The Important Stuff

In general, there are areas of our body commonly neglected and uncommonly included in most programs. Each of us is unique and will likely have different needs based on our current fitness levels, injury history, and training experience, but I’d be willing to bet at least one of these body areas could use a tune-up for most people.

1.) Tibialis Anterior: If you’re unfamiliar with the tibialis anterior it’s the thick and fleshy muscle that runs down your shin and is responsible for dorsiflexion of your foot (moving your toes towards your shin). It’s extremely easy to train but is rarely considered. Interestingly, many individuals who take up running or play sports growing up and suffer from “shin splints” know what this muscle is because it gets very sore. To decrease the chances of getting said shin splints, two critical things would help, 1 – Add or increase training volume slowly, and 2 – Build up tibialis anterior strength before engaging in activity. “Tib Raises” are my favorite exercise for training this body part and can be adapted in many ways. Ben Patrick (Knees Over Toes Guy) has also popularized the zero-cost version of tib raises where he stands against a wall with his leg outstretched and elevates his toes for several reps. This can be done anywhere, anytime. I could write an entire book on the tibialis anterior but to spare you the time I’ll bluntly tell you that you must train this body part no matter who you are.

2.) Adductors: Your adductor muscles are a group of four muscles including the adductor longus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, and gracillis but for simplicity, we will stick with adductors. These muscles are responsible for bringing the lower extremity toward the midline of the body (i.e., adduction) and are undervalued because one typically doesn’t think much of them until they’re injured, and walking, running, sitting, squatting, etc. all become difficult. Most people who I see “training” these muscles are on this machine in the gym and either doing it for the gram or looking on their phone. It’s important to train this movement with focus and a little bit of intensity because groin strains are common, especially for those who partake in athletic activities. My favorite movements for training the adductors are Copenhagen Planks and any lateral lunge/Cossack. Squat variation.

3.) Rotator Cuff Muscles: The rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder can be easily remembered by the acronym SITS which is supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Much like the adductors, rotator cuff is a simpler catch-all term. These muscles help stabilize and assist the shoulder in its many planes of motion including flexion, extension, external rotation, and internal rotation. Most people do a few lazy reps with a band or on a cable machine with their elbow at their side and externally rotate their shoulder thinking they are somehow magically bulletproofing their shoulders. While I applaud the effort, this won’t get the job done. The rotator cuff is so commonly injured because we don’t strengthen anything posteriorly to the chest, we have horrible posture, we don’t have overhead strength, and mobility/stability/or both sucks. I could again write an entire novel on this muscle group but a few of my favorite things to try are the kettlebell arm bar, chest-supported scarecrows, and band pull aparts.

4.) Transverse Abdominus: The transverse abdominus is a “core muscle” that essentially serves as your own personal weight belt and stabilizes your trunk, spine, and lower back. It sits underneath the rectus abdominus and obliques which are the show muscles that are often associated with a strong core i.e., six-pack abs. What most don’t realize is that a weak transverse abdominus is often linked to low back pain and a host of other issues. If you train with heavy resistance on exercises like squats, deadlifts, etc. you are most certainly engaging and strengthening this area, but some targeted work is still essential particularly if you are not doing what I previously mentioned already. A few of my favorites are bird dogs and dead bugs, both working on anti-rotation and anti-extension. Make sure to target this area and check out Dr. Stuart McGill’s work to get in-depth on this if you’re interested.

While it’s to overlook many areas of the body it’s important to take an inventory every once in a while of what you may be lacking. Injuries are a common part of athletics and activity, but we can greatly reduce their likelihood if we prepare our bodies ahead of time. Staying on top of your training and doing these types of movements don’t have to be super time-consuming and cumbersome, they be sprinkled into a program periodically and thought of as something like brushing your teeth. Being proactive will help ensure you don’t get cavities or in this case get injured. Lastly, it’s your choice with these as well, do them now while it’s a choice, or do them as part of your rehab God forbid you ever sustain an injury. Give them a shot, stay healthy, and stay happy!

Examples of extremely simple technologies include things like Bluetooth scales or thermometers for instantaneous biometric markers, whereas more complex technologies such as dual force plates and/or DEXA machines provide longitudinal data points to track performance or anthropometric measurements respectively. While it’s easy to get overwhelmed with the wide array of technologies available today, there are several that rank near the top in terms of efficacy, cost, and user compatibility.

1) Heart Rate Monitor:

One of the most used and easy to implement pieces of technology for training is a heart rate monitor. These come in all shapes/sizes from wrist watches to chest straps and are as “plug and play” as it gets. The beauty of a heart rate monitor is that often they are relatively affordable, and they can be used with little to no education. Doing a simple calculation of your projected heart rate max (220-your age) and then taking a percentage of that (i.e., 60%) can give you a target range with which to monitor your heart rate during cardiovascular exercise. Wearing a heart rate monitor takes the guess work out of the whole ordeal and allows you to rely on an objective measure in real time as well as track improved performance over time such as decreased heart rate at the same work output. It’s easy to get a bit too carried away with heart rate monitoring and while it does not assist much in terms of exercise types such as strength training, it’s a must have for all athletes/individuals who regularly partake in cardiovascular training.

