Is Deadlifting a Good Exercise?

It's not uncommon that I get an email or someone asking me fitness related questions. After all I am a Sports Performance Coach.

If you know me well at all -- then you know that it's safe to say I can give some insight on a fitness or sports training related question. Even if it is just opinion, I'll probably have something to say.

Anyway - the other day I had someone ask me a question about an exercise...

They asked, "IS deadlifting a good exercise"?

"I don't know" I replied.

I then got a weird look and the person walked away. If they hung around for another second, I would have got into some more detail.

Oh well.

So, Is Deadlifting a Good Exercise?

Check out some videos of some of our Athletes at Optimal Performance Training Center








What do you think??? After the videos above hopefully you now know where I stand

Take The Rockland Challenge or get fatter!!!

That's right!!!

This is the time of year where the pounds start to pack on...

It's starting to get colder, the candy holiday is coming, then turkey day, Christmas, New Years, then Valantines day...

the list can go on and on.

You knmow what else can go on and on right?

Yup, excuses. I hear them all the time.

"I'll start my diet and exercise after (INSERT HOLIDAY HERE)"

If you finish that sentence with Halloween, then you're in big trouble. Why?

Becuase the list of holidays after that just goes on and on. And you know What?

You will continue to say, "Oh thanksgiving is in 3 weeks! I'll wait the day after to start my weightloss program"

I Know - I'm ranting.

So to cut myself off - I'll get to the point.

Instead of getting fatter this fall and holiday season - why don't you step up and take the Rockland Challenge?

Take The Rockland Challenge!!!
In 24 minutes feel the differenceIn 24 hours know the differenceIn 24 days see the difference...Take the Rockland Challenge!!!

email me with - "I want to take the Challenge " in the subject line & I'll get you more info.

JZ

Can Speed, Agility & Mobility Decrease Injury?

It's Thursday and that means I get my weekly fix of Ports Illustrated thanks to my good friend and training client Tommy C. (thanks Tom).

Anyway, After training my clients this morning I got a chance to sit down and read through the upcoming issue.

Inside this edition there was a little blurb about a NFL Players poll. Here was the question that was voted on -

Who is the least mobile quarterback in the NFL?

It then listed the top five who were voted on the most. Do you know who # 1 was?

Peyton Manning (shocker huh). Tom Brady, Kurt Warner, Byron Leftwich, and Phillip Rivers then followed in that order. What was most shocking to me was that Peyton Manning got 41% of the vote, and the others were all around 5%-9%.

Pretty interesting. These guys are all top rated quarterbacks, but are also not perceived as being very mobile or agile. Is it necessary to be fast, mobile , and agile in order to excel as a quarterback? It doesn't appear to be so. Heck - there are 3 MVP players on that list above.

But here's the catch - even though these guys are great athletes and have obviously proven themselves as elite performers, does their inability to move efficiently put them at risk of injury?

I think it does... The most interesting part of this little poll I just read says it all. "All of the Top 5 quarterback listed above (voted for being the least mobile), have suffered a knee or ankle injury resulting in surgery, except Kurt Warner.

So the moral of the story is what? Maybe it pays to put the time and effort into Speed, Agility, And quickness training, even if you are an athlete that doesn't always need to be lightning fast. Think about it. Tom Brady's recent injury was contact related remember...

But what if he was a bit more mobile in the pocket. Could he have prevented the hit by putting himself in better position?

Not I realize that there are cases where contact injuries will occur, but if you have any mobility issues can't that predispose you to injury?

makes you think....

Is 6 weeks enough to get ready for your upcoming season?

A quick rant today.

We are now almost thru September (holy ----) Unbelievable.

That means that Fall sports are now in full swing and winter sports (basketball, hockey, wrestling to name a few) are rapidly approaching.

It's right around this time a year when the phone starts to ring. Parents and athletes call and try to set up a program with us at Optimal Performance that would start 6 weeks before the upcoming season.

Just 6 weeks. Now don't get me wrong - you can accomplish a lot in 6 Weeks, but wouldn't you be better off with a Little more time to prepare for your season?

Think about it - Olympic athletes don't sit around for 3 + years before they prep for the big event. Pro athletes off-season training programs usually start a couple weeks after their competitive season ends. Marathon runners don't start running 6 Weeks before race day.

