Kevin Miller, Fitness Coach, Philadelphia Union

POSTED: MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2013, 10:38 AM

FILED UNDER: KEVIN MILLER | RUNNING | WORKING OUT

Have you ever been to a high school game, whether it was on a field or on a court, and watched an athlete run past the rest of the players and make them all look like they were standing still? If you are a parent or a coach of a field or court athlete I am sure that you have witnessed a few athletes make it look easy when it comes to running.
The ability to accelerate and change direction is one of the most sought after traits that all athletes (male and female) are looking for. Millions of dollars are spent every year by parents trying to have their son or daughter “improve their first step” and become faster. As a coach I have stopped counting how many times I have had parents tell me that they want me to help them improve their child’s “first step."
With all due respect, I understand what they are talking about however, speed development goes way beyond improving their first step.
In this article, I would like to share some tips that I have been able to learn over the past several years by some of the top coaches when it comes to speed and power development for both court and field athletes.
Charlie Francis is considered by many as one of the best coaches in the world when it comes to developing athletes for improvements in their speed and power. Although he spent the majority of his time training track and field athletes I believe his philosophy on training can have a profound effect on high school athletes looking to improve their overall speed and acceleration.
If you were to have a conversation with a track and field coach as well as a football coach you would get several opinions on how to develop speed. The great thing about coaching is that everyone has their own philosophy and ways to train their athletes. For the purpose of this article I am going to focus on the court and field athlete. Below are some of the key points that I feel must be addressed if your goal is to develop the following:

• Linear speed
• Transitional speed
• Power
• The ability to decelerate and accelerate

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Tip No. 1: What is your starting point?
In a perfect world every high school athlete would first have an assessment or screen from a qualified coach. The reason this is important is before you start a training program you should establish a baseline to know where you are and where you want to go. I would recommend that you seek out the advice of someone who can perform the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) or Postural Restoration Institute (PRI) assessment on you so that you can determine what exercises may cause problems down the road and provide a road map for your success.
Tip No. 2: Develop your aerobic system
When most athletes or coaches hear aerobic system they think of skinny marathon runners logging 40-50 miles a week. As a coach, I don’t want my high school athletes pounding the pavement in an effort to “build their base.”
If you have ever read anything from Joel Jamieson he recommends that instead of running for 30-60 minutes, athletes incorporate some circuit training into their off-season program to build the overall capacity and strength of their heart. The best way to do this is to wear a heart rate monitor and stay in the 120-150 bpm (beat per minute) range. By doing this early in the off-season, athletes will have a better chance to perform “repeat sprints” during their season. As I stated earlier, I am not talking about track and field but rather the ability for an athlete to perform multiple sprints during a game. Here is an example of one type of circuit you could do with your athletes (Note, make sure they have perfect form when lifting weights and jumping):
Video: Cardiac output bench jumps/swings
Tip No. 3: Master body weight strength
When you sprint you have to be able to demonstrate good posture (i.e. relaxed shoulders, high hips, and proper hip extension). The majority of high school athletes that I work with do not have the proper strength to hold themselves in an upright posture. Here are a few exercises that they must master before heading over to the squat rack.
Videos: Cook hip lift
Plank
Sprinter step up
Reverse lunge
Push ups
Tip No. 4: Hit the weights
When done properly, strength training can have a dramatic effect on your speed and your ability to change direction. One of the key factors in speed development is the ability to put force into the ground. One of the best ways to do this is by implementing a total body strength training program that teaches safe and effective progressions. In my opinion strength training is underrated when it comes to developing an explosive athlete. Charlie Francis defines agility as “a form of special strength in combination of body awareness." Here are a few exercises that I would include in a speed training program.
Videos: DB single leg step up
Trap bar deadlift side view
Single leg DB RDL
Good KB swing
Tip No. 5: Implement transitional speed and power exercises
Court and field athletes hardly ever run in a straight line. They must learn how to stop, change direction and accelerate. Keep the volume of these movements low but the intensity high. Here are a few examples.
Videos: Lateral crossover continuous and sprint
shuffle-sprint-backpedal-sprint
Backpedal to forward sprint
Box jumps
Skate hop w/ bounce and sprint
Note that one of my favorite speed training exercises is hill sprints. Keep it simple when doing hills. Find a good hill and sprint up for 20-30 seconds and then walk back slow. Repeat for 8-20 reps depending on how you feel for that particular day.
Tip No. 6: Don’t confuse speed training with conditioning
This is a common mistake among coaches. I admit that I have made this mistake in the past. So many coaches say that they want to make their athletes faster; however, instead of working on short bursts of speed they think by doing gassers their kids will get faster. There is a time and place for various type of conditioning methods. But 300-yard shuttle runs are not speed training.
In order to develop speed athletes must be alert and fresh. Their CNS (Central Nervous System) must be firing on all cylinders. True speed training will take between 15-20 minutes of work. Also you must allow for a FULL recovery between sets. I would recommend that the volume of running be kept between 400- 500 yards of speed work. An example could be a workout that looks like this:

