Winter 2011

COLUMBUS’ ONLY ATHLETIC FITNESS MAGAZINE CUTTING EDGE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS PREVIEW EDITION Winter 2011

MUSCLE OF THE MONTH: HAMSTRING EXERCISE OF THE MONTH: CABLE PULL THROUGH

Archie Griffin

The Evolution of Athletic Fitness

FREE PREVIEW ISSUE

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FROM THE EDITOR Taking Your Training Elsewhere: Brian Saunders 614.559.0993 bsaunders@11athletics.com

Creative Director Jason Goggins jgoggins@11athletics.com

Editor Ellen Fishel

Advertising Sales Jennifer Fekpe Todd Johnson

Contributors Wilson Fleming Margaret Hofmann J.L. Holdsworth Todd Johnson Amanda Rogers Jonathan Sanders Rachel Webb

Advertising Inquiries jgoggins@11athletics.com

11athletics Magazine P.O. Box 91332 Columbus, OH 43209

www.11athletics.com ON THE COVER: Archie Griffin Photgraphed by Jeffrey Rykus

Yours in fitness

Brian Saunders

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief

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It’s early, 5:30 a.m., and I’m kicking down the door at the gym. I have clients to train, problems to address, stories to hear.

It’s all part of the job and I’m totally fine with that. I get to wear sweatpants and a t-shirt to work everyday. I am the boss, the best trainer in the area, the world. At least that’s what I tell myself—doesn’t every trainer? Honestly, 11 ATHLETIC I have been dreaming about training for as long as I can 11 athletics remember—living it, reading it, breathing it. But this is not my story, it’s yours.

Let’s get back to 5:30 a.m. at the gym. Who is here with me? The usual suspects, people with habits. I hear the treadmills soaring and ellipticals turning; I chuckle to myself. I will never understand why people waste so much time on machines that go nowhere. Don’t get me wrong, some do have their place. I mean what would we do without a microwave? I get lost sometimes, bear with me. After all, I am your guide to a better, more functional life—trust me.

My clients know. They have one choice once they cut the check—get in shape or get on the stationary bike like the rest and pedal to nowhere. I eliminate your ailments, accelerate performance and get you to attack life. It’s that simple. Today and everyday my clients—followers, believers and people that want to get more out of themselves—are moving. We are functional, dynamic. We are zeroing in on muscle imbalances, aches, pain, flexibility, weakness and stubborn fat. I do not sell any snake oil, videos or supplements like most trainers today. I tell you to eat right and cut out the crap. You want to do the same video 50,000 mainstream peanuts are doing? Go ahead. Come see me when you‘ve ripped your rotator cuff or can’t bend over to tie your shoes. You follow my advice, you win. You follow the pack, you eventually lose.

This is more than my vision, I wish it was everyone’s—11athletics. After all is said and done, a vision is only a vision unless acted upon. 11athletics is a fact, a cause, an opportunity to change your life. We are all athletes. We all have daily activities to achieve that require balance, flexibility, strength, coordination, functional movement and fluid movement. When we lose our ability to be active and be athletic, we become sedentary, and until we break free from inactivity we struggle.

11athletics is not just about athletes, it’s about everyone. Just because we aren’t sinking shots as the clock expires doesn’t mean we aren’t role models for our children, our parents, our friends, our spouse, our life. I won’t quit if you tell me to do 5 more reps. I’ll do 6. But it’s not about me. It’s about you becoming an athlete—an 11athletics athlete.

©2011 by 11athletics, LLC. Reproduction of any content, in whole or in part, without written consent of publisher is strictly prohibited. “11athletics” is a registered Trademark of 11athletics, LLC and is published bi-monthly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. All rights reserved.

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FEATURE 24

24 Archie Griffin

11athletics Staff Answers Your Questions About Fitness, Health, Nutrition and Life.

GET FUNCTIONAL 9 10 Exercise of the Month

Cable Pull Through

Effective Training: The Squat

12 Nutrition 11 Top Foods to Increase Athletic Performance

15 Female Fitness Setting the Barre on Women’s FitnessTable of Contents 16 Female of the Month

Stephanie Schiff

18 Muscle of the Month

Hamstring

A Different Approach

34 5 Exercises Your Trainer Can’t Do 36 4 Sports Training Myths Exposed

38 Injuries 101

Plantar Fasciitis

39 Kids Corner

How to Jump & Land to Prevent Injury

42 Local Spotlight

Local Athletes Making Waves in High School, College and the Pros

46 The Scorcher

20 Happy Trails

The Evolution of Athletic Fitness

ATHLETE ADVICE 29 32 Core Training for Athletes

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Local Trail Running

Raise Your Metabolic Activity to Maximize Your Fat Loss

Archie Griffin’s desk is littered with photos and memorabilia from his life and career.

Read our interview with Archie on page 24.

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ASK 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

This should be the last thing that any trainer should be doing. Trainers are not registered dieticians and should not be pushing supplements to anyone, let alone teenagers.

My daughter will be playing Division I Tennis next season. Her collegiate coach wants her to focus on power and endurance. My husband says she just needs to run several miles a day. What training protocol do you recommend?

-Karen, 42, Columbus

Q:

I am curious. What type of certification(s) should I seek in a trainer who will be training my 16-year-old basketball player?

-Brad, 46, Cincinnati

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This is a great question, but a difficult answer. I would recommend looking Avoid this trainer checklist: first at their level of education. • No education The last thing you want to do is • Lacking a decent or hire a personal trainer who doesn’t any Training Certification know anything about physiology, • Pushes supplements kinesiology or basic periodization. • Starts training program The bad news is you probably just without doing medical eliminated half the trainers from history or assessment your list. Unfortunately, there are • Is uninsured too many trainers out there who sell • Has one workout or training witchcraft over concrete knowledge, protocol for all clients and there are no set guidelines on who can obtain personal training certifications. Because of this, most personal training certifications can be earned online with little depth of true training knowledge. You obviously want to make sure they actually have a certification as well. Once again, there are many trainers who do not carry up to date certifications. This tells you that they are more interested in ringing the cash register than staying up to date on their education. Also, find out how many basketball players they have trained in the past. Did this player get injured during the season? Did they reach their training goals? What do the parents have to say about this trainer?

Lastly, avoid going to trainers who recommend supplements right away.

I don’t know if there is only one training protocol I would recommend. If your daughter has not strength trained before or has little experience, she will probably respond to a number of different training protocols. Simply running a set amount of miles each day will certainly not improve power.

Power is one of the most difficult skills to teach, so it should be your primary concentration over endurance. Her conditioning or endurance should be gained primarily by practicing her sport in game-like conditions. Rather than confuse you further by going indepth about the difference between power and endurance, I would recommend that you seek advice from a qualified personal trainer. I suggest you find a trainer who has worked with high level athletes in the past. The results her college coach is looking for will require different periodized mesocycles or

Q:

I have been training for a few weeks for a sprint triathlon. Every time I try to run I experience pain in my side. I can’t seem to shake it. What is wrong?

-Kati, 26, Columbus

Most likely you are dealing with what is termed as exercise-related transient abdominal pain (ETAP), or runner’s stitch. There are a number of theories for what causes ETAP, but researchers have narrowed down most of the studies to our diet. In your case, I would recommend that you avoid sugary drinks before running, slowly progress your fitness level, warm up before you go straight into running and develop a comprehensive stretching program. If none of these recommendations work for you, I suggest you do further online research or see a physician to narrow down your underlying cause. specific biomotor training protocols to maximize her performance. If she has qualified to play for a DI School then she obviously has loads of talent and will greatly benefit from a wellstructured training program.

I am training for a pump and run and I need to be able to press 80 percent of my bodyweight for maximum total of repetitions.

So far I can do about 15 reps and I need to get to 30. How do I do it?

-Travis, 37, Columbus

Competitions like this are based on strength and muscular endurance.

Maximum strength should be your first priority. Since you did not include your weight, let us conclude

that you weigh 200lbs. Therefore, 80 percent of 200lbs is 160lbs. The next thing to do is estimate your one rep max lift. The safest way to do this is to select a weight that you can do no more than eight times, attempt this weight and then plug it into a max rep calculator (found online or use this formula: weight/(1.0278-(.0278 x reps)). Once we have your one rep max we can determine your priority in training. Based on reps for percent training you would need to be close to or above a 250lb one rep max lift before you would be able to lift 160lbs 30 times. In this case, training protocols should call for heavy strength days based on percentages

from 75-90 percent (after a proper warm-up) of your current one rep max and high repetition (maximal) sets based on 40-50 percent of your one rep max. Do your heavy sets first and then your high repetition set last. As you get closer to the competition and closer to the 250lb max, your focus should switch to more endurance-based workouts, but make sure to maintain your current strength by including a few heavy sets of 75-80 percent your one-rep-max. If you want to send me some specific specs I will be glad to email you a routine that gets you where you want to be.

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ASK

Q:

More weight or more reps?

-Anonymous

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Since I don’t know your ultimate goal (i.e. get bigger or get leaner) this isn’t an easy question to answer. As a general rule, if you are looking to tone up, do higher reps at a lower resistance, and if you want to bulk up, do lower reps at a higher resistance. Pretty simple, right? What this doesn’t take into account though is your current physical condition, age, gender or diet. All of these factors play a vital role in determining the proper training protocol in order to reach your desired goal. My advice would be to consult a fitness professional for a personalized training program suited to your particular needs. Be sure to visit 11athletics.com for more information and links to training professionals in the Columbus area.

I am a 15-year-old high school student and I’m trying out for my high school soccer team. I need to lose body fat to gain speed and endurance. What can I add to my training program to help?

-Tyson, 15, Dayton

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The first thing you should already be doing is playing some type of club, recreation, league or any other type of organized soccer. You are young enough that raising your activity level will certainly help reduce your fat and increase your endurance for soccer. The second most important facet you should focus on is your diet. That means cut the fast food immediately and try to get the majority of the carbohydrates from natural sources, i.e. fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind that these

are recommendations and that you should seek the advice of a registered dietician before starting any diet. Third, get yourself in the weight room. Lifting weights increases your metabolism far more than endurance activities and will help you add lean muscle to further your fat burning efforts.

