Under Armour Underground: TNP Training

Improve your Bench: Part 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:54:00 -0500

Last month, we discussed the basic purpose of the bench press exercise in a performance enhancement program, and provided some basic tips for improvement in this important upper body strength movement. This month, it’s time to implement some basic program design into how to integrate the bench press into a strength improvement program.

Below is a sample two day lifting program to improve upper body strength levels especially geared towards improvements in the bench press. This is only a sample and there are many different exercises that can be utilized to improve in this area. The two upper body lifting sessions should be done with a minimum of 72 hours rest between workouts if at all possible. Be sure to incorporate into your training program an equal amount of exercises geared towards improving strength in the legs, core, and back regions as well.

The exercises listed below that are designated with an asterisk (*), are designated as the core movements and require a warmup of lighter weights to prepare the muscles for the three working sets that follow. Warmup sets should be done with from 8 to 10 repetitions. The undesignated sets are assistance movements and the athlete should be sufficiently warmed up at this point to train with challenging weights right from the onset. For all your sets, choose a weight that will allow you to get all your required repetitions without assistance from your spotter.

DAY #1

*Bench Press Warmup + 3 sets

*Incline Dumbell Bench Warmup + 3 sets

Barbell Upright Rows 3 sets of 8 reps

Dumbell Side Raises 3 sets of 8 reps

Weighted Dips 3 sets of 8 reps

DAY #2

*Incline Bench Press Warmup + 3 sets

*Dumbell Bench Press Warmup + 3 sets

*Seated Overhead Press Warmup + 3 sets

Dumbell Front Raises 3 sets of 8 reps

Tricep Pushdowns 3 sets of 8 reps

This program should be implemented for an 8 week training period at which point the athlete is encouraged to take an “off load” training week where he/she uses lighter weights in order to allow recovery for the body. Here are the number of repetitions for each week that the athlete is to perform in each core (designated by *), movement.

Weeks 1 & 2 10 reps

Weeks 3 & 4 8 reps

Week 5 6 reps

Weeks 6 & 7 5 reps

Week 8 3 reps

Make sure you have competent spotters at all times. Any questions? Post them up here on the blog! Good luck and work hard!

Winning...

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:20:00 -0500

Its an art...and it takes teamwork.

The true reality of winning is that the best lesson learned from the experience is how to win- and why teams win. In order to capture the Grand Prize of a Championship Victory- teams must not just play together, believe in each other, and sacrifice themselves and their bodies- they must free their body of selfishness and do whatever it takes to put the team first, and their teammates first.

The glory of winning- and the marvels that go along with winning sometimes overshadow the lesson at hand- teams win in team sports- and this is a culmination of individual sacrifice to achieve greatness. In the game of baseball- those trying to hit a home run to help the team often times help the team lose- where those that drop a sacrifice bunt to "make something happen" often times become unrecognized heroes in regards to media coverage- but in the mind of the team- that player has achieved respect and clout amongst teammates. To win time and time again- these characteristics have to become a part of who your are- be present everyday- not just when a player feels like it.

The lesson to recap is simple- to win for the team- play for the team- not for yourself- and you will be blessed with winning- which in turn leads to personal fulfillment since you know you contributed to achieving the grand prize.

Train Hard, Skate Fast!

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:52:00 -0500

Training and doing all your elements for speed is important, but don’t forget one of the most important keys to gaining speed on the ice – Skate Direction. In Hockey, there are many changes of direction on every shift. The sooner you can learn to steer both skates in the direction that you would like to go, the faster and more efficient skater you will become. The more efficient skater you become, the better you will be at the end of the game, the end of the weekend, and the end of the season after 60-80games.

Speed comes from pushing your skates as much as possible to the side. This is true when you are turning as well. Always having your skates traveling on the same radius is the key. In turns, by keeping both skates traveling on the same radius you will quite your upper body movement, which in turn, will produce better stick-handling, better vision, and quicker and harder shots on net.

Remember, no matter where you go on ice both toe boxes should be facing that same direction. Feel the Speed!

