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One of the most common, most talked about and researched, and most unfortunate injuries is the tearing of the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee, or ACL. The American Academy of Pediatrics found that the rate of youth ACL tears has risen almost two and a half percent every year over the last two decades. The injury is most common in young women, particularly girls between the ages of 15 and 17. Since the demographic is known and the likelihood of the injury is so high and predictable, it is baffling that more coaches and parents are not taking necessary precautions BEFORE a young athlete suffers such an injury. It needs to be stated that an injury can never be prevented, but with proper strength training and a healthy diet, rest recovery, etc., the risk can certainly be decreased dramatically.
The two bodily positions that put the ACL under them most stress are valgus collapse – when the knee moves toward the midline of the body and the hip and foot stay lateral; and internal rotation – when the foot and tibia rotate toward the midline and the femur stays relatively stationary. If an athlete has a natural valgus collapse tendency (as all females do, due to wider hip base than males), then extra attention should be given to the muscles that prevent this motion, i.e. hamstrings, glutes (especially gluteus medius), deep external rotators, etc. Similarly, risk factors can be analyzed to assess how likely it may be for an athlete to sustain a certain injury. For example, when an athlete jumps and lands, a glute and hip weakness can be identified if there is a brief caving in of the knees at first ground contact. The same thing can be picked up on in the weight room – e.g. if an athlete’s knees track toward one another when squatting, maybe some special, isolated care should be given to the muscles that keep the knees out of this dangerous position.
Another easy way to help young athletes avoid silly, non-contact injuries is to make sure they understand the biomechanics of the sport they play and how their body in particular moves. In addition, communicating this in manner that a 13 year old (or whatever their age may be) can understand is absolutely crucial. Telling a child to “avoid valgus collapse” is virtually useless; but showing them a video of their knees coming together and explaining that that is bad, or telling them to “not let their knees kiss” or something along those lines, are just a couple of effective ways to helps kids grasp this concept.
As stated before, injuries are prevalent, but measures can be taken and education can be given to help these injuries become less common. As a field, strength coaches should be communicating with ATs, PTs, doctors, coaches, and everyone involved with a team so that young athletes can be trained and treated properly to keep their careers as long and fruitful as possible.
STT will be in Virginia in March 10, 2018 for the 5th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development . Incredible environment to learn in. Hands-on and classroom demonstrations. Amazing food. Plus, CEUs available. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
Softball is a face paced game that takes incredible hand-eye coordination, stamina, strength, and perseverance. Training in a team environment can build a culture around a team that will help them throughout the season. Make time to work on your body during the off-season, and continue to make progress during the season. Find out how STT can help you be ready for the season when you CLICK HERE.
Take advantage of the opportunity on PersonalTrainingWithSTT.com. From weight loss to strength gain, to improved confidence and stamina, you need to look into adding one session with a STT’s Performance Coach to your weekly training schedule.
If we can train the lower body and avoid or eliminate the stress associated with axial loading (aka having a bar on your shoulders), would you be interested? Watch the training videos from the Pit Shark Belt Squat when you CLICK HERE.
When we are asked about flooring for performance training facilities serious about providing a competitive edge for their clients and athletes, we do not hesitate. You need to check out the many surfaces that Thor Performance Products can provide. From turf, to rubber, to permanent and even portable solutions too. Email Joe Lopez at Joe@ThorPP.com and let him know that Coach Taylor told you to reach out to him.
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The former end of the spectrum have many methodologies for getting strong, one example of which would be to simply increase resistance or volume (as mentioned before) over time – also known as progressive overload, a principle that is required to progress physically in any regard. Perhaps the easiest form of this would be to simply add one pound of weight (or even ½ pound) OR do one more repetition than the previous time an exercise was performed. This is a method proven to work with children all the way up to the highest level athletes. However, flaws do exist with this method. One is that it is easy to burnout doing this, and the body can become extremely worn out over time. Most coaches’ response to this flaw would be to simply decrease the resistance or volume on days when athlete and coach agree it would be beneficial to do so, what many refer to as a “back down day.” Over time, this will contribute to progress and allow the body to adapt accordingly.
