How Soon Is Too Soon for Strength and Conditioning?

Short answer: it's pretty much never too soon. Before you get all uppity about stunting growth or something (which is not true), let me elaborate. Children can benefit from a good strength and conditioning program at any age. Believe it or not, the earlier they start a strength and conditioning program, the better. Keep in mind, strength and conditioning doesn’t just mean lifting weights.

More importantly, strength and conditioning involves working on proprioception, body control, motor patterns, jumping, landing, and deceleration. More importantly than becoming a better athlete, your child is  becoming stronger and learning how to use their body in a way that will make them more resistant to injury in their given sport (and daily life). Younger children have especially malleable nervous systems meaning that the patterns they learn in elementary and middle school will stick with them through the rest of their lives- as opposed to trying to relearn poor patterns as a high school or college athlete. In a broader context, having your child engage in an exercise program can boost their self esteem, encourage them to be healthy and active, and lead to a lifelong appreciation for working out and healthy living. As long as your child is in a supervised, age appropriate program run by qualified professionals, a strength and conditioning program can benefit them well beyond making them better at their sport

Because knowledge is power

Coach Lily

Amended Top 10 Articles for March 26, 2014 with links

We realize most of our readers are not coaches, but this first article should get you to look at your life and approach it with a “coach” perspective - because you are truly the coach of your own life.
http://articles.elitefts.com/features/columns/how-did-pete-carroll-win-the-superbowl/

10 steps to get BSLS (bigger stronger leaner smarter)
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/ten-simple-tips-to-get-bigger-stronger-leaner-and-smarter/

How to screw up and move on - getting a grip on perspective.
http://breakingmuscle.com/sports-psychology/on-ing-up-and-then-moving-on-the-importance-of-perspective-in-athletics-and-life

So- you want to start jogging?
http://www.t-nation.com/training/jogging-delusion

Where is happiness really located?
http://zenhabits.net/self-reliance/

What should you eat post-workout?
http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/eating-to-recover-how-and-what-to-eat-post-workout

Can you prevent overuse injuries?
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/are-overuse-injuries-preventable/

Are your goals distracting you? 
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/how-goals-are-distracting-your-game/

How to know if you are hydrated and drinking enough water.
http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/why-and-how-to-stay-hydrated

FOR THE LADIES.
Part 2 from last week…How your cycle affects your training.

http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/menstrual-matters-part-2-personalizing-a-program-based-on-your-schedule/

Who and What Is Going To Influence Your Life?

This one goes out to all of the younger readers, because we are the ones figuring out who we want to be. We are the ones who have just realized that you ARE someone, you BECOME someone, and it doesn't matter how much thought you've put into the process. Indeed, I'm addressing you older folks, too. The parents, coaches, professionals who already have a steady grasp of who they are and what kinds of principles guide their lives. We could all benefit from a little reflection every now and then.

So today I challenge you to reflect on the top 3 influences on your life. "Religion, Family, and Work", although those are great influences to have, aren't specific enough. Really think about the decisions you make on a daily basis and pinpoint how they fit in with your principles. Where along this line can you improve? Did you make any mistakes? Do you regret anything? Nobody is the symbol of perfection and we are all flawed, but when I say "flawed", I only mean that each and every one of us has something about ourselves that we would like to change. Find the influences that steer your weaknesses.

 The point of this exercise is to find one influence that has a negative impact on your life. Anything in your life that can be nudged in a positive direction. It can be a person, an insecurity, or conflict. It can be anything. Now visualize what you have to do to get on the right path. Is it difficult or easy? If it is difficult, do you have the strength to change it? This isn't a trick question, it's yes or no. But the most important thing is for you to be honest with yourself. Don't make excuses to mask your own inability to be honest with yourself. Don't spray air freshener in a filthy room that you are too lazy to clean.

After you have decided whether or not you are strong enough, follow a course of action. If you know what needs to be done, do it. If you want to fix something, but don't have the knowledge to fix it, seek help. And finally, if you know what needs to be done but don't want to follow through, accept that you don't want to fix it and move on.

Savannah Steamer, Intern

Are You Your Own Worst Enemy?

You can spend hours and hours in the gym and out on the field, putting 300% into every practice but could you be sabotaging yourself without even knowing? Many times, we can be our biggest critic and our largest obstacle to success. Despite what you do physically, your mental attitude can make or break you. I see this happen all the time with athletes and am completely guilty of it myself.