• Warm-up and form running drills: 15-20 minutes
• Low level plyometric work: 8-10 minutes w/ full recovery
• Sprints: 3 x 10 yds, 3 x 20 yds, 10 x 30 yd. fly in sprints
• Strength Training work: 30 minutes
• Cool down and go home

Tip No. 7: Adequate flexibility
When it comes to flexibility I am not talking about the ability to sit down and touch your toes. The flexibility that I am interested in involves your ankles, knee, hips and shoulders. A great time to work on mobility is during the warm-up portion of an athlete’s training. Here are two exercises that you can implement today to improve your speed.
Videos: Wall ankle dorsiflexion 
Wall knee drive
The tips and suggestions above are by no means a complete guide to speed training. Several factors go into the ability to run fast, jump high and change direction all while not breaking stride. However if you implement some of the suggestions above and follow the proper progressions I am confident that you will improve your speed on both the field as well as the court. Good luck!

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Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/sportsdoc/Goal-Oriented-Speed-training-for-young-athletes.html#FrC7FiebjbL6DDsL.99

Sound the Alarm

Kerrying On Sound the Alarm

ABOUT THE AUTHOR   Kerry Patterson is coauthor of four New York Times bestsellers, Change Anything, Crucial Conversations, Crucial Accountability, and Influencer. READ MORE BOOK A SPEAKER  As a boy, I loved to watch Father Knows Best, a TV program showcasing your typical sitcom family of the 50s. One of the more memorable episodes involves a short-wave radio that teenager Bud is refurbishing. When he finally gets the contraption working, he finds himself listening to a conversation between two boats located over a thousand miles away. The signal is bouncing off the ionosphere—making him privy to a conversation between the “Betty Anne,” a 34-foot cabin cruiser and other vessels nearby. Soon, the entire Anderson family is drawn into the action as the Allen family aboard the Betty Anne heads into a horrible storm. The Allen’s think the turn in the weather is nothing more than a rainsquall. The Coast Guard sounds a warning of an impending storm. But the two parties can’t hear each other due to local interference. The Andersons, beneficiaries of the signal bounce, can easily hear everyone involved and can’t figure out why someone doesn’t help the Betty Anne or radio the Coast Guard. As the Allens are about to be tossed into the violent sea, the Andersons anguish over their inability to offer help. Completely pulled into the teleplay, I shouted into the TV: “Call the Coast Guard! You know the Betty Anne is about to capsize five miles off Shark Island. You can save the Allens! Just make a phone call!” Finally, after ten minutes of tortuous inaction from the Andersons and constant coaxing from me, Mr. Anderson realizes that he can phone the Coast Guard. He makes the call, saves the Allen family, and I stop yelling at the TV. I walked away from that teleplay vowing that if I were ever in a position where I could spot an upcoming disaster (one that I could foresee but others couldn’t) I’d shout out a warning. Today, I feel as if I’m watching just such an impending disaster, so please allow me to offer up a warning. As you observe young people working their way through school, you can’t help but take notice as they approach certain critical junctures. Early on, they decide whether school is their thing or not. They decide whether grades and studying is their thing or not. And finally, they decide whether math, science, literature, art, or philosophy is their thing or not. There was a time when the subject you chose to master at school, or for that matter, how many years you attended, didn’t exactly seal your financial destiny. When I was young, there were a variety of jobs available for people who barely limped through high school. Manufacturing positions paid good money and offered a solid career path to individuals who were willing to roll up their sleeves and get dirty. In fact, blue-collar positions paid, on average, more than white-collar ones. The joke at the time was that factory workers made more than lawyers. Advanced education seemed more of a luxury than a strategic choice. Circumstances have changed to the point where the data are now crystal clear. While we still have a strong manufacturing core, contemporary firms produce high-tech, high-cost items, built by people who’ve done well in school and have had plenty of it. As a result, on average, American employees make more money with each year they spend in school—all the way through a PhD. So, when youngsters say, “You know, school isn’t my thing.” It’s our job to let them know of the disaster that