Archive for November, 2010
Upper Body Power Training: Chaos Drills
Upper Body Power Training Integrating upper body movements into your speed programs.
Part 5 Chaos Drills
By John Gaglione
For this installment of this series I will go over what many coaches refer to as Chaos training.
In case you missed parts 1, 2 , 3. or 4 click here.
The idea of Chaos training has been popularized by many strength coaches such as Robert Dos Remedios and Jim “Smitty” Smith.
True sport is very random in nature so it is important to train for speed and movement using both open and closed drills. Open drills are when the athletes must react to a stimulus whether it be visual, verbal or kinesthetic. Closed drills are when the athlete is given a set pattern and know when to start and stop for each drill. It is important to master proper mechanics and do closed drills first before the athletes can progress to open drills. A few studies have also shown open drills to reduce injuries in players since it more closed mimic the demand of the given sport.
In essence open drills are just more sport specific and when you factor in that it is scientifically proven to reduce injuries any coach would have to be foolish to not incorporate some sort of chaos training into their program. If athletes always perform closed drills they are simply just getting back at performing the drills. They do not have to react as if they were actually playing sports. In open drills the athlete is forced to make a split second decision and act upon it quickly, much like we see in sports. Chaos drills are also a fun and different way to conditioning our athlete and by using mirror drills
Mirror drills are when two or more athletes are doing the drill together. One athlete dictates the direction and pattern and the other athlete must copy it. One way to explain this is one athlete is the “rabbit” and the other is the “chaser”. The chaser must copy the rabbit in order to “catch him”. Make sure you have athletes with fairly similar abilities levels or the drill isn’t as valuable. The mirror drill is great ways to have athletes compete against each other. When athletes are forced to compete against each other they will undoubtedly push beyond their previous limits and get an even more intense conditioning workout than ever before.
We like to include crawling variations into our Chaos drills. Much like the lower body chaos drills they are great for training reaction time and to help prevent injuries. Crawling variations are a great way to increase the athlete’s relative body weight strength as well as their shoulder and core stability. When you combine the crawling drills with the running drills it creates a very chaotic environment, which is great for developing agility and sport specific conditioning. The random nature of the drills is perfect for training for athletics as well as for injury prevention. The athletes really need to be “on their toes” for these drills. Chaos drills are not only a very effective to condition, but they also make for a very competitive and fun environment for our athletes. Give the Chaos drills a try and let us know what you think!
Chaos Drills Examples
Linear Drills
Forward and Backwards Sprint (Open Verbal)
Forward and Backwards Mirror (Visual)
Bear Crawl Forward and Back (Open Verbal)
Lateral Drills
Lateral Shuffle (Open Verbal)
Lateral Shuffle Mirror (Visual)
Lateral Crawls (Open Verbal)
Combinations
Forward, Backwards Run and Crawl Mirror Drill
Laterl Shuffle and Crawls Mirror Drill
Mirror Drill Anything Goes
Can a weakness be a strength?
Sometimes a weakness is actually a strength in disguise…
Guest Blog and story from Alwyn Cosgrove
A young boy who was born without a left arm was sent to Judo lessons by his mother in a bid to help with his confidence. So he began taking lessons with an old Japanese master.
Ever practice session the master taught the boy one throw. Just one technique over and over again.
Every so often the young boy would see the other students learning different techniques and ask the master why he wasn’t learning anything else.
The master always replied – “Just focus on this one throw. Keep practicing”
Several months later, it was the state Judo championships and the old master entered the young boy.
The young boy was terrified.
The first match began and the young boy grabbed his opponent and to the shock of all the spectators – easily flipped him to the ground. Instant win!
The second round was a little harder but the one-armed boy again pulled off the technique – the only technique he knew, and won.
The third and fourth round amazingly went the same way and the young boy found himself in the tournament final facing a much bigger, stronger and tougher opponent, who had won the tournament for three straight years.
The young boy was overmatched it seemed. Te referee and the organizers of the tournament spoke to the master and asked him if he wanted to withdraw his student..
“No” said the master. “We will fight”.