On a personal note - when I'm training for an Olympic lifting competition or something - I usually give myself at least 12-16 weeks of focused training time. Heck for my first 2 this past summer I trained nearly 8 months getting ready for it.

My question is why should it be different for our Youth athletes?

If anything I think at these ages - it's more important train correctly and with a long term plan in mind.

That's why we stopped offering these 6 week programs at Optimal Performance. We now offer 3 month and 12 month programs as our foundation, with a 1 month program that acts as kind of a trial.

JZ

PS -

Athletes, Rehydrate, & increased Performance

When It comes to increasing athletic performance one of the most important things is one simple detail...

HYDRATION!!!

Most athletes are aware that they need to be adequately hydrated in order to perform at an optimal level - however, I'm not completely sold that athletes;

1.) know why it is critically important to keep hydrated
&
2.) know how to actually hydrate themselves correctly.

So just to clarify here are the basics;

Water is the basis for all fluids in the body. It is essential for the metabolism to function correctly, and without it we don't exist. In fact when we lose fluid we also lose electrolytes and minerals, such as calcium, sodium, and potassium - which by the way are electrolytes. These electrolytes are responsible for regulating the body's fluid balance and metabolic processes.

Did you know a Fluid loss as little as 2% - 5% can decrease sports performance?

Yup - just 2% - 5%

this is happens because when you have decreased body fluid - you also decrease blood volume & oxygen delivery to muscles and organs.

So how do you stay hydrated to prevent decreased performance?

Here are a few simple and easy steps to ensure proper hydration during practice and competition

Weigh in without clothes before and after exercise, especially during hot weather. For each pound of body weight lost during exercise, drink two cups of fluid.

Drink a rehydration beverage containing sodium to quickly replenish lost body fluids. The beverage should also contain 6-8 percent glucose of sucrose (carbohydrate).

Drink 2.5 cups of fluid 2 hours before practice or competition.

Drink 1.5 cups of fluid 15 minutes before the event.

Drink at least one cup of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during training and competition

There you have it. So now you know the importance of not just staying hydrated with water, but you now know it's critical to supplement with a electrolyte replenishing beverage like rehydrate (pictured above). However, not all electrolyte beverages are created equal...

That's why at Optimal Performance we only allow our athletes to drink Rehydrate.

Why Rehydrate?

Here's the scoop;

Rehydrate Electrolyte Replacement Drink provides the necessary nutrients to maintain proper metabolism and delay the onset of fatigue. It hydrates your body by re-establishing your electrolyte balance with its superior formulation. Rehydrate drink has a low glycemic index that produces a more gradual insulin response and it is isotonic, thus providing rapid gastric emptying and rapid rehydration. Furthermore, this drink helps support the body's energy cycle and provides carbohydrate fuel necessary for energy production.

Rehydrate drink has a 1:1 ratio of sodium and potassium, two of the most vital electrolytes that are lost when we sweat. Rehydrate helps prevent cramping by providing calcium, magnesium and L-glutamine to support the contraction and relaxation phases of muscles. Rehydrate helps sustain carbohydrate energy by including chromium in its unique formulation, strengthening endurance at any activity level. Rehydrate also has antioxidants which aid in the fight against of free radicals, and the amino acids support blood flow throughout the cardiovascular system.

So the moral of the story...

Drink Plenty of water and use Rehydrate to ensure Optimal Performance

JZ

Optimal Girl...

Here is a nice clip of my fitness fanatic wife otherwise known as...

OPTIMAL GIRL!!!

She truly is another great example of some-one who puts the time, effort and hard work in the gym and with regards to staying consistent with nutrition

and the reward is - see for yourself



I also just want to say good luck to all of Optimal Performance's Athlete's this weekend.

There are a couple of big games for a lot of our athlete's -

GOOD LUCK!!!

Have a great weekend

JZ

Ken The Circus Guy

Today I'm posting up a guest post for everyone to see.

If you've been over to Optimal Performance than you definitely know who this guy is. I call him Ken the Circus Guy.

Kenny is a prime example of hard smart work and true dedication. Over the Summer he is in the gym for hours an end. But for good reason. See He's in a prestigious circus college and to achieve all the things he wants to do he knows what it takes to get there.