might lie just beyond the horizon. It’s our responsibility to explain that when they distance themselves from school, they might be choosing a job pool and income level they won’t like—and it could last their entire life. In a similar vein, when a youngster says, “I know that school matters, but it isn’t easy for me. I don’t test well. Grades aren’t my thing,” alarms should go off in your head. Grades matter a great deal and according to recent research, most people can learn to get good grades if they’re taught how to study. Learning how to learn doesn’t call for rocket science. I’ll never forget the day I graduated from high school and our friend Harry Roller sat me down and prepared me for college by teaching me how to succeed in school. He told me to go to every class and do every assignment. You read the reading assignment beforehand. You leave class and head straight to a quiet place in the library where you don’t study with noisy friends. Instead, you sit down in that quiet spot, review your notes, and prepare for your next class. Reading is a science in itself. You take a short walking break after fifteen minutes. At thirty minutes you take a three-minute break. At sixty minutes, a five-minute break. You start a chapter by reading the questions at the end and pouring over the headings, charts, and models, then you read the chapter. And so forth. We know how to maximize learning. It’s not a mystery. So when young people say grades aren’t their thing, teach them how to earn good grades by helping them improve their study techniques. It’s hard to imagine an investment that has a greater rate of return than learning how to learn. And now for the final danger sign. Say your kids agree that both school and grades matter. Unfortunately, they find math and science to be puzzling. It’s not long until they explain that they don’t like math. Eventually they suggest that they don’t “do” math. After all, they aren’t nerds. With time, they come to frame their disdain for all things quantitative as an asset—sure they’re bad at math, but hey, they have social skills that give them an advantage. For others, math and technology is their thing and they see literature, art, and the like as weak and without scientific underpinnings. While it’s wonderful to find a passion, it’s sad when young people turn this love for one field as a reason for not exploring others. Not only does this narrow framing cut them off from important parts of life, it makes them vulnerable. I used to sit on the admissions committee of a popular master’s program. Demand far exceeded supply so we could only accept a fraction of the applicants. About once a year, one of the local candidates who had been turned down would corner me in the hallway and plead his or her case. “I scored nearly perfectly in the verbal section of the qualifying exam and I won two writing awards. Sure my quantitative score was only average, but my verbal skills more than make up for it.” Or: “Did you see my quantitative score? I’m a gifted scientist. Sure, my verbal score wasn’t all that great but . . .” You can see where this is going. I would point out that the students who were accepted scored high in both areas of the test. To be admitted, you have to be able to play with both sets of blocks. It was sad to watch these eager applicants as they realized for the first time that doing well in only one domain simply wasn’t enough to earn them a place on the roster. Of course, all of us are acquainted with people who’ve found ways to work in careers they love, and some of them earn a good living. There are always thousands of exceptions to the rule. Nevertheless, I believe it's important to let your young family members and friends know the impact of school, grades, study methods, and a balanced skill set. We’ve looked out into the future and like the Anderson family, have observed what could easily be an impending disaster. It doesn’t involve boats heading into a storm; nevertheless it could be disastrous just the same. Allow the next generation of youngsters to dismiss the importance of school, disregard grades, and turn up their noses at whole branches of knowledge and they may face a tumultuous future. I feel it’s my duty to sound a warning. Kerrying On podcast:   Listen via MP3          Listen via iTunes

Did you know the smallest of changes in your delivery can make a huge difference in your performance?

What if you added just another 2 inches of movement to two of your pitches. What difference would that make? How would that benefit you?

The answer to these questions is simple: Your performance would drastically improve; your ERA would improve, you'd add a few more k's, throw faster with more accuracy and the list goes on. Just by adding some simple improvements.

