Strength Training for Kids

Strength training for kids? You bet! Done properly, strength training offers many bonuses to young athletes. Strength training is even a good idea for kids who simply want to look and feel better. In fact, strength training can put your child on a lifetime path to better health and fitness.
Strength training, not weightlifting
For kids, light resistance and controlled movements are best — with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety. Your child can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight or inexpensive resistance tubing. Free weights and machine weights are other options.
Don't confuse strength training with weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting. These activities are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and areas of cartilage that haven't yet turned to bone (growth plates) — especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight.
For kids, what are the benefits of strength training?

Done properly, strength training can:
Increase your child's muscle strength and endurance
Help protect your child's muscles and joints from injury
Improve your child's performance in nearly any sport, from dancing and figure skating to football and soccer

And strength training isn't only for athletes. Even if your child isn't interested in sports, strength training can:
Strengthen your child's bones
Help promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
Boost your child's metabolism
Help your child maintain a healthy weight
Improve your child's self-esteem

Post thoughts to comments.

Medically Cleared.

Today my doctor cleared my to take off my walking boot and to start strength training. Today has to be one of the happiest days I have had in a while. While I'm still restricted from jumping until Jan/Feb time frame but this is a big step in my recovery from surgery....

"Angie"

Today's workout was Angie, 100 pull ups, 100 push ups, 100 sit ups, and 100 air squats for time. When I started out I had a goal of going 10 sets of 10 on pull ups until my body remembered that in the last 4 days this would be 265 pull ups. After the fourth set of ten my pace dramatically slowed down. I caught my wind during the push ups and sit ups. Next was the portion that I was worried about, squats. I knew I could do an air squat without pain, I just wasn't sure if I could get to 100? I started at a moderate pace and knocked them out in a slow consistent movement. When I reached 100 the clock read 28:35. I accomplished 3 things today that I had doubt that I could. 1. I finished this workout in under 30 minutes, 2. I can do 100 air squats, and 3. I did the 100 pull ups. All 3 of those things were in the back of my head as I stood outside the pull up bars this afternoon. The Achilles feels good, it deserves some nice ice/heat treatment tonight and a hot bath soak. Unfortunately I wont be able to do Fran tomorrow because I cant do thrusters yet.

When does helping out turn into a handout?

Today in our coaches course we had a Marine that was at the CrossFit Level 1 Certification at CF Asia in Sept. He was trying to convince me that his unit couldn't really do CrossFit because they don't have a lot of equipment. So the debate began. Every time I gave him a suggestion on what he could do he kept responding with, "but if we had this." This is the problem I have. Before Operation Phoenix came about Marines that wanted to CrossFit did so with what they had. Whether they were using sand bags, packs, ammo cans, sea bags they got the job done. Now sometimes it feels like Marines just want the free gear. I have no problems with units sending Marines to the CrossFit Cert on the units dime, but there needs to be a screening process that needs to happen just as if we were going to send a Marine to scout sniper, recon, or the Staff Academy. Most of the Marines that are being sent to the Cert don't even want to be there, how does that help the unit? If that unit wants quality trainers it needs to send quality Marines or your return on the investment decreases significantly. If this guys has a poor attitude already, how can he be that force multiplier that you need him to be? How can you entrust in this person to provide efficient and effective training to your unit? Marines need to be held accountable for training the unit to the standards of that Unit Commanders intent. Instead of settling for anyone why not settle for someone who is going to make a difference? Post thoughts to comments.

He's back.........

This weekend I jumped back into CrossFit... The awesome CF Asia crew welcomed me back with Eva 5rds for time of: 800m run (I rowed 1,000m still cant run yet), 30 32kg kettle bell swings, and 30 pull ups. Knowing I'm not 100% yet I did 3 rds instead of 5. Time was 26:58. Sunday's WOD was 5rds for time of: 15 95lb Push Jerks and 15 L pull ups. Finished in 16:28. Not blazing times but it felt good to be back in the gym. Achilles felt great afterwards, a little tight and sore but good.. Goal is to get in 3 workouts per week until I'm fully cleared to work out...

Think you dont need sleep to help your performance? Think again.....