Anyway, he left for Circus college(up in Canada) towards the end the summer and we try to stay in touch as much as possible.

So to keep in line with my "what have you been doing" post yesterday - here is what Kenny the Circus guy is up to,

"Hey hey hey,

These two weeks have been crazy (in a good way). I only have 4 hours of actual training with a coach (from 1:30 to 5:30) everyday, but we are aloud to free train for as long as the school's open (from 8:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.). Here's the layout of my weekly schedule as far as scheduled classes:

Monday -
1:25 -
Everyone does cardio together for about twenty minutes. We all run in a circle (including the Head coach!!) and periodically throughout the 20 minutes we stop to do either push-ups, or jumping jack, or v-ups on the floor, etc. Really fun. We listen to fun music from some body's Ipod and everyone really gets into it.

1:45 -
40 minutes of a straps class. there are 3 people in my class including me. 1 teacher to 3 students is a great ratio and we always get a spot when we need it. The class structure is really different than that of The National Circus school. The teacher here gives us a warm-up (different each class) then you work on stuff you want. If you really wanna progress you'll work hard during the class, try new things and ask for help or a spot when you try something new. On the other hand you can easily waste 3o minutes sitting around waiting to be taught something by the coach (which they won't unless you ask for help on something you have researched or seen and need specific help with) or just being lazy. Your progress really depends on how hard you work and I love that. In these past Two weeks I've learned roll-ups, kip-up to handstand, crocodiles, and meat hook twist to back flag. I am also working one arm lifts to flag, press to handstand, split balance without my hands, and some other things. I have already learned so much and I'm finally seeing the benefit of my OCD training style and my extreme work ethics.

The main concept of the school is self - motivation, preparation, research, artistic development, and discipline. They want you to do as much of everything by yourself as possible because if you can't do it here with the help they provide then after the school, when you're alone or in a small troupe, that's what it's going to be like. I love that concept and I think it's going to be a great year for me here.

2:25 - Handstands for forty minutes. The class is pretty basic and I'm not learning to much but it keeps me doing the basic warm-ups and two arm work that I should be doing. In class I mostly look for progress in technique and body alignment, press strength, and basic wrist endurance and development. And then at the end of class you work for about 15 minutes on an objective you want to achieve by evaluations. It's pretty basic but it's good because it's always useful to be able to ask a teacher or another student to look at your form in a certain position or movement which is really helpful and you learn things a lot faster than you would if you just worked alone all the time. I have my press down (straddle from the floor) any time I want and now I'm working on doing it in a pike position. I am also making great progress in my one arms (each side). I even got a demi-flag position (one arm) with My bad side for about 7-10 seconds. I'm really starting to focus on feeling where i am and the balance in every position instead of just trying to stick each position quickly. This approach takes longer but makes for better control, endurance, and an overall better look to your handstands ( I feel ).

at 3:15 -
I have Ariel Rope. Here is one my more difficult classes. I've been doing rope for the shortest amount of time compared to pretty much everything else I do and it's one of my majors. It's hard because I really don't know a lot about the variety of skills that can be performed so I am looking for things to work on. Right now I'm working on things I know and getting them perfect. I am also working rolling up the rope. Really hard to do but I'm close. I think it's important to have a wide variety of mounts (ways to climb up the rope) and that's one of the things i wanna focus on the first two-three months. I have also found a concept for an act. I was setting up and raising the rope to start some free training and one of the things i need to do is set up a red mat. There were a few people there kind of bored and waiting for their next class so to change things up a bit i decided to do a clown trip over the red mat and get caught in the rope. Then when i finally recovered from being tangled in the rope (a lot of people just laughing at this point), I had classic clown routine in my head and played it cool like a meant to get tangled in the rope then walked away and my foot got tangled in the rope and I fell again. Everyone thought it was funny and I started to look back at some different clown stuff we've done in the Amazing Grace circus and came up with this routine. I enter the stage frustrated. You know, when you frustrated and just one more thing would make you explode. Well my character is in this state then the whole trip on the mat/rope happens and that's it. look back at the rope and just as I'm about to unleash everything that's bottled up on the little rope, it grows to 30-40 feet tall (a rigger or someone will pull the rope up) and then i kind of say ummmm never mind, play it off like I'm fine, start to walk away then i turn and run at the rope. I don't know really what to do exactly from there but the concept is me vs. the rope. Each time I try to out strength or hurt the rope, It always seems to get the better of me even though it's just a rope and it doesn't move or anything. For example one gag in the act would be me kicking the rope over and over (i wrap one of my feet in the rope at this time) and then I get tired and decide to stop but my leg keep kicking uncontrollably. I try to tell it to stop when finally i just try to grab it with on hand and i fall into a painful split. Kind of what i have in my head right now (any ideas would be a great help). I want two acts for each discipline and for rope want a funny clown and a slow graceful strong routine. 3:15 - I have stretching

