Confidence Building and Positive Thinking

Check out this great article on creating a positive mindset.
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/the_confidence_switch

General Physical Preparedness

General physical preparedness, or GPP, is an athlete’s ability to compete at a certain level on a given day.

It is a foundational component of training and is determined by an athlete’s fitness level. GPP training methods are meant to provide a balance between all the fitness components such as flexibility, strength, muscular and cardiovascular endurance, speed, and other factors.

Dr. Yuri Verkoshansky states in his book The Fundamentals of Special Strength Training in Sport that GPP serves to:

• To form, strengthen or restore motor skills, which play an auxiliary, facilatory role in perfecting sports ability.

• To teach abilities developed insufficiently by the given sport; increase the general work capacity or preserve it.

• To provide active rest, promote restoration after strenuous loading, and counteract the monotony of training.

By building up general fitness qualities, an athlete gives themselves a stronger foundation in which more sport specific skills can be built upon. An individual’s fitness must be at a certain level if they are to maximize their sports skills.

For the athlete, resistance training, conditioning drills, and flexibility exercises are all forms  of general physical preparation that allow them to get the most out of their sports practice sessions and drills.

For example, a stronger, more powerful athlete will be more explosive when performing drills or when executing assignments in game situations. An athlete who possesses adequate flexibility will be able to get in proper positions more easily and therefore be able to maximize their leverages and mechanics. These are just a couple examples that illustrate how building up general fitness qualities can have a large impact on athletic performance and should not be ignored.

There are many methods and tools at the athlete’s disposal and it is to their advantage to utilize them to get the most out of their abilities.

Josh Power, CSCS


References:
1. Tate,D. Drag Your Butt Into Shape-General Physical Preparedness: Westside Style. March 2001
 

5 Reasons to Squat to Parallel

The parallel squat is a terrific exercise that should be a staple in any athletic strength and conditioning program. If you were to make a short list of exercises to build you program around, the squat would be at the top of it. It is a movement that offers many benefits to the athlete, some of which I will discuss below.

1.      Develops and assesses functional athletic flexibility- The ability to reach proper depth with good technique in a parallel squat requires flexibility of all the major joints of the body. By consistently working on your parallel squat technique, you can simultaneously work on your dynamic flexibility. The parallel squat is also great for assessment. If an athlete is unable to reach adequate depth with good technique, this should indicate some flexibility issues to address. If the athlete can achieve this, then they most likely have sufficient flexibility for most athletic positions and stances.

2.      Develops knee joint stability- The muscles of the hip (Glutes, hamstrings and adductors) play a big part in controlling and stabilizing the knee in athletic movements. The parallel squat brings these muscle groups into play and strengthens them, thus contributing to the development of knee joint stability. Strong hamstrings also help in reducing stress on the ACL and can help protect it during athletic activities.

3.      Develops the posterior chain- The posterior chain is composed of the erectors, glutes, and hamstrings. These muscle groups are of great importance to the athlete because their level of development and strength will dictated how fast you run and how high you jump.  A properly performed parallel squat will fully engage and strengthen these muscles. The development these muscles are also of special importance because they are often among the most underdeveloped muscle groups of the body, especially in young athletes.

4.      Develops a large amount of muscle mass- Although the squat is considered primarily an exercise that targets the muscles of the hip and knee, it actually incorporates almost every muscle in the body to some degree, whether it’s as a primary mover or stabilizer. The recruitment of so many muscles of the body is a huge stimulus for the body to produce and release hormones that aid in muscle growth throughout the body.

5.      Safety- When you squat to parallel you are forced to use less weight. An individual will typically be able to handle more weight the further they get above a parallel position, due to better leverages and not having to move the weight as far. While the extra weight on the bar may look impressive to your friends and stroke your ego, it can be dangerous to your spine because of the sharp increase in loading over what you can handle through a full range of motion. Squats that aren’t at least parallel can also cause excessive stress on the knees’ anterior (front) side, because the hamstrings aren’t fully engaged to help balance forces on the posterior (back) side of the knee.

