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November 2008, Vol. XVIII, No. 8

CONTENTS 39

15 4

Student Corner ’Tis the Season

By Mike Phelps

7

Q&A Fred Hina University of Louisville

30 52 59 60 62 63 58

Sponsored Page Life Fitness Product News Strength Training & Cardio Product Launch Power Racks Arm & Shoulder More Products Advertisers Directory

65

CEU Quiz For NATA and NSCA Members

68

Next Stop: Web Site

Cover photo: © Getty Images

TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

Treating the Athlete

15

By Leaps and Bounds The latest research into non-contact ACL injuries has greatly improved our understanding of why they occur—and more importantly, how they can be prevented.

By R.J. Anderson Optimum Performance

Moves 22 Power Targeted exercises in the weightroom and the gym can correct movement deficiencies and ensure that your athletes move with optimal balance, coordination, and efficiency.

By Kristy Crowley Nutrition

It Through 33 Making To support an athlete who has struggled with an eating disorder, you might wear many hats: counselor, nutrition advisor, motivational speaker, friend. These roles are vital both during primary treatment and in the after-care phase.

By Kristen Martin Leadership

A Diverse Tomorrow

39 Leaders in the effort to attract more minorities to athletic training discuss ways they’re helping shape the future of the profession.

By Elicia Leal, Keith Garnett, and Dr. Marnie Vanden Noven Sport Specific

Mat to Octagon 45 From Athletes who engage in one-on-one combat have similar conditioning needs, regardless of their sport. That’s what this strength coach found when he trained a former college wrestler to compete in mixed martial arts.

By Tim Wakeham T&C NOVEMBER 2008

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EDITORIAL BOARD

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Marjorie Albohm, MS, ATC/L Director of Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Research, Orthopaedics Indianapolis

Joe Gieck, EdD, ATR, PT Director of Sports Medicine and Prof., Clinical Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia (retired)

Jon Almquist, ATC Specialist, Fairfax County (Va.) Pub. Schools Athletic Training Program

Brian Goodstein, MS, ATC, CSCS, Head Athletic Trainer, DC United

Brian Awbrey, MD Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Instructor in Orthopaedics, Harvard Medical School

Cho-Pat Tennis Elbow Support Secures and supports forearm muscles that are over-exercised or strained during athletic activities.

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Sizes: Sm - XL

Christopher Ingersoll, PhD, ATC, FACSM Director, Graduate Programs in Sports Medicine/Athletic Training University of Virginia

Leslie Bonci, MPH, RD Director, Sports Medicine Nutrition Program, University of Pittsburgh Medical Ctr. Health System

Allan Johnson, MS, MSCC, CSCS Sports Performance Director Velocity Sports Performance

Cindy Chang, MD Head Team Physician, University of California-Berkeley

Steve Myrland, CSCS Owner, Manager, Perf. Coach, Myrland Sports Training, LLC, Instructor and Consultant, University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine

Special Projects Dave Wohlhueter

Dan Cipriani, PhD, PT Assistant Professor Dept. of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State Univ.

Mike Nitka, MS, CSCS Director of Human Performance, Muskego (Wisc.) High School

Advertising Materials Coordinator Mike Townsend

Bruno Pauletto, MS, CSCS President, Power Systems, Inc.

Marketing Director Sheryl Shaffer

Stephen Perle, DC, CCSP Associate Prof. of Clin. Sciences, University of Bridgeport College of Chiropractic

Marketing/Sales Assistant Danielle Catalano

Brian Roberts, MS, ATC, Director, Sport Performance & Rehab. Ctr.

Advertising Sales Associates Diedra Harkenrider (607) 257-6970, ext. 24

Gray Cook, MSPT, OCS, CSCS Clinic Director Orthopedic & Sports Phys. Ther.

Dunn, Cook, and Assoc.

David Ellis, RD, LMNT, CSCS Sports Alliance, Inc.

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Art Direction Message Brand Advertising

Business Manager Pennie Small

Jeff Dilts, Director, Business Development & Marketing, National Academy of Sports Medicine

Patent-pending device affords protection from overuse injuries for individuals performing repetitive lifting.

Tim McClellan, MS, CSCS Director of Perf. Enhancement, Makeplays.com Center for Human Performance

Jenny Moshak, MS, ATC, CSCS Asst. A.D. for Sports Medicine, University of Tennessee

Debra Brooks, CNMT, LMT, PhD CEO, Iowa NeuroMuscular Therapy Center

Lori Dewald, EdD, ATC, CHES Health Education Program Director, Salisbury University

Bicep/TricepS Cuff

Circulation Staff David Dubin, Director John Callaghan

Production Staff Maria Bise, Director Jim Harper, Neal Betts, Natalie Couch

Bernie DePalma, MEd, PT, ATC Head Athl. Trainer/Phys. Therapist, Cornell University

Cho-Pat’s unique approach to help alleviate the pain and soreness caused by shin splits Sizes: Sm - L

Editorial Staff Eleanor Frankel, Director Greg Scholand, Managing Editor R.J. Anderson, Kenny Berkowitz, Abigail Funk, Kyle Garratt, Mike Phelps, Dennis Read

Michael Merk, MEd, CSCS Director of Health & Fitness, YMCA of Greater Cleveland

Cynthia “Sam” Booth, ATC, PhD Manager, Outpatient Therapy and Sportsmedicine, MeritCare Health System

Keith D’Amelio, ATC, PES, CSCS Head Strength & Conditioning Coach/ Assistant Athletic Trainer, Toronto Raptors

Shin Splint Compression Sleeve

Publisher Mark Goldberg

Maria Hutsick, MS, ATC/L, CSCS Head Athletic Trainer, Medfield (Mass.) High School

Jim Berry, MEd, ATC, SCAT/EMT-B Director of Sports Medicine and Head Athletic Trainer, Myrtle Beach (S.C.) High School

Christine Bonci, MS, ATC Asst. A.D. for Sports Medicine, Women’s Athletics, University of Texas

November 2008 Vol. XVIII, No. 8

Gary Gray, PT, President, CEO, Functional Design Systems

Boyd Epley, MEd, CSCS Director of Coaching Performance, National Strength & Conditioning Association Peter Friesen, ATC, NSCA-CPT, CSCS, CAT, Head Ath. Trainer/ Cond. Coach, Carolina Hurricanes Lance Fujiwara, MEd, ATC, EMT Director of Sports Medicine, Virginia Military Institute Vern Gambetta, MA, President, Gambetta Sports Training Systems P.J. Gardner, MS, ATC, CSCS, PES, Athletic Trainer, Colorado Sports & Spine Centers

Ellyn Robinson, DPE, CSCS, CPT Assistant Professor, Exercise Science Program, Bridgewater State College Kent Scriber, EdD, ATC, PT Professor/Supervisor of Athletic Training, Ithaca College Chip Sigmon, CSCS Strength and Conditioning Coach, Carolina Medical Center Bonnie J. Siple, MS, ATC Coordinator, Athletic Training Education Program & Services, Slippery Rock University Chad Starkey, PhD, ATC Visiting Professor, Athletic Training Education Program, Ohio University Ralph Stephens, LMT, NCTMB Sports Massage Therapist, Ralph Stephens Seminars Fred Tedeschi, ATC Head Athletic Trainer, Chicago Bulls Terrence Todd, PhD, Co-Director, Todd-McLean Physical Culture Collection, Dept. of Kinesiology & Health Ed., University of Texas-Austin

Administrative Assistant Sharon Barbell

Pat Wertman (607) 257-6970, ext. 21 T&C editorial/business offices: 31 Dutch Mill Road Ithaca, NY 14850 (607) 257-6970 Fax: (607) 257-7328 info@MomentumMedia.com Training & Conditioning (ISSN 1058-3548) is published monthly except in January and February, May and June, and July and August, which are bimonthly issues, for a total of nine times a year, by MAG, Inc., 31 Dutch Mill Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850. T&C is distributed without charge to qualified professionals involved with competitive athletes. The subscription rate is $24 for one year and $48 for two years in the United States, and $30 for one year and $60 for two years in Canada. The single copy price is $7. Copyright© 2008 by MAG, Inc. All rights reserved. Text may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without the permission of the publisher.

Unsolicited materials will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Periodicals postage paid at Ithaca, N.Y. and additional mailing offices.

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Student

Corner ’Tis the Season … to get ahead. Are you ready to make the most of your upcoming time off?

BY MIKE PHELPS or many college students, winter break is a perfect time to go home, see family, reconnect with old friends, and just relax.

But for athletic training students, this hiatus between semesters can be an opportunity to jump-start your career. With a little planning, you may be able to secure a short internship, shadow an athletic trainer, or gain experience through volunteer work.

“A couple weeks at home is probably plenty of time to be with your family— maybe too much,” jokes Sally Perkins, ATC, Athletic Training Program Director at Marist College. “You’ve still got a week or two to get some careerrelated experience. You may be able to shadow an orthopedist and see surgeries, or work in a physical therapy clinic with an athletic trainer. Even if it’s only for 10 hours, this can be valuable training.”

Chris Geiser, MS, PT, LAT, ATC, Athletic Training Program Director at Marquette University, finds that students who take advantage of these opportunities are often more confident in their abilities when they return.

“We commonly hear students say, ‘I really knew more than I thought I did,’” Geiser says. “If you find a setting where you can keep your brain going over winter break, that will help you a great deal in the long run, because

F

Mike Phelps is an Assistant Editor at Training & Conditioning. He can be reached at: mphelps@MomentumMedia.com.

4

T&C NOVEMBER 2008

the learning process doesn’t occur all at once.”

And while many students may want to take the winter break to recharge their batteries after a long, difficult fall semester, doing some work in the field can be just as invigorating.

“Most people go into athletic training because they like working handson with people,” Geiser says. “So

letic trainer, a clinic, or maybe even a gym and do some of those hours to take advantage of this free time,” Perkins says. “I’ve found it helps them remember what they learned during the semester. Otherwise, they end up having to do a lot of review once classes begin again.”

For upperclassmen, winter break is ideal for exploring different areas

“We commonly hear students say, ‘I really knew more than I thought I did.’ If you find a setting where you can keep your brain going over winter break, that will help you a great deal in the long run, because the learning process doesn’t occur all at once.” being in the sports-medicine environment over break can remind you that, ‘Yeah, I do still like this even though the classes are sometimes a drag and I have 18 credits waiting for me when I get back.’”

For freshmen, finding paid work is a long shot, but volunteering or shadowing an athletic trainer in your hometown are great ideas. “For first-year students, it’s a nice time to get some experience,” says Geiser. “And it’s also an important chance to really make sure you’re in the right field. If you are having serious reservations about athletic training, it’s much better to figure that out now than to wait until your third or fourth year in a program.”

At Marist, freshmen often use winter break to work toward completing their required 100 observation hours.

“They can go to their high school ath-

of the profession. “A junior or senior who’s trying to figure out exactly what he or she wants to do can take a look at something new,” says J.C. Andersen, PhD, PT, ATC, SCS, Athletic Training Program Director at the University of Tampa. “Someone can get additional insight into what it’s like to be a physician extender, or to work in a high school.”

Perkins feels it’s also a critical time to broaden your perspective. “The more settings you observe or work in, the more you experience people from different backgrounds with different philosophies,” she says. “It leads to learning new techniques, understanding various rehabilitation programs, and working with a variety of athletes of different genders, age groups, and populations. There are some details of treating specific problems that we can’t TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

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Student

Corner really teach in class, and it’s a great time to learn about those things.”

Upperclassmen may also need more experience working on the front lines.

Andersen says there are often volleyball tournaments in the Tampa area during his school’s winter break, and he recommends that his students volunteer as first responders. “Class is really just practice,” Andersen says. “You learn how and when to use your skills, but having real experiences is critical.”

To secure an internship, shadowing assignment, or any other opportunity during winter break, Geiser suggests students use any contacts they already have, network to make new contacts, or even open the phone book to coldcall clinics. “Don’t be afraid to talk to people,” he says. “Most are willing to help.”

Students can also speak with their professors about finding contacts or accessing the university’s alumni network. “We use our alums a lot,” says Perkins. “They’re very helpful, and we really encourage our students to take

advantage of their knowledge and their work sites.”

Even though it requires some effort, securing opportunities during winter break now could ultimately help you

unteer basis, that might go a long way toward getting a job recommendation or other opportunity.

“Most people get where they are by knowing people,” he continues. “In this

“When hiring, employers look for what experiences you’ve had, not just how you performed in school. What have you done besides what was required? Anything that adds to the quality of your resume will give you an edge. It also gives you something to talk about in an interview.” land that first job. It takes more than a degree to stand out in a pile of resumes.

“When hiring, employers look for what experiences you’ve had, not just how you performed in school,” says Andersen. “What have you done besides what was required? Anything that adds to the quality of your resume will give you an edge. It also gives you something to talk about in an interview.”

“Obviously, it’s nice to either relax or make money over break,” Geiser says.

“But if you’re willing to work on a vol-

line of work, you don’t have to do much job hunting if you’re a hard worker. The more contacts you make, the more opportunities will find you.” ■

Our Student Corner section appears four times a year, in alternating issues of T&C. To read articles from past issues, visit us online at: www.training-conditioning.com.

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Q&A Fred Hina University of Louisville As Head Athletic Trainer for the New York Mets, Fred Hina, MA, ATC, CSCS, had pretty much reached the top of the professional ladder. So when the University of Louisville men’s basketball team offered him a similar position in 2001, he might have seen it as a step down. Instead, Hina realized it was the perfect opportunity to balance work and family by moving back to his home state.

Hina spent seven years with the Mets after working his way through the organization’s minor league system. He took a job with the Mets' rookie league team in Kingsport, Tenn., after graduating from Western Kentucky University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in health care administration.

In 1994, Hina was named the International League Athletic Trainer of the Year and was a finalist for the Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year award, before moving to the majors the following season.

Joining Louisville in 2001, when Rick Pitino became Head Men’s Basketball Coach, today Hina works solely for the men’s basketball team, and enjoyed a trip to the 2005 NCAA Division I Final Four. Last year, he and his team physicians made a life saving discovery when they diagnosed freshman center Clarence Holloway with aortic root dissection, and then Marfan Syndrome. Without emergency surgery, Holloway could have died from an aneurysm caused by his strenuous physical activity on the court.

In this interview, Hina discusses working in professional baseball, moving from the Mets to Louisville, and what he learned about Marfan Syndrome.

T&C: What was it like working in baseball’s minor leagues?

Hina: It was much different when I started than it is today. In the late ’80s and early ’90s, we were not just athletic trainers, but also equipment and clubhouse managers, laundry personnel, and traveling secretaries.

But the toughest part was coming home at the end of the season and having to find a job. I worked for a lot of temporary agencies and did outreach work for therapy clinics. There are not very many places that will employ you for just four months.

Fortunately, in the early ’90s, Major League Baseball started requiring all its athletic trainers to have master’s degrees, and the pay level began to increase. Some of the organizaTR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

After 14 years working in pro baseball, Fred Hina moved back home to Kentucky, accepting the role of Head Athletic Trainer for men’s basketball at the University of Louisville. tions offered year-round contracts for their minor-league athletic trainers rather than seven- or eight-month contracts. We started to be treated more like professionals and less like the team’s do-it-all person, even though we still did a lot of work outside our profession.

What was your most memorable experience with the Mets?

Probably the 2000 World Series against the Yankees. The grand stage, the pinnacle of the sport, and watching two New York teams battle was incredible. The toughest part of that series was the built-in travel days we didn’t need because we were just going across town. We were thinking, “Come on, let’s just play.”

What advice would you give athletic trainers working their way up through the minor leagues?

You have to be very people-oriented and very caring. You also need to be unselfish and unconcerned with how much you’re being paid or how many hours you’re working. There is no time clock in this profession. You’re dealing with the health and welfare of athletes, and things happen when you’re not on the job. People have accidents in the middle of the night— they fall down the stairs or cut their finger while cooking dinner—and you have to be prepared for that.

T&C NOVEMBER 2008

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Q&A Fred Hina Head Men’s Basketball Athletic Trainer University of Louisville Education: BS, Health Care Administration, Western Kentucky University, 1987 MA, Human Environmental Sciences, University of Alabama, 2001 Recognition: International League Athletic Trainer of the Year, 1994 Finalist, Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year, 1994

Why did you leave the Mets and go to the University of Louisville?

It was a family decision. New York is a tough place to live, especially when you are from Louisville, as my wife and I are, and you have three young children. The rest of my family actually lived in Louisville during my last three years in New York.

With the hours of the job I was never home, anyway.

Rick Pitino has been my friend for some time, and I happened to run into him in New York in the summer of 2001, just

after he had taken the job at Louisville. He called back about a week later and said, “Hey, your wife’s already living down here. Do you want to come home?”

It wasn’t like I was looking for a job. I was very happy working for the Mets. But I know Coach Pitino is a very loyal person, and he had a six-year contract. I thought, “I’m basically guaranteeing myself a job for several years as long as I don’t make any big mistakes.” It was an opportunity to be at home almost every night, see my kids, and spend more time with my wife.

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How did you find out that one of your players, Clarence Holloway, had Marfan Syndrome?

Clarence went through the standard physical we give all our players. Through the family history form and our exam we identified a potential problem, and we sent him for some additional tests. Doctors discovered aortic root dissection, • www.fitball.com and we had to get that taken care of right away with a surgical procedure.

Once they took away that life-threat9/30/08 12:30:42 PMening situation, we went through the healing process. They did additional testing and identified Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder, which disqualified him from ever playing competitively in the future.

He is a great kid, and he has adjusted to life after basketball very well both mentally and physically. The NCAA allows for a permanent medical exemption, so he is still on scholarship. He is going to get an education, and we’re excited for him about that.

Tom@nebula-fitness.com

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How did you make the transition from baseball to basketball?

I got a lot of help from colleagues and friends in the profession, like Dave Werner, who is the Athletic Trainer for men’s basketball at the University of Florida. He started out in baseball and was a great resource for the transition.

But a sprained ankle is still a sprained ankle regardless of the sport. The basic structure in terms of knowing your athletes, having a system for annual physicals, arranging physician care, and emergency planning is the same just about anywhere.

What was the conversation with him like after the diagnosis?

It was tough. The cardiologist called me on a Friday and said, “I’ve got the results back, and we need to see Clarence.” But due to scheduling conflicts we couldn’t get him in until Tuesday.

So sitting on it over the weekend was hard.