3:55
I have strength development

Tuesday - Acting (physical theatre work). No words, we all have to wear black, there are only two light in the whole room and we focus on expressing ourselves with our bodies. Handstands Aerial Rope Strength

Wednesday -
Classic dance / Straps/ Aerial Rope / Stretching

Thursday
Contemporary dance (love this class) / Handstands / Straps / Strength

Friday
Handstands /Straps / Rope /Strength / Stretching

We get 4 class for each discipline we do each week. about 3 hours a week (2h40m) Each morning I do my own cardio and then alternate stretching each day between upper and lower body. Then I work on 1 discipline for 1 hour ( monday - acro and handstand act choreography, tuesday - gymnastic rings, juggling, wednesday - handstands, rope number, thursday - rope, juggling, friday - acro, juggling).

I am also training Russian bar for an hour every morning. We are actually getting really good really fast. It's really natural for me and I have the perfect stability and strength that's required to base this number. I was even asked by three professionals how long i've been doing russian bar because they saw me and they want to know if am willing to be a substitute because one of their bases usually has gigs by himself. I said I would love to ad some time next week they want to see how i fit in with their style.

They want someone with hand to hand experience, strength, and good flexibility - I think I fit that criteria and it'd be cool to get that performing experience even if it's only once or twice this year. In Acro I'm learning to do everything on a hard floor and even learned a move called kick the moon. You run and kick one up in the air and the momentum of that kick takes you high and you do a gainer back flip (you go forward while rotating backwards). Really cool and was easy for me to learn. I'm really learning a lot about myself, technique, and many other things here and I love it.

If things keep going the way they are now and I keep progressing even a little bit each month I won't even audition for Montreal. I am really looking forward to what the next couple of months will bring me. These two weeks i've been going pretty hard but I'm gonna start going full pace (meaning perfect diet control to be lighter and stronger, pacing myself but still going to the limit each day). I am only going to train 5 days a week instead of the 6 days a week i was doing all last year and this past summer. Idea is to have a full two days of recover from mental and physical strain throughout the week.

I am also meeting a lot of "real" people. By real I mean people who are there to learn as much as they can because they love what they do. Learn everything to prove something to themselves, not like some people who do everything to be noticed by others and need to have that assertion from others to know they're good. I think a little competition, like rope climb speed, or who has the best splits or little stuff like that, is ok but to just be there to try to be better that someone isn't real. Everyone here loves to help everyone else as much as they can. I am also taking a trampoline class with a girl who really wants to help me learn and all she really wants in return is someone who can push a mat for her to land on when she tries new/hard/crazy tricks that she needs to practice. In short, It's great here so far.

I'm down to 177 lbs and startin to look pretty lean. It's hard to do all the barbell/crazy shit we planned out for cardio but i am doing a lot of kettlebell work (it's really helping me with my handstands, core stability I need more of, endurance, and overall power). How are things goin with you? How's the training? What's new?

Talk to you soon,Kenny"

What Have you been doing?

School is now in full swing, fall sports are underway, and yes, It starting to get a bit chilly out.

With things getting crazy this time of year I personally have found myself moving and working out less and less.

Well, not any more, I'm getting back into the swing of things and one thing I just did to keep me on tack was set a goal. You see It's easy to say "yeah, yeah, I'll start working out on Monday" or "OK Monday is the day I change my diet, no lets eat the house until then" :)

The secret of success in anything is goal setting.

So what I have done is set a few exercise related goals;
1.) to participate in at least 3 of the Rockland County Boot - camps a week from now until New Years.