Lastly, speed is a difficult skill to develop so seek the advice from an experienced trainer who will walk you through the proper steps of speed and power development.

Have question for the 11athletics staff?

Visit our Contact Us page at www.11athletics.com to submit your questions on anything about fitness, health, nutrition and life.

I am a 26-year-old weekend warrior and am having persistent pain in the outside of my left elbow. I lift three times a week, play tennis and softball on the weekends. It seems to be getting worse. What can I do?

-David, 26, Akron

It sounds like lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow. I would honestly recommend you get to an orthopedic doctor to eliminate some other potentially worse diagnosis, but generally speaking this is an overuse or inflammation injury. It typically occurs from overuse or constant repetitive stress. Other symptoms include point tenderness over the prominent bone, gripping pain and/or pain with revisited wrist extension. It most likely will calm down with a few weeks rest. If you can’t rest it, at least limit some of your activity that exacerbates the injury. Also try and consistently take NSAIDS (ibuprophen, aspirin or naproxen) combined with some icing treatments for a week to decrease the inflammation.

GET FUNCT IONAL Improve your energy, your desire and your life for the better

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exercise of the month Functional vs. Fixed Movement

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Push up/mb

Cable Pull Through

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Double Bosu

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The Cable Pull Through is an exercise that is a must for fostering functional athletes. When executed properly, it helps develop athletic movement for the low back, glutes and hamstrings.

11athletics professionals recommend using a variety of stances and combining the cable stack weight with an exercise band to enable variable resistance over constant.

SB Balance Cable cablePull pullThrough through

The IDEA fitness journal (April 2008) tested 30 male and female subjects using functional cable equipment versus fixed motion equipment. The study found the functional movement group had a 58 percent increase in strength improvement over the fixed group and an overwhelming 200 percent increase in balance capabilities over the fixed form group. Even more shocking, a 111 percent increase in joint pain was reported among the fixed form group, while the functional movement group reported a 30 percent decrease in joint pain. This is further proof that functional movement is king and standard machine equipment exercises are a thing of the past.

Planks vs. Abdominal Curls Planks are far superior in the activation of core associated muscles. In fact, planks activate the lower back, hips and the entire abdominal region, while simple abdominal curls only activate the rectus abdominis (middle of stomach) and a small percentage of the obliques (side of abs) with little to no activation of the lower back. With back associated problems still a huge problem in our society, 11athletics recommends you use core exercises that are more functional to the stabilization of the human body.

11athletics recommendations: Planks: hold for 1min to 3min, Side Plank:s hold for 45sec to 1:30min

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Effective Training: The Squat Designing a sport specific program requires not only prioritizing the primary muscles involved in excelling in the sport but also developing protocols that prevent injury.

A lot of injuries can result from improper lifting and deviating from proper form and function. A staple in any training program is the squat.

Take a look at 11athletics’ steps to a perfect basic squat:

5) Head-Up, face forward position, chin

1) Safety-First insert the safety bars at

8) Hips-The first move of the squat

just below hip level. If this does not let you reach parallel (quads to floor or hip joint in line with knee joint) then drop the pins down another level. Even if you are not lifting extremely heavy weights, the bars will prevent further injury if something goes wrong. Always do this.

2) Feet-Your feet shoud be slightly outside shoulder width apart. Feet should also be pointing out 10 to 40 degrees.

3) Hands-The key is to find a comfortable, stable grip that is the same distance on the bar as the other side.

4) Chest and Shoulders-Shoulders should be back (retracted), forming a wide position of the chest. Bar should rest across the upper trapezius.

slightly up.

6) Back-Slight arch in lower back.

7) Abdominals-Work on keeping the core tight throughout the entire movement. requires moving the hips backward as you begin the descent. This helps the athlete get into proper position with the load and avoid additional stress upon the knee joint.

9) Range of Motion-Athletes who do not finish the squat in parallel position sacrifice motor unit and muscle fiber recruitment.

Fitness Moves for a Stronger Back Young athletes tend to go directly to the Olympic Bar when they should first develop basic stabilization exercises for the core. At the same time, the more developed athlete tends to skip important stabilization exercises thinking they are not necessary. The best example would be to train your triceps extensively but never your biceps. Interested in increasing your core strength? Implement these moves into your routine: • Stability Ball Bird Dog • Stability Ball Reverse Hyper • BOSU Superman

Variable Resistance vs. Constant Bands and chains are making their way into our gyms more and more. Some of the science is pointing toward using bands and chains in replacement of free weights. The proponents of bands claim the constant change in resistance is superior in activating neuromuscular recruitment. The majority of the scientific studies are pointing toward combining the two methods as the superior way to lift, since comparative studies have not been able to determine a clear winner independently.

10) Weight-Weight of the load should be on the heels of the athlete’s feet rather than on the toes or front of the foot.

11) Focus-The athlete should have form in mind and also focus on primarily using the glutes and hamstrings to hold and move the load.

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GET FUNCTIONAL NUTRITION 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

To Eat or Not to Eat

Full Recovery In sports activity where fast twitch muscle movement is primary, muscle glycogen must be replaced in a post-activity food or drink that is rich in carbohydrates. Studies in the Journal of Applied Physiology concluded that a combination of carbohydrate-protein supplementation is more effective than a carbohydrate supplementation alone. Therefore. for optimal replenishment of muscle glycogen lost during strenuous activity reach for a combination of protein (8-16 grams) and carbohydrates (24-48 grams) and be ready to compete again soon.

Protein for our Youth

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An essential part of a young athlete’s diet, protein is responsible for building and maintaining muscle.

The American Diabetic Association recommends a young athlete starting a training program should consume around 1.5 g/kg of protein per pound of bodyweight. For a 120lb athlete this is around 80 grams of protein per day. In conjunction with maintaining adequate protein intake, young athletes must also ensure adequate caloric intake. Without

an adequate amount of calories, young athletes can encounter protein imbalances and calcium loss.

Drink Green Tea According to Pharmacological Research, evidence has shown an association between green tea consumption and the prevention of bone loss. The benefits of drinking green tea continue to add up. Adding green tea to your diet is a benefit to both the young and aging functional athlete.

Hitting the drive-thru before a workout is never advisable, but you don’t want to start a workout session on an empty stomach either. The best way to eat before exercise: a 200-calorie mini meal with the optimum mix of nutrients an hour before you head to the gym. Your goal—a meal that provides 15 to 45g of carbohydrates—you need carbohydrates to replenish the glycogen stores you use during exercise—and you also want 4 to 10g of protein and a little bit of healthy fat. The protein and fat help delay the digestion of carbohydrates so you get a slow release of fuel into your bloodstream during your training rather than a short burst of energy, thus avoiding the crash and burn.

Avocado vs. Butter Switch out half of the butter in a cookie recipe for mashed avocado—you won’t taste the difference. This simple change will reduce fat content by 40% and cut the number of calories by nearly as much. You’ll still get the creaminess of butter and the fatty taste, but this substitution knocks out some of the saturated fat in favor of the bellyflattening monounsaturated kind. Your cookies may have a green tinge, but they should also be chewier and softer.

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11 Top Foods to Increase Athletic Performance

When you think of foods to increase athletic performance, protein and carbohydrates come to mind.

Sports drinks. Protein powders. Special gels, bars and shots all promising to help you reach that athletic goal or get those sculpted abs you’ve been dreaming of.

The truth is that solid, consistent athletic performance comes from fueling your body right all the time, not just before and after workouts.

Eating a variety of foods from all the food groups—especially whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and low-fat dairy products—will empower your body to perform at its maximum potential. Athletes need to meet macronutrient requirements in order to achieve optimal performance; that is, they need to get the right amounts of fat, protein and carbohydrates in their

diet on a regular basis. Current recommendations state that approximately 15-20 percent of calories should come from protein, 50-65 percent from carbohydrates and 20-30 percent from fat. Of these percentages, it is also important to look at the composition of these individual foods and choose proteins that are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and higher in unsaturated fats and whole grains.

The following is a list of the top 11 foods for increasing athletic performance:

11) Avocado Avocados are great because they are a rich source of monounsaturated fat, which is known as one the “good” fats. They are also high in B vitamins, which help the body release energy and have about 60 percent more potassium than bananas.

Looking for a weight gainer? Instead of buying expensive protein powders, try making a smoothie with ripe avocado and chocolate milk.

10) Bananas I won’t say her name, but I had a friend once tell me she wouldn’t eat bananas because they had “too much sugar”. Here is my response: If you think a banana has too much sugar, I would love to see what you think doesn’t have too much sugar (like a large beer, perhaps? Because it’s not sweet?). Personal issues aside, the banana is a versatile fruit because it 1) packs nicely in a gym bag, 2) digests relatively easily due to its release of ethylene as it ripens. This stimulates amylase – the same enzyme that is present in your mouth – to start to break down the carbohydrate molecules and contribute to more of a “sweet” taste as the banana ripens and 3) is rich in micronutrients such as potassium, manganese, vitamin B6 and vitamin C. 9) Soy Nuts Dry roasted soybeans—also known as soy nuts—are a great alternative to almonds or walnuts (which I also love).

The key, as with all nuts, is moderation.

I recommend pre-measuring nuts out into plastic baggies or buying the “100 calorie” pack equivalents because it is so easy to overindulge on these tasty treats. Soy nuts are high in protein and dietary fiber and make a great on-the-go snack. If you are a heavy sweater, you can go with the lightly salted variety, but if you have personal or family history of high blood pressure, I would stick to the unsalted.

8) Lentils I know they aren’t the prettiest protein, but lentils are a powerhouse of vegetable protein, carbohydrate and fiber. Moreover, they will only set you back a dollar or two at the grocery store. Enough said—put them on your next grocery list, brew them up in the crockpot and enjoy lentil goodness with brown rice and vegetables.