In-Season Training

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:31:00 -0500

It's often been said that great athletes are made in the off-season. I believe that statement is true to a certain degree. However, if indeed, great athletes are made in the off-season then great players emerge during the season. Typically, during the off-season the objective of any program is to improve one's physical capabilities such as quickness, strength, power, speed, body composition to name a few. Quite frankly, it is imperative that an athlete strive to improve those aforementioned qualities with the goal of maintaining those improvements during the season.

For me, the easy part of being a strength and conditioning is planning, organizing, and coaching athletes during the off-season. During this period ,the athlete tends to be highly focused on getting better physically because they are not subject to the physical and mental demands of their competitive schedule. Once an athlete enters into their competitive schedule, the game/sport itself becomes the focal point of their preparation and the improvement of movement/strength qualities are less of a priority.

It is vital that all athletes continue to strive to enhance strength, mobility, fitness and other game related physical qualities during the season if one hopes to maximize performance and minimize injury during the course of a season. I always ask my athletes" When do you need to be at your strongest, fastest, or best condition; during the season or before the season". Naturally, they all answer during the season because the physical demands are at their highest and therefore require one to train during the season.

Remember, if you want to play at a high level all season, you must train during the season as well.

Under Armour and IMG Form Unprecedented Partnership

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 10:50:00 -0500

Under Armour and IMG Academies announced today that they are forming a partnership to develop a unique comprehensive athletic training platform that will establish a global measurement standard for improved sports performance, health and fitness called “Combine360.”

By utilizing the performance and training expertise of Under Armour and IMG Performance, Combine360 will measure and record sport-specific ability and mental aptitude, nutritional level, ability to communicate and a variety of other performance disciplines allowing athletes of all abilities from across the world to compare their scores.

As part of this new venture, beginning in early 2010, Under Armour and IMG Performance will host over 100 combines at regional sites across the country. Staffed by some of the world’s top performance specialists from Under Armour and the IMG Performance Institute, the combines will lay the foundation for a consistent platform for athletic analysis. This partnership will also help establish testing metrics, training methodology, certification standards and continuing educational programs to maximize athletic development and performance potential. The focal points of this integrated training platform are at three levels: 90 (Core Physical), 180 (Sports-Specific Physical) and 360 (Advanced Elements). These tests will include physical conditioning, muscle regeneration, nutrition, sports medicine and anthropometric assessments.

To kick off the partnership and showcase the multi-sport applications of this joint initiative, Under Armour and IMG Performance hosted a special grassroots combine for dedicated football, soccer and rugby players (ages 8-18) this past Saturday, October 24^th at London’s Finsbury Park Stadium in conjunction with the NFL game in London between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Over 250 talented athletes participated in this first-ever program. The head of the IMG Performance Institute’s Strength and Conditioning program, Jeff Dillman, along with performance specalist Corey Stenstrup, and the Head of Mental Conditioning, Dr. Angus Mugford all crossed the Atlantic to work with some of the UK’s young athletic talent. Athletes attending the combine got some hands on coaching and sport skill work from some of the best coaches out there, including IMG’s own Director of the IMG Soccer Academy - Tom Durkin, in addition to Drew Brees’ Strength Coach and head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council Todd Durkin, Big E, Eric Ogbogu, who is the face of Under Armour and Under Armour Combines coach Noel Mazzone.

To see video of the UK Combine click here.

Jay's New Workout

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:18:00 -0500

Rip G’s

It is what every athlete on the offensive side of the ball wants to do in the sport of lacrosse.   Translation, score a goal. Offensive players are always looking for a way to improve shot velocity. Along with strengthening the muscles of the lower body and the midsection, improving stabilization of the shoulder will allow for greater shot velocity. Shoulder stabilization is just as important for a lacrosse player as it is for a baseball pitcher (or any other throwing/striking athlete). Here are some exercises to add to your routine.

I-Y-T:

Lay face down on a flat bench at a 45-degree angle. Holding a weight (keep it light 3 – 8 pounds) with your thumbs extended, let your arms hang at each side of the bench.   Keeping your arms straight, raise them in front of you so your thumb is pointed toward the ceiling.   You will resemble an “I”, hold the position for a 2 second count.   Get a good squeeze of the muscles between the shoulder blades. Return the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat the motion.

