Tuesday, January 31, 2012
That Was Easy
Here is a 6'6" high school senior building vertical stability, lower body power, upper body strength and bringing some balance to those shoulders. My job is to have her ready to step into the collegiate volleyball setting with a solid physical foundation and a respect and understanding of how to use the many implements in a weight room.
The push press, in front of and behind the neck, is a staple in my programming. It is a total body movement and can be combined with squatting for some great complexes. We press, incline barbell press, dumbbell press and incline dumbbell press for foundational strength. Dumbbell bench press is also added in for variety at times.
Traditional bench press is not normally included in my volleyball athlete programming. It may be included in my basketball athlete programming for general strength and mass.
For all of my athletes, the push press is our bench press.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Dedicated to Tall Ones
I just finished reading about Derek Boogaard in the New York Times. They have a great 3-part article and multimedia piece on his life. There are many issues in this story, but the one that jumped out at me was the story of the tall kid who reluctantly became a hockey enforcer.
The tall kids. They are pushed early to specialize in certain sports and positions. Assumptions are made about their personality--that they automatically like to and want to physically intimidate people. More often than not, they tend to be more like the stereotype of the gentle giant. Trust me, most of these kids have the same insecurities we all do as young people and the pressure they have upon them to be "large & in charge" in their sport weighs heavily on them.
People gawk. Referees don't give them a break. Coaches are frustrated that their big kids lack confidence and the ability to use their size effectively.
They are referred to as "soft" or "lacking mental toughness" when preventable overuse injuries and pain from unnecessary over-training forces them to sit out. Or they quietly push through the pain to keep up with smaller teammates and put themselves at risk for career-ending injuries because they don't want to appear weak in front of their coaches or parents. The adults in charge don't understand that these tall bodies cannot handle the same volume of pounding that smaller frames easily tolerate in practice.
They are not given the time to become comfortable in their bodies--to become physically competent and develop fundamental movement skills.
They are not given the opportunity and tools to develop all-around fundamental sport-related movements that will allow them to move smoothly & skillfully like their smaller teammates. They are pigeon-holed into standing at the net as the middle blocker or on the low block with their back to the basket.
They are expected and allowed to get by year after year on their height alone.
Who needs to work on the foundations of running, jumping, landing, playing defense? Who needs good body awareness, good postural alignment, good flexibility and appropriate strength? Who needs to be taught how to move with aggressive speed and power? Who needs to be educated about the importance of taking care of your joints now so that you can walk, sit and sleep without spending the majority of your adult years in constant pain and/or addicted to pain medication from the pursuit of elite sport?
These kids do.
Most of all, someone who cares needs to stop and ask these kids if they are having fun and if this is really what they want to be doing with their life and time.
Kind of by accident, I've started to do something about it over the last 4 years with my small stable of giraffes. They have taught me so much. I love working with them and showing their coaches and parents what is possible with patience, time and purposeful work on the basics. I love helping them blossom and find their place in pursuit of elite sport; or figure out that their place is somewhere other than elite sport.
It is my passion and my mission to be the resource for tall athletes, their parents and their coaches in the Midwest and wherever help is needed.
The tall kids. They are pushed early to specialize in certain sports and positions. Assumptions are made about their personality--that they automatically like to and want to physically intimidate people. More often than not, they tend to be more like the stereotype of the gentle giant. Trust me, most of these kids have the same insecurities we all do as young people and the pressure they have upon them to be "large & in charge" in their sport weighs heavily on them.
People gawk. Referees don't give them a break. Coaches are frustrated that their big kids lack confidence and the ability to use their size effectively.
They are referred to as "soft" or "lacking mental toughness" when preventable overuse injuries and pain from unnecessary over-training forces them to sit out. Or they quietly push through the pain to keep up with smaller teammates and put themselves at risk for career-ending injuries because they don't want to appear weak in front of their coaches or parents. The adults in charge don't understand that these tall bodies cannot handle the same volume of pounding that smaller frames easily tolerate in practice.
They are not given the time to become comfortable in their bodies--to become physically competent and develop fundamental movement skills.
They are not given the opportunity and tools to develop all-around fundamental sport-related movements that will allow them to move smoothly & skillfully like their smaller teammates. They are pigeon-holed into standing at the net as the middle blocker or on the low block with their back to the basket.
They are expected and allowed to get by year after year on their height alone.
Who needs to work on the foundations of running, jumping, landing, playing defense? Who needs good body awareness, good postural alignment, good flexibility and appropriate strength? Who needs to be taught how to move with aggressive speed and power? Who needs to be educated about the importance of taking care of your joints now so that you can walk, sit and sleep without spending the majority of your adult years in constant pain and/or addicted to pain medication from the pursuit of elite sport?