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7) Peanut Butter Athletes need adequate amounts of macronutrients. Peanut butter is a good choice because it is relatively inexpensive, stores well, is rich in unsaturated fats and is a good source of protein.

Remember portion size: 2 tablespoons is roughly 200 calories and 7 grams of protein.

6) Greek Yogurt The Greeks were on to something with this delicious, high protein yogurt. I like it unsweetened with ¼ cup of blueberries and 1 teaspoon of honey for a little added sweetness. You can also make spinach dip or tuna salad with greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, which is loaded with calories and high in saturated fat. Be wary of the varieties with lots of pre-added fruit or sugar – they can run up to 200 calories for a 6oz cup, as compared to 70-80 calories for the unsweetened variety.

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5) Kale Kale? Yes, you read that correctly.

Throughout college, I ate kale daily. Make that three times a day. Kale soup. Baked kale chips.

Kale salad. Sauteed kale. You get the point. But for athletic performance? Here’s why: Kale is considered to be one of the most nutritious foods in the world for its very high content of beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein and zeaxanthin. Like broccoli, kale is high in a compound called sulforaphane that is thought to have anti-cancer properties.

Best part yet? Super, super cheap and easy to prepare.

4) Egg Whites Eggs have the most bioavailable form of protein, which makes them a no-brainer for this list.

11 ATHLETIC The majority of the protein is in the white, and the fat/cholesterol 11 athletics is primarily found in the yolk.

You can separate the yolks/whites yourself, or you can buy what I call “fake eggs” in the carton, which pretty much already do it for you.

3) Grilled Chicken Breast Note for vegetarians: Replace this bullet point with “low-fat, semifirm tofu” if you’d like. Grilled chicken is low in fat and high in protein, which is essential for the athlete in order to rebuild lean body mass after strenuous workouts.

2) Berries Berries pack a powerful punch of antioxidants while also being relatively low in calories as far as fruits go. These antioxidants protect the cells of your body, which in turn enables yourself to perform at your highest potential.

1) Milk I love Arnold as much as the next fitness enthusiast, but I have to disagree this one time—milk is not just for babies! Milk is for strong, fast, powerful athletes who want to consistently improve performance. Milk is full of awesome macronutrients such as carbohydrates and protein as well as important micronutrients such as potassium, sodium for salt repletion, calcium for strong bones and vitamins A and D for proper skin and bone growth and energy metabolism. Lactoseintolerant? Try fortified soy milk as an alternative.

Contributed by Rachel Webb, RD, LDN

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Setting the Barre on Women’s Fitness Women are always looking for the next best “workout” that will revolutionize the way they think, transform their body and help them reach their fitness goals. Since the recent trend and fascination with ballet due to the box office hit “Black Swan,” women have been flocking to local fitness and dance studios looking for a workout that will create that long, lean, graceful physique.

Pure Barre and the Bar Method are two similar workouts that incorporate ballet, Pilates and multiple isometric exercises that ultimately burn fat, reshape and lean your body. Each routine integrates small, controlled movements that are designed to target areas women struggle with: stomach, hips, glutes and arms. The routines are also set to the latest popular music to help intensify the workout and add

a cardio blast all while sculpting each specific muscle group.

The barre serves as a prop, along with exercise balls, resistance bands and light hand weights. Moves include squeezing a ball between the inner thighs while standing on your tiptoes and small, controlled leg lifts with your back pressed against the wall and hands grasping the barre above. Each movement is done slow and focused while keeping muscles tightened and performing repetition after repetition to get your legs shaking and muscles burning.

Calorie burn and muscle toning isn’t the only benefit of these Barre routines.

According to Pure Barre and the Bar Method, the technique performed in the classes protects your joints because it does not involve any bouncing or jumping.

Each strength section of the workout is followed by a stretching section to create long, lean muscle without bulk. The workout requires focus so that you block out everything for the hour, allowing you to obtain the mental benefits achieved in yoga or meditation. This Barre concept has dedicated followers from celebrities to women nationwide that are left feeling satisfied, addicted and coming back for more. You;ve got two choices: watch a movie and dream about having a ballet type body, or get off your glutes and go accomplish it yourself.

Sleek Body for the Female Athlete Developing a relationship between your muscular and nervous system allows the body to move more efficiently in space. The best way to coordinate this relationship is to integrate compound exercises into your routine. Compound exercises are far superior to single isolation exercises and are a staple for building a lean, fit and functional body.

11athletics recommends its top 11 exercises for women looking to develop the lean athletic look:

• Power Cleans • Hang Cleans • Lunge with Lateral Raise • Pull-ups • Burpees • Dumbbell (DB) Jump Squats • Front Squat with Overhead Press • DB Planked Rows • Deadlift • Chest Press with Floor Wiper • Leg Press

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female of the month Stephanie Schiff How does it feel to be the first 11athletic female of the month?: Wow, it is quite an honor. I think I am just like a lot of other women trying to balance family, work and social obligations while still trying to stay fit and healthy.

Tell us about your workouts?: My workouts consist of constant variety including HIT training, core, running, biking, ballet classes and recreational sports leagues.

I am a chiropractor so keeping my body balanced is the focus of everything I do and helps inspire my fitness and nutritional habits.

How many days a week do you workout?: I workout consistently 5 days a week. I exercise as much for the mental benefit as I do for the other obvious benefits.

You played college basket ball at the University of Rio Grande—did that inspire your fitness habits today?: Playing college basketball and just playing sports since I was a kid has really shaped me in so many ways. It taught me how to work with other people to achieve a common goal, work ethic, learning young how to deal with losing and not to mention self esteem. I feel, especially for women and young girls, that participating in athletics at any level is so vital and pays off in so many ways for the rest of your life. My coach at Rio Grande taught me to never settle, to set high goals and come prepared, or else.

What athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?: Personally, it is much sweeter when your team wins and receives accolades. At Rio Grande, we won our MOC conference two out of the three years which made going to practice much more fun, but I’m also proud that I scored 1000 points in three years in college and received first team all conference and district honors. Running a marathon was a definite bucket lister and I even placed third in the Athena division of the Columbus half marathon—which was a shocker!

You have two daughters—how do you work around their schedule to make time for fitness?

My two daughters—as well as the rest of my family— requires constant juggling, but I usually try to get my workouts done in the morning after I drop them off for school.

As most women know, there is usually a small window of time each day for yourself, and if you don’t take advantage of that you aren’t as inclined to stay on track.

What current sports leagues are you participating in?: I currently participate in coed volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s basketball and coed softball leagues.

What are the top tracks on your iPod?: I love old school rap like Notorious B.I.G, Lady Gaga and loving the “Pumped up Kicks” song [by Foster the People] for some reason right now. I am an ‘80s brat, what can I say? Oh and of course AC/DC.

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Your favorite exercise?: My favorite exercise is by far anything on the SQUAT rack!!!

Want to be the next 11athletics Female of the Month? see page 19 for details

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HAM-

STRING

HAMSTRINGS: The Rundown 1) The hamstring is a primary player in the development of speed and power.

2) Training the hamstrings is important to help balance out the often stronger quadriceps (quad) muscles.

3) Training the hamstrings properly will help prevent injury and improve sport performance.

4) The hamstrings are crucial for basic functional movement.

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Ditch the Single Joint Isolation Exercises: Taking a seat on the hamstring-curl machine again? Don’t bother. Isolation exercises are simply not functional and have little impact on performance. Most importantly, they typically place undue stress on the joint, set the body up for imbalances and waste a lot of time and energy.

Adding strength and flexibility to this important muscle will improve your athletic performance practically overnight.

Hold that Stretch Studies conclude that it is not the duration that you hold a stretch for but the consistency in stretching that counts.

Subjects were placed in three control groups to evaluate the efficiency of three different stretching protocols on the hamstring muscle group. Subjects either held the stretch for 12 sets of 15 seconds, six sets of 30 seconds or four sets of 45 seconds three days a week for a 12 week period. Although hamstring flexibility did increase in all control groups, there was not any noticeable difference between any of the groups according to the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. This demonstrates that exercise consistency is more important than the choice of flexibility protocol.

11 ways to maximize your HAMSTRING performance To improve your hamstring strength, performance and flexibility, choose from these 11 exercises designed specifically to work your hamstring muscles fit easily in your existing workout routine.

1. Barbell Romanian Dead Lifts (RDL’s)

Holding a dumbell in each hand, bend over at your waist and lower the wieights toward the floor.

Keeping your back straight and head facing the ceiling, touch the weights to the ground and return to the standing position. That is one rep.

2. Dumbell Single Leg RDL’s Do the same as above, except this time on one leg and holding dumbells. Do all reps on one side before switching legs.

3. Squats Stand with your feet slightly greater than shoulder-width apart.

Slowly descend, bending through the hips, knees and ankles. Stop when your knees reach a 90-degree angle. Then return to the starting position. That is one rep.

4. Deadlift Keeping your back straight, squat down and grab the bar with an over/under grip. Stand up, raising your shoulders and hips at the same time, lifting your body into a straight line. Slowly lower the bar to the ground. That is one rep.

5. Good Mornings 6. Single Leg RDL with Jump Back 7. Glute Ham Raises Position yourself on the bench with your toes pushed into the toe plate. Curl your body up with your hamstrings while keeping the back rounded, squeezing your glutes towards the top until your body is in a straight line. That is one rep.

8. Kettlebell Swings Take a shoulder width stance, bend at the back, pick up the kettlebell and swing the kettlebell up to shoulder height by thrusting your pelvis forward and squeezing your glutes at the top of the hip extension. Return the weight to starting position. That is one rep.

9. Stability Ball Curls 10. Cable Pull Through Attach a rope handle to the low pulley of a cable machine.

Grab the rope and stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your back to the weight stack. Bend your knees, bend at your hips (don’t round your back) and lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor. Pause, then thrust your hips forward and raise your torso back to the start. That is one rep.