While everyone around you is high fiving you are you kicking yourself because not everything went to plan? Are you unable to enjoy your accomplishments or do do you always think “I should have done better” or “I’ll be happy when I hit (whatever goal you have in mind)? Chances are, when you hit that goal, you’ll still feel the same way about your next goal. Yes, it’s fine to be realistic about what you need to work on. But what do you gain by beating yourself up? If you did everything you could to prepare yourself for your meet or game then why are you criticizing yourself over things that are out of your control? Do you even enjoy the journey of getting better? There is a big difference between being realistic about working harder and always being down on yourself. What do you have to gain from this type of mindset? Constantly beating yourself up doesn’t make you better at what you’re doing, it just reinforces negative patterns.

Part of being successful is the ability to envision yourself, well, being successful. Envisioning failure does nothing for you except making that failure a reality, despite your physical preparedness. It’s easy to work hard in the gym and on the field but completely ignore, or sabotage yourself, with the mental aspect of the game. After all, as Yogi Berra says, “Ninety percent of the game is half mental”.

Coach Lily

Top 10 articles for March 19, 2014

Here are the top 10 articles for the week.  Read and enjoy!

Get moving…. and pick something!
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/a-lion-in-iron-f-pick-something/

Protein - it’s a big deal.  How is your protein timing?
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/does-protein-timing-really-matter/

How to build the strongest version of yourself.
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/building-the-strongest-version-of-yourself/

Hey there runners, here’s how to get your mojo back.
http://breakingmuscle.com/running/4-tips-for-getting-your-mojo-back-running-mojo-that-is

Are you a “world shaker”? Does the pain you experience define you or do you go far beyond it?
http://tinybuddha.com/blog/how-pain-from-the-past-can-be-a-gift-in-the-present/

Cardio - be smart about it be in accordance with your goal, but get it done.
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/imbulking-noyouarenot-youareafatass/

How is your recovery going?  It’s a very vital part of your training!
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/got-recovery/

Is your life a “little messy”? Maybe it’s time you cleared out and cleaned things up.
http://zenhabits.net/housecleaning/

What are the best foods to eat so you are satiated and have the proper nutrients--Understanding the importance of being satiated.
http://www.tonygentilcore.com/blog/understanding-the-importance-of-satiety/

FOR THE LADIES.
Your cycle can affect your training and eating habits… read on.
http://www.girlsgonestrong.com/menstrual-matters-how-your-cycle-may-affect-your-training/

Don't Reduce Someone Else's Success.

If I hear someone say "Well, [insert fit person's name here] can afford a trainer and supplements," one more time, I am probably going to have to punch a wall. Yes, I am talking about people who reduce someone else's success by pointing out that they can "afford" it. In their minds, people who can afford a personal trainer, healthy food, and various other health related things have no excuse to not be in shape. This mentality reduces an extraordinary amount of hard work and dedication to dollars and cents, as if you can go to the store and buy a ripped body

When it comes to fitness, as with any goal, there is a certain level of investment needed for achievement. Sometimes that investment is monetary. In fact, if you look at anybody who has named fitness or performance as one of their goals, they have most likely spent money on a gym membership or on accessories, workout clothes, etc. It's just a fact of life. Am I saying that being fit or an athlete means you have to drain your whole paycheck on fancy gadgets, gourmet food, and supplements? Nope. In fact, you don't need any of that stuff. But when someone else has set a goal and aimed a significant amount of resources towards that goal, let's try to be positive about their success. Let's not soak ourselves in our own bitterness. Focus on YOUR life, what YOU can do to reach your goals, and what kinds of resources (time, money, mental) you can allocate to them.


Savannah Steamer, Intern

Motivation

Lately I have seen people being ok with mediocrity. Which if that is what you want then great be mediocre. Be like everybody else.

Sometime it's hard to get motivated to train or to do anything. It's easier to be lazy and just sit on the coach and watch the world turn. The body wants to be lazy. Honestly it is science. The body likes to maintain homeostasis. In other words it doesn't mind being weak. So it's up to your mind to get your body in check. Your mind is what is keeping you from the body that you want. Don't sit there everyday and watch motivational videos and listen to speeches of people motivating you. You don't need that, what you need is to set your mind right. You have ZERO excuses. And whatever you're about to say is just another lie you're telling yourself as to why you can't accomplish what you want.

