April 2015 Issue Inside: The only weighted compression shirt and shorts on the market!
The Performance Training and Conditioning E-Magazine of Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
In this Issue: Book review: Every day I Fight
Battle & Jump Ropes for Cardio Killer
in this issue: Editorial: What’s yout Top 5? Training Tech: Athletic Standard for athlete performance testing Book reviews: LIVE with Every day I fight; explode with High Powered Plyometrics Also: Top 10 ways to improve mental focus Vision training combined with med ball training Increase your workout intensity with the TITIN weighted compression shirt and short set Max Velocity vs Gamespeed: what’s better? Pur Motion War Hammer for quality strength and power training
...and MUCH MORE!
What’s your Top 5? From the Editor
We all have them. They are our “go to lists”. The lists we use to rank our own personal “tops”. some people have a top 5 listing of favorite pizzas. Others have a top 5 listing of favorite coffee shops. Some even have a top 5 ranking of their favorite beers. I think that in our daily performance/fitness lives we should have a couple of “go to” lists of our top 5’s. A top 5 protein shake recipe; a top 5 lower body exercise list; a top 5 explosive drill listing; a top 5 quiet spots for some quickie rest and relaxation. Building that list can seem daunting, but it’s really is quite simple. We actually start building those things in our minds as we perform exercises, drink a protein shake, or find that spot for some recovery downtime. We have this human tendency to be always ranking---even if we are not currently thinking about it. Building your top 5 listing can be great for building your training and workout personal library of exercises and drills. The “go to” top 5 listing will help you expand your already existing list, because as you master your favorite top 5, you can start looking for other exercises and drills to bump into the starting line up. Then when you master them, you move on to others, and so on and so on. It’s never ending. This Spring build your top 5. Build it, master it, then add in more and repeat the cycle. Watch how your performance and fitness levels rise as a result of doing this. What’s your top 5? Daimond D. Dixon Editor, Pro Power E-Mag
The Mission The Pro Power mission is to provide training information to athletes and fitness enthusiasts by sharing training and conditioning ideals from various sources helping individuals to reach their personal performance potential.
Publishing Pro Power E-Magazine is published monthly in an online viewing format along with an accompanying online web site and blog.
Contact Information Editor: Daimond Dixon Web: ProPowerMag.com Email: PerformanceSport21@gmail.com Phone: (616) 633-1883
Training Tech Tech that adds variety to sports performance and fitness training
The Athletic Standard Index (ASI) is positioned to be the universal language of sport. Once a well kept secret of elite sports organizations this index is now publically available. By using ASI coaches, players and staff members can clearly articulate the athletic prowess of an individual. The ASI has continually proven over time to stand up to the toughest critics and provide world class results.
The AS Index is the fastest, most accurate talent identification system on the market. Teams can now quickly and efficiently rank, sort and profile top prospects. The ASI can accurately identify talent, even in situations where limited information is available. All athletes are graded on a 0-3,000 pt scale which can be applied to a wide range of sports. Especially in team sports where information can be skewed by variables such as teammates, tactics and strength of schedule, the ASI is the definitive data point that coaches can use to predict the in game impact a player will have. By analyzing athletes on a non sport specific basis, coaches can establish a comprehensive candidate pool and identify hidden talent from non traditional sources.
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Book Reviews: Every Day I Fight, and High Powered Plyometrics, 2nd Edition From Amazon: Stuart Scott— Everyday I Fight “When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live, and the manner in which you live.” – Stuart Scott The fearless, intimate, and inspiring story behind ESPN anchor Stuart Scott’s unrelenting fight against cancer, with a foreword by Robin Roberts.
Shortly before he passed away, on January 4, 2015, Stuart Scott completed work on this memoir. It was both a labor of love and a love letter to life itself. Not only did Stuart relate his personal story—his childhood in North Carolina, his supportive family, his athletic escapades, his onthe-job training as a fledgling sportscaster, his being hired and eventual triumphs at ESPN—he shared his intimate struggles to keep his story going. Struck by appendiceal cancer in 2007, Stuart battled this rare disease with an unimaginable tenacity and vigor. Countless surgeries, enervating chemotherapies, endless shuttling from home to hospital to office and back—Stuart continued defying fate, pushing himself through exercises and workout routines that kept him strong. He wanted to be there for his teenage daughters, Sydni and Taelor, not simply as their dad, but as an immutable example of determination and courage. Every Day I Fight is a saga of love, an inspiration to us all.
Get the book here From Amazon: High Powered Plyometrics, 2nd Edition High-Powered Plyometrics is a systematic guide to explosive power training for athletes, coaches, and strength and conditioning experts. Exploring the principles of high-intensity plyometric training, power assessments, and development of long- and short-term conditioning programs, this hands-on guide covers it all.