11. Sprints Visit 11athletics.com for a variety of sprint workouts as well as training videos for exercises listed throughout this magazine.

Think YOU have what it takes to be the next

f o e l a m e f h t n o the m TIC

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11athletics Criteria for Female of the Month (must meet 6 of the 11 to be eligible) • • • • • • • • • • •

Complete a triathlon Currently play in a recreation sports league Play/played a collegate sport Complete the Ruckus Run, Hell Run (or similar event) Complete a half marathon or marathon Complete the Scorcher in 30 minutes or less* (featured on page 46) Complete an entire course of Elite Fitclub* Currently can run a 6:30 mile* Currently can deadlift 115lbs 25 times consecutively* Currently can do 40 or more squat thrusts in one minute* Dowel Plank for 90 seconds*

*must be administered by 11athletics staff for certification

If you qualify, contact us at info@11athletics.com to be featured in our next publication!

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GET FUNCTIONAL

HAPPY TRAILS 11 ATHLETIC

11athletics’ Creative Director tackles the treacherous terrain each month and reports back on his favorite trails in Columbus Photo by Amanda Rogers

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don’t claim to be an excellent runner. Honestly, I don’t even like to run that much, but it is a necessary evil that I generally tolerate for the greater good—physical fitness. So why am I writing a story about running, you ask? Because I’ve found a way to LOVE running— I hit the trails.

Every month I am going to bring you my most roughly two-thirds of the trail. Because of its unpredictable recent favorite trail run and, in doing so, hopefully nature, it is important to remember that trail running can inspire you to hit the trails as well. Being able to be hazardous. You should always keep your eyes on the leave the pavement and dive head first into nature is ground for stumps, roots, holes or even snakes, study the so freeing and rejuvenating that I almost forget I’m maps beforehand and bring plenty of water.

Is trail running for everyone? Probably not. But if you’re actually running. I can run longer and faster without even realizing I’m working harder. The mud beneath bored with your morning jog or itching to add some spice my feet and the greenery brushing against my legs to your workouts, it may be the answer. All in all, the 20creates a peace that makes running not only tolerable, 25 minute run leaves you winded but wanting more.

Should I head back out and do it all over again? Nah, but enjoyable. maybe next time! After all, I don’t even like to run that For my first entry, I traveled to the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park on the west side of Columbus, more much. specifically the Dyer Mill Trail. I’ve completed this run countless times through rain, snow and tremendous If you have a trail you’d like me to try, or write about heat and it is my all-time favorite for a number of please contact me at jgoggins@11athletics.com. reasons: it’s close to home, it’s the perfect distance (3.2 miles—equivalent to a 5k) and it is an unpaved or “natural” trail that is so secluded that I rarely see another person the entire run.

The trail begins innocently enough in an open prairie sandwiched between Gardner Road and Little Darby Creek. However, as soon as you enter the forest, the pavement is left behind and the adventure begins. The 3.2 miles of Dyer Mill Trail moderate to the difficult rolling hills and meandering turns take you through heavy forestry, sprawling meadows and even along a bit of a cliff. If the distance is too much for you, you can always cut the run in half by taking a shortcut through the prairie (signs and maps are posted along the trail to point the Follow the blue trail way). (marked by signposts) to travel the full 3.2 miles.

From grazing deer to fallen trees, there’s always something different in each visit. This particular run came the morning after some pretty heavy storms and offered not only an abundance of mud and puddles but two areas of fallen trees I had to bound over and around—usually cleaned up in a few days by the park staff. The sweltering heat was even kept at bay by the large canopy of trees covering 21 11 ATH

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PROUD SPONSOR OF THE COLUMBUS MARATHON

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It takes a village, a big village of 2,000 volunteers, to execute one of the 25 largest marathons in the country, the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. Since it began in 1980 with 2,500 participants, the Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon has grown to 17,000 participants in the full and 1/2

All eyes may be on the athletes that morning, but before the fireworks at the start and after the last runner crosses the finish line, our crew of volunteers are making magic for our participants — registering runners, manning all 21 fluid stations, collecting trash, awarding medals, passing out snacks, directing spectators and enthusiastically cheering the thousands of marathon and 1/2 marathon participants!

“Without our volunteers, we could not host a marathon of this size,” said Darris Blackford, race director of the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. “Their hard work, spirit and sincere

James D. DeCamp / JamesDeCamp.com

Volunteers Keep Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon Running

marathon divisions and its volunteers (some of whom have been with the marathon every year) have enabled it to grow to be a destination for runners and walkers from all over the world.

enthusiasm help make the Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon one of the best in the country.”

Following are the events that will be held over marathon weekend: - Marathon: The Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon starts near the intersection of Broad and Third Streets in downtown Columbus at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 16 for walkers and runners. There will be a capacity field of 6,000 in the marathon and the course will be open until 3:00 p.m.

- 1⁄2 Marathon: The event will start in tandem with the full marathon at 7:30 a.m. with a capacity of 11,000 athletes. The 1⁄2 marathon athletes will run or walk with the full marathoners until they turn left onto Nationwide Boulevard to the finish at 13.1 miles.

- Ringling Bros. Red Nose Children’s Run: Presented in 2011 by Giant Eagle, the Red Nose Run will be held Saturday, Oct. 15 at Franklin Park Adventure Center, 1747 E. Broad St. The run will begin at 1 p.m., and families and kids are encouraged to come early for the Children’s Activity Expo from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

And if you feel adventurous, participate in the Clown Costume Competition for a chance to win great prizes!

- Health & Fitness Expo: The Expo will be open from noon to 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14 and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 15 in Hall D of the Greater Columbus Convention Center. The Expo will feature more than 100 running and health and fitness related booths, interactive games and packet pick-up.

The 32nd Anniversary Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon & 1⁄2 Marathon will be held on Oct. 16 and will feature a sold-out field of 17,000 total participants in the full and 1⁄2 marathon events. The Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon and 1⁄2 Marathon was the 17th largest combination event in the United States in 2010. For more information on volunteering, please visit the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon & 1⁄2 Marathon website at www.columbusmarathon.com or call 614-421-RUNN.

11athletics is a proud sponsor of the 2011 Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon

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FEATURE

Archie Griffin 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

The Evolution of Athletic Fitness:

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Archie flexes his muscles for 11athletics

He has been described as the man who defined greatness within Ohio State athletics. He is arguably the most popular celebrity in Columbus. The hyphenated term “two-time-Heisman-winner” could be permanently added to his name. Archie Griffin has certainly made his mark on the athletic world.

So who else would grace the cover of the premier edition of Columbus’ only athletic fitness magazine.

You can imagine our excitement when this superstar agreed to sit down with us for an interview.

I arrive about a 45 minutes early at the Alumni House. I’m greeted, touch the good luck buckeye and within minutes the receptionist tells me that Archie’s ready to see me. As I walk into his office, I try to control my nerves. After all, this is “The Man.” A Columbus icon. But before I know it, there’s Archie, reaching out for the handshake. Not two minutes go by before I feel like I can kick my feet up on the table and ask Archie if he has anything to drink.

He’s that cool, that easy, that welcoming.

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FEATURE

His Current Fitness Standard: 12 pull-ups and 40 push-ups His Favorite Meal: A good hamburger, you can’t beat it.

The Fastest Griffin: (Laughs) It was certainly always an argument.

Ray was faster than I was. He was younger than me and it always ticked me off, but Keith was even faster than Ray. The Griffin Ping Pong Champion: Oh, I got this one; I can beat all my brothers.

Archie vs. Adam (son) in Horse: The last few times we have played I have beat him and had witnesses.

#45: In the weight room, we had particular routines that were assigned for us. There were a number of repetitions we would have to do for each machine.

The coaches also made us do a lot of negatives* and the weight lifting routines were tough and disciplined.

Archie Griffin: I thought it was important to participate in as many sports as possible, so I played football, wrestled and ran track. The other two sports, wrestling and track, were very helpful to me when I played football. I felt like wrestling helped me with balance and strength and track improved my conditioning and speed. In track I mostly did the relays. I stayed away from anything over 200 meters. Anything longer than that amazed me. My brothers could do that 400, I was scared of that event.

11: Talk about how you conditioned in the offseason to keep yourself in shape at OSU. #45: The Ohio State coaches would give you a workout that you were supposed to follow that would help you pass the assigned conditioning tests. When I first got to Ohio State they had made it mandatory for all the players to pass this mile conditioning test.

Now in high school, I can honestly say I never ran a mile. All the running backs at Ohio State had to run this test in less than 5 minutes and 40 seconds. I kept trying and trying and I could not pass this test.

Now, I was feeling a little out of my league, I just got to Ohio State to play football and I could not even pass the first mandatory test. Anyhow, there was this guy, Randy Gradishar, who was a very big guy and he would run that mile in less than 5 minutes and 20 seconds. After that I decided if Randy could do that at his size then I am just going to have to figure out how to do this and finally got it done.

11: Tell us how you prepared for athletics in HS. #45: A lot of sprinting for football. Lifting weights was not part of a regular program when I was in high school. Eastmoor High School had a universal machine that was in the locker room. The universal machine had stations where you could do bench press, leg press and some of the other muscle groups. The commitment I made to myself was to do push-up and sit-ups every night. I worked my way up to be able to do over 100 straight of each. Once again, sprinting was very important. We would not do a lot of long distance running.

#45: When I first got to Ohio State all we had was a universal machine as well. At that time our position coach would take us through our specific routine for Archie Griffin Career Stats

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Year Team 1972 Ohio State Buckeyes 1973 Ohio State Buckeyes 1974* Ohio State Buckeyes 1975* Ohio State Buckeyes

NCAA Totals * Denotes Heisman Trophy Season

GP 11 11 11 11 44

Att 159 247 256 262 924

training. I will never forget it. We had to do eight 40yard-dashes, and then run 800 yards, then eight 30-yarddashes. The kicker was that the coaches would time you for your fastest time in those events. Then they would expect you to run all the 40’s and 30’s within 2 tenths to 4 tenths of your fastest time with only 20 seconds of rest in-between. I really felt that this workout not only improved my speed but prepared me for the conditioning of the game. I honestly continued to use this workout throughout my professional years.