As the final match began the entire crowd were on the edge of their seat. The opponent stepped and grabbed the young one-armed boy and pulled him towards him. For a second it looked as if it was all over…
But then the one armed boy reached with his right hand, stepped in and BOOM – he threw his opponent flat on his back, to win the match!
The crowd went nuts – the one-armed boy was the state Judo Champion!
On the drive home, the young boy asked his teacher – “Was this a set-up? Did they just let me win because I only have one arm? I only know one technique – these guys know hundreds!”
The teacher replied “No – you won fair and square. But there are two reasons. You won because you mastered one of the most devastating techniques in Judo. And the only known way to defend against that throw is to grab the left arm!”
What appeared to be an incredible weakness – was in fact his greatest strength.
Learn to Integrate the Legs into the Bench Press
Learn to Keep the Hips and Core Stable for the Bench Press
The bench Press is a total body exercise and while we don’t want our butts coming off the bench when we are pressing we still need to teach the importance of leg drive in the bench press. Once the athlete learns how to set up, pull the bar out, keep the upper back tight, utilize the lats when pressing, and tucks the elbows, then I will start to be concerned with leg drive. Obviously there are many other important factors when pressing, but to get the most out of our pressing variation we need to incorporate the legs into the movement as well.
The most important thing is to keep the glutes tight during the entire movement. I am not as concerned about really flexing the legs hard as if performing a competition bench press as I am that the legs are have constant tension their entire set. By keeping the glutes turned on the athlete will create a more stable platform to press from as a result.
A great way to teach glute tightness in the bench press is to have them press while in a static glute bridge position. Have the athlete hang their butt off of the bench when performing dumbbell press variation in order to ensure glute activation the entire set. This is a variation I learned from strength coach Joe Bonyai who is a strength coach at Empower Athletic. He has many great innovations for teaching movement patterns and this is one of them. If you want to start to learn to increase leg drive in the bench press the butt of the bench DB press is a good place to start. He also has great progression for teaching core, shoulder, and hip stability in the bench as shown below.
Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes Mash
Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes Mash
Prep: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes
Makes 4 servings
This is a fantastic way to use leftover sweet potatoes. Don’t have any extras? Bake some sweet potatoes in a 450 Degrees oven for 30-35 minutes, until fork tender. Since it is very high carb I would recommend this as a part of a post workout meal on Thanksgiving!
¼ cup chopped pecans
6 tablespoons maple syrup
¼ teaspoon orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
2 large sweet potatoes, baked
- Preheat oven 300 Degrees.
- Place the pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake about 10 minutes or until pecans are fragrant and being to darken. Remove from oven, and set aside.
- IN a small saucepan, combine maple syrup, orange zesty cinnamon stick, and ground cloves. Bring to a gently simmer. Remove from heat, and let stand about 5 minutes.
- 4. Gently scoop out insides of the baked sweet potatoes, and place in a heatproof bowl. Using a potato masher or large fork, mash until there are no lumps left. Heat in microwave on high for 3 mantes.
- Remove the cinnamon stick from the warmed syrup and discard, Pour the sup over the mashed sweet potato3es, and top with the toasted pecans. Serve immediately. (Serving size: ½ cup)
Calories 211(23% from fat); Fat 6g(Sat 1g, mono 3g, poly 2g); Cholesterol 0mg, Protein 3g; Carbohydrates 40g; Sugars 26g; Fiber 4g; Sodium 35mg
Upper Body Power Training: Ladder Drills
Upper Body Power Training: Integrating upper body movements into your speed programs.
Part 4 Ladder Drills
By John Gaglione
In case you missed parts 1, 2 or 3 click here.
Ladder Drills are a great tool for improving coordination, quickness and timing. The athlete will learn to have fast feet and hands as well as having very accurate feet and hands. These ladder progressions do not necessary need to be added in after the hurdle drills they can be worked on at the same time as some of the other drills. If you do not have a ladder at your facility you can simply put tape down on the floor and put the desired number of boxes. I like the ladder better than the tape because when the athlete makes a mistake the ladder will move and give you immediate feedback. The ladder can be used to teach running mechanics and give a great conditioning workout as well.
