We lose power at roughly twice the rate we lose strength yet it is amazing to watch how many Masters power athletes don't do any power training.
Now I am talking about intermittent, power based sports/athletes not endurance athletes like triathletes and marathoners. Thouh a strong case could be made that they need power training as well. Even in an endurance event there is still the element of speed which is based on power.
The key for a Masters athlete is how to intelligently and judiciously add power training to one's training program.
First, let's be clear on what power training is and isn't. Power can be simply defined as: speed x force/distance. In other words how quickly can you move or move something with force over a given distance. True power training is max effort, max speed training with full recovery between bouts to optimize recovery. Whether you are doing plyos, med ball work, or Olympic lifts you have to do the movement explosively and with optimal technique. Fatigue through inadequate recovery will compromise those factors. So Crossfit , for example, is very seldom true power training for this very reason.
You should not feel wiped out after power training but energized and ready to go. If you're wiped out you are confusing conditioning with power training which is a common mistake both coaches and athletes alike make far too frequently.
One of the beautiful things about power training is that it doesn't/shouldn't take a lot of time. 10 minutes twice weekly will get the job done for virtually anyone. Much more than that and you are risking injury and diminishing returns.
Power training should be done early in a training session after your dynamic warmup while your central nervous system is fresh and ready to go. Doing it at the end of the training
session compromises all that you are trying to achieve.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Spending "Break Time" Wisely
By a series of scheduling circumstances I happen to have a 2.5 week hiatus from baseball right now which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I will continue to go to the cages and hit off a tee to maintain my hitting form but what I do with the rest of the "break" will be key in maintaining performance and decreasing my chance of injury.
I have a few nagging nicks: several hit by pitch "reminders" as well as a mild ankle sprain to pay attention to and in 2.5 weeks those should be back to "normal."
But I am also going to work on some more SMR (self myofascial release) through foam rolling, stick work and small ball work to improve soft tissue quality and pliability. That is a continual struggle as we age as we tend to lose moisture from our tissues which impacts tissue pliability and elasticity.
I will also continue to work on my strength/power, movement work and conditioning. It is known that we lose power at twice the rate as we lose strength yet so few Masters athletes do little, if any, power work.
In my strength work I emphasize "big bang" exercises. Currently, I have front squats, deadlifts, inclines, chins, and KB swings amongst others, in my strength program.
My power work currently includes box jumps, long jumps, and med ball work. I also do sprint/agility work at least twice weekly even in-season.
I do mobility work daily as it is critical to maintaining at least some mobility/ROM esp. in my ankles, t-spine, and hips.
I am more convinced than ever that you either keep moving and pretty soon you won't be able to move. There is no magic pill that will replace movement and the human body is designed and meant to move.
I playing and observing both my teammates and other teams play baseball this summer and in the past 10+ years that I have been playing senior men's baseball it is apparent to me how limited one's game becomes when you can't move. Even in a game where many think movement is not important if you can't move in baseball you can't: steal a base, your fielding range is severely limited, you are easy to "double up", you can't get an infield hit, etc.
I hope to avoid that fate by being diligent in my training and maintaining my ability to move. So should you!
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links.
I have a few nagging nicks: several hit by pitch "reminders" as well as a mild ankle sprain to pay attention to and in 2.5 weeks those should be back to "normal."
But I am also going to work on some more SMR (self myofascial release) through foam rolling, stick work and small ball work to improve soft tissue quality and pliability. That is a continual struggle as we age as we tend to lose moisture from our tissues which impacts tissue pliability and elasticity.
I will also continue to work on my strength/power, movement work and conditioning. It is known that we lose power at twice the rate as we lose strength yet so few Masters athletes do little, if any, power work.
In my strength work I emphasize "big bang" exercises. Currently, I have front squats, deadlifts, inclines, chins, and KB swings amongst others, in my strength program.
My power work currently includes box jumps, long jumps, and med ball work. I also do sprint/agility work at least twice weekly even in-season.
I do mobility work daily as it is critical to maintaining at least some mobility/ROM esp. in my ankles, t-spine, and hips.
I am more convinced than ever that you either keep moving and pretty soon you won't be able to move. There is no magic pill that will replace movement and the human body is designed and meant to move.
I playing and observing both my teammates and other teams play baseball this summer and in the past 10+ years that I have been playing senior men's baseball it is apparent to me how limited one's game becomes when you can't move. Even in a game where many think movement is not important if you can't move in baseball you can't: steal a base, your fielding range is severely limited, you are easy to "double up", you can't get an infield hit, etc.