11: Talk about the current strength and conditioning at Ohio State. #45: It is at a point right now where you have to do it to compete. It is not just here at Ohio State, it is everywhere you go. If you look at the facilities, equipment and coaches involved today it is almost unreal. Today’s athletes are stronger and faster, athletes are lifting in high school and even a great number of kids that are not even in high school are using trainers to develop speed and strength.

Honestly, I am still a big believer that children need to compete in multiple sports to develop these skills. The variety of sports works all the different muscle groups and helps develop coordination. I think that if you just play one sport you miss out on the development of other key muscle groups.

11: Who was the most influential in your football development? #45: Well certainly Bob Stewart, my high school football head coach, was a great influence. Coach Stewart really developed an atmosphere that was really enjoyable to be a part of. I will always remember how Coach Stewart made playing football fun. He joked a lot, he could make fun of you, yet at the same time have fun with you.

Obviously, playing for Woody Hayes was a treat. He was very tough, but more than anything, he was fair. You knew that if you gave it your all, Coach Woody would not ask anything else. And of course, I have always said without

The funny thing is, after all that, the next season Woody changed it. Woody rationalized that we do not *Negatives, or eccentric training, is most commonly described as the lowering phase do anything that requires of the lift. Negative training has special meaning in the realms of high performance that type of distance. sports — both for injury prevention and optimal-performance training.

So he instituted interval

11: Talk about how athletic preparation changed from high school to college

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His iPod Favorites: Marvin Gaye, Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Issac Brothers

11: Tell us about some of the college workouts.

11athletics: Tell us about your experience in high school athletics.

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ARCHIE ON:

Archie remembers his playing days like he was lifting. The spring of my freshman year is when Ohio still in 1975, cruising by interior lineman, dodging State got all new Nautilus equipment. At that time linebackers and out-running defensive backs. I hand our weight-lifting program got a complete overhaul.

11 ATHLETIC off a question, he gives me five minutes of cherished Jon Mummey, the quarterbacks’ coach at that time, memories. I hand off another, this time 10 minutes would put us through a very challenging routine.

11 athletics of table talk that is so engaging and interesting that That next spring, I remember Coach Woody Hayes even the non-football fan would stop and listen. Soon telling me that my arms were too big and I was I realize Archie is calling the plays. But this makes starting to look like a guard and I better lay off the sense—Archie’s glorious past tells the story itself. weights for a while (laughs).

Yards 867 1577 1695 1450 5589

TD 3 7 12 4 26

Season 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 NFL

Team Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Cincinnati Totals

Bengals Bengals Bengals Bengals Bengals Bengals Bengals

GP 14 12 16 16 15 16 9 98

Att Yards TD 138 625 3 137 549 0 132 484 0 140 688 0 85 260 0 47 163 3 12 39 1 691 2808 7

my teammates, I most certainly would have never came close to the success I had. I happened to be in the right place, at the right time, with the right people.

Lastly, but most importantly, is my family. My dad made sure that my brothers, sister and I participated in sports, matter of fact it was one of the three priorities he had for us. The other two being to trust in God and keep up with the schoolwork so that that we would have the opportunity to go to college. One thing I always appreciated about my mom and dad is that they always attended our sporting events. My dad worked three jobs and he would use vacation days on Friday night so he could watch us play football.

11: Talk about your fitness habits today. #45: I use the elliptical to keep my muscles loose. It keeps me moving and relieves pressure on my joints. I also like to walk and play a lot of golf. Recently, I got back into doing a lot of pull-ups. When I was with the Bengals, the strength coach Kim Wood required that we do a lot of pull-ups and dips.

Anyhow, a while back I attempted to do a pull-up and I couldn’t even do five. So, I decided that I was going to develop more pulling in my routine. I recently did the Pelotonia, so I had to do a lot biking to prepare for that. I use the total body gym which is a multi-functional machine in my basement as well. It keeps me strong and hits a number of other key muscle groups for me.

11: Archie, how does it feel to be on the first cover of 11athletics, Columbus’ first and only athletic fitness magazine? #45: Oh, I think it is great. I love the concept and I expect the magazine to be a big hit!

Archie Griffin accepts his second Heisman Trophy (above) in 1975 flanked by his parents and brothers and sister.

Griffin (below) isn’t asking for peace—just letting everybody know that he’s the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in the land.

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“I had no idea the JCC had so much to offer!”

The Diamond Family Fitness Center at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus offers stateof-the-art fitness equipment, world-class trainers and massage therapists and top-of-the-line ammenities without losing sight of it’s most important asset — you!

Stop in today and take advantage of our new 3-month memberships beginning November 1, 2011.

THE JCC ALSO OFFERS:

Text is Warnock Pro

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• Group and water exercise classes, including Spinning and Zumba • Indoor Walking/Jogging Track • Basketball/Racquetball/Tennis Courts • Heated Indoor and Outdoor Pools • Sprayground • Outdoor Sports Court • Silver Sneakers Fitness Contact JCC Member Services at • Basketball and Softball Leagues* • Personal Training and Massage Services* 559-6227 or 559-6229 for additional • Yoga and Pilates* information or stop in for a free tour.

• Kinesis Training* • Babysitting Service* • Swim Lessons* • Additional fee applies for services 28

www.columbusjcc.org

1125 College Avenue / Columbus, Ohio 43209-2893 / (614) 231-2731

ATHLETE ADVICE Cutting Edge Functional Fitness Advice for Athletes of All Ages

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lyometrics (also known as “plyos�) is a type of exercise

The effectiveness of a plyometrics workout in water has been shown to result in improvements in vertical jump without significant differences between those made on land.

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Plyometrics vs. Resistance Training The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found some very interesting things when comparing plyometric exercise versus conventional resistance training with the lower body. In short, although muscle size increased in both groups, Conventional Resistance Training showed more growth of cross sectional muscle fiber in Type 1 and Type II muscles fibers than plyometric training. In addition, maximal strength gains were similar, whereas muscle power only showed significant increases in the plyometric group. The findings point out that, depending on specific goals, functional athletes must use a combination of resistance training and plyometrics to develop speed, power and strength.

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Studies have shown that exercises in a pool based on plyometric training can be an effective alternative for athletes who want the benefits of plyos without the risks of injury.

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GET WET

training designed to produce fast, powerful movements and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in sports. Plyometric movements, in which a muscle is loaded and then contracted in rapid sequence, use the strength, elasticity and innervation of muscle and surrounding tissues to jump higher, run faster, throw farther, or hit harder, depending on the desired training goal. Plyometrics is used to increase the speed or force of muscular contractions, providing explosiveness for a variety of sport-specific activities. Any exercise that gets the muscle in motion at the fastest possible rate can be defined as plyometrics. Plyos are not only essential for sport performance but are also a great way to increase metabolism, burn stubborn fat, increase injury prevention, develop power and improve sprint performance amongst others.

Plyometric training involves using movements and exercises to stimulate a specific pattern of muscle contraction so the muscle generates as strong a contraction as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Below are some of the top plyometric exercises for select sports.* Basketball: Depth Jumps Tennis: Lateral Hops Hockey: Dot Drill Soccer: Split Lunge Jump Softball and Baseball: Standing Broad Jump Diving: Pike Jumps Football: Medicine Ball Push-up Pass Volleyball: Multiple Box Jumps Wrestling: Medicine Ball Overhead Takedowns *Go to 11athletics.com for exercise demonstrations

ATHLETE ADVICE What is the Best Approach for Baseball/Softball Athletes?

Aside from your uncle’s slow pitch softball league, pitchers throw the ball as hard as they can, while batters 11 ATHLETIC try to hit the ball as hard as they can. This fact points out that baseball and fast pitch softball are speed and 11 athletics power sports. In a study by Biomechanics, practitioners measured lower body power before and after the season of 16 NCAA Division I baseball players. One group used a protocol consisting of moderate to high intensity cardiovascular training, while the other group used speed training. A measurement during the season noted that the cardiovascular group lost almost 40 watts of lower body power, while the speed group improved an average of 210 watts per athlete. 11athletics recommends speed and power training consisting of medicine ball torso rotations, specific plyometric exercises, speed drills and a sound resistance training program for baseball and softball athletes.

Football Strength and Conditioning

Training for Hockey Speed The Journal of Strength and Conditioning reported some interesting results involving acute speed training with hockey athletes.

The study simply states significant results can be obtained by using single resistance sprint(s) before speed training drills. The results are significant because the one sure way to improve speed is by training at maximal speed, therefore allowing the neuromuscular system to operate at a higher level during speed training that will perhaps cultivate speed enhancement. More studies need to be conducted to conclude that resistance sprints can or could be used in other speed sports effectively.

The most important components of off-season football strength and conditioning programs are injury prevention, speed and power. A lot of strength and conditioning coaches get this wrong by concentrating too much on strength. Although strength is related to the above mentioned most important components, it often ends up hindering the team’s performance by sacrificing speed. Any experienced strength and conditioning coach will tell you that building strength is far easier than developing speed and power. If this is the case, why spend countless hours in the weight room squatting, benching and deadlifting heavy weights? Take the NFL combine for example. The majority of the tests are relevant to the athlete producing speed and power. The only true strength test, the bench press, is actually a measure of both absolute strength and endurance. 11athletics recommends dividing up football weight room hours with speed, power and flexibility training protocols to enhance your football off season training program.

Reducing Body Fat with Resistance Training Resistance training is clearly one of the most effective ways to reduce body fat and increase muscular performance.