At first he was stunned, and then he broke down. He went through all the emotions, and we were there for him.

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Q&A How do you help an athlete cope with a careerending condition like that?

It’s difficult for any athlete to understand that they can’t go out and perform any longer. We tried to be very supportive and find additional help for him. I contacted some people from the National Marfan Foundation, and they’ve been a huge help. He has had people to talk with who are very knowledgeable about Marfan Syndrome and very understanding of his situation. They have given him lots of resources and perspective on what he can and can’t do and how to go ahead and live a meaningful life.

What are the symptoms of Marfan Syndrome, and how do you identify it in athletes?

Marfan Syndrome is a disease of the connective tissue throughout the body, and it is most pronounced in the blood vessels. It typically results in some form of aneurysm where one of the blood vessels to the heart or the brain has lost its ability to keep its wall in shape. As for visible indicators, you typically think of the thin, tall kids with the sunken chest, sunken eyes, and the flexibility where they can take their thumbs and pull them back to their wrists.

It’s a genetic disorder that is passed from generation to generation. One thing that helped our physicians was learning that Clarence’s father passed away at an early age from a sudden cardiac event. Due to his exam and his history, the

physician went to the next step of testing. Without a good history and exam, we would’ve had no reason to go to those next steps.

We’ve given Clarence resources for his brothers and sisters to get tested, as well as any children that he might have in the future. He and his family have to understand that it’s a genetic disease that can be passed along.

What did you learn from the situation?

I learned how precious the present is, how important it is to always take care of yourself, and how important annual physicals are for your athletes. Had our doctors not been very thorough, he would have died suddenly at some point.

Somewhere, somehow, his aorta would have ruptured and there would have been no saving him.

How do you interact with Coach Pitino and the rest of the staff?

We talk as a staff on a daily basis, and that might happen anytime from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. We go over things that are critical to the team’s success regarding performance, health, team chemistry, or anything else. Coach Pitino trusts my abilities and my knowledge. I have a lot of input into everything that goes on with the team—travel, meals, and practice times. He relies on all his staff members to give him input, both good and bad. He doesn’t like “yes men.”

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Q&A What’s the biggest challenge for athletic trainers at your level?

The pressure on coaches to win and be successful is tremendous. College coaches only have a certain number of scholarships. If four or five of those key players are lost to injury, that will affect the team a great deal. That puts immense pressure on the sports medicine staff to keep everyone healthy. We have to have tried and tested methods for taking care of the athletes.

Do you feel any personal responsibility for the team’s success?

I believe that really good athletic trainers take the success of the team very seriously. If you’re only worried about making sure all your athletes are not injured and that the coach isn’t yelling at you, then you’re not really doing your job completely.

Not only do you want them healthy, but you want them in the right state of mind and working together. Nobody knows the athletes better than the athletic trainer. We deal with everything from their personal problems to their health problems to their social problems. We need to figure out how to get an athlete to perform at the highest level. That might mean contacting professionals in the community, whether it’s for eating disorders, family counseling, or anything else.

What is the most obscure or surprising injury you’ve had to deal with?

One day with the Mets, our starting pitcher for the night came limping into the athletic training room at 3:30 p.m. with a huge towel on his thigh filled with blood. He was trying to open a CD with a hunting knife and managed to stab himself in the leg. He ended up with about 40 stitches and a trip to the disabled list.

First, I had to deal with the medical emergency, so I got him over to our physician. Then I had to run and tell the manager that we needed a new starting pitcher for that night.

What’s the hardest part of your job?

To be honest, I don’t feel like I’ve ever worked a day in my life. I don’t consider anything I do hard because I enjoy it so much. I get my greatest satisfaction when I help an athlete and then during a game the player says thanks. I love watching them perform, knowing that if we hadn’t helped, maybe they wouldn’t be able to do what they’re doing. The relationships you build makes this profession so rewarding.

What are your goals for the future?

I’d like to stay here at Louisville as long as Coach Pitino wants to have me. I grew up a Louisville fan, so it’s kind of a dream job in that respect. I’d love to copy my predecessor, who was here with Denny Crum for 30 years. ■

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TREATING THE ATHLETE Cincinnati Children’s Hospital researcher Tim Hewett, PhD, (at right) has developed a battery of tests to assess ACL injury risk in athletes.

CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL SPORTS MEDICINE BIODYNAMICS CENTER

By Leaps and Bounds The latest research into non-contact ACL injuries has greatly improved our understanding of why they occur—and more importantly, how they can be prevented.

BY R.J. ANDERSON or every female athlete playing competitive sports, it lurks.

As they lace up their cleats or their high-tops, they know today could be the day that the dreaded ACL tear catches up with them. If not today, then tomorrow—or the day after that—any day.

The past decade has seen great strides in discovering why female athletes succumb to non-contact ACL injuries approximately five times more often than males. While we don’t have all the answers yet, we know various factors, from hormones to muscular

F

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imbalances, affect female athletes differently than their male counterparts.

But increased knowledge is little consolation to the thousands of athletes who suffer ACL injuries every year, thus raising the million-dollar question: Can we reduce the risk? The most recent research in this field says, yes, in fact we can. Some groundbreaking work on assessing who is at greatest risk and a team-centered strengthening program are both proving successful for female athletes. As a result, there’s new hope that female athletes can soon replace fear of the dreaded

ACL injury with confidence and peace of mind.

ROOT OF THE PROBLEM It’s not yet fully understood why females tear their ACLs much more frequently than males. Some research shows that hormonal balance may play a role. There are also theories that structural differences are to blame. But one thing seems very clear: There are R.J. Anderson is an Assistant Editor at Training & Conditioning. He can be reached at: rja@MomentumMedia.com.

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TREATING THE ATHLETE strength imbalances in many females that make them more susceptible to ACL tears than males.

Some of the most recent research in this area was published in the OctoberDecember 2007 issue of the Journal of Athletic Training by Tim Hewett, PhD, Director of the Sports Medicine Biody-

contact ACL tears in females. “During both boys’ and girls’ growth spurts, the tibia and the femur—the largest bones in the body, which act as long levers and create a lot of torque at the knee—get longer. Meanwhile, the body’s center of mass is pushed upward, making it harder for the elongated levers to exert control.

Some athletes control, stiffen, and stabilize their knee joints primarily by contracting their quadriceps. “When you fire the quad, it pulls the tibia forward ... But the ACL is holding the tibia back, so this in turn places a lot of stress on the ACL.” namics Center at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

He suggests the difference in injury rates may be directly related to the way boys and girls emerge from puberty.

“We’ve done some meta-analysis of the literature and it’s fairly apparent that before puberty, there’s no disparity in knee injury risk between males and females, but once they hit puberty, there is,” says Hewett, who has authored over 100 studies on non-

Soon after puberty, boys get a neuromuscular power spurt by developing bigger gluteus and hamstring muscles, which give them the horsepower to better control those levers. Girls, on the other hand, tend to be very front dominant, and develop more in their quadriceps and less in their glutes and hamstrings.”

With the above research as a backdrop, Hewett is now focused on finding some of the exact muscular and neuromuscular problems that lead to ACL weakness. Supported by a $3 million

The Polar Pool

grant from the National Institutes of Health, he has collected data on more than 2,000 female athletes in grades nine through 12 from Boone County, Ky., and says he has seen those same problems show up repeatedly during cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of this population.

Hewett’s lab contains a battery of testing stations that resembles a factory assembly line. Stations record biomechanical and neuromuscular measures such as joint laxity and muscle flexibility; height, weight, body mass index, and body fat; power and vertical jump; hamstring and quadriceps strength; hip abductor and adductor strength; and movement mechanics during landing and cutting.

He has found that the tests can effectively identify athletes who are at risk for non-contact ACL injury by assessing factors such as knee abduction, torque and motion, and trunk forward motion and control. “One way we do this is by observing and measuring vertical jump,” Hewett says. “Landing creates relatively high ground reaction forces, which lead to torque at the knee joint. When the knee is in a compro-

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TREATING THE ATHLETE mised position during landing, there is an elevated injury risk.”

Hewett says his research has identified four major deficiencies that, when targeted and improved, can decrease an athlete’s risk of sustaining a non-contact ACL tear: Ligament dominance. When “ligament-dominant” athletes strike the ground during landing or cutting, the ground reaction forces dictate the directional movement of their knees. “Because they’re not muscle-dominant and the muscles aren’t adequately controlling that joint, the ground forces their knee into an inward collapsed position,” Hewett says.

That inward collapse can be observed by looking at an athlete’s knee abduction during landing. “Knee abduction torque—the torque that tends to push the knee toward the midline of the body—is a pretty good predictor of ACL injury risk,” Hewett says. “So is the angle at initial contact when landing or cutting if the knee pushes into an abducted or valgus angulated position.”

Hewett says the box jump is an ideal tool for identifying ligament dominance. The setup can be as simple as videotaping or observing with the naked eye as the athlete performs a drop off a one-foot-high milk crate or box, then explodes into a maximum vertical jump. “If they have more than five degrees of knee abduction on that initial landing before making the vertical jump, they’re at relatively high risk and intervention is needed,” he says.

To start, Hewett says it’s important to simply tell the athlete they are landing improperly. “Awareness is a huge part of the equation,” he says. “Then, you teach them exercises like double-leg broad jumps and single-leg hops and emphasize the importance of landing without allowing their knee to collapse inward.”

Quadriceps dominance. Some athletes control, stiffen, and stabilize their knee joints primarily by contracting their quadriceps. “The problem is that the quad inserts at the front of the knee joint, so when you fire the quad, it pulls the tibia forward,” Hewett says. “But the ACL is holding the tibia back, so this in turn places a lot of stress on the ACL. In addition, the quad has only a single tendon crossing the front of the knee joint, so it can’t control that valgus position that the ground force often wants to push the knee into.”

Singling out athletes who are quadri-

ceps dominant is fairly easy. Sometimes the imbalance is so obvious that you can spot athletes with oversized quads and relatively small hamstrings with the naked eye. But in most cases, identifying the disparity involves measuring for strength imbalances using a dynamometer or a leg extension/leg curl machine.

If an athlete’s quad strength is greater than their hamstring strength by 50 percent or more, they are at risk.

“You can intervene by implementing hamstring strength building exercises,” Hewett says. “We often use Russian

hamstring curls and dynamic exercises, as well as squat-position exercises like squat jumps in which the athlete sits with their butt down and shoulders back and has to turn their hamstring muscles on as they jump.”

Symmetric imbalances. Any difference in balancing ability from one side versus the other also puts the athlete at greater risk. To identify athletes with these imbalances, Hewett recommends a test involving a large X taped or chalked on the floor. “They start in one quadrant of the X, and do single-

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TREATING THE ATHLETE leg hops forward, sideways, diagonally forward, and diagonally backward for 20 seconds each,” he says. “If they’re touching one side of the line more than the other side, they’re probably asymmetric.”

Weak trunk or core. “We know that ground reaction forces are directed at the body’s center of mass, which is located in the trunk,” Hewett says.

“We’ve also done some studies that showed trunk control is a good predictor of injury risk, including ACL tears, in collegiate athletes.”

Though there are many ways to measure trunk and core control, Hewett likes putting athletes in a supine position with their heels on a Swiss ball and having them bridge up to a neutral pelvis position. “See if they can hold that position for 15 seconds, and then see if they can do it with each foot on the ball individually,” he says. “Then see if they can hold that plank position and bring

their heels up to their buttocks. If they can’t, they probably don’t have good trunk and core control.

“If you can get an athlete to a higher, more balanced level in all four of those risk areas, we’re pretty sure that kid is significantly safer, based on the data we’ve collected,” Hewett continues.

“And as a side benefit, there are great performance increases—that kid is going to be significantly stronger, better balanced, quicker, and more athletic.”

Overall, Hewett says it’s important to teach athletes the value of landing on the balls of their feet, with knees flexed, chest over the knees, and no valgus shifting. “ACL injuries don’t happen when athletes have their knees flexed deeply,” Hewett says. “So we teach them to get into a deep, flexed position, while activating all the muscles on the back side of the leg, and at the same time, controlling or stiffening their core.”

He also uses plyometrics to train ath-

ALL IN THE HEAD? For a study published in the June 2007 issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine, scientists from the University of Delaware, Michigan State University, West Chester University, and St. Joseph’s University administered preseason neurocognitive tests to nearly 1,500 male and female athletes from 18 universities who played a variety of sports. The testing, which measured visual memory, verbal memory, processing speed, and reaction time, is traditionally used to gather baseline data for concussion assessment. But the researchers were surprised to learn it could also help predict who would suffer an ACL injury.

Eighty athletes from the testing sample who suffered non-contact ACL injuries during the season were matched up to a control group of 80 noninjured athletes of similar height, weight, age, gender, sport, position, and years of experience at the college level. The athletes with the non-contact ACL injuries were found to have significantly slower reaction time and processing speed than the non-injured athletes, and they performed worse on visual and verbal memory tests.

“What really took me aback were the visual and spatial skill differences between the two groups,” says Charles “Buz” Swanik, PhD, ATC, Associate Professor at the University of Delaware Human Performance Laboratory and the lead researcher for the study. “It seems that where a person chooses to look in the heat of the moment and how they process visual information really matters. If it’s processed slowly, that can lead to an injury.”

Swanik says neurocognitive testing could eventually have a place in biomechanical and neuromuscular injury prevention. “At this point, it’s hard to say how much we can alter these neurological characteristics with training,” he says. “But certainly, the brain has great potential for learning and adaptation.”

18

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letes to land in the correct position, which increases the dynamic stability of the knee joint. To promote proper proprioceptive input and kinesthetic awareness, he prefers single-leg decelerations, dynamic hopping, and dynamic functional movements that focus on proper technique.

PEP IN THEIR STEP While Hewett’s work concentrates on individual athletes, another program is designed for a full team. The Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) program, a specialized 15- to 25-minute warmup routine performed three times a week, was recently found to greatly reduce ACL injuries. Conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Santa Monica (Calif.)

Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation, a study of the PEP program’s effects was published in the July issue of The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The PEP study included 1,435 players from 61 NCAA Division I women’s soccer teams. During one regular season, 26 teams used the PEP program an average of three times per week for 12 weeks, while the other 35 teams served as a control group.

The authors reported no ACL injuries on teams using the PEP program, compared to six injuries on the control teams—five of which came in the second half of the season. Even athletes with a history of ACL injury who used the PEP program avoided re-injury, compared to four re-injuries among the non-PEP players with a similar history.

Designed by the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation, the PEP program focuses on flexibility, strength, balance, and joint proprioception, and requires no specialized equipment. “We wanted to develop a program that addresses the quad strength to hamstring strength ratio,” says Holly Silvers, MPT, the foundation’s ACL Prevention Project Coordinator, “and that also corrects strength and flexibility deficiencies in the lateral hips, lack of core and trunk control, and imbalances between the adductor and the abductor group.”

The 19-part PEP program begins with a warmup consisting of jogging from one side of a soccer field to the other, shuttle runs, and backward runTR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

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Circle No. 116

GO FARTHER

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TREATING THE ATHLETE ning. Next comes a six-minute static stretching session focusing on the calves, quads, hamstrings, hip adductors, and hip flexors. Then, the athletes perform a three-minute strengthening session including three sets of 10 walking lunges, three sets of 10 partnerassisted Russian hamstring curls, and two sets of 30 toe raises for each leg.

A short plyometrics stage follows.

Using small cones, the athletes perform 20 lateral hops over cones, 20 backward and forward hops over cones, 20 single-leg hops on each leg, 20 vertical jumps, and 20 scissors jumps. Next comes a two-minute agility stage, consisting of backward and forward shuttle runs, diagonal runs, and bounding runs. The program finishes with a 10minute cooldown featuring slow jogging, additional light strengthening exercises, and a repeat of the stretching station. (For more information on the PEP program, see the “Resources” box on page 21.)

The Foundation has also developed a PEP program specific to basketball, which was used last year by the women’s team at Pepperdine University.

“The programs are very similar, we just used movement patterns that are more applicable to basketball,” Silvers says.

“For example, in women’s basketball there is more jump landing and deceleration. When players land there is usually caving of the knee, so that’s what we concentrated on addressing.”

Silvers says the results were outstanding. “With our program, there were zero ACL injuries and a 62-percent reduction in lower extremity injuries from the low back, hip, knee, and ankle compared to nine years of injury surveillance data,” she says.

IMPLEMENTING IT The PEP program is now being used by several teams and clinics around the country. One is the University of South Florida Sports Medicine and Athletic Related Trauma Institute (SMART), a state-sponsored sports safety outreach program, which implemented it at 10 high schools last year in three sports: girls’ soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

“We chose the PEP program because it is so simple,” says Barbara Morris, MS, ATC, CSCS, Assistant Director of

SMART. “It’s easy to understand and doesn’t take up much time. Coaches are quite willing to give up 20 minutes of practice two or three days a week for it.”

SMART athletic trainers help implement the program with teams in the preseason and Morris says after two to three weeks, the athletes are able to perform it on their own—often before the coach even arrives. “The girls who use the program love it,” she says. “It’s more exciting than traditional warmup programs.”

Silvers says compliance is easier if the routine’s performance benefits are pushed. “We saw improvements in sprint and agility times for program participants,” she says. “We also have a paper coming out soon that looks at how the PEP program increases vertical leap.”

Though it’s touted as a warmup, the PEP program is no walk in the park.

“It is somewhat taxing, so at the beginning of the season we recommend doing it only before training sessions and practices,” Silvers says. “As the season progresses and the players get better at the routine and better conditioned, coaches or athletic trainers can add it before games.

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Circle No. 117

TREATING THE ATHLETE

“I had a coach of an NCAA Division I soccer team that was enrolled in our study call to tell me her players were incredibly sore after the first week,” Silvers adds. “I said, ‘Perhaps they’re a little deconditioned—we have 14-year-olds who can do it.

You can scale it back a little, but I recommend sticking with it because clearly there are deficits with your players.’ I followed up with her later in the season, and she said they were doing it three times a week without soreness, including as part of their pregame warmup.”

WHAT’S NEXT? With the PEP program’s huge success on the soccer pitch and preliminary findings in basketball, the Santa Monica Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Research Foundation is working to expand its reach. “Right now, we’re trying to raise funding to do a large randomized, controlled trial of the PEP program in NCAA Division I and II women’s basketball,” says Silvers.