You’ll find detailed photo sequences, step-by-step instruction, and intensity guidelines to ensure correct technique for 79 exercises that increase power in the core and upper and lower body. Incorporate exercises into an existing program, or personalize one of the ready-to-use programs for 21 sports, including football, basketball, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. You’ll also learn to track progress and adjust your programming to maintain your results.
These books and others are available in both print and tablet versions in our Pro Power Bookstore HERE
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How many times have you said “Its on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite remember”? Or “I am terrible with names but I always remember a face?”. Or you just lost your focus for a moment and ending up losing a chess match or baseball game. Check out these tips to help improve your mental focus and improve whatever in life your working on now. Tip #1 Reading One of the easiest methods to build mental focus is in reading daily. Put away the cell phone and turn off the TV and read 5 minutes a day. When you are reading and involved in the book you are focused. For some of us this may be the only time of the day when we are not bombarded with cell phone chatter, traffic jams and the rush of daily urban living.
Check out the SGPT Recommended Book List Here Tip #2 Eating well Research shows that Omega 3 found in fish oil can decrease cholesterol, improve your sleep and increase your IQ (allow brain to learn 6x faster). Blueberries may be the single most powerful brain-preserving food in the world. Research has shown that blueberries also help to clean the brain’s mental pathways.
Tip #3 Crosswords and Sudoko Don’t roll your eyes… research has shown that mental workouts (Crossword puzzles, sudoko) are better than vitamins and physical exercise to improve your memory and mental focus Tip #4 Find the flow. Kayaking, surfing, yoga, jiu-jitsu, diving, all allow your mind to be in the moment and not thinking about your cell phone. These activities obviously keep you active physically which in turn stimulate the mind. Video – Simple Meditation For Mental Clarity Focus and Concentration
Learn How a Navy SEAL Focused on Goals to Make it Through BUDS Twice Tip #5 Chunking The Magic Seven Theory refers to our short-term memory can only hold roughly seven pieces of information. If there is more than seven bits of information, our conscious minds have to chunk it back to seven pieces. You can use this in your daily life by taking complex task with more than seven bits and breaking them into more manageable pieces. This
will also lower your anxiety and stress levels and help you to achieve the task quicker and more efficiently. (Continued next page)
Tip #6
Observe. It is almost impossible to completely stop your brain from thinking. But you can slow down your overly active brain processes by withdrawing from your thoughts and become an outside observer. This process is used in yoga to calm the mind and focus on the breathing. This method of self awareness (with deep breathing) will increase your mental focus and clarity in many other aspects of your life. Tip #7 Stop Multi-Tasking In todays modern society we are all guilty of multi-tasking (performing multiple things seemingly at once). But according to researchers, multi-tasking does not really exist. Neuroscientist point out that the portion of the brain called “Broadman’s Area 10″ can only perform one process at a time. So when you think you are multi-tasking, you are actually shifing gears multiple times between these task with a 0.7 second lag time. This lag time not only makes you less efficient than if you were to perform only one task with no mental pauses (think texting and driving). Tip #8 Relax Think of your mind as a blank canvas or flat open ocean. Thoughts will filter through your head but let them go easily. Your brain will slow as you relax with less pressure. A mind that is constantly thinking and trying to analyze multiple thoughts will never be able to focus effectively on one. Slow down the mind and focus better on the one. “My thoughts before a big race are usually pretty simple. I tell myself: Get out of the blocks, run your race, stay relaxed. If
you run your race, you’ll win… channel your energy. Focus.” – Carl Lewis (Track and Field Gold Medalist) Tip #9 Breathe. Sit in a comfortable chair or lay on the floor. Breathe in deep through the nose and breathe out slowly through the mouth. Purse your lips and blow a small circle like your trying to balance a feather above you. This will reduce the many thoughts in your mind and help you to only focus on your breath. This is a very powerful method and is a form of ChiGong, an ancient Chinese method of relaxation and mind control. Tip #10
Be Open You mind needs to be constantly seeking out new challenges to improve. If you only do the same thing day after day, week after week, you mind will become weaker. Try a new sport like Jiu-Jitsu or kick boxing. Learn a new skill like computer programming or sewing. Flex your mind like you would the bicep and grow 1% daily. This will improve your minds ability to focus and be sharp like the knife and ready to be used at a moments notice. About the Author: Brad McLeod knows first hand about mental toughness after being kicked out of a top tier Spec Ops training unit. He failed out of BUD/S the first time after failing a math test (made it through Hell Week and Dive Pool Comp). He came back a year later and graduated and served as an operator on the Navy SEAL Teams. Today he is one of the most sought after mental conditioning coaches in the world today having recently returned from Ireland, Southern California, Pennsylvania and parts unknown in north Florida. SEALgrinderPT audios and Ebooks have been downloaded in 20 different countries around the globe. Contact Brad brad@sealgrinderpt.com Check out SEALgrinderPT Coaching to help you step up and take hold of your dreams and realize your goals.