From the same position raise your arms at a 45-degree angle, forming a “Y”. Lastly raise your arms out to the side, forming a “T”.

Sets: 2 sets for I, Y and T

Reps: 12 – 15

Scap Push-Up / External Rotation:

Start in a plank position. Lower your body toward the ground (from this position your shoulders will move closer to your hands). Squeeze your shoulder blades together. Push yourself away from the ground and allow for a stretch of the muscles at the top of the movement. Repeat this motion 12 – 15 times.

Immediately following the push-ups, stand up and perform the following motion. Let you arms hang below your waist and rotate each one so your thumbs point toward your midsection. Begin to raise your arms in front of you. Simultaneously, rotate your arm so your thumbs begin to point up toward the ceiling. Continue to raise your arms until they are above your head. It will resemble the “Y” position mentioned in I-Y-T’s. Keep your head in a neutral position throughout the movement; avoid pushing your head forward.

Scap Push-Up: 12-15 reps

External Rotation: 25 reps

Sets: 2

Crazy Driver:

Hold a plate or bumper plate at 9 and 3 o’clock. Keeping your arms straight, hold the plate in front of you (chest height).   Turn the plate side to side (like a steering wheel) while keeping good posture (stand up straight, shoulders back). Continue to turn the plate back and forth.

Duration: 30 seconds

Sets: 2

Under Armour Combines Go Global!

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:15:00 -0500

This Saturday, October 24th, Under Armour Combines will take their game global! In partnership with IMG and the Dynamic Sports Academy in London, Under Armour is hosting an All-Sports Combine at Finsbury Park Stadium from 1-5pm.

Athletes from soccer, rugby and American football will compete in Combine style drills as well as P360 testing, giving each athlete the one true measure of their athletic potential.

The competing athletes will receive instruction from some of the best coaches in the world including Todd Durkin, the head of the UA Training Council and trainer of Drew Brees, Carson Palmer and LaDainian Tomlinson. Also at the Combine will be former NFL and college coach Noel Mazzone who has worked with star NFL QB's Brett Favre, Philip Rivers and Eli Manning. Rounding out the coaching staff will be UA All-America coach Don Cox, and IMG Academy trainers Jeff Dillman, Corey Stenstrup and Tom Durkin.

With top local professional athletes slated to appear as well, this is sure to be a one in a lifetime event for the athletes competing.

For more information, check out: http://bit.ly/4BU1IV and http://twitpic.com/m48kh

Recovery Strategy

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:28:00 -0500

We all are aware of things to do to prepare for competition such as; weightlifting, conditioning, flexibility and speed training to name a few. However, I would like to emphasis the importance of utilizing various recovery strategies to ensure that one has achieved physical readiness for the next game. You see, as a competitive athlete it is highly important to put together a recover game plan for post practice and competition. Achieving an appropriate balance between training and competitive stresses and recovery is important in maximizing an athletes performance. A wide range of recovery modalities are now used as integral parts of the training process to help athletes maintain this balance.

Lack of appropriate recovery may result in an athlete being unable to train at an the required intensity or complete the required loads at the next practice session or game. Higher levels of fatigue may increase an athletes risk of injury. To enhance the recovery process, here are a few techniques that an athlete can utilize to aid in recovery.
1.      Compression Garments- UnderArmour makes compression garment which is very effective wit helping the body recover from strenuous exercise.

2.      Massage-an excellent tool to fatigued muscles recover from a hard workout or game. Deep tissue works well within 24 hours after a contact sport.

3.      Active Recovery-It is highly recommended to perform light running immediately after a workout. It helps to cool the body down, remove lactate, and gets the regeneration process started.

4.      Cold Tub-It is comprised of 10-20 minute cold water immersion at about 51 degrees after a competition or hard work out. It helps reduce inflammation.

5.      Stretching- It is recommended to engage in light stretching after the cool down to re-lengthen muscles.

Under Armour Training Hits China

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:46:00 -0500

Under Armour Training Council member Steve Hess has hopped a plain with his Denver Nuggets for a brief exhibition tour in China. Here were his thoughts before leaving the States:

"About to go to China for pre-season; what an incredible opportunity to travel the world! I love my life; I get to experience the greatest places on Earth, training some of the greatest athletes around! We have to adapt and create every day, so on this trip we will create some of the greatest workouts going. I'll keep my Under Armour family updated throughout the trip with our experiences and workouts.