We all have days where we don't want to train. Where we don't want to get up and go to the gym. Body feels tired and weak. When the body feels tired and weak go lift! Stop being afraid of overtraining. If your mind continuously tells the body that you're overtrained or that you need a deload your body will begin to believe it. Stop saying "well science says I need to deload every 4th week or I'll get weak and overtrained." Stop it. All you're doing is finding a fancy way to say you're lazy. Being lazy is being lazy. The body isn't weak and lazy it's your mind that is.

Get in the gym and get some blood pumping in the body. Once the blood starts pumping and the nervous system gets dialed in it will make you feel better. Human nature wants you and I to be lazy. To conform and be weak. To be mediocre. Don't be normal. If you get the mind right the body will follow. Your mind sets the standard for everything that you do.

What gets you motivated everyday? Let me know in the comments below!

Coach B

Aerobic & Anaerobic: Why You Should Care

Scouring the internet for an informative, yet somewhat comprehensible explanation of the terms “Aerobic” and “Anaerobic” is no easy task, yet they are basic topics in fitness that many people would do well to understand. You don’t have to understand the complex scientific reasoning to understand how they can both be beneficial to your overall wellness; you just need to understand that the body responds differently to various forms of exercise. This is a very, very basic explanation of two types of exercise.

From a denotative perspective, the words “Aerobic” and “Anaerobic” mean “living with oxygen” and ”living without oxygen”, respectively. This refers to how the body fuels the activity. It’s important to remember that it’s a balance, not a one-or-the-other type of relationship. Some activities that people consider aerobic have anaerobic qualities and vice versa. You don’t have to develop one capacity at the expense of the other and most activities are not wholly aerobic or anaerobic.

Activities such as jogging, elliptical, and cycling are often considered aerobic since the intensity rises slowly. You will usually see the cardio section at the gym jam-packed with exercisers because this type of exercise has numerous benefits. The wellness benefits associated with aerobic activity include: strengthening the lungs and heart, reducing blood pressure and stress, and reducing the risk for diabetes.

 On the other hand, anaerobic activity is often at a higher intensity and includes things such as sprinting, lifting weights, and doing circuits. One way to remember that anaerobic means without air, is to think about our natural instinct to hold our breath when exerting a force (timing your inhalations as you lift weights or sprinters who hold their breath as they wait for the gun to sound). In addition to the obvious performance benefits that one can get from this type of activity, it can help with building lean muscle (as opposed to burning fat) and increasing bone density. This type of exercise is usually noted for the significantly lower amount of time required to see benefits as opposed to aerobic exercise.

            Both anaerobic and aerobic activities have distinct benefits, yet it is important to evaluate your goals and incorporate them accordingly. There is not just one solution for every fitness goal.

Savannah Steamer, Intern

Odds and Ends for Experiencing the Arnold

This is just a short list of tips (some humorous) to keep in mind when visiting the Arnold Sports Festival here in Columbus, Ohio. This year was my first time attending and though it was fantastic experience, there were some things that I wish I would have known before going.

Do what I did. Ride the Bus. It will be the best $2 you ever spent.

Pick a few events to watch. Know where they are and what time they start. You don’t want to look back on this experience and think “Gee, I didn’t really see anything.”

The door guards get really pissed if you try to enter the expo through an exit, and vice versa. Read the signs!

  Do not, I repeat: do not wear a white shirt because you will inevitably ruin it by rubbing up against someone else’s spray tan.

If Darth Vader and Chewy are doing a fencing demonstration, you’d better be there!

 Giving high fives to random people is standard procedure.

  Don’t let the military guys talk you into doing pullups because I promise that a brown, leathery-skinned bodybuilder is going to do at least 30 pullups right after you finish.

If you do not feel like punching the new and improved innovative punching bag that an exhibitor is showing off, politely let him know and keep going. Don’t fall for peer pressure.

  Don’t stare. That’s all I need to say.

  Bring your own food. I took blueberries and chocolate covered almonds.

  If you plan on meeting some celebrities at the expo, know which booth they’ll be at, what times they’ll be there, where those booths are located on the map, and which path you’ll take to get to each destination. You can even make your own map with checkpoints with fancy stuff to make sure you see EVERYTHING.

No, you do not need another cinch bag.