2) Sleep trackers:

I use the term “sleep tracker” to encompass anything that fall under the vein of an OURA ring, WHOOP band, or even an apple watch because they all have varying degrees of use and efficacy. These pieces of equipment double as heart rate monitors, but what they provide in addition is biometric markers such as HRV and sleep quality. Without getting too deep into the weeds of recovery performance and HRV, HRV stands for “Heart Rate Variability” and is essentially a measurement of your average time between heart beats. Generally, the higher the average time between beats the greater recovery you have and vice versa. Sleep dovetails off this measurement and generally speaking, the higher quality sleep you have the greater your HRV score is. What’s different about these sleep trackers from a heart rate monitor is what I just mentioned, they provide data inferenced from the heart rate instead of just the raw data itself, hence making it more valuable but also a bit more expensive. There are certainly more these devices can do including hydration monitoring, menstrual tracking, and more but in general their biggest asset comes down to the ability to track your sleep plus how it impacts your recovery.

3) Velocity Trackers:

There are several excellent velocity-based tracking units available on the market today including brands like Gymaware, Perch, Elite Form, and TENDO to name a few, all of which monitor the velocity with which you move a particular load. This is important because the velocity of a barbell during a back squat, for example, can tell us a lot about your ability or potential to move heavier weights or your general improvement over time. Before velocity trackers came along, coaches relied a lot more on the naked eye to gauge whether an athlete was moving a weight with greater speed or not which is important for improving rate of force production. Strength is an important foundation for nearly everything, but athletes must be able to move moderately heavy loads in a short amount of time to be most effective. Tracking the velocity with which a load moves can tell us if we are improving, fatigued, and even what our potential 1 rep maximum is without ever having to go to failure. These pieces of equipment are become more affordable by the year and are commonplace in most high-performance settings. Check out work by a former mentor of mine, coach Dan Baker to learn more on this if you’re interested.

4) Force Plates:

Force plates are quite simple pieces of equipment at their core which become increasingly complicated the deeper one dives into the analysis of their use. In a nutshell, they measure the ground reaction force of an athletic movement (most often jumping) and then depending on the software associated with them or the practitioner analyzing the movement, they provide hundreds of data points on the performance of the movement. A common assessment is what is known as a “Counter Movement Jump” or “CMJ” for short which is nothing more than an athlete who starts standing straight up, squats down in a rapid fashion, and jump as high as possible. This movement alone provides and incredible amount of insight into how much power the athlete can generate, whether or not they have a significant asymmetry between limbs, what their landing mechanics look like, and so much more. These pieces of equipment are a staple in nearly every high-performance environment in the college ranks and above (some high schools too) but is rather costly currently. Force plates are becoming more affordable but despite their price still being rather expensive they are mostly worth it because of the longitudinal data points they provide. Coaches/sports medicine staff can determine whether an athlete is prepared to train, healing properly form an injury, and maximizing their training program all from regular data collection thanks to these tools.

5) Training Apps:

While this may seem obvious, training apps such as Train Heroic, True Coach, Bridge, and Teambuildr are all platforms with which coaches can provide athletes their workouts and athletes can log their results. This may not seem groundbreaking but compare the use of software’s like these to the old school excel cards coaches like me had to use back in the day (shoutout to my fellow coaches who know what I’m talking about) these are game changers. I was one who fought “screens in the weight room” for a long time but once you weight the positives versus the negatives these are a no-brainer. These applications allow coaches to place a prescribed workout on a calendar for a particular day with all necessary information including demonstration videos, individualize load percentages, notes, and more. It can be hard to get past the mindset of technology being a distraction in the weight room as has been the case in the past, but these apps are here to stay. Furthermore, nearly all these apps provide metrics such as volume load, RPE scoring, leaderboards, and predicted RM% without the added headache of having to calculate by oneself. Most of these tools have become relatively affordable nowadays and are well worth the cost, particularly for coaches like me who work primarily work with remote athletes nowadays. Don’t write these off!

6) Timing Gates:

Timing gates are a must if you’re e looking to improve your speed, change of direction, or sprinting performance. A few companies I’ve personally used in the past are Freelap, Dartfish, and Smartspeed (now with Vald at the time of this article), all of which provide the bare necessities. While you can use hand timing if you’re strapped for cash to measure speed/acceleration metrics, I highly advise using the pieces of tech because of their sheer accuracy and added application features. When working with a volume of athletes the last thing you want to be doing is relying on your eyeballs and reaction time to stop/start a watch or your phone while fumbling with a pen and paper between busy repetitions. These pieces of equipment collect and store athlete times without having you having to think and allow you to focus on what matter most, coaching! Similar to other pieces of tech discussed previously, more and more of these items are starting to provide analytical/load monitoring elements to the software piece of their applications which only enhance your analysis and data sharing as a coach/athlete. I highly encourage you to give them a try.

While technology is not the foundation of what makes a successful training program it is becoming increasingly important. The items discussed above are by no means exhaustive but are some of the most commonly used and semi-affordable pieces to implement depending on your individual situation. Leveraging technology pieces like these are an investment worthwhile if used appropriately and can provide depth in analysis/decision making. Start by implementing one at a time and ensure that you understand it’s use appropriately. Remember, data collection simply for the sake of collection is a waste of time however data collection plus analysis and action equal results.

What is Isometric Training?