Small improvements over time = Huge Results

what I'm getting at is this:

Many little league, high school and collegiate pitchers have aspirations of pitching in the MLB. Of course its the dream of many. Is it possible? of course it is! But what does it require? Granted it requires a lot of hard work and dedication, knowledge, mental toughness and all of that.

But what it truly requires to get the skills you need is consistency. Your daily choices, behaviors and habits are going to dictate whether you have a shot at that level or not.

Think about this scenario: If you put in three hours of focused energy into practicing your baseball skills everyday and didn't miss a day for 5 years what type of player will you have become? Add up the hours: It's 5475 Hours. What type of skill set would you acquire over that time frame? You would be incredible! Do that for ten years and you will have put in 10,950 hours; 15 years= 16,425 hours.

With that discipline you will have acquired a lot of skill set and certainly have the opportunity to play on some elite baseball teams giving you more opportunity for exposure.

What happens to most players is the opposite: they put in time but they are inconsistent with their efforts. Next Monday seems to be the best time to start over, rededicate and get back to their routine. With the rededicated schedule they will never be as good as they could have.

Don't be one of the would have, could have or should have people that wake up with regrets.

in addition

The "overnight successes" we hear of don't really exist. The Ken Griffey Jr's of the world that were drafted at 19 didn't just happen overnight; he wasn't just born with the abilities to play baseball; the skills weren't just given to him. He started playing the game and putting in the time 5-10 years earlier than most kids did; He was also fortunate to be around the game constantly.

You all know Tiger Woods story; Taking golf lessons at 3. Nobody but one person wanted to teach him at that age. His Dad finally found a coach that would. Point is: they were disciplined and didn't let little distractions keep them from their goals.

Again, there is no such thing as an overnight success; daily habits, choices and behaviors over a period of time add up.

My challenge to you is to find out the very best pitching routines for you (workouts, throwing schedules, core work, cardio etc) and never miss a day no matter what. The truth is there will be times you feel your performance didn't match the effort you are putting in. You will want to go hang out with your friends during your schedule workout time instead of working out. You will feel a lone at times in finding the road to your success, but guess what? You will succeed if you push through it.

Now is the time to start establishing your daily habits that are going to take you where you want to go!

http://www.thepitchingacademy.com/GetStartedNow!

The Modified Warrior Diet

By 

Michael Keck

Published: July 6, 2011Posted in: NutritionTags: fat loss, michael keck, modified warrior diet, Nutrition

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This article is intended to give a brief background of the original Warrior Diet and provide a consolidated source for the recommendations and guidelines of my modifications. It is not intended to be a detailed scientific reference article, so please don’t look for that aspect. We can discuss the science at a later time or through the Q&A. I do appreciate all the interest I’ve received through the Q&A and I look forward to continuing to help everyone that writes in!

The Warrior Diet is a concept originally developed by Ori Hofmekler, whom also released a book by the same name. In it, he outlines the general concepts and ideas upon which the diet was based. His primary goal was developing a lean, athletic “warrior” body as seen in the times of the Romans and Greeks and doing so in a manner that promoted health and well being.

Ori’s original work is excellent for anyone looking for a simple, healthy, easy, and feel-good diet, while dropping some bodyfat in the process. In its original form, it works well for the average Joe, but for athletes and strength sport competitors – it needs some modification.

Ori recommends periods of underfeeding and overfeeding. He claims that this style of eating is most natural to us as hunter/gatherers, and warriors were active and working during the day with little time or available food to eat. The Greek and Roman warriors usually set up camp at night and that is when they would feast, refueling themselves for another day of battle. This system works well with our body’s natural tendencies, following CNS output patterns and circadian rhythms. The underfeeding portion keeps us in the sympathetic nervous system (the fight or flight system) which is perfect for being alert and ready for battle or hunting your food. The overfeeding portion triggers the parasympathetic system, which lets you rest and digest your feast and recover for the next day.

This is all good and well for folks of days past, but what about today? How does this fit our busy lifestyles and demands as strength athletes? Exceptionally well is the answer!

I want you to think about going to train after eating a thanksgiving dinner and how you normally feel after crushing a copious amount of food. Ready to train? I didn’t think so. You’re ready to take a nap and that is the power of the parasympathetic nervous system. Your body is much better suited to train in an underfed state. You’ll see what this looks like in the meal plans below.