While this is a good solution to a very prominent problem, another exists that is not so easily solved. At a certain point, this method will result in training with weights that are so heavy that it can be dangerous and even unhealthy to even lift with them. In addition, at such a heavy weight, it may take weeks to show any “real progress” by being able to add even one pound or rep, because the load puts such a stress on the body. Furthermore, weights this heavy are always lifted at incredibly slow velocity, and it can be argued that the central nervous system learns these patterns at that pace, and this can be detrimental to the actual sport an athletes plays. The question then needs to be asked, how else can strength coaches help their athletes make gains?
More and more research is being conducted and confirmed to show that lifting at high velocity is the best way to produce peak power. The weight for such lifts cannot be maximal and in fact will be relatively light. When this topic is presented, many turn right to Olympic lifts – the clean and jerk and the snatch, which are lifts performed at high velocity and the goal of which is traditionally peak power output. However, who is to say that other exercises – squat, deadlift, trap bar deadlift, RDL, good morning; even bench press, row, military press or pull-up/down – can’t be performed with light to medium weight and at max velocity? These are incredibly effective exercises, and performing them in such a manner correlates to sport neurologically, in that the CNS is trained to move at high speeds and fire simultaneously, producing immense amounts of power.
At SMARTER Team Training, we believe a healthy balance is necessary to achieve success in the weight room; and in fact we practice three main components of lifting: Lightweight, maximum velocity movements (i.e. sprinting or bodyweight jumping), medium weight movements for maximum power output, and heavy lifting. The mTOR pathway responds to the body reaching failure in all of these ways, and as stated before, a healthy balance is the key to success.
Check out what coaches from around the country, and world, are saying about their experience at our annual conference on when you CLICK HERE. The recap video from the #11thSCADConf, plus sneak peeks in to what makes this experience unique, have been added for you too. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
Baseball player’s at the highest level play 162 games in around 180 days, and if you are lucky you get to experience the post-season. Many youth and high school players’ schedules resemble this intense one to two games a day with some tournaments having three games on the final day. The body takes a toll and therefore needs a consistent plan to prepare for the rigors of the game from shoulder health, to grip strength, to legs, mid-section, upper body, and conditioning too. Learn about how you can begin your comprehensive athlete development program with STT when you CLICK HERE.
SMARTER Team Training wants to work with you and your team. To learn more about the benefits of training throughout the year with STT go to STTPerformance.com.
Hand and finger strength is important to ensure longevity, and potentially athletic performance. Having a tool that can progressively overload the grip is a competitive advantage. Find out how we use the Pendulum Strength Grip Pro from Rogers Athletic when you CLICK HERE.
From deloading the spine to finding a better way to improve your bench, Janie and Rick from LoadTheBar.com have got your covered. Find out more about the Pit Shark line of strength training equipment when you CLICK HERE.
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The initial interview is a very important moment in any internship situation, for both sides. Most possible interns are just trying to give all the right answers to earn the position. This is a rookie move, and can hurt you in your development as a professional. If you are a possible intern, you should view this as you interviewing places for your future experience. You may only get one shot at a long term internship during your college career. Do you want to spend it at a place that either doesn’t have the means, or the wherewithal to get you where you want to be in two, five, or ten years? If the person interviewing you for the internship asks at the end, “Any questions?” you better have at least two or three. Inversely, If I interview someone and they have no questions about me, how our company has grown, what our training philosophy is, educational history, possible job outlooks following the internship, or anything of that nature, I immediately question if they are taking this position as a check off the graduation requirements box, or if they legitimately have a passion for working in this field. Both sides need to do their due diligence and interview each other to see if the hundreds of hours they will spend together are beneficial for both parties.