When considering resistance training, two primary actions occur, concentric and eccentric. Concentric actions occur when our muscle(s) contract and shorten to change a joint angle. The easiest example to consider is a bicep curl, where we actively bring our closed fist towards the same side shoulder to shorten the bicep. Contrarily, eccentric actions occur when our muscle lengthens, the inverse action of what I previously described where instead of bringing the weight up, we lower it back down.

Between these two movements, we have isometric muscle contractions, where there is no change in muscle length at all. The interesting part is that isometric contractions can occur at nearly any range of motion (more on this in a bit) and they offer a unique twist to most conventional exercises. Everybody does some variation of isometric muscle contractions in their daily lives whether know it or not. When you are standing completely still you are technically performing an isometric contraction to support your body weight, although it might not feel like much. Isometric contractions vary tremendously in terms of their difficulty and benefits depending on how they are manipulated as well as what their cofactors are. Asking you to go from standing on both legs to only standing on one is a simple example of this. Both require isometric contractions to occur, however, the input of only having one leg to stand on changes the dynamic dramatically.

Benefits and Placement of Isometric Training

As previously mentioned, the benefits of isometric exercise are abundant. One of the greatest offerings is the ease with which you can work on maximum voluntary contractions (MVC). MVC is essentially our body’s ability to recruit as many motor units as possible to perform a given task, i.e., how hard can we push/pull something or how much force we can generate. This may not sound like a groundbreaking principle, but consider that rarely, if ever do we test our MVC. To reach peak MVC in the gym via movements involving changes in muscle length (concentric and eccentric) like the back squat for example, we would need to be at or near failure on said movement. This is daunting and quite frankly a bit unsafe for most people for obvious reasons. Conversely, when we train MVC through isometric exercise we are improving our capacity to generate force which then carries over into our ability to apply force at all ranges.

Another added benefit of isometric training is its utility in rehabilitation programs for injured athletes. If for example, an athlete has suffered a knee injury that limits their ability to move through a full range of motion, then most movements are off the table. In this instance, isometric exercises can serve to train strength in some capacity without risking injury or further damage. This could be done with something as simple as an isometric leg extension where the athlete extends their leg (depending on their injury) and contracts for a set period (i.e., 30 seconds). In a scenario where severely limited or restricted altogether, this can be a saving grace and something an athlete latches onto until they can begin adding further variety back in.

One of the most unique aspects isometric training offers is its potential for “highly specific” positional training. Take for example an alpine ski racer, an athlete with whom I have a lot of experience working. We can put them in a low crouched position like their stance while gliding on the racecourse and have them actively resist against a load whether it be on their back, pulling from one side, or pushing from another side. This provides a stimulus unlike anything else they would be able to perform in a conventional movement and may aid them in training more specifically. I won’t tout it as a magic bullet by any means, but it is certainly a unique offering that gives isometric training a leg up in “specificity”.

Last but most certainly not least, isometric movements can be an excellent addition to a warmup or “activation” portion of a training session. I commonly incorporate isometric split squat holds on days when I will be doing heavy lower body work to get my body ready for what’s to come. By doing an isometric movement before anything dynamic, you’re allowing your body and more specifically your nervous system the chance to “turn on” a bit before you add further load. For those who are slightly more injury-prone or like to take their warm-up a bit more seriously, this is a phenomenal addition and can be placed in nearly any training program with ease.

There isn’t necessarily one protocol to definitively train isometric movements, as it will greatly depend on an individual’s situation, goals, training history, the movement they are performing, etc. There are some solid general guidelines, however. According to the International Journal of Sports Medicine, the following guidelines can help you find the right protocol for your situation:

– 70-75% of your MVC (about 7.5 out of 10 maximum effort) for exercises intended to increase hypertrophy. This should be sustained for 3-30 seconds per repetition with a total contraction time duration of 80-150 seconds per session.

– 80-100% of your MVC (8-10 out of 10 maximum effort) for exercise intended to increase maximum strength. This should be sustained for 1-5 seconds per repetition with a total contraction time of 30-90 seconds per session.

Summary

Isometric training methods can be an excellent addition to most programs, and they offer a unique approach to achieving many different goals. They are often overlooked because they are often misunderstood or thought to be ineffective however that is far from the truth. Nearly everyone who performs some form of resistance training can and should incorporate some type of isometric training into their program regularly to yield maximum results. Give them a try sometime and consider incorporating them in one or more of the several ways discussed previously in this article.

Children instinctually begin to crawl from a very young age as they are hard-wired to do so; unfortunately, many adults lose the ability to crawl throughout their adult years properly. This is due to several factors, including a sedentary lifestyle, injuries, declining fitness, and atrophying neural pathways, to name a few. Despite this reality, crawling can and should be part of a holistic training program; however, most individuals cannot execute any crawling variation properly, which can lead to more harm than good.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When most coaches refer to crawling within a training program, they are often referring to “Bear Crawls.” Typically, this involves an awkward shuffle or gallop with the butt high in the air, which places a great deal of stress on one’s elbows, shoulders, and wrists. Unfortunately, these are not the correct way to do Bear Crawls and could be detrimental.

A properly executed crawling movement stimulates the muscles throughout the arms, legs, and torso, which activates sensory nerves in the feet/hands. Every time a step is taken, the corresponding muscles around that area reflexively fire. The contra-lateral (opposite) shoulders and hips learn to work in a coordinated fashion where the mind and body are being stimulated in an equally taxing fashion.

