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CB Athletic Consulting, Inc. Training Report
- www.cbathletics.com
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ISSUE #107
1 - Motivational Feedback
"Craig Ballantyne has to be one of the most informed and knowledgeable
strength and conditioning experts in the field today. CB's advice is
always sound, grounded in scientifically established principles, and cuts
right to the goals of the athlete. The athletes of the Varsity Men's Rugby
Team at McMaster University have benefited tremendously from CB's
knowledge and expertise. His strength and conditioning programs have molded our team into one of the perennial contenders for the Turner Trophy every year. Thanks to CB, we have the strongest and best conditioned rugby players in the OUA!"
Stuart M. Phillips, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University
Assistant Coach, Men's Varsity Rugby Team, McMaster University
If you want to review the year-long Rugby Training Program used by McMaster University, please email craig@workoutmanuals.com
1 - The Secret of Speed
Martin Rooney, Director of the World Famous Parisi Speed School, prepares athletes for NFL combines, University sports, and world championship Mixed-Martial Arts competition. In this interview, Martin reveals some of his training ideas and favorite exercises to www.cbathletics.com. Martin has also been interviewed by www.grrlAthlete.com on how to reduce the risk of injury in female athletes.
CB: Martin, one of the things that caught my attention in another interview was your comment about the importance of the Strength-to-bodyweight ratio for speed. Can you explain this a little bit more?
Martin Rooney:
We came to this conclusion after evaluating over 15,000 athletes over the last number of years at the Parisi Speed School.
First off, if you are not evaluating your athletes, start. If you do not, you cannot ethically create a program for them.
What works for one athlete may not work for another. This will tell you where their current level of ability is, where their limitations lie, and how much progress they made from the beginning when you test them again.
Re: strength to bodyweight…Think of it like this…If I did a forty-yard dash and a vertical jump (two good tests of performance) and then performed the two tests again with a 25-pound weighted vest, would I get worse the second time? Of course.
But how would you explain that? I explain that the athlete just got heavier, but didn't get stronger to accommodate the new weight. Because of this decrease in strength to bodyweight, their performance suffered and their chance for injury increased.
Most athletes are too weak for their bodyweight. And they commonly weigh too much. This is a double strike against them.
CB: How would an athlete improve their "strength-to-bodyweight" ratio?
MR:
Two simple ways: Increase overall body strength and/or decrease body fat. The best-case scenario is to do both simultaneously. This is what we strive for at the Parisi Speed School.
This involves increasing lower, core and upper body strength, and improving diet. Depending on the athlete, the actual techniques for strength have a wide variety.
CB: What role does eccentric training have in athletic prep? What kind of tempos do you use for eccentric training, and why the range?
MR:
Eccentric training is essential for sport. It is huge for both performance and injury prevention. Eccentric ability can simply be seen as the body's ability to absorb force. If this cannot be done efficiently or correctly, performance is going to suffer and injuries are going to happen.
We use eccentrics in our lifts, but they are more important during our signature agility training. As for the lifts, we use 2-3 second eccentric tempos for our younger athletes to develop this strength. Most kids like and focus on the concentric component more.
In our agility work, we are working on correct technique and rate of force development.
CB: Thanks Martin. You can learn more about Martin and his training facility at: www.parisischool.com.
2 - 5.5 Tips to Getting Started on a Healthy Fat-Loss Program
It doesn't have to be January 1st for you to start a fat loss program or to begin living a healthier lifestyle. Start making small changes today.
Step 1 - Visit your doctor and have a complete physical. Have your blood sugar and cholesterol checked. Discuss any changes in activity and diet that you have planned. Get your doctor's approval before beginning an exercise program.
Step 2 -Eat more healthy foods (here some of the many options):
Lean proteins (chicken, fish)
Vegetables (broccoli, peppers)
Fruit (blueberries, oranges)
Nuts (almonds)
Whole grains (oatmeal).
Step 3 - Improve your nutrition plan by eating several small meals rather than 3 larger meals. Eat breakfast, a small snack, lunch, another small snack, and a sensible dinner.
Step 4 - Avoid high-glycemic, processed carbohydrates (practically any carbohydrate that comes in a bag or a box).
Step 5 - Avoid hydrogenated fats (also known as "trans-fatty acids"). This includes almost anything in a bag or a box (chips, crackers, fries, and anything with "hydrogenated vegetable oils" listed on the label).
BONUS Tip - Be consistent! Don't try to change everything at once. Make small nutritional changes or you may end up with an upset stomach. Aim for one small improvement each day (such as walking for an extra 5 minutes per day) and aim for 2 major improvements each week (such as eliminating soda and eating more vegetables).
Living a healthy lifestyle can be rewarding and satisfying. Once you get in the habit, you'll never go back to sedentary living. For more tips, workouts, and extensive manuals on Beginning Fat Loss, Getting Lean, or living the Executive Lifestyle, check out the programs at www.workoutmanuals.com.
The information on cbathletics.com is for
education purposes only. It is not medical advice and is
not intended to replace the advice or attention of health-care
professionals. Consult your physician before beginning or
making changes in your diet or exercise program, for diagnosis
and treatment of illness and injuries, and for advice regarding
medications.
CB ATHLETIC CONSULTING
www.cbathletics.com
www.workoutmanuals.com