2.) Get at least 3 but preferably 4 of my own training sessions per week focusing on my Olympic lifts, and some much needed corrective work. Again from now until New Years

3.) Nutrition - Hit My much preached 90%/10% rule

That's right... Back to practicing what I preach.

All to motivate and keep me accountable I'll be posting all of my workouts here http://www.isweat.com/jzaretzky. This site is pretty cool check it out.

So my question to you is - What have you been doing?

Did you start your fall season?
If so remember in-season conditioning is just as important as off season training - make it a point to hit the gym at least 1-2 day per week

Have you been waiting for your crazy schedule to settle down before you begin an exercise program?
It ain't gonna happen, just start exercising today try www.rocklandcountybootcamps.blogspot.com for a fun and motivating workout.

Are you a winter or spring sport athlete?
Remember this Now is the time to start training. Think of it this way, every day that goes by is another day wasted. I'm sure some-one else out there is training very hard right this second - maybe it's your competition!

Now go get er done
JZ

Kettlebells for some serious conditioning

Who says you need to go out do hours of boring steady state cardio to get into shape...

Movement Preparation, Flexibility, & Mobility Training for Optimal Athletic Performance

Last week we went into detail regarding my previous post “The Optimal Way to Become A Better Athlete”

We focused on perhaps what is the most important aspect of training - the power of assessments. We learned that it is essential to go through an assessment and by doing so, is the only way to really individualize a training program.

Today I want to go into detail about how to go through an effective warm up. Listed in the ‘Optimal way to become a better athlete post Is - “proper movement preparation, flexibility training, & mobility training”.

Below is an article going into detail about how you need to be warming up for practice, competition, & even training sessions…

Movement Preparation, Flexibility, & Mobility Training for Optimal Athletic Performance

By Jason Zaretzky

Corrective and High Performance Exercise / Sports Conditioning Coach

The biggest mistake I see on nearly every athletic field today is the approach of the “warm-up”. You know coach blows the whistle and say’s take lap. This is then followed by the traditional “static” Stretch. You know the old stretch and hold routine where eight of the ten stretches are different types of hamstring stretches. While static stretching does have it’s benefits, performing this type of stretching routine as a warm-up can be very counter-productive in getting athlete’s ready for practice or competition.

Warming up or as I call it “movement preparation”; the goal is to wake the body up. The traditional stretching routines I’ve been talking about are in my opinion useless. I believe this to be true for a couple of reasons:

1) Static stretching is done without movement in a stretch and hold fashion.

Well if the task at hand was stretching tight muscles… great mission accomplished. However, we are talking about getting athletes ready for performance right? The last time I checked most sports are done moving. Moving very explosively I might add!



2) The “Experts” say it is best to stretch after the body is loose and the muscles are already warm.

If this is true then why do we insist on warming up by performing these static stretching routines. Sounds like a contradiction to me! : )

3) Similar to my first point sports are done by moving in various angles, speeds, and directions, so it only makes sense to me, to warm-up that way.

What I mean here is that it’s time to change our mind set for the better. We need to think Movement Preparation rather than warm-up. Instead of doing our static stretching first in our workout, practice or competition, we need to be doing this type of activity post-workout as a recovery/regeneration tool or just focusing on the muscles that need to be statically stretched to create better muscle balance (more on this in another articles to come).

So how do you warm-up, you ask...

Simple...

Here are the Components that we implement at Optimal Performance Training Center;

1.) Foam rolling

2.) Static Stretch Restricted muscles Only

3.) Core Stability Activation, Mobility Work

4.) Systemic Strength / ROM


5.) Dynamic Movements

Here's a perfect example that includes all of the above;



like I said it’s time to start Preparing for our workouts. As you see, we do this by performing a “movement preparation” program. This program will get athletes ready for more intense activity by moving the body through full ranges of motion while dynamically moving. By transitioning from going through your traditional warm-up and replacing it with movement preparation, it will boost heart rate, increase blood flow to working muscles, etc.. But most importantly it will improve function of the nervous system, increase flexibility & mobility, and REDUCE your risk of INJURY

In addition - If you follow these basic guidelines with the exercises and movements provided not only will you be more mentally and physically prepared, but you’ll also notice a dramatic increase in speed and power output.