“We’d also like to develop sport-specific programs for other sports with high incidence rates, including volleyball, lacrosse, and field hockey. Then, we’d like to get some element of the program applied to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports programs so we can access more athletes, including younger ones.”

Hewett’s next step is to begin a new four-year study that will randomize subjects who have different risk values into groups and apply training programs specifically geared toward each deficit. “This will take us to that next level of identifying kids who are at higher risk by profiling the imbalances they demonstrate,” Hewett says. “We will then—in a randomized, controlled fashion—apply specific training for those deficits and see if we can significantly decrease risk.”

Eventually, this research should translate from the lab to the field, and help keep more athletes safer. “I think it’s only a matter of time before our theories come to fruition,” Hewett says.

“Then, we can give athletic trainers all the tools they need to do this assessment in the field.” ■ RESOURCES

For more information on the Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance (PEP) program, visit our Web site: www.training-conditioning.com. Click on “Video Library” to view exercise clips from the PEP Soccer Program instructional DVD, and to access an order form you can use to purchase your own copy.

While on our Web site, you can also click on “Blogs” to access a recent blog about the NATA’s consensus statement on ACL injury research. The association says researchers need to look beyond gender differences to identify the underlying causes of injury.

To learn more about Tim Hewett’s ACL injury risk assessment and prevention research, go to: cincinnatichildrens.com/sportsmed.

To read “A Randomized Controlled Trial to Prevent Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in Female Collegiate Soccer Players” from the July online edition of The American Journal of Sports Medicine, go to: ajs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/36/8/1476.

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© GETTY IMAGES

OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

POWER MOVES Targeted exercises in the weightroom and the gym can correct movement deficiencies and ensure that your athletes move with optimal balance, coordination, and efficiency.

BY KRISTY CROWLEY

R

ecently, as I was analyzing a basketball player’s changeof-direction motor pattern, I noticed he was lunging instead of staying over his feet when approaching the turn. The lunge motion produced unnecessary stress to his knee and hip joints, and overworked his hip flexors. I knew it was putting the athlete at risk for injury, so I explained to him what was wrong and prescribed some drills that would help him fix the problem.

An outsider might be surprised to learn that an NCAA Division I athlete would display deficiency in such a fundamental movement. But the truth is that athletes at all levels can have suboptimal movement patterns, which limit their performance and increase their injury risk.

Every strength coach knows the importance of efficient movement—it’s one of the most basic concepts in athlete development. But how much do you know about the specifics of correcting a deficiency? In our program at Columbia, we have found effective ways to break down inefficient movement patterns and eliminate them. I’ll explain our strategies here, and also “show and tell” some of my favorite training methods for addressing common movement issues.

APPROACHING MOVEMENT Let’s start with the obvious: A sound movement training philosophy should always be tailored to the athlete’s sport.

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Editor’s note: We have put a series of video clips on our Web site to demonstrate six specific exercises discussed in this article. When you see a box indicating a numbered video clip, we invite you to visit www.trainingconditioning.com and click the “Video Library” link on the left-hand side of the page to access the videos. All six numbered clips will appear in a menu under the heading “Movement Training.”

First and foremost, this means strength coaches must understand what energy systems are utilized, which motor patterns are predominant, and what body positions are taxed during the athlete’s practices and competition.

Training basketball players to increase their one-rep max in the bench press or hang clean is nice, but it’s not as important as teaching them to land in a balanced position, absorb shock after jumping for a rebound, or change direction efficiently.

For the past two years, I have been fortunate to learn movement training from Tommy Sheehan, Columbia’s Director of Strength and Conditioning.

He has taught me several key principles that are essential to optimizing an athlete’s movement patterns.

One of the most important parts of his philosophy holds that proper foot placement is critical to almost every type of athletic success. Foot position includes several elements, from toe direction to stance width, which largely determine the quality of the power base during athletic movement. Since all movement is initiated from the base, it’s essential to train the functionality

of the foot by increasing mobility and pushing forces.

In addition, most athletes experience an injury at some point in their careers that can be blamed, directly or indirectly, on improper foot placement. Details such as sound turning mechanics with the feet in the right place and no unnecessary lunging or overstriding can help every athlete lower their risk of both acute and chronic injuries.

GETTING SPECIFIC Now, I will discuss some specific areas of movement in which many athletes display deficiency. For each, I’ll explain the common faults, outline why they happen and how they can be corrected, and share a drill that I’ve found can get the job done.

Squatting movements. Think of a Kristy Crowley, MS, MA, CSCS, USAW, is Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Columbia University. She and Tommy Sheehan, MS, Columbia’s Director of Strength and Conditioning, also work closely with Denver-based Movement Training Systems. She can be reached at: kc2381@columbia.edu.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE basketball player defending an opponent with the ball. Instead of being able to sit back and down at the hips with the chest up and shoulders at the same level for an extended period, most players will compromise their balance by rocking back and forth and elevating their body from their hips to their shoulders.

Exercises that engage the upper-back and hip musculature are key for fixing this problem. Most athletic positions involve a linkage between the upperback and hip muscles, which work in concert to help an athlete maintain and change position. Combination movements targeting these two areas maximize the transfer of strength training to movements on the field or court. At Columbia, we make that connection with an exercise called the rack squat.

Using a squat rack, the athlete starts with the weight of the bar on their back and places their mid-foot (the point where the arch begins) directly in line with the front of the rack. The athlete squats as low as they can while maintaining contact with the rack on both the descent and ascent of the mo-

tion. They concentrate on getting lower in each repetition, and aim to produce a controlled movement pattern with a 3-2-1 tempo (3-count down, 2-count pause, 1-count up).

Video Clip One

Rack Squat When performing rack squats, we keep the weight relatively light at first, typically starting with a 45-pound barbell. Once the athlete demonstrates proficiency, we begin loading. A typical workload for newer athletes might include three sets of 15 reps at 45, 75,

and 95 pounds, while advanced athletes might use 95, 135, and 185 pounds.

Because the athlete’s feet are aligned directly under the hips, there is no opportunity for compensation. The upper-back musculature and the muscles around the hips are forced to move fluidly, thus strengthening the coordinated relationship between these two muscle groups.

Most athletes cannot bend to 90 degrees in their squat at first, and must do multiple reps in succession to develop this specific movement component.

The rack squat is crucial for developing proper technique for front and back squatting movements, which must be performed regularly in many sports.

Directional turning. Many athletes have a tendency to initiate turns with their upper body as opposed to their lower body. This leaves them off-balance and raises their center of gravity. The lower the athlete stays during a turn, the easier it is to move with efficiency and power.

To correct this movement pattern, we begin by teaching athletes how to gallop in place. This improves their proficiency in shifting weight from the front foot to

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE the back foot, and allows them to maximize hip explosion without raising their center of gravity. We teach the galloping athlete to contact the ground with their lead foot positioned directly underneath their hip. As the foot touches down, the weight should be on the mid-foot region and the hip on the releasing side should extend, thus generating force through the weight shift.

ask them to use the in-place galloping motion when turning in the opposite direction. On command, the galloping athlete pushes down with the lead foot directly underneath the hip, then shifts their weight to the back foot. Next, they execute the turning mechanism by pushing off the back foot while changing direction. Once the athlete is com-

angled toward the intended destination.

This creates increased velocity from the mid-foot, which allows for the production of maximum kinetic energy.

We use exercises called walks and snaps to train proper hip release and pushing through the foot. For walks, we have the athlete take steps with their legs locked and ankles flexed.

Athletes with inefficient movement patterns tend to lead with their upper body—leaning forward instead of keeping their torso directly aligned over their hips.

This creates balance and compensation issues that make proper foot placement difficult … We use an exercise called the 45 push to instill proper positioning.

Video Clip Two

Galloping Once the athlete understands the concept of shifting power output, we

fortable with this movement pattern, we have them gallop on the move and incorporate change of direction.

Driving forward. Pushing through the foot correctly is imperative in running movements. It means the athlete knows how to flex their ankle properly, release the opposite hip for acceleration, and drive forward while keeping the foot

This way, the heel touches the ground first, releasing the hip. By engaging the hip and ankle, the athlete learns to push through the foot, a skill that requires the heel and mid-foot to work together. This is essential for linear speed development, and it sometimes takes several sessions before an athlete becomes proficient in the movement.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE

Video Clip Three

Walks and Snaps

Running in general, and sprinting especially, relies on the use of an elastic reflex when the foot contacts the ground. “Snapping” the flexed ankle forward creates a pushing motion that’s required for acceleration. The snaps exercise is performed the same way as the walks, but incorporates snapping the flexed ankle and bringing the mid-foot into contact with the ground in a linear pattern. Unlike in the walks, the heel doesn’t touch the ground during snaps.

For both walks and snaps, the ground contact must occur directly underneath the hip. It’s also essential for the athlete to make the opposite hip release just as the mid-foot comes into contact with the ground.

Alignment for support. Athletes with inefficient movement patterns tend to lead with their upper body—leaning forward instead of keeping their torso directly aligned over their hips. This creates balance and compensation issues that make proper foot placement difficult. Oftentimes, the foot contacts the ground behind the hip instead of directly beneath it, putting the entire body at a disadvantage.

After an athlete is taught to improve their pushing movements using the walks and snaps, they’re better able to understand the function of their base of support. That’s when we can also help them correct any forward leaning.

We use an exercise called the 45 push to instill proper positioning and eliminate a forward lean. From an athletic position—feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent but not in front of the toes, hips back, back flat, and chest up—the ath-

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Video Clip Four

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lete moves in one direction and pushes their opposite foot (left foot for rightward movement, right foot for leftward movement) at a 45 degree angle. When the foot pushes, it should not drag behind, but rather fire underneath the hip explosively so the athlete is already prepared to fire the other foot, creating a zig-zag pattern.

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE Although body weight should not land on the heel, the heel should contact the ground with the weight slightly forward to promote a larger surface area of contact. This improves proprioception between pushes.

The arm action should be oppositional, just as in running, and the shoulders should stay at the same level for the duration of the movement. The positioning developed by this drill is essential for athletes in many sports. Once the athlete has mastered this drill and corrected any forward lean, you can add a vertical jump to the 45 push to make it more challenging.

Stance width. Some athletes’ natural athletic stance exceeds the width of their hips and even their shoulders—this is easily detectable when they are front or back squatting. They may see benefits to this position, such as added stability or ease of shifting weight (especially if they point their feet outward to further widen their base), but in most situations, it is not to their overall advantage.

If a basketball defender, for instance, wants to prevent an opponent from advancing to the basket, they should al-

ways try to square their feet and keep their stance no wider than their hips.

Otherwise, a smart offensive player will attack the open foot and exploit the defender’s limited ability to change direction. When the feet are square, the hips and shoulders are also square, allowing the athlete to move in any direction more efficiently. Likewise, a trained volleyball player will not go up for a spike from a stance wider than hip-width—their feet will be directly underneath their hips for maximum power output.

Any stance in which the feet are outside the hip-width base results in drastic power loss. Weight training stances should resemble the stances you want athletes to assume on the field or court, and one of the best exercises for instilling proper base width is the back squat.

When an athlete squats with their feet hip-width apart, they typically cannot squat as much weight, so left to their own devices, they’ll often spread their feet further. But improper stance in the weightroom leads to improper stance during play, so this must be discouraged.

From a hip-width stance, the athlete should push with the majority of the weight on the outside of the foot.

This position promotes a proper athletic stance while also preventing internal rotation at the knee, which puts undue stress on the knee and hip joints.

With the weight on the outer part of the foot, the larger musculature of the hips is the primary actor in executing the movement.

Video Clip Five

Back Squat

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE The athlete’s hip movement should precede the knee bend in this exercise. If not, the heels will rise, forcing the knees to shoot out in front of the toes and putting substantial unwanted stress on the knee joints. The back should be flat, elbows pointed straight down, eyes looking straight ahead, and chest up.

This posture will also limit stress on the lower back.

Step quantity in deceleration. When you watch an athlete decelerate, how big are their steps? If the athlete takes large steps, their deceleration is awk-

ward, stressful for the lower body, and inefficient.

Short, choppy steps are the proper way to break the feet down when decelerating (for instance before a turn). This way, the athlete won’t need to lunge into the turn, like the basketball player I introduced at the beginning of this article. Among other problems, lunging increases pressure on the hip flexor when performing the turning mechanism.

When decelerating, the upper body should be aligned directly over the mid-foot, with the center of gravity

lowered and the knees bent. Contrary to popular belief, the foot that touches down to turn is not directly in charge of the turn. In fact, the weight should be shifted to the back foot, as in a pushing motion, and the turn should be created by the back foot after the athlete pushes off.

The chop and turn drill is an excellent way to ingrain proper deceleration movement leading into turns.

To begin, we set up six cones, with 10 yards between the first and second, five yards between the second and third, 10 yards between the third and fourth, five yards between the fourth and fifth, and 10 yards between the fifth and sixth. The athlete passes through this cone set up, accelerating through the first 10 yards, then decelerating through the next five, then re-

Short, choppy steps are the proper way to break the feet down when decelerating. This way, the athlete won’t need to lunge into the turn ...

Among other problems, lunging increases pressure on the hip flexor. accelerating, and so on.

During deceleration, I cue athletes to start chopping their feet with short steps and firing their hamstrings three to four feet before reaching the cone.

Their feet should contact the ground directly under their hips, and they should slightly lower their torso as they decelerate, while maintaining an upright posture.

Once the athlete has mastered this drill, the next step is to introduce turns. With a cone placed 10 yards from the start position, I designate which foot the athlete will plant when changing direction—for this example, we’ll use the right foot. The athlete sprints 10 yards, again beginning to decelerate by chopping the feet and firing the hamstrings three to four feet from the cone. They plant the right foot next to the cone, lower the body slightly, keep the hip directly above the plant foot, and shift their weight from the right to the left foot Circle No. 124

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OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE in a pushing motion. Simultaneously, they turn the left foot to change direction, and then sprint back to the starting spot.

Video Clip Six

split-second faster change of direction, a little less difficulty keeping up with the quickest opponents, or a slightly more fluid transition from full-speed running to half-speed during play. But in competition, those minor differences

a contest makes energy systems more efficient, delays fatigue, and can help prevent injury.

So while the immediate impact of the exercises detailed above is self-evident, the broader benefits should not be over-

There are also some important macro benefits to optimizing movement patterns. For instance, the ability to gain power and explosion by squatting from an athletic base is associated with recruiting more muscle fibers in specific areas and creating more force when jumping.

Chop and Turn In this example, the left foot is in charge of pushing the body forward after the turn. We’re always careful to perform this drill an equal number of times with a left-foot turn and right-foot turn for maximum bilateral transfer.

ALL IN THE DETAILS Often, the benefits of correcting suboptimal movement patterns are measured in the smallest of increments—a

can mean the difference between victory and defeat, especially when repeated time and again over the course of a contest.

There are also some important macro benefits to optimizing movement patterns. For instance, the ability to gain power and explosion by squatting from an athletic base is associated with recruiting more muscle fibers in specific areas and creating more force when jumping. And maintaining correct body position throughout

looked. The more we focus our conditioning programs on true movement integrity, in addition to the standard fare of strength and power development, the more successful our athletes will be. ■

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Are Your Athletes Really Training the Core?

With Dennis Kline, MS, CSCS, CP, Director of the Strength Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

What are some common mistakes and misconceptions related to core training?

Many people seem to focus on isolation movements to make sure the core is stable, but that’s not the ideal approach. For instance, the plank was not really designed to be a training tool—it’s supposed to be a test to screen for lower-back injuries. The plank isn’t an effective way to recruit the core muscles because it doesn’t provide progressive overload. It’s just like how you don’t run to make your legs stronger, you do squats.

Another mistake is when athletes focus too much on sit-ups and think they’re developing the core. In Stuart McGill’s important book, Low Back Disorders, he mentions that most people shouldn’t do sit-ups at all. The sit-up motion puts quite a bit of stress on the lower back, and in most cases that should be avoided.

But some athletes will do thousands of sit-ups and think they’re strengthening their core, when in fact all they’re doing is building muscle endurance.

What is the right way to build core strength?

I believe it’s best for athletes to focus on strength training with larger, multi-joint movements. If you really want to recruit and stabilize the core, it’s the Olympic lifts, squats, standing overhead presses, and other standing (rather than seated) exercises that will make the biggest difference. If those are being performed regularly in a well-designed strength regimen, you don’t need to fill out a program with lots of extra “core-specific” strength work.

How do you get your own athletes at UW-La Crosse to develop a strong, stable core?

Because our focus is on multi-joint strength movements, for the most part we prescribe very few abdominal exercises. In addition to the Olympic lifts, jump squats, step-ups, and single-leg squats, we’ll use some plyometrics and other related activities that involve back extension.

Are there any exercises you’re careful to never prescribe?

As I already mentioned, we stay away from situps. We have also gotten rid of Supermans—Stuart

McGill’s book proclaims pretty clearly that the Superman is a highrisk exercise that puts a great deal of compression pressure on the disks and lower back.

How do core training methods vary depending on the athlete’s sport?

It’s important to look at the specific demands that a sport places on the body. A distance runner and a shot putter might compete in the same meets, but they have much different needs when it comes to core strength. The shot putter’s activity is intense and lasts only for a couple of seconds, so we’ll use exercises with a higher load that require maintaining proper body posture for a short period of time, such as heavy squats. For this athlete, we won’t look at muscle endurance or fatigue at all.

Meanwhile, the distance runner needs muscle endurance in order for the core to remain stable throughout a long race. So we might have that athlete perform supersets of fatiguing squats or single-leg activities, followed immediately by a depth drop to assess landing mechanics. When they land, we’ll look for stability or a lack of stability in the body as the feet hit the ground.

How do you measure progress in core strength?

Put simply, I think the best gauge is the win column.

You’re looking for transfer to the athlete’s sport, not a specific benchmark achieved during a strength test.

An observant strength coach should be able to see during a game or practice whether individual athletes have a weak core that needs addressing, because it will limit their ability to perform some key sportspecific movement skills.

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NUTRITION

NUTRITION

Making It Through To support an athlete who has struggled with an eating disorder, you might wear many hats: counselor, nutrition advisor, motivational speaker, friend. These roles are vital both during primary treatment and in the after-care phase.

© GETTY IMAGES

BY KRISTEN MARTIN enna was a top performer in everything she did. As valedictorian of her high school class, her speech at graduation charged her peers to go after their dreams, and her parents looked on with pride and great expectations for her future. Jenna was offered full rides from several colleges, and chose to accept a track and field scholarship at a school highly respected for both academics and athletics.