Properly executed bear crawls are performed in a slow yet methodical way with no unnecessary movement. At baseline, the knees should be directly under the hips while the hands are directly under the shoulders. Both knees should be slightly elevated from the ground but no more than 1-2 inches off the ground, all while the shoulders remain in a relaxed yet stable position. This means that the trapezius muscles are not excessively elevated, and the scapula properly glides with every step. An athlete performing a well-executed bear crawl should be able to balance a glass of water on their back without a drop spilling because they are under control and maintaining a neutral spine throughout. With every step, one hand should move forward while the contra-laterally corresponding foot moves in concert. A well-executed bear crawl is not only challenging but should feel very difficult.

How To Incorporate Bear Crawls

Once a firm understanding of how to execute the Bear Crawl movement has been achieved, it can still be difficult to understand where it optimally fits into a training program. Traditionally, they have been used as a method of conditioning, warm-up, or punishment for those who feel a bit devious. While the latter two methods can still be an option, conditioning and crawling are rather incompatible in that they should not be performed for long stretches at a time because maintaining high-quality form is of utmost importance and is extremely hard to do for extended periods, which conditioning requires. Instead, Bear Crawls can be included as s stand-alone movement or supplemental movement within a properly constructed training program. Crawling and, more specifically, bear crawls offer a unique approach to training a movement pattern that is often neglected or forgotten by adults of the modern age, even those who train regularly. Practically speaking, the following progression is an option for those who wish to begin incorporating Bear Crawls appropriately:

Week 1-3: Regular Bear Crawls

– Sets: 3-4

– Distance: 10-15 Meters for each set

Weeks 4-6: Backwards Bear Crawls

– Sets 3-4

– Distance 10-15 Meters for each set

Weeks 7-9: Lateral Bear Crawls

– Sets 3-4

– Distance 10-15 in each direction per set

These progressions are not to be hard-coded by any standard and can be altered or mixed/matched depending on one’s ability to execute them effectively. The most important piece to appropriately implementing crawling movements is to execute them low, slow, and with precision. They are a fantastic addition to all programs and will aid anyone who seeks to regain or maintain their primitive locomotive function. Keep crawling on, my friends.

What Is It?

Kettlebell expert and StrongFirst director of education, Brett Jones, classifies the kettlebell windmill as “A loaded stretch and strengthening exercise” which I find to be an excellent description. As previously mentioned, most individuals struggle to wrap their heads around this movement because they aren’t exactly sure what its function is or where it belongs in a program.

To elaborate, the primary area where the “stretch” should be felt is in and around the hip area which is the primary driver of the entire movement, if done correctly. An additional stretch can be felt in the hamstrings and chest as well depending on one’s current mobility status. Mobility through the thoracic spine is also critical to ensure one can rotate their upper body through the movement effectively, although no traditional “stretch” will likely be felt in that area.

One could argue that this movement is a full-body strengthening exercise, but the primary emphasis is placed on both the core and shoulder/scapular joint. To perform this movement effectively, the scapula must remain packed while keeping the arm straight so that it divides the middle axis of the body. The core keeps the postural integrity of the back intact while also allowing the hips to remain slightly hinged. Upper body strength also plays a role, as it is what gets the weight overhead in the first place and holds it there throughout the movement.

How To Perform

1.) Much like building a house, this movement starts from the bottom up, specifically the stance. A common mistake I see most people make on this movement is assuming a stance that is too wide which ultimately does not allow for the hips to move properly. The feet should ideally be hip-width apart, and certainly no great than shoulder-width apart. A slight angle should be taken such that feet are about a quarter turn or angled outward at 45 degrees.

2.) Next, the weight is pressed overhead while the core is braced appropriately. This means no flaring of the rib cage or sucking the belly in, but instead breathing diaphragmatically and bracing appropriately.

3.) You are now ready for what Brett calls the “shift and lift”, a term he coined that I find rather useful in coaching this movement. The hip that is under the weight shifts back and up at approximately a 45-degree angle, which aids in that leg getting vertical. The weight distribution should be about 70% on the back leg and 30% on the front leg while the rear heel stays completely flat. A slight or soft knee bend is advised on the front leg as well so that the hip is more freely able to move, and no strain is placed on that leg itself. An excellent representation of the “shift and lift” is pictured in Figures 1 and 2 below. Figure 1 represents the beginning of the movement noted by a symmetrical stance, and Figure 2 represents the shifting of the hips where the rear leg is now vertical and the front leg is at a greater angle.

Visual adapted from Brett Jones, StrongFirst.com

While the hip shift and lift occur, the upper body must extend in a straight line of the hip, ultimately falling into the same 45-degree angle as it parallels the hip. Thoracic mobility is key here because the upper body will rotate as the shift occurs so that the arm holding the weight is vertical. There must be no lateral flexion of the spine here so that stress is not placed on the lumbar spine in any fashion.

4.) Lastly, as the hip shift and lift continue, the free arm should reach towards the inside heel of the front leg, touching the ground if your mobility and execution of the movement are up to par. Touching the ground does not have to be the primary emphasis of the movement but maintaining control throughout the movement at an increased range of motion will likely provide greater benefits. Ensure that you maintain the proper weight distribution throughout the entire movement, (70-30), and do not allow any flexion of the spine in any direction.

