Exercise of the Week: Bridges with Rhythm

What it targets: Glutes, hamstrings, back

Parameters: 3 sets, 12 reps for double leg/ 10 reps each for single leg. Rest 20 seconds between sets.

Procedure: You can do this exercise with two legs or with one. In either position, start on your back. Bend your knees, so your feet are flat on the ground. Your arms should be out to your side at about a 45 degree angle (let's focus our palms towards the ceiling or sky to decrease any potential for grabbing the ground upon pressing up. This position is one step to ensuring that no extra help is needed.)

From your starting position, lift your hips to the ceiling or sky. Your feet are flat, but your lower back is off the ground. As soon as you reach optimal height, then return your butt to the floor. Once your butt touches the floor, then return to the ceiling or sky.

For single leg bridges, simply push off one leg. You can hold the other leg straight out, which gives you an isometric thigh workout. Or, you can bend the uninvolved knee, which mimics a running motion.

For inclusion of rhythm: if you push off both feet, when you reach the top of the bridge extend your right leg. Come back. Then, extend your left leg. Come back. It is somewhat like the kick out in the "Cupid Shuffle". If you are on one leg, then proceed with a tap to the floor, to two taps toward the ceiling.

Derek Arledge, CSCS

Exercise of the Week: Overhead Unilateral Loaded Squats

What It Does: targets the glutes, thighs, and very quietly the side without the one arm over head

Why Would You Do It: Well, for one, it is like holding a baby in one hand while squatting to pick your keys that fell on the floor.

Procedure: Assume a squat position with your feet hip width a part and feet flat. Raise your right hand (if you're sure). Now, squat. That is, sit like you are about to sit in a chair. In fact, you can use a chair to use as a reference since most of them are built at 90 degrees. Make sure you keep your arm raised throughout the repetitions. You may feel yourself fighting rotational pull as you squat due to your raised arm. Your left side is working to pull you toward the left while your right side is trying to equalize.

Parameters: 2 to 5 sets for 60 seconds each side. Rest intervals are set at 30 seconds.

Derek Arledge, CSCS          TEEM Performance Training          www.teempt.com

Coaching Carousel

May is a hot month for graduation. Colleges, high schools, junior high schools, middle schools, pre-schools, trade schools, professional schools, projects, and more are all associated with graduation. Include in this pomp and circumstance the time when grade school students graduate to high school where more students are athletic, bigger, stronger, and faster, knowing that physical education class will be different. High school students graduate to college where physical education is defined by the plethora of physical activity classes available each semester, by the number of intramural sports, by the number of club sports, by the number of intercollegiate sports, and by individual membership to the campus or off-campus gym. College students graduate from this surplus to the real world where they have to find the local gym, pay a membership, and then attend the gym on a regular basis. Hopefully, the newbies to the real world have a regimen to follow. The stats say they do.

You know what all of these students have in common? All of them have experienced a coach in their lives. Now, a coach comes in many genres. But, the team coach is a little different in terms of success. Right now, success will be important for all the current graduates. We look at the team coach and how he or she relates to success - the results can be applied to the other genre of coaches in everyone's life.

Again, let's use the realm of athletics since it is up close and personal with all of the playoff fever occurring. Plus, they are easy to follow with this topic.Notice that the most successful teams and the ones that win championships are the teams that have sustainable coaches. For example, the Los Angeles Lakes and Chicago Bulls had Phil Jackson in the 1990's and `00s. The Duke Blue Devils of men's college basketball have Coach Krzyzewski. The Penn State Nittany Lions of women's college volleyball has Russ Rose. The Boston College Eagles of men's ice hockey have Jerry York. All of these teams have won titles. None of these teams won while changing coaches amid their success.  Consequently, this success rate has psychological and physical implications. Can you imagine the ease in which it feels like to play under one coach at the professional level or under a coach who has been in his or her collegiate position for a while? Basically, some sort of success is written.

I get it. Every school or pro team with a long term coach has not won a championship. But, I am having trouble even naming programs and organizations that have long term coaches, and the team is absolutely awful.

So, why do some teams and organizations continue to change coaches like it's a formula with a definite end? It must be annoying for a coach to get canned 14 games into a season, especially if the season is only 1/5 over.

I get it. A team cannot continue to lose all season. Comebacks can be made. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

What happened to group effort? Hey, if a coach is awful and does not get it, then OK. Sometimes, it's the players the fault (i.e., divas, prima-donnas, Don-Juan's, and Michelangelo's) and sometimes it is the coaches fault.How does this athletic coaching carousel translate to the real world? Well...

1) Isn't it annoying to continue to change trainers or specialists? It happens. But, every new one has to learn your style and learn who you are as a goal achiever.

2) Isn't it annoying to change supervisors? For new graduate, the outlook at a high-turnover location may seem bleak after a short period.

3) What if Microsoft, Google, and Apple had 5 CEOs over 10 years? Do you think those products would be as successful?

4) What if you...yes, yourself...were coaching your individual self to meet a certain human performance goal by July 1, 2013 such as 20 full range rapid squats in 30 seconds. But, you kept reneging on when you would start or when you would get serious? Is this not a type of coaching carousel? How would you reach the successful state? In this case, a lot of self-coaching is practiced.