She was brimming with excitement as her freshman year began. She signed up for tough classes, moved into a dorm, and immediately started making friends.

She was especially eager to meet her teammates, and with a highly decorated athletic career so far, she was confident she would make big contributions.

J

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But college turned out to be a very different world than what Jenna was used to. Every young woman on her team arrived with outstanding credentials, and most had been star athletes at their high schools. To feel like she belonged and to maintain the level of success she was accustomed to, she decided she would need to work harder, be more disciplined, and make greater sacrifices than ever.

How many athletes do you know who resemble Jenna? She’s highly accomplished, driven to succeed, and willing to do whatever it takes. Those are all great qualities if expressed in a healthy way, but they can also be risk factors for falling into unhealthy behaviors, particularly when it comes to dietary choices.

If an athlete in your setting develops an

eating disorder, you can play an important part in their recovery, both during and after treatment.

JENNA’S STORY Jenna was filled with determination as her college career began. She pushed herself harder and harder and seemed to thrive under the discipline of a tough student-athlete schedule. She was up early every morning for a team workout, then off to classes, then over to practice, folKristen Martin, LCSW, is the Coordinator of Team ENHANCE (Enhancing Nutrition, Health, Athletic Performance, Networking, Community, and Education) in the women’s athletic department at the University of Tennessee. She can be reached at: kmartin5@utk.edu.

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NUTRITION lowed by a session with the strength and conditioning coach. After her cooldown, Jenna raced to the cafeteria for dinner (carefully self-monitored for nutritional content and to avoid weight gain), then on to mandatory study hall to complete her homework.

This lifestyle meant giving up some things—parties, extracurricular clubs, various other social activities—and Jenna sometimes envied the fun and free time others seemed to have. But she knew her hard work would prove worthwhile. She was always the best at

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drive for personal improvement was beginning to show a dark side. Jenna spent extra hours in the weightroom and continued working on her sport even beyond team practice sessions.

She felt heavy and slow compared to the new student-athletes arriving each year, and wasn’t satisfied with her body size.

She added more exercise to her morning schedule, sometimes ate just an apple on the run for lunch, and counted her calories more carefully than ever to combat what she saw as increasing body fat. Even though she experienced dizzy spells from time to time, she continued to perform in the top third of her team.

Then one day after practice, Jenna collapsed. She was rushed to the emergency room, where an examination revealed an electrolyte imbalance and heartbeat abnormalities. She was extremely weak, showing significant weight loss, and had stopped menstruating. Her gums showed signs of longterm bleeding, and her abdomen was unusually bloated.

Jenna’s parents, coaches, teammates, and friends couldn’t believe all this had happened under their noses, without their knowing it. It was then that doctors told Jenna she had an eating disorder.

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what she did, and that required uncommon commitment.

Jenna’s professors were impressed with her work in the classroom, and her coaches were pleased with her athletic progress. They encouraged her, praised her, and set the bar higher each week. Jenna stepped up to each challenge with a flourish. At home after her freshman year, she continued her workout regimen, disproving her high school coach’s warning about the “freshman 15.”

But by her junior year, the endless

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THE ATHLETE’S DILEMMA Stories like Jenna’s are more common than you might think. Several studies of college female athletes in the past decade have found that at least a third suffer from some degree of disordered eating, and two to three percent have a diagnosable full-blown eating disorder.

An eating disorder is marked by limitations of food intake such that the body’s needs are not being met, typically due to dietary restriction, binging, purging, compulsive exercise, or any combination of these.

Jenna’s case also illustrates a key fact about eating disorders: They stem from a distorted perception of self, both physically and emotionally. Always driven to achieve more, athletes set expectations higher and higher, and sometimes end up acting in desperate, irrational, unhealthy ways to avoid “letting down” themselves or those around them.

It’s not necessarily about food—eating disorders are primarily psychological, and often linked to depression, TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

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NUTRITION anxiety, or general feelings of inadequacy. Controlling food is merely the mechanism through which the individual attempts to cope with underlying emotional issues.

Many athletes face a dilemma with regard to their eating habits. They are expected to be physically fit, strong, and in optimal health during training and competition, and that requires taking in a great deal of energy and a proper balance of fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and essential vitamins and minerals. But at the same time, they may feel constantly challenged to become leaner, faster, or lighter, which can lead them to restrict their eating and undermine that nutritional balance as well as their overall health.

Athletes are often highly driven, compulsive perfectionists who define themselves by their sport and their level of success. They compete for themselves, their families, teammates, and communities, which creates immense pressure. While ordinary people might decide that skipping lunch isn’t worth the hunger pains, or an extra hour in the weightroom isn’t worth the nextday soreness, an athlete may decide

this behavior is the only way they can keep up with expectations.

Society consciously and unconsciously reinforces these habits in countless ways. Athletes are praised for their total dedication, commitment to preparation, and willingness to sacrifice and go the extra mile. To a certain degree, those traits are desirable and even necessary, and every coach wants athletes to have them. But problems arise when they’re taken too far.

an eating disorder—it has a hold on you, and you can’t break through it, although every day you think you can.”

SUPPORTING ROLE Athletic trainers may be better positioned than anyone else in an athletic program to identify the signs—however discreet—that an athlete is struggling with food. It might be a sudden, unexplained drop in performance, persistent fatigue, rapid or unhealthy weight loss,

While ordinary people might decide that skipping lunch isn’t worth the hunger pains, or an extra hour in the weightroom isn’t worth the next-day soreness, an athlete may decide this behavior is the only way they can keep up with expectations.

Athletes with eating disorders are masters at hiding their behaviors from others. They are typically intelligent and know how to be manipulative. One student-athlete who was treated for an eating disorder described her experience as “a dark, gloomy inner world. I would go out the door, and people would see me as a smiling, glowing person. I hid behind that image. Eating disorders are such a secret. No one wants to have

or observations of restricted eating in dining halls or on team trips. Or you might see the psychological signs, such as withdrawn behavior around teammates, symptoms of depression, or ongoing anxiety about food, weight, body type, or performance.

In any case, if an eating disorder is detected, it’s essential to seek intervention from a counselor, psychologist, physician, or nutritionist as quickly as

A GLIMPSE INSIDE Recovery from an eating disorder is always a very personal process, and for those providing support, it can be frustrating and challenging to not understand just what’s going on inside the athlete’s head. In the paragraphs below, a young female athlete reflects on her own journey through treatment and recovery from bulimia.

whole truth to my therapist. I had lots of denial. I was married to my eating disorder and afraid to give it up.

I didn’t want to gain weight, and it took me years to understand that it really wasn’t a weight issue. I had to recognize the payoffs of my eating disorder—why I liked it, and also why I hated it.

Making myself sick was a way for me to cope with what was happening in my life. I was a textbook case of someone who needed to learn to recognize and handle difficulties in healthier ways.

I had an eating disorder for 12 years before I even started to receive treatment and turn the corner. I had such distorted thinking, and such an unhealthy relationship with food. When you are beginning to recover, the body isn’t used to digesting food properly. You have to go through a lot to get your body working again, and that’s hard for an athlete who knows her body so well. You often feel worse before you start to get better.

I was a swimmer. Each member of our team was weighed once a week in front of everyone. Many of us would starve ourselves three days before that, then eat a ton afterward and repeat the vicious cycle. I was doing all this because it was going to make me great. At the time, I thought weighing less meant swimming faster. I would get sick, not eat, get sick again, and feel out of control.

I had to become aware of my core issues. I remember thinking that once I was in counseling, I would be better—but that was just step one. And I wasn’t telling the

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That’s where the support system comes in. I would always be with a friend after I ate dinner because I needed someone to make me accountable. I couldn’t be alone. It takes a lot to work through the shame at first so you can even tell someone about it. But if you want to make a real recovery, you can’t do it on your own.

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NUTRITION possible. These specialists constitute the “treatment team,” and they have a toolbox full of resources to help athletes manage the disorder and address the underlying causes. They can also help with decisions on continued athletic participation, special dietary guidelines, and other primary areas of an athlete’s treatment.

Athletic trainers can play an important role in the athlete’s recovery as part of the “support team.” But to provide the best care, you must fully understand the issues that underlie most eating disorders, and what conditions put athletes at risk for relapses into unhealthy behavior.

A healthy psychological profile hinges on having a positive sense of one’s own identity. When an individual loses this, which is common for someone with an eating disorder, that person is vulnerable to external triggers that can create unhealthy thoughts.

These triggers might include comments from others, a rough game or bad practice, feelings of sluggishness, cultural symbols that set an unrealistic standard for the ideal body type,

and many others. Triggers are unique to each individual, and the athlete will work with their therapist to identify their own triggers, put each one in perspective, and find ways to reframe or cope with them.

Being aware of an athlete’s triggers is one important way you can support their recovery. This will require an athlete trusting you enough to share their personal insecurities, so it helps if you have a good relationship built on open lines of communication. If you cultivate that type of bond and reassure them that you’ll respect their privacy, you’ll be in a position to help them handle triggers in a healthy way.

For instance, let’s say a track athlete is warming up at a meet, and a friend comes over to say, “Hey, you look really good.” Although the friend was trying to be positive and encouraging, the athlete grows noticeably upset. If you know that any reference to physical appearance triggers negative thoughts in this athlete, you can immediately help her understand her negative response and reframe her thoughts in a more positive way.

Recovery is a continuing and neverending journey for an athlete with an eating disorder. Many learn to find a sort of comfort in their disorder— they develop a strong relationship with it, and that relationship has served a purpose. Understanding the relationship and replacing it with other, healthier ones usually happens through the course of treatment and beyond.

Sometimes an athlete has to grieve the loss of the relationship because it has been so heavily relied upon for so long. As they transition to the post-treatment phase, when they have ostensibly returned to a healthier physical and psychological profile, continued support is absolutely essential to their progress.

AFTER-CARE The athlete’s treatment team (physician, nutritionist, and therapist) will still be part of the picture during the after-care phase, but the support team—which might comprise the athletic trainer, coaches, parents, teammates, and close friends—takes on special importance as the athlete transitions back to a more “normal” life.

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NUTRITION During this time, the athlete typically faces some questions essential to selfdefinition: • Do I truly want to be an athlete?

Why or why not?

• Am I continuing in my sport because other people want me to, because I need the scholarship, or because I have a passion for what I’m doing?

• Would I be labeled a failure if I were to quit?

• Are there other parts of my life that define who I am?

Depending on the depth and quality of your relationship, the athlete may come to you asking for help sorting these questions out. There are no onesize-fits-all responses, but it can be very useful to think about these questions in advance and how you might help the individual answer them for him or herself.

The athlete in recovery must set healthy individual goals and identify points of success to celebrate along the way. These goals must be realistic, and the athlete needs your support to closely monitor progress and head off any unhealthy behaviors that may trigger a setback. You and other members of the support team should meet with the athlete regularly to see how things are going, and to provide acknowledgement and affirmation for all the little successes they achieve.

Most teammates will want to help however they can, but they might feel like they are “walking on eggshells” and not know how to provide support without becoming the “food police” or making a bigger deal of the athlete’s status than the athlete is comfortable with. Some team members may even

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A LONG ROAD After receiving treatment for an eating disorder, an athlete needs to remain

The athlete in recovery must set healthy individual goals and identify points of success to celebrate along the way.

These goals must be realistic, and the athlete needs your support to closely monitor progress. develop feelings of resentment, believing the struggling athlete has created a distraction or isn’t doing all he or she can to help the team.

This is one area where your intervention is crucial. You can help the athlete’s teammates understand the progress he or she is making, teach them ways to provide constructive support, and raise awareness of the athlete’s triggers. You might ask team members to be compassionate if their struggling teammate needs to take extra breaks in practice, or encourage them to provide positive reinforcement when the athlete reaches a milestone or goal in their training.

As time passes, medical and nutritional monitoring frequency will be

Many athletes deal in absolutes, perceiving nothing between complete victory and complete failure, so they must adjust to the idea of making consistent small steps toward the over-arching goal of healthy eating behavior.

Indeed, an athlete in recovery from an eating disorder often must completely redefine what success means. Many athletes deal in absolutes, perceiving nothing between complete victory and complete failure, so they must adjust to the idea of making consistent small steps toward the over-arching goal of healthy eating behavior. Relapses are simply learning experiences. A temporary setback merely signifies an opportunity to learn how to handle a new trigger and utilize a new internal reinforcer or coping skill.

If the athlete returns to his or her team, teammates also need to learn how to support the recovery process.

so encourage them to talk to you regularly about how they feel and how you can help with their emotional and physical health.

determined by the therapist or physician. The amount of support the athlete needs will vary as well, so it’s important to keep the communication lines open, since the transition back to a more normal schedule can be very stressful and create “land mines”— unexpected new triggers for unhealthy thinking and behaviors.

Changing coaches, graduating, ending an athletic career, and preparing for life after graduation often lead to anxiety, self-questioning, and pressure to meet others’ expectations, which in turn can make the athlete seek the comfort of old habits. Ongoing support needs will be different for each athlete,

honest and committed to lifelong selfawareness and learning. It takes a long time to resolve issues with self-image, food, and body awareness, but those issues can snowball into larger problems if they’re ignored. Successful intervention is about learning to change behavior and life outlook, and that takes years of effort.

One of the most important aspects of recovery is for the athlete to trust the process through its ups and down, and this is an area where your support can be very meaningful. During the darker moments, when an athlete may feel the bar has been set too high or that they’ll never “get better,” some words of encouragement, a shoulder to cry on, or whatever support the situation seems to call for can mean so much.

Though the journey is long and difficult, the athlete should always be reminded that getting through the hard times will ultimately make them stronger. By showing them they’re not alone, in good times and bad, you can help them stay on the path to better habits, a full recovery, and a lifetime of better health. ■ RESOURCES Visit these Web sites for additional information about eating disorders and how to provide help and support to those who are facing them.

The Academy for Eating Disorders: www.aedweb.org The International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals: www.iaedp.com The National Eating Disorders Association: www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

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LEADERSHIP LEADERSHIP

VALERIE HUNT/NATA

A dozen St. Louis high school students attended the NATA Annual Meeting this summer as part of the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee’s Career Day event.

A Diverse Tomorrow Leaders in the effort to attract more minorities to athletic training discuss ways they’re helping shape the future of the profession. lose your eyes and picture a large group of athletes. Chances are, the image in your head includes individuals of many different sizes, shapes, and colors.

It goes without saying that athletics today is as ethnically and racially diverse as the country itself.

Now, close your eyes and picture your most recent regional athletic trainers’ association gathering, or remember the people you met at the last NATA Annual Meeting. Again there are probably many shapes and sizes. But the racial makeup may not be very diverse—according to the NATA’s latest figures, 86 percent of certified athletic trainers in the association today are white.

The NATA has made a commitment to increasing diversity in the profession, and the association’s Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee (EDAC) is taking the lead in those efforts. In this article, three members of that committee will discuss projects that are helping build a more diverse future. They’ll also talk about why diversity should be important to every member of the field.

C

A SPECIAL DAY

BY ELICIA LEAL

I

n our efforts to increase ethnic diversity and advocate for the profession of athletic training, the EDAC held its first Career Day at the 2001 NATA Annual Meeting.

The event, which has since become an annual tradition, is a shining example of how we further the EDAC’s motto:

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“Service, Advocacy, and Unity.”

The goal of Career Day is to reach out to minority high school students who may not understand the field of athletic training. Some are athletes who have received services from an athletic trainer at their school, but perhaps never considered athletic training as a ca-

reer option. Others are simply students with an interest in medicine, or sports medicine in particular. We hope that by exposing them to the profession and giving them an opportunity to meet and talk with athletic trainers, we’re planting seeds that will grow into a diverse crop of future entrants to the field.

As the EDAC member in charge of Career Day, I feel very fortunate to take part in such an important educational project. Career Day provides high school students with a truly unique window into the field: They see what the NATA Annual Meeting is like, get their feet wet in networking, review the latest information about the broad array of athletic training career opportunities, and even learn about current athletic training research.

Attendees also get to hear the convention’s keynote speaker, and see the latest sports medicine products as they visit vendors in the exhibit hall. It’s an eye-opening opportunity for participants, and one we hope will help guide them as they plan their future.

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VALERIE HUNT/NATA

LEADERSHIP

Tony Sutton, MS, ATC, Associate Athletic Trainer at the University of Notre Dame, talks with EDAC Career Day participants about job opportunities in athletic training.

We host a luncheon for the students with a special guest speaker, who offers a message that’s just for them.

The talks are always unique, but perhaps the most memorable one was given a few years ago by Kevin Carroll, former Head Athletic Trainer for the Philadelphia 76ers and the creative genius behind the wildly popular yellow Livestrong bracelets. We had trouble finding a venue for the luncheon that year, until the NATA President offered use of his own suite at the convention.

We were so pleased to see support for our efforts coming all the way from the top.

As with any ongoing project, Career Day is constantly evolving. We’re always talking about ways to broaden our outreach while not spreading ourselves too thin. At the first Career Day in 2001, we had 12 students, and that number seemed ideal, so we have stayed with it.

The modest size allows each participant to receive more personal attention, and 40

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it keeps the logistics of the day manageable. We also have a limited budget, and since we provide the students with lunch and a few other perks, such as T-shirts, we need to control our costs. If you saw a group of young, wide-eyed students walking around in matching shirts in St. Louis this year or Atlanta the year before, now you know why.

Despite the limited size of the Career Day event, we want to share our message with the largest audience possible—and in 2008, we took an exciting new step in that direction. The students we recruited in St. Louis came from the local Herbert Hoover Boys & Girls Club Adams Park Unit, and we decided we could reach more young people from the club if we visited them directly. Three of us from the EDAC went to the club and gave a presentation on athletic training, which was attended by an ethnically diverse audience of around 40 students and several staff members.

I believe that event generated a lot

of interest in the profession. All the young people knew about sports and high-level athletes, but it was the first time most of them had ever gotten a “behind-the-scenes” look at the support that goes into preparing athletes to succeed and treating them when they’re injured. We’re already planning a similar presentation connected with next year’s convention in San Antonio.

In the coming year, we’ll be working to implement a tool that will help us track the progress of students who have participated in Career Day to see if any decide to pursue an athletic training career. By keeping in touch with these young people, we hope to better understand what they find most appealing and what we can do in the future to make our outreach even more effective.