The amount of sleep an athlete gets appears to have a large impact on sports performance.
Cheri Mah of the Stanford Sleep Disorders Clinic and Research Laboratory has been following the sleep patterns and athletic performance of Stanford athletes for years. Her research continues to show that getting more sleep leads to better sports performance for all types of athletes. One study she authored, published in 2009, followed the Stanford University women's tennis team for five weeks as they attempted to get 10 hours of sleep each night. Those who increased their sleep time ran faster sprints and hit more accurate tennis shots than while getting their usual amount of sleep.

In earlier studies, Mah found that getting extra sleep over several weeks improved performance, mood and alertness for athletes on the Stanford men's and women's swim teams and men's basketball team. Mah's research is some of the first to specifically look at the impact of extra hours of sleep on athletic performance and suggests that sleep is a significant factor in achieving peak athletic performance. This is particularly important for collegiate and professional athletes who have full schedules and often travel for games and competitions. Athletes can easily fail to get regular, consistent hours of sleep. This lack of sleep, or "sleep debt," appears to have a negative effect on sports performance, as well as cognitive function, mood, and reaction time. Much of this can be avoided by making regular sleep as much of a priority for athletes as practicing their sport and eating right.

According to Mah, many of the athletes have set new personal bests and broken long-standing records while participating in these studies. Based upon her studies, many Stanford coaches have made changes to practice and travel schedules to accommodate the athlete's need for more sleep. For many athletes and coaches, this 2009 study was the first body of research that helped them truly understood how large of an impact sleep can have on performance and results.
Why More Sleep May Improve Sports PerformanceResearchers speculate that deep sleep helps improve athletic performance because this is the time when growth hormone is released. Growth hormone stimulates muscle growth and repair, bone building and fat burning, and helps athletes recover. Studies show that sleep deprivation slows the release of growth hormone. Sleep is also necessary for learning a new skill, so this phase of sleep may be critical for some athletes.

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Research shows that as little as 20 hours of sleep deprivation can have a negative impact on sports performance, particularly for power and skill sports.
Sleep experts recommend seven to nine hours of daily sleep for adults, and nine to ten hours for adolescents and teens. You can estimate your own needs by experimenting over a few weeks. If you fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to bed and wake up without an alarm, you are probably getting the right amount of sleep. If you fall asleep immediately upon hitting the pillow and always need an alarm to wake up, you are probably sleep deprived.
The good news for most recreational athletes is that just one sleepless night is not necessarily associated with any negative effects on performance. So, don't worry if you toss and turn the night before a big competition. One sleepless night is unlikely to hurt your performance.

How to Use Sleep to Improve Sports Performance
Make sleep a priority in your training schedule.
Increase your sleep time several weeks before a major competition.
Go to bed and wake up at the same times every day.
Take daily naps if you don't get enough sleep each night.

"Take only what you need and leave the land as you found it."

Paleolithic Diet: How our bodies want to be treated.

The human genome has changed little over the past 40,000 years . Our ancestors developed agricultural practices about 10,000 years ago (see a Timeline). The advent of agricultural marked a chaotic period for our bodies to adjust to these foreign foods. The fossil record shows a massive decrease in average height, health, and rapid increase in disease, obesity, and population for cultures that survived the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a agricultural dependent one. Women on high grain/carbohydrate diets become mature at an earlier age than their hunter-gatherer counterparts; thereby out-breeding and out-producing hunter-gatherers. Without this significant population boom, our diet as we know it could in fact be the same as it was before the advent of agriculture. The diet of our pre-agricultural ancestors consisted of meats, insects, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The advent of agriculture brought us potatoes, legumes (i.e. peanuts, beans, and soy), grains (i.e. corn, wheat, rice, barley, and oats), and processed foods (i.e. sugar, bread, pastries, alcohol, etc.). Furthermore, we have bred our plants to produce the biggest and sweetest (highest sugar content) fruits. The best example of this is the blueberry. Compare a wild Maine blueberry to the modern grocery store blueberry and you will see a remarkable difference. The wild blueberry is small, and contains little sugar. It takes a handful of wild berries to equal the sweetness of two or three large commercial berries. However, in that handful of wild berries you are getting a far larger amount of antioxidants and nutrients than you would by eating commercial berries alone. Farmers didn't cultivate and breed our plants to grow the most nutritious fruit, just the best tasting fruit. This analogy can be said for most of our modern foods.