During the experience many business or coaches want a yes person as an intern. Don’t talk, do what I tell you, stay out of the way, don’t have opinions or feedback, and don’t hassle me with something outside of your internship experience. I think that is a deplorable way to lead an internship. First off, I wouldn’t want to hire a person if I had to tell them everything to do, and they didn’t know how to think, learn or progress on their own, so why would I lead an internship program like that? As an intern, I want to know what aspects of the field you are truly passionate about, and how can we make the most of what you bring to the table? Some people have a passion for speed, others love programming, some really enjoy the rebuilding of the injured athlete. Whatever your passion is, figure it out, and pursue as much knowledge as you can in that niche of the field. You should approach the head of your internship and ask them if they can help you develop those interests, and if they can’t do they know someone who can? This is where networking becomes a crucial part of the internship experience. Reach out to other coaches in specialized fields. We even have our interns go and visit other facilities so they have more than just our experience. Remember, sometimes it is more important to learn what not to do than it is to learn what to do.
After the internship is over, networking and the connections you made during the internship will become vital to the next steps of your professional career. Whether it is a letter of recommendation, a phone call to get you an interview for a graduate internship, or a phone call to get you a job interview, the people writing those letters, or making those calls on your behalf will be the people you just spent the last several months with. Trust me, those months matter, that networking and relationship development matters, your hireability matters. Can I trust you, do you communicate in a professional and timely manner, would I hire you as part of my staff? After someone writes a letter of recommendation for you, or calls on your behalf, thank them and let you know that you seriously appreciate it. We have had interns in the past who clearly just viewed the experience as a stepping stone to their next career goal. That is fine, but to not receive a thank you call after you set someone up with a job can leave a bad impression. You never want people to feel like you used them, that is not the reputation you want to have moving forward in a very tight knit field.
The internship experience should be a tough, fun, grueling, educational experience that should guide you down the path of your future career. Do not view is as checking the box on your graduation requirements. There is much more to it than that. Put in the effort to know what you are getting into, are you beginning a relationship that is advantageous for both sides? Are you active in your own development as a young professional? Can you bring something unique or passionate to the table? During the experience are you setting yourself up for life after the internship? For more on internships check out this clip below of Coach Taylor discussing our internship program.
STT will be in Martinsville, NJ at the 8th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development New Jersey Clinic (Check #8thSCADNJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.) on February 17, 2018. CLICK HERE for more information and to register your staff. Take advantage of the EARLY BIRD special!
Living in Baltimore, Maryland which has affectionately been called the “Mecca of lacrosse”, we work with athletes who play this game practically year round. It is easy to realize how serious this area is about the sport by looking in the yards as you drive down the road to see goals and kick back nets. Learn about the program we have used from the scholastic and club levels through the college, pro, and international athletes when you CLICK HERE.
Be sure to take advantage of the professional development courses we host each year. The public clinics and conference schedule are posted on STTEvents.com. Register early. They sell out quick! Read what attendees have said about their experience with STT here too.
Our most versatile piece of strength training equipment is from Pit Shark. From Deadlifts and RDL’s, to shrugs, rows, and more can be add to your program on the Row-and-Pull. Watch training videos when you CLICK HERE.
Thank you to all our sponsors for their support. Be sure to look into the Iron Grip Barbell Equipment XL Handle dumbbells. So many competitive advantages and no additional cost to the consumer.
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The first, and likely most valuable, lesson to be learned from this example is that it is ok to be different. And we do not mean being born different and just learning to be ok with that, but rather working hard to become different, and therefore great. By very definition, being great has to be different than the rest of the population, or everyone would already have achieved it. Most people toay are ok being on the same level as everyone else, and may even be afraid to try something for fear of being perceived as different than the rest of their family, friends, team, etc. However, as coaches we should be teaching athletes, especially from a young age, that it is ok, and in fact admirable, to be different than everyone else.
Another point to be made is how being different is not only beneficial, but the how a small difference in effort can have a massive impact. In the research study that Coach Kilebaso describes, a 30% (or less) difference in force production was enough to make a sprinter run 80% faster than everyone else. In an age where everyone (especially youth) wants more bang for as little buck as possible, this should be a relatively easy selling point. It is also easy to teach children this concept in that they do not have to work that much harder, or be that different, to see results (at least at first).
