Sports Specific Training: Balanced Programs

There are mixed opinions among strength and conditioning coaches about designing 'sports specific training programs.' I think that there needs to be a balance between the general and specific exercises, and the athlete must first develop the proper foundation with performance fundamentals. Some coaches suggest that athlete's should be trained to be stronger and more explosive, with no regard to specificity, while other suggest that general strength and power needs some specificity in the weight room to best carryover to the sport. 


Again, I think there needs to be a balance between sports specific training and athlete specific training. Each athlete should be training to get stronger and more explosive and this new strength and power needs to be trained to be applied to his/her sport. I don't think that heavy back squats, box squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are the end-all, nor do I think that totally functional bodyweight movements are the end-all. I think there needs to be a delicate balance specific to the sport, the individual, and the time of year. It doesn't matter if an athlete can squat 1000lbs if he can't use that strength to his advantage in his sport, or better yet, if he can't do 90 bodyweight squat in 90 seconds, or his vertical jump is less than 20". All strength and functionality needs to be relative to his/her sport. 

Training Specificity: Metabolic Conditioning

One area where a strength and conditioning coach can get very sport specific is metabolic conditioning or energy system training. Here, the coach can train the athlete to be conditioned not only specifically to his/her sport but also to his/her specific position, based on the specific energy systems used during the sporting event. Conditioning can be designed to train the muscle tissues and anaerobic or aerobic energy systems specifically for the time frame (shifts, play drives, etc) of the athlete's sport. A good strength coach will always have his team(s) fully prepared for their next season. 

Sad But True

Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese, nearly triple the rate in 1963. Among children today, obesity is causing a broad range of health problems that previously weren’t seen until adulthood. These include high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and elevated blood cholesterol levels. There are also psychological effects: Obese children are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image and depression. And excess weight at young ages has been linked to higher and earlier death rates in adulthood. 

Girls And Gym Use Your Head

Admit it: Sometimes you go to the gym to meet women. After all, it’s a sneaky-smart way to find a date: You already have a shared interest with her, she doesn’t have her guard up at the gym like she does at the bar, and you can’t help but enjoy sneaking a peek at fit chicks in sports bras.

And yet, men manage to constantly blow the art of picking up women at the gym. So we consulted with top female experts to find the five worst flirting faux-pas you make, and how you can avoid each one.

DON’T:

1. Look like a slob. It’s possible that you’ve screwed up before you even walked out your front door. Many dudes figure a ratty T-shirt and mesh shorts they’ve owned since middle school make the perfect gym outfit. Not so much. “Dirty white T-shirts are definitely not a conversation starter,” says Amanda Sanders, an NYC-based image consultant who has worked with the likes of Chris Rock and Jamie Foxx. “It shows he’s a man who doesn’t take care of himself.” Among Sanders’ other no-nos: Swiss-cheese-like holes in your shirt, too-short shorts, black socks paired with white sneakers, and ’80s-era track suits. You don’t have to show up to the gym dressed to the nines, but don’t leave the house looking like a hobo.

2. Stare at yourself. Sure, when you’re shoulder-pressing heavy dumbbells, it helps to look at the mirror to make sure you don’t drop a 50-pound weight on your head. Women understand that. What they have less tolerance for, however, is vain gym rats who keep flexing in the mirror. Save it for the privacy of your own home. Staring at your guns too much at the gym shows you’re either egotistical or insecure, says Jennifer Zucher, a matchmaker who stars on Bravo’s Love Broker. “Either way, it’s not positive,” and makes you look way too serious, she laments. Eye contact is critical to gauge a women’s interest. Don’t waste those gazes on yourself.

3. Sweat like a stinky pig. Of course, everyone who’s getting a good workout sweats. But the gym towels are there for a reason, says Lori Zaslow, Zucher’s fellow matchmaker on Love Broker. ”Save what you’re going to look like in bed for the bed,” she says. Rachel Buschert Vaziralli, an NYC group fitness instructor, notes that several men in her cycling classes put on cologne to try to cover up their inevitable stench. “That doesn’t work because then you just have the b.o. and bad cologne,” she says.

4. Offer unsolicited fitness advice. You may have a decade of squats in your rearview mirror, but that doesn’t mean everyone at the gym wants the benefit of your wisdom. Buschert Vaziralli says giving a fitness correction out of the blue is oftentimes a big fail. “No one wants to feel like they’re doing something wrong,” she says. And even if you’re not offering advice, let her at least finish her set before you approach, says Diana Chaloux, a personal trainer and fitness model in Kansas City. And be advised: A woman who’s listening to music or watching TV is probably in no mood to talk.

5. Discuss a woman’s body like a piece of meat. You might think it’s bold and beautiful to approach your gym crush and say, “Wow, you have a terrific body.” But commenting on her bod is a “pretty big mistake,” says dating coach Tracy Steinberg. “Most women have decent bodies at the gym, and they know it. It makes you seem like you’re only interested in their body if that’s the first sentence out of your mouth.”

So, how do you score her digits at the gym? Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re looking for someone more than just a fitness buddy.

DO:

1. Engage in random acts of kindness. Women like feeling as though a man is taking care of them, says Steinberg. Try gently approaching her and say, “I’m going to fill up my water bottle—do you want me to fill up yours?” Steinberg suggests. Chaloux, who’s married to a fellow fitness model, says it’s important to “be nice to everyone around you. Don’t walk around throwing weights, acting like you own the place. There’s a fine line between confidence, which is attractive, and just being a douchebag.” And chivalrously asking a woman if she needs a spot is a “guarantee to make the girl at least smile,” says Zucher.