Working out and getting better are two things that wait for none of us. We have to take the opportunity every day! Take this example: as we're at the airport, we've been delayed for an hour. Instead of sitting around and waiting, I took one of my players on a brisk 45 minute walk in the terminal. Now that's how to fit your cardio in for the day!

Checking out and heading to China. Live and train the Under Armour way, baby, its the truth!"

Patrick Willis Dominates the Rams

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 13:43:00 -0500

Under Armour's Patrick Willis was all over the field yesterday, leading his San Francisco 49ers to a commanding 35-0 victory over the St. Louis Rams.

Willis had 2.5 sacks and capped his day with a thrilling interception return for a touchdown, the second of his sure to be illustrious NFL career.

After the game, Willis' coach, Mike Singletary (regarded as one of the best players at Willis' position, middle linebacker) praised his defensive captain, saying that he could end up better than Singletary himself was before its all said and done.

Media outlets throughout the country have used yesterday's performance to strengthen the argument that Willis is following in the footsteps of many great middle linebackers, including fellow Under Armour athlete Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens, who many view as the best current player at the postion.

Always the team player, Willis refused to focus on his individual achievements after the game, instead focusing on the play of his entire defensive unit and stressing to the press that their goal is to become the top defense in the NFL.

Patrick is also known for being a great student in the film room, and in typical Willis fashion, he will put yesterday's accomplishments aside and immediately begin studying for a tough opponent next week in the Atlanta Falcons.

Power In Pink

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:35:00 -0500

October kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness month and Under Armour's Power In Pink campaign. Today Council member Diane Vives speaks about specific exercises for our female athletes:

This past month I had something hit close to home here in Austin, TX. One of my adult athletes was diagnosed last Thurs. Sept 17th. It came as quite a shock to her because she was just going in for a routine annual examination. Rochelle is only 34 and was preparing for the next stage in her life which was starting a family. She is a marathon runner who lives for organic food, enhancing her training through every healthy practice she could wrap her mind around for the last 7 years. The reality is that genetics can sometimes trump a healthy diet and lifestyle. With a great attitude we sat down, talked about her training, and realized that she has a great chance to fight the cancer because of her dedication to healthy living and very conscious healthy eating. So I wanted to share one of Rochelle's training hurdles that she leaped over this past year.

Solving the "Push-up" dilemma that many female athletes face. In the past most of us at one-time or another have been taught how to do the "modified push-up" (or by a more unflattering term, the "girl push-up"). Like many females Rochelle hated push-ups and said it was always one of her big weaknesses. Well I want to share some exercises to train upper body strength and that will allow you to accomplish a push-up in your future. The trick is we are not going to use the push-up to train the push-up. Yes, that's what I said. And then when your ready, I am going to give you the keys to having a strong position for the push-up to make you more successful especially for higher numbers of repetitions. Check out below:

The push-up takes upper body strength, great stability around the shoulders and great core strength. Not only will these help with the push-up exercise but they will also enhance shoulder stability for any swinging and throwing athletes. So here are some exercises to target these keys areas:

a) Hand-lifts: This exercise starts in a face-down plank (or what is also the starting "up" position of the push-up). Then keeping a straight line from the ankles, hips, to shoulders brace the core. (imagine someone is going to push your hips down and you are preparing to resist them). Next simply lift the hands 2-4 inches off the ground by bending the elbow without moving the trunk, hips or legs. 20 repetitions x 3 sets

Progression: When it's too easy, make it slightly more difficult by lifting arms straight out to side with hands rotated thumbs up.

b) Side Plank: laying on your side in a straight line, place your bottom elbow just beneath your bottom shoulder. This will prop you up to create a straight line from shoulders, through hips and to feet. You will only have contact with elbow/forearm and outside of the bottom shoe. Keep back and front of body perpendicular to ground and keep head in line with the body. Hold the plank motionless and steady for 30 secs on each side. (goal is to work yourself up to a minute on each side) x 3 sets.

