The sports shoe market is heavily saturated. There are countless options, relying on different styles and different marketing angles to encourage consumers to buy their products. All too often, athletes are easily misled by silly gimmicks such as “Air", or a particular type of weaving pattern that promises to take athletes to the next level. Unfortunately, these flashy and expensive shoes often offer very little real benefit to athletic development.
The Benefits of Training in the Heat
One of the most phenomenal abilities of the human body is its ability to adapt to external stressors, including the temperature of the environment. This adaptation is called acclimatization, which refers to being exposed to the natural environment. It is not to be confused with acclimation, for that type of adaptation requires exposure to an artificial environment to create a natural response (e.g., altitude chamber or tanning beds).
Hammering the Basics of Nutrition: Macronutrients and Calories
If there is one thing that I firmly believe, it’s that you must hammer the basics until they become so second nature, you don’t even have to think about it anymore. Then, and only then, do you begin to introduce new methods. If you can’t squat correctly, why would you add chains or bands? If building a birdhouse seems daunting, why would you attempt to build a skyscraper?
Five Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your Training Experience
The client/coach relationship should never be a difficult relationship. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, coaches can be hard to deal with; other times, so can clients. However, the root of the problem lies in poor communication. Here is a list of things that will help you maximize the time you have with your coach or trainer, so that you can get the results that you are paying for.
Why You Should Compete
Transformational versus Transactional Leadership: Why Young Athletes May Need a Bit of Both
The main goal of transformational leadership is to create a self-sustaining system of individuals. It aims to empower and inspire confidence. Transformational leaders utilize the concept of idealized influence by acting as appropriate role models, following a core set of ethical values, and leading by example through embodiment of their personal beliefs
Bring Out the Best: One Implementable Quality Each for Athletes and Coaches
First, let me give attention to the athletes. You want to be the best athlete that you can be? Great, because we coaches want you to be that, too. You’re probably wondering what sort of magic methods I’m going to share about getting faster or stronger, what tips I can give to make you stand out among your teammates. Well, you’re in luck, because I’m going to share with you the one thing that will make you stand well above everyone else:
BIG AIR: The Belly Breathing Kind
Research suggests there is a major connection between those who suffer from non-specific chronic low back pain and the ability to breathe properly. This relationship becomes a constant cycle—weakened core muscles and therefore the inability to stabilize the trunk (specifically the lumbar spine), which causes a dysfunction of the diaphragm and results in chronic low back pain.
Training with Intention
Often times, in both training and life, this powerful construct is looked over because it requires a concerted effort and continuous internal feedback. For most, an endeavor to be intentional falls short simply because of the work it requires to follow through. When you are intentional about something, it means that the act or behavior is of high importance or value to you.
Lessons from a New Strength Coach: From Intern to Coach, Part I
Taking Care of your Mental Health
If you would classify someone as healthy, what are the factors you would consider? Body Composition, how far they can run, how much weight they could lift? What about their mental state? This gets overlooked simply because, most times, you cannot see it. People are better at masking these problems and playing off that everything is fine. I know this because I have struggled with Depression which also affects an estimated 350 million people...
A WELL APPOINTED PANTRY
In any well-run kitchen, preparation is nine-tenths of the job. Mis en place for a home kitchen means having every tool, ingredient, and dish you need to execute your dishes without having to do more than pivot around a <10 square foot space. What follows is a list of things to keep on hand at all times. These items are things that you will likely use on a near-weekly basis.
Work Smarter, Not Harder: Setting Yourself Up for Food Prepping Success
Just like in the gym, you can’t plan your workout until you know what equipment you have available. If you want to squat, but you don’t have a rack, well things are going to get a bit tricky. You may still be able to pull it off, but it’s going to be more difficult. Food prepping is the same: If you don’t have the right equipment for the job, you may need to rethink your plan.