Finally, a very important lesson – and perhaps the one that is the most difficult to swallow – is the importance of genetics in speed and athleticism. The same elite sprinters that “run differently” have the “unteachable speed” that many crave and talk about all the time, and spend their lives trying to emulate. Genetics play a huge roll in athleticism; and while any athlete can gain strength, speed, agility, etc., a genetic ceiling does exist, and there will always be those that have an advantage from birth, based on their DNA alone. The easiest way to see that this is true is to look at the parents, grandparents, and great grandparents of great athletes, whether at the college level, professional level, or even Olympic. You will likely find that at least one, probably two or three, members of each of these geneologies have played sports at the higher level. This is not to discourage the rest of us, but to keep us grounded and realistic – there are some things we cannot achieve, and so why strive for them? But rather, focus our energy on real goals and becoming great in ways and areas that are reasonable for who we are.
Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when STT will be hosting professional development clinics in your area. Be sure to register early for the #12SCADConf on July 20-21, 2018.
There is no question that soccer players are serious about fitness. Find out where you should be, and how to get there, when you CLICK HERE. Soccer season has become a year long sport. Make sure you are prepared, confident, and playing at your best with STT.
Take advantage of the opportunity on PersonalTrainingWithSTT.com. From weight loss to strength gain, to improved confidence and stamina, you need to look into adding one session with a STT’s Performance Coach to your weekly training schedule.
The Pendulum Strength Grip Cart from Rogers Athletic gives us a TON of versatility for us to train anything grip related. The huge wheels gives us the luxury of rolling the equipment to any location within the facility. Check out some of the protocols we use when you CLICK HERE.
Thank you to all our sponsors for their support. Rogers Athletic offers the best on-field and at-practice equipment for Football. Plus they also feature the Pendulum Strength line which is featured at SMARTER Team Training’s facility and events around the country.
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When an athlete gets to college, or the professional level, they will almost certainly have developed habits that are very difficult to break. Furthermore, they will likely have physical capabilities and tendancies that will be even more difficult to break. Whether positive or negative, once an athlete is that age, they are almost completely set in whatever they have been trained in and their abilities to move, among other things. While it is possible to change these habits, it is incredibly difficult. If an individual has been squatting a certain way for 6 years, it takes an immense amount of carefully planned and thought out work to get that 18, 19, or 20 year old athlete to change that, because it is just what they are used to. Training young athletes and helping them develop good habits from the beginning makes the job of college and pro coaches immensely easier. For example, an athlete going into college who has been exposed to front squat, back squat, deadlift, RDL, trap bar deadlift, etc. has a much better chance of success (and will be much easier to train from a strength coach’s perspective) than one who has only been taight to squat. The former athlete will likely have better stregnth and mobility than the latter, and will be easier to teach other things as well, due to their higher exposure to lifts in general.
In addition to being able to influence athletes physical habits and abilities at a young age, coaches and strength coaches have the ability to shape an athlete’s non physical habits, such as motivation, leadership qualities, coachability, supportive role on a team, among countless other things. Again, an athlete going into college or the pros who is coachable, positive, and a supporting memeber of any team they are on will be a much higher contributor (and certainly a higher recruit) than the one who is quiet, does not support teammates, or is not willing to learn. In fact, it is these qualities that may even be more important than stregnth, speed, or playing ability when it comes time to recruit; obviously athletic ability and sport talent are the number one thing to be looked at, but if two athletes are level in that area, the one who is more coachable will be taken first every time. Youth athletes are much more impressionable, and even more appreciative, than higher level athletes – and the lessons that a young athlete learns will stick with them and impact how they carry themselves as athletes and people in general.
As stated before, working with children is no easy task, and it may seem that it is way less appealing than coaching a professional team or travelling the world with Olympic athletes, etc. However, it is far more rewarding to teach a youth athlete a lesson that you know is a positive impact on them, and that they will carry on into other aspects of life, and positively impact other with as well. Check out this video with Luke Rose from Rutgers Football to learn more.