These kids do.
Most of all, someone who cares needs to stop and ask these kids if they are having fun and if this is really what they want to be doing with their life and time.
Kind of by accident, I've started to do something about it over the last 4 years with my small stable of giraffes. They have taught me so much. I love working with them and showing their coaches and parents what is possible with patience, time and purposeful work on the basics. I love helping them blossom and find their place in pursuit of elite sport; or figure out that their place is somewhere other than elite sport.
It is my passion and my mission to be the resource for tall athletes, their parents and their coaches in the Midwest and wherever help is needed.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Everybody Squats
Everybody squats. Well, except in this country. We forget how to squat as we move into adolescence. Then we hurt our knee, hip or back and the therapist teaches us to do wall slides with a Swiss ball against the wall.
Who is responsible for starting and perpetuating this worthless facade of leg and core strengthening? I'd like to have a word with you, whoever you are.
To preserve and maintain back health, we must learn to use our legs; triple flexion then triple extension. We must be aware of our body in space and how our spine is positioned in relation to our hips.
It's not about static core strength for me. It's about awareness, alignment, mobility and dynamic strength of the lower extremities.
This guy is learning how to use his legs to support his bodyweight in space. He is learning to be confident with his legs after herniating two discs over the summer. He can now pick up stuff from the ground without assistance. He now has freedom and mobility. And in his particular situation, the squatting movement helps relieve long-standing radicular pain that once dominated his day.
This is the type of functional strength a physical therapist should teach a patient. This is how we need to use our legs. The ability to squat is a physical competency everyone should master.
No we don't need to squat a house, but we do need to learn how to lower & raise our bodies, within the context of gravity, in an effective manner. Start with a sit to stand from a chair, then progress to a med ball squat. Learn to hold the bottom position and feel it. Feel the floor; learn to push it away. Then if appropriate, use a Hexlite bar, weighted vest or barbell to increase the resistance. Teach the basics and then give the patient movement problems to lift and solve.
Who is responsible for starting and perpetuating this worthless facade of leg and core strengthening? I'd like to have a word with you, whoever you are.
To preserve and maintain back health, we must learn to use our legs; triple flexion then triple extension. We must be aware of our body in space and how our spine is positioned in relation to our hips.
It's not about static core strength for me. It's about awareness, alignment, mobility and dynamic strength of the lower extremities.
This guy is learning how to use his legs to support his bodyweight in space. He is learning to be confident with his legs after herniating two discs over the summer. He can now pick up stuff from the ground without assistance. He now has freedom and mobility. And in his particular situation, the squatting movement helps relieve long-standing radicular pain that once dominated his day.
This is the type of functional strength a physical therapist should teach a patient. This is how we need to use our legs. The ability to squat is a physical competency everyone should master.
No we don't need to squat a house, but we do need to learn how to lower & raise our bodies, within the context of gravity, in an effective manner. Start with a sit to stand from a chair, then progress to a med ball squat. Learn to hold the bottom position and feel it. Feel the floor; learn to push it away. Then if appropriate, use a Hexlite bar, weighted vest or barbell to increase the resistance. Teach the basics and then give the patient movement problems to lift and solve.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
RIP Uncle Vasily
How most American's remember Alexseyev
The man who was weightlifting for so many years has passed away. Vasily Alexseyev died this past Friday in Germany of heart issues. He was 69.
I was fortunate to meet the man in person at the 2003 World Championships in Vancouver. Harvey Newton and I were in the walking through the venue when this famous wall of a man came toward us. (That's the very cool thing about going to an Olympics or World Championship--you will see so many former greats strolling the venue or having a drink in the hotel lobby!)
Harvey was kind enough to introduce me to him. Alexseyev was very much a gentleman. I am not sure what came over me, but I had the irresistible urge to pat him on that enormous belly. As I did, Vasily Alexseyev winked and put his index finger to his lips to say "shhhh, don't tell anyone" and then he smiled.
The world's most famous weightlifter had, arguably, the world's most famous belly to ever tumble out of a tiny red singlet.
He set 80 world records during his career and was the first man to clean & jerk over 500 lbs in competition. For more information about Vasily Alexseyev and his career, check out this 44 min documentary.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
What are methods without principles?
Sorry I've been away for quite awhile. Things have been busy and to be honest, I just haven't felt like writing. The business has been growing and most of my energy has been put toward my athletes and patients. I have certainly had lots of thoughts and I hope to share them and write on a more consistent basis in 2012. For today, I'd like to share a blog I stumbled upon via Twitter. Nick Grantham has some words of wisdom for everyone. Check out his post and blog here. It is based on this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
“As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
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