The Performance Training and Conditioning E-Magazine of Athletes and Fitness Enthusiasts
October 2014 mid-month Issue
Train your eyes with Swivel Vision
Get athletic with Jump Attack
Power up with plyo box jump/Clean Combo
Elevation Training Mask is a patent pending "Resistance Training Device" that helps condition the lungs by creating pulmonary resistance and strengthening the diaphragm.
Elevation Training Mask will help you regulate your breathing, increase lung stamina, oxygen efficiency and increase overall mental focus. Training Mask can help your over all performance in all sports and daily living.
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in this mid-month issue:
Editorial: The evolution of sports performance training Training Tech: Swivel Vision Goggles Book reviews: get motivated flexible with The Supple Leopard, get your body explosive with Jump Attack, and mentally psyched with The Champions Mind.
Training on a single leg and DB Clean Box Jumps Using Complex Training to get in fit and in shape
Plotting our Course From the Editor
There is something invigoratingly special about starting a new project. Starting the Pro Power Training e-mag last spring was a venture that was a long time in the making. And to be honest, it was a kind of a "wait and see" moment. The thought was l) launch a couple issues in the spring, 2) put up some stuff online during the summer, 3) cross my fingers and begin the monthly publication process this Fall. I am glad to say that I have had rave reviews and a good response from our initial issues, so the finger crossing is over lol. Time to hit the monthly publication trail! We are going to lead off with a mid-October "teaser issue". We'll throw a couple of articles at you, some cool ads, then come back in a couple weeks with the November issue. In a way, it's kind of like the trial and error of training. You dive in head first, but all the while making adjustments as you go. Once you find your personal performance formula in the way of exercises, drills, sets, reps, weight and distances, you plot your course. Our course is plotted in this way: for Pro Power e-mag to provide some of the best training, fitness and conditioning info in a usable format via e-mag, and social media. Of course there will be adjustments along the way-----that's how good projects become great endeavors. The formula for success often times has a myriad of ingredients. But as we plot our course and dive in, we hope that you will follow our lead and do the same in with your goals. Let's get started! Daimond Dixon
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
Swivel Vision goggles allow athletes to utilize their optimal field of vision in order to achieve maximum focus and better hand-eye coordination. Our goggles will help athletes train to increase reaction times and develop superior mechanics. With repetitive use, our goggles seek to strengthen the core muscle memory of the eyes and the mind to help athletes become more successful. "TAKE YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL" SEE THE TWO VIDEOS BELOW
Book Reviews: Supple Leopard, Champions Mind & Jump Attack From Amazon: Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier, more fulfilling life.
From Amazon: Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at an all-time high. While the caliber of their game may differ, athletes at every level have one thing in common: they want to excel. In The Champion’s Mind, sports psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, LPC, now offers the same advice he uses with Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including:
Tips and techniques based on high-performance psychology research, such as how to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble
How to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term
Customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off or the puck is dropped
From Amazon: In Jump Attack, Grover shares the revolutionary program he uses to train the pros. A fitness bible for athletes around the world, this three-phase, twelve-week program has been completely updated with new exercises and workouts as well as cutting-edge information on training, nutrition, longevity, injury prevention, and more. Devised for explosive power, quickness, endurance, and agility, this intensely challenging workout pushes athletes out of their comfort zones, tests their capacity to go harder, and turns “I can’t” into “Just try and stop me.”
The books above are available in both print and tablet versions. See these great books here
One legged training Two legs are better then one— except when it comes to training! Unilateral training refers to training that is performed on one leg. Any training that can be done with only one foot in contact with the ground helps to increase overall balance, proprioception, stability and strength. With one leg doing all of the work, the body quickly learns to adapt to this type of training, making training and performing on to legs seam like child's play.
Power up with plyo box jump/Clean Combo Combination exercises is the act of combining two different exercises to elicit a great training effect. Combining two push, or two pull exercises has been common place, but lets take it up a notch--- combining two explosive exercises. DB clean + Box jumps. This fantastic combo provides the right kind of explosive training due to the fact that you have to recruit so many muscle fibers. Some prefer the "all at once method� where you perform DB hang clean and simultaneously explode to box. Others prefer performing the DB hang clean, catch the weight, then explode to the top of the because. Try out both methods and see which is bet for you!
Complex Training Complexes are a fantastic way to combine exercises together for a great training effect. One way to do this is by putting together a few exercises using the DB’s. The burn is fantastic, it cuts down training time, and elicits a great cardio strength training effect. In the video below check out the following exercises complexed together for a great effect using the exercises below: DB Clean + Push Press DB Reverse Lunge + Pull DB Plank Push Up + Row
Complex Training
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10 Tips to Increase Mental Toughness by Brad McLeod SealGrinderPT.com A question we get weekly is “Coach, how do I improve my mental toughness, my mental strength?”. The answer can be found in elite athletes. Want to know the #1 difference between the rest of the world and athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Aaron Rodgers and Herschel Walker? It is not completely their athletic gifts. It is their mental toughness that caps it off. When the game is on the line all of these athletes seem to rise above the norm and perform at an extraordinary level. Mental toughness is their secret. Check out these tips to condition your mental muscle and improve your game like a champion.
1. Focus on the Present It is hard for us to focus on the present. With so much chaos going on around us it is easy to see how we could forget our own names. Cell phones, texting, traffic, earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear disasters. You name it – there is crazy stuff happening all around us and it is tough to stay centered and focused. So how can we stay focused? By only focusing on taking the next step. Then take the next step and the next. Dont think about what is going to happen in 20 minutes. Or what happened in your past. Only focus on the present and taking that next step (or next putt or next free throw or next hand off with the football).