STT will be in Virginia in March 10, 2018 for the 5th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development . Incredible environment to learn in. Hands-on and classroom demonstrations. Amazing food. Plus, CEUs available. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
The Basketball Performance Training program (HoopsPT) at SMARTER Team Training includes instruction to improve movement efficiency, speed development, agility, power development, and strength. The athletes participating in the HoopsPT program are closely supervised and attention is always paid to proper technique and safety. Learn more about the basketball appropriate training that has helped players at all levels when you CLICK HERE.
SMARTER Team Training wants to work with you and your team. To learn more about the benefits of training throughout the year with STT go to STTPerformance.com.
When you are interested in keeping your spine healthy while still getting your squat numbers up, plus loaded dips, pull ups, and more, you need to add a Pit Shark Tall Frame to your weight room. CLICK HERE to watch the vids of how we use this training tool.
When we are asked about flooring for performance training facilities serious about providing a competitive edge for their clients and athletes, we do not hesitate. You need to check out the many surfaces that Thor Performance Products can provide. From turf, to rubber, to permanent and even portable solutions too. Email Joe Lopez at Joe@ThorPP.com and let him know that Coach Taylor told you to reach out to him.
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Upper body running mechanics begin with everything being relaxed so the arms can move fast, and freely. The faster your arms drive, the faster your stride rate will be, so the arms must be able to hinge freely at the shoulder. Two great indicators if someone’s upper body is relaxed are their jaw, and their hands. If their jaw is clenched tight, and the hands are clenched usually the person is carrying too much tension in their upper body. We always coach a relaxed jaw and relaxed hands so that the fingers are barely touching each other; visually imagine holding potato chips in between your fingers, if your fingers are too tight you would break the chip, but you don’t want your hands spread out that you would drop the chips.
Now that they are relaxed, you want the arms at roughly a 90 degree angle, and during running you want them to hinge at the shoulder, not the elbow. We practice this by having athletes sit on the ground and just go through the arm swing, thinking about driving the elbows forward and back, not up and down. During this drill we want the athletes sitting tall with their neck stacked in a neutral position. Some athletes may lean back, rotate side to side, or crouch forward. All of those things will affect proper mechanics when they go to run, so this is a great drill to use before an athlete ever puts their foot in the ground.
Once upper body mechanics are fine, we move on to lower body mechanics. The main coaching cue we focus on is driving the feet back and down into the ground. If we over coach the knee lift portion of running, some athletes focus on lifting their knees instead of driving their feet, or over extending their stride which becomes a brake, not a gas pedal. Neither of those outcomes are beneficial in any way. The knee drive should happen organically as long as the upper body mechanics are ideal, hence the importance of proper arm swing during sprinting. There should be a slight forward lean during sprinting, but the athlete should run tall, much like the seated arm mechanic drill explained above. The lifted foot should never extend forward, or reach forward in an attempt to lengthen the stride. The braking effect this creates is detrimental to running fast and gets the body out of proper position to continue the lower body running cycle.
As performance coaches we must work on the running mechanics of our athletes, and enhance the speed of our athletes as much as we can. For more on foot placement during sprinting check out this video of Jim Kielbaso from the IYCA.
Check out what coaches from around the country, and world, are saying about their experience at our annual conference on when you CLICK HERE. The recap video from the #11thSCADConf, plus sneak peeks in to what makes this experience unique, have been added for you too. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
Football is a popular sport to play from the youth level on up. Learn how SMARTER Team Training can help with the physical demands associated with this passionate game. To find out more CLICK HERE.
Be sure to take advantage of the professional development courses we host each year. The public clinics and conference schedule are posted on STTEvents.com. Register early. They sell out quick! Read what attendees have said about their experience with STT here too.
We pair up either our Power Squat Pro or when we squat in the Full Racks with the Glute Ham from Rogers Athletic. Learn about the many protocols we use when you CLICK HERE.