Through all of the hard work and discipline, congratulations to all of the graduates for the year 2013. Remember to kick yourself into gear over and over again. Stay focused. Ask for help. Laugh. Dig without being scared. Seek mentors and advisors. Learn. If you fail, you will pass because you will keep keeping on! Stop me because I can continue on this topic.

So, who is up for a mentally and physically challenging goal?

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS          TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com

Asbury Health Fair - A Look Back

I wish I could share more photos with everyone, but there are only two from my camera. Health fairs are a great way to get awareness out about our obedience to health. From April 6, 2013:

Table Display - bright and ready to go


 

 

Mayor Vincent Gray offers some opening words



Parkour - Movement with International Spice

Accessed from: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/urban-sports/parkour1.htm

Forget the elevators. Forget the stairs. Forget going around obstacles when you can go through them, over them, and under them.

You have have probably seen Parkour in movies, on television, and on YouTube. You might have been lucky enough to see it in person. No matter where you have seen it Parkour [parcour] or "course" is extremely eye-catching. It seems as though many cool and tough movements, regimens, and attitudes spawn from the military or at least help with military tactics - parkour, kettlebells, Navy Seal training or workouts.

In high school, I remember we called it the "Wall-Walking Club." Students would attempt to basically run up a wall then jump or try to complete the arc. Since this time, walking up walls has taken to rooftop jumping, jumping over or through railings, and even scaling down stories. Parkour has even been included in action movies and dance/break dance movies sometimes as the icing of the plot. Finally, many people have mastered fitting through holes and spaces with ease. 

It's not for everyone.

Traceurs, the Parkour athletes are the ones who make this discipline look easy. And, it does...look... easy. But, it most definitely is not reminiscent of sitting down. In Parkour, we are talking plyometrics, strength, balance, flexibility, coordination, and agility wrapped into a quick synapse at various heights and speeds.

The French world, most likely the originator of Parkour, has created a movement that has grown in popularity across the world.  It is not an Olympic sport, but it will make it's claim at some point. Look out!

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS          TEEM Performance Training          www.teempt.com

Rugby - New Zealand's Gem, Haka!

If you do not like Rugby, find it violent, find it slow, find it dangerous, or it does not appeal to you because you simply cannot play it due to age, experience, mobility level, or will not play it because it simply does not appeal to you...think again.

Courtesy of: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Rugby.jpg

 

I have never played Rugby. But, 7's (Rugby 7-on-7) entertains me. Even a full rubgy match is entertaining. Have you seen the movie, Invictus, starring Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon? Do you know about the "All Blacks"? Have you ever been to New Zealand? Most of us can probably answer "yes" to the first question. The All Blacks are New Zealand's national rugby union team, and they are very successful in winning the Rugby World Cup. Highly known for their intimidating pre-game ritual, the Haka War Dance, the All Blacks have been successful since their first game back in 1884.

But, it is not all about the All Blacks and the sports of rugby as New Zealand's national sport - picture the United States and American football. Well, that is rugby to native Kiwis. Remember the utterances mentioned in the beginning of this post based on opinions about Rugby: the sport is very intense and very popular at all levels. It is a sport, whereas, you do not have to play it to enjoy it. However, you can enjoy its fierceness in preparation and in competition. Everyone undergoes some kind of competition on a daily basis. I have mentioned it in the past, but sports offer an immense glimpse into overcoming adversity and rising to the occasion. Hey, I am not a zealous proponent of golf. But, I respect the amount of mental imagery and mental strength that golf encompasses.

In rugby, a player must have trust and communication with his teammate; otherwise, the turf will taste a little sour when he is tackled. How true is this phenomenon with health and fitness struggles and successes?

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS        TEEM Performance Training           www.teempt.com

Slumber Time Prep

Well, sleep is at it again while giving us the ins and outs of older and useful information as well as newer and useful information. This information on sleep comes at a good time of the year as changes occur in our bodies an din the environment. Even professional athletes must pay more attention to proper sleep since they are involved in post-season playoffs and title hunts.

By the way, I have the Montreal Canadiens coming out of the NHL Eastern Conference and the San Antonio Spurs coming out of the NBA Western Conference.

Our neighbors to the north Midwest in Green Bay, Wisconsin may get the most sleep or attempts at slobbering out of any other metro area. Since it is still international month with TEEM, supposedly, France may receive the most sleep. C'est la vie, I guess. In any case, I am a proponent of afternoon naps. They are needed. Adults definitely miss out on 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. Actually, most adults miss out on that sleep range. So, why not sleep during the middle of the day for about 20 minutes? I remember matriculating to first grade as a six-year-old and thought, "Man, no more naptime?"

Highly disappointed, but I adjusted.

Then, college arrives.

Now, sleep is like a hot commodity. It is like gold and a sale at Whole Foods because you just want to get it. Which reminds me. I need some sleep right now!

For more sleep deprivation information, check out the CDC's (Centers for Disease Control) report on slumbering.

To see more TEEM blogs on sleep check out the following:
Tale of the Tape: Time vs. Priority
Sleep: On the Go and Stepping Back
Rest, Sleep, Results - Part 1

Purpose and Development,
Derek

Derek Arledge, CSCS           TEEM Performance Training            www.teempt.com