2. Dress to impress. Ditch the white T-shirts, which easily stain and turn unappealingly transparent with sweat, advises Sanders. Go for darker colors, like navy or black. Shorts should graze the knee. Socks should hit the ankle, or slightly above. Toss out old sneakers, Sanders adds. You’re at the gym. Sweat is expected. Just don’t forget to wipe it off. And remember: Deodorant and gum are made for a reason, Zaslow adds.

3. Offer humble and sweet praise. Instead of arrogantly telling a woman the proper way to do crunches, why not offer your compliments on her terrific form, suggests Buschert Vaziralli. She recalls a man who once offered her a backhanded compliment: “Wow, your workout is almost as hard as mine.” Oof. Instead, try “‘Whoa! That’s crazy hard. I can’t even do that’ and show that you’re impressed,” Buschert Vaziralli says. Or, if a woman is going all Usain Bolt on a treadmill, something simple—once she’s done, mind you—like, “Wow, you’re a really fast runner” can get the conversation started.

4. Get a little help from the help. If you’re feeling shy, there’s no harm in doing some reporting before you go in for the kill, says Zaslow. It’s okay to ask a trainer or gym receptionist if they know if a particular woman is single. “The gym is a small community. People gossip.” And better to know in advance before you go hit on a married woman and enrage her muscle-head husband, who’s just ten feet away benching 250 pounds.

5. Suggest meeting away from the gym. Once you’ve successfully engaged a woman in conversation, mix it up, and show there’s more to you than the gym. Suggest getting a cocktail or coffee for a first date, Zaslow suggests, because those dates are more intimate and involve more eye contact.

20 Minute Workout

Circuit training is short bursts of resistance exercise using moderate weights and frequent repetitions, followed quickly by another burst of exercise targeting a different muscle group.

Because the exerciser switches between muscle groups, no rest is needed between exercises. This gets the heart rate up, which usually doesn’t happen during resistance exercise. Sometimes, to up heart rate further, aerobics are sprinkled between the resistance exercises.

This workout is a 20-minute workout that will take you to your maximum physical effort as well as your maximum heart rate. The object of this workout is not to rest in between exercises. You will see that one minute of a particular exercise will burn out the targeted muscle group as well as increase your heart rate to a fat and sugar burning zone. Try the 20 minute workout below – if it is not challenging enough for you try it again, totaling only 40 minutes of your time in the weight room.

20 Minutes Circuit Workout

(*choose light weights for max reps)

1) Bench press* or pushups – max in 1:00
2) Squats – max in 1:00
3) Pullups or pulldowns – 1:00
4) Bike or jog – 3:00
5) Military press* – 1:00
6) Lunges – 1:00 each leg
7) Bicep curls – 1:00
8) Bike or jog – 3:00
9) Tricep extensions.- 1:00
10) Leg ext – 1:00 (requires leg machines – or repeat squats with weights)
11) Leg curls – 1:00 (requires leg machines – or repeat lunges with weights)
12) Situps – 2:00
13) Crunches – 2:00
14) Stretch

There is an unlimited number of ways to organize a circuit workout. The above workout is organized with upper body, lower body and cardiovascular exercises. By simply doing the above upper body and lower body exercises in such a way, you will be able to rest your upper body muscles while you workout your lower body muscles, but you will never rest your heart. This is how you make the circuit workout challenging to your cardiovascular system as well as your major muscle groups. Studies have shown that mixing a resistance training regimen with a cardiovascular element will increase your metabolism, therefore burning fat and building muscle. The result is a decrease in body fat percentage.

So, if you are looking to lose inches and body fat, workouts like this coupled with 4-5 smaller meals and 3-4 quarts of water everyday will help you achieve your goal. The best thing about this diet program is that you do not need a single dietary supplement – just good old fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and other lean meats. The key is to burn more calories than you take in and this workout will help you with that – promise.

Circuit Training Is Efficient

Circuit training is an efficient and challenging form of conditioning. It works well for developing strength, endurance (both aerobic and anaerobic), flexibility and coordination.

Its versatility has made it popular with the general public right through to elite athletes. For sports men and women, it can be used during the closed season and early pre-season to help develop a solid base of fitness and prepare the body for more stressful subsequent training.

A well-designed circuit can help to correct the imbalances that occur in any sport played to a high level. It can also be one of the best types of training for improving strength endurance – be it for a sport such as soccer or a classic endurance event like the triathlon.

If you haven’t quite reached “elite athlete” status yet, circuit training is superb for general fitness and caters for a wide variety of fitness levels. A great time saver, it can be a refreshing and fun change from the more monotonous types of exercise.

Circuit training in itself is not a form of exercise per se, but the way an exercise session is structured. Routines can be developed purely for strength development or for improving endurance or some combination of the two.

Circuit Training Workouts for All-Round Fitness Conventional circuit training workouts combine various exercise stations to develop both strength and stamina… Circuit training is popular amongst fitness enthusiasts for its challenging nature and individuals pushed for time find it can be a great way to develop a good all-round level of fitness in minimal time.Circuit training is also used by athletes to develop muscular endurance

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