Chronic Illness: Diet Related?

A diet high in legumes, carbohydrates, and grains could be making you ill. Why would a diet high in post-agricultural-era foods be detrimental to our health? Because these foods are foreign to our bodies. Our genes have not had the time nor the evolutionary pressures to adapt to these new foods. Let's examine the reasons:
Legumes: Beans have been touted as the healthy protein alternative to meat. The fact that they can cause gastrointestinal distress should be enough for our concern. Most legumes are poisonous if eaten raw. Legumes are high in lectins, protease inhibitors, and phytates. Lectins are proteins that bind carbohydrates, been identified as being inflammatory and toxic, and have a casual relationship with auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Type I diabetes, and lupus. Phytates or phytic acids, have been shown to inhibit the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc in the digestive tract. Furthermore, the presence of protease inhibitors interferes with the breakdown of proteins into amino acids. Vegetarians seeking protein from legumes, may actually be making their protein deficiencies worse! A diet high in legumes, at best, will give you gastrointestinal problems and could result in a mineral deficiency. At worst, a diet high in legumes could induce an "auto-immune" response. Furthermore, the soy industry has been pushing the "health benefits" of soy. As a result, most of our processed foods contain a soy additive or byproduct, in effect, lacing our foods with possible toxins.

Carbohydrates: "Carbo-loading" has become synonymous with healthy. But are foods high in carbohydrates really good for us? Dr. Wolfgang Lutz of Austria would say no. His clinical experience with hundreds of patients suggests that diets high in carbohydrates are actually detrimental to our health. It is Dr. Lutz's opinion that carbohydrates are unnatural and harmful components of our diet and actually damage the mucosal layer of the gastrointestinal tract. Once damaged, antigens are free to enter the blood stream and cause all sorts of immune responses. But aren't carbohydrates essential for a healthy diet? The answer is no. Sam Singer, in The Biology of the People writes, "The brain's energy requirements can be met by between 100 and 145 grams of glucose per day, and most diets contain enough carbohydrate to provide the brain and other tissues with this amount of glucose on a daily basis. But even if a person's diet changes so that it never contains enough carbohydrate to provide this much glucose, the concentration of glucose in the blood will not change. This is because natural selection has provided our bodies with a means of manufacturing it from molecules other than carbohydrates....The conversion of these dietary components into glucose is so effective that Masai warriors, Eskimos, South American gauchos, and other peoples may live for long periods of time on foods that are exclusively of animal origin and that contain almost no carbohydrate. These people are vigorous and healthy, and we learn from their eating habits that carbohydrate is not dietary essential, because they have normal levels of glucose in their blood in spite of the fact that their diets contain almost no carbohydrate." Some recent findings published in scientific journals have also shown a relationship between carbohydrates in diets and disease. A study published in Lancet found an increased risk of breast cancer in woman as the intake of available carbohydrates increased. A study published in PNAS demonstrates the dependence cancer cells have on glucose (for more studies click here).

Paleolithic Nutrition: Guidelines
"Be satisfied with the needs instead of the wants." -Teeton Sioux
The principle tenet of a Paleolithic diet is simple: eat only the foods of our paleolithic ancestors. Before eating a food in question, ask yourself, would this food be edible in the wild, in the absence of technology? Edible is key to this principle, because it eliminates foods such as potatoes and legumes that require cooking or processing before eating them. This tenet also eliminates many breads, grains, and processed foods.