I hope to avoid that fate by being diligent in my training and maintaining my ability to move. So should you!
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Train for the Game
Many people who are athletes make the mistake of trying to play their way into shape instead of training to play.
Masters athletes aren't immune to this approach as many think that they can just show up and start playing their respective game and that will suffice. Especially as we age this is a recipe for disaster as the first priority of any training program is injury prevention which is a huge issue for older athletes. Playing the sport doesn't do anything for injury prevention as it just
predisposes you to an even greater chance of injury without the appropriate training to decrease the chances of injury.
I see this mistake made all of the time: people don't train between seasons, go full bore in the first practice/game and pull their hamstring/ calves/ low back/whatever.
What would you expect? You had no off-season/pre-season training and then expected to go full bore without any consequences. But this happens all the time in Masters sports like squash, baseball, soccer and the like. As the body ages it is especially intolerant of such abuse as muscles tighten/shorten, ligaments/tendons are less resilient than they once were, and power isn't what it once was when you were younger.
So back to the title of the post: you must train to play not the reverse.
So examine the demands of your sport: speed, agility, fitness, strength, balance, etc. and determine where your strengths and weaknesses are and plan your training accordingly.
Your body will reward you with improved performance, less chance of injury and increase your overall enjoyment of the game/sport you love.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
Masters athletes aren't immune to this approach as many think that they can just show up and start playing their respective game and that will suffice. Especially as we age this is a recipe for disaster as the first priority of any training program is injury prevention which is a huge issue for older athletes. Playing the sport doesn't do anything for injury prevention as it just
predisposes you to an even greater chance of injury without the appropriate training to decrease the chances of injury.
I see this mistake made all of the time: people don't train between seasons, go full bore in the first practice/game and pull their hamstring/ calves/ low back/whatever.
What would you expect? You had no off-season/pre-season training and then expected to go full bore without any consequences. But this happens all the time in Masters sports like squash, baseball, soccer and the like. As the body ages it is especially intolerant of such abuse as muscles tighten/shorten, ligaments/tendons are less resilient than they once were, and power isn't what it once was when you were younger.
So back to the title of the post: you must train to play not the reverse.
So examine the demands of your sport: speed, agility, fitness, strength, balance, etc. and determine where your strengths and weaknesses are and plan your training accordingly.
Your body will reward you with improved performance, less chance of injury and increase your overall enjoyment of the game/sport you love.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Movement is the Key-Part 2
To continue with the thoughts from the last post, there is a concept called the Performance Pyramid that is relevant to this discussion.
The Performance Pyramid is a 3 tiered pyramid with the foundation and base level being functional movement with functional performance on top of that and functional skills/specific skills at the top of the pyramid.
But functional movement is the broadest/largest of the 3 levels and each successive tier is progressively smaller.
The reason for that is that functional movement is the foundation off of which all other athletic traits are built. If you don't move well and proficiently through fairly large ranges of motion the other aspects of your athletic development will never be truly optimized and you will be more likely to get hurt.
The problem most people have, including those of us old enough to know better, is that the emphasis is frequently on the skills and performance aspect of things without having the underlying functional movement base. In other words, the pyramid is usually upside down or inverted.
Many people delude themselves into thinking they move well when the facts and observation would indicate otherwise. Don't confuse quantity with quality of movement. Just because you can "run" 5 miles doesn't mean that was good, quality movement nor necessarily improving your athleticism or movement proficiency.
So in your own training dedicate some time to improving your functional movement and you may want to seek someone out that does the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to truly get a baseline on your movement proficiency.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of links
The Performance Pyramid is a 3 tiered pyramid with the foundation and base level being functional movement with functional performance on top of that and functional skills/specific skills at the top of the pyramid.
But functional movement is the broadest/largest of the 3 levels and each successive tier is progressively smaller.
The reason for that is that functional movement is the foundation off of which all other athletic traits are built. If you don't move well and proficiently through fairly large ranges of motion the other aspects of your athletic development will never be truly optimized and you will be more likely to get hurt.
The problem most people have, including those of us old enough to know better, is that the emphasis is frequently on the skills and performance aspect of things without having the underlying functional movement base. In other words, the pyramid is usually upside down or inverted.
Many people delude themselves into thinking they move well when the facts and observation would indicate otherwise. Don't confuse quantity with quality of movement. Just because you can "run" 5 miles doesn't mean that was good, quality movement nor necessarily improving your athleticism or movement proficiency.
