9.6 Minutes of Glory

You can view the referred article here: Improving Yourself Takes 9.6 Minutes Of Work A Day

Tick, tick. Nine minutes and thirty-six seconds will change yourself. You will improve, according to the article and subsequently to the James Clear book, Atomic Habits. 

So, how about it? Are you up for the task?

As far as a workout, in 9:36.00 you could accomplish:

Four sets of 30 seconds per exercise...

Push-ups

Pull-ups

Two Pogo Jumps into a Star Jump

Lateral Lunges with Rotation 

Stretch for 1:36.00 - 30 seconds of two positions and 36 seconds of another one:

Frog Stretch 

Long Seated Toe Touch

Child Pose

You could:

Peloton for three minutes

Deadlift for 30 seconds

Lunge for 30 seconds

Plyo Push-up for 30 seconds

Do the above for two sets, then stretch 36 seconds.

You could:

Park your car and walk a half mile away and back.

You could:

Take one lap around your neighborhood. How about that, teleworkers?

You could:

Read about ten pages of small print

You could...do a lot in less than ten minutes.

Make-up your bed, clean part of a closet, and fold some clothes. All of these activities could total 9.6 minutes, or do each one for 9.6 minutes. En route to improving yourself with these small changes leads to consistency, a fight through challenges.

Derek | @teemptraining derekteempt@gmail.com 

Coaches Have Skills

(The original post began in 2014 and refers to the athlete referred from that year. )

You do not need to play Division 1 NCAA sports to have skills in the development of strength & conditioning programs.

I ran in to a high school student-athlete who basically mentioned that since his coach in one sport played Divisioin 1 in that sport that he does not follow the conditioning program of his other coach in his second sport (who did not play D1). Well, to his defense coach #2 does not have the qualificiations, and I have not really heard any of his players speak highly of him (that is unfortunate). But, there are plenty of solid conditioning coaches out here who did not play D1/D2/D3 sports that can deliver a killer conditioning program.

We did go to school, specialize, and get nationally certified.

We do study trends, show creation, and can improve athleticism in any type of athlete.

I like casual conversatoins such as this one because the brain juices flow. 

When this topic surfaced, social media workouts surfaced more on YouTube versus Instagram and TikTok. You must take precaution when observing workouts on social media because many of these athletes have coaches that know the athlete's performance needs. Also, some workouts look crazy.

As I see student-athletes perform, I see the need for strength & conditioning. It continues to lack in certain programs. Take advantage of the opportunity, athletic programs, please! Athletes need to develop in ways that avoid injury, make them faster, stronger, more agile, more focused, and more adaptive to a way of life that they should adopt after their competitive athletic days end.

You may know an athlete like the one aforementioned. He may be you. But, respect both coaches in this case because you can learn more than you have been set up to learn. Coaches differ in skill sets, so take advantage of all skill sets. Deduce, introduce, and produce.

Derek |@teemptraining

derekteempt@gmail.com 

🍔Health Justice 2: OK, Fine!

Posting this one since the post on Health Justice: Popeyes 🐔 plays into it: The Healthiest of the Fastest 

The latter hyperlinked article above lists the healthiest foods you can buy at fast food restaurants. You might as well know the best options especially if you are on-the-go, in a situation in which you have no other food choices (you'll be fine), or in a situation in which your stomach speaks sweet nothings to you like an eager lover.

Choose with discretion. Do not assume you should always eat these foods, especially as you perform well and have performance goals that you would like to achieve.

Continue to keep your guard high when eating with co-workers, family, or friends. Remember: their nutrition goals may differ from yours. 

Have a stash of a celebratory salad or veggie bowl at home. That is, stay ready so you don't have to get ready. Vegetables make you feel better when you endulge in fast foods and desserts. 

Have fun. Don't spoil the moment for other hungry individuals in your group. If they want to eat a favorite food and satisfy their tastebuds, then do not make them feel bad.

You get it.

Derek | @teemptraining derekteempt@gmail.com 

4 Parental Unit Athletic Questions

1) Do you develop yourself with a physical, mental, and spiritual regimen as your child(ren) play sports?

2) Do you help any other family struggling with an adjustment to a new sport or do you give frightening stories about your experiences as an (insert sport) dad/mom?

3) Does your child love to see dad or mom after a game because you are your child's biggest fan?

4) Do you torment your child's coach? If you do...STOP! Or, don't start to do it.

That's all. Fall sports are coming!

Derek | @teemptraining 

derekteempt@gmail.com 

Dabble with Four Sets

Most of you wake up and decide how many sets should you complete in your work for the day.

Valid decision.

I like four. Four is quick and to the point...for plyometrics, speed, and agility. For strength, four sets takes a longer period of time. But, there is a strategy towards the completion of four sets that will be explained below. First, why four sets?

1) Four sets allows you to do two sets per side. If you are jumping, you can complete two sets of 10 reps per side. It's a good number. Nothing to confuse. All in all, easy counting.

2) Four sets shifts your mind. Since four sets over fast movement does not last too long but delivers a good and effective workout with results, you have to train your mind to accept the challenge. Set #1 is a little more difficult than your warm-up pace. Set #2, you are in it to win it, which means your recovery period between set #1 and #2 has to include a sharp focus - no ho-hum, nonchalant restarts. Attack any misteps. Set #3 is identical to set #2 but with more precision as your muscles and muscle movement adjusts. Take a 50m sprint for instance. By set #3, your time should be fastest, arms swinging at the right height and speed, foot placement is on point. So, in set #4, you go all out, give everything you have left whether you sprint, jump, or change directions with quickness (agility).