Disallowed Foods
Sugars

Do not eat sugar, molasses, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, or any processed sugar.
Grains
All grains are not permitted, such as: corn, wheat, wheat germ, barley, oats, rye, rice, buckwheat, and others.Legumes are not allowed: this includes peanuts, beans, and soy.Starchy foods are not permitted, such as: potatoes, yams, and parsnips.Seaweed byproducts, such as agar and carrageenan, are not allowed.
Meats
Processed meats fall into a gray area: if it at all possible try to choose processed meats without preservatives. Make sure processed meats do not contain any harmful additive such as corn, corn products, starch, and sugars. Uncured bacon may be found from a local butcher, or bacon cured with honey can be found at Oscar's Smokehouse.
Dairy
Dairy Products are not allowed.
Misc.
Other foods that are not permitted include: coffee, cashews, bread, pasta, other starchy foods, canola oil, commercial mayonnaise (because of additives), ice cream, candy, chocolate, carob, whey powder, margarine, commercial ketchup, baking powder, mixed nuts, and FOS (fructooligosaccharides) products.
Allowed Foods
Quantities are not restricted.
Sugars
Honey is the only allowed sugar product. Use small amounts of honey.
Veggies
Most vegetables, fresh or frozen and raw or cooked, are allowed including: asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, artichokes, beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots celery, cucumbers, eggplant, rhubarb, peppers, garlic, lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, onions, turnips, and watercress.
Meats
All unprocessed meats such as: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, quail, ostrich, fish, shellfish, lamb, venison, rabbit, and eggs. Wild game is preferred as is eggs from free roaming chickens.Some processed meats are allowed, but many require writing letters to manufacturers to verify the absence of restricted foods. Many processed meats contain starch, soy, corn products, and other disallowed foods. These foods are not entirely disallowed, just don't make them a frequent staple.
Fruits
Most fruits are allowed such as: avocados, apples, tomatoes, olives, apricots, ripened bananas, coconuts, dates, berries, cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, pears, tropical fruits, and grapes.
Nuts
Most nuts and edible seeds are allowed, such as: Almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, chestnuts, filberts, and pecans. Remember, peanuts are not technically nuts. Cashews in there raw form contain a toxin and are not allowed.
Misc:
The following foods are allowed: lard, olive oil, coconut oil, tea, mustard, and juices with pulp and without additives.
Again, if you are trying to lose weight, go easy on the carbohydrates.

Veterans Day Hero's Part 2

IRAQ: Where it all started
March 22, 2008 11:33 am


Marine Staff Sgt. Terrance Gant, 30, of Indianapolis, has been deployed twice to Fallouja.

He was part of the 3rd battalion, 5th regiment when it was a lead unit in the late 2004 battle to liberate the city from insurgent control. Now he's back as the Three-Five is helping in the recovery of the battle-ravaged city.

In a couple of months, the battalion will return to Camp Pendleton. Gant plans to leave the Marine Corps and open a body-building business.

When some Iraqi entrepreneurs decided to start a fitness studio on the main street of Fallouja, the battalion commander, Lt. Col. Christopher Dowling, sent Gant to provide advice. Through an interpreter, Gant and the Iraqis talked about muscle groups and how best to tone your abs and delts.

"They're good to go," Gant said.

For the Marines, the Fallouja strategy has a kind of forward-into-the-past feel. In early 2004, when the Marines first arrived, they had hoped to form youth soccer teams and help in business development. But then a mob killed four Americans and hanged two of the burned corpses from a bridge. President Bush ordered the Marines into the combat.

After two assaults, the insurgents have been routed. Slowly, the U.S. was able to begin the kind of programs it had hoped to initiate four years ago.

The bridge, soon to be renovated, remains as a grisly symbol. "This is where it all started," Gant said on a recent patrol.

— Tony Perry in Fallouja

Photo: Staff Sgt. Terrance Gant in front of the bridge where the burned bodies were hanged in 2004, leading President Bush to order the Marines to assault insurgent strongholds. Credit: Tony Perry/Los Angeles Times

Real American Hero......

