Hello Everyone!
This is part 2 of the Off Season mini-series, click here for part one.
Off Season 102
Move Forward, by Planning Backwards
Once your goals are defined, its important that you plan with the end in mind. If you're a basketball player, you know that you need to me in near "game ready" shape when October and Pre-Season roll around, and that being in "game-ready" shape in May will not win you a Conference Championship in March. That is why it is important to plan your off season backwards, starting with the end (in this case October).
Here's an example:
Collegiate Basketball Player (Main Goals: Increase Strength, Power, Speed, & Agility)
October: END Near "game-ready" shape.
September: 55% Strength & Power Work. 25% Speed & Agility Work. 20% Basketball Skill Work.
August: 80% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 10% Basketball Skill Work.
July: 85% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 5% Basketball Skill Work.
June: 85% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 5% Basketball Skill Work.
May: 90% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 0% Basketball Skill Work.
April: 90% Strength & Power Work. 10% Speed & Agility Work. 0% Basketball Skill Work.
Now I am sure most of you are reading that and thinking, "she's crazy!". Let me explain, if your main goals are to improve Strength, Power, Speed & Agility (meaning your basketball skills are up to par) then you need to make those the focus of your off season.
You may also wonder why Speed & Agility work is so low, the reason being that one of the best ways to improve your speed is by becoming stronger & more powerful. There are many research articles you can read on that subject if you have your doubts.
It is also worth noting that Speed, Agility, and Basketball Skill Work mainly increase only a month before the END. The main reasons for this are 1) it takes a lot longer to develop and improve strength and power. Basic exercise physiology states that the first 6-8 weeks of training lead to mainly neuromuscular adaptations (more nerves firing in more muscles, this is really important for power development), only after that does the body start making muscular changes (increase in size which assists in increases in strength) and 2) it does not take long for the body to adapt into better levels of cardiovascular conditioning. In fact, many suggest it takes only about 4 weeks to greatly improve one's level.
Stay tuned for more Off Season info!
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Off Season 101
Hello Everyone!
For the athletes out there, I want to provide a few quick tips that could go a long way into making your off-season an exceptional time to grow, improve, and most importantly help you reach your athletic goals.
Off Season 101
1.) Get Healthy
If you have some type of injury your first and most important goal is to get healthy! Take advantage of your resources; athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, doctors, strength & conditioning coaches, etc. and let them help you heal. Ignoring an injury will not make it go away, take advantage of your off-season (when you are not playing competitively) and get your body balanced and healthy.
2.) Set, Write, & Plan Your Goals
Everyone has heard the old saying, "Failure to plan, is planning to fail." Before your first off-season training session you should have all of your athletic goals defined and written out.
Personal Playing Career Goals: more playing time, faster, stronger, more competitiveness, jump higher, quicker agility...
Team Goals: win conference championship, improve overall record...
Personal Goals: eat better, more sleep...
3.) Individualize Your Off Season
Building off of #2, take some time to find out what your weaknesses are. Look critically at yourself. What areas do you need to improve? Be honest. You do not want to spend your off season getting better at things you are already good at when you could be completing yourself as a player by improving your weaknesses. Also ask those around you what your weaknesses are. Ask your coaches, athletic trainers, teammates, and strength & conditioning coaches to honestly tell you where you need to improve. Once your weaknesses are defined you can then develop the best plan of action that will turn your weak points into your strengths!
Stay tuned for more Off Season 101!
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren
For the athletes out there, I want to provide a few quick tips that could go a long way into making your off-season an exceptional time to grow, improve, and most importantly help you reach your athletic goals.
Off Season 101
1.) Get Healthy
If you have some type of injury your first and most important goal is to get healthy! Take advantage of your resources; athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, doctors, strength & conditioning coaches, etc. and let them help you heal. Ignoring an injury will not make it go away, take advantage of your off-season (when you are not playing competitively) and get your body balanced and healthy.
2.) Set, Write, & Plan Your Goals
Everyone has heard the old saying, "Failure to plan, is planning to fail." Before your first off-season training session you should have all of your athletic goals defined and written out.
Personal Playing Career Goals: more playing time, faster, stronger, more competitiveness, jump higher, quicker agility...
Team Goals: win conference championship, improve overall record...
Personal Goals: eat better, more sleep...
3.) Individualize Your Off Season
Building off of #2, take some time to find out what your weaknesses are. Look critically at yourself. What areas do you need to improve? Be honest. You do not want to spend your off season getting better at things you are already good at when you could be completing yourself as a player by improving your weaknesses. Also ask those around you what your weaknesses are. Ask your coaches, athletic trainers, teammates, and strength & conditioning coaches to honestly tell you where you need to improve. Once your weaknesses are defined you can then develop the best plan of action that will turn your weak points into your strengths!
Stay tuned for more Off Season 101!
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Acceleration Angle
Hello Everyone!
My fellow Strength & Conditioning Coaches will appreciate this photo I captured of one of UNCG's Women's Tennis players (she's a freshman btw).
I have been working on Speed, Agility, Quickness and Overall Movement Efficiency with the Women's Tennis team since August. The girls have worked very hard and have been very receptive to my coaching. This photo is proof that movement training is vital for athletes as it is truly a practical skill that is performed (and required) in most sports.