From reloading the spine to finding a better way to improve your bench, Janie and Rick from LoadTheBar.com have got your covered. Find out more about the Pit Shark line of strength training equipment when you CLICK HERE.
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Coach John Shackelton of Villanova Basketball finds ways to prepare his athletes for lifts without even addressing them directly about the fact that they may not seem ready to workout. For example, if he senses that somone or a group of his players are not prepared or mentally turned on and ready to, he simply goes out with them for a quick mile tun to “wake them up” before the lift. After one of these runs, lifts are usually pretty energy fille dan effective, says Coach Shack.
This is just one example of motivation, and there are countless ways to inspire others, and the way to inspire may be different for every single athlete a coach comes into contact with. For instance, if a group of athletes are tired and groggy in the morning before a lift, some might respond posotovely to going for a 1 mile jog before they workout. Others may not, and may need to just get another 15 or 20 minutes of rest before they workout. Other, still, may need a talk from a coach or team mate to raise their energy level prior to the lift. These are just a few examples – but it goes without saying that there is no universal way to motivate athletes, or anyone, and that such an endeavor must be individualized.
Another thing that Coach Shack does very well is establish a set of core values and a mission statement – and does not let that change. This does not mean he cannot be flexible and understanding when it comes to giving athletes what they need, but the underlying principles that drive him remain the same. He states in the video below that he requires honest effort from all of his athletes – that is his principle and it does not have to change. However, what may change is, based on the circumstances and individual he is coaching, what an honest effort entails. A good coach needs to recognize all the different things going on with any athlete at any given point of any season, and that these (whether mental or physical) can affect that individual’s ability to give their all. While a good coach recognizes that and stops there, a great coach recognizes that and thinks outside the box to motivate their athlete to become better even on a day when they are not feeling it. While an all out effort may be different on an “off day” than on an “on day,” a great caoch can find ways to get an athlete to give their best for him or her self, the coaches, and the team as a whole, while recognizing when it is ok to take it down a notch an recover.
STT will be in Martinsville, NJ at the 8th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development New Jersey Clinic (Check #8thSCADNJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.) on February 17, 2018. CLICK HERE for more information and to register your staff. Take advantage of the EARLY BIRD special!
Gymnasts are amazing athletes who need specific attention addressing their development as athletes. All physical characteristics have to be considered as they grow, train, and compete. Learn more about our #GPT program when you CLICK HERE.
Take advantage of the opportunity on PersonalTrainingWithSTT.com. From weight loss to strength gain, to improved confidence and stamina, you need to look into adding one session with a STT’s Performance Coach to your weekly training schedule.
Our recovery lounge is full after every training session. From the toes to the shoulders, at home and on the road, RP Sports has got you covered. Learn more about our Recovery Pump experience when you CLICK HERE.
Thank you to all our sponsors for their support. Be sure to look into the Iron Grip Barbell Equipment XL Handle dumbbells. So many competitive advantages and no additional cost to the consumer.
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A way that many coaches may be aware of, or may practice without even knowing it, is to increase the time that a muscle or muscles are under tension. This can be done unknowingly by adding repetitions, making repetitions slower, doing 1 1/2 or 1 1/4 reps, as well as other ways. By increasing the time under tension, the total stress on the muscle is increased and therefore the response of the body to repair said muscle (in a stronger fashion) may be increased as well. This is not to say that doign longer time under tension will always elicit a greater response after recovery, but it will certainly make an exercise more difficult. In between repetitions, if tension is removed and the muscle is given a chance to relax, the body has a brief moment to reset and it is likely that more reps will be achieved than if a brief rest was taken between every rep. A great demonstration of this is the Rogers Athletic Pendulum Series Hip Press, which, like many other Pendulum pieces, has a range limiting mechanism. To use the the Hip Press normally is a great strength training tool in itself, but to use it with the range limiter and not allow a rep to be full completed – keeping the working muscle groups under tension for the duration of the entire set – will increase the difficulty of the exercise immensely.
