Here are my top 10 Sure Fire ways to guarantee Sports performance enhancement. I don't have much time today but, so I'll just rattle off the top 10 quick strategies we implement @ Optimal Performance Training Center to guarantee RESULTS with our Athletes.
I know that this list may not explain a lot, but Keep an eye out... Starting Tuesday, as I'll be going into detail regarding each strategy. So if you want to see how we get such great results keep checking this blog. If you want a head start head over to Performancepass.com and get a free pass sent right to you email box. Then all you have to do is call us and set up an appointment.
10 ten ways to enhance your sports performance - The 'Optimal Way"
1. Correct Muscle Imbalances
2. Proper Movement Preparation/Warm up, Flexibility, and Mobility training
3. Better Balance and Stability
4. Speed, Agility, and Quickness
5. Max Strength Development/ Refinement
6. Acceleration/Deceleration
7. Power
8. Recovery & regeneration
9. Injury Prevention
10. Improve Body Composition
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Eat To Compete Part 2
Eat To Compete - Part 2
In part one of our Sports Nutrition Mini Series we talked about the basics of proper nutrtion for 'Optimal Performance', as well and the proper types of foods we should be eating.
Real Quick - here is what I reccomended;
The most appropriate supportive eating plan for an athlete should:
1.) Be high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates
2.) Contain a moderate amount of protein
3.) Include healthy fats
4.) Provide enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities
Great! Now what are nutrient-dense carbohydrates, good protein choices, and a healthy fat?
Wrong! In fact your body needs fat to survive and to perform at optimal levels too. The key here is to eat fats that are healthy for you. Avoid/minimize saturated fats or anything that is fried or made with hydrogenated oils. Instead opt for fats that are unprocessed and natural. Flax seed oils and fish oils tend to be your better choices here.
Hopefully you have better understanding of what high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates, quality proteins, and healthy fats are. As far as providing enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities...
We'll get more into that in our next installment of "Eat to Compete". We will go over the proper amonuts of each food to eat as well as when to eat them.
Until then start incorporating what we have discussed up until this point - that is start eating better quality carbohydrates, eat more protein, and don't be affraid of the "F" word (the 3 letter one - FAT)
JZ
In part one of our Sports Nutrition Mini Series we talked about the basics of proper nutrtion for 'Optimal Performance', as well and the proper types of foods we should be eating.
Real Quick - here is what I reccomended;
The most appropriate supportive eating plan for an athlete should:
1.) Be high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates
2.) Contain a moderate amount of protein
3.) Include healthy fats
4.) Provide enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities
Great! Now what are nutrient-dense carbohydrates, good protein choices, and a healthy fat?
To keep it simple a nutrient-dense carbohydrate is simply vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and anything that is unprocessed (if it comes in a box - it is most likely processed). In other words you want to minimize cakes, cookies, pastas, and anything made from white flour.
**Note I said minimize these choices**
Occasional sweets and foods high in fat and sugar are ok once in a while. However, try not to replace a sugary sweet in place of a nutrient-dense food, and try not to use these ‘treats’ as rewards to often. This will only develop an emotion response and engrain ‘sweets ‘n’ treats’ with the accomplishment and reward. Instead try to set reasonable guidelines that encourage more of a balanced approach. What I have clients do is abide by the 90%/10% rule. Basically 90% of the time you stay within your supportive nutrition boundaries, and 10% of the time you can have some leniency.
Ok, now what the heck is a good protein choice? First off, let me rephrase ‘good’ protein choice. There are no good choices and bad choices when it comes to protein and all food for that matter. There are better choices than others, but moderation is key (remember the 90%/10% rule).
Alright, let’s get back on track. Proteins. A protein is basically anything that has or has had eyes. This includes lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish, as well eggs, wild game, red meat and dairy foods.
Fat, Fat, Fat… The evil “F” word that everybody wants to avoid. If you eat fat, you will be fat right?
**Note I said minimize these choices**
Occasional sweets and foods high in fat and sugar are ok once in a while. However, try not to replace a sugary sweet in place of a nutrient-dense food, and try not to use these ‘treats’ as rewards to often. This will only develop an emotion response and engrain ‘sweets ‘n’ treats’ with the accomplishment and reward. Instead try to set reasonable guidelines that encourage more of a balanced approach. What I have clients do is abide by the 90%/10% rule. Basically 90% of the time you stay within your supportive nutrition boundaries, and 10% of the time you can have some leniency.