Where does it belong in a program?

Once you understand the proper execution of this movement, it can still be slightly confusing to determine where exactly it belongs in a comprehensive training program. If thought of like a restaurant menu, this movement will never be a “main dish”, but rather an appetizer or side which enhances the rest of the meal.

It serves as a fantastic “primer” to heavier compound movements such as the squat, deadlift, or overhead press that place a significant demand on the hips and shoulders respectively. It is also a fantastic accessory movement that can be placed in between other demanding exercises to provide active recovery or maintain limber mobility. It must certainly be respected, and requires one full attention to detail, but can truly be implemented wherever one desires it to be in their program or even as a stand-alone movement on days when a lot of sitting occurs.

I would certainly advise starting with little to no weight as you begin experimenting with this movement and learning the proper technique to ensure you do not injure yourself. Once you’ve confidently grooved the pattern in an unloaded manner, start adding load slowly and ensure that range of motion/movement execution never comes at the cost of movement quality.

Conclusion

Perhaps one of the most misunderstood movements out there today, the kettlebell windmill, is a phenomenal addition to any training program when executed correctly. It challenges hip, shoulder, and thoracic mobility as well as scapular stability in a way that is unmatched by many other movements. It is extremely versatile and be done by novice to advanced trainees alike. Give it a shot and toss it into your next training program to test it out for yourself. Thanks for reading.

The most important characteristics and habits of young athletes to have to be successful.

Important Characteristics Athletes Should Have

1) Coachable

Successful athletes want to be coached. They love to learn and set their ego aside to understand that critique is simply a means toward self-improvement, not a malicious attack. It’s extremely difficult to be critical of your performance, particularly at a young age. Still, the sooner you can open yourself up to being coached and correcting mistakes, the better results you will yield.

2) Hungry

A great athlete always remains hungry. They may have a great performance or a great season and can celebrate momentarily, but they do not dwell on their laurels. Conversely, a poor performance or less than expected outcome does not deter them. Time wasted on riding too high or too low for too long is time that could have been spent on self-improvement. They attack every day, every session, every set, and every rep with intent and focus. Remember that opportunities, particularly in athletics, are a privilege and not a right. They can be taken away at any time and therefore should be given nothing less than 100%.

3) Consistent

The best of the best never makes excuses; they always find a way to get it done. They have their priorities in line and understand that greatness is the sum of doing all of the little things right day in and day out. It’s easy to be motivated and do every workout for a week or even a month, but it requires a commitment to ensure you stay the course when motivation wanes.

4) White Belt Mentality

Athletes who never stop growing and never stop learning have some of the longest and most successful careers of all. They never believe that they know everything or are above the fundamentals. They realize they can always learn something new or do something a bit better. As Vince Lombardi once said, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we catch excellence”.

5) Passion

Last but certainly not least, long-time successful athletes have passion for what they do. They bring everybody around them up and go the extra mile to get ahead. Viewing every action and every extra thing they do as an investment helps them to gain the needed edge over their counterparts. I firmly believe that no matter what you choose to do in life, make sure that it’s something you love, and you give it your all. Leave this life with no regrets.

Healthy Habits For Athletes

1) Sleep and Nutrition

Some athletes can get away with less-than-ideal sleep patterns and atrocious eating habits, but not forever. One day these things will catch up with you, and despite the nomenclature from some that say, “Well ____ athlete eats whatever he/she wants” or “____ athlete only sleep 4 hours a night and still successful”, it doesn’t matter. Ask yourself, how much better could they be if they improved these things? Why wouldn’t you do something as simple as eating well and sleeping well to improve your performance? Prioritize getting 8-10 hours of restful sleep a night, eating whole minimally processed nutrient-dense foods, and drinking adequate amounts of water.

2) Mindfulness and Meditation

The body is only part of the equation in terms of athletic success. The mind is the rest. I’ve witnessed countless athletes who had all of the potentials in the world slip through the cracks simply because they couldn’t get their minds right. In practice, they looked invincible, but when the light came on and the crowd began to cheer, they crumbled. Focus on mental imagery and meditation or even seek a qualified sports psychologist’s guidance if you have the means to do so to improve your mind. You will not be sorry.

3) Seeking Help

We as humans, often allow our ego to get in the way of everything and believe we already have all of the answers. The best athletes I’ve ever known are not afraid to ask for help or advice on something they’re struggling with. They can identify their weaknesses and be analytical in a positive way. We have resources available to us for assistance if we look around hard enough and choose to use them, make sure you do.

4) Planning

Perhaps most importantly as an athlete is being organized and planning. The quote “failing to plan is planning to fail” sounds cliché but reigns true in athletics. Athletes must map their path to success and follow the appropriate steps along the way. Blindly training will result in years of wasted effort and untapped potential. Map your road to success and stick to it.

Remember that as a young athlete, there will be challenges and obstacles along the way. It’s part of the journey. The most successful athletes build a solid foundation of habits from a very young age and have characteristics instilled in them. Do an honest assessment of yourself and if you see areas with which to improve on, act now, don’t wait! Best of luck.

