the top of your game, feed your body a good balance of whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein and omega 3 fats. A good baseball game can last forever and demands your full attention while at bat or covering the bases – so keep those energy levels from spiking and dropping by feeding yourself well. Avoid fried or sugary foods and drink plenty of water. After the game, enjoy some chocolate milk to recover.. Attention to these details can make the difference between making it to the next level or not.

Avoid doing too much too soon

I know you want to be the next Bryce Harper or Clayton Kershaw, but give yourself the time to get there. Doing too much too soon can put you at high risk for a serious injury. The pressures from parents, coaches, teammates, colleges and more drives lots of young athletes to push beyond their limits. It’s okay to train hard, but be sure to listen to your body. If you feel like you’re breaking down, or something feels not right, train accordingly.

Too often I see young athletes burn out or get a career threatening injury before they turn 18. Get set up with a good strength and conditioning program, have someone monitor your throws and batting practices per week, and keep a balanced life outside of the baseball diamond.

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Softball Sports Performance- Injury Prevention

Softball has a long season that demands precision and excellence at every turn. You’ve got to time split second reactions, whip a throw to first, smack a ball out of the park or leap to keep it from sailing over the fence. How you train and play at a young age sets the foundation for performance in college, into the pros, or just pick up ball in the park. The longer you can outlast injury, the more you can work at honing your craft. While you want to get the reps, you also need to make sure you can play through the season unscathed. Sure, you’ll get some bumps, bruises, and maybe a few battle scars from a home plate collision. But if you do these four things, you can outlast any serious injury and stay in fighting shape.

Prevent Injury – Stay Mobile

With better range of motion, the further your muscles and tendons can stretch across a joint before injury. If things are all tied up in there, one wrong throw can lead to injury. If your muscles and tendons aren’t mobile, they won’t respond to sudden external loads as well. Therefore, all the pressure gets put in the joint – such as your AC joint or ulnar collateral ligament (in your elbow). Tendonitis and thrower’s shoulder are often attributed to a lack of internal rotation at the shoulder and general tightness down the kinetic chain. This altered range of motion, over time, contributes to more repeated stress on the elbow, shoulder and wrist during high velocity throwing.

Thoracic spine rotation, banded distraction stretches at the lats and pec, and regular soft tissue with a softball can do wonders. Spend a few minutes every day with your softball pinned between your chest and the wall to open up your overhead mobility.

Train for more than just looks

As teens are developing athletically, it’s also a time when training for looks can be tempting. While in some cases having more muscle can help protect you from injury, training solely for size can make you unbalanced. Excessive use and tightness can mean strains or chronic, overuse injuries. Rather than fighting your own body to produce force, create a balanced system that performs like a well-oiled machine.

Upper traps, lats and pecs will make your shoulders well-defined. However, athletes that are overly dominant in these areas risk too much tension in the wrong places. Doing just traditional strength exercises like pull ups, bench press, and shrugs can make things worse. Due to the high volume of throws, pitchers are at an even greater risk. Manage your pitch count and continue with flexibility and strengthening

Train your mid and lower trap to stabilize your scapular movement and allow for shoulder elevation. Start with bodyweight and bands first – light resistance but perfect form. Wall slides, band pull aparts, scap push ups and Y’s, T’s and W’s will improve your throwing mechanics. Add 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of these exercises to your warm up. Set a strength foundation here, and then progress to reverse flys and face pulls.

Get Proper Nutrition to Perform

If I had to pick one area in which most young athletes are lacking, it would be nutrition. Sodas and sugary foods spike your insulin levels unnecessarily. Even “sports drinks” can cause problems if used outside of the training window. Over time, your body loses sensitivity to insulin and it starts to forget to respond to it. And that’s bad news for athletes, as insulin is what tells us to uptake the carbs we need for energy. Add to that the saturated and trans fats from fast and fried foods, and you’ve got a recipe for a slow metabolism. Since metabolism is what provides us with energy, ignoring good nutritional habits makes us feel worse, slows recovery, and lowers performance.

To stay at the top of your game, feed your body a good balance of whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein and omega 3 fats. And make sure you’re getting enough food overall to fuel performance. A good softball game can last forever and demands your full attention while at bat or covering the bases – so keep those energy levels from spiking and dropping by feeding yourself well. Avoid fried or sugary foods and drink plenty of water. After the game, enjoy some chocolate milk to recover.. Attention to these details can make the difference between making it to the next level or not.

Avoid doing too much too soon

I know you want to be the next Jennie Finch or Cat Osterman, but give yourself the time to get there. Doing too much too soon can put you at high risk for a serious injury. The pressures from parents, coaches, teammates, colleges and more drives lots of young athletes to push beyond their limits. It’s okay to train hard, but be sure to listen to your body. If you feel like you’re breaking down, or something feels not right, train accordingly.

Too often I see young athletes burn out or get a career threatening injury before they turn 18. Get set up with a good strength and conditioning program, have someone monitor your throws and batting practices per week, and keep a balanced life outside of the softball diamond.