3) Four benefits a hectic or rushed schedule. Complement your hurry. Speed, agility, and plyometrics are three modes of performance that allow you to get in an effective workout and to move on to your next checklist of your day. 

4) Just do it. No explanation needed. But, you can refer to the post on Motivational Level I.

The Strategy

Part of the strategy of execution agrees with reason #2 for why four sets are selected. The others:

1) Pick a place to do your speed, agility, or plyos. Make it easy: your basement, your neighborhood, an adjacent park, a parking lot, a nearby field, court, or roller rink. You get it.

2) Visualize yourself performing the workout before you begin. See the location in your head as a part of mental imagery.

3) Pick your time of day and how you will get in and get out.

4) Plan to do it again because it works, and you will move with a difference.

Alright, have at it! Let me know how it goes.

Derek | @teemptraining 

derekteempt@gmail.com 

Hips Hooray in Class 🙌

How is your hip health?

Do your hips move well? Are they a bit stiff?

I promised everyone who sweated in my group fitness classes that I would help make 2022 a healthy hips year. So, hip mobility exercises, the ones that they may not normally perform in every warm-up, were included.

You know what?

You have to include a good warm-up and not just one that gets a person moving prior to a class.  It's easy yet not as effective to come in and simple start working. A more pliable and younger individual can do a few jumps and squats and go hard throughout class without a problem. But, many other participants need to control their hips joints and movements with more focus. 

Work the joints. Why? Most group fitness participants often sit down throughout the day and workout on their own; however, they may miss out on proper mobility training. Therefore, in boot camp type of classes, running 🏃🏿‍♂️, and other joint impactful classes that increase vibration from foot to hip, hip mobility exercises wake up the hip girdle.

If your instructor does not warm-up prior to a class, then do your own warm-up before the class begins. Make sure it includes mobility because no one or few group fitness instructors will care about mobility.

You deserve to have good hips throughout the year and in every class or session you take in a gym, outdoors, in-home, or virtual. Your hips hold the structure of your powerhouse muscle movements. Love them!

Derek | @teemptraining | derekteempt@gmail.com 

A Baseball Opinion

You can view the interview, a good one, in the link below between Deion Sanders/Coach Prime and comedian Desi Banks: Sanders & Banks - go to the 14:00 mark to hear the take on baseball.

“This is the problem with baseball,” Deion Sanders began. “Black fathers never played baseball so black fathers are not pushing their kids towards baseball. So when the black father wants to play with his son, he puts in his hands what he is accustomed to. Baseball is not the option.”

You should follow Coach Prime on Instagram. He has built a solid football program at Jackson State and continues to establish a nutured environment.

Now, on to the baseball topic. I understand his opinion, and it has a lot of truth to it. Exposure plays a major factor in the decision and guidance to play a sport. I was exposed to hockey, played it, and have coached it since 2000 when I was a junior in college. My dad exposed me to baseball. He took me to Baltimore Orioles games at Memorial Stadium and then Camden Yards. I could rattle off the Orioles roster, asked for a few baseball video games, knew part of opposing team rosters, and paid attention to the all-star game, homerun derby, playoffs and World Series. I can listen to an entire baseball game on the radio - it's cool on a good night and keeps me awake as I visualize the game.

So, I understand the impact and need for exposure. 

The influence of black fathers on their children in this case travels far. Every influential father benefits their children. Children tend to emulate the sport their parents played. True.

But, I have to chime in because, yes, the MLB can do more on this matter as Coach Prime mentions in the interview in terms of the cost of baseball. In hockey, the NHL has assisted with equipment drives. Therefore, a youth player may not pay for equipment as often when they outgrow a set. Yes, registration costs have increased and surpass the cost of equipment in ice hockey, an expensive sport itself. Yet, the pro assistance is present.

However, over a two-day period, I went to two park complexes that have a total of nine baseball fields. All nine fields were empty. Both complexes have different demographics.

All nine were still empty. The basketball court...occupied. Soccer field...occupied. Tennis coourt...occupied. Fit course...occupied.

The closest baseball field to you is empty right now.

See, baseball has its differences as a sport: You need 18 people to play a legit game. You can play homerun derby, play pepper, shorten the outfield (but how much fun is that if you can smash the ball well over the wall then chase), or have friends run all over the field in 4v4. It's hot in the summer, and the other months in which everyone plays a different sport. I rarely see young baseball athletes consuming the field in the off-season. It's almost like once the season ends, they're out!

I recently commented to one former youth baseball player about this empty matter. He said, "Yea, it's kind of difficult to get friends to play pick up."

These examples are not excuses. I heard this opinion, and it triggered a minor investigation.

Do not give up on baseball but recognize the different flow of the sport per seasons. In the summer, who wants to fry in the sun while still? You can fry by other means. Soccer fields, basketball courts, tennis courts, sand volleyball, disc golf, golf, all of these fields and courts are occupied due to their ease to gather small groups. The baseball diamonds sit. Vacant. Not invited to every party.

My dad and I took advantage of empty baseball fields when he would pitch to me and I would attempt to hit his fast balls. He could pitch well. But, I never wanted to.play baseball despite my exposure to it and interest in the sport. I'm still a fan though my intensity toward the sport has dwindled versus the nine years young me.

Baseball is a good sport. It has a bundle of athletes and attracts many spectators. The diamond has a different flow compared to other sports, but that ideal does not cause for uninterest. Spread the sport. Play when you can play.

Derek | @teemptraining | derekteempt@gmail.com