Blog
Uncategorized
Strategies For Fueling Workouts
Pre-Workout
If your last meal was more than five hours ago, have a 100- to 200-calorie snack 30 minutes before your workout. Liquids digest faster, so try milk, juice, Gatorade, or half a smoothie (keep it low-cal by choosing plain, low-fat yogurt and fruit and skipping syrups, powders, and other additions).
Mid-Workout
You need a snack during your workout only when you’re hustling for more than 90 minutes. Your best bet? A 100-calorie carb boost, like a handful of jelly beans or a sports gel such as Gu.
Post-Workout
Ideally, reach for a snack that combines carbs and protein to aid recovery. Second best: carbs with fiber (like fruit). If your next meal is less than three hours away, be sure your snack is under 200 calories; try an energy bar with at least 3 grams of filling fiber, half a bagel with peanut butter, or low-fat chocolate milk.
IYCA Interview
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Will Fleming of the IYCA. Will and I are both on the Board of Experts for the International Youth Conditioning Association. So when he asked me to share some thoughts on how we train our athletes at St. X, I couldn’t say no. I met Will and his business partner Ryan during the inaugural IYCA Summit a few years ago. I’ve always enjoyed spending time sitting down with them and sharing ideas. They have been extremely successful in their business, Force Fitness and Performance in Bloomington, and are always looking for ways to improve their training systems and coaching knowledge.
Our interview was short, about 20 minutes and to the point. We wanted to share with IYCA members our training model, program design, assessment, freshmen development program and long-term athlete development strategies we use at St. Xavier High School. I hope you enjoy it when it comes out. I’m always excited about the potential…commitment…support it takes to really make a long lasting impact on youth athletics. It’s moments like these, when you get to share what you do with other coaches from around the country, that you can sense the possibilities.
Jump Rope Exercises
Why should you start a jump rope program? Because, 10 minutes of jumping rope can provide the same calorie burn as 30 minutes of running. Rope jumping uses all your muscles and joints and also requires some skill and practice.
Here is a sample program: With the basic bounce or alternate step, start with 10 sets of 10 jumps. Increase the number of jumps by 10 per set until you reach 100 jumps nonstop. Gradually work towards 5 to 10 minutes of continuous jumping.
Interval Training Finishers
Say goodbye to the dreaded long hours spent on cardio pieces. Get ready to lean up, and the best part is that it only takes 15 minutes after your resistance workout! The new wave of cardiovascular exercise is interval training, and it is the most economic way to get results fast. Helgerud et al. found that, “High-aerobic intensity endurance interval training is significantly more effective than performing the same total work at either lactate threshold or at 70% HRmax, in improving VO2max.” In the exercise world, VO2max is simply maximum oxygen uptake and HRmax is max heart rate. The key component to any form of interval training is that it should be done after a resistance training workout in a state where glucose stores are nearly depleted and fat is the prime source for energy. When performing intervals, set your elliptical, recumbent bike, or treadmill to a proper seat height/warm-up speed and perform 30 seconds to a minute. Initially, start your interval program at a 3:1 rest to work ratio. A sample beginner’s program would look like this; 30 seconds of 85%-95% of max heart rate and 90 seconds of rest. As experience with the program advances, the work time goes up along with the rest periods. Perform anywhere from 4-6 work/rest sets which should take anywhere from 10-20 minutes at most, efficiency at its best!
HELGERUD, JAN 1,2; HOYDAL, KJETILL 1; WANG, EIVIND 1; KARLSEN, TRINE 1; BERG, PALR 1; BJERKAAS, MARIUS 1; SIMONSEN, THOMAS 1; HELGESEN, CECILIES 1;… [ read more ]
Two Foot Bridge
Lie face up on the floor w/ knees bent at 90 degrees and heel on the ground
Squeeze a rolled-up towel between knees and draw in your belly button
Bridge your hips towards the ceiling by squeezing your glutes and hold
Only your shoulder and heels should remain on the ground
Lower your hips towards the floor without touching it and repeat.