Citation:For extraordinary heroism as Combined Anti-Armor Platoon Commander, Weapons Company, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM on 25 March 2003. While leading his platoon north on Highway I toward Ad Diwaniyah, First Lieutenant Chontosh's platoon moved into a coordinated ambush of mortars, rocket propelled grenades, and automatic weapons fire. With coalition tanks blocking the road ahead, he realized his platoon was caught in a kill zone. He had his driver move the vehicle through a breach along his flank, where he was immediately taken under fire from an entrenched machine gun. Without hesitation, First Lieutenant Chontosh ordered the driver to advance directly at the enemy position enabling his .50 caliber machine gunner to silence the enemy. He then directed his driver into the enemy trench, where he exited his vehicle and began to clear the trench with an M16A2 service rifle and 9 millimeter pistol. His ammunition depleted, First Lieutenant Chontosh, with complete disregard for his safety, twice picked up discarded enemy rifles and continued his ferocious attack. When a Marine following him found an enemy rocket propelled grenade launcher, First Lieutenant Chontosh used it to destroy yet another group of enemy soldiers. When his audacious attack ended, he had cleared over 200 meters of the enemy trench, killing more than 20 enemy soldiers and wounding several others. By his outstanding display of decisive leadership, unlimited courage in the face of heavy enemy fire, and utmost devotion to duty, First Lieutenant Chontosh reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service.

Self Myofasical Release (SMR)

So I have always been interested in Self Myofascial Release(SMR). So back in Dec. of 2008 I had the pleasure of meeting Jeff Alexander and his lovely wife Carolyn at the CrossFit Orange County grand opening. Jeff and Carolyn are the founders of Network Fitness in Costa Mesa/Hunting Beach area. They have workshops and seminars for SMR. This is their website: http://www.networkfitness.com/index.htm check them out.

So I'm now in the rehab phase of my recovery from surgery to repair my ruptured Achilles tendon. I have been going to physical therapy and I know my therapist hates me because I always show up with a 1,001 questions. So during one session I asked her what she felt about SMR, and she responded she didn't know what it was. I explained to her what little I do know and pointed her to the Network fitness site. During my next session she thanked me for the information. She said that Military medical system is so far behind in medical information and technology. I find this kind of disturbing, just like my therapist doesn't work at my Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Treatment Clinic only. She splits her week between two different clinics and has over 115 patients. So how is she suppose to keep up with current changes in her professional field with a case load like that? So the point of me telling you this is we as military, law enforcement, firefighters, CrossFit, and athletes need to understand our bodies and how to perform what I like to call 1st echelon maintenance on our bodies. Knowing how to perform SMR on yourself, is a start to opening up some of those tight muscles. Learning trigger points is also key to Rest and Regeneration. So now is the time to catch up and reward your body for its performance.

Interesting Conversation....

Today was the first time I got to make a workout for my Marines since I got hurt back in August. They did a team workout. It was teams of 2, while one ran the loop appr. 1 1/4 miles, the other preformed Cindy until the runner returned then they switched roles. While correcting the form of one of the Sgt's while doing push ups. He looks up at me and says, "I hate your PT(physical training)." I asked him, why? He said cuz you never just want to run, you do this crazy shit that hurts. Now a little background on this Marine is, He has a 18 minute 3 mile time. Does maybe 10 dead hang pull ups on a good day, and thinks he's in good shape because he is skinny with a gut(skinny fat=de conditioned) and runs 3 miles fast. I asked him why doesn't he do anything but run? He responded while doing a wet noodle push up, because running is all that matters. So I started thinking to myself. Is this the reason we have overweight Marines running around in the Corps? They have this attitude that as long as I can run 3 miles in a good time, or I lift heavy weight when I go to the gym, or I'm under my weight but over my body fat I'm good. I remember a Sgt that I had in my platoon in my first unit. We were on a 12 mile hike and we were carrying everything we owned and I remember looking at this guy no bigger than 150 pounds carrying almost half his body weight and running back and forth from the front to the back of the formation. I asked him after the hike how could he do that? He responded, I take pride in what I am, I'm a United States Marine and my country demands that I be harder than the average man. So now as I watch Marines specialize more and more in what they are good at, this is no better time for them get indoctrinated in CrossFit. As Coach Glassman has said nature punishes the specialist. So who cares that you can run 3 miles to get to the fight, if you cant carry anything to the fight or you don't have the stamina to hold your weapon steady to fire it. One day we will learn lessons without having to bury someone to get the message. Semper Fidelis and Happy Birthday Marines...

Achilles Tendon rupture and the options you need to know...

On August 8th 2009, I ruptured my left Achilles tendon while working out. I wasn't doing anything wrong or dangerous, I was doing box jumps. I didn't land wrong or awkward. It just sometimes happens. Here are some things I think people should know about Achilles tendon injuries and your options should it happen to you.

Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture

Rupture, or tearing, of the Achilles tendon is a common condition. This typically occurs in the unconditioned individual who sustains the rupture while playing sports, or perhaps, from tripping. There is a vigorous contraction of the muscle and the tendon tears. The patient will often describe the sensation that someone or something has hit the back of the calf muscle. Pain is suddenly present, and although it is possible to walk, it is usually painful. More importantly however, the leg is weak. This is particularly noticeable when trying to push off while walking, and there is not sufficient strength to do so.

Non surgical care

While it is possible to treat this ruptured tendon without surgery, this is not ideal since the maximum strength of the muscle and tendon rarely returns. The reason for this is that the ends of the tendon are ruptured in a very irregular manner, almost like the ends of a paint brush. As soon as the tendon ruptures, the calf muscle (gastrocnemius muscle) continues to pull on the tendon, and the end of the ruptured tendon pulls back into the leg, which we call retraction. Once the tendon retracts, it is never possible to get sufficient strength back without surgery, because the muscle no longer functions at the correct bio mechanical length, and is now stretched out. If for one reason or another your doctor does not recommend surgery, it is essential to obtain special tests to check that the ends of the tendon are lying next to each other so that healing can occur. The best test to do this is called an ultrasound, and not an MRI. There are patients for whom surgery cannot be performed, in particular, due to existing medical conditions which may add to potential for complications following surgery. For these patients, we use a specially designed boot which positions the foot correctly, and takes the pressure and tension off the muscle and tendon. Most importantly however, a cast is never used because it causes permanent shrinkage (atrophy) of the calf muscle. We use a special boot, which permits pressure on the foot with walking, and a hinge is incorporated into the boot to permit movement of the ankle. We have demonstrated in many studies of rupture of the Achilles tendon, that this movement of the foot in the boot while walking is ideal for tendon healing.

Surgical treatment of Achilles tendon rupture

Surgical correction of the ruptured tendon is almost always necessary. This is performed in order to regain the maximum strength of the Achilles, as well as the normal pushing off strength of the foot. The strength of the muscle depends on the correct tension between the muscle and the tendon. The only way that the correct tension on the tendon can set is by accurately repairing the tendon ends. Take a look at the picture below, and you can see why surgery is necessary. When the tendon ruptures, the ends of the tendon separate and multiple little strands of the tendon are present like pieces of spaghetti.

There are old fashioned techniques for repairing the tendon which require very long incisions (eight inches) on the back of the leg. These are complicated and associated with a high incidence of infection in the skin after surgery. This is an important consideration, since infection in the skin can lead to devastating problems with the skin and tendon. This problem of skin infection has, in the past, led surgeons away from surgical methods of treatment.

Fortunately, now there is a new, unique method available for operating on and repairing the tendon. This new method requires only a tiny incision of one to two centimeters in length. This is far more accurate surgery. Recovery after this procedure is easier and the surgical complication rate is extremely low.

Rehabilitation after Achilles tendon surgery

Following the tendon repair no walking on the foot is permitted for ten days. Then walking is begun in a removable boot. There were some treatments used many years ago that relied upon a leg cast. This led to tremendous weakness and atrophy of muscle that was often permanent. Approximately fifteen years ago, with a treatment pioneered by Dr. Myerson, the recovery after surgery for repairing the Achilles tendon changed dramatically, leading to maximum restoration of tendon healing and rapid return of strength. Instead of a cast, a removable boot is worn and instead of using crutches, walking is commenced very rapidly after surgery. Therapy and exercises are begun soon after surgery. This therapy process is critical in the recovery after tendon rupture, and without a carefully monitored program, full recovery is never possible. This treatment has made a huge difference in the recovery process for both recreational and professional athletes.

This is an article from the Institute of Foot and Ankle Reconstruction at Mercy's

Football Speed Training Myths Busted

This is a post on Elite Fitness Training Systems that I as a former footabll player and High School coach I find hard to believe. Post your thoughts to comments.

Three Football Speed Training Myths Busted


Where the hell did we go so wrong when it comes to football speed training? When did it become acceptable to pass off the hard work that entails training for football speed and replace it with fairly easy cone drills and gadgets?