For athletes, especially sports that are explosively oriented like football, track and field, basketball, MMA, baseball in some cases, and strength athletes, I found that there was too much margin for error when eating by feel as Ori recommends in his book. This aspect certainly applies to the fellow bodybuilders out there. There needed to be an emphasis on more protein and selectively timed carbohydrate intake with a steady source of healthy dietary fats. Certain supplements like BCAA’s and hydrolyzed whey play an important role here. This is where the tweaking comes in. Ori wasn’t concerned with maximal muscle mass and strength/explosiveness, but I am and you are. With some guidelines set for certain goals, be it a recomposition effect, pure fat loss or a mass gaining phase, it gives the trainee a more adjustable plan where modifications can be measured and monitored and the outcome tailored to the specific goal.

This approach also allows for the body to take in the bulk of its calories when it needs them most – during and after training. When you’re finished training, it’s the perfect time to refuel and give your body the building blocks it needs to come back stronger for the next session.

With the adjustments I’ve made, there’s more of an emphasis on macro counting vs. calorie counting. They may seem the same to some people, but I assure you that they are quite different.  A mixture of 70% protein and 30% carbohydrate will elicit a much different response in your body and on your physique than a mixture of 70% carbohydrate and 30% protein, yet the calorie content of each mixture is the exact same. I have accounted for this with the meal plans that follow. These plans are not the only that I’ve developed or used, but they are the base plans for the three major goals most often encountered: muscle gain, fat loss and body recomposition.

Regarding food choices, it is best to consume whole, unprocessed foods on this (or any plan), however I do understand that sometimes you just go with what you can get, clean or not and that is ok from time to time. Eating “dirty” food also has its place when someone is really struggling to put on weight or just doesn’t have the appetite to throw down enough clean calories during the day. If this is your case, don’t feel too bad for the occasional cheeseburger or slice of pizza. The underfeeding foods need to be light and easily digested. Save the heavier stuff for the overfeeding portion of the day.

Remember, these are just guidelines and a good starting point to base your numbers off of. Each person will need to find the right ratios that work for them.

The plans below are for afternoon training sessions. For morning trainees, I recommend consuming ¾ of your pre/during/post workout meal and resuming underfeeding from there until it is time to feast at night.

I look forward to everyone’s feedback and I certainly appreciate everyone that has written in after having success with this approach. Train hard, eat smart and become the best you can!

Fat Loss Plan

• 180-pound Male

Weight Training Day

• Carbohydrates: 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1.5–2 grams per pound of body weight

• Fats: 0.25-0.5 grams per pound of body weight

Non-weight training day

• Carbohydrates: 0-0.25 gram per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1.5–2 grams per pound of body weight

• Fats: 0.5-0.75 grams per pound of body weight

Sample Fat Loss Meal Plan – Training Day Evening Workout

Rise at 6-7AM
9-11AM: Underfeeding Meal 1

• 5g BCAA- Optional but helpful
• 6oz 0% fat Greek Yogurt
• 3g fish oil

12-2PM: Underfeeding Meal 2

• 5g BCAA – again optional
• 1 scoop low carb protein powder or 2oz lean meat
• 1oz raw almonds

4-5PM: Pre-workout Meal

• 5g BCAA- optional
• 1 scoop low carb protein powder
• 1 slice Ezekiel bread

5-7PM: Train

During Training

• 1 scoop low carb protein powder

Post workout

• 1 scoop low carb protein powder
• 50g Swedish Oat starch/Waxy maize/Maltose/Dextrose/8oz sweet potato

Main Feeding or “Feast” 1 hour later and last until 1 hour before bed

• 14oz cooked chicken breast or 14oz top round steak
• 2 scoops casein based protein powder
• 3g Fish Oil
• 1 Food for Life Brown Rice bread english muffin drizzled with 1tbsp honey
• 8oz cooked sweet potato
• 2tbsp natural peanut butter
• 1tbsp coconut oil

Daily totals

• Protein     270g       1.5g/lb
• Carbs       180         1g/lb
• Fats          45          .25g/lb

Total Calories: 2,340*

*Trace macros were not counted in totals (For example: did not count fats in english muffins)