Ok, now what the heck is a good protein choice? First off, let me rephrase ‘good’ protein choice. There are no good choices and bad choices when it comes to protein and all food for that matter. There are better choices than others, but moderation is key (remember the 90%/10% rule).
Alright, let’s get back on track. Proteins. A protein is basically anything that has or has had eyes. This includes lean meats like chicken, turkey, fish, as well eggs, wild game, red meat and dairy foods.
Fat, Fat, Fat… The evil “F” word that everybody wants to avoid. If you eat fat, you will be fat right?
Wrong! In fact your body needs fat to survive and to perform at optimal levels too. The key here is to eat fats that are healthy for you. Avoid/minimize saturated fats or anything that is fried or made with hydrogenated oils. Instead opt for fats that are unprocessed and natural. Flax seed oils and fish oils tend to be your better choices here.
Hopefully you have better understanding of what high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates, quality proteins, and healthy fats are. As far as providing enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities...
We'll get more into that in our next installment of "Eat to Compete". We will go over the proper amonuts of each food to eat as well as when to eat them.
Until then start incorporating what we have discussed up until this point - that is start eating better quality carbohydrates, eat more protein, and don't be affraid of the "F" word (the 3 letter one - FAT)
JZ
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
The Need For Speed
What Every Athlete needs to apply to their training in order To enhance their sport specific speed
By Jason Zaretzky
Sports Performance and Corrective Exercise Expert
I’ve got the need…The NEED FOR SPEED!!! And you should too. Every athlete needs to realize that they should always be searching for new ways to improve their speed. That’s because in sport speed kills.
You can never be fast enough. However, it’s not just how fast you can run from point A to point B. You have to be able to be as fast as possible while moving in various directions, starting and stopping constantly. After all, what sport do you know of where change of direction doesn’t happen? Not Many.
So let’s cut right to the chase…
Here are the top ways to enhance your sport specific speed for any sport:
1.) Be specific – to the demands of what type of speed you need in order to excel at your respective sport. For example, the type of speed needed for a football defensive lineman is totally different than the speed needed for a midfielder in lacrosse, or a forward in basketball. So your speed training must reflect the demands of your specific sport.
2.) You won’t get faster by simply running around a track - A major misconception to speed training has been to just run like a maniac around a track and expect to get faster. The problem here is that you may need other methods of training such as stretching, strength training, core training, balance and/or stability training in order for you to get faster.
maybe it's a lack of flexibility that's slowing you down
3.) Stop training like a body builder – Instead of training on that hamstring curl machine, try some multi-muscle movements like Olympic lifts (snatch / Cleans), squats, and dead-lifts. Not only are these exercises better than any kind of isolation based exercise (hamstring curls and leg extensions), they actually strengthen your leg muscles (and entire body) and train them to work together as a unit. While you’re at it incorporate some single leg exercises such as lunges, and single leg deadlifts. By doing so you will further mimic your body’s running actions.
add some cleans to your sports training program for some serious improvements in speed & power
4.) Find your weak links, and correct muscle imbalances – You are only as strong as your weakest link, and muscle imbalances will always lead to weak links in your body. Take 2 to athletes that are the same speed. Athlete 1 has poor hip flexibility and weak abdominals, while athlete 2 has weak hamstring muscles, and tight quads. If all these athletes did was work on hip flexibility and core strength, Athlete 1 may get faster, while athlete 2 may actually decrease performance. So getting faster isn’t a one size fits all approach – you need to focus on the individual first.
If your not assessing your just guessing!!!
There you have it, 4 easy ways to immediately increase your speed through proper training and smart programming. The only thing left to do is ‘Just Do It’!
Yeah, Yeah, I know what you’re saying, “But how do I know what my weak links are, and what the best exercises for me to do?”
The easiest way is to seek the advice of a highly qualified professional who has experience assessing and training athletes. Visit, our website, and sign up for our free email newsletter. It provides the information regarding sports performance enhancement, and info about all programs run out of OPTC.
Monday, August 25, 2008
What do you have in common with Olympians?
