Athletic Performance Toolbox

Core Strengthening Exercises using Kettlebells

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We all know how important it is to strengthen the core muscles of our athletes. A strong core will not only improve performance but also help to reduce injuries. In season or out of season implementing a well balanced core strengthening component to your strength training program is essential.

In the video clip below Tim McClellan (M.S., C.S.C.S.),former Arizona State University Strength Coach, demonstrates six different effective core strengthening exercises utilizing a kettlebell. The kettlebell is a simple way to add difficulty to core exercises. This clip is from a DVD that demonstrates a complete training program using kettlebells. For more information about that DVD click the link 120 Exercises for Kettlebell Training

The YouTube video below has sound, so please make sure that your sound is turned on and that you have access to the site. (Some schools block access to YouTube)

Exercise 1 – Russian Twist

The athlete sits on the ground with their feet in the air. Knees slightly bent. Holding a kettlebell with the two hands the athlete slowly rotates side to side lowering the kettlebell near the ground.

Exercise 2 – Toe Touch Crunch

Position athlete on their back with their legs pointing up at 90-degrees. Holding the kettlebell at arms length straight up, the athlete will “crunch up” moving the kettlebell towards her toes.The movement should be slow up and down with no momentum involved.

Exercise 3 – Alternating Toe Touch Crunch

Same as number 2 except that one leg is up at 90-degrees while the other is straight out slight off the ground. The athlete will “crunch up” towards the toes of the leg that is up and the slowly lower their shoulders while slowly switching legs. The athlete will then “crunch up” to touch the other leg and the repeat.

Exercise 4 – One leg Out One leg Up Toe Touch Crunch.

Same as exercise three except now you do not alternate legs. Simply “crunch up” to the leg that is up for multiple reps and then switch legs.

Exercise 5 – Side Bends

Standing straight up with the knees slightly bent and holding a kettlebell in one hand, the athlete will lean to one side slowly. The kettlebell should be lowered to about knee level. The athlete will then straighten up and bring the kettelbell back to the original position. Do multiple reps on bothe sides.

Exercise 6 – Hollow Body Hold

This is an isometric contraction. With their back on the floor, the athlete will hold a kettlebell aove their head. Their legs should be off the ground at approximately 45-degrees. Hold for anywhere btween 20-60 seconds.

The Core of Four: A Systematic Approach to Performing Olympic Lifts

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This article was provided by Training and Conditioning

By Ryan Johnson

Wayzata (Minn.) High School Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Ryan Johnson, shares an innovative, systematic approach to performing the Olympic lifts using a 13-pound, five-foot-long steel rod. Called the “Core of Four,” Johnson uses the bar to progress less experienced athletes through primary lift movements. For more experienced lifters, the Core of Four serves as a dynamic warmup.
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Soccer got the year started with a bang: our girls were recently crowned state champs after knocking off a nationally ranked team, and our boys were state runners up. Our Boys Cross Country team finished second in the state and was very close to winning its third straight titles. Currently, our football and volleyball teams are playing in the state tournaments, looking to make their own successful runs.

A large part of our great fall can be attributed to an outstanding summer and a new curriculum of weight training we had instituted. Then, I marveled at its success on a structural level–it was easy to instruct and lead–now, our fall sports results are validating it on a competitive level.

Before I describe the program in detail I have to give credit to its creators, Scott Sahli and Larry Meadors. Both Scott and Larry are very involved in the Minnesota Chapter of the NSCA, and have been recognized time and again by the organization.

Our new curriculum (I love describing this as curriculum as I feel that it best represents our teaching/learning initiative) is a systematic approach to performing the Olympic lifts through a layered series of safe movements. At the foundation is the Core of Four (Cx4), which is the initial series of movements we teach all our athletes.

The Cx4 is comprised of the following:
• Front Squat
• OH Squat
• RDL
• High Jump Shrug

After the athletes have mastered the Cx4 we begin to train in a series of progressions for our other primary lifts. This system allows for the Cx4 to be a dynamic warm up or a stand-alone lift depending on the day.

Our lifting progressions are composed of the following: clean, jerk, and snatch.

When athletes begin Cx4 workouts, they do so lifting a 13-pound, five-foot long, one inch diameter steel rod. We buy the rods in 20-foot lengths and have them cut down to five foot sections. We then grind down the edges and actually coat the bar with floor finish so it doesn’t cut, scratch, or rust.

These rods are accessible at every platform and begin the instruction of the Cx4. This rod is a great start for our youth and it also serves as a perfect dynamic warm up for our experienced lifters.