Mass Building Plan

• 180-pound Male

Weight Training Day

• Carbohydrates: 2–4 grams per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1–1.25 grams per pound of body weight

• Fat: trace

Non Weight Training Day

• Carbohydrates: 1–2 grams per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1.5–2 grams per pound of body weight

• Fat: 0.25-0.5 grams per pound of body weight

Sample Mass Building Meal Plan – Training Day: Evening workout

Rise at 6-7AM

9-11AM: Underfeeding Meal 1

• 5g BCAA – Optional but helpful
• 6oz 0% fat Greek Yogurt
• ½ scoop low carb protein
• 3g fish oil

12-2PM: Underfeeding Meal 2

• 5g BCAA- again optional
• 1 scoop low carb protein powder or 2oz lean meat
• 1 medium apple
• Pre-workout meal at 4-5pm
• 5g BCAA- optional
• 1.5 scoops low carb protein powder
• 1/2 cup uncooked measure rolled oats or 1 large apple/orange

5-7PM: Train

During workout

• 1.5 scoops low carb protein powder
• 25g  Swedish Oat starch/Waxy maize/Maltose/Dextrose

Post workout

• 2 scoops low carb protein powder
• 75g Swedish Oat starch/Waxy maize/Maltose/Dextrose/8oz sweet potato

Main Feeding or “Feast” 1 hour later and last until 1 hour before bed

• 12oz cooked chicken or Tilapia
• 6 brown rice cakes
• 12oz cooked sweet potato
• 1 cup Cascadian Farm Organic Oats and Honey granola cereal

Daily Totals

• Carbs   360     2g/lb
• Pro       270     1.5g/lb
• Fats      trace

Calories – 2,709*

*Not including trace fats or other macros

Recomposition Effect Plan

Weight Training Day

• Carbohydrates: 1-1.5 grams per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1.5-2 grams per pound of body weight

• Fats: 0.4-0.75 grams per pound of body weight

Non-weight training day

• Carbohydrates: 5-.75 gram per pound of body weight

• Protein: 1.5–2 grams per pound of body weight

• Fats: 0.75-1 grams per pound of body weight

Recomposition Effect Sample Meal Plan Evening Workout

Rise at 6-7AM

9-11AM: Underfeeding Meal 1

• 5g BCAA- Optional but helpful
• 6oz 0% fat Greek Yogurt or 4 egg whites
• 1 Tbsp flax seeds or .5 Tbsp olive oil

12-2PM: Underfeeding Meal 2

• 5g BCAA- again optional
• 1 scoop low carb protein powder or 2oz lean meat
• 1oz raw pecans

4-5PM: Pre-workout Meal

• 5g BCAA- optional
• 1 scoop low carb protein powder
• 1 medium orange/grapefruit
• 1oz raw almonds

5-7PM: Train

During workout

• 1 scoop low carb protein powder

Post workout

• 1 scoop low carb protein powder
• 50g Swedish Oat starch/Waxy maize/Maltose/Dextrose/8oz sweet potato
• Main Feeding or “Feast” 1 hour later and last until 1 hour before bed
• 14oz cooked ground turkey breast or 14oz top flank steak
• 1.5 cup cooked brown rice pasta
• 2 scoops casein based protein powder
• 3g Fish Oil
• 8oz cooked sweet potato
• 1.5 Tbsp natural almond butter
• 1 Tbsp Walnut or Avocado Oil

Daily Totals

• Protein     270g       1.5g/lb
• Carbs       180         1g/lb
• Fats          70          .4g/lb

Calories:  2,565*

*Does not include trace macros

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Team elitefts™ Columnist Michael Keck is a world class competitive raw power lifter, after setting a new IPA world record at the February 6, 2010 Lexen Xtreme Pro-Am in the 242 division. He is also a competitive NPC Bodybuilder. His experience covers a wide variety of training methodologies and nutritional strategies. A self professed nerd and former scholarship athlete (football) at Western Kentucky University, He trains and studies to be as strong as possible all the while maintaining his health and being able to display a physique he can be proud of. Michael is co-founder of redpointfitness.com a nutritional software site and his full time career is as Vice President of Five Talents Financial Group, a Merger and Acquisition advisory and wealth management firm. View Michael’s Training Log HERE