In a recent study posted in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 10 top-level Spanish women volleyball players executed a 24-week linear periodization training program. The program started with general conditioning (weeks 1-4), to hypertrophy (weeks 5-8), then to maximum strength and power (weeks 9-16) and finished with specific sports training (weeks 17-24). The athletes were tested at the beginning of the program for body composition, squat jump power, countermovement jump and 2 rep maximum. All athletes improved in the study. Some of the astounding results included neuromuscular improvement from 17 to 21 percent, along with a near 2 percent body fat reduction in all 10 athletes. The study concludes that power, strength capacity and body composition can continue to improve when sound training principles are applied.

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ATHLETE ADVICE Redistributing force is the idea that the core should take stress off of the lumbar spine and prevent pain.

A strong core in this sense will focus on the ability to maintain and get in a neutral spine and pelvic position. By doing this, athletes will have greater core stability in their movements.

When a football player receives a glancing blow, he will not go down as easily because his core keeps him stable.

When a tennis player is in an extended one-leg stance returning a ball, he or she will be less likely to get injured thanks to core strength. In this way, redistributing force keeps athletes healthy and is a basic part of core training.

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Core Training for Athletes A Different Approach

Most, or nearly all athletes and coaches recognize the importance of training the “core,” or at least they should. But are they doing it the right way?

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First off let’s try to define what the core is. Some people suggest that it is only the abdominals (and specifically talk about the rectus abdominus and external obliques), others begin to include the spinal erectors, and others go even further. We will go with a description that includes deeper muscles (multifudus, transverse abdominus). By including these muscles we will be able to get to

a better and deeper model of core training that is more applicable to athletes.

Athletes use their core for specific purposes. Mike Robertson, of Robertson Training Systems, classifies the two uses for the core as the two R’s—Re-Distributing force and Re-Directing force. This simple idea is on the cutting edge of performance training and shapes how we train the core.

Robertson’s second “R”, Redirecting force, is the next step in core training that uses core stability to redirect force for athletes. For example, someone swinging a baseball bat will be able to transmit power from the lower body and turn it into rotation at the shoulders. A weak core in this sense is like a poor power line. All the power in the world can be generated at the power plant, but if it doesn’t reach your house, you can’t utilize it.

By shifting your training to include this new manner of core training, athletes should find themselves healthier and able to perform better on the field. Crunching and twisting are not necessary on the field or court and therefore not necessary in training.

To train using both redirecting and redistributing forces try the following movements:

Planks — With a dowel on your back Nearly everyone has tried the basic plank, but by making one simple change this becomes a killer exercise. Place a dowel rod along your back while in a plank (elbows and toes supporting you) and have three points of contact with it: the back of your head, your thoracic spine and your pelvis. In the region of your lower back there should only be the space of your hand in between the dowel and your back. This position is the neutral spinal alignment we are striving for. Now hold this position for two minutes.

Kneeling Cable Lift The kneeling position (one knee on the ground, the other foot flat on the ground) is a great position from which to develop more stability. Get on the ground in this position and face perpendicular to a cable machine with your knee nearest the machine down. Your legs should form the 90-90 position, that is each knee should be at a 90 degree angle. Place one hand at the top of a rope attachment situated on the bottom of the cable machine and the other at the bottom of the rope attachment. Pull with your upper (outside) hand until your arm is extended and then push your inside hand out to a position in front of your nose. In this movement you should feel tension in your lower body, incorporating your glutes to stabilize your body and allowing you to transmit your power out through your hands.

BOSU Kneeling Diagonal Kettlebell Lift Similar to the kneeling cable lift, place one knee on the BOSU and the other foot forward in lunge position. Grab a kettlebell with both hands around the round portion of the bell. Next, take the kettlebell from the outside of the hip (the hip of the knee based on the BOSU) diagonally over the opposite shoulder. Try to keep your arms as straight as possible and also try not to base your toe of the leg positioned on the BOSU. These tips will increase activation of the stabilization muscles in the core.

Band Cord Press Wrap a medium to heavy resistance band around a stationary object. Grab the cord handles, making sure they are even, and walk out from the stationary object until you feel adequate tension. Wrap both hands around both of the cord handles. From here slowly push the handles from the center of your chest until your arms are straight out in front of you and then slowly bring the handles back to your chest. Make sure your have a good base with your legs or you will not be able to complete the movement.

Wilson Fleming, NSCA-CSCS is Director of Sport Performance at Force Fitness and Performance, L.L.C

Saturday, November 12, 2011 Liberty Park Powell, OH 5k Run/Walk - $25 Pre-Registered $30 Day of Race Fun Walk - $20 Pre-Registered $25 Day of Race Family Pack - $20 per family member

Pre-Register TODAY at jeffbeitel5k.org Race Day Registration Begins at 8:30 am Race Starts at 10 am

Included: • Event T-shirt • Post Race Refreshments • Top 5 Male & Female Medals • Raffle—Including 2 Round-Trip Southwest Airline Tickets

All procceds from the event benefit The Kidney Cancer Association for Research 33 11 ATH

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ATHLETE ADVICE 1) Double BOSU Squat Thrust 180° Jump 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

- Start from plank position with both hands centered on opposite BOSU’s.

- Spring up on to BOSU’s with feet centered on top of BOSU’s.

- Immediately jump as high as you can and spin 180 degrees in the air.

-Balance yourself and pop down into plank position on opposite side.

-Do 6 on each side without falling off. Good luck.

Double Bosu Skills: Power, Balance, Speed, Flexibility, Agility Primary Muscles: Everything Sport Specific: Football, Rugby, Soccer

KB/TRXBosu Double

2) 36” Box Jumps with 25lb Kettlebells/Dumbbells

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Skills: Power, Flexibility, Athleticism

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Double Bosu

Primary Muscles: Calves, Low Back, Hip Flexors, Legs, Core Sport Specific: Basketball, Volleyball, Football

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Heaving up a 400lb bench press just doesn’t turns heads anymore, and why should it? It just doesn’t make sense athletically unless you are leading a block for Adrian Peterson.

But sometimes training protocols don’t make sense and the following exercises may apply. So why perform any of these exercises? Well, because they require skills like agility, balance, power, flexibility and strength, a must for anyone aspiring for athleticism. Give these exercises a try, and once perfected, challenge your personal trainer so you can watch him sweat a little.

- This one’s simple.

Get up. Take the weights with you.

No vertical? Try it on a 24” box first and work your way up.

- Do 2 sets of 10.

KB/TRXBosu Double

SB Balance Double Bosu

3) Push-up with Medicine Ball Single Arm Planks

5) Stability Ball Balance with 30lb Curl to Press

- Perform push-up from floor on to stationary medicine balls.

- Holding a plank position, take your right hand and extend it straight out by your ear and hold for 3 seconds.

- Do the same with your left hand and then fall back into push-up position.

-That’s 1 rep.

Do 2 sets of 10.

- Balance on knees on a stability ball holding two, 30lb dumbbells.

- Once you have balance in place, curl and press dumbbells for 2 sets of 10 without falling off.

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Double Bosu

Skills: Balance, Strength Primary Muscles: Upper body, Core, Hips Sport Specific: Golf, Basketball, KB/TRXBosu Double Hockey

Push up/mb

SB Balance Double Bosu

Primary Muscles: Core Sport Specific: Golf, Soccer, Baseball/ Softball

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36 Plyo Double Bosu

SB Balance Double Bosu Cable cablePull pullThrough through

4) 35lb Kettlebell TRX Push-up into Single Leg Bulgarian Lunge to Squat Jump and Press - Place left foot in single strap TRX. - Hold plank on handles of kettlebells with legs suspended in air.

- Drop into a push-up and spring yourself forward onto right leg.

- Drop left knee to the floor as you perform Bulgarian Lunge.

- Spring up off right leg performing a single leg jump.

- Press weight overhead.

- Drop back into plank position.

- That’s 1 rep. Do 2 sets of 8 reps for each leg.

SB Balance Double Bosu

KB/TRXBosu Double

Skills: Balance, Strength, Athleticism, Core, Agility Primary Muscles: Everything Sport Specific: Basketball, Soccer, Lacrosse

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Sports Training Myths Exposed

Myth 1

Children shouldn’t weight train or it will stunt their growth

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This myth is one of my favorites, as I hear it all the time from parents. The concern arose from the observation that professional weight lifters were shorter than people in other sports. The problem with this logic is these athletes are so strong thanks to good leverages attained from being genetically shorter. Therefore, professional weightlifters height is not a result of lifting, but an advantage for it.

If I were to follow this logic out to basketball, I would surmise since all professional players are very tall, if I simply let my son play basketball as a child he will grow up to be very tall as well. This sounds so ridiculous, yet intelligent people use this same logic to bash weight training for children. The truth is, associations such as the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Pediatrics are now suggesting children can benefit from participation in a properly designed and supervised resistance training program.

Studies also show the demands put on the body by sports is up to ten times more than the forces created by weight

training. This means that children who don’t weight train actually increase their risk of injury when playing sports. Obviously the properly designed and supervised aspects are extremely important when dealing with youth.

Children should not lift maximal weights and should always be supervised by a qualified professional.

Myth 2

Aerobic training alone will get an athlete in shape for their sport This is only true if your sport is distance running or cycling. All other sports require change of direction, speed and explosion. If these qualities are ignored and only distance running or long duration aerobic activity is done, then the athlete will not be prepared to play the sport and risk injury. In fact it may actually make them worse than if they didn’t train at all. Speed, agility and proper anaerobic conditioning is the hallmark of any good explosive sport running program. For the same reason you do not want your cross country runners playing football, you don’t want to train your explosive sport athletes like cross country runners.

Myth 3 Being exhausted or sore is the sign of a good workout We all had coaches growing up who thought running until you vomited or lifting until it hurt was a great workout, but science has since disproved this mindset many times over.