Football speed is about strength. How strong you are and how explosive you become because of that strength is what leads to getting faster for football. Football speed is not track speed. Reread that…football speed is not track speed.

I’ve heard so many track coaches lament, “We work with them all off-season and their sprinting form goes to hell two weeks into the football season.” Yea, thank God. The reason is we run in a perfect straight line in perfect form in perfect conditions how many times per game? Seriously, think about that. Maybe when a running back breaks a long one or when a wide receiver gets a step on a back, but other than that, the game is played in stop and go spurts, hard cuts, plants and jumps, and with, of course, tons of hitting.

But the fun doesn’t stop there. There is an entire industry set up to separate players and coaches from their money by promising quick fixes and gimmicks and by perpetuating old myths about football speed training so that you remain weak, slow, and broke.

Time to get down and dirty and kill some football speed training myths:

1. Agility drills improve football agility.

Note how I phrased that. Agility drills do improve your agility…in agility drills. Running through cones looks cool. It looks like a hell of a lot of work is being done, and it’s usually set up to be complicated, thus improving its effectiveness. Plus, it’s usually marketed by big companies who pay models to run through cones wearing their overpriced spandex so that it looks super high tech and gets people to fork over the loot. But just because someone looks good doing something doesn’t mean it’s really worthwhile. Do yourself a favor. Take all the cones and bury them. After the very beginning stages, they’re only good for parallel parking practice. Sure, you can take a 14-year old player who’s never done anything athletic and see improvement by having him zigzag through cones. But, after a few months, the return on investment in the way of getting faster for football will be nil. If you want to improve foot speed so you’re actually faster on the football field, try some clean and jerks or even the basic jump rope. It’s not sexy, but it’s effective.

2. Lifting heavy slows you down

This is the granddaddy of all football speed training myths. I think it was started long ago in some HIT-Jedi cave on Dagobah.
The HIT-ers, CrossFitters, and various other “strength is bad” fanatics contend that because the bar moves slowly when lifting max weights, the central nervous system will learn this and turn you into a big, slow, Gilbert Brown wanna be.

We all know that if you apply max force to the bar, even if that sucker is moving slow, the intent to move it quickly will improve both your strength and speed. You should always be applying maximum force to the bar. Your training should be centered around this concept.

Now, if you bench 200 lbs and try for 205 lbs, it isn’t going to fly up. It might even go slow. But the intent to move it quickly is what counts. It trains your nervous system (brain) to be fast even with heavy weights. It’s the same for any kind of lifting, whether it’s football related or you’re just trying to get bigger and stronger. It also has to do with muscle fiber types, but that’s a long and boring explanation.

So you always want to push/pull/squat the bar as hard as you can. Or as Mel Siff said in Supertraining:

“To increase speed, it is necessary to increase the magnitude or duration of the force applied (or both) or decrease the mass of the body. However, for practical purposes, not all of these possibilities can be achieved in human movement. The athlete is unable to decrease the mass of his body or an item of standard athletic apparatus or increase the duration of t (time) of a given movement. However, it is possible to increase the time of a movement of limited amplitude only by decreasing its speed, which is nonsense. Consequently, only one recourse remains, namely to increase strength. Maximum strength is the main factor determining speed of movement!”

3. You need gimmick devices to get faster for football.

I’ll keep this one short because otherwise I’ll go into a rage. You don’t need a parachute unless you’re jumping from a plane. If you want to wear “strength shoes” with the huge heel in the front, alter them. Put the heel in the back and pretend to be a stripper because that’s about the only use for a shoe with a nine-inch block on the underside of it.

All these gimmick products are good for selling but bad for speed. They have little to no value, especially when compared to good, old-fashioned, hard lifting. But tell a 15-year-old sophomore that to improve football speed he needs to do gut busting box squats, not go traipsing around with a parachute on, and you’ll see one disappointed football player!
Steven Morris is a personal trainer and strength coach in the Philadelphia and South Jersey areas and owner of Explosive Football Training. He has been lifting weights for over 15 years and has been helping people achieve their fitness and strength goals for over a decade.