The Olympics have come and gone…
For the past 2 weeks the Olympics have been all over the place. They have been pretty tiring for me… With the events being on so late I have lost some precious hours of sleep.
But they sure were great Huh?
A couple of outstanding feats I noticed most were …
Phelps – enough said – he eats 10,000 plus calories a day and I think he is part fish – either way an incredible accomplishment (he’s gonna need a neck brace with all those medals. )
Usain Bolt who broke the world record in both the 100m & 200m sprints – He broke both records with a headwind and one record with an untied shoe lace . This guy is truly amazing. How anyone that tall can run like that amazes me.
Another group of Olympians that truly amazed me were the Light weight Olympic weightlifters. In my opinion they are incredible. Their overall power and their strength to body weight ratio’s are through the roof. It’s almost humbling to me. I have been dabbling in the Olympic weightlifting game a bit this past year, and here I am in some cases 30 pounds heavier and lifting at most - the same amount of weight they are. Crazy!
All in all, I think all of the Olympic athletes did an outstanding job. As I watched parts of the closing ceremonies I began to think about the dedication, hard work, and time it took for them to get to where they are today…
Then I realized, they are where they are for a reason– They made a commitment!!!
Of course they are gifted and talented athletes... but they committed to achieving excellence.
Then I started to think about the simularities elite athletes have. In this case we are talking about the Olympians. When you think about it Olympic athletes all have similar attributes –
1.) Olympians are willing to do the work.
2.) Olympians actually love what they do.
3.) Olympians have a team of family, friends, and especially coaches that support, teach, and ensure they give it their best
You don't reach the top of your sport, be it baseball, basketball, swimming, football, sprinting or performing in any other sport without being willing to work harder than your competition.
If you want to climb to the top of your sport - you need to be willing to invest the time and effort to get there. You also need to absolutely love what you do. I seriously doubt that Michael Phelps hates swimming.
As far as coaching and support - All Olympic athletes have coaches, do you know why? It's one of the key's to their success and should be one of the keys to yours as well. They all realize that they can’t do it alone and get the coaching they need in order to succeed.
All the olympians had skill coaches, therapists, doctors, strength and conditioning coaches, as well as family and friends with them at all times providing great support.
So if you haven't already, make sure you take a little time to appreciate the athletes in Beijing and what they've invested to get there.
Then model that sort of commitment in your own training. Trust me it will pay off!!!
JZ
ps - go to PerformancePass.com right now and recieve a free coaching session with Rockland County's #1 strength & conditioning provider. Simply fill out the form and you will instantly recieve a FREE coupon for a coaching session.
For the past 2 weeks the Olympics have been all over the place. They have been pretty tiring for me… With the events being on so late I have lost some precious hours of sleep.
But they sure were great Huh?
A couple of outstanding feats I noticed most were …
Phelps – enough said – he eats 10,000 plus calories a day and I think he is part fish – either way an incredible accomplishment (he’s gonna need a neck brace with all those medals. )
Usain Bolt who broke the world record in both the 100m & 200m sprints – He broke both records with a headwind and one record with an untied shoe lace . This guy is truly amazing. How anyone that tall can run like that amazes me.
Another group of Olympians that truly amazed me were the Light weight Olympic weightlifters. In my opinion they are incredible. Their overall power and their strength to body weight ratio’s are through the roof. It’s almost humbling to me. I have been dabbling in the Olympic weightlifting game a bit this past year, and here I am in some cases 30 pounds heavier and lifting at most - the same amount of weight they are. Crazy!
All in all, I think all of the Olympic athletes did an outstanding job. As I watched parts of the closing ceremonies I began to think about the dedication, hard work, and time it took for them to get to where they are today…
Then I realized, they are where they are for a reason– They made a commitment!!!
Of course they are gifted and talented athletes... but they committed to achieving excellence.
Then I started to think about the simularities elite athletes have. In this case we are talking about the Olympians. When you think about it Olympic athletes all have similar attributes –
1.) Olympians are willing to do the work.
2.) Olympians actually love what they do.
3.) Olympians have a team of family, friends, and especially coaches that support, teach, and ensure they give it their best
You don't reach the top of your sport, be it baseball, basketball, swimming, football, sprinting or performing in any other sport without being willing to work harder than your competition.