The perfect example is in a properly designed plyometric workout designed to increase your vertical jump, your neuromuscular system should be properly stimulated so that you actually feel fresher after the workout than when you started. The fact is, in a properly designed program that will yield continued results there must be times of rest and recovery. The program must include workouts that are sub-maximal, or the body will over train, start to lose performance and/or get injured. Any idiot can make someone vomit or hurt from lifting weights, but it takes a professional with years of knowledge to successfully produce stronger and faster athletes. Good workouts are not measured one day at a time, but rather measured by an athlete’s performance improving week after week and year after year.

Myth 4 Only the Olympic lifts build explosiveness The one fact that debunks this myth immediately is that any movement can be done explosively—it

just requires a sub-maximal load to be moved quickly. So if you are looking for whole body explosiveness from your athlete, you can have them do any full body movement, such as a squat or deadlift, explosively. Simply take 50-60 percent of his or her one-rep max and have him or her move the weight as fast as possible. The selected movement now becomes an explosive one. The other problem with the Olympic lifting myth is that Olympic lifts take a lot of time to learn. This takes away from any good sport training programs’ main goal-- to make the athlete better at his or her sport. If the athlete is spending time learning the Olympic lifts instead of getting stronger then this is not helping him or her improve.

There are many more myths floating around that have stopped many athletes from making progress and reaching their full potential. It is our goal to dispel those myths and help you and your children reach your ultimate potential.

J.L. Holdsworth is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and owner of The Spot Athletics.

The place to be if you want to take your sport or physique to the next level!

Visit us online at:

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Tip: having a tennis ball or, if tolerated, a baseball by your bed to massage the bottom of your foot in the morning can help loosen the structures before full weight bearing occurs and help decrease discomfort.

HEEL PAIN? TRY THIS MOVE

Plantar Fasciitis Contributed By Jonathan Sanders, ATC

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Heel pain is a very common problem in both the athletic and military population but can affect anyone. So what is Plantar Fasciitis? Plantar Fasciitis is the inflammation of the thick fibers that cover the bottom of the foot from the heel continuing along the medial border of the foot and fanning out to the base of the five toes. There are many factors that need to be addressed when the tendon sheaths of the foot become inflamed; for this discussion lets break factors down in two ways: internal and external factors.

Internal factors could be from having high arches with excessive pronation, flatfootedness, being overweight, leg length discrepancy 38

With our current understanding of what Plantar Fasciitis is, let’s now discuss how to fix the problem. First we must control and minimize the inflammation and pain; this is accomplished by limiting or decreasing activity, taking a NSAID (Ibuprofen, Advil, or Motrin), wearing properly supportive footwear and massaging either with or without ice along the bottom of the foot.

and muscular tightness, which is generally caused from muscular imbalances. External factors to consider are improper footwear and weight bearing on hard surfaces for long periods of time. Combining all the factors with increased physical activity such as running on a soft surface are potential causes of plantar fasciitis. The most classic symptom of Plantar Fasciitis is heel pain with weight bearing after being off your feet for a prolonged period of time, typically after sleeping. Some other symptoms are pain with pulling up of the foot and/or big toe. An Xray may be used to rule out a stress fracture.

Once we have the inflammation under control we now must work on the mobility and strength. The first two stretches are for the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles (calf ). Stand facing the wall with your heel down and in line with the wall knee straight; slowly lean forward against the wall driving your heel down, you should start to feel a stretch in the back of your calf muscle.

Second stretch is for the Soleus muscle, keeping your leg in the same position slowly start to bend at the knee keeping your heel down. You should start to feel the stretch lower down closer to the heel. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat three times. For strengthening the muscles on the bottom of the foot, sit and place a towel on the ground with your feet on top of the towel.

Now just simply curl your toes back trying to knead the towel toward you, once you have the towel bunched up straighten it back out and try to build up to five minutes of towel curls with your toes. Slowly work yourself back into your weight bearing physical activity keeping in mind that pain is your guide. If Plantar Fasciitis starts to flare up with more weight bearing physical activities hold back and pay attention to your body.

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land in an upright position, thus allowing the knee to move side to side and rotationally during landing.

These factors along with a lack of a strength training history in a female athlete can put the athlete in jeopardy of sustaining a serious ankle, leg or knee injury.

11athletics is here to help the young athlete to help improve performance and prevent injury. We strive to get the proper strength and conditioning information to young athletes, their parents and coaches early in their career in order to increase their chances for success and longevity in their sport.

For the purposes of this article, we are going to deal specifically with injury prevention in young female athletes.

We see many female athletes who have never strength trained or been taught how to move, jump or land. And, we know that girls play sports in a more upright position further promoting weak trunk, hip and leg musculature.

Therefore, we place a high value on strength training—in particular working on the back side—on learning how to move in a sport and on developing proper jumping and landing technique. See our Injury Prevention Workout for Young Athletes on the following page!

ATTENTION KIDS! Especially young female athletes — if you play a sport that requires a lot of jumping, it is important that you learn at a young age (ages 10, 11 or 12) the proper jumping and landing technique in order to train properly for your sport, prevent injury and increase your vertical jump. Research done on female athletes has shown that jumping mechanics differ from male athletes and these differences are predisposing girls to a greater amount of leg and knee injuries due to bad technique on take-off and landing.

Studies also show that girls jump with incorrect knee position and

Another factor that predisposes girls to knee injuries when jumping is their anatomical make-up. Girls are built differently from boys. Girls tend to have a wider pelvic angle and increased lower back curve, factors which result in the femur (upper leg bone) rotating inward and the knees assuming a “knock knee” position. This “knock knee” position places stress on the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

Combine these factors with landing forces up to five times your body weight, and you are at a high risk for injury. These ground reaction forces place a great amount of tension on the muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage surrounding the knee.

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Listed below are the keys to developing correct form on the take-off and landing from a jump.

We cannot stress enough the importance of trying to perform each and every jump with the correct form. When performing a jump training program, always remember that quality is better than quantity. It is better to have six quality jumps than 10 sloppy ones. As a general rule, perform 100 or less jumps in one training session. As always with all young athletes, please consult a physician before beginning any workout routine and be sure you have a good strength and flexibility base before starting on a jump training program. Plyometrics will also increase leg strength and power if done properly.

Train using plyometrics with good footwear and on forgiving surfaces.

One major key in preventing injury is to get yourself in shape six to eight weeks prior to the beginning of your sports season by using a well designed strength and conditioning program including plyometrics. Fatigue plays a big role in ACL and lower leg injuries, so get in shape before you play—don’t play to get in shape!

A series of nine MRI shots from one scan of a female’s left knee showing a torn ACL ligament.

TAKE-OFF

LANDING

1. Use your arms when you jump, meaning, take your arms back behind your body for balance and to prepare for the jump. Jumping is a coordinated movement involving many muscle groups in the body. The muscles in the shoulders, back, chest, arms, core, hips, legs and feet all work together to put you in the proper position for take-off and to propel you up into the air.

Strengthen these muscle groups for increased stability and power.

1. Try to land softly, light as a feather, you don’t want to hear a loud landing or a slap landing.

2. Use the thumbs-up rule, which is driving or punching your arms and hands with thumbs upward on the jump. This arm and hand motion can account for approximately 10 percent of the height jumped.

3. Knees should be bent at least 60 degrees or greater and hips flexed 30 degrees or greater before the take-off. In other words, bend your knees more and squat down farther before you jump. Your ankles will be flexed 25 degrees or greater if you do this.

4. Keep a neutral spine before take-off and not a rounded back or sunken chest position. Don’t bend over too much at the waist.

5. Keep knees over your feet. Avoid the “knocked knees” position while in the squat prior to the jump.

3. Land with flexed hip, knees and ankles to absorb the landing forces.

4. Maintain a straight back, neutral spine position.

5. Land with chest over knees and knees over the feet. Again, don’t land “knock kneed.”

6. With multiple plyometric movements, try to be like a super ball. Be as quick and elastic off the floor, the idea being to spend the least amount of time in contact with the floor.

7. Land on two feet if at all possible to help absorb the landing forces.

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6. Jump straight as an arrow. Maintain a tall hips posture and project them upward (and at times forward) for height and distance.

2. Land on the ball of the foot and sink into your heel.

Margaret Hofmann, MEd, ACE is a certified personal trainer and Owner of Female Athletes First, LLC. 40

KIDS CORNER Statistics on adolescent obesity in America: About 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 years are seriously overweight.

The percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has nearly tripled since the early 1970s.

Over 10 percent of preschool children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight.

Another 15 percent of children and teens ages 6-19 are considered at risk of becoming overweight.

Researchers found that lowered selfesteem was associated with being overweight in girls as young as 5.

1 in 5 children in the U.S. are overweight.

Children with obesity, ages 1013, are reported to have a 70% likelihood of obesity persisting into adult years.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC), 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

11athletics Injury Prevention Workout for Young Athletes 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

This training protocol is designed as a beginners workout for young athletes. Do this routine two times per week making sure to rest at least one full day between routines.

These exercises are intended to introduce your body to the movements using minimal weight in order to begin establishing a strong base for future exercises.

Please consult your physician before beginning any new workout routine.

Day 1

Day 2 EXERCISE

EXERCISE Dynamic Stretching: Knee Highs, Walking Heels,

Butt Kickers, Single Leg Romanian Deadlift Walk, Walking Lunge, Walking Toe Touches

Stability Ball Squat

Back of leg parallel to floor on squat

2 x 20 yds each Internal Band Rotation Body Weight (BW) x 15 (4 sets)

Pushups

Regular to Modified

BW x 15 (4 sets)

40% BW x 12 (4 sets)

Glute Ham Raise

BW x 15 (4 sets)

Lat Pulldowns

Romanian Dead Lift (RDL)

Bar x 12 (3 sets)

Body Rows

Olympic Bar (45lbs)

2 x 15 each

BW x 8 (3 sets)

Single Leg (SL) Step Ups

BW x 10 each (3 sets)

Tricep Pushdowns

45% BW x 10 (3 sets)

Cable Pull Through

50% BW x 12 (3 sets)

Reverse Hyper(s)

BW x 10 (3 sets)

Lateral Lunges

BW x 8 each (3 sets)

Dumbbell Planked Rows

Stability Ball Curls

Planks

BW x 12 (3 sets) BW x 60 secs (once)

10lbs x 10 each (3 sets) 10-25lbs x 10 each (3 sets)

Diagonal Plate Lift Follow each routine with a set of static stretches: Hip Flexor, Groin, Piriformis Stretch Straight Leg Hamstring, Hurdler Stretch, & Lateral Hip Stretch

For more information on any of the exercises listed above, visit 11athletics.com 41 11 ATH

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LOCAL SPOT LIGHT 42

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Local Athletes Making Waves in High School, College and the Pros.