The parallel squat is one of the greatest tools available to the athlete in preparation for competition. It is both effective and efficient. If you are an athlete, make sure you are including it in your program.

Josh Power, CSCS

Why a Strength and Conditioning Program is Important for Athletes

There is no doubt that today’s athletes are bigger, faster, and stronger than in years past. Much of this can be attributed to the increased focus on organized strength and conditioning programs.  A properly designed strength and conditioning program can help an individual get the most out of their athletic abilities and break through plateaus in performance due to the individuals’ own physical limitations in a particular skill.

These limitations can come in many forms. One may be a lack of development and strength in a primary muscle or muscle group used in the sports movement, such as the hamstrings in sprinting. Weak hamstrings will limit your ability to reach top speed while running. Another limitation may be an imbalance between opposing muscle groups. An example of this is the pectorals and the rotator cuff. If the pectorals are overly developed and the rotator cuff is under developed, then the shoulder joint is more susceptible to injury. A lack of strength in the muscles of the hip and torso can limit your ability to apply force against the ground and in turn limit your sprinting and jumping potential.

Some other examples include inadequate flexibility and mobility and insufficient conditioning for the demands of the sport.

The great news is that a properly designed strength and conditioning program can address all of these issues and more!

First of all, a scientifically designed training program can increase an athlete’s strength and power. These are two very important attributes for an athlete. The main function of the body’s, over 600 muscles, is to contract and move body parts. The stronger the muscles are the more force they can generate and the faster the body can move, run, jump and throw. Power is the ability to perform explosive athletic movements. Jumping, sprinting, shooting a takedown, throwing a punch, and coming hard out of a stance all rely on generating power.

Much of the improvement in these two areas can be attributed to adaptations in the nervous system. These adaptations include greater ability to recruit more muscle fibers, rate of firing, and synchronization that lead to improved muscle function.

There are also many structural changes in the body while utilizing a training program. One of which is an increase in muscle mass of trained areas. An increase in muscle mass due to enlargement of muscle fibers, results in greater strength of the muscle.  Other structural changes that occur with consistent training are an increase in bone density and strength, as well as growth and strengthening of connective tissues (tendons and ligaments). These adaptations can help in reducing the chances of sustaining non-contact injuries. (Strains and sprains).

An athlete’s conditioning level is also vital to their success. An athlete in top condition can still perform in a fatigued state. It is important that the appropriate types of conditioning methods are being used to stimulate the proper adaptations to get the most benefit training sessions. The methods used for conditioning must be specific to the demands of the sport or activity; otherwise you are just wasting valuable sport preparation time. A properly designed program utilizes the means and techniques necessary to develop the appropriate energy systems required for a particular sport or athletic activity.

Another area where strength and conditioning programs can help an athlete is in the area of flexibility and mobility. Each sport has a specific requirement for the degree of flexibility of the muscles used in the sport’s skills, and the range of motion needed by various joints of the body to perform well. Having an adequate amount of flexibility and mobility allows an athlete to be able get in proper positions to perform their skills, as well as reducing restrictions in range of motion that may hinder performance. Using appropriate flexibility and mobility techniques can also help reduce the risk of injury such as, muscle and tendon strains and ligament sprains.

A benefit of a strength and conditioning program that can be overlooked is the mental aspect. Consistent participation in a training program teaches an individual how to set goals and how to develop the work ethic and dedication needed to achieve those goals. Once a person begins to achieve goals on a regular basis, their confidence will grow quickly, and they see the benefit of their hard work. These mental skills and characteristics begin to carry over to everyday life and can have a positive impact in other areas.

These are some of the major athletic performance areas that can be addressed with a sound strength and conditioning program. I hope this information has been valuable in explaining what a program can do to improve your own athletic success and give you some reasons to consider taking up your own training program.

Josh Power, CSCS