If you want to climb to the top of your sport - you need to be willing to invest the time and effort to get there. You also need to absolutely love what you do. I seriously doubt that Michael Phelps hates swimming.
As far as coaching and support - All Olympic athletes have coaches, do you know why? It's one of the key's to their success and should be one of the keys to yours as well. They all realize that they can’t do it alone and get the coaching they need in order to succeed.
All the olympians had skill coaches, therapists, doctors, strength and conditioning coaches, as well as family and friends with them at all times providing great support.
So if you haven't already, make sure you take a little time to appreciate the athletes in Beijing and what they've invested to get there.
Then model that sort of commitment in your own training. Trust me it will pay off!!!
JZ
ps - go to PerformancePass.com right now and recieve a free coaching session with Rockland County's #1 strength & conditioning provider. Simply fill out the form and you will instantly recieve a FREE coupon for a coaching session.
Optimal Performance is now accepting registrations...
For the NEW UNLIMITED MEMBERSHIP!!! DON'T BE LEFT OUT!
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 16 ATHLETES PER SESSION!!!
SPACE IS LIMITED TO 16 ATHLETES PER SESSION!!!
Prepare for your upcoming season!
To reserve your spot register today by calling
845.268.3494
Not ready to Commit? TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!!!
Come in for a FREE Session on Us - come in and let us prove that
we not ONLY provide the best in Sports Performance Training, but at the Best Rates too!!!
Simply call 845.268.3494 and ask about our FREE Performance Pass.
Simply call 845.268.3494 and ask about our FREE Performance Pass.
What Is The Unlimited Membership?
Optimal Performance is now going to offer what I’m calling the UNLIMITED Athlete membership. We will now be offering our same great sports training programs, but instead of only offering a 2 or 3 day per week program – you will now be able to attend as many sports training session as you want. And the best part is It will be offered at outrageously low rates!!! Instead of $350 + a month for 8 - 12 sessions, our unlimited memberships will go for as low as $117 a month!!! And you will be able to come in for as many sessions as you want.
You will now be able to choose from a 1 month, 3 month or 12 month unlimited membership. OPTC will be offering at least one time slot per day for each age group each day
i.e. – Youth (6 – 9), Junior (10 – 12), and 13+ ( High School & College).
The only drawback is that we can only accept up to 16 athletes per training session, and scheduling will have to be book at least 2 weeks in advance. So membership and availability will be on a first come first serve basis.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Eat To Compete Part 1
This is going to be a multi part series on what proper sports performance nutrition or even what people should be eating in general to stay lean, fit and healthy.
I'm writing this mini - series because I get asked way to often about the topic and to be honest - I have grown tired of seeing Our athletes at Optimal Performance suffer on the field, in the weight room, and even the classroom due to poor nutrition habits.
How To eat to Compete - Part 1
Here are some General Nutrition Guidelines For Youth Athletes;
Whether you are training for a competitive sport or if you’re just playing a pick up game with your friends, an athlete’s physical development and performance depends on proper nutrition and eating for competition. In order for your body to operate or expend the energy it needs to meet the demands of your sport, competition, or activity you have to fuel the tank first. In other words you have to ‘eat to compete’.
When I say ‘eat to compete’ I mean you have to consume the proper type and amount of fuel, at the right time in order for you body to perform at an optimal level. By following that guideline alone will benefit any athlete at any level tremendously.
What are the Proper types of foods to consume?
The most appropriate supportive eating plan for an athlete should:
1.) Be high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates
2.) Contain a moderate amount of protein
3.) Include healthy fats(yes FATS)
4.) Provide enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities
Those are the basics...
In Part 2 I will go over what exactly what the above 4 points mean in english :)
Check Back Soon!!!
JZ
I'm writing this mini - series because I get asked way to often about the topic and to be honest - I have grown tired of seeing Our athletes at Optimal Performance suffer on the field, in the weight room, and even the classroom due to poor nutrition habits.
How To eat to Compete - Part 1
Here are some General Nutrition Guidelines For Youth Athletes;
Whether you are training for a competitive sport or if you’re just playing a pick up game with your friends, an athlete’s physical development and performance depends on proper nutrition and eating for competition. In order for your body to operate or expend the energy it needs to meet the demands of your sport, competition, or activity you have to fuel the tank first. In other words you have to ‘eat to compete’.