Swivel Vision and Med Ball Training The Swivel Vision eye wear goggles were designed to help increase vision and focus by cutting down on the amount of peripheral vision your eyes have access to. Once removed, your eyes view their surroundings in a broader sense, and it becomes easier to track items with your eyes. This is a critical component when it comes to sports performance and skills training for todays athletes. Sports demand a lot of visual acuity and awareness in order to perform successful tasks, often at a high rate of speed. Taking the Swivel Vision into the training room out side of the practice setting can have another distinct advantage. Particularly when it comes to performing any type of upper body ballistic training when you will be throwing or catching items, such as medicine balls. The action of using medicine balls in performance training has been around for a long time and has gained popularity in recent years for performance training more and more. Although balls come in a variety of sizes and weights, we recommend that you start off with a relatively light ball while using the SV, as a way to get used to catching/moving the ball with limited vision, then increase the weight as your proficiency increases.
The Drills Rotational Forward Throw While facing a wall with a square balanced stance, rotate and throw the ball towards the wall, and as the ball moves away from the wall, receive it towards the opposite side of the body. Depending on the balls weight, make sure you use your body and hips to put the ball into action, using your arms only as a means to connect you with the ball. With the swivel vision on, really focus your eyes on where the ball strikes the wall in front of you. After the ball strikes the wall, as it returns towards you it will leave your line of sight----absorb the ball into your hands and feel it return to your body.
Rotational Side throw Just as in the previous drill you will be throwing the ball, but this time from a side position----with the wall to your right or left side instead of in front of you. Use your body to throw the ball in the same way, however this time the ball will be triggered on the non-wall side of your body. drop your hips slightly and rotate and throw the ball towards the wall tracking it with your eyes as you throw it to the designated spot on the wall. After the ball strikes the wall, it will return towards you, and as it leaves your line of sight, absorb the ball into your hands.
Training Tips: Use a moderate weighted ball at first for safety reasons---a weight that you can easily handle, then progress from there Move the ball and attempt to track its movements as if you do not have the vision glasses on. This will force your eyes to adapt better to track the ball as it leaves and returns to your body. Alternate your sets with and without the glasses (contrast training) for a great effect. Feel free to perform this drill without a medicine ball---use regular sports balls such as volleyball balls, basketball, etc.
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TITIN delivers measurable results refer to as the TITIN EFFECT. Results from those who warmed up with the TITIN system include a 25% higher lactate threshold, 13% increase in vertical leap, 11% increase in endurance & 3% increase in running speed. Take your game to the next level with TITIN.
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Tip of the MOnth: Maximum Velocity vs Operational Speed (Game Speed) Maximum velocity is an athletes top linear speed. At max velocity, an athlete is running the fastest that they can run covering ground at maximum speed, unhindered. When we think of most athletes while in action during their chosen sport, we think they are moving with max velocity speed. To coin a term by a popular strength and conditioning coach, what we really see when athletes are performing at a high rate of speed is the athletes "operational velocity"----their gamespeed. Gamespeed refers to high speed athletic actions performed while athletes are playing their sport. It differs from maximum velocity speed because during operation output (gamespeed) depending on the sport (unless it's track), athletes are cutting, jumping and changing directions. These constant actions limits an athletes ability to get up to maximum velocity.
Plyo Box Jumps
So what matters most---maximum velocity or operational output? I'd say both, and here is why: The higher your maximum velocity, the higher or operational output. In other words the more your train for maximum speed, the better your gamespeed will be, even if you never get up to maximum velocity during competition. You'll still be fast! So train your body to create great maximum velocity to increase operational output GAMESPEED! *Want to increase your gamespeed? Try adding plyo box jumps. See our full playlist of plyo box jumps above!