JZ

What do you Want to Read and see From Me

Since I've put this blog up, I've received very good feedback from all of my readers/viewers.

So, to continue to provide everyone with good quality info...

What do you want me to write/post about?

What kind of video do you want to see?

I ask not because I am running out of ideas, trust me I got a lot to write about. I have a laundry list of things I'll be putting up on the Rockland Sports training blog.

I ask because I want to serve you the best way I can.

So please, email me @ jasonz@optcfitness.com and in the subject line just type in

"Ask Coach Z"

What I would like to do is begin a Q & A column on this blog so ask away - whatever you want I'll answer it and post it up.

Have a great weekend

JZ

ps - don't forget, if you are on my e-newsletter list - expect an email from me with a confirmation link in it. If you wish continue to receive the Optimal Performance Training Newsletter you will have to click the confirmation link inside that email.

OPTC Gym Member Gerrard Benderoth On Channel 4

Optimal Performance Member Shows off his stuff on News Channel 4 with Mo Rocca

Eat To Compete Part 4 - What about Supplements?

What About Supplements ?

We are now on our 4th and final installment of our Eat to Compete Sport nutrition series. So far we have covered basic guidelines of eating for competition, practice, and basically everyday life.


In our last installment we will cover supplements


"Eat To Compete" - Part 4


What about supplements?

Let' s get one thing straight. Supplements are and should be just what they are called –'supplemental’.

First and foremost a sound nutrition program has to be established before we can talk about what supplements are best for increased performance. Once we establish sound nutrition - we can talk about supplementation!

It seems like there are new products coming out every day - NO this, weight gainer that, "get jacked over night", weightloss in a bottle... the list goes on and on.

No don't get me wrong, I believe in supplementation and I actually do take supplements (more than most people do I'm sure - you should see my supplement draw.) However, they are all things that I know I need and that my body is not getting.

I can talk about this all day, and most likely reccommend something for everythng, but instead I will give you the "Must Do's" in terms of suplements...

Assuming your nutrtion is in check here's what I reccommend;

A Multi-vitamin made from real ‘nutrient-dense’ foods has been proven to increase performance, increase health, and aid in getting the appropriate amounts of vitamins and minerals an athlete (or anyone for that matter) needs.

In addition a fish oil supplement is beneficial for heart health and improved performance as well. The recent studies on fish oil have been amazing...

Here are just a few of the benefits;

Fish oil Plays an important role in the transportation of nutrients

Helps support normal blood flow and healthy blood pressure
Promotes cardiovascular health in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise
Helps promote healthy metabolism
Helps maintain a healthy immune system
Promotes maintenance of healthy skin, hair and nails.

Post workout Recovery Shakes , Meal replacement shakes, and supplemental protein - This is a 3 for 1. All should include a highly digestable protein (ideally casein and whey), but have other qualities.

A Post workout recovery shake should have fast digesting carbohydrates as well as rapidly absorbing proteins. It has been proven that you should consume a ratio of 3:1 carbs to protein, and should be taken as fast as possible post-workout. By doing so you will speed up the recovery process as well as set yourself up for your next game, practice, or workout.

A Meal replacement shake should have a perfect blend of carbs to proteins and minimal fats. It should supply enough calories, vitamins and mineral, that a normal meal should - It's a good option when you're on the run and don't have time to get a real meal in.

A protein shake is much like the meal replacement shake. The only differance is that is usually contains less carbohydrate (good for dieters, athletes with weight requirements). It used for a quick protein rich snack.

That's it - in term of supplements that's all you really need. If your diet and sports nutrtion is in check, then the above supplements are all you really need. there are other supplements I would reccommend, but the essentials are a multi, fish oil, and protein supplements.

The Complete Line of Supplements we use and fully endorse at Optimal Performance are available @ http://www.optimaladvocare.com/.

That about does it.

Hopefully this mini series "Eat to Compete" How to eat for Optimal Performance, has provided you with some insightful information regarding how to eat for optimal athletic performance. If you follow these guidelines you will find yourself with increased energy for a longer duration so you can outlast your competition, you'll be leaner, harder, bigger, faster, and stronger, as well as be less susceptible to injury.

Just one thing left to do - Follow the guidelines Every day!!!