When I say ‘eat to compete’ I mean you have to consume the proper type and amount of fuel, at the right time in order for you body to perform at an optimal level. By following that guideline alone will benefit any athlete at any level tremendously.
What are the Proper types of foods to consume?
The most appropriate supportive eating plan for an athlete should:
1.) Be high in nutrient-dense carbohydrates
2.) Contain a moderate amount of protein
3.) Include healthy fats(yes FATS)
4.) Provide enough calories to support the demands of training and sports/activities
Those are the basics...
In Part 2 I will go over what exactly what the above 4 points mean in english :)
Check Back Soon!!!
JZ
Advocare, Boot Camps & The Unlimited Membership
As you may already know, this summer we began running boot camp classes in conjunction with using Advocare nutrition products.
I originally ran the boot camps to help get the word out about the Advocare nutrition products. What we did was waive all the class fees for the Rockland County Boot Camp classes and just asked all boot campers to purchase an Advocare product package. We called it The Rockland Challenge. I wasn't sure if I would run these Boot Camps after the summer was over... However, with the outstanding results combined with the great feedback with both the classes and the Advocare products, I have to tell you – these classes are here to stay!
Here are just a few things people have been saying...
You already heard about the Unlimited Athlete membership right?
Well, I'm going to keep the Unlimited Membership theme going... Our Exclusive Rockland County Boot camps will now be offered as an Unlimited membership (come to as many classes as you want!!!). And since the Advocare products were such a bit hit I have included them in one of our 2 options.
Option 1 - Boot camp membership + Advocare supplement package
Includes:
I originally ran the boot camps to help get the word out about the Advocare nutrition products. What we did was waive all the class fees for the Rockland County Boot Camp classes and just asked all boot campers to purchase an Advocare product package. We called it The Rockland Challenge. I wasn't sure if I would run these Boot Camps after the summer was over... However, with the outstanding results combined with the great feedback with both the classes and the Advocare products, I have to tell you – these classes are here to stay!
Here are just a few things people have been saying...
With that said, I plan on keeping the Optimal Performance Boot camps alive!!!
Unfortunately I can’t continue to run these classes with just charging for the Advocare supplements. No worries though, I have come up with a plan…You already heard about the Unlimited Athlete membership right?
Well, I'm going to keep the Unlimited Membership theme going... Our Exclusive Rockland County Boot camps will now be offered as an Unlimited membership (come to as many classes as you want!!!). And since the Advocare products were such a bit hit I have included them in one of our 2 options.
Option 1 - Boot camp membership + Advocare supplement package
Includes:
- unlimited boot camp classes at an extremely reduced monthly rate (to help offset your supplement costs) + a monthly minimum re-occurring Advocare product package fee.
- You can order as much as you need or want but you will have to hit the minimum every month.
Option 2 - Regular Boot camp membership
Includes:
- Unlimited boot camp classes at regular monthly membership rates
Both options will now be available in 1 month, 3 month, or 12 month commitments, and will take place this fall... The longer the commitment you give to yourself the more savings you will get.
Too learn more about our New Unlimited Boot Camp Memberships call 845.268.3494 or stop in. We are running a special from now until September 1st - SAVE $20 a month on any membership.
Space is limited to Only 12 -16 Boot camper per time slot and registration is on a first come first serve basis, so hurry and get signed up today!!!
JZ
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
The Unlimited membership
Yesterday I spoke about The current trend in youth fitness and our student / athletes as a whole. I mentioned the fact that over 30% of our young champions are overweight with over 15% being considered obese.
I also shared the fact that injuries in our youth athletes are in the millions...and 40% of those injuries come from student / athletes ages 5 - 14!!!
Pretty crazy huh
Yesterday I also stated, "Today marks the beginning of what I’m calling the Rockland County Youth Fitness Revolution".
I am proud to say that I’m passionate about youth fitness, athletic development, and strength & conditioning. I Opened up Optimal Performance over 2 years ago with the vision to provide a special, unique, and RESULTS generating training experience to all athletes, no matter what age or level....
I promise to do my part and change the above points about our youth.
So, here is what I have come up with ...