Progression: Perform a marching motion bringing the top knee toward chest repeatedly while stabilizing side plank on bottom leg. Be sure not to let any part of the back round or lose position during the marches.

c) Stability Rolls: Starting in the face-down plank position and with feet shoulder width apart. Then roll or rotate onto one arm, keep hips up, and roll feet until you are stable on the sides of your shoes. Looks like a "T" position from the side. Very important step is to then slowly, under control roll back down until you are back in the starting position. (don't fall back down or let momentum bring you down out of control). Then repeat rolling to the opposite wide using same technique. 20 repetitions x 3 sets

d) Clock walks: Starting in the face-down plank position. Then stack one foot on top of the other to create a nice pivot point at the feet. While maintaining a flat back and level hip position, walk sideways in small steps with your hands. This will allow you to walk your hands while body goes in a circle like the hands of a clock. Walk clockwise in a full circle back to the start and then repeat in the opposite (counter clockwise direction) to make sure you lead the walks with other hand as well. Walk for a full circle each way or count 20 steps each direction. Repeat 3 times.

e) Partner Wheel Barrels: Yes, good ole wheel barrels. starting lying on the ground have a partner stand between your feet so they can support part of your body weight by picking up your lower body at the lower leg. Support yourself on your hands and make sure your body is straight as a board from feet, to hips, to shoulders. Then walk for 10 yards, down and back. The partner should use safe lifting technique with slightly bent knees and flat back. It's a great for the both of you in each position as the barrel or the person holding. Walk the full distance for 3 sets.

Choose 3 of these exercises to do every other day for 4 weeks in addition to your current training and program.

I will go over the best way to perform the push-up to give you the best advantage and have success with the push-up in the next blog entry so keep an eye out for those tips.

Until next time, take one step every day toward being the "female athletes of the future"!

Lift for Speed

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:51:00 -0500

Often times athletes think that speed development occurs a result of a particular drill, combination of drills, a focus on a particular part of the speed development cycle (gait, leg lift, arm action), then adding resistance to these drills or mechanical focus via rubber bands, parachutes, partner resistance, etc. The reality is, when enhancing speed, you need to not only create movement efficiency by enhancing speed mechanics, but also provide the strength and power to enhance ground contact force so the athlete is able to apply these mechanics to overcome gravity and cover ground each contact and stride. The analogy to this would be placing a go – cart engine in a Ferrari frame. The body is slick and pretty, built in an aerodynamic manner, but the engine is not strong enough to power the automotive athlete. The moral of the story is speed development is derived from an integrated training model of strength, efficiency, and power. When all three are working together, speed is the end result.

Hard Work Pays Off

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:08:00 -0500

Throughout the last 20 years, I have trained thousands of athletes in over 20 different sports and it has been truly gratifying, to say the least. Although, I currently work with professional athletes and I must say, it is awesome to help our players' improve their physical performance, for the most part, they are pretty much finished projects upon arrival to the National Football league.

Nevertheless, it is truly rewarding to actively watch developing athletes strive to reach their full athletic potential. I formerly owned Lightning Fast Training Systems, a sports performance company, that had the privilege to have trained over 1000 Division 1 scholarship athletes in over 14 different sports. It was an incredible feeling to share in the excitement of our athletes realizing their athletic dreams to play sports on the collegiate level.

I have 3 athletic boys who are ages 16, 12, an 8 and they play a variety of sports. Since, 100% of my time is focused on training our team, I allocate my off -work time to helping develop my boys athletic talent. First and foremost, I am a Dad first and their coach second ,which means we strive to have fun while getting better in the area of speed, quickness and agility etc. The most important athletic skills which are a staple of all of our workouts includes, but are not limited to ; speed development, balance training, and coordination.

I introduced my oldest son, Amir, to fundamental movement skills when he was 8 years old. He used to jump in the speed training workouts with my 8-12 year old group at LF. He played soccer, football, track, baseball, and basketball and seemed to never get enough. I believe being a multi-sport-sport athlete early in his youth helped him broadened his athletic skill set for football and basketball, which are the sports he currently plays in High School.