Another way to challenge an athlete without increasing weight is to increase the density of a workout, or essentially, take less rest between sets. For example, if a simple protocol of four round of 12 is being conducted, say with one minute rest between each set, have the athlete only take 55 seconds of rest with the same reps and weight the next time. Then 50, then 45, then 40, etc. Before long they will be completeing the same amount of total work (in terms of resistance and volume) but in a much shorter time frame, therefore increasing the density of the training session.
One other method for increasing difficulty of training is to lift the same weight at a greater velocity. A great tool to be able to measure this is EliteForm systems for lifting in the rack. Using their high tech gear, we can track velocity of the bar, power output, max velocity and max power output, among many other things. There is even the capability to video record each rep and set and provide visual feedback to the lifter. To reinforce what Coach Jim Kielbaso of the IYCA says in the video below, trying to produce max power with a heavy weight and a high velocity is near impossible – just imagine trying to run on a treadmill at 20 miles per hour while holding 70 lb dumbells in each hand – and you will see what he is talking about. By using a lighter weight and moving it in a rapid manner, a lot force can be generated and a response is elicited form the body wihtout necessarily having to put an incredibly heavy load on an athlete. This comes in handy with young athletes whos bones and joint are fragile and not fully developed – why put heavy weight on them when you can make an exercsie very difficult by using a lighter weight, and movign it faster.
Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when STT will be hosting professional development clinics in your area. Be sure to register early for the #12SCADConf on July 20-21, 2018.
Whether you are talking dominating the scrum or getting wide with speed, rugby players have to be fit, fast, and strong. The body takes a toll from practices, games, and travel. Be prepared for this season. Learn more when you CLICK HERE.
SMARTER Team Training wants to work with you and your team. To learn more about the benefits of training throughout the year with STT go to STTPerformance.com.
The posterior chain has to be an emphasis in all athletic development programs. Training the back side of the body and not putting the spine in a poor/bad position can take time to learn. If time is a concern and productive training is the goal, check out the videos of us training on the Reverse Glute Ham when you CLICK HERE.
Thank you to all our sponsors for their support. Rogers Athletic offers the best on-field and at-practice equipment for Football. Plus they also feature the Pendulum Strength line which is featured at SMARTER Team Training’s facility and events around the country.
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Again, while many coaches ask “Do you prefer high bar or low bar back squat?” this is the wrong question to be asking. The answer is simply “whatever form of the squat allows each athltete to be comfortable, uninjured, and gain strength is the preferred form of a squat. Does the athlete have limited shoulder mobility and struggle to bend at the knee? Then the low bar backsquat is probably a good option for them to be using. Can they bend at the knee well, but are quadricep dominant and weak in the gluteus group? Low bar back squat it is. Are they extremely mobile and needing to build strength on the anterior side of their legs? The front squat is an excellent choice for this athlete. Obviously, these are extreme cases created for the purpose of demonstaration, however, it is not far off to assume that there will be many different athletes with different needs and skillsets, and thus, individualizing their workouts will become necessary.
Having a powerlifting background and being a big fan of the squat, Coach Rose has many ways to help his football players find the best version of the squat, and when they do, he coaches them to do that version the very best that they can. He tells us that one crucial key to a good squat is the stregnth of the latissimus dorsi – powerful back muscles that extend the arm at the shoulder joint, which originate on the spine and insert on the superior end of the humerus. They also play a key roll in trunk stabilization when descending and ascending in a squat pattern. Since many athletes do not the proprioceptive understanding to contract their lats, and traps, and “stay tight,” a great coaching cue is to tell the lifter to pull the bar down onto the back of their shoulders, as well as drive their elbows backward. Pullign the elbows back causes the lats to contract full and will stabilize the trunk. Pulling the bar down will help the lifter keep their chest upright, and secure the bar across the shelf formed by the upper trapezius and deltoids.
These are only a few simple examples of how to select the correct exercise, or the correct version of an exercise, for each athlete on a team. There are countless ways to help athletes, and a team as a whole, be successful – sometimes it take creativity and imagination to do so.
In the video below, Luke Rose of Rutgers Football discusses choosing the best type of squat for different athletes, based on their biomechanics, as well as where they are the weakest.