I'm calling it the unlimited membership. Starting today I extend the invitation to all Athletes to come on in and join us for a fun, exciting, and RESULTS generating workout. And instead of buying a package of 6, 12, 24, etc... or only once or twice a week (which is what most fitness facilities offer), I encourage you to come in as much as you would like.
That's right!!! You will be granted access to however many sessions you want on a monthly basis. We will offer At least one training session time for each age group ( 6-9 / 10-12 / 13+) per day, Monday through Saturday... All for one monthly price. We will have 3 monthly membership option for you to choose from - 1 month commitment / 3 month commitment / 12 month commitment.
The only draw back is that we can only except 12 - 16 athletes per training session. So membership may be somewhat limited, and will be on a first come first serve basis.
To get started I am offering all new athletes an opportunity to take a test drive for FREE. All you have to do is click on the Performance pass link on the bottom of this page.
So let it begin, lets all do our part and make a change!!!
JZ
I also shared the fact that injuries in our youth athletes are in the millions...and 40% of those injuries come from student / athletes ages 5 - 14!!!
Pretty crazy huh
Yesterday I also stated, "Today marks the beginning of what I’m calling the Rockland County Youth Fitness Revolution".
I am proud to say that I’m passionate about youth fitness, athletic development, and strength & conditioning. I Opened up Optimal Performance over 2 years ago with the vision to provide a special, unique, and RESULTS generating training experience to all athletes, no matter what age or level....
I promise to do my part and change the above points about our youth.
So, here is what I have come up with ...
I'm calling it the unlimited membership. Starting today I extend the invitation to all Athletes to come on in and join us for a fun, exciting, and RESULTS generating workout. And instead of buying a package of 6, 12, 24, etc... or only once or twice a week (which is what most fitness facilities offer), I encourage you to come in as much as you would like.
That's right!!! You will be granted access to however many sessions you want on a monthly basis. We will offer At least one training session time for each age group ( 6-9 / 10-12 / 13+) per day, Monday through Saturday... All for one monthly price. We will have 3 monthly membership option for you to choose from - 1 month commitment / 3 month commitment / 12 month commitment.
The only draw back is that we can only except 12 - 16 athletes per training session. So membership may be somewhat limited, and will be on a first come first serve basis.
To get started I am offering all new athletes an opportunity to take a test drive for FREE. All you have to do is click on the Performance pass link on the bottom of this page.
So let it begin, lets all do our part and make a change!!!
JZ
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Attention all Rockland County Parents, Coaches, & Athletes… The Rockland County Youth Fitness Revolution is here!!!
Today marks the beginning of what I’m calling the Rockland County Youth Fitness Revolution.
Strength & Conditioning and Youth fitness is suffering, especially in Rockland County. Blame it on technology that keeps our youth sedentary, the lack of physical education in our school systems, poor diet, and certainly poor training and programming…regardless of the problem, there is no questioning what we see in our youth today.
The signs are all around us…
Here are a couple of interesting and alarming facts ;
Done correctly, youth fitness, strength & conditioning, sports training, or whatever you want to call it can be extremely effective not just for the elite or gifted athletes, but for athletes of all ages and levels.
Stay tuned as tomorrow as I will reveal What I have in store for our youth athletes at Optimal Performance Training Center…
Strength & Conditioning and Youth fitness is suffering, especially in Rockland County. Blame it on technology that keeps our youth sedentary, the lack of physical education in our school systems, poor diet, and certainly poor training and programming…regardless of the problem, there is no questioning what we see in our youth today.
The signs are all around us…
Here are a couple of interesting and alarming facts ;
- 30% of U.S. youth population is overweight... 30%. Even more alarming - 15.2% are considered obese. These numbers are on the rise and as parents, teachers and coaches we have a huge responsibility to change the tide of this sad epidemic.
- The injury rate of our youth athletes that are involved in sports is unacceptable and becoming far too common.
- over 3.5 million children under the age of 15 are treated for sports related injuries every year
- children ages 5-14 account for 40% of all reported sport related injuries
- more than half of these injuries occur at practice
Done correctly, youth fitness, strength & conditioning, sports training, or whatever you want to call it can be extremely effective not just for the elite or gifted athletes, but for athletes of all ages and levels.
Stay tuned as tomorrow as I will reveal What I have in store for our youth athletes at Optimal Performance Training Center…
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Is Going 50% a Good Thing?