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War Hammer for explosive lifting pushing and pulling One of my favorite things to do is to train with implemented that can use free weights in a different way. Although the I personally am not a proponent of machine training (ie selector zed machines), I do like the practical effect of training with weights combine with different devices. Enter the pur motion war hammer + varsity renegade. The war hammer is an elongated handle which plugs right into an Olympic bar to create a "device" which serves several exercise and training applications. The other end of the bar slides into a swivel until known as a varsity renegade, which allows for the bar to be then plugged into a double stack of Olympic 45 lb plates (see pic). After the set up, the user can grab the handle and perform various athletic and training movements. The versatility of the war hammer allows the user to perform exercises and training drills that can be done with conventional barbells, Dumbbells and even kettlebells. The war hammer is great for exercises that require you to be explosive, to push, to pull, use your lower body and is great for rotational and core training. War hammer explosive, pushing and pulling exercises.
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Train to be explosive with one hand The typical explosive Barbell exercises require the use of two hands, working in one plane of motion. Using the WH you can now be explosive using one hand while rotating your entire body!
How: Stand next to the WH with the handle to your left in a split stance, left leg back. Drop your hips low and grasps the handle. In one motion, pull the handle initiating the action with your legs as once you reach full extension, jump, rotate your body and catch handle near your shoulder. Pause, then return the barbell to the floor. Repeat
Get things AWAY from your body with strength by pushing Strength Pushes away from our body in the for of military DB presses bench presses are a training must. Now push away with the WH.
How: Stand facing the handle of the WH in a split stance, left leg back. Pick up handle with left hand. Quickly dip your hips, and push WH overhead. Pause and return to starting position. After reps repeat with the other hand.
Strong away from your body with a push? Be strong towards your body with a pull Get strong in the posterior region of your body (behind you) by pulling/rowing with the WH.
How: Stand facing the WH with that same split stance. Grab the WH handle with your handle and pull towards your bent body. Lower back towards the ground under control. Repeat with other arm when finished
Add the WH to your training arsenal! Get yours here
Training Tech Tech that adds variety to sports performance and fitness training
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What is the Competitive Cauldron? A MUST use application for any coach. See it here
“Our competitive cauldron is a player development tool. By making the player better, it makes the team better. We don’t use players’ rankings to determine starting positions or playing time. The rankings are for the players’ information. Those that are ambitious will want to climb and those that are content to be mediocre will also be content to remain in the middle to bottom of the rankings.”
Customize your own Categories. Filter by Categories and by Player position. Create a cauldron from our templates for Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Football, Volleyball or create your own personalize cauldron. Create and enter your players stats for each training sessions online or via the app. Printout/Email individual players stats or the entire Team. Allow players to login online to view only their stats and progress. Create and Email player evaluations (Customize your own evaluation for your team)
Vertimax for Total Body Strength The Vertimax is one of my favorite training tools to use when it comes to explosion, speed and agility training. The unit allow for both on platform and off platform applications, which makes it one of the best training tools on the market. But when looking at the until as a whole, you will find that its applications extend beyond enhancing speed, agility and jumping skills. The variable resistance allows it to be one of the best STRENGTH training devices on the market for total body training. Even without the use of DB’s and Barbells, workouts can be created using the Vertimax to increase total body strength for athletes. By attaching simple handles to the cords, the following athletic strength training movements can be accomplished: Explosive Exercises: 1/4 quick jumps. Load your hips and explode upward driving your hips forward and your arms violently above your head.
Push Exercises: Attaching handles to cords, press handles upward as you would a traditional military press over head. Pull Exercise: Taking a bent split stance, row the handle towards your torso in a smooth manner---like a DB Bent Row Knee (lower body I): Holding handles in from of your body, squat down and return to the top. Repeat Hip (lower body II): Perform 1 legged RDL Rotational: Perform wood chop.
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For more resistance, use the cords that will offer the most resistance and adjust accordingly!
In sports there is a big emphasis on the ability to move forward---really, really, fast. So much so that the catch phrase has almost always been “speed kills”. Several drills and training tools exist on the market today to try and build upon that elusive sports intangible called speed. The internet is filled with not only tons and tons of speed drills, but with individual athletes, coaches and parents seeking out better and better ways to get FASTER. But what about moving laterally? Sure, coaches focus on it with shuffles, cariocas, etc., but is it just as emphasized as straight ahead speed? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe that the ability to move laterally (especially in team sports) is just as important as the ability to go forward. Enter the SKLZ Recoil 360 training device.
