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CENTRAL STRENGTH NEWS
| Vol. 1, Ed. 4 |
Monday, March 27, 2006 |
Rakkasan Raiders
Becoming a champion
"Champions are made in the off-season." We have all heard this proclamation from
somewhere. Whether it was a coach or a Wheaties box, this statement is much more than a short
and sweet statement that seems destined for the back of a t-shirt. What athletes do with
themselves in the off-season is more critical than any other point throughout the year.
We have all seen it more than once, an underclassmen steps into a starting position and has
a great year and they instantly feel on top of the world and indestructible. All too often
athletes spend the off-season going through the motions in the weight room, spouting dreams
of sky-high goals, all the while not giving 100% to their training or recovery. Why is it that
everybody wants to be great, but not everybody is willing to give what it takes in the off-season
to achieve those goals?
The true mark of a champion is measured not by what they want to do, but what they are willing
to do. The day that every member of the team decides that they are willing to give up everything
that is not making them better is the day that the team becomes a champion.
Dieleman's Dungeon
Recovery Strategies: Why is Work Capacity important?
Why do we do things like EDT (Escalated Density Training), 1-2-1 box overs, push the wood,
or even BB and DB complexes? They are not meant to punish you as athletes but simply as tools
we use to increase your WORK CAPACITY. This type of training is known as GPP (General Physical
Preparedness). There are two reasons we use GPP to increase our work capacity:
- The greater the work capacity you possess the easier it becomes for the body to adapt to
increases in physical demands of training.
- GPP enhances the body's ability to recover. This allows an athlete to work out with higher
demands and does not compromise his or her ability to recover.
Simply stated, the greater the athlete's GPP, the easier it will be for them to adapt to the
exercise and demands of the sport (Bompa, 1999). Why is this important, you may be asking? There
is no substitute for hard work, but there is something to be said for training the body properly
within the boundaries of science and keeping within the rules and ethics of sports.
Central Nutrition
Protein intake
The most talked about nutrient in the training world is protein, and
rightly so in a lot of cases. Protein supports tissue growth and recovery of damaged
muscle tissue. When you lift weights you tear down your muscles fibers. It is through
the recovery process that you become bigger and stronger - that is if you pay attention
to your nutrition, especially your protein intake. Science tells us that you need 1.76g
of protein/kilo of lean body mass. This should be spread throughout the day in 4-6 meals.
This will ensure better absorption rates. Here are the following requirements for different
body weights:
| 130 lbs = 105 g/day |
210 lbs = 170 g/day |
| 160 lbs = 130 g/day |
240 lbs = 190 g/day |
| 190 lbs = 150 g/day |
270 lbs = 215 g/day |
Foundations of the Haus
Squatting 101: Technique is worth 30 lbs
Over the last few weeks, it has occurred to me that technique is an issue that needs to be addressed. Most athletes have good form, but others have bad form and it is preventing them from making the kind of progress that they would like. So here it is, "Technique 101", a 3 part series on proper form beginning with the squat. Read carefully and take some notes. You could easily add some serious weight to your lifts.
The muscle groups that the squat works are the low back, glutes & hamstrings. You must also have a strong torso to remain upright in the squat, along with strong abductors to drive the knees out on the way up.
Let's talk set-up. Grab the bar with your hands a foot outside your shoulders. Squeeze your traps and delts together as hard as you can and place the bar on the natural "shelf" that forms on top of your rear delts. Now your feet: just about everyone could widen their stance out a little. This will make it easier to sit back and decrease the distance the bar will have to travel. Look straight ahead. Take a deep breath, set your core, it's time to rock and roll baby!
Arch your back out of the rack and step back. The first thing to move is your hips going back, not down. You have to set yourself up to smash the weight. The hips go back and knees out all the way down. Okay, we have reached the bottom. The ascent is just the opposite of the descent. Drive the head back into the bar and spread the floor apart with your feet. This will get you moving up. Now just follow with your hips up, still driving the knees out.
Congrats! You just smashed your personal best in the squat. Now all that's left is to turn around and count the looks of envy and awe on the faces of your partners. Knowledge is not power, applied knowledge is power!
Final Thoughts
A congratulations is due to all of you for your hard work and dedication to your training.
Because of this the administration has seen the need to replace our existing equipment. As of the end of
May we will have all new platforms, racks, bars, plates and other accessory machines to help you achieve
your goals and meet your training needs. This will allow Central Strength to serve you better and more
efficiently.
Thank you for all you do for us, as coaches, and continue to train harder and harder each
day. Remember, we don't just lift weights; everyday we redefine what it means to train. Continue to
Prepare and Build!
"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you are probably right "
central strength training: Redefined
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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