I personally like to use the ladder for conditioning with my more advanced athletes because I can force them to use a complicated pattern when under fatigue. In sports we must be able to keep good form and speed even when we are tired and in the final minutes of a game or match. Pretty much any pattern that can be done with the feet can be done with the hand, but there are a few patterns that I find work particularly well. When performing the hand variations it is important to try to maintain a flat back and keep good posture. They can straddle the ladder with their feet so their feet will not get in the way. The ladder can used to help increase speed and improve conditioning as well as stability.
You do not want to let your athlete’s hip sag as this can create stress at the lower back. Think of the hand ladder drills as kind of a dynamic plank. This will help them build stability in their core as well as their shoulders while developing quick hands and feet. Sometimes when going for speed the hips will rise up a little high and I think this is okay as long as the back isn’t severely rounded. When training for stability I recommend keeping a neutral spine while keeping the abdominals and glutes squeezed very tight. If you have very strong athlete you can even use jumping variation for the hands with the ladder.
Ladder drills are a great way to develop speed, strength, and stability for both the upper and lower body. We typically start off with simple patterns such as two feet in the box and then progress to move advanced moves such as the Icky Shuffle. The simple moves are great for speed work and the advanced more are great for coordination and agility training. The complex patterns really teach the athlete to change directions quickly. Jumping and hoping variations can also be utilized to develop reactive ability and power endurance. Here are a few examples below.
Ladder Drills
Linear Drills
Linear One Foot
Linear Two Feet
Icky Shuffle
Linear Jumps
Linear Hand Drills
Linear One Hand
Linear Two Hands
Icky Hand Shuffle
Linear Hand Jumps
Lateral Drills
Lateral One Foot
Lateral Two Feet
Buzz Saw
Lateral Jumps
Lateral Hand Drills
Lateral One Hand
Lateral Two Hands
Buzz Hand Saw
Lateral Hand Jumps
Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione
You Are A Champion
You Are A Champion
Who am I? I am a CHAMPION.
Wrestling season is underway and you NEED to have a WINNING mindset if you WANT TO WIN.
Another video I got from Alli Mckee’s Blog
BELIEVE you are a CHAMPION and you will BECOME one.
Ask yourself…
How does a CHAMPION Act?
How does a CHAMPION conduct himself in public?
How does a CHAMPION TRAIN?
How does a CHAMPION accept defeat?
What does a CHAMPION think about when he is about to compete?
If you have a BIG enough WHY you will FIGURE OUT the HOW. Ask you self WHY do you WANT TO BE A CHAMPION. If you can answer that question you will figure out all of the answers.(Really think about this one, if you can truly answer this you will be MUCH more successful if you are not sure READ THIS)
ACT AS IF and you will become.
ACT AS IF YOU ARE A CHAMPION AND YOU WILL BECOME ONE!
Quoted from the video above…(From Zach Even Esh’s Blog)
Today gentlemen, I am honored to coach you
More honored to be leading you onto the field of battle
But theres another honor to be bestowed upon you
And that is in the answer that comes with that question:
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Thats right, and you need to remember that all through this game
I will conquer what has not been conquered
Defeat will not be in my creed
I will believe what others have doubted
I will always endeavor to pull esteem, honor, and respect out of my team
I have trained my mind and my body will follow
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
I will acknowledge the fact that my opponent does not expect me to win
But I will never surrender
Weakness will not be in my heart
I will look to my comrades and to those who are a part of me in this world and those who have trained
me
And I will draw strength from them
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
I will gladly go out into the field of battle
And I will move in everything I can do
And I will reach my field of battle by any means at my disposal
And when I get there, I will arrive violently
I will rip the heart from my enemy, and leave it bleeding on the ground
Because he cannot stop me
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
To my side I have comrades, comrades that have been with me through thick and thin
Who have sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears
Never will I let them fall, never will I let them down, and I will never leave an enemy behind
Because our opponent does not know my heart
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
No one will deny me, no one will define me
And no one will tell me who and what I am and can be
Belief will change my world
It has moved continents, it has moved countries, it has put men on the moon
And it will carry me through this battle
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Defeat, retreat: those are not in my words
I dont understand those definitions
I dont understand when things go wrong
I dont understand mistakes
But I do understand this:
I understand victory,
And I understand never surrendering
No matter how bad things go my heart and my mind will carry my body through limits and weakness
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Today will be that day
Not tomorrow, not next week, but right now, right here
In your house and in your homes
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
History will remember me
I will not let worrying affect my cause
I will define myself
I will write my own pages
And no one will tell me what I cannot be
I will never give up
Not until Ive given everything I got
Because who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Who am I? I AM A CHAMPION!