2. Have a Short Memory The number one job of a quarterback is not to pass the ball – it is to protect the ball. So what happens when a quarterback fumbles the ball in a big time game like the Super Bowl and the opposing team goes up by 6 points? A great quarterback that has made a mistake needs to have a short memory. Meaning they need to learn from the mistake and forget the past and move on. A great quarterback like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady will not dwell on the past mistake or let it shadow them. They move on. You must do the same. Learn to let go and move on quickly so that you can achieve your goal.
3. Stay Positive It is easy to become negative when a tough situation arises. If left to our own devices our brains will seek the easy way out and sometimes that means flight – instead of fight. A warrior who has command of their mind will take control of the situation. Mentally practicing the ability to drive out the negative and reinforce with the positive is an acquired skill. You can work on every day with tough physical workouts or being exposed to arduous conditions (swimming in cold water, running in heat). The easiest and best method is to control your thoughts. It takes 21 days to form a habit so start now and write down all negative thoughts you have in the day. On the next day begin to get rid of those negative thoughts and one by one replace them with positive ones. This is a great start to a new mind set.
4. Become a Ritual-aholic Everyone has a ritual. We get up in the morning on the same side of the bed and brush our teeth. We get a cup of coffee and read the news on our ipad (or newspaper). We go to the gym and workout and then go to work. We all have a ritual. Some rituals are good – some are bad. Top championship athletes also have rituals. Michael Jordan goes to the basketball court every day and shoots 1000 free throws. Tiger Woods putts for hours and hits 1000’s of golf balls. Herschel Walker does 1000 pushups every morning. They all have a ritual that has conditioning them to be tougher than the average athlete. Yes; there is athleticism involved in shooting 1000 free throws but Michael’s mind has made him perform this task daily to condition himself for future success.
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CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE 5. Enjoy the Battle Currently I compete in the Masters division of CrossFit competitions. It may be one of the hardest things I have ever done. At my age I could go sit on the couch on a Saturday and know one would give me crap. But I want to progress and become a better athlete and warrior. So I go to battle on Saturdays. It is hard to keep your chin up in such awful conditions of heat and hardship while dragging tires on 100 degree Georgia asphalt. But I love to compete. I tell myself I love to compete – and I have grown to learn to love and enjoy the middle of the battle as much as the finish. Telling yourself that you love the battle is a start. Over time as you grow accustomed to this thinking you can embrace it on a more wholistic manner. But start out by telling yourself you are enjoying this tough competition and force yourself to “smile” inwardly. You can feel the paradigm shift right in that moment. It works. I dare you to try it.
6. Visualize your Future Self That’s right — get a mental picture of how you want to be in your future self. In order to get through this current tough workout or hardship you have to not only survive – but thrive. Think of your future self and how it will feel to stand on the podium with a medal draped around your neck. Think about the cool breeze flowing against your skin and you hearing the crowd cheering in the background. Use details to create a positively charged emotion that your mind will connect with. Mental visualization is key. Before the Championship game – athletes like Michael Jordan rehearse the winning shot, playing it over and over in their mind as they practice and shoot baskets. Michael Jordan pictures himself cutting down the basket from the winning game. Tiger Woods see’s himself putting on the green jacket at Augusta Nationals. What do you visualize that you will put in your mind to help carry you through the rough and bumpy road?
7. Hang Around Winners If your wanting to get great at basketball do you go down to the local playground and go for a pick up game with some first graders? Or do you go downtown to the courts where the big boys hang out and jump in the game? Do you head to the gym on a Friday afternoon or do you head out to the local bar for Miller Time with Joe and the boys? To get better – you have to workout with (and hang around) those that are at or above a level you want to be at. To get mentally tough you have to do the same. Get in an environment where only the tough survive and you will see your mental conditioning rise after the first day. Metal sharpens metal. So get tough by getting next to those athletes at the next level.
8. Repeating Affirmations Mental affirmations are a great method. Repeating words in your mind to help you focus on a task is an excellent way to cast off the extra chaos. It is harder for negative thoughts to enter your mind while you are chanting “I am a winner”, “I’m an overcomer”. Come up with a few affirmations. Write them down and use them when your out on your next 5k run or weight workout. You will be surprised how well they keep you on track, focused and keeping negative thoughts in the far back of your mind.
9. Reading Good Books You can create discipline by reading every night. Reading a good book is a form of ritual but it also helps to put great things into your mind. Most people go to sleep watching all of the violence and no good on the evening news at 11. Try reading 10 pages of a good book every night. A good book to help build your mind is “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell. Reading every night will build consistency and ritual in your life. It will also help to build mental muscle that you can use in your next tough workout.
10. Calm Yourself Have you noticed that the top championships are calm during the toughest of situations? They have learned to calm themselves through conditioning to be ready for the unexpected. Yoga and meditation are excellent methods to calm your mind and body. Stretching and long distance running are also great exercises. The key is to find the method that works for you and begin to incorporate that activity into your weekly routine (remember ritual?). For me – it is trail running, so I make sure to add this in to my weekly schedule to help me cruise at a higher level and to remain tough when the situation turns south.
"When I step onto the court, I don't have to think about anything. If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It's like therapy. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems." -Michael Jordan
"Nothing will work unless you do." - John Wooden