JZ

The walking wounded

As I watched endless football this past weekend I couldn't help but notice something...

and when I went online this morning it confirmed my thoughts.

During the games this weekend, unfortunately I saw a bunch of injuries. However, there was one common injury I saw a number of times not just this past weekend, but throughout this past preseason too.

The Dreadful Knee injury.

And when I went online this morning I saw an article that summed it up...It was called "The walking wounded"

Ouch...

I know we all heard about Brady, but did you know Vince Young of the Titans, Maurice Morris & Nate Burleson of the Seahawks also sustained what could be season ending injuries?

On top of that from the beginning of this years pre-season until the end of week one there have been a reported, over 200 injuries. Ready for this...

there has been 57 all involving the knee. 5 of which come from the Colts, and 7 coming from the Patriots.

Can You believe that?

Close to 30% of all reported injuries involve some form of knee injury, and close to 20% come from just 2 teams (Superbowl bound teams).

Now I know of the Strength and Conditioning Coaches for both the Colts & The Patriots and think they have done a great job in prepping their players for play. However, I do know that the New England Patriots have a machine based in-season training program. Do you think this could have something to do with these knee problems?

Maybe. Maybe not? Maybe these injuries were contact related injuries (like Tom Brady's), or could part of it be due to a machine based training program.

Who knows?

But I do know this! A good solid strength & conditioning program that reduces the likely hood of injury should not include machine based protocols. Think about it - when you use a machine your body doesn't have to stabilize itself, that's what the machine is doing, thus allowing you to handle more weight. More weight that you body can't handle when on the field I bet.

Instead, A good injury preventing program should incorporate good old strength training, combined with individualized programming that focuses on one's weaknesses (see my Assessment post here). It should incorporate proper movement mechanics, flexibility, mobility, stability, speed, and strength, as well as programmed injury prevention techniques and recovery/regeneration strategies.

Check back later this week . I will post the last part of our eat to compete series as well as part 2 of my "Top 10 ways to increase your sports performance" series. It will reveal how we incorporate movement mechanics, flexibility, mobility, and balance & stability into our programs

here at Optimal Performance.

Talk to ya soon

JZ

ps - go JETS

Are You Ready For Some Football?

We are a week into September and you know what that means...


Football time!!!


As many of you may know, I am a huge football Fan and an even bigger Jets fan.


I am proud to say that my J.E.T.S got a BIG "W" yesterday. Favre Looked like his old self running and gunning, and the Jets defense looked promising. But the difference maker in my mind was running back Thomas Jones. He looks like he's on top of his game. He broke a hundred yards, had a TD, and best of all - he seemed to be running like he was fresh in the 4rth quarter. With 22 carries and in the heat they played in (FYI - they said the temperature reached triple digits), he seems to be in tip top shape. I know he did his homework this past off season. I'm sure he trained hard and made sure he was ready for the start of what could be a great season for the J.E.T.S


By the way... did you know that Thomas Jones is an Advocate of Advocare.

That's right, he believes in the products so much, that he's an unpaid endorser (all Pro Athletes are unpaid endorsers with Advocare).

Here is what Thomas Jone says about Advocare, "The Muscle Gain™ protein tastes good and it helps me maintain weight while the Nighttime Recovery helps my muscles recover while I sleep."

Click here to see who else in professional sports are raving fans of Advocare!!!

If they use these great products, why shouldn't You?

For more info about Advocare Nutrition products visit http://www.optimaladvocare.com/. You can also call me @ 845.268.3494 or simply email me at jasonz@optcfitness.com.

OK enough about that. Be sure to check n with me tomorrow...

I got some interesting insight on some of the major injuries we saw yesterday

until then

JZ

Upper back pain???

Upper back pain also known as your thoracic spine, is most likely occurring due to an increased kyphosis (excessive rounding of the thoracic spine). Without seeing you and evaluating your current posture we will assume this is the case.

The rounding of the upper back is usually due to work related issues such as sitting hunched over your desk for hours on end. What this does is put your body or your thoracic spine in an unnatural state. Increased rounding in your upper back can lead to shoulder problems as well as neck and other back related issues. To prevent this what you need to do is mobilize the thoracic spine, or prevent it from rounding excessively. You can and should do this by stretching you lats, and chest muscles as well as strengthening your mid back muscles(aka rowing motions.Here is a video of me talking about a good self help technique for mobilizing the thoracic spine.