Wrestler to Watch: John Archambeau
John Archambeau takes Gold at the Doug Parker Invitational Wrestling Tournament
This past weekend John Archambeau of Springfield defeated Ethan Raymond of Bridgewater by a narrow margin of 3-1.
John came to traveled all the way from Massachusetts to train with us last year during his college intersession! This really shows the commitment and the drive of this young man to be the best he can be!
Keep working hard John and good luck the rest of the season!
Learn to Unrack the Bar properly with the Exercise of the Week
Pulling the Bar out
Fixing the Bench Press Part 3
Often times many problems happen with the bench press before the first rep is even performed! It is important to learn how to set up properly and HOLD proper position in the bench press for the entire set. When setting up for the bench press the athlete should try to pull their shoulder blades down and back and hold that retraction of the scapula the entire set. This ensures shoulder stability and also shortens the range of motion the bar has to travel. The reduced range of motion will put less stress on the shoulder as discussed in previous articles.
If the athlete doesn’t take the bar out properly they will lose their position. What you will typically people will try and “press out” the bar rather than “pull the bar out”. By pressing the bar out the shoulder blades almost always become “unpacked” and they athlete will lose their position and their tightness. The athlete should try and pull the bar out as if they were performing a straight arm pull down.
The straight arm pull down is a great way for athlete to learn how to pull the bar out properly from the rack. The straight arm pull down can be performed standing or supine(lying down face up). The athlete should try and actively pull the bar down or out(depending on whether they are standing or supine and where the resistance is) with their lats while keeping the shoulder blades pulled down and back.
You can also provide band resistance to a barbell to force the athlete to pull the bar out rather than pressing it out. Elite fitness systems calls this exercise Brocksteins.
Give the straight arm pull down try if you are having trouble on racking weight for the bench press.
Upper Body Power Training: Hurdle Drills
Upper Body Power Training: Integrating upper body movements into your speed programs.
Part 3 Hurdle Drills
For the next installment of Power Training we will discuss hurdle drills. In case you missed parts one or two you can find them above.
Hurdle Drills are the next step in our progression for plyometrics and we are finally getting into more advanced power drills. If you do not have hurdles other implements can be used as well. The reason I personally like hurdles is because if an athlete hits a hurdle it will fall down and there is a very low chance of injury when the athlete makes a mistake. For the sake of this article a jump is when the athlete takes off on two feet and lands on two feet. A hop is when the athlete takes off on one foot and land on the same foot. A bound is when the athlete takes off on one foot and lands on the opposite foot.
The reason hurdles are more advanced than boxes are because now we have to factor in the additional component of gravity. During the box jump the athlete lands on the box and exercise is over. When an athlete performs a correct box jump they essentially land in the same position where they started so there is much less stress on the joints as opposed to jumping up and landing with no box. When the athlete jumps over a hurdle they must also come down the same distance they jumped up. Basically they will need to have additional strength and stability in order to stick the landing in a safe position.
I recommend that the coach spends several weeks on box jumps and landing before going to hurdles. Once the athlete is ready the coach should have the athlete stick each landing and really learn to stabilize before they go on to continuous drills. Once the athlete shows he or she can stabilize effectively the continuous drills should be executed in a rapid fire fashion. The goal is to minimize the ground contact time and this have really help produce a great deal of speed and power in our athletes.
Hurdle Drills
Linear Hurdle Jumps Continuous
Lateral Jumps Continuous
Rotational Bounding
Linear Hurdle Hand Jumps Continuous
Lateral Hurdle Hand Jumps Continuous
Rotational Hand Jumps