Our first lift is the front squat, which teaches great spine position that will lead to other lower body squat exercises as well as teaching the catch position for the clean. The second lift is the overhead squat, an exercise vital to identifying flexibility and core strength deficiencies. It also serves as the catch phase of the snatch lift, and is as an excellent warm-up exercise.

The third lift is the RDL or Romanian Dead Lift. This exercise is a major component of the pull phase of the clean exercise and is also an excellent hamstring exercise by itself. The final lift of the Cx4 is the high jump shrug. This exercise takes a normal bar shrug and adds the RDL pull and triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles. This quick, but very effective series is part of the hang clean exercise, and when done in quick succession very much resembles the lift itself.

When the Cx4 progression is taught as an intro to training, we progressively have the athletes graduated from the 13-pound rod to heavier bars and then add weight to the bars as they increase their work loads. When used as a dynamic warmup, we stick to a 3×5 set/rep range and go through each exercise in successive order three times before moving on to the next.

We have seen tremendous improvement in all of our lifts from all levels with this protocol. The lift progressions are equally impressive as we break down the lifts in a similar fashion.

Often times we hear about strengthening the core and its importance in training and activity. Many people perform isolated “core” work in an attempt to strengthen the low back and abs, but neglect large exercises that actually do the same work with two feet on the ground.

I was describing this curriculum to our girls’ cross country coach, as he wanted to find alternative ways to help his runners build core strength. He wavered a bit at first as I mentioned our methods, but really saw the light as he watched my young son perform the series of lifts with the 13-pound bar. I explained how much better my son’s push-up form had become after doing a summer of the Cx4, and he broke into a big grin as he saw the connection to the core.

23 Agility Ladder Drills

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The agility ladder is great tool for developing coordinated footwork, agility and quickness.

While there are countless numbers of footwork patterns that may be executed, below you will find 23 examples.

Some of the drills I am sure that you are already doing, but hopefully there are a couple of new ones you can add to your collection.

The clip would also be useful to help teach new athletes the various drills.

There is some slow motion for some of the more difficult ones to explain (Icky Shuffle).

The clip is from Xceleration Fitness For other great fitness video checkout the Xceleration Fitness YouTube Channel.

The YouTube video below has closed captioning at the bottom giving you the name of each exercise.

The audio is just music. Please make sure that you have access to the site (Some schools block access to YouTube)

Here are the 23 drills listed by name and in the order they are demonstrated

1. Forward Sprint (one foot in each)
2. Lateral High Knees
3. Icky Shuffle
4. Backward Icky Shuffle
5. Lateral In and Out
6. Forward In and Out
7. Backward In and Out
8. Lateral Scissor Hops
9. Lateral Scissor Feet with Knee Drive
10. Cross Behind
11. Scissor Feet Transfer
12. Scissor Feet Transfer with Med Ball Slam
13. Hopscotch
14. Single Leg Linear Hop
15. Slalom Jumps
16. Single Leg Lateral In and Out
17. Icky Shuffle Hurdle Hops
18. Lateral Jump Lunge
19. Icky Shuffle with Lateral Cones
20. Linebacker Feet with Lateral Hop
21. Diagonal Quick Slalom
22. Band Resisted Icky Shuffle
23. Band Resisted Lateral High Knees

Sports Specialization

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This article was provided by Training and Conditioning

A study conducted by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Foundation revealed that high school athletes who specialize in a single sport sustain lower-extremity injuries at significantly higher rates than athletes who do not specialize in one sport.

The study was conducted throughout the 2015-16 school year at 29 high schools in Wisconsin involving more than 1,500 student-athletes equally divided between male and female participants. The schools involved in the study represented a mixture of rural (14), suburban (12) and urban (3) areas, and enrollments were equally diverse with 10 small schools (less than 500 students), 10 medium schools (501-1,000 students) and nine large schools (more than 1,000 students).

“While we have long believed that sport specialization by high school athletes leads to an increased risk of overuse injury, this study confirms those beliefs about the potential risks of sport specialization,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “Coaches, parents and student-athletes need to be aware of the injury risks involved with an overemphasis in a single sport.”

Athletes who specialized in one sport were twice as likely to report previously sustaining a lower-extremity injury while participating in sports (46%) than athletes who did not specialize (24%). In addition, specialized athletes sustained 60 percent more new lower-extremity injuries during the study than athletes who did not specialize. Lower-extremity injuries were defined as any acute, gradual, recurrent, or repetitive-use injury to the lower musculoskeletal system.