BJ Mullens-Oklahoma City Thunder

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Not too long ago BJ Mullens was one of the most highly recruited basketball players in the country. Recruiting agencies such as Rivals and Scout had him ranked as No. 1 and No. 3 in the country during his senior year of high school at Canal Winchester. When BJ arrived at Ohio State, he knew where he wanted to take his game. Unfortunately for BJ, the style was different from the game he projected himself playing at the next level. Despite limited minutes, BJ still nailed 64 percent of his field 11 ATHLETIC goals while averaging close to nine points and five rebounds. Although the game was challenging, BJ stuck to his guns 11 athletics and continued to work on developing his outside shot despite his athleticism and height (7’0’’). To a certain extent, this BJ had the right mentality; the NBA is no longer flooded with dominant centers like Shaquille O’Neil, Hakeem Olajuwon or Patrick Ewing. Rather, the stars are all-around athletes who can rebound, play defense and shoot the ball inside and out. His boyhood idol Dirk Nowitski has certainly underlined the new breed of 7-footers. Time will tell if BJ can continue to make his mark. We sat down with him to learn more about his training habits and life as a professional basketball player with the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

11athletics: What was strength training like in high school?

BJ Mullens: I trained early in the morning on most days. Mostly 6 a.m. before school so I could work on other parts of game in the evening. I really didn’t know much about weights at the time. I had a trainer who recommended the 300 workout, it helped me gain some strength but it did not really translate to the basketball court.

11: Give some insight on how strength and conditioning changed from college to the pros.

BJ: We try to maintain strength throughout the season. We have a program for us in the weight room which we do. We do similar lifts like college but focus on maintenance over development.

11: Talk about conditioning for your game in high school?

11: Advice for young kids out there?

BJ: We did a lot of ball work, ball handling drills and some sprinting on the track.

We stayed away from long distance running. [My high school coach] Coach Riggs was tough, but I loved playing for him.

BJ: Enjoy high school while you can. Do not take it for granted. Take care of your school work; it makes playing basketball much easier.

11: How did strength and conditioning change when you got to Ohio State?

BJ: Kirk Franklin a lot, I like Hank Williams Jr. as well.

BJ: It was a lot different. We did four days a week, alternating upper body, lower body, power work and the sand pit. There was a lot of explosive lifting like cleans and snatches.

11: Not too many people know this about BJ?

11: The sand pit? Tell us about the sand pit.

11: Who is the top guy on NBA 2k Live on the Oklahoma City Thunder?

BJ: It is kind of like a half court filled full of sand.

We could do everything in there really. It was helpful for developing my speed and agility. We would also do whatever mimicked play on the court—things like defensive slides and jumping.

BJ: (Laughs) Probably Eric Maynor, maybe James Harden. We play a lot of Madden.

Kevin Durant has that one.

11: What is on BJ’s iPod?

BJ: I can really jam on the guitar (laughs).

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Allie Alter-New Albany High School

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Diving in recent years has become a dynasty in China. The Chinese have claimed, since 1984, 16 out of the 20 gold medals awarded. During this time, the Americans have garnered only one. Allie Alter, a student a New Albany High School, recently competed in the USA Diving Nationals in Tennessee as part of the Ohio State Diving11Club where she and her diving partner (Andrea Acquista) ATHLETIC qualified to compete in the Olympic Trials in Seattle next June. The pressure is hot, but Allie’s 11 athletics cool. She shrugs off the honor like it was yesterday’s science homework. The 17-year-old typically trains five days a week for three or more hours. She’s been putting in the long hours and the hard work both in and out of the pool so she knows the diving part is easy. It’ll be dethroning the Chinese that’ll be tough. 11athletics had the honor of talking with Allie about her diving past, present and future.

11athletics: Explain to our readers about competitive diving.

11: Talk about the commitment it takes to be a competitive diver.

Allie Alter: There is the 1 meter and 3 meter springboard, and the 5, 7, and 10 meter platforms, which are not springy.

AA: You have to be committed because if you miss even one practice you can fall behind, especially with synchronized diving. Andrea and I have to learn 3 new dives for the Olympic Trials so we have to make a commitment to each other to be at each practice.

11: Talk about some of the training you do to prepare for diving.

AA: We do several different types of training; some are land training and belt training. Belt training is where we have belts attached to us so that we can practice all sorts of different tricks. It basically has ropes that hang from the ceiling that allows us to do as many flips as we want. Land training is mostly helpful for learning new dives.

11: What kind of cross-training do you do to help prepare you for diving?

AA: We do all sorts of ab work using physio balls and we also do a lot of leg lifts. We have a rope that we have to climb as many times as we can each practice in conjunction with some weightlifting.

For cardiovascular we run the bleachers and sometimes outside if the weather is nice.

11: Talk about being collegiately recruited for diving.

AA: July 1 was the first day they could call me and I received nine calls from coaches.

I have scheduled official visits with Auburn, LSU, Georgia Tech, USC and Michigan. I have also been offered full rides from a few schools as well.

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11athletics wants you!! We are searching Columbus and the surrounding area for the best of the best. If you excel in any athletic endeavor, we want you to be featured in our local spotlight.

High school athletes, collegate athletes, professional athletes or weekend warriors who own their sport. We want to feature you in one of our upcoming issues. Contact us at info@11athletics.com.

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ATTENTION local male and female athletes!

Allie Alter (right) and Andrea Acquista compete at the Diving Nationals in Tennesse en route to a third place finish and a berth in the 2012 US Olympic Trials.

Will Morris-Michigan State

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT You can write the book on Will Morris. At 21 years old he seems to have it all: manners, whit, charisma and intelligence. Oh yeah, he is also an outstanding athlete. Will, a native of Bexley, OH, recently nabbed fifth place at the XPS (Exempt Player Series) Qualifier in Brighten, MI, shooting a 70 followed by a 74. This event, targeted for professionals, qualified him to play for the national championship in August, but 11 ATHLETIC you would never know it. The kid is humble to the core. I had to find out from his mother, 11 athletics Nanci Morris, that he won over 30 Junior Level Golf Championships from the ages 7 to 13. At 14, Will traveled to California to play in the Junior World Golf Championship and finished eighth. 11athletics caught up with Will to find out how he became the golfer he is today: 11athletics: Tell us how you prepared for golf in junior high and high school.

Will Morris: I really did not have a structured routine. I mostly spent a lot of time golfing. As far as working out I did a lot of bench press and body building work, which I later found out was very unproductive to my game.

11: What do you mean unproductive?

WM: Basically my swing lost synergy. My flexibility did not improve and I sacrificed power and fluidity in my game.

11: Talk about how you changed this.

WM: I took advice from some friends and sought out a personal trainer. My trainer recognized postural alignment issues and instituted volume training, core strengthening and placed an emphasis on building a strong base within my legs. My trainer had me balancing on stability balls, throwing medicine balls, heaving kettlebells, running with bands. It was something different each session, but he constantly adjusted, stretched and pushed my body into a more athletic, useful form.

Strength, especially around the hips, pelvis and lower back is essential for optimal performance in golf.

11: How did the training translate into your golf game?

WM: Better ball striking, balance, consistency and confidence mostly. I learned that I have to take care of my body if I want to compete at a higher level. That not only includes my conditioning, but my diet as well.

11: Tell us about influences on your game.

WM: Easily the largest influence on my game was Gerry Hammond. Gerry took me on at an early age and shaped my game into what it is today. He taught me the game, my swing, everything. I could honestly talk all day about what Gerry has meant to me.

11: Talk about your schedule at Michigan State.

WM: We start around 6:30 a.m. for workouts consisting of cardio and weight training. We do this Monday through Friday and then I go to class usually from 8am to noon and then off to the golf course for practice from 1 to 5 p.m. After that, I usually stick around for a few more hours, working on different parts of my game.

11: Wow that is some kind of schedule. Is it tough to find time to study?

WM: Yeah, it is tough but I have been able to maintain 3.25 GPA so far and I can’t wait till next year. It is going to be a big year for me.

11: Believe that. Good luck Will.

According to the Sports Medicine Journal (August 2010), findings report that highly proficient golfers have greater spinal and shoulder strength, especially at the rotator cuff.

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1) Burpees x 20

7) Body Rows x 20

2) Front Squats with Olympic Bar x 20

8) Dumbbell Romanian Dead Lifts x 20

3) Dumbbell Planked Row x 10e

9) Dumbbell Incline Press x 20

4) Bench/Box Jumps x 20

10) Deck Squats x 20

5) Push-ups x 20

11) Plank 2 minutes

6) Kettlebell Swings x 20

TOTAL WORKOUT TIME: 30 minutes

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Fitness is all about managing your metabolic activity. Raising your metabolic activity during your fitness routine is paramount to burning calories throughout the day and maintaining a functionally fit body. The Scorcher is designed to do just that—raise your metabolic activity to maximize your fat loss throughout the day. Use a weight that is challenging enough where you could complete only one or two more of the required reps while still using proper form. Try to finish this routine in less than 15 minutes. Couldn’t do it on the first try—good news—the workout calls for two circuits, so try it again! We didn’t say this would be easy.

Try to beat your time from the first circuit, then enjoy that cookie later while your engine is still stoked.*

*Visit 11athletics.com for training videos on these exercises and more.

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