It's Sunday evening August 3rd as I write this, and I'm not sure if I should be satisfied or not...
I spent my day in Stamford Ct. Competing in an Olympic Weightlifting (the snatch & clean & jerk) competition. Why I'm not sure if I'm content with the results or not is because I went 3 for 6 in my lifts and took 2nd palce... That means 50% of my efforts were successful. Is that really a success?
I have been training for this competition for the past 12 to 16 weeks or so and I have had high hopes.
High hopes of a multitude of things...
To place (achieving 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) for one, but more importantly I wanted to perform at a high level as well as beat my last total weight lifted of 200kg. You see I completed my first Olympic weightlifting competition this past March and I took 1st place in my weight class. The only catch was that I was the only one in my weight class - 85 kg/187lb. My total for the first competition was an even 200kg. For those that are not familiar, the contest winner is determined by the total of each event - the Snatch/Clean & Jerk. For my first competition I didn't mind so much as to where I placed, but it was more the experience and getting the feel of what one of these competitions were like.
Back to today's event.
As I was saying I'm not sure whether or not to be content with the outcome of the competition. To make a long story short, I took 2nd place out of a dozen or so lifters and my total was 213kgs. That's not bad. I actually outperformed people in my own weight class this time around, and I have increased my total to 213kgs. Thats a 13kg increase.
Seems great right?
2nd place and a new personal record of 213kg.... What else could I ask for...
Well something doesn't feel right. Here are the facts. In a competition like this you get 3 attempts at each lift (the snatch and Clean & Jerk). The winner in each weight class with the highest total in each lift is the winner.
My goals coming into this competition were simple, to beat my old total of 200kg, and to hit at least 2 out of 3 in each lift. - a minimum of 4 out of 6!
My strategy was as follows - 1st attempt was to successfully complete a weight that I know I could get. 2nd attempt was a current personal record, and 3rd attempt was to set a new personal record. So basically my goals were to hit my current PR's and to possbly set new PR's in both lifts and actually go 6 for 6 if things played out right. and I was having an unbeleivable day...
Here's how it unfolded.
Snatch
attempt 1 - 90kg - success
attempt 2 - 93kg - success - not my current PR though - I have actually hit 95 in training
attempt 3 - 100kg - missed - this would have been a great accomplishment for me. Look at the 3rd attempt in the snatch in the video - I was good for it, I just couldn't stand up with the weight. If I kept my head up in the bottom of the squat, I think I would have got it.
overall not bad 2 out of 3 with a solid 93kg lift. So far so good.
Clean & Jerk
attempt 1 - 120kg - success - barely I almost lost my grip on the initial pull, but I muscled through it and got the lift.
attempt 2 - 125 (current PR) - missed - this one was quite frustrating... I got a solid clean, but seemed to press out at the end(the lift overhead wasn't constant, I paused 3/4 of the way up and then finished it). As soon as I dropped the weight I knew I wasn't getting credit for it.
attempt 3 - 125 again crushed the clean (except for the bar sliding off my shoulders on the way up. The jerk - missed badly. As I dropped down to drive the weight up I dropped my elbows as well, resulting in the bar flying out in front of me.
So here I am, a silver medal and only going 3 for 6/50% where I should have easily went 5 or even 6 for 6.
Should I be content or not? I'm still undecided. I guess for now I'm content, but definitely not satisfied with my overall results.
What do you think? A good outing or not?
JZ
I spent my day in Stamford Ct. Competing in an Olympic Weightlifting (the snatch & clean & jerk) competition. Why I'm not sure if I'm content with the results or not is because I went 3 for 6 in my lifts and took 2nd palce... That means 50% of my efforts were successful. Is that really a success?
I have been training for this competition for the past 12 to 16 weeks or so and I have had high hopes.
High hopes of a multitude of things...
To place (achieving 1st, 2nd, or 3rd) for one, but more importantly I wanted to perform at a high level as well as beat my last total weight lifted of 200kg. You see I completed my first Olympic weightlifting competition this past March and I took 1st place in my weight class. The only catch was that I was the only one in my weight class - 85 kg/187lb. My total for the first competition was an even 200kg. For those that are not familiar, the contest winner is determined by the total of each event - the Snatch/Clean & Jerk. For my first competition I didn't mind so much as to where I placed, but it was more the experience and getting the feel of what one of these competitions were like.