So in your own training dedicate some time to improving your functional movement and you may want to seek someone out that does the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to truly get a baseline on your movement proficiency.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of links
Monday, June 20, 2011
Movement is the Key
Although it is a paramount skill at virtually any age/level in sport, movement ability is even more important, I believe, as one gets older.
The ability to move in all directions fluidly, quickly, and with accuracy and power is probably the hardest athletic trait to maintain as one gets older. When you're younger you take it for granted but as you get older you realize that many people fall by the wayside in this invaluable athletic trait.
I play on several senior men's baseball teams and on the one team (16 players) there are only 4 of us that still move well. There are only so many people you can rotate at first base and then you have to play people in positions where they are severely limited in what they can do without being both a liability in the field as well as being more likely to get hurt.
The point is that even in a sport like baseball, which many would not consider a movement dominant sport, good movement is still a prerequisite to being able to do all of the 5 basic skills: running, fielding, throwing, hitting and hitting for power. The first two skills are particularly limited if you have poor movement ability.
Because of what I do many on my teams want to know what they can do to improve their movement ability but there is no single, simple answer.
For some lack of good movement for so long combined with an injury history may make getting good, safe movement back virtually impossible. For others the road back to good movement may be possible but it will take consistent applicable of sound training principles involving a multi-faceted approach including mobility/flexibility work, soft tissue/manual therapy work, strength and power work. The point is that it won't happen overnight nor without some effort.
Bottom line: improve your movement sphere capacity and your game, whatever it is, will improve as well.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
The ability to move in all directions fluidly, quickly, and with accuracy and power is probably the hardest athletic trait to maintain as one gets older. When you're younger you take it for granted but as you get older you realize that many people fall by the wayside in this invaluable athletic trait.
I play on several senior men's baseball teams and on the one team (16 players) there are only 4 of us that still move well. There are only so many people you can rotate at first base and then you have to play people in positions where they are severely limited in what they can do without being both a liability in the field as well as being more likely to get hurt.
The point is that even in a sport like baseball, which many would not consider a movement dominant sport, good movement is still a prerequisite to being able to do all of the 5 basic skills: running, fielding, throwing, hitting and hitting for power. The first two skills are particularly limited if you have poor movement ability.
Because of what I do many on my teams want to know what they can do to improve their movement ability but there is no single, simple answer.
For some lack of good movement for so long combined with an injury history may make getting good, safe movement back virtually impossible. For others the road back to good movement may be possible but it will take consistent applicable of sound training principles involving a multi-faceted approach including mobility/flexibility work, soft tissue/manual therapy work, strength and power work. The point is that it won't happen overnight nor without some effort.
Bottom line: improve your movement sphere capacity and your game, whatever it is, will improve as well.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
Want to Get Strong? Quit Switching Strength Training Programs Every Week. | Eric Cressey
Want to Get Strong? Quit Switching Strength Training Programs Every Week. | Eric Cressey
I call this program deficit disorder but Cressey's point is the same. There has to be some rhyme and reason to your training program.
I call this program deficit disorder but Cressey's point is the same. There has to be some rhyme and reason to your training program.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Training is Not a Sport
It is a principle of training, at least it should be, that training is a means to an end not an end in itself. For the Masters athlete this is a principle of paramount importance because we don't have the ability to recover that we once did.
Much of what passes for training out there gravitates towards the training as sport mindset. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's appropriate nor moving the athlete towards his/her training goals. And quite frankly any idiot can put a mishmash of exercises together to make someone else puke....that takes no skill or knowledge.
As Masters athletes we have only so much energy to expend on training and our sport and if we are constantly recovering from our training sessions where does that leave you at game time? I think the answer is obvious.
I am not saying you shouldn't work hard when training but it has to be where appropriate and as part of an overall training plan...in other words it's not random but planned.
Recovery is where we actually improve, get stronger, fitter, faster, etc. but if there is no time or planned recovery then there will be no progress, at the least, and overtraining at worse.
So remember there is a time and place for tough training sessions but there should be a rationale as to why and it should be where appropriate in the training cycle.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links.
Much of what passes for training out there gravitates towards the training as sport mindset. Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's appropriate nor moving the athlete towards his/her training goals. And quite frankly any idiot can put a mishmash of exercises together to make someone else puke....that takes no skill or knowledge.
As Masters athletes we have only so much energy to expend on training and our sport and if we are constantly recovering from our training sessions where does that leave you at game time? I think the answer is obvious.
