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CENTRAL STRENGTH NEWS
| Vol. 1, Ed. 1 |
Monday, February 6, 2006 |
Rakkasan Raiders
Team first
Troy Jenkins was never a star, he stood out as a leader and he worked hard for the skills that he had,
but would not have been someone's first choice for their team. However, in Jenkins' life the old saying
"team first" was held higher than anyone ever could have guessed. The story comes not from
the playing field but the battle field.
One day Jenkins was working a roadblock with the rest of his team. A small child approached him and his
team with something in her hand. When the little girl tried to hand it to Jenkins it fell to the ground
and a fused popped. Before anyone could react he jumped on top of the explosive. When it blew it took
off the right side of his body. Jenkins died later that day, having saved the girl and his team.
The lesson learned is that no matter what you must place team before self. A time will come when you
are called on to perform. When that time comes, you must be ready to give everything you have to help
your team succeed. You must prepare yourself properly today for what will be asked of you tomorrow!
Dieleman's Dungeon
Recovery Strategies
In today's competitive environment of athletics it's vital to gain every possible advantage within the
rules. This means taking a little extra time either pre or post workout to maximize your body's potential.
Here are 3 techniques to get you on your way:
- Contrast Showers: Done as post workout, alternate between 1 minute warm with 1 minute cold for 5-6 cycles. The change in temperature stimulates the nervous system and promotes blood flow.
- Ice Bath: The reason it's so beneficial is that it reduces the inflammation caused by excess blood pooling in fatigued body parts. Simply fill a tub with cold water and add ice until the temp is at 50-60 degrees F. Sit in for 5-15 minutes.
- Massage/Stretching: Sports massage relaxes the muscles, reduces the feeling of fatigue, and also stimulates blood flow. Massage and stretching helps the muscle return to its normal length. When using massage either use a partner and a stick or hand massage or it can be done by yourself by use of a foam roller. Stretching can be done in many forms, either static or dynamic.
Central Nutrition
Post workout meals are essential
The 2 most important meals of the day are breakfast and your post-workout meal. By consuming a post workout
meal right after training you are helping your body:
- Speed up the recovery process
- Prevent prolonged muscle soreness
- Maximize lean body mass gains
- Replenish glycogen stores
The following are some tips on consuming a postworkout meal:
- It must be taken within 30 minutes after exercise — no later
- It should consist of a sugary carbohydrate such as Gatorade, Powerade, Koolade, or Skim Chocolate Milk
- Athletes should consume 0.5g of carbs/lb of total bodyweight
- Liquid supplement drinks are best because they are absorbed quicker by the body.
Foundations of the Haus
Why do we squat to parallel?
We've all seen it, someone in the corner squat rack, the bar loaded with four wheels on a side. He
steps under the weight, unracks it; he then starts to scream as if he were berthing a calf. After all
this he proceeds to not even complete a half squat, much less a parallel squat. As a strength coach
at Central College, I've been asked the question from time to time, "Coach, why do we have to
squat all the way down to parallel?" Well, for the last time, here is the answer for all of the
athletes who are too fearful to ask. There are 5 reasons we squat to parallel:
- Safety: By choosing a weight that we cannot handle we are risking injury.
- Flexibility: When we squat to parallel a greater range of motion creates more flexibility in the posterior chain (low back/glutes/hamstrings).
- Knee Joint Stability: By sitting in all the way and driving the knees out on the concentric portion of the lift we strengthen the hip abductor muscles. Weak hip abductors predispose athletes to knee joint problems (e.g. ACL problems).
- Best Developer of the Posterior Chain: A strong posterior chain is needed for any type of athletics. Leave the leg curls/extensions to those who read Flex Magazine.
- Best Developer of Lean Body Mass: The squat is a whole body exercise — muscles are either used as stabilizers or used in lifting the weight.
If you want to be strong, powerful, & athletic, you MUST squat — end of discussion!
Final Thoughts
Why do we lift weights? Why do we do speed training? Not only do you develop quality
musculature/speed for your respective sport, but you also develop an attitude and a work ethic. We
must outwork everyone in our pre-season, in-season, and off-season. We know that no one has worked
harder than you all have and therefore you will dominate. Train with Passion!
"Don't ever stop to admire your work."
belief is a powerful thing
A special thanks to Coaches Tim Bates, Trevor Dieleman, & Joe
Niehaus for their great contributions to the newsletter.
Contact
information
Jake Anderson, CSCS
Central College Strength and Conditioning Coordinator
812 University
Campus
Box 6600
Pella, Iowa 50219
(641) 628-7695
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