  If you just ask, exhibitors will give you samples. Don’t be shy.

  Stop trying to find Arnold. He is far, far away in the VIP section.

Enjoy yourself. This is a networking experience for a lot of people, but it doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, people watching can be pretty fun!

Savannah Steamer, Intern

Training Switch-Up- An Intern's Blog

Coach Lily's blog entry the other day inspired my topic for this blog. She explained how stepping out of your comfort zone in the gym can lead to benefits both physically and mentally, in the gym as well as outside of it. I happen to agree with her 100%, and I'd like to add on to her thought process a little.

Sometimes we can get caught up in the things that we are comfortable doing in the gym without really questioning whether we are actually making progress doing these things. We all have heard "Stick to the basics! That's the key to success!" While I do agree that the basics are extremely valuable tools in your arsenal, not everyone can progress day after day using this methodology. Eventually, you will hit a stagnation point where your progress will slow to a halt and your body will get worn down with little to show for your effort.

If you aren't making progress doing a certain program or a specific exercise, why keep doing it? Now I'm not saying that if your squat has stalled then do banish it from your program forever, but why not change up your exercises? Whether it be to switch to box squats for 6 weeks or to squat later in your routine with sub-maximal weights, the key is variation. Now I understand that this can be a tough decision especially if you have an attachment to a certain exercise (I have had to adjust my lower body routine away from squats due to knee pain), but you may be able to reap the rewards of a revitalized central nervous system as well as new found strength from other exercises.

If you've hit a plateau then switch it up and watch your motivation, energy, and possibly even strength go up!

Bryce Calvin- Strength and Conditioning Intern

Step Outside of Your Comfort Zone

One of the great things about working out is the carryover it has in your life outside of the gym. Being more athletic and in great shape are direct benefits of training but what about the less obvious results? One of the most important benefits of any training program, no matter the goal, is that it forces you to step outside of your comfort zone.

I've seen this in every client that walks through the doors of our gym and takes part in any program. Whether it's an adult that is unhappy with their body and lifestyle or a female athlete who has misconceptions about lifting heavy weights;  engaging in a training program can help everyone step outside of their comfort zone. I've seen adults who have never felt comfortable in a gym have more confidence in their abilities and appearance and high school athletes who were afraid of lifting weights getting excited about adding weight on their deadlift.

One of the greatest feelings is seeing clients I work with who are initially intimidated by weight training pushing past their fears and embracing the fact that they're capable of much more than they thought was possible. I can tell you that, firsthand, lessons I've learned in training and powerlifting have had a serious impact on my day to day life.

So know that whether you're an adult who is afraid to work out  in a gym, or your child is the skinny person on the team who can't keep up- training will not only help you get stronger and look better, but also develop you as an individual. Don't think of your hour in the gym is about getting it done and getting out- know that it's a reflection of how you embrace or shy away from the other challenges in your life. Use it as a time to push your limits and see what you’re capable of. Don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone and see what you can accomplish.

Coach Lily

Flexibility vs. Mobility

One thing that I feel could use some clarification is the difference between flexibility and mobility, since they are often used synonymously and their importance is frequently understated. All sports, whether individual or team sports, require some degree of both flexibility and mobility to be successful, since both are basic physical fitness elements. In fact, flexibility is often seen as a component of mobility, so it’s important to understand the difference between the two. 

Here are the definitions:

Flexibility: the ability to increase your range of motion through the passive stretching of a set of muscles

Mobility: the ability to move a joint through a range of motion in an active setting using the nervous system, the joint, ligaments near the joint, and muscles surrounding it.

As you can see, these are very different and it is important to be familiar with this because a lot of times, people try to fix what they perceive as a flexibility issue with more and more stretching, when in fact they have a mobility issue. More stretching will not fix a mobility issue and the flexibility of a muscle depends on the mobility of nearby joints. Also, the thing about flexibility is that after a stretching session, the muscle reverts back to its original state to some degree. Usually, athletes who participate in sports that require exceptional flexibility must warm up for 5-10 minutes to see that flexibility again.

Mobility, on the other hand, is based on many factors, one of them being the nervous system. If your body is not strong enough to achieve a certain position during a movement, your nervous system will not allow it to happen. For example, both gymnasts and kick boxers must be flexible, but mobility dictates whether or not that gymnast can do a split jump or if that kick boxer can kick his opponent’s head. It doesn’t matter if they can do passive splits all day long, if they don’t have good mobility, they will not be able to do the movement in an active setting, thus making that flexibility useless.