In addition keep an eye out as I'm working on an article that covers all types of back pain...

Have a good weekend

JZ

Eat To Compete - Part 3

In our last edition of "Eat To Compete" talked about what foods we should be eating in order to perform at an 'optimal ' level.

In today's edition we will learn the proper ammounts of foods

Here You go;

"Eat to Compete" Part 3

What are the Proper amounts of foods to consume, and when should I eat them?

Now that we know what to eat, we need establish how much to consume, and at what times. As stated in our last installment, you need to consume enough calories to support the demands of your sport, training, and/or daily activities. I know what you’re thinking… “now I have to figure out how many calories I need, then measure and count calories all day, just so I can play better.” Maybe… if that’s something you could tolerate and do on a daily basis. However, I know It’s not practical.

So here are some basic guidelines in regards to meal quantity and meal timing.

Guidelines to eating for 'optimal' performance:

1.) Eat breakfast every morning and then every two to four hours after.

2.)At every meal consume nutrient – dense carbohydrate, a protein, and a fat.

3.)Include a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

4.)The portion size of each of your food categories should be equal in size.

5.) Be sure to eat a protein at every meal

6.) Drink ½ your bodyweight in ounces of water a day minimum (even more on high intensity/activity days)

7.) Abide by the 90%/10% rule.

There you have it - 7 simple guidlines to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrtion for competing at a high level day in and day out.Part 4 of our "Eat to Compete" Sports nutrtion series we will discuss the always controversial topic of Supplements...What about them? Are they neccessary? Are they safe? We'll cover it all. In the mean time you are now equipped with the knmowledge of what to eat, how much of it to eat, and when to eat it.

NOW START putting it to ACTION.

JZ

Stop Guessing & Start Assessing

Last week I posted my top 10 ways to increase your sports performance. I basically just listed off my top 10 strategies without providing any detail or explanation of what the 10 strategies entail...


So what I plan on doing is to go over each strategy with an in depth description of what exactly the strategy is, along with reasons how and why it's critical to implement in your sports training program. This will actually give you an inside look at how we get such great results with our athletes....

1.) Correct Muscle Imbalances - Stop Guessing & Start Assessing

Muscle imbalances are the main culprit when talking about injury. Most injuries occur because there is a significant imbalance between antagonistic (opposite) muscle groups. To compete at optimal levels there must be a balance throughout your entire body. For example, let’s say that your pushing muscles (chest, shoulders and triceps) muscles are far stronger and tighter than the Pulling (upper and mid-back) muscles. That means you have a common imbalance between these two muscle groups and you are likely to hurt your rotator cuff (common shoulder injury). So what do you do about it? What you have to do is stretch the pushing muscles and strengthen your pulling muscles to create a balance between the two muscle groups, producing less stress on the shoulder joint resulting in an INJURY FREE Shoulder.

How do you develop muscle imbalances?

Over the course of time your body can develop muscular imbalances which can lead to serious injury or decreased performance. Your body develops these imbalances through poor posture, incorrect training, and compensation from existing injuries. In order to correct and prevent muscle imbalances at Optimal Performance Training Center every client/Athlete completes the “Optimal Performance Profile” which is a thorough assessment and evaluation that tests structural imbalances, length tension relationships between muscle groups, and functional movements. The results will give us the proper data to correct any imbalances you may have.

A key tool we utilize is what is called the functional movement screen. It is a 7 point test that include;

Overhead Squat

Hurdle Step

In-Line Lunge

Shoulder Mobility

Trunk Stability Push Up

Active Leg Raise

Rotary Stability

Each of the above movements has a unique scoring system that measures how efficient your body moves. Once our Optimal Performance Trainers collects the data, they then prescribe a set of proven corrective exercises to help correct any asymmetries or limitations discovered during the assessment.

Remember assessing is an essential part of creating customized results with your sports training program.

JZ

ps- Did you know that Optimal Performance offers all new athletes a Performance Pass, which is a free session? And in that free session we actually implement the FMS in conjunction with the 'Optimal Performance' profile.

Click here to get yours today - so you can take your training to the next level!!