In 2009, we’re also planning to add 12 college athletic training students to the Career Day mix. We were fortunate to have several students from Marquette University volunteer to assist us this year in St. Louis, and they said that not only did they enjoy helping the high school students, but they themselves learned a lot from the presentations on career options in athletic training.

Making college students a regular part of the Career Day program will be a great way to bridge the gap between the high schoolers and college-age people about to enter the profession, hopefully prompting mutually beneficial mentoring relationships to form. Plus, the extra help may allow us to bring in more high school students for the event.

I feel our work is opening doors to a largely untapped population and plays an important role in securing a bright, diverse, and exciting future for the profession of athletic training. I welcome contact from any NATA committee chair who would like to collaborate with the EDAC on Career Day, and from any athletic trainer who is interested in volunteering their time toward our effort. Once you feel the intoxicating energy and interest these students bring with them, you may find that you’re hooked for life. ■ Elicia Leal, MEd, LAT, ATC, is Head Athletic Trainer at McKinney (Texas) North High School. She is the District Six Representative to the NATA’s EDAC and serves as Chair of the Southwest Athletic Trainers’ Association’s Ethnic Diversity Committee. She can be reached at: eleal@mckinneyisd.net.

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LEADERSHIP

FUNDING THE FUTURE

BY KEITH GARNETT

A

s the EDAC’s motto states, we are dedicated to service, devoted to advocacy, and committed to unity. We aim to identify and address issues relevant to all ethnic minority groups, both in the NATA and in the health care arena at large. We advocate sensitivity and understanding toward ethnic and cultural diversity throughout the profession and the association, and strive to enhance the growth and development of the NATA and diversity in our field.

Since the creation of our committee in 1986, we have identified several focus areas, including the lack of ethnic-minority NATA members, the lack of athletic training education programs at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the low number of minority athletic trainers overall. Athletics at virtually every level has made great strides in the past few decades in terms of diversity, and athletic training quite simply hasn’t kept up.

We feel diversity is so important to our profession because it will allow us to better mirror the populations we serve, thereby making us more responsive to their needs. Today’s athletes come in all races and from all cultures, and we believe they find comfort in knowing that those who provide care and treatment might share a similar background.

One initiative the EDAC has created to advance this goal is Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grants. These grants are avail-

able to educational institutions looking to increase diversity within their athletic training programs. (Later in this article, you’ll see one example of how the grants can be put to use). At our Web site (www.edacweb.org), under the “Grants” section, you can read about the criteria and process for applying, and download an application.

We’re also excited about a project to create two new scholarships that will assist minority athletic training students as they work toward an advanced degree. We are hoping these scholarships will become endowed, ensuring that they’ll be awarded annually for many years to come. Under our current plan, we will award them each year at the NATA’s Annual Meeting to applicants who have been ac-

Today’s athletes come in all races and from all cultures, and we believe they find comfort in knowing that those who provide care and treatment might share a similar background. cepted into a master’s or doctoral level athletic training program accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

We are working on other scholarships as well. A former recipient of the Bill Chisolm Professional Service Award (given annually by our committee to someone who has advanced the professional development of ethnically diverse athletic trainers) recently offered to help create a scholar-

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LEADERSHIP ship in connection with the NATA Research and Education Foundation (REF). The details are currently being worked out between the EDAC and the REF, and we hope the first scholarship under this program will be awarded at the 2009 convention in San Antonio or the 2010 convention in Philadelphia.

Our committee is also interested in creating scholarships for minority undergraduate students. We are still developing this idea, and our current plan is to begin awarding at least one annual undergraduate scholarship in 2010.

If we want to secure a diverse future for the field of athletic training, we need to make the investment—that’s what these grant and scholarship programs are all about. They’re helping us stay true to our mission as a profession, and provide the best possible environment for ourselves and the athletes we serve. ■ Keith Garnett, MS, ATC, LAT, PES, CES, is Assistant Athletic Trainer for the Houston Rockets and the current Chair of the NATA’s EDAC. He can be reached at: kgarnett@rocketball.com.

ENERGIZING AN ATEP

BY DR. MARNIE VANDEN NOVEN

M

arquette University began an internship program for athletic training students in 1988, and athletic training became an academic major in 1999. In its short history, our program has demonstrated a commitment to building an ethnically diverse student body through steps such as progressive admissions policies and hiring minority faculty. But recently, when I looked at the ethnic makeup of our incoming athletic training classes, I realized we still had more work to do.

In 2006, with help from an EDAC grant, I created the Athletic Training Ethnic Diversity Initiative within our athletic training education program at Marquette. The goals of this initiative were to improve recruitment and retention of minority students in athletic training, and to increase awareness of diversity issues among our students, faculty, and staff.

For recruitment, one major step we have taken is ramping up our participation in career, health, and college fairs, targeting schools with different demographic profiles. We have also visited high schools and even elementary schools with diverse student populations, speaking to health and science classes about the field of athletic training. Through these efforts, we are hopefully reaching some students who might otherwise have never known about the athletic training profession or that they were interested in sports medicine.

On our own campus, we’ve collaborated with several other offices and departments. In addition to our work with the admissions office to ensure that ethnically diverse applicants have every opportunity to join our program, we have developed partnerships with the Health Careers Opportunity Program, the Educational Opportunity Program, and the Associate Provost of Diversity at Marquette. By tapping into their resources, knowledge, and experience, we have increased our profile among

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LEADERSHIP minority students on campus and attracted a more competitive applicant pool. We’ve learned a valuable lesson from these partnerships: When working for diversity, you don’t have to do everything on your own.

The retention efforts of the Athletic Training Ethnic Diversity Initiative have included the creation of mentoring and tutoring programs. Incoming freshman athletic training students are now paired with juniors, who provide support in the classroom and clinical settings and offer guidance on adjusting to college life and their new course of study. We have also created a journal club, in which students from our ATEP can share thoughts on their progress and provide mutual support as they learn and grow in our program. It’s also a great way to make personal connections that will enrich the student experience and help members establish a small network even before they graduate.

As another part of the initiative, we’ve added diversity awareness to our General Medicine in Athletic Training and Athletic Training Seminar courses. In these classes, we discuss cultural differ-

ences and how they might show up in athletic settings, how certain medical conditions may affect ethnic populations differently, and strategies for making sure the athletic training room is a place where everyone feels comfortable.

In my opinion, the biggest highlight of the Athletic Training Ethnic Diversity Initiative was introducing our students to two powerful voices on the subject of diversity. René Revis Shingles, PhD, ATC, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Education and Sport at Central Michigan University, and Elicia Leal, whom you’ve already met in this article, visited Marquette last April to speak about issues related to ethnic diversity in sports medicine.

Students from the athletic training, exercise science, and physical therapy programs attended the presentations, and faculty, staff, students, and certified athletic trainers from all around our area were invited as well. Our visitors covered topics such as cultural competence, the benefits of culturally competent care, and the barriers athletic trainers must be prepared to overcome.

This project has been successful be-

cause we’ve gotten everyone on board: our faculty in the ATEP, our department as a whole, and the university community. Coordinating all parts of the initiative took time and a great deal of effort, but we feel it’s for a very worthy cause.

I strongly encourage anyone who is considering a similar project to actively pursue it. EDAC members from each district are available to answer questions and provide input and support for ideas aimed at increasing diversity awareness and the recruitment and retention of new members to the profession. For our department, it has been a very rewarding process, and the relationships and precedents we have established have truly strengthened our athletic training education program. ■ Marnie Vanden Noven, DPT, MS, MPT, is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the College of Health Sciences at Marquette University and the District Four Representative to the NATA’s EDAC. She can be reached at: marnie.vandennoven@marquette.edu.

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Barry Gossage / Phoenix Suns

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SPORT SPECIFIC

From Mat to Octagon UFC PHOTOS

Athletes who engage in one-on-one combat have similar conditioning needs, regardless of their sport. That’s what this strength coach found when he trained a former college wrestler to compete in mixed martial arts.

BY TIM WAKEHAM was excited to get a call from mixed martial artist and Ultimate Fighter Rashad Evans this past spring. Rashad is a former Michigan State University wrestler who resides in Lansing, and at the time was a perfect 16-0 in the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC is the largest national organization for mixed martial arts). “I just signed a contract to fight UFC legend Chuck Liddell,” he said. “I want you to train me for eight weeks before I head down to New Mexico to work with my fight team in the octagon.”

Rashad is a good man and I remembered him as a tough Spartan. So I immediately agreed to train him.

When performing a needs analysis for mixed martial arts (MMA), I was interested to discover that the fighters rely on many of the same skills as other high-level athletes. They need multi-directional first-step quickness and muscle endurance, much like volleyball and soccer players. They require grip strength and explosive rotational hip and torso power, like baseball and softball players. They also need a high degree of flexibility and balance, like gymnasts. Some

I MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Former Michigan State University grappler Rashad Evans (at right in both photos above) reconnected with his Spartan strength coach to prepare for this summer’s Ultimate Fighting Championships “UFC 88” event.

Tim “Red” Wakeham, MS, SCCC, CSCS, is Director of Strength and Conditioning for Olympic Sports at Michigan State University, where he has worked since 1996. He can be reached at: wakeham@ath.msu.edu.

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SPORT SPECIFIC college and pro football teams have even hired MMA training experts to help their players develop “combative” hand and foot speed.

But despite all those crossovers, no college sport shares more in common with MMA than wrestling. Many of the top MMA fighters come from NCAA wrestling backgrounds, and I’ve had several wrestlers tell me they plan on becoming MMA fighters as soon as they finish their collegiate wrestling careers. Today, both sports’ athletes and coaches are stealing bril-

PRECISE MOVEMENTS Our training strategy for combat athletes uses planned variation in the form of a non-linear periodization model. That basically means volume (sets and reps), intensity (load), speed of concentric contractions (the positive portion of reps), and rest periods between sets are all varied from one workout to the next. To develop maximum full-body power, strength, and endurance, we employ a triple-progressive system of overload: The athletes are pushed to lift heavier loads, perform a greater number of reps with the same load, and decrease rest time between sets.

Before delving deeper into the specifics of building strength, I feel it’s important to first address movement integrity.

Most of the exercises we use for combat athletes are multi-joint, multi-planar activities enriched with proprioception, so any existing movement deficiencies can cause serious problems.

We use Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen and individualized movement prep to address each athlete’s rate-limiting factors for successful training. For example, to prepare for barbell squats, we might have an athlete first perform body weight wall squats—with their hands at chest level while facing a 4:05:37 PMwall six to eight inches away, they lower their body and must sit back in their hips to avoid touching the wall. We’ll also incorporate corrective exercises as needed, such as the half-kneeling chop to correct asymmetrical weakness and increase core stability.

This process of screening, movement prep, and corrective exercise, along with consistent monitoring during weightroom work, tells us which movements we can overload and which ones need improvement. As a result, we create well-balanced, powerful gladiators who can move with grace, quickness, and explosion while also avoiding injury.

Regardless of the exercises we choose, we always emphasize precision motor patterns and optimal firing sequences of the targeted large muscles. This sounds routine and basic, but often it is not. For example, during isolateral hip extension, the hamstring should fire first, followed by the same-side glute, and then the opposite-side lower back.

This is a healthy firing sequence, but sometimes, because of injury or muscle tightness, optimal firing sequences can be disrupted.

liant ideas from each other.

So even if you’ve never worked with an MMA athlete in your setting and don’t plan to, don’t worry—what follows is not a blow-by-blow description of what I did with Rashad. Instead, I’ll explain our training approach and some specific techniques I’ve used with all types of combat athletes. It’s worth noting, however, that our wrestlers are totally engaged and excited when they find out they’re using some of the same training methods top mixed martial artists use to prepare for battle.

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INTERVALS FOR ENERGY While this article focuses primarily on movement skill development and building strength and power, combat athletes also need to develop their energy systems to last through long, grueling, high-intensity matches. During the off-season and early preseason, this can be achieved through intervalbased running on a treadmill, track, or football field. I’ve also used a slide board to train lateral movement in an interval-based fashion.

Interval times for developing the energy systems of combat athletes should range from five to 60 seconds. Rest periods should start at two to three times the work interval, and the total duration of the interval workout should be between 20 and 60 minutes. We usually start with 20 to 30 minutes, and add 10 percent to the total volume of each workout until the athlete reaches a full 60 minutes.

One workout we have used successfully with wrestlers consists of 60 40-yard sprints on a football field with a 3:1 rest-to-work ratio. We’ll break the sprints into three sets of 20 with two to five minutes of rest between each set. Another conditioning workout for wrestlers consists of 15 60-second sprints on a treadmill separated by two-minute jogs at 60 percent of max effort.

During the preseason, as your athletes move closer to their competition phase, you can supplement the sprint work with wrestling- or MMA-specific movements on the mat. For example, have partners perform all-out live drills in the form of various takedowns, escapes, counters, scrambling, and reversals. Choose the most physically taxing skills—not the ones that require the most precise execution. You want to condition the muscles and cardiovascular system without negatively affecting skill performance.

I recommend starting off with work intervals of 60 to 90 seconds with a 3:1 rest-to-work ratio. You can introduce overload by systematically decreasing rest times by around 10 percent per workout—progressively decrease the ratio to 2:1 and eventually 1:1, and then start increasing the length of the work bouts. Go from a 1:1 rest-to-work ratio to 1:2 and 1:3 for wrestlers, and eventually 1:5 for MMA fighters.

This interval programming meets the exact time demands of the two sports: Wrestlers will be ready for high-intensity periods lasting two to three minutes, and MMA fighters for five-minute rounds. A total workout time of 20 to 60 minutes is optimal, depending on the intensity of effort and time in the training cycle.

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WORK THAT WORKS This list shows some of my favorite exercises to prescribe when overloading for strength development in combat athletes.

Hips Deadlift w/mini-band Power clean and jerk Split alternating foot jerk D.B. front lunge Lower-body lunge matrix Leg press w/mini-band Squat or front squat w/mini-band Prowler or woodshed sled push Speed sled pull Cable run & backpedal w/mini-band Cable carioca & shuffle Resisted shots Keiser hip rotation & low row Tractor tire flips

Posterior Chain D.B. single-leg deadlift Glute/ham gastrocnemius raises D.B. step-up Shoulders Grappler squat-and-press w/mini-band D.B. squat & press w/mini-band U.B. shoulder press matrix on Bosu Pulley alternating step & press Chest Horizontal ground based push/pull Incline log bar bench press Spiderman Bosu push-up D.B. bench press Pulley single-leg incline press

Core Keiser sit-up & hip flexion Pulley bar chop Pulley bar lift & rotation Landmine torso rotations Pillar bridge (arm/leg lifts) Upper Back Pull-up (using thick ropes) Horizontal ground based push/pull Decline ground based push/pull Lateral bridge & row on Bosu Tire pull w/rope Single-arm/single-leg bent-over row T-bar bent-over row Single-leg/single-arm cable pull-down

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SPORT SPECIFIC I have seen athletes activate their hamstring and same-side lower back during isolateral hip extension, without the glutes performing any meaningful activation. If large loads are used, this can lead to overstress of the lower back, and it’s simply not an optimal way to execute hip extension. Athletes with this firing pattern will often complain of lower back pain after executing hip extension movements. In these cases, I’ll quickly send the athlete to our sports medicine staff to begin individualized flexibility and muscle firing re-education training. These athletes will usually end up performing a lot of hip flexor stretching along with gluteus medius exercises like clamshells (lying hip abductions), in which they focus on trying to maximally contract the glute while abducting the hip.

We use other specific exercises to teach and polish the most important movement patterns used in combat.

For example, the deadlift and grappler squat-and-press teach an athlete to sit back in the hips, and we use sled pushing to teach positive shin angles during the first two steps of explosive accelera-

tion. To train optimal muscle sequencing, we employ the Keiser hip rotation and low-row exercises, which also help improve hip-torso coordination to generate maximum rotational explosion.

STRENGTH TIME Once we are satisfied with an athlete’s precision in movement execution and optimal muscle activation sequences, we’ll get down to the business of overloading for strength de-

the major muscle compartments of the body. However, we want to provide a variety of other sport-specific benefits as well, such as developing mobility, efficient strength transfer, and overall toughness. The “Goal Oriented” table on page 51 shows examples of specific exercises we use to train those key traits and several others.

Our repertoire contains many fundamental multi-joint movements that affect large amounts of muscle in

I have seen athletes activate their hamstring and sameside lower back during isolateral hip extension, without the glutes performing any meaningful activation. If large loads are used, this can lead to overstress of the lower back, and it’s simply not an optimal way to execute hip extension. velopment and increasing concentric tempo in appropriate power exercises. A list of our most popular exercise choices can be found in the “Work That Works” table at left.

When selecting strength-building exercises, the top priority is overloading

an efficient way, such as the clean and jerk, front lunge, squat, bench press, and shoulder press. We also use some structural exercises that recruit smaller but still important sportspecific muscles needed in combat sports while simultaneously activating

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SPORT SPECIFIC the larger muscles. For instance, rope pull-ups and deadlifts will improve grip strength while also working the upper back and hips. In addition, we use a horizontal ground-based push/pull exercise (a torso-twisting single-arm bench press performed while the other arm does a rowing movement) to target the chest and back while activating the hip and torso rotators.

Another priority is increasing core strength and stability, which is key for combat athletes. Exercises like the half-kneeling pulley bar chop, pulley

lift with rotation, split alternating foot jerk, and landmine rotation are among the best choices for this type of training. These exercises teach stability of the hips and torso during arm movement, and also build trunk strength.

In addition, our athletes push woodshed sleds, pull speed sleds, perform tire pulls with a climbing rope, flip tractor tires, and run with 100pound sandbags. These exercises are especially valuable because they engage athletes from the “neck-up” and inspire the “I’ll never quit” attitude

we like to instill here in East Lansing.

Our athletes like “Mount Everest” type challenges because they build the toughness and competitive will that are the backbone of being a Spartan.

MAXIMUM TRANSFER In an attempt to make conditioning gains transfer as much as possible to the mat and the octagon, we incorporate exercises that reinforce basic sport-specific movement patterns. For instance, front lunges, sled pulls, and push/pulls can be valuable because they are ground-based. Resisted shots and Keiser step-ups are explosive activities that train movement patterns and muscle groups required in combat for wrestlers and MMA fighters alike.

Athletes can often help you identify the best exercises, as they usually have a keen sense for which drills and other activities imitate movements and skills used in competition.