STT will be in Virginia in March 10, 2018 for the 5th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development . Incredible environment to learn in. Hands-on and classroom demonstrations. Amazing food. Plus, CEUs available. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
Have you watched an ice hockey game? Ever been to a practice? To play this game you have to be in amazing shape. It takes strength, speed, stamina, and mobility/flexibility to compete at any level. Be sure to learn more about our #IcePT program by CLICKING HERE now.
Be sure to take advantage of the professional development courses we host each year. The public clinics and conference schedule are posted on STTEvents.com. Register early. They sell out quick! Read what attendees have said about their experience with STT here too.
For years we have been using VersaClimbers with all of our programs. Adding the VersaPulley and VersaRower has been seamless. Consider taking the stress off of your players joints, and putting the stress into the muscle. No rest. No time to relax. Bring your competitive mindset and let’s get after it. Check out how we use the VersaClimber product line at STT when you CLICK HERE.
When we are asked about flooring for performance training facilities serious about providing a competitive edge for their clients and athletes, we do not hesitate. You need to check out the many surfaces that Thor Performance Products can provide. From turf, to rubber, to permanent and even portable solutions too. Email Joe Lopez at Joe@ThorPP.com and let him know that Coach Taylor told you to reach out to him.
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We use many protocols to emphasize the end ranges of motion in a movement pattern, one being the 1 ¼ squat protocol on either the Pit Shark Belt Squat or Rogers Athletic Power Squat Pro. The athlete begins by squatting all the way down, squats a quarter of the way up, pauses, goes back all the way down, then drives up through the entire squat, returning to a normal starting position. The pause at the quarter mark of the rep is crucial, at no point should this protocol look like someone bouncing out of the bottom of a squat. Although this adds increased time under tension in a rep, the main emphasis of this protocol is control and movement quality at the bottom part of a deep squat.
Another protocol we enjoy are super slow reps, or quasi-isometrics as some call them. These can be done for basically any exercise but they are quite a challenge so we begin with bodyweight movements such as a push-up, squat, split squat or on a piece of equipment like the Reverse Glute Ham. The tempo can be adjusted based on the fitness and strength of the individual, but we prefer a 30 second eccentric and 30 second concentric tempo for 1 to 3 reps, which would take 1 to 3 minutes. If someone can perform two full reps we will begin to add a light load to the movement, or in the case of the Reverse Glute Ham, increase the load. The tempo is so slow that an individual must be in complete control of the movement pattern at all times, and any deficiencies in the pattern should appear. There may also be a balance discrepancy that might not be noticed at higher velocities.
Muscular control through complete range of motion is a necessity for peak performance. We should never ignore the fundamentals of a proper rep: controlling the weight through a large, pain free, range of motion. At our conference this past July Jim Kielbaso talked about the power position in the 40 yard dash, note how he discusses the ideal joint positions, reinforcing the need for great mobility.
Check out what coaches from around the country, and world, are saying about their experience at our annual conference on when you CLICK HERE. The recap video from the #11thSCADConf, plus sneak peeks in to what makes this experience unique, have been added for you too. Be sure to visit STTEvents.com to see when we will be in your area.
Wrestling is one-on-one. No hiding. No timeouts. Ultimately the more you invest in your craft, the more likely you are to come out victorious. Read about the #PinPT program when you CLICK HERE.
Take advantage of the opportunity on PersonalTrainingWithSTT.com. From weight loss to strength gain, to improved confidence and stamina, you need to look into adding one session with a STT’s Performance Coach to your weekly training schedule.
Leg day is serious business at STT. It is not uncommon to be pushed for extra reps on the Hip Press and afterwards here an athlete say “let’s do that again.” It takes a special person to chase their own greatness. Learn some of the protocols we use when you CLICK HERE.
From reloading the spine to finding a better way to improve your bench, Janie and Rick from LoadTheBar.com have got your covered. Find out more about the Pit Shark line of strength training equipment when you CLICK HERE.
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