This is all very important because immobile joints affect nearby joints and it can be hard to pinpoint exactly where a problem may be. It’s not uncommon to see people remedying hip immobility with more hamstring stretching and then they’re wondering why their joints are screaming at them and they can’t get off the couch. So remember to implement some mobility work into your routine and to get some stretching done each day.

Savannah Steamer, Intern

Top 10 articles of the week for 3/12/2014

Just accept it…strength is hard. It’s supposed to be hard.
http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/its-supposed-to-be-hard/

How to get more vegetables in your diet.
http://www.ericcressey.com/7-strategies-to-get-more-vegetables-in-your-diet

Here are 6 ways to get more protein in your diet.
http://www.ericcressey.com/6-ways-to-get-more-protein-in-your-diet

Are you ready to stop the excuses?
http://articles.elitefts.com/features/iron-brothers/you-make-the-decision-right/

The conundrum of doing what you love for a living.
http://zenhabits.net/love-conquers/

Find out how cardio will make you fat.
http://www.t-nation.com/training/regular-cardio-will-make-you-fat

Most of us love coffee.  Healthy or not healthy?
http://reach-yourpeak.com/2014/02/06/coffee-healthy-or-not/

So you just wanna “look big and strong” instead of being strong??
http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/big_without_strong_is_nothing

Simple things to do for a healthier life.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12755/11-simple-things-anyone-can-do-to-live-a-healthier-life.html

Do you need help getting things done? Maybe you should think about outsourcing.
http://lessdoing.com/2014/02/23/just-dont-do-it-why-you-should-outsource-more-of-your-life/

Spot Athletics week in review video montage 3/10/2014

It has been a big week for The Spot Athletics.  Two athletes just committed to colleges, at both Ohio Dominican and Louisiana State University.  Another one of our athletes just won his 3rd middle school state wrestling championship, in a row, making him one on a short list of other to ever do that before.  The weather is starting to break, and our clients are working hard in anticipation.  Great work everybody! We're proud of your efforts!

Check out the week in review here!

Google Me!

Google Me!

   

Nic coaching the deadlift 

THE FACT IS every place: will tell you that they're the best;  that they're different(better) and that they will get you great results.  So as a person looking for a place to train I can understand how differentiating which facility is truly "the best" seems almost impossible.  The purpose of this blog is to educate you as to why you shouldn't listen to people when they say these things but look at what they have done instead.  

     GOOGLE ME!  It's such a simple and basic task.  Whenever I want to find out something about someone I just google them.  It doesn't give the whole picture, but it tells me enough to know if I need to look further.  When you Google our owner "JL Holdsworth, strength coach", you get pages upon pages of results for things he has done over the years as a strength coach.  Even when you Google our director of Strength & Conditioning Nic Bronkall, you get several pages of things he has done as a strength coach.  I could go on but the point is if you Google just our owner, no less our whole staff, you are going to get more results than you know what to do with in regards to strength and conditioning.  The reason is because we are the best, what we do is the next level of training, and our results are what set us apart.  This stuff isn't true because I say it, it's true because you can Google it.  

     GOOGLE THEM!  Although I don't worry myself about what our competition is doing, as I believe we have none, I do hear from clients what other facilities are saying and doing.  When I hear of one of these places claiming to know how to train athletes I start off by Googling the person in charge of the program.  The funny thing is I can only find results for their website, Facebook, twitter and Linked in accounts.  I can very rarely find anything that they have ever done in strength coaching or as a strength athlete themselves.  This boggles my mind because it seems so simple that a parent or potential client would Google the person in charge of a program but instead clients just take the persons word, on their website, that they know what they are doing.  If someone claims to have been in this field for 10 years and you can't find what  they have contributed to it by Googling them, you are not working with a quality strength coach.  

JL squatting w/chains

     Anyone can make a fancy website, anyone can say they are the best, anyone can say they get results, but not everyone can say: "GOOGLE ME to prove they are the best at what they do".  So next time a friend of yours says they have "the best" strength coach, have them Google it and then see if they still think their strength coach is the best.  I bet they will have a much different opinion.  

JL 700 Deadlifts

Yup that just happened