Things to take note of:
* Shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are all in alignment
* Good 45 degree acceleration angle
* Good "toe-up" dorsi-flexion
* Good attack back and shin angles.
BTW, the girls won that match and almost upset #27 ranked Indiana the night before. :-)
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren
My fellow Strength & Conditioning Coaches will appreciate this photo I captured of one of UNCG's Women's Tennis players (she's a freshman btw).
I have been working on Speed, Agility, Quickness and Overall Movement Efficiency with the Women's Tennis team since August. The girls have worked very hard and have been very receptive to my coaching. This photo is proof that movement training is vital for athletes as it is truly a practical skill that is performed (and required) in most sports. Things to take note of:
* Shoulders, hips, knees, and ankles are all in alignment
* Good 45 degree acceleration angle
* Good "toe-up" dorsi-flexion
* Good attack back and shin angles.
BTW, the girls won that match and almost upset #27 ranked Indiana the night before. :-)
Keep Training!
Coach Amanda Haren
Friday, February 15, 2008
With a Vision, People Thrive
Hello Everyone!
"Without a vision, the people will perish" - Proverbs 29:18
Do you have a vision for your life? If you're an athlete do you have a clear vision of what you want your athletic career to consist of? If you want to change your life, how are you going to do it? And when?
I believe in the importance of visualizing what you want your life to be and using that vision to help you establish goals that will help you make your vision a reality. If you do not have a vision for your life then you are just living day by day, making no significant changes in your life.
Below is a sample from my personal "Lifetime Goals". I have provided it for you to use as a guide if you wish to create your own. It has specfic goals that have deadlines and the what, why, and how they will be achieved. These (and many others) are parts of the vision I have for my life, a vision that I plan to make a reality.
Without a vision, the people will perish...
...With a vision, people thrive!
Are you ready to thrive in all aspects of your life? Take some time and invest it in yourself.
Keep Liftin'
Coach Amanda Haren
"Without a vision, the people will perish" - Proverbs 29:18
Do you have a vision for your life? If you're an athlete do you have a clear vision of what you want your athletic career to consist of? If you want to change your life, how are you going to do it? And when?
I believe in the importance of visualizing what you want your life to be and using that vision to help you establish goals that will help you make your vision a reality. If you do not have a vision for your life then you are just living day by day, making no significant changes in your life.
Below is a sample from my personal "Lifetime Goals". I have provided it for you to use as a guide if you wish to create your own. It has specfic goals that have deadlines and the what, why, and how they will be achieved. These (and many others) are parts of the vision I have for my life, a vision that I plan to make a reality.
Without a vision, the people will perish...
...With a vision, people thrive!
Are you ready to thrive in all aspects of your life? Take some time and invest it in yourself.
Keep Liftin'
Coach Amanda Haren
Monday, February 4, 2008
How to Make Your Own Suspension Exercise Trainer
Hello Everyone!
Suspension training has been around for some time in various forms. It involves suspending part of the body and using the rest of the body's weight as resistance when you perform different movements.
I think suspension training is great! It allows you to train your whole body in one area and it's portable. Some of the most popular suspension training devices are the TRX and Blast Straps. The only problem is these systems can be expensive. So I decided to make my own (tried it out this weekend and it worked great!) and I will show you how you can make your own for under $15! Mine cost $14.18 and I have enough material left over to make another one!
Step 1:
Purchase:
1 Polypropolene Rope (mine was 50ft and I cut it in half for 2, 25ft ropes)
1 Friction Tape (the kind you use on baseball bats & hockey sticks)
Step 2:
Tie Slip Knots on both ends of the rope (I used THIS video to help me tie the knots)
Step 3:
Cover the loops with the Friction Tape. Be sure to add extra layers to the one end so that the rope doesn't slide through and tighten around your hands when in use.
THAT'S IT! Again, I used mine this weekend, it worked great and my abs are still sore. I would suggest maybe using only 20ft of rope instead of 25ft since I have to wrap mine around a lot to get the right height, but that is a small price to pay for saving so much money and having 2 units!
Keep Liftin',
Coach Amanda Haren
Suspension training has been around for some time in various forms. It involves suspending part of the body and using the rest of the body's weight as resistance when you perform different movements.
I think suspension training is great! It allows you to train your whole body in one area and it's portable. Some of the most popular suspension training devices are the TRX and Blast Straps. The only problem is these systems can be expensive. So I decided to make my own (tried it out this weekend and it worked great!) and I will show you how you can make your own for under $15! Mine cost $14.18 and I have enough material left over to make another one!
Step 1:
Purchase:
1 Polypropolene Rope (mine was 50ft and I cut it in half for 2, 25ft ropes)
1 Friction Tape (the kind you use on baseball bats & hockey sticks)
Step 2:
Tie Slip Knots on both ends of the rope (I used THIS video to help me tie the knots)
Step 3:
Cover the loops with the Friction Tape. Be sure to add extra layers to the one end so that the rope doesn't slide through and tighten around your hands when in use.
THAT'S IT! Again, I used mine this weekend, it worked great and my abs are still sore. I would suggest maybe using only 20ft of rope instead of 25ft since I have to wrap mine around a lot to get the right height, but that is a small price to pay for saving so much money and having 2 units!
Keep Liftin',
Coach Amanda Haren
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