Back to today's event.
As I was saying I'm not sure whether or not to be content with the outcome of the competition. To make a long story short, I took 2nd place out of a dozen or so lifters and my total was 213kgs. That's not bad. I actually outperformed people in my own weight class this time around, and I have increased my total to 213kgs. Thats a 13kg increase.
Seems great right?
2nd place and a new personal record of 213kg.... What else could I ask for...
Well something doesn't feel right. Here are the facts. In a competition like this you get 3 attempts at each lift (the snatch and Clean & Jerk). The winner in each weight class with the highest total in each lift is the winner.
My goals coming into this competition were simple, to beat my old total of 200kg, and to hit at least 2 out of 3 in each lift. - a minimum of 4 out of 6!
My strategy was as follows - 1st attempt was to successfully complete a weight that I know I could get. 2nd attempt was a current personal record, and 3rd attempt was to set a new personal record. So basically my goals were to hit my current PR's and to possbly set new PR's in both lifts and actually go 6 for 6 if things played out right. and I was having an unbeleivable day...
Here's how it unfolded.
Snatch
attempt 1 - 90kg - success
attempt 2 - 93kg - success - not my current PR though - I have actually hit 95 in training
attempt 3 - 100kg - missed - this would have been a great accomplishment for me. Look at the 3rd attempt in the snatch in the video - I was good for it, I just couldn't stand up with the weight. If I kept my head up in the bottom of the squat, I think I would have got it.
overall not bad 2 out of 3 with a solid 93kg lift. So far so good.
Clean & Jerk
attempt 1 - 120kg - success - barely I almost lost my grip on the initial pull, but I muscled through it and got the lift.
attempt 2 - 125 (current PR) - missed - this one was quite frustrating... I got a solid clean, but seemed to press out at the end(the lift overhead wasn't constant, I paused 3/4 of the way up and then finished it). As soon as I dropped the weight I knew I wasn't getting credit for it.
attempt 3 - 125 again crushed the clean (except for the bar sliding off my shoulders on the way up. The jerk - missed badly. As I dropped down to drive the weight up I dropped my elbows as well, resulting in the bar flying out in front of me.
So here I am, a silver medal and only going 3 for 6/50% where I should have easily went 5 or even 6 for 6.
Should I be content or not? I'm still undecided. I guess for now I'm content, but definitely not satisfied with my overall results.
What do you think? A good outing or not?
JZ
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Welcome to Rockland County’s 1st and only sports training and fitness blog, sponsored by Optimal Performance Training Center
Welcome to Rockland County's 1st and only sports trainning and fitness blog, Sponsored by Optimal Performance. Save this space as I will be updating it regularly
I have decided to create this blog for a couple of reasons...
Check back tomorrow as I will be posting some footage of an Olympic weightlifting competition, yours truly will be competing in...
Till then,
JZ
I have decided to create this blog for a couple of reasons...
1. To enhance the knowledge and educate Rockland County and its community surroundings parents, sports coaches, youth sports organizations, and athletes of all ages and levels, about the appropriate ways of developing sound strength & conditioning programs, and how to achieve the best results.
2. To express some really pressing issues that stand out in my mind when it comes to the current status of the fitness industry – The current trends in Youth fitness & Sports Performance training in particular (i.e. - the coaching, programming, and other flaws that are currently common place in most programs I have seen), as well as the current ‘gimmicks’, and ‘quick fix’ solutions flooded in the media today when it comes to fat loss strategies.
3. To show Rockland County and the whole world what we are doing at Optimal Performance in terms of training… I’ll post actual training sessions of boot-camps, athlete sessions, our infamous Strongman Saturdays, and tons of Optimal Performance’s unique unconventional & innovative training methods. I’ll even show my own personal workout logs.
4. To provide the opportunity for anyone interested the chance to put me in the hot seat and ask questions related to anything fitness related. Just post a comment with any question you may have.
So feel free to comment, ask questions, and/or provide me with feedback regarding what you want to hear and learn about.Check back tomorrow as I will be posting some footage of an Olympic weightlifting competition, yours truly will be competing in...
Till then,
JZ
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