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Volleyball Sports Performance- Injury Prevention

Volleyball matches can be hard-hitting on the joints. Between diving on the floor and continuous jumping to block, serve, or spike, the game itself is a recipe for bumps and bruises. You’ve got to time split second reactions, sacrifice your body on the floor, and land athletically just to leap back up again to stop a point, all while avoiding colliding with your teammates.

How you train and play at a young age sets the foundation for performance in college, internationally, or just pick up ball in the park. The longer you can outlast injury, the more you can work at honing your craft. While you want to get the reps, you also need to make sure you can play through the season unscathed. Sure, you’ll get some battle scars along the way. But if you do these four things, you can outlast any serious injury and stay in fighting shape.

Prevent Injury – Stay Mobile

With better range of motion, the further your muscles and tendons can stretch across a joint before injury. If things are all tied up in there, one wrong landing can mean a sprained ankle. If your muscles and tendons aren’t mobile, they won’t respond to sudden external loads as well. Therefore, all the pressure gets put in the joint , and you risk injuries of the CFL or ATFL, which are fancy acronyms for ligaments in ankle or high ankle sprains. However, most knee or ankle injuries originate from the hip and general tightness down the kinetic chain. Lack of mobility in the hips or ankles creates bad landing mechanics, which, over time, contributes to more repeated stress on the lower leg.

Pigeon, frog and hurdler’s stretches can be implemented in the warm up. Banded distraction with a hip extension bias in the lunge can also create more room in that hip joint and open up our hip flexors. Finally, the calves, peroneals and tibialis anterior get surprisingly tight with all of that jumping. Spend a few minutes every day with a foam roller or peanut pinned between your calves, shins and the floor to roll out some of those adhesions.

Train for more than just looks

As teens are developing athletically, it’s also a time when training for looks can be tempting. While in some cases having more muscle can help protect you from injury, training solely for size can make you unbalanced. Excessive use and tightness can mean strains or chronic, overuse injuries. Rather than fighting your own body to produce force, create a balanced system that performs like a well-oiled machine.

While your legs may look great in those shorts, don’t forget to balance out the big players with the smaller, less noticeable muscles. Weak and tight calves are strong contributors to repetitive use injuries such as shin splints, and improper hamstring and glute med strength leaves many athletes landing with their knees buckled. While much of this can be attributed to improper mechanics, the more we balance things out, the less likely we are to injure ourselves while focusing on setting up the winning spike.

Train your balance and posterior chain at the same time with body weight single leg RDL’s. Banded crab walks activate the glutes in the perfect landing position. Multi-directional lunges also help stabilize the ankle, as do prehab exercises such as calf raises and single leg balancing. Make it a game and practice hitting the ball back and forth while balancing on one leg. The more stable you can get in an athletic position – knees slightly bent and tracking with the ankle, weight on the balls of your feet, glutes engaged – the better you’ll be at jumping anyways.

Start with bodyweight and bands first – light resistance but perfect form. Add 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of these exercises to your warm up. Set a strength foundation here, and then progress to broad jumps or goblet squats.

Get Proper Nutrition to Perform

If I had to pick one area in which most young athletes are lacking, it would be nutrition. Sodas and sugary foods spike your insulin levels unnecessarily. Even “sports drinks” can cause problems if used outside of the training window. Over time, your body loses sensitivity to insulin and it starts to forget to respond to it. And that’s bad news for athletes, as insulin is what tells us to uptake the carbs we need for energy. Add to that the saturated and trans fats from fast and fried foods, and you’ve got a recipe for a slow metabolism. Since metabolism is what provides us with energy, ignoring good nutritional habits makes us feel worse, slows recovery, and lowers performance.

To stay at the top of your game, feed your body a good balance of whole grains, fruit and vegetables, lean protein and omega 3 fats. And make sure you’re getting enough food overall to fuel performance. A good volleyball match demands your full attention – so keep those energy levels from spiking and dropping by feeding yourself well. Avoid fried or sugary foods and drink plenty of water. After the match, enjoy some chocolate milk to recover.. Attention to these details can make the difference between making it to the next level or not.

Avoid doing too much too soon

I know you want to be the next Kerri Walsh-Jennings or Misty May-Traenor, but give yourself the time to get there. Doing too much too soon can put you at high risk for a serious injury. The pressures from parents, coaches, teammates, colleges and more drives lots of young athletes to push beyond their limits. It’s okay to train hard, but be sure to listen to your body. If you feel like you’re breaking down, or something feels not right, train accordingly.

Too often I see young athletes burn out or get a career threatening injury before they turn 18. Get set up with a good strength and conditioning program, have someone monitor your jumps and training hours per week, and have a balanced life off the court.

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I can’t tell the story of Results Performance Training without some background on me and my experience. Below is a quick overview of things I have done……

• VCU graduate – Kinesiology
• Assisted with Strength and Conditioning at VCU as a Volunteer
• Worked at a sports performance center
• Worked at quite a few commercial gyms as a trainer
• Worked at quite a few personal training studios
• Taught PE in elementary and middle school
• Coached at the high school level (strength and conditioning, track, football)
• Spent a few years competing in powerlifting, but not really a powerlifter ..this is a “sport” for people that are not crazy gifted athletically. It taught me a lot which I will discuss in future articles

So I basically started off working with college and pro athletes and worked my way to 5 year olds, before starting up Results Performance Training. It’s been about 17 years total with 11 of those coming before Results Performance Training opened.