We like to choose resistance work that incorporates as many of the required “neck-up,” “neck-down,” and environmental components as possible into a competition-specific pattern.

However, we believe it’s even more important to understand that in the big picture of specificity and transfer, traditional weightroom training provides only limited benefits.

Motor learning research has shown that typical weightroom exercises do not provide movement components similar enough to most sports to produce meaningful transfer in healthy, experienced athletes. So while the weightroom certainly shouldn’t be ignored, the majority of a combat athlete’s training time should be spent in repetitive skill-specific strengthening and conditioning on a mat.

A good illustration of this point involves the contrast between inexperienced and veteran combat athletes.

An inexperienced MMA fighter who spends most of his time lifting in the weightroom, without much sportspecific work on the mat or in the cage, may develop the raw material to produce more power than a veteran. These younger athletes are often motivated by the desire to bulk up and cast an imposing shadow in the octagon. However, because they are less adept at putting their muscles to work in the execution of explosive combat-specific movements, power is inefficiently expressed and they likely

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GOAL ORIENTED This list outlines some specific training goals for combat athletes, along with some of the exercises I use to help achieve them.

Goal: Time-Efficient Multi-Joint Training Squat w/mini-band* Leg press w/mini-band* Power clean and jerk T-bar bent-over row D.B. bench press Goal: Multi-Joint Development with Smaller Muscle Activation Deadlift w/mini-band* Pull-up (using thick rope) Horizontal ground based push/pull Goal: Stability Pulley bar chop Pulley bar lift & rotation Landmine torso rotation Pillar bridge (arm/leg lifts)

expend much of their strength in the form of energy leaks.

A veteran, meanwhile, may spend the majority of his conditioning time perfecting exact movements against the resistance of an opponent under competitive conditions, building much more sport-specific strength and power.

He’ll thereby limit his energy leaks, and while he may not bring as much sheer bulk to the match as his opponent, he’ll have greater strength and power in his movements. The veteran will also exhibit more forceful and efficient acceleration, deceleration, and stabilization in the skilled movements required for combat. The weightroom isn’t ignored by this athlete, but it is not the primary focus of his training regimen.

This is why, in MMA competition and collegiate wrestling alike, the competitor who looks more like a bodybuilder isn’t necessarily the one favored to win the match. Working hard is important, but so is working smart. We always make sure weightroom work is prescribed with balance and moderation, and that every exercise program is designed to maximize transfer to the TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

Goal: Neck-Up Engagement/ Toughness Prowler or woodshed sled push Farmer’s walk Board push Tire pull w/rope Speed sled pull Tire flips

Horizontal ground-based push/pull Decline ground-based push/pull

Goal: Proper Movement Mechanics Deadlift w/mini-band* Grappler squat-and-press w/miniband*

Goal: Proprioception Lateral bridge & row on Bosu U.B. shoulder matrix on Bosu Pulley single-leg incline press D.B. squat and press on Bosu

Goal: Proper Muscle Sequencing Keiser hip rotation & low row Horizontal ground-based push/pull Goal: Maximizing Potential Strength Transfer D.B. front lunge

athlete’s sport.

A final note involves the training schedule for combat athletes. With the possible exception of football, no other sport takes a more brutal toll on the body than one-on-one combat, so it’s essential to build in time for recovery and be careful to avoid overuse injuries.

We’ve found that two full-body workouts per week is usually adequate for MMA and wrestling athletes during their competitive season. During the off-season, three workouts per week is a good benchmark. And of course, it’s always best to include the athletes in workout scheduling—their feedback and communication about how they’re feeling can help you decide whether to scale back the work or whether they can be pushed more aggressively at certain times during a training cycle.

RASHAD’S BIG NIGHT On Sept. 6, Rashad took on Chuck Liddell with over 14,000 spectators in the stands and thousands more watching around the country on pay-perview. At 1:51 of the second round, Rashad’s explosive overhand right to

Goal: Maximizing Potential Explosive Transfer Resisted shots Keiser sit-up & hip flexion Power clean and jerk Split alternating foot jerk

Goal: Mobility Lower-body lunge matrix *We place a mini-band slightly above the knees in an attempt to maximize gluteal activation.

Liddell’s jaw ended the fight, in an outcome that one report said “shocked the world” of MMA. The Spartan strength and wrestling staffs played a small role in enhancing Rashad’s strength, explosiveness, and confidence. Greg Jackson’s MMA camp contributed mightily, and the Spartan Nation provided a thundering force of support. In the end, Rashad won the fight because the plan always works for those who work the plan. Rashad got himself into great physical condition, truly believed in his plan, trusted his preparation, and executed boldly. The lesson for all of us is that if we commit to intelligently improving our skill, will, and work ethic, we can expect to stand at the pinnacle. ■

The author wishes to thank graduate assistant strength coach Kenny Goodrich, who assisted in the training of Rashad Evans and is currently working with the Michigan State wrestling program, for his help with this article.

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STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO Ball Dynamics International 800-752-2255 www.fitball.com

Egg Whites International 877-EGG-WHITES www.eggwhitesint.com

Incorporate functional resistance into any group exercise with the new FitBALL® MedBalls with straps. These large traditional medicine balls (eight to nine inches in diameter) have an added twist—two strong, adjustable straps allow the user to grip them more easily or perform one-handed “kettle ball” exercises. Add extra challenge to lower-body and core workouts by strapping a MedBall to both ankles for leg raises. MedBalls have a hollow core and are made of rubber, so they bounce. They weigh between two and 10 pounds.

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Egg Whites International’s 100-percent pure liquid egg whites are heatpasteurized and tested for salmonella, making them “liquid” but not “raw.”

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CytoSport, Inc. 888-298-6629 www.cytosport.com Cytomax Collegiate Performance Drink is a blend of complex carbohydrates and electrolytes that optimizes hydration during exercise and keeps energy at peak levels longer to help improve stamina. Alpha L-polylactate acts to prevent acid buildup and minimizes post-exercise muscle soreness. Cytomax is available in convenient ready-to-drink or powder formulas.

Circle No. 501 Muscle Milk Collegiate RTD (readyto-drink) formula from CytoSport provides a high-quality protein blend that helps promote recovery from exercise and is permissible under collegiate bylaw 16.5.2.2 for nutritional supplements. Due to its unique multi-source protein, maltodextrin carbohydrate, and healthy fat structure, this product is second to none for collegiate athletic programs.

It is available in convenient ready-todrink chocolate and vanilla flavors, and strawberry is coming soon. Visit CytoSport online to learn more.

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FINIS, Inc. 925-454-0111 www.finisinc.com The Circuit Trainer is an audio-based timing device that organizes and measures the progress of everyday workouts. It’s easy to transport and battery-operated for maximum convenience and functionality. The Circuit Trainer has four simple functions and runs on two nine-volt batteries.

Weighing only about 10 ounces, this adjustable-pitch device is truly the first of its kind. Go online today to learn about all the ways it can take your athletes’ training to the next level.

Circle No. 504 Fitnessrubber.com 888-894-0204 www.fitnessrubber.com Fitnessrubber.com is a leading Web fitness resource that offers “Manufacturer Direct Pricing” for all your strength training needs. Check out the company’s unique and updated Web site, featuring Kraiburg brand Solid Rubber Olympic Bumper Plates from Kraiburg Relastec.

Kraiburg Olympic Bumper Plates come in pounds and kilos, and in standard black and colors.

All Kraiburg Bumper Plates are a stan-

dard 17.7 inches in diameter and can be custom made with specific logos.

These plates are made with the highest quality rubber compound and will provide years of excellent use. Log on now to receive a $25 discount on your initial Web site order over $100.

Circle No. 505 Human Kinetics 800-747-4457 www.humankinetics.com The fourth edition of the Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook, available from Human Kinetics, includes the latest sports nutrition research on hydration and fluid intake, vitamins, supplements, energy drinks, organic foods, and the role of carbohydrate and protein during exercise. In addition, there is information about the new food pyramid, revised guidelines from the American Heart Association, and new analysis on trends such as the South Beach Diet and the low glycemic index diet.

Circle No. 506 Lifexpand 866-399-5433 www.lifexpand.com Glyc’N Go™ is a revolutionary new food supplement shown in controlled clinical trials to truly increase levels of nitric oxide and enhance blood flow to exercising musculature. This product also contains the only form of carnitine that is able to shuttle fatty acids into the mitochondria to serve as an energy source.

Glyc’N Go is available in tasty chewable tablets, which provide a significantly faster dissolution rate than standard capsules.

Circle No. 507 Hygenic/ Performance Health Products 800-321-2135 www.thera-bandacademy.com Hygenic/Performance Health has introduced the first band loop to contain the Thera-Band® logo and hold an APTA endorsement, and to contain the same pull forces and progression as a flat Thera-Band latex resistance band tied in a loop. It’s ideal for lowerTR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO extremity, shoulder, neck, core, and back applications. Yellow, red, green, and blue bands in the sequential TheraBand color scheme are available in eight-, 12-, and 18-inch lengths (laying flat), and each comes with an instruction manual.

Circle No. 508 New Thera-Band tubing with attached handles, from Hygenic Performance Health, features the recognized Thera-Band system of progression and familiar colors with soft, cushioned foam handles for a comfortable grip.

Each natural rubber tube in yellow, red, and green is 48 inches long, while the blue, black, and silver tubes are 50 inches long. Pioneered more than 30

years ago, the system of progression provides consistent increases in resistance levels as a measurable means of tracking progress.

Circle No. 509 Jump Stretch, Inc. 800-344-3539 www.jumpstretch.com The Strong Fireout Station provides 50 to 500 pounds of resistance and is ideal for helping linemen learn to play lower, longer. This station, which is excellent for improving players’ first two steps off the line, consists of two rows of four Strong Bands that connect across the shoulders using Jump Stretch’s adhesive strap. Undo the strap and you’ve got two Strong Shuffle Stations to perform regular quick-feet running drills.

For details, call Jump Stretch today.

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Keiser Corp.

800-888-7009 www.keiser.com The M3 is Keiser’s pioneering, thirdgeneration indoor cycle—the result of more than a decade of experience and research, developed in conjunction with feedback from athletic trainers, conditioning professionals, and facilities worldwide. The M3 is constructed of corrosionresistant materials, has a resistance system that doesn’t wear, and is virtually maintenance free, so it requires less work from your facility to keep it running. Its whisperquiet, fluid ride and ease of use will revitalize your cycling offerings.

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STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO Life Fitness 800-634-8637 www.lifefitness.com As part of its new Elevation™ Exercise Bike Series, Life Fitness has introduced the 95C Upright Lifecycle and 95R Recumbent Lifecycle featuring three unique new console options: the Engage™, Inspire™, and Achieve™. The Engage and Inspire are equipped with iPod integration, USB connectivity, a Virtual Trainer, and vibrant workout landscape perspectives. Call or go online to learn more.

Circle No. 512 NASM 800-460-6276 www.nasm.org The National Academy of Sports Medicine is excited to announce the new 30/30 Cardio Trainer Package, designed for the health and fitness professional who wants to gain expertise in cardio training for both fitness and sports performance. The package includes the Cardiorespiratory Training for Fitness and Cardiorespiratory Training for Sports Performance online courses, plus the Interval Training Heart Rate Monitor, designed by renowned metabolic specialist Paul Robbins. With this package, you can earn CEUs from the NASM (0.6), NSCA (0.6), ACE (0.6), and NATABOC (10).

Circle No. 513 Save $200 when you purchase the NASM’s CES and PES together. With the Corrective Exercise Specialist (CES) advanced specialization, you learn revolutionary 54

T&C NOVEMBER 2008

techniques to correct muscle imbalances and establish proper movement patterns. With the Performance Enhancement Specialist (PES) advanced specialization, you learn cutting-edge performance assessment techniques and sport-specific program design. Take your career to the next level, and earn CEUs with both specializations. The PES offers CEUs from the NASM (1.9), ACE (1.5), NSCA (1.6), and NATABOC (27). The CES offers CEUs from the NASM (1.9), ACE (1.5), NSCA (1.6), and NATABOC (37).

Circle No. 514 NSCA Certification Commission 800-815-6826 www.nsca-cc.org Developed by the NSCA, the Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training, second edition, provides clear descriptions for those performing resistance training exercises or instructing others. The manual gives detailed explanations on technique for each free weight and machine exercise, and the accompanying DVDs show the movements for each exercise in action. Features include checklists for 57 resistance training exercises and demonstrations of accurate exercise technique, as well as the most common incorrect techniques.

Circle No. 515 Now in its third edition, Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning may be the most comprehensive reference available for strength and conditioning professionals. Developed by the NSCA, this is the most preferred preparation text for the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) exam. The research-based approach, extensive exercise technique section, and unbeatable accuracy make it the text readers have come to rely on for CSCS exam preparation.

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Power Lift 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com The Full Body Squat is a piece of lower-body strength training equipment. Its design allows for a broader range of motion through the hip.

Adjustable shoulder pads let users of all heights properly align themselves. Dual- and single-leg movements can be performed on this unit. Standard features include weight storage, four-weight loading horns, band attachments, a single-leg isolator, and an oversized, angled footplate.

Circle No. 517 Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com Revolve to evolve. All athletes can intensify their workouts with the new Airope™. With handles like a jump rope and soft PVC balls on the ends, this weighted rubber rope creates swing resistance to intensify cardio conditioning and recruit the upper body. Perform traditional jump rope actions, incorporate it into sportspecific drills, or combine it with other equipment.

It’s available in Original and Pro models, with the Pro having thicker rope for increased resistance.

Circle No. 518 Rogers Athletic Co. 800-457-5337 www.rogersathletic.com Monster Arms feature an unrestricted range of motion to help athletes develop specific muscle groups. Monster Arms develop power and skill using free weights, with the added safety of predetermined start and stop points TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO and a positive-lock height adjustment.

With Monster incline, decline, and horizontal arms in one Brute Rack station, you save significant floor space. Call Rogers Athletic for more information.

Circle No. 519 Samson Equipment 800-472-6766 www.samsonequipment.com The new Belt Squat is yet another way Samson Equipment is leading the way in custom, heavy-duty weight training equipment.

The brand new design limits the amount of floor space needed for this unique piece while still making it easy for athletes of all different sizes to use. It features adjustable handles, a unique load release that brings the athlete’s hands closer together while performing the exercise, an adjustable yoke that allows each athlete’s hips to stay in their natural range of motion, and an adjustable chain with three different size belts. Go online to learn more.

Circle No. 520 Sports Imports 800-556-3198 www.sportsimports.com Virtually all professional and college sports teams and the NFL Scouting Combine use the Vertec jump-training system, distributed by Sports Imports. It is one of the best ways to evaluate and improve jump reach and lower-body explosive power.

The Vertec jumptraining system challenges athletes to improve their vertical leap through instantaneous feedback and recognition.

The process is simple, offering a true vertical target, visual motivation, and an immediate, accurate measure of success and growth. A wall-mounted version is now available.

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SPRI Products 800-222-7774 www.spriproducts.com SPRI’s new Slanted Riser™ is an angled step riser designed specifically for use with the Original Step™. From aerobic training to strength conditioning, SPRI’s patented Slanted Riser will bring unlimited versatility to your workout. Not only will the Slanted Riser transform your flat Step™ into an angled platform, but paired with standard risers, the Slanted Riser will also turn your Step into an incline/decline bench. It’s available only in black and sold only in pairs.

Circle No. 522 Rubber resistance has been redefined. SPRI has braided four tubes together to create the ultimate dynamic full-body workout tool.

The TD SpeedCord Plus is a per-

fect training companion that will help develop sprinting strength and power, specifically in the acceleration phase. This method of contrast training will help build top-end speed as well as first-step quickness. You’ll see results, fast.

Circle No. 523 WaterRower 800-852-2210 www.waterrower.com Universally recognized as a highly effective therapeutic exercise, WaterRower provides a unique hybrid

an added restorative dimension with the soothing sound of water as the user rows. WaterRower US, a Rhode Island-based designer and manufacturer of commercial and residential fitness rowers, was one of the first companies in the rehab industry to offer rowing seminars and training to clinicians on the benefits of rowing.

These benefits include cardiovascular conditioning, core stabilization, and strengthening of atrophied muscles.

Circle No. 524 WerkSan Barbells 877-WERKSAN www.werksanusa.com WerkSanUSA offers the highly regarded custom training plates featuring your organization’s name and logo

molded into each edge, so they can be seen on both sides. The plates are color-coded for weight in black, red, blue, yellow, and green. They are identical in construction to WerkSan’s high-quality training plates certified by the IWF for use in international competition, training, and warmup rooms—they even cost the same.

Circle No. 525 WerkSan training sets are identical to the company’s highly regarded IWFcertified WerkSan competition sets.

The same materials and manufacturing methods are used, and both products are protected by the same guarantees.

They even come with IWF stickers, certifying them for use in warmup and training rooms at IWF events, yet they cost considerably less. All WerkSan equipment comes with an ironclad guarantee. For safety, durability, and exceptional value, choose WerkSanUSA: Engineered to lastSM. Circle No. 526

of cardio aerobic and low-impact, non-load bearing resistance. The patented WaterFlyWheel provides T&C NOVEMBER 2008

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STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO Austin Plastics & Supply 800-290-1025 www.athleticrecordboards.com One of Austin Plastics’ most popular boards is the off-season strength and conditioning board. It’s a great way

to motivate athletes and give them an incentive to accomplish strength and conditioning goals. Austin Plastics also offers a printing program that makes changing records a quick and easy process. The company’s boards allow you to display records for all to see.

Go online today to view a large selection of Austin Plastics’ boards.

Circle No. 527 Exertools 800-235-1559 www.exertools.com Since the introduction of Exertools’ original medicine ball rebounder, The PlyoBack™, more than 15 years ago, the company has established itself as a premier innovator in medicine ball plyometric equipment.

For the new PlyoBack Elite, Exertools applied the strongest, most reliable design features of its last three models and integrated them into one strong, durable, versatile, and easy-to-use system. It’s a fully integrated training station featuring a balance station, angled plyometric jump station, jog station, and medicine ball rebounder.

Circle No. 528 The Swivel Tree from Exertools was designed to replace all existing medicine ball trees and racks with a unit that has just a 3’ x 3’ footprint.

The pods swivel seamlessly for easy access to all items on the racks, even if the Swivel Tree is kept in a corner or 56

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a closet. It can also be used to store and organize running shoes, golf shoes, soccer balls, basketballs, footballs, cones, tennis rackets, and much more. The Swivel Tree is made of 12-gauge powdercoated steel, and the base slides smoothly over carpeting for easy placement.