I am not saying you shouldn't work hard when training but it has to be where appropriate and as part of an overall training plan...in other words it's not random but planned.
Recovery is where we actually improve, get stronger, fitter, faster, etc. but if there is no time or planned recovery then there will be no progress, at the least, and overtraining at worse.
So remember there is a time and place for tough training sessions but there should be a rationale as to why and it should be where appropriate in the training cycle.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Having a Plan
Many athletes, Masters included, workout but don't really train. What do I mean by that?
Working out is merely putting together a hodgepodge of sessions with no rhyme, reason or plan to what you are doing daily.
You should have a rationale for not only what you are doing in your session but also the individual components of that session. If you can't explain why you are doing then don't do it.
So many would go where do I start?
First of all, as Vern Gambetta would say, a plan should be specific to the individual and relevant to the sport/activity. So, for example, if lack of strength is one of your shortcomings then there should be an emphasis on that until it is brought up to the appropriate levels. For someone else it might be power or mobility...that is the individual component of a plan.
2nd, the training has to be relevant to our sport/activity. If you are a golfer how much long distance running is really necessary to help your game? Or would long distance running actually harm your game?
As Masters athletes especially it is absolutely essential that we bear in mind the principle of training efficiency. With only so much time to train it is critical that your training be focused on the most pressing demands of your sport/activity. You can't afford to waste time and energy on things that won't either increase performance or reduce your chance of injury. This applies to all athletes but especially so to Masters athletes.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
Working out is merely putting together a hodgepodge of sessions with no rhyme, reason or plan to what you are doing daily.
You should have a rationale for not only what you are doing in your session but also the individual components of that session. If you can't explain why you are doing then don't do it.
So many would go where do I start?
First of all, as Vern Gambetta would say, a plan should be specific to the individual and relevant to the sport/activity. So, for example, if lack of strength is one of your shortcomings then there should be an emphasis on that until it is brought up to the appropriate levels. For someone else it might be power or mobility...that is the individual component of a plan.
2nd, the training has to be relevant to our sport/activity. If you are a golfer how much long distance running is really necessary to help your game? Or would long distance running actually harm your game?
As Masters athletes especially it is absolutely essential that we bear in mind the principle of training efficiency. With only so much time to train it is critical that your training be focused on the most pressing demands of your sport/activity. You can't afford to waste time and energy on things that won't either increase performance or reduce your chance of injury. This applies to all athletes but especially so to Masters athletes.
Train hard and train smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
My Thoughts on Training Masters Athletes
As both a lifetime competitive athlete and still playing competitively in at least two sports, baseball and squash, I felt there was a dearth of information out there on training older/masters athletes. This will be my attempt to remedy that situation.
I am not only a competitive Masters athlete but have been a strength coach/trainer and coach for over 25 years so I am coming at this project from those two perspectives. From my experience anyway there aren't too many that are both competing and training athletes...but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time! :)
I feel there are many websites/blogs, etc.out there that address youth sports training and, obviously, training college and elite level athletes. I'm not aware of too many, if any, that are geared solely towards the Masters athlete and that will be our mission: to address the training of Masters athletes in a comprehensive, holistic approach. And perhaps unlike other advice in this area this will come from a practical, in the trenches approach as both athlete and strength/performance coach.
Masters sports has grown tremendously since the Baby Boomers hit that age (40+) and decided that they didn't want to give up their lifelong love of whatever their chosen sport/competitive outlet.
We will attempt to bridge this information gap with this blog and we hope that you enjoy it!
Train hard and smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
I am not only a competitive Masters athlete but have been a strength coach/trainer and coach for over 25 years so I am coming at this project from those two perspectives. From my experience anyway there aren't too many that are both competing and training athletes...but I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time! :)
I feel there are many websites/blogs, etc.out there that address youth sports training and, obviously, training college and elite level athletes. I'm not aware of too many, if any, that are geared solely towards the Masters athlete and that will be our mission: to address the training of Masters athletes in a comprehensive, holistic approach. And perhaps unlike other advice in this area this will come from a practical, in the trenches approach as both athlete and strength/performance coach.
Masters sports has grown tremendously since the Baby Boomers hit that age (40+) and decided that they didn't want to give up their lifelong love of whatever their chosen sport/competitive outlet.
We will attempt to bridge this information gap with this blog and we hope that you enjoy it!
Train hard and smart!
http://fitnesstogether.com/media for our website and all of our links
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