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This bungee cord and waist belt unit has variable practical uses in sports performance training from resisted and assisted speed training, to resisted plyometric explosive drills. The bungee cord resistance is smooth, while the waist belt allows the user to turn his/her body around 360 degrees while training. And the uses for lateral training is a key component which makes this device idea for this article. Using resisted bungee cord training to move laterally allows the user to feel resistance as they increase the tension of the cord as it stretches. This stretch in the cord and added resistance forces the user to increase the force into the ground with their inside leg---the leg pushing away from the starting point. The opposite leg away from that leg will be performing the opposite action of pulling the body away. After arriving at the prescribed destination, the user returns to the original starting point and now both feet serve as the decelerators stabilizing the body as the bungee pulls the athlete back. The SKLZ Recoil 360 Drills Try these drills for creating better lateral movement speed. The bungee will stretch to about 20’ from its original 8’ size, so although drills may not cover long distances, make sure you start with a little tension. A partner can hold the end cord, or it can be anchored to an immobile object. Remember pay attention to strict form as you perform each of the drills below! Shuffle/Shuffle: shuffle out to prescribed distance, then shuffle back Carioca/Carioca: carioca out and back, focus on making great cross over steps and plants Shuffle/Carioca: shuffle out and plant, quickly returning with a fast carioca Carioca/Shuffle: opposite action of the above drive. Carioca/Sprint: perform carioca out as efficiently as possible, put on the breaks and using the 360 degree nature of the belt, rotate towards the starting point and sprint back; plant your foot, rotate, and carioca back out Shuffle/Sprint: perform same action as above, however replace the carioca element with the shuffle To increase your lateral speed with the SKLZ Recoil 360, go at 100% effort and focus on smooth efficient transitions side to side. Also contrast drills by performing one drill with the 360 on, and the next drill without. Click the link above to see the 360 in action, then click on the SKLZ logo to grab your SKLZ Recoil 360 today!
Workout of the Month: Battle Rope + Jump Rope = Cardio Killer Treadmills can be monotonous, bikes can get boring and steppers can be an uncoordinated pain when it comes to trying to attain a great cardio effect. But two ropes can make all of the difference in your cardio training. Grab a battle rope and a jump rope and watch your cardio capacity soar!
Battle Ropes Battle ropes is one of the newest and best ways to increase cardio endurance, work capacity and core strength. Grab those two handles, engage your core, and start the action by moving the rope aggressively and actively. The movement patterns can vary from the basic dual arm slam, alternating slam, jumping jack slam, side to side slam----to name a few. Battle ropes have been known to bring the strongest person to their knees with its ability to take cardio training to a whole new level.
Jump Ropes Jump ropes have been used for an eternity when it comes to enlisting them for cardio and endurance training. General fitness enthusiasts, boxers, MMA fighters and team sport athletes have all found great benefit from using jump rope training. The benefits to your "cardio capacity" are enhanced when adding jump rope training to workouts as either a warm-up, or post-workout finisher.
Battle Rope + Jump Rope Combining both the battle rope and jump rope together creates the "perfect storm" of cardio conditioning. The effective way of doing it is “contrast style”----perform one set of either battle rope or jump, followed by a set of the other exercise.
The Workout Perform entire list below 3 times through: 2 arm Rope Slam for 20 slams 2-feet jump rope for 25 reps Split stance 2-arm slam for 20 slams Alternate feet jump rope for 25 reps Alternate arm rope slams for 20 reps Single leg jump rope for 25 reps (per leg) Tips: Pause 45-90 seconds between each drill Pause 90-180 seconds between each full set of exercises Focus on engaging your core the entire time
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Vertical and Horizontal Core Training with ab wheel/hanging knee raises Everybody loves GOOD ABS: guys like the washboard abs, gals love the flat stomach. When training athletes, I tend to stay away from calling it “training abs”, and choose to refer to it as training the "core". If you train for a healthy functional core, one great bi-product can be killer abs. Training the core can be done in a variety of ways (as we have learned from the internet!) and a variety of body positions. This article focuses on two body position types: horizontal and vertical positioning.
Horizontal with the ab wheel Using our ab wheel, train your core in a horizontal way by extending your body outward as your wheel moves away from you body. (See video). The ab wheel forces you to engage your core, as your torso tries to find the stability to balance with strength. A key point here is attempt to keep your toes on the ground as you extend out with elbows locked. And breathe! Vertical knee raises Grab above your head either a pull up bar or other apparatus, with a firm grip. As your body hangs extending down from the rack engage and tighten your core. Slightly pressing your feet together with feet dorsal flexed, draw your knees high toward your chest as an aiming point. Return knees slowly back down to starting position. Tips: Try to do sets of 10-15 of each exercise for starters Alternate between both exercises, doing each for minimum 4 sets **Gripads to the rescue! If gripping is an issue for either, get a pair of "Gripads" to aid in your gripping. They are padded and instead of the typical training glove that makes your hands sweaty, these awesome pads use sewn finger rings so that you can slide your hand right in and go to work. (See them in action below).
Vertical/Horizontal Core Workout
Gripads
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