Circle No. 529 Gilman Gear 800-243-0398 www.gilmangear.com The Mobility Arch helps develop dynamic mobility by improving athletes’ flexibility and range of motion in the groin, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back while bending, stepping, squatting, and lunging. It is an excellent tool for off-season conditioning and in-season flexibility training, and is ideal for obstacle courses and agility stations. The Mobility Arch can be used indoors or outdoors. It is made entirely of aluminum, so it’s guaranteed not to rust.

Circle No. 530 The King Crab Sled from Gilman Gear develops power at the height of a player coming out of a stance. The special elevated handlebar allows a player to drive the sled in a posture that simulates game conditions. An athlete can generate force more efficiently when operating from a power position. Develop strength and power in the three most important joints: the knees, ankles, and hips.

Use it to increase work capacity and pillar strength. It’s also excellent for general physical preparation.

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Legend FItness 866-7-LEGEND www.legendfitness.com Legend Fitness offers a premier glute/ ham developer. With eight linear adjustments on four linear bearings, it makes onehanded footplate adjustments a snap. It is fully equipped with thoughtful features like a 32-inch-wide pad and footplate that will accommodate users of any size, a mount/dismount step, and plyo band anchor points. This unit is available with either a solid pad or a split pad, and a supplementary knee pad is available for no additional cost.

Circle No. 532 MAXX Football 800-294-4654 www.maxxfootball.com This off-season, while your opponents are lifting, you will be putting the intensity of football into your work-

outs. MAXX provides a lifelike dummy and a durable weight machine with state-of-the-art computer technology.

The LED board gives your players instant feedback on their speed off the ball and the power of their punch while they work to increase strength and perfect football technique.

Circle No. 534 Lane Gainer 800-443-8946 www.lanegainer.com Lane Gainer offers Gorilla™ agility hurdles. Convenience is the primary feature of these highly visible orange hurdles. They can be stacked and carried “briefcase style,” and they’re easy to store. The hurdles have a synthetic TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

STRENGTH TRAINING & CARDIO edge, making them ideal for indoor or outdoor use, and the collapsible design makes them safe for any athlete.

Gorilla hurdles are very affordable, and are available in three sizes: three inches, six inches, and 12 inches.

A carrying tote bag is also available.

The three-inch hurdles cost just $8.

Circle No. 535 UCS, Inc. 800-526-4856 www.ucsspirit.com The fully padded Elite Plyo-Safe boxes offer the ultimate combination of durability, stabil-

ity, and safety, providing protection from common plyo box injuries. The understructure is made of 3/4- inch oak covered in a dense foam and upholstered in tough 38-ounce vinyl.

A raised lip on all the boxes allows for stacking and locking of the lids. The 24-inch box is bottomed with 3/4-inch high-density rubber for stability.

Circle No. 536 UCS Strength and Speed’s PlyoSafe G2 boxes provide a lightweight, safe, and sturdy option for your plyometric routines. An extra-large landing surface (30” x 36”) is covered in durable 21-ounce vinyl. The 100-percent foam core will not break down, delaminate, or soften over time.

Handles allow for quick repositioning.

Each box has three two-inch strips of Velcro to enable stacking and prevent slipping during use.

Circle No. 537

Perform Better 800-556-7464 www.performbetter.com New in the 2008 Perform Better Catalog, the Tiger Tail deep-pressure trigger-point massage tool relaxes, loosens, and soothes sore muscles and helps increase blood flow to massaged areas.

Designed with a neoprene rolling surface that helps relieve tightness and increase flexibility, it is available in 18- and 22-inch sizes. Request your 2008 Perform Better catalog by phone or online today.

Circle No. 538

Calling Cards Here is what these companies are most known for...

Supplying the professional market since 1991. www.fitball.com

Winning taste... Championship results. www.cytosport.com

The ultimate pool for home, healthcare, and sports. www.hydroworx.com

Highly respected strength and conditioning and personal training certifications. www.nsca-cc.org

Created for the extreme demands of high-level athletic training. www.nzmfg.com

Supplier of quality tools and resources for more than 30 years. www.optp.com

Uniquely designed products with unparalleled comfort and effectiveness. www.injurybegone.com

Quality, functional, and durable products for the healthcare industry. www.whitehallmfg.com

World-class manufacturer of adjustable, portable taping and treatment tables. www.oakworks.com

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ADVERTISERS DIRECTORY CIRCLE COMPANY NO.

PAGE NO.

122 . . Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 103 . . Biofreeze®/Hygenic Performance Health . . 5 101 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 133 . . Cleveland Chiropractic College . . . . . . . . 42 134 . . Concentra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 146 . . CytoSport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BC 131 . . Egg Whites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 105 . . Exertools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 147 . . FitBALL USA (Ball Dynamics) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 114 . . Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 120 . . G&W Heel Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 102 . . Gilman Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 106 . . Glyc’N Go (Lifexpand). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 126 . . Hammer Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 119 . . Human Kinetics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 148 . . Informed Choice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 130 . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 110 . . Keiser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 112 . . Kneebourne Therapeutic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 138 . . Legend Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 139 . . MAXX Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 135 . . NASM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

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109 . . NCCPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 107 . . Nebula/NK Sports Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 116 . . NSCA Certification Commission . . . . . . . 19 132 . . OPTP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 123 . . Perform Better . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 145 . . Power Lift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IBC 136 . . Power Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 118 . . PRO Orthopedic Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 127 . . ProMera Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 137 . . RangeMaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 124 . . Rogers Athletic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 142 . . Samson Weight Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 128 . . Save-A-Tooth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 100 . . Shuttle Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IFC 144 . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 115 . . SPRI Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 113 . . The Polar Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 117 . . Thera-Band®/Hygenic Performance Health . 20 121 . . Titan Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 129 . . TurfCordz/NZ Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 104 . . WaterRower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 141 . . WerkSan Barbells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

PRODUCTS DIRECTORY CIRCLE COMPANY NO.

Virtually all professional teams use the VERTEC to improve lower body power and jump reach.

PAGE NO.

552 . . Antibody . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 527 . . Austin Plastics & Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 500 . . Ball Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 539 . . C.H.E.K. Institute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 540 . . Chattanooga Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 560 . . Cho-Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 561 . . Concentra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 567 . . Creative Health Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 501 . . CytoSport (Cytomax Collegiate) . . . . . . . . . . . 52 502 . . CytoSport (Muscle Milk Collegiate RTD) . . . . . 52 563 . . Disc Disease Solutions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 503 . . Egg Whites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 528 . . Exertools (PlyoBack Elite) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 529 . . Exertools (Swivel Tree) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 504 . . FINIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 505 . . Fitnessrubber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 531 . . Gilman Gear (King Crab Sled) . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 530 . . Gilman Gear (Mobility Arch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 506 . . Human Kinetics (Sports Nutrition) . . . . . . . . . 52 559 . . Human Kinetics (Stronger Arms) . . . . . . . . . . 62 508 . . Hygenic/Performance Health (band loop) . . . 52 509 . . Hygenic/Performance Health (tubing). . . . . . 53 510 . . Jump Stretch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 511 . . Keiser (M3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 543 . . Keiser (POWER Racks) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 535 . . Lane Gainer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 532 . . Legend Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 512 . . Life Fitness (Elevation Bike Series) . . . . . . . . . 54 544 . . Life Fitness/Hammer Strength . . . . . . . . . 60 507 . . Lifexpand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 534 . . MAXX Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 541 . . Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products . . . . . . . 59 513 . . NASM (30/30 Cardio Trainer Package) . . . . . . . 54 514 . . NASM (CES/PES) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

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562 . . NCCPT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 546 . . Nebula/NK Sports Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 515 . . NSCA Certification (Resistance Training) . . . . . 54 516 . . NSCA Certification (Strength/Conditioning) . . . 54 553 . . NZ Mfg. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 555 . . OPTP (B.O.I.N.G.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 554 . . OPTP (UE Ranger) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 538 . . Perform Better (Tiger Tail) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 545 . . Perform Better (York Half Rack) . . . . . . . . . . . 60 547 . . Power Lift (Combo Power Rack) . . . . . . . . . . . 60 517 . . Power Lift (Full Body Squat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 518 . . Power Systems (Airope) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 548 . . Power Systems (Pro Series Power Cage) . . . . 60 556 . . PRO Orthopedic (420 Tennis Elbow Unit) . . . 62 557 . . PRO Orthopedic (450 Shoulder Support) . . . 62 558 . . RangeMaster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 549 . . Rogers Athletic (Brute Rack System) . . . . . . . 61 519 . . Rogers Athletic (Monster Arms) . . . . . . . . . . . 54 520 . . Samson (Belt Squat) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 550 . . Samson (Triple Power Station) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 564 . . Save-A-Tooth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 565 . . Speed to Win . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 521 . . Sports Imports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 542 . . SPRI Products (product launch) . . . . . . . . . . . 59 523 . . SPRI Products (TD SpeedCord Plus) . . . . . . . 55 522 . . SPRI Products (Slanted Riser) . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 566 . . The Polar Pool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 551 . . Titan Strength Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 536 . . UCS (Elite Plyo-Safe boxes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 537 . . UCS (Plyo-Safe G2 boxes) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 524 . . WaterRower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 525 . . WerkSan Barbells (custom training plates) . . . 55 526 . . WerkSan Barbells (training sets) . . . . . . . . . . 55

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NEW Product Launch Scientific Core Conditioning Correspondence Course Unique features: • Top-of-the-line core-conditioning training, from corrective exercise to high-performance training • Includes sections on assessing core function

Opti Ice Unique features: • Patented semi-closed loop system provides continuous cooling • Motorized, with an eight-quart capacity • Easy-to-use external console and thermometer • Instructions printed on the lid for easy reference

Benefits for the user: • Earn CECs and CEUs with completion of this course • Many exercises and techniques used by amateur and professional athletes and sports teams worldwide

Benefits for the user: • Provides continuous, consistent cold therapy for up to seven hours • Accurately and safely monitors the water temperature

C.H.E.K Institute www.chekinstitute.com 800-552-8789

Chattanooga Group www.chattgroup.com 800-592-7329

Circle No. 539

StrengthRite™ Unique features: • Adjustable tension provides varying resistance levels • Works all four planes of motion • Ergonomic, comfortable grips

Circle No. 540

Xerball Unique features: • Thick walls increase durability and extend the life of the ball • Textured surface allows for better and more comfortable grip • Bold colors and easy-to-read weight stamps • Available in 10 different weights, ranging from two to 25 pounds

Benefits for the user: • Nothing beats strengthening for preventing ankle sprains • Provides a proactive, easy-to-use solution for the prevention and rehabilitation of ankle, shin, calf, and Achilles injuries • A cost-effective, complete solution

Benefits for the user: • High rubber content provides better bounce • Increase or decrease air pressure to change the bounce and add variety to workouts

Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products www.medi-dyne.com 800-810-1740

SPRI Products www.spri.com 800-222-7774

Circle No. 541

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Circle No. 542

T&C NOVEMBER 2008

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POWER RACKS Keiser 800-888-7009 www.keiser.com Keiser POWER Racks allow users to train at any speed, from controlled to explosive, for improved power development. Unlike standard racks, the company’s unique hybrid design combines pneumatic and free weight resistance, emphasizing not only strength but stability training as well.

Special Features: Dual displays satisfy both the user and the strength/ conditioning professional. Foot pedal controls allow the user to adjust resistance in 1/10-pound increments.

The unit has built-in bar and weight storage, and a secure locking system allows the addition of accessories for increased versatility.

Special Features: Replaceable wear strips protect the bar from metal-tometal contact, preserving the frame’s finish.

Warranty: Yes. Circle No. 544 Perform Better 800-556-7464 www.performbetter.com The York Half Rack’s versatility makes it Perform Better’s bestselling modular rack.

The York STS Series is the company’s most competitively priced line with a full commercial warranty.

Warranty: Lifetime.

Circle No. 545 Nebula/NK Sports Group 800-763-2852 www.nebula-fitness.com

Life Fitness/Hammer Strength 800-634-8637 www.lifefitness.com If space efficiency, workout effectiveness, advanced training variety, and the ultimate in durability are your top priorities, the Hammer Strength Heavy Duty Multi-Rack is an excellent choice.

Warranty: Yes. Circle No. 546 Power Lift 800-872-1543 www.power-lift.com

Special Features: York racks are in stock and normally ship within three business days. Call Perform Better for more information on the York line.

Warranty: 10-year structural.

Circle No. 543

include swivel adjustable chin bars and telescoping lock-in benches.

The Combo Power Rack is a unique lifting rack providing two lifters with identical exercises. The inside of the rack is large enough to accommodate

two spotters when two “Lever Action” benches are used in the rack.

Special Features: Two pairs of safety spot bars, two pairs of “Rhino Hook” bar catches, weight storage, bumper plate storage, dual-grip chin-up bars, vertical bar storage, and a cross brace are standard.

Warranty: Lifetime.

Circle No. 547

The Double 1/2 Rack unit can be built into many configurations.

The rack is available with one or two platforms and one or two benches.

Power Systems 800-321-6975 www.power-systems.com The Pro Series Power Cage system features multiple plyo-band holders, dual landmine attachments, dip attachment, dual peg monster hooks, adjustable oversized bar catches, and industrial wear guards.

Special Features: Available options

Power Racks Specifications Company

Rack

Height x Width x Depth

Tubing Size

Warranty

Chin-Up Bar

Plate Storage

Adjustable Bench

Customizing Options

Keiser Corp.

POWER Rack

108" x 73" x 103"

4" x 2", 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Logos & Team Colors

Life Fitness/ Hammer Strength

Heavy Duty Multi-Rack

97" x 66" x 77"

✔

✔

✔

✔

Yes

Nebula/NK Sports Group

Double 1/2 Rack

96" x 96" x 216" (with 2 platforms)

3" x 3", 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Perform Better

York Half Rack

96" x 68" x 49"

3" x 3", 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✽

Power Lift

Combo Power Rack

96" or 108" x 96" x 72"

4" x 3", 7 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Logos & Team Colors

Power Systems

Pro Series Power Cage

96" x 64" x 93" (8' Cage) 108" x 64" x 93" (9' Cage)

4" x 2" & 3" x 2", 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✽

Team Colors

Rogers Athletics Co. Brute Rack System™

114" x 98" x 84"

3/16" thick, 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Samson Equipment

Triple Power Station

105" x 44" x 96"

3" x 3", 7 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Titan Strength Equipment

Pro Power rack

93" x 64" x 96" (8' Cage) 93" x 64" x 108" (9' Cage)

3" x 3", 11 ga.

✔

✔

✔

✔

Logos & Team Colors

✽ Denotes accessories sold separately, or as available options. Please contact the company for more information.

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T&C NOVEMBER 2008

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POWER RACKS Special Features: Chrome weight storage pegs and Olympic bar storage, and the cage has three inches on center racking positions.

Warranty: 12 years on structural welds and frames.

Circle No. 548 Rogers Athletic Co. 800-457-5337 www.rogersathletic.com The Brute Rack System™ is one of the most innovative, multi-purpose power racks on the market. With the Brute Rack System, your athletes will experience a closed-chain free weight training experience.

Special Features: The Brute Rack System, combined with the revolutionary Monster Arms™ attachments, allows an unrestricted range of motion to help athletes develop specific muscle groups utilized in athletics.

Warranty: Limited lifetime.

Circle No. 549 Samson Equipment 800-4-SAMSON www.samsonequipment.com The Triple Power Station features an adjustable bench, a unique triple rack design, and an oak platform with a custom logo. It accommodates three

lifters simultaneously performing upper-body, lower-body, and Olympic movements.

Samson Equipment custom builds to customers’ individual needs.

Special Features: Solid .188 wall steel frame throughout the entire rack, hickory platform with custom logo and basketball finish, chin-up bar, adjustable bench from 0 to 90 degrees, and plate storage.

Warranty: Lifetime on steel framework.

Circle No. 550 Titan Strength Equipment 866-494-3051 www.titanstrengthfitness.com The Pro Power rack by Legend Fitness is among the world’s best racking systems and cages. Get your athletes Titan Tough with this industry-leading system.

Special Features: This unit has multiple band holders, a multi-position chin-up bar, a locking bench system, adjustable oversized bar catches, and oversized dual-peg Monster hooks.

Warranty: 12 years on welds and frames.

Circle No. 551

WEB NEWS Shouldn’t Your Athletes Get the Same Nutrition Boost as the Pros?

The CytoSport Web site offers visitors a look at product offerings, information, usage suggestions, and more. Featured athletes include Rookie of the Year stars: football’s Adrian Peterson, baseball’s Ryan Braun, and basketball’s Brandon Roy. You can also read about Chrissie Wellington, the current women’s Ironman Triathlon champion.

There are testimonials from athletes who have found success with CytoSport products, and in-depth Cyto-Science information explaining why the company’s products can work for your athletes. Visit the site today to see all these features for yourself.

COMPANY NEWS

Strength/Conditioning Professionals Unlock Athletes’ Potential With Glyc’nGo™ Glyc’n Go™ is the new “sustained energy” enhancing supplement by Lifexpand, and it is the only chewable form of Glycine Propionyl-L-Carnitine (GPLC) available on the market today.

In clinical trials it has been shown that Glyc’n Go may positively effect the body’s ability to produce energy and increase levels of Nitric Oxide—thereby contributing to muscle function, supporting peripheral arterial blood flow, and reducing lactic acid build-up.

While clinical tests on the product are still being conducted, it is thought that Glyc’n Go may enhance performance, recovery, and stamina during strenuous exercise.

The benefits of Glyc’n Go span the world of sports, from team athletes who require both sustained and surge energy, to power lifters, to endurance athletes. Glyc’n Go helps your cells deliver energy to the body when it needs it most, whether enduring sustained periods of activity, during short bursts of activity that require immediate power, or in muscular recovery.

Glyc’n Go is pure energy.

New to the market, strength/conditioning professionals, coaches, nutritionists, and athletes are discovering the buzz on Glyc’n Go. Registered with Informed Choice, the product is regularly tested to be free from world sport-banned contaminants.