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Common Error

The origin of improper breathing mechanics for heavy loads stems from what most of us are taught at the beginning of our physical activity journey. Take the squat for example, perhaps we learn this movement as a child or newbie gym-goer with nothing more than our own body weight (hopefully this is the case) and we are instructed to “breath in on the way down” and “breathe out on the way up”. Most people might scratch their head and wonder, “yeah, how else are you supposed to do it?”, which is a fair question. This method isn’t necessarily incorrect when we are only moving our body weight or light loads that are not dangerous to us, but what about when we want to lift something significantly heavier for ~1-5 repetitions? What happens then?

Let’s start with the first issue, chest breathing. Most of us take a big deep “shallow breath” (I know it sounds like an oxymoron but stay with me) and fill our chest with air when we think of “breathing in”. Ask yourself, what function does this provide? Quite frankly, not much.

The second issue comes right after which is the exhale or “breath out” portion. This is not advisable when using heavier loads which will be further explained in a minute. The primary point that is important to note about this technique of breathing is that it doesn’t serve any real function regarding heavy resistance training, it simply brings air in and pushes it back out. This might be ok for aerobic exercise, and while still necessary so you don’t pass out, not the primary emphasis of breath control during anaerobic movements aka resistance training.

The Right Way

You’re probably wondering now, “how the heck am I supposed to be breathing anyway if I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time?”. Great question… deep diaphragmatic breathing! Before I give you all the details, here’s a quick image of what I’m talking about:

As you can see when we breathe diaphragmatically or “deep into our abdomen area” we create internal pressure. When we combine this internal pressure with proper bracing of our core muscles, we essentially create our own “brace” if you will, or barrier around our spine to keep things stable. This is an important distinction from simply attempting to brace our core muscles alone. We are instead actively filling the diaphragm, and bracing everything properly, to create the desired stability. Now just imagine if you were to exhale or let all that air out on the concentric portion of your squat. That would be quite disastrous likely causing you to fold or fail on the lift.

This technique does have a name; it’s called the “Valsalva” maneuver. You can try this for yourself, and I highly encourage you to do so if you intend on lifting anything heavy. Start by breathing deep into your abdomen such that your belly begins to slightly protrude out. Ideally, you’d like to avoid any movement or rise in your chest while doing this. Next, once you’ve filled your abdomen with air, contract your core muscles tight and hold them in place which includes essentially everything from your rib cage down to your glutes. Now you are ready to descend on your squat and return to the top while maintaining this internal pressure throughout the entire movement. This does require you to “hold your breath”, which can cause an increase in blood pressure and if held for too long, cause lightheadedness, so be careful and reset your breath between each rep to ensure you don’t pass out! Also, consult with your health care provider if you are at risk for any issues which may be of concern with this type of breathing or your blood pressure in general just to be safe.

Summary

Proper breathing technique is perhaps one of the simplest yet overlooked aspects of training we can all control. It is something that can be actioned immediately and makes a huge difference in our overall level of performance and safety. It doesn’t take long to learn, and once implemented correctly, will become the preferential method with which to perform all moderate to heavy resistance training movements. Don’t just take my word for it, try it for yourself and note the differences in how you feel and perform. Good luck.

Know The Athlete

Athletes are humans. First, they are somebody’s son, daughter, brother, mother, sister, or father always remember that. Their chosen sport is only a drop in the can of the entire ecosystem we call life. Assessing the athlete in the athletic setting alone and attempting to motivate them through such a narrow lens will often fail in terms of success. Coaches must take the time to understand where their athletes come from, what their home life is like, the different obstacles and successes or failures they’ve overcome. This is how truly meaningful relationships are built, and how coaches get a view into what makes an athlete strive for greatness or why they do what they do. The experiences one has had in their life ultimately shape their thoughts and behaviors. A coach that takes a path of empathy can relate to their athletes on a level greater than athletics. This is how trust is built. This is how buy-in is created. This is the seed for instilling motivation.

Communication

Effective communication is another pillar of motivation. If one cannot get their point across or resonate with whom they are trying to reach, motivation will never be found. Communication can take on many forms, it can be a daily reminder to stay focused, an inspirational speech, or even a reassuring conversation. The most effective method of communication will ultimately fall back on knowing how an athlete responds best. A motivational conversation or talk with an athlete or group of athletes must be relevant, relatable, and actionable. As a coach, attempting to motivate a group of football players before a long week of practice by yelling angrily at them with no advice to improve upon and failing to take any ownership for mistakes yourself will likely motivate nobody. Instead, being honest about mistakes made by oneself and providing constructive action items can provide the framework needed to motivate improvements and better performance.

Leading By Example

Lastly, but most important in the path to motivating others is leading by example. Nobody will follow a coward into battle who crumbles at the first sign of hardship they encounter. Similarly, no athletes will listen to a coach who preaches discipline, timeliness, and work ethic who consistently shows up late skips their workouts, and eats’ like trash. Practice what you preach, show others the way, and that great things can be accomplished by being disciplined and putting in the work. It’s critical to remember that when coaching a group of athletes, particularly younger ones, you are serving as a role model and instilling values and habits that those young men or women will carry for the rest of their lives. Do your best to create not only better athletes but better humans by doing better yourself first.

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What Is ACWR?

