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CENTRAL STRENGTH NEWS
| Vol. 2, Ed. 2 |
Monday, September 18, 2006 |
Rakkasan Raiders
Goal-Setting: Putting the Team First
Over the course of the last few years I have had the opportunity to
have many meaningful conversations with athletes; the main topic
being goal setting. I am continually amazed by the fact that athletes
seem to be moving farther away from team oriented goals to more
self motivated ones. I see far too many people with their head held
low because they are not playing, and yes, while it is part of the reason
for being out for a sport, you should never put yourself in front of your
team. Being an off the field leader is as equally important as being an
on the field leader. I guarantee throughout the course of a year the
team spends more time off the field than on. Each one of you has
the ability change/influence other people while here at Central. This
change can either be for better or worse; I challenge you to put the
team first. Before you apply pressure to someone in an attempt to
that may be negative think about the legacy that you are helping to
continue. All of you have the ability to be talked about for years to
come. What is said about you, positive or negative, will be a direct
result of your actions and attitude while training at Central College.
Plan goals that are team oriented, you will be amazed at the results!
Hartshorn's Hallow
PAL Mechanics Part I: Linear Speed
Speed is one of the most sought after qualities in any sport and every off-season
Dutch athletes train to develop their speed. Great running mechanics are crucial if you want to have
the ability to
move from point A to point B in the shortest amount of time, while using the least amount of energy.
Linear PAL stands for Posture, Arm Action and Leg Action. When running straight ahead we need
every part of our body to be moving in a straight line, otherwise we will be less efficient and thus move
slower. Our posture should be tall, up on the toes, hips high and abs and glutes tight. Keep your shoulders
and face relaxed and your torso upright. Arm action should be in one plane, straight ahead. Make
sure to rotate at the shoulder, keeping a 90 degree bend at the elbow. Our hand should move from
chin to hip pocket. Leg action should be knee up/toe up and striking the ground under your center of
gravity. Make sure and keep the toes up and strike the ground (do not "paw" when sprinting). Our goal
is to apply as much force as possible to the ground, because the more force we can apply against
the ground the faster we can run.
Central Nutrition
The Importance of Hydration
So I will admit hydration isn't the most "fun" thing to talk with athletes
about but it actually is one of the most important and often neglected
aspects of nutrition. If you wait to get yourself hydrated too late you
are only asking for trouble. It is either too late or you are going to get
too much liquid in your gut and develop abdominal cramping. The
true key to hydration is to always be hydrated from the moment you
wake up until you go to bed. Science has proven that if you are even
5% dehydrated then there will be a significant effect in your performance
level and your risk for injury goes up 6 times. So how do you fight
dehydration? The answer is really pretty simple. Upon waking make
sure to drink 16 oz of fluid. From that point on always carry a water
bottle with you to class. The two days prior to competition it is
important to increase sodium intake in order to retain fluids. Once a
training or competition day is underway make sure to drink 4-8 oz
every 15 minutes. Also be sure to ingest fluids that contain, sodium,
potassium and other electrolytes during training in a 1-1 ratio to water.
So there you have it. It is not overly exciting and will not directly
add 15 lbs but it will make you a better athlete.
Foundations of the Haus
The Dynamic Effort for the Bench Press and Squat
"Coach, this weight is too light, can I put more weight on?" Why do you suppose we always say no?
In this article, I will put to rest any questions you may have concerning the Dynamic Effort method
of training. The Dynamic Effort (DE) method in layman's terms means we are performing a movement
with 50-60% of your 1 rep max. For us the DE method is performed in the bench press and squat.
Now that we know what the DE method is it is time to tell you why we use it. The answer to this is for
the development of speed strength, better known as explosive strength and/or power. Now let's move on
to our most important question, how do we perform it? The number one rule that most of us fail to
recognize is you must move the weight as fast as possible! Science tells us that the greatest power
output occurs at 50-60% of a 1 rep max (in the bench and squat). However, if you fail to move the weight
with as much speed as possible you will not reap the benefits of the DE method. Some of you may
have seen us playing with a Tendo Unit that measures bar velocity in meters/second. Optimal bar velocity
is anything over 0.65 meters/second. I invite anyone to request to be measured by the Tendo. Set it up
and compete against each other. Competition breeds success! When teammates compete everyone
wins! Knowledge is not power, applied knowledge is power.
Final Thoughts
Walking the Tight Rope. Whether you are in-season or out the journey ahead can seem long which,
often times, causes us to lose focus. Too often we get too caught up in playoffs or games that are 5
weeks away. This takes away from our performance. Walking the tight rope means making the most
out of the day you have been given. Keep your eyes focused on the next step you are going to make.
One cannot worry about step 5 until they have taken step 1. Everyday is a big day and you must
invest into each day with equal importance. It doesn't matter if it is a training day, an off day or a
game day; they are all add up and build off each other. Take advantage of each day as an opportunity
to improve and grow. If you do that then everything else will take care of itself.
"The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital"
central strength training: Redefined
A special thanks to Coaches Tim Bates, Tom Hartshorn, & 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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