That first decade of my career formed the foundation for what we do at RPT. A blend of coach, trainer, and teacher is what you will get when you step in our doors. I started off with the label coach, and when I hear it today it still makes my day. It’s the difference maker and everyone needs one in their life! You see coaches get RESULTS(or they get fired!). Coaches don’t leave when the session ends. Coaches are there 24/7 and do whatever it takes to win!

Those years at the commercial gym taught me what I did not want our business to become. I had to get out of an atmosphere where it’s more about taking someone’s money than actually helping them reach their goals. Their trainers are listed on a board with how much money they made and you get more sales training than advice on actually changing lives.

I loved the personal training studios I worked at! I just was not a fan of a bunch of useless machines taking up space. They all did great when it came to building the relationship though.

The last job I thought I would have in this lifetime, as a teacher, taught me the most. I think everyone should have to experience of leading a room of 25 five year olds,or middle school children. You see they don’t care one bit about all that other stuff. They only care, after you show them that you care! It also gave me experience breaking down those complex task into something simple that anyone can understand. It’s all simple, not easy, but it is simple.

Results Performance Training is nothing more than a blend of the above. We are not in this to turn in to another me-too business. We are in this to change lives. We will coach you up when you need it. We will always be there for you. We are teachers, and teach technique better than any other location. We believe in education instead of having you follow all these fads that are worthless. We are not copying these “hardcore” workout centers that do a better job of injuring people than getting results. We are not in this to be another group class. We turned the “group class” into group personal training. WE ARE HERE TO CHANGE LIVES.

Over the next few posts I am going to dive in to the specifics of how we differ from all those other places. I am going to tell you about our system for getting Results. If you are a current member you know about these things, but I am going to push you a bit harder. If you are just staring up, then you will know what we stand for before you come in for session one. If you are sitting on the fence then realize you don’t have a lot of time, and this is the main reason to take action today. If you are a former member I am still here for you, and I am obsessed with making RPT just a little better every single day. If I am not for you that is cool also. There is an unsubscribe button at the bottom.

So do me a favor and click that reply button and share your story. We are here to help. Feel free to send your name and a text over to 757-589-7028 to set up your free success session today!

Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM Exercise Physiologist

We are about a week away from diet season! You know, nothing beats waiting until 2017 to start making progress towards your goals! I have a love-hate relationship with January. I love to see so many people taking actions towards their fitness and health goals, but I hate to see so many of them fail because they have no guidance. They end up choosing instant gratification over principles that work long term.

99% of diet books are worthless that make you believe there is some magic formula between you and the body you want. They lead people into buying useless and over priced supplements. Diet books dance around solid principles and cause more confusion after the diet is done. A plan is only as good as your ability to execute the plan, long term.

A few commons sense principles can help you lose the pounds and keep them off. A quick warning though – this is very simple and quick. I go into more detail in our 28 Day Program, and when our members turn in those food logs – to hold them accountable.

I am a bullet point type of guy so:

• Long term success on a diet means you have to be in a slight caloric deficit over   time and enjoy the foods you eat.
• Staying on the plan is an important part of the plan that most people forget or don’t plan for.
• Calories do count! I have to say this because some diet books don’t even address  the one law you cant break and lose fat!!
• The food has to taste good! Learn to prepare healthy food so it does not taste like card board. Don’t follow a one size fits all grocery list that does not fit you.
• With solid habits around planning, grocery shopping, flexible meal plans, and food prep any diet will work.
• Eat high quality natural foods that take care of your needs for fiber and nutrients. Quality foods is a term that can be debated for the next 200 years but we go over  this in more detail in the 28 Day Transformation. For the most part we all agree on 90% of what is good and bad. If your body does not get the required nutrients it will be hungry. So if you eat 2000 calories of cotton candy and still feel hungry or hungrier, there is a reason for that. It’s called survival!
• A higher ratio of protein helps a ton with staying on your plan because it keeps you full. No, I did not say go buy a protein shake, eat no carbs, and have no fat in your diet.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Hunger, energy, and cravings will tell you a lot about if your diet is working and if  you can do it long term. If these are off then it will not work.
• The foods  you eat that are not healthy can still be eaten…. In smaller portions and less frequency. This will actually lead to better results because you will  stay on your plan. You will avoid the diet mentality of ” I messed up so screw it for the rest of the week”.

Diet books also miss the most important part of success, accountability. The main reason our 28 Day Transformation works so well is because of the coaching that comes along with it. The way we put more emphasis on day 0 and day 29, as in the mindset going in and how you will transition and build habits.

Tired of jumping from plan to plan with no results?

Tired of losing a few pounds just to put them back on?

To learn more about our 28 Day Jumpstart and Training Programs, Click Here!
If you have any questions, comments, or would like to schedule a FREE Success Session, Email us at [email protected]

thanks,
Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM-HFS