ACWR is a metric that attempts to monitor athlete load by dividing a ‘fatigue’ component by a ‘fitness’ component. Load is either considered external, such as total distance covered while running, or internal, such as rate of perceived exertion (RPE) while running. While the external load or output between two individuals can be identical, the internal load may be far different, demonstrating that the overall load will vary depending on one’s level of fitness. ACWR theorizes that utilizing both measures can aid in determining whether one is in a state of readiness and ability to tolerate high loads or in a state of fatigue and potentially risking injury or severely decreased levels of performance. The ACWR is analyzed by dividing acute load (AL), typically load over the last week, by chronic load, which is typically a rolling average of the previous 3-6 weeks. If the acute workload is demonstrated to be higher than chronic workload, then this risk for injury is also considered to be greater too. Some sports scientists contend that anything over a ratio of 1 is considered to be a risk for injury while others contend that anything between 0.8 and 1.3 is safe, however, the exact ratio is highly debatable and lacks clear scientific evidence.

Is It Effective?

Intuitively, one can infer that too much of anything is not a good thing, and athlete training load is no different. The question that remains is how much change in load is too much? Research has demonstrated that an ACWR of 1.77 and greater (2, 3) may increase the risk for injury in athletic populations, however, an exact ratio has never been established and remains highly variable in the academic literature. This is not to say that athlete load monitoring should not be done or can’t be done, but when significant time and resources are used to collect such data, it is wise to examine its efficacy.

The idea of an ACWR greater than ~1.3 representing the threshold for injury risk sounds nice. It’s precise and allows one a marker or hard line to ensure they do not cross for the overall safety of the athlete. While the intention is likely pure, athletics are messy, and so too are the methods with which training load is conducted and analyzed. The ACWR methodology has several fundamental flaws that cannot be overlooked, making it difficult to justify as a reliable method of load monitoring. Below are a few of the most notable.

– Variations in data collection methods

o The use of internal data collection methods such as rate RPE presents issues of data reliability because they are highly subjective. Assigning the difficulty of a task to a number on a scale (1-10) can be highly variable to one’s experience, the current level of fitness, the task being conducted, current well-being, and overall disposition among many other factors.

– Arbitrary Units

o The ACWR commonly uses arbitrary units (AU) to quantify the overall load of an activity. For example, if a long-distance runner does a 10-mile run in 70 minutes and has an RPE of 6, then they would be assigned 420AU for that run (70min * RPE 6 = 420AU). This does not provide any information about the average heart rate, average stride length, steps per minute, or any other objective data that may provide greater insight into the actual efficiency or difficulty of the activity for that individual. Where this issue stands out is in the time portion of the measurement. Take the same example of the long-distance runner who was assigned 420AU for their 10-mile run and compare that to an MMA fighter who does a 3-round fight consisting of 3, 5-minute rounds. They would rate that activity as an RPE of 10, however, they would only be assigned 150AU (15min * RPE 10 = 150AU) making the long-distance run count towards a great AL. This presents issues when examining the AL versus the CL without any granularity on the nature of the activities.

– Progressive Overload

o At times athletes must partake in what is known as ‘functional overreaching’ to improve their overall levels of fitness (1) (assuming that adequate recovery is granted) however this will depend on their current level of fitness and ability to withstand the load. For some, a week of training, possibly two or three in a row, may necessitate a sharp spike in training volume/intensity to induce the stimulus required for adaptation. This in turn will then cause the ACWR to spike and suggest the athlete is at risk for injury. Assuming that this is what was intended to happen, then the coach and athlete are likely aware of this too, however, individuals attempting to adhere to a rule of never climbing over an ACWR of ~1.3 may end up contradicting this training.

Summary

While the use of the ACWR for athlete load management may be of merit to some and in fact be better than no monitoring at all, it is difficult to justify its use as an efficacious method at large. Several fundamental flaws exist within its modality and the parameters with which it is defined remain relatively obscure. The intention of using the ACWR to reduce athletic injury is a noble one, however, blindly accepting its use and implementing it in any high-performance setting without considering the aforementioned discussion points appears to be rather irresponsible.

1. Aubry A, Hausswirth C, Louis J, Coutts AJ, and Le Meur Y. Functional overreaching: the key to peak performance during the taper. Med Sci Sports Exerc 46: 1769-1777, 2014.

2. Bowen L, Gross AS, Gimpel M, and Li F-X. Accumulated workloads and the acute: chronic workload ratio relate to injury risk in elite youth football players. British journal of sports medicine 51: 452-459, 2017.

3. Carey DL, Blanch P, Ong K-L, Crossley KM, Crow J, and Morris ME. Training loads and injury risk in Australian football—differing acute: chronic workload ratios influence match injury risk. British journal of sports medicine 51: 1215-1220, 2017.

4. Impellizzeri FM, Woodcock S, Coutts A, Fanchini M, McCall A, and Vigotsky A. What role do chronic workloads play in the acute-to-chronic workload ratio? Time to dismiss ACWR and its underlying theory. Sports Medicine 51: 581-592, 2021.

5. Maupin D, Schram B, Canetti E, and Orr R. The relationship between acute: chronic workload ratios and injury risk in sports: a systematic review. Open access journal of sports medicine 11: 51, 2020.

In comparison, youth athletes typically have their parents, a sports coach, and a trainer to guide their training process. Despite this stark difference in resources, some parents and coaches turn a blind eye to their youth athlete’s rest and recovery process, opting instead to load the schedule up with more practices, more training sessions, and more skills camps than there are daylight hours. In most cases, this overdose of structured activity is done with good-willed intentions by parents and coaches who fall prey to the “get ahead” trap or “more is always better” mantra. So, the question is, how does one prevent a youth athlete from overtraining? Plus, what leads to overtraining?