Glyc’n Go is fast becoming a staple in the athletic supplement world. At time of writing, we cannot disclose the names of teams and athletes using Glyc’n Go. However, a growing number of orders from world class triathletes, professional and college division football teams, basketball teams, hockey teams, power lifters, bodybuilders, fitness models, action-hero celebrities and stuntmen, martial artists, worldclass nutritionists, and athletes are being filled by the manufacturer.

www.cytosport.com OPTP Web Site Is Better Than Ever After New Updates OPTP’s Web site has a new look. The company’s new and improved site makes it easier than ever to find and purchase OPTP products. Additional images and product information have been added to assist you in making purchasing decisions.

Utilize the “My Wish List” feature to plan upcoming purchases, or save frequent orders in your account to access and easily re-order at your convenience. The new site also allows you to rate products and comment on your experience with them.

www.optp.com TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

Glyc’n Go™/Lifexpand 1900 NW Corporate Blvd., Suite 400 E Boca Raton, FL 33431 1-866-GLYCNGO info@glycngo.com www.glycngo.com T&C NOVEMBER 2008

61

ARM & SHOULDER Antibody, Inc. 877-546-2639 www.antibodywear.com Antibody offers the custom-made Double Shoulder Sleeve. It is designed to have a shorter arm on the existing (less severe) injury that covers only the shoulder itself, and a normal longer arm on the new (more severe) injury. It includes an abduction strap for the longer arm, and the compression ratio is increased on the shorter arm to compartmentalize the entire shoulder joint.

Circle No. 552 NZ Mfg., Inc. 800-886-6621 www.nzmfg.com For shoulder rehabilitation, strength, and conditioning, the TurfCordz Cuff Tuff is a simple and effective tool to strengthen the shoulder rotator. The TurfCordz Cuff Tuff is used for internal and external rotation, along with biceps, deltoid, and triceps exercises.

It’s used by many professional sports teams as a portable conditioning device, and also used on the field for warmup before games. Cuff Tuff is available in five resistance levels.

Circle No. 553 OPTP 800-367-7393 www.optp.com The UE Ranger is a unique motionassistance device designed to gently increase range of motion and complement the natural movement patterns of the upper extremities.

Consisting of a molded plastic bilateral hand support and strap, telescoping tube, detachable base, and articulating joints, this tool is ideal for 62

T&C NOVEMBER 2008

all hand sizes and arm lengths. A wall mount is also available. Call or go online for more information.

Circle No. 554 The B.O.I.N.G. from OPTP is an oscillating exercise device that provides a combination of isotonic, isometric, and plyometric resistance for the upper extremities.

Employing rapid and repetitive movements with the B.O.I.N.G. facilitates subconscious motor mechanisms and increases concentric and eccentric force output. The B.O.I.N.G. is easy to use, promotes comfortable rhythmic exercise, and is great for use with post-injury athletes.

Circle No. 555 PRO Orthopedic Devices, Inc. 800-523-5611 www.proorthopedic.com The 420 Tennis Elbow Unit offers a practical approach to relieving tennis elbow pain. The 1/8-inch-thick neoprene band provides heat to the upper forearm while a 1/4-inch orthopedic felt pad applies pressure over the tendon insert point. A new space-aged elastic band wraps around the neoprene to provide extra pressure to the pad and comfortable support to the forearm.

A hook-and-loop fastener allows for comfortable adjustment and personalized fit.

Circle No. 556 The 450 Shoulder Support from PRO Orthopedic is a universal-fit shoulder support that’s simply designed to increase therapeutic heat in the shoulder area. It provides symptomatic relief for strains, bursitis, arthritis, and tendonitis.

The wrap is easy to slide on and adjust, and it fits the right or left shoulder.

Circle No. 557

RangeMaster™ 800-755-0455 www.theradim.com RangeMaster™ shoulder pulleys provide a complete home therapy system for the athlete who wants to make substantial progress between clinic visits. The exercise guide, designed by physical therapists, features protocols for shoulder stretching, strengthening, and range of motion.

The RangeMaster is available through local dealers and distributors.

Circle No. 558 Human Kinetics 800-747-4457 www.humankinetics.com Stronger Arms & Upper Body was written by two of the most respected figures in bodybuilding, Joe Wuebben and Jim Stoppani.

This book covers the development of the shoulders, arms, upper back, and chest. It also includes hard-core instruction on building strength, size, and definition. The anatomical views of targeted muscles, explanations of equipment needs, and 33 programs and ready-touse workout plans simplify the process of adopting a strength training regimen and sticking with it.

Circle No. 559

STAY CONNECTED, STAY CURRENT...

DAILY Training & Conditioning has developed an innovative Web site to keep you in touch with issues facing sports medicine and fitness professionals:

training-conditioning.com TR AINING-CONDITIONING.COM

MORE PRODUCTS Cho-Pat 800-221-1601 www.cho-pat.com

Disc Disease Solutions, Inc. 800-235-4387 www.discdiseasesolutions.com

The Shin Splint Compression Sleeve eases the pain associated with shin splints. Designed and evaluated by medical professionals, this unique device tackles inflammation and discomfort by using gentle compression to support the lower-leg muscles. It also stimulates circulation, maintains warmth, and controls excess fluid.

Finally, two straps act as shock absorbers to reduce microtrauma to the tendons and other soft tissue and keep the device in the proper position. Call Cho-Pat or visit the company’s Web site for more information.

Circle No. 560

Disc Disease Solutions has introduced the DDS 500, a revolutionary approach in the treatment of lower-back pain

Concentra 800-232-3550 www.concentra.com Concentra is currently seeking certified athletic trainers for positions in its on-site occupational health clinics and medical centers. As a leading provider of healthcare to the American workforce, the company operates more than 260 on-site facilities in 39 states and more than 320 medical centers in 41 states. You can earn a competitive salary and enjoy access to a complete benefits package. Visit Concentra online for more details on available positions and to submit your resume.

Circle No. 561 NCCPT 800-778-6060 www.nccpt.com The National Council for Certified Personal Trainers is the only personal trainer certification company that compensates its members for referrals.

Members of the NCCPT receive up to 20-percent discounts on select products and services while receiving commissions on membership dues and referrals four levels deep. The NCCPT has been in business since 1995 and provides personal trainers with the tools to succeed in their field. Many companies recruit directly from the NCCPT. Call or go online for details.

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due to spinal diseases and injuries.

The innovative DDS 500 uses vertically expandable air columns for secure mechanical support and spinal decompression of the lumbar vertebrae. This unique air-pocket expansion system provides traction between the lower part of the rib cage and the upper part of the hip to create weight-bearing forces away from the lower back and reduce pressure within the vertebrae.

The DDS 500 is indicated for herniated, degenerative, or bulging discs; acute and chronic lumbar pain; spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis; spinal stenosis; sciatica; and compression fractures.

Circle No. 563 Save-A-Tooth 888-788-6684 www.save-a-tooth.com Without proper care, a knocked-out tooth begins to die in 15 minutes. The Save-A-Tooth® emergency tooth preserving system utilizes Hank’s Balanced Salt Solution (HBSS) to not only preserve, but also reconstitute many of the degenerated cells. The patented basket and net container are designed to protect tooth root cells.

This is the only system that keeps tooth cells alive for up to 24 hours.

Circle No. 564 Speed to Win, Inc. 866-324-9282 www.speedtowin.com Speed to Win provides on-campus sports performance training centers for schools and athletic sites. The program is delivered to your campus, so the whole team can train and improve together. Your on-site center comes with everything you need, from a worldclass curriculum accessed with Webbased software to state-of-the-art training equipment called SpeedStations,

which are scalable to train both small and large teams.

The Speed to Win training curriculum leverages years of experience training professional athletes such as Jamal Lewis, Osi Umenyiora, J.J. Hickson, and many others.

Circle No. 565 The Polar Pool 617-480-7683 www.thepolarpool.com The Polar Pool cryotherapy spa offers cold water therapy, hot water therapy, and saltwater therapy—all in one. It’s completely portable, so you can provide athletes with state-of-theart treatment and pain relief without installing new plumbing or redesigning your entire facility. Users can sit or kneel in the pool, and the purification and sanitization systems keep the water clean while the solid-state cooling system maintains the temperature you want.

Circle No. 566 Creative Health Products, Inc. 800-742-4478 www.chponline.com Since 1976, Creative Health Products has been a leading discount supplier of rehabilitation, fitness, exercise, and athletic equipment, as well as health, medical, and fitness testing and measuring products, all available at reduced prices. Creative Health Products offers heart rate monitors; blood pressure testers; pulse oximeters; body fat calipers; scales; strength testers; flexibility testers; stethoscopes; pedometers; exercise bikes; ergometers; stopwatches; fitness books and software; exercise bands; step benches; hand and finger exercisers; heating pads; and more.

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Qu

CEU QUIZ

T&C November 2008 Volume XVIII, No. 8

Training & Conditioning is pleased to provide NATA and NSCA members with the

icke You c a and g n now tak r & E a et yo e our ur C CEU q sier! uizze Click EU results s on www o a .train n “CEUs & C nd credit in line... s ourse ing-c s” at: tantly. ondi tio

opportunity to earn continuing education units through reading issues of the magazine. The following quiz is based on articles that appear in this issue of Training & Conditioning. By satisfactorily completing the quiz and mailing it to MAG, Inc., readers can earn 2.0 BOC Athletic Training and 0.2 NSCA (two hours) continuing education units.

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Instructions: Go online to www.training-conditioning.com and click on “CEUs & Courses” to take the quiz online. You may also mail your quiz to us: Fill in the circle on the answer form (on page 67) that represents the best answer for each of the questions below. Complete the form at the bottom of page 67, include a $25 payment to MAG, Inc., and mail it by December 30, 2008 to the following address: MAG, Inc., ATTN: T&C 18.8 Quiz, 31 Dutch Mill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850. Readers who correctly answer 70 percent of the questions will be notified of their earned credit by mail within 30 days. ’Tis the Season (pages 4-6) Objective: Show your athletic training students some great ways to get ahead during their winter break.

1. For athletic training students, winter break can be a perfect opportunity to: a) Jump-start their career. b) Take a long break from education. c) Allow their brain a chance to rest. d) Search out other professions.

Q&A: Fred Hina (pages 7-13) Objective: Read an accomplished athletic trainer’s thoughts on his career path and recent experiences in the profession.

2. Marfan Syndrome typically results in: a) Headaches. b) Some form of aneurysm. c) Chest pain. d) Poor circulation in the extremities.

By Leaps and Bounds (pages 15-21) Objective: Get the latest information on effective ACL injury prevention strategies.

3. Tim Hewett theorizes that the difference in injury rates between boys and girls is directly related to: a) The way boys and girls emerge from puberty. b) The female population generally being more flexible. c) Where a boy’s or girl’s center of mass is. d) How the genders develop quadriceps strength.

4. When assessing a box jump landing, what indicates that an athlete is at a high risk for injury? a) Less than five degrees of knee adduction upon initial landing. b) More than five degrees of knee abduction upon initial landing. c) More than 10 degrees of knee adduction upon initial landing. d) No knee abduction.

5. Quadriceps dominance puts an athlete at risk for ACL injury if he or she has a _____ percent or greater strength difference between the quadriceps and hamstrings. a) 15. b) 30. c) 45. d) 50.

6. What else increases the risk of non-contact ACL injuries? a) Hamstring dominance. b) Symmetrical balance. c) A weak trunk or core. d) A 25 percent strength difference between the quadriceps and hamstrings.

7. PEP is an acronym for: a) Prevention Enhances Plyometrics. b) Prevent Injury and Enhance Performance. c) Plyometrics Enhance Performance. d) Proper Energy Practices.

Power Moves (pages 22-29) Objective: Learn about specific exercises that can help correct athletes’ movement deficiencies.

8. Tommy Sheehan’s philosophy is that _____ is critical to almost every type of athletic success. a) Trunk rotation. b) Hamstring flexibility. c) Proper foot placement. d) Anaerobic conditioning.

9. Pushing through the foot and releasing the hip: a) Creates increased velocity from the mid-foot. b) Increases the contact surface area and decreases joint stress. c) Increases velocity of the knee and hip for maximum kinetic energy. d) Allows the ipsilateral hip to release for acceleration.

10. Running relies on what reflex? a) Screw-home mechanism. b) Patellar. c) Elastic. d) Back.

11. Athletes with inefficient movement patterns tend to: a) Lead with their upper body. b) Keep their torso directly aligned over their hips and “sit back.” c) Have the foot contact the ground directly. d) Snap the flexed ankle forward.

Answer sheet is on page 67...

Or take this quiz online at our Web site: www.training-conditioning.com click on CEUs & Courses

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CEU QUIZ 12. During the 45 push drill, the heel should contact the ground with: a) Both arms extended. b) The athlete landing mid-foot. c) The weight backward. d) The weight slightly forward.

13. Any athletic stance outside the hip-width base results in: a) Increased muscle activation. b) Proper knee alignment. c) Drastic power loss. d) Decreased strength in squatting.

14. What is the proper way to decelerate? a) Take long, slow strides. b) Take short, choppy steps. c) Minimize a lunging motion. d) Raise the center of gravity.

15. A macro benefit of maintaining correct body position throughout a contest is: a) The delay of fatigue. b) Increased strength. c) Improved flexibility. d) Faster lateral shifts.

Making It Through (pages 33-37) Objective: Find valuable information on how to help an athlete both during and after a struggle with an eating disorder.

16. One way to support an athlete’s recovery from an eating disorder is by: a) Offering nutritional products. b) Being aware of the athlete’s triggers. c) Encouraging a focus on their sport. d) Asking the coach to decrease practice intensity.

17. Successful intervention is about learning to: a) Change behavior and life outlook. b) Try new foods. c) Increase fiber intake, which will lead to a feeling of fullness. d) Drink more water.

18. One of the most important aspects of recovery is for the athlete to: a) Realize it is a short-term process. b) End their athletic career. c) Change coaches. d) Trust the process.

20. Keith Garnett says the committee advocates: a) Unity among ethnic minority groups throughout the profession and the association. b) Service and unity relevant to ethnic minority groups. c) Sensitivity and understanding toward ethnic and cultural diversity throughout the profession and the association. d) Athletic participation by ethnic minority groups.

21. One initiative the EDAC created to advance the goal of diversity in the profession is the: a) Education Enhancement Grants. b) Athletic Medicine Diversity Grants. c) Ethnic Diversity Enhancement Grants. d) Diversity in Sport Grants.

22. The Athletic Training Ethnic Diversity Initiative retention efforts at Marquette University include: a) College scholarships. b) The creation of mentoring and tutoring programs. c) The ability to retake a class without penalty. d) Allowing one assignment resubmission for a higher grade.

From Mat to Octagon (pages 45-51) Objective: Follow the training regimen of a former collegiate wrestler who became a mixed martial artist.

23. What constitutes the author’s triple-progressive system of overload? a) Lifting heavier loads with less rest, and few reps. b) Performing three sets of a lift and increasing the weight by 10 percent in each set. c) Including multi-joint, multi-planar activities at higher reps. d) Athletes are pushed to lift heavier loads, perform more reps, and decrease rest time between sets.

24. Athletes with a sub-optimal firing pattern will often complain of _____ after executing hip extension movements. a) Low back pain. b) Fatigue. c) Hamstring tightness and spasm. d) Weakness.

25. Motor learning research has shown that typical weightroom exercises: a) Do not provide movement components similar enough to most sports. b) Provide significant movement components for transfer to an athlete’s sport. c) Enhance flexibility. d) Decrease required repetitive skill-specific strengthening and conditioning.

A Diverse Tomorrow (pages 39-43) Objective: See how leaders in the NATA’s diversity movement are working to diversifying the athletic training workforce.

19. What is the Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee’s motto? a) Advancement and Unity. b) Diversity and Advocacy. c) Promotion, Advocacy, and Service. d) Service, Advocacy, and Unity.

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Answer sheet is on page 67...

Or take this quiz online at our Web site: www.training-conditioning.com click on CEUs & Courses

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CEU QUIZ ANSWER FORM Instructions: Go online to www.training-conditioning.com and click on “CEUs & Courses” to take the quiz online. You may also mail your quiz to us: Fill in the circle on the answer form below that represents your selection of the best answer for each of the previous questions. Complete the form at the bottom of this page, include a $25 payment to MAG, Inc., and mail it to the following address: MAG, Inc., ATTN: T&C 18.8 Quiz, 31 Dutch Mill Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, no later than December 30, 2008.

Readers who correctly answer 70 percent of the questions will receive 2.0 BOC Athletic Training and 0.2 NSCA (two hours) CEU’s, and will be notified of their earned credit by mail within 30 days.

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Last Name ____________________________________ First Name _______________________________ MI______ Title ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Mailing Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ City ________________________________________________ State _________ Zip Code _____________________ Daytime Telephone ( _________ ) ________________________________________ E-Mail Address ____________________________________________________________________________________ Payment Information

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OVERTIME

Next Stop: Web Site Our editorial continues on www.Training-Conditioning.com Here is a sampling of what’s posted right now:

ISIPHOTOS.COM/JOHN TODD

MONTHLY FEATURES

High School Death Rate Spikes There have been more high school student-athlete deaths already this school year than in the past two years combined. In response, the NFHS recently called an emergency meeting of its sports medicine committee, as did the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The November TrainingConditioning.com monthly feature details the results of these meetings and examines the sudden increase in high school athlete deaths.

Back From Beijing David Andrews, ATC, Athletic Trainer at Gig Harbor (Wash.) High School and Northwest Sports Physical Therapy, is back in Washington after spending the summer in Beijing as the Head Athletic Trainer for the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team. In this interview, Andrews talks about preparing for the Olympics and the difference between working with high school and Olympic athletes.

www.training-conditioning.com/features.php Check out our exclusive interview with David Andrews, ATC, Head Athletic Trainer for the U.S. men’s Olympic soccer team.

WEEKLY BLOGS

Game of Emotions

Analyzing ACLs Beyond Gender

Being a strength and conditioning coach in today’s athletic landscape requires more than simply knowing how to shape athletes’ bodies. In this blog, Ryan Johnson, CSCS, Coach Practitioner and Strength and Conditioning Coach at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minn., writes about helping his players through the diverse emotional and psychological challenges they face on and off the field.

If you enjoyed our feature article on assessing and preventing ACL injuries, check out our weekly blog breaking down a recent consensus statement from the NATA that addresses the prevalence of genderspecific studies in the field of ACL research. The association has called for fewer studies that look simply at sex differences and ignore the biomechanical causes of ACL tears.

www.training-conditioning.com/blogs.php

WWW.TRAINING-CONDITIONING.COM

Circle No. 145

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Circle No. 146