This summer, Amir was offered a full scholarship to play football in 2011 by Stanford University and has committed to attend. I was incredibly excited for Amir to realize his dream. One statement that Amir made to me in the aftermath of his committment was" Dad, I guess all the stuff we did over the years really did work because the coach said he really liked my quickeness". Thank God, he received validation that performance training actually works, otherwise, he would have looked back over the years and think...my Dad has us doing some really dumb stuff!!

Breakfast Blog Follow-Up

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:34:00 -0500

In my last blog, I talked about the most important meal of the day … breakfast.

And a great question came in from a reader.

Q: How soon after you wake up should the first meal be consumed? Is it okay to do a cardio session before eating breakfast or is it better to eat it before?

A: There is no “set” time frame, but I would recommend fueling your body with nutrients within the hour after waking. There are times that I wake myself up because I’m so hungry; others, I’m not as hungry until 30 or 40 minutes after I wake up.

What is more important that a specific time frame is actually fueling before any time of physical or mental activity. If you’re going to hit the iron and trying to focus on improving your physical performance, you need to eat something. Likewise, if you’re just heading off to school for the day and won’t train until later, you still need to get food into your body before you try to focus. Your brain feeds off the nutrients you give it.

As for the cardio session prior to eating breakfast … I still prefer putting some nutrients in your body. It was popular to “fast” before morning cardio to burn more fat, but that theory went out the window and lacks any scientific rationale.

Remember that “breakfast” doesn’t have to be a sit down, 3 course buffet that you may imagine.

Here are some quick, easy ideas that will fuel your physical and mental performance.

· String cheese with fruit

· Homemade smoothie

· Raw nuts with fruit

· Greek yogurt with fruit

· Natural Peanut butter and an apple or banana

· Rolled oats with fresh fruit

· Hardboiled eggs and fruit

· Whole grain English muffin, slice of tomato and an over easy egg

· Scrambled eggs in a whole grain tortilla

Moral of the story – eat soon after getting out of bed. Never try to do any physical or mental tasks without fueling your body first.

Tips for Improving Bench Press Strength

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:36:00 -0500

The supine barbell bench press is a very popular exercise for developing the musculature of the upper body, which in turn can be a valuable tool for improving athletic performance in many sports applications. The bench press is also a very popular exercise for measuring upper body strength to determine an athlete’s preparedness for athletic competition.

There are three primary muscle groups that are utilized to perform the bench press. The pectoral muscles of the chest region, the front deltoid muscle of the shoulder, and the tricep muscles of the back of the upper arm. All three of these muscle groups are essential for developing maximal bench press strength and must be trained accordingly.

The following are some tips for improving bench press strength levels:

1) If you want to be a good bench presser, you need to bench press! Performing this movement twice a week as part of your upper body strength development program is perhaps one of the most effective ways to improve your bench press.

2) Always use good technique when training the bench press. Lower the bar with total control to a point at the base of your pectoral region. With your butt in constant contact with the bench and feet on the floor, press the barbell to a point directly above your shoulder joint. Be sure to completely lock out each rep as this will ensure maximal tricep development. Various hand spacings can be successful with the bench press, but a medium grip where your little fingers are aligned with the outer rings of the barbell, is a good starting point for equally involving all muscle groups when performing the lift.

3) Including relevant assistant movements into your bench press routine can be a very effective way to improve your strength in the lift. Incline press, military press, dips, front deltoid raises, and various tricep movements are great exercises to improve the 3 main muscle groups involved with the bench press.

4) Be careful with “overtraining” the bench press, and the muscles used for it’s development. This is a very common occurrence, especially with younger athletes, and can actually lead to a weakening of the affected muscles in some cases. Keep missed reps to a minimum, take at least 48 hour breaks between bench workouts, and limit your training volume to 3-4 working sets of benching per workout. Also be sensible when training the assistance movements as excessive training here is often the primary cause of overtraining the muscles of the upper body.

Next month, we’ll discuss some specific training programs that can be utilized for improving bench press strength.

1) Introduction

2) Proper technique

3) Musculature involved – pecs, triceps, deltoids

4) Typical bench press routine

5) Assistance movements -

6) Common problems – overtraining, poor technique, poorly designed program