How Overtraining Occurs

I’ve said it many times before in my discussions with parents and coaches who want more of everything for their child/athlete, and I’ll repeat it. Kids are not just small adults. Let that sink in for a second. Kids are astonishingly resilient and can do more than most of us can ever imagine, but that doesn’t mean we should push them to their limits. They are developing beings who need a well-rounded approach to the developmental process. Unlike the adult athlete who may be paid or making a career out of their selected sport, kids do not fall in the same boat. They must balance school, social life, relationships, this weird thing called puberty, and loads of social media stress tossed at them daily that most of us never grew up with. Every practice, every game, every camp, and every training session that is stacked on top of what a child considers enjoyable is like a piece of the Jenga tower being pulled away and stacked on top. It may not cause the whole thing to collapse today, maybe not tomorrow, next week, or even this year, but eventually, it will come crashing down if continued stress is applied.

As previously mentioned, parents typically have their child’s best interest at heart and may not know what overtraining looks like. It’s not as concrete as one may think and will significantly depend on the child’s unique training capacity, training age, and recoverability.

Three-steps On Dealing With Stress

1) Functional Overreaching
Often known as, “short-term overreaching”, increased training loads lead to a temporary decrease in performance but improved performance after rest. This decrease in performance should only last a few days to around a week with a positive outcome. Good training and recovery typically fall under this category.

2) Nonfunctional Overreaching
Often known as, “long-term overreaching”, intense training leads to more prolonged performance decreases (weeks to months) but full recovery after adequate rest. This is where things start to get dangerous. There are no positive outcomes in performance from nonfunctional overreaching, and continuing down this path can ultimately lead to full-blown overtraining syndrome.

3) Overtraining Syndrome
As previously noted, this is seen by long performance decrements as well as possibly severe physiological, psychological, endocrinologic, and immunologic issues. This can often be a career-killer in terms of an athlete’s physical, psychosocial framework.

How does one know where a youth athlete falls under this spectrum, you may ask? Well, it’s rather difficult to say as the lines tend to get fuzzy quite quickly. If an athlete sees performance decrease, no longer has the motivation to train or is having sleep, eating, stress, or issues, there may be a problem. I am admittedly not qualified to directly diagnose somebody with overtraining syndrome, nor are most individuals in my line of work. Professionals can do bloodwork and hormonal tests to help determine what is going on with an individual and is highly encouraged if it is believed that one is truly overtrained. Without diving into what the research and data say, I’ll point you towards a presentation I made a few years back that can give you further information if you so desire, found here. That being said, it is best to prevent this from ever being in question and doing the right things in the first place, leading into our last section.

Tips To Prevent Overtraining

The best way to prevent overtraining is to recover like a king! Here are some great ways to keep youth athletes recovering properly and avoiding overtraining for the entirety of their careers.

1) Sleep
Sleep is perhaps the most under-appreciated, underrated recovery tool of all. Athletes will inquire about endless supplements, exercises, and training methods without first checking the most important box of all, their sleep. Aiming for 8-9 hours of restful sleep a night is ideal. To do so, this may mean setting an earlier bedtime, putting the screens (phone, tablets, TVs, etc.) away 1-2 hours before bed, and practicing meditation, journaling, or some other calming practice before bed to fall asleep on time.

2) Nutrition
You can’t build a house without adequate materials. Similarly, you can’t repair and recover from intense training without the proper fuel. Athletes often get preoccupied with the daily grind of their busy schedules and settle for suboptimal food choices or don’t eat adequate amounts of nutritious foods altogether. Prioritize the consumption of protein, nutrient-dense carbohydrates (fruits and vegetables), and drink enough water! If nutrition is a sticking point, consider hiring a coach to write out meal plans and save the headaches of poor eating habits.

3) Massage, Mobility, Sauna, and More
There are endless recovery methods out there today. Generally speaking, one should prioritize working on movement restrictions, dysfunctional movement patterns, and nagging injuries to ensure they can keep training. Think of these remedial methods as taking your car to the shop to get a tune-up and detail. You will have to do a little research and perhaps get some consultation on what is needed most, but taking full advantage of these types of things can make a world of difference.

4) Off-Days
This phenomenon seems to be crazy talk these days and unfortunately alludes to many youth athletes. I’ve met some youth athletes that have never had a day off of sports practice, training, or some other type of event for their entire high school career, including holidays. Allow kids to have unstructured, free play time, and watch how much more refreshed and energized they come back to their respective sport. Taking time off is as much mental as it is physical. It’s ok not to be playing an organized sport every season of the year. Similarly, it is equally ok to play multiple sports.

Overtraining is somewhat rare in individuals who are training for a specific goal. Most people simply burn out and quit before ever reaching that stage. To avoid ever reaching either of the stages, consider taking an honest look at how the youth athletes your train or are your children are doing with their current workload. Employ some of these tips mentioned above to avoid overtraining, but above all else, communicate effectively and know when it may be time to dial things back.

Remember, although competitive sports may only be a small part of a daily routine, health and enjoyment from recreational sporting activities should remain for life as long as overtraining and burnout do not ruin them for good.

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3 Strategies to Monitor Your Athletes and Prevent Overtraining
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