“While we have long believed that sport specialization by high school athletes leads to an increased risk of overuse injury, this study confirms those beliefs about the potential risks of sport specialization,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “Coaches, parents and student-athletes need to be aware of the injury risks involved with an overemphasis in a single sport.”

Among those who reported previously sustaining a lower-extremity injury, the areas of the body injured most often were the ankle (43%) and knee (23%). The most common type of previous injuries were ligament sprains (51%) and muscle/tendon strains (20%).

New injuries during the year-long study occurred most often to the ankle (34%), knee (25%), and upper leg (13%), with the most common injuries being ligament sprains (41%), muscle/tendon strains (25%), and tendonitis (20%).

In addition, specialized athletes were twice as likely to sustain a gradual onset/repetitive-use injury than athletes who did not specialize, and those who specialized were more likely to sustain an injury even when controlling for gender, grade, previous injury status, and sport.

Thirty-four (34) percent of the student-athletes involved in the Wisconsin study specialized in one sport, with females (41%) more likely to specialize than males (28%). Soccer had the highest level of specialization for both males (45%) and females (49%). After soccer, the rate of specialization for females was highest for softball (45%), volleyball (43%), and basketball (37%). The top specialization sports for males after soccer were basketball (37%), tennis (33%), and wrestling (29%).

The study, which was directed by Timothy McGuine, PhD, ATC, of the University of Wisconsin, also documented the effects of concurrent sport participation (participating in an interscholastic sport while simultaneously participating in an out-of-school club sport), which indicated further risk of athletes sustaining lower-extremity injuries.

Almost 50 percent of the student-athletes involved in the survey indicated they participated on a club team outside the school setting, and 15 percent of those individuals did so while simultaneously competing in a different sport within the school. Seventeen (17) percent of the student-athletes indicated that they took part in 60 or more primary sport competitions (school and club) in a single year. Among those student-athletes in this group who sustained new lower-extremity injuries during the year, 27 percent were athletes who specialized in one sport.

The student-athletes involved in the study were deemed “specialized” if they answered “yes” to at least four of the following six questions: 1) Do you train more than 75 percent of the time in your primary sport?; 2) Do you train to improve skill and miss time with friends as a result?; 3) Have you quit another sport to focus on one sport?; 4) Do you consider your primary sport more important than your other sports?; 5) Do you regularly travel out of state for your primary sport?; 6) Do you train more than eight months a year in your primary sport?

Although some sports (field hockey, lacrosse) are not offered in Wisconsin and were not included in the study, the study concluded that since specialization increased the risk of lower-extremity injuries in sports involved in the survey it would also likely increase the risk of injuries in sports that were not a part of the study.

The above content is a press release from the NFHS.

High Speed Treadmill Training

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This article was provided by Training and Conditioning

By Dan Hutchison, MS, ATC, CSCS

Improvements in sprinting speed have been manipulated through the use of various techniques and unique instruments over many decades. The high speed treadmill (HST) has been one of those unique instruments that although highly effective, has come under much scrutiny. Early Russian research supported the benefits of inclined and over speed applications for the enhancement of sprint performance through the use of towing, most commonly applied using a motorcycle or automobile to tow the individual. The high speed motorized treadmill was developed to bring both of these applications together through 3 specific factors – safety, optimal teaching environment and accurate quantification of the training. Using this approach, the coach is able to teach mechanics and body position at specific velocities, inclinations and time, to progressively enhance ability and performance, and more importantly, within a safe environment. If one can properly manipulate strength, speed, and power, within the mechanics of the activity, improvements or adaptations will occur. If this activity is straight line sprinting speed, these applications through the use of a high speed treadmill, are no different than using traditional lifting techniques like the back squat or power clean, to enhance lower extremity strength and power. Inevitably, the motion of sprinting will be done on the ground, but arguments can be made in favor of utilizing HST for speed enhancement through specificity and stimuli occurring through inclination and velocity.

Common rebuttals of HST training involve statements like, “the treadmill does all the work”, “running mechanics change because of the moving belt”, and “running over-ground is completely different”.

Three facts that debunk these statements, based on clinical research:

•  The kinematics, ground-reaction forces, and metabolic cost of locomotion are nearly indistinguishable from over-ground locomotion when the treadmill has an adequate motor and flywheel, and the belt speed does not vary (Kram, et. al. 1998). Basically, a stiff and powerful treadmill emits the same forces and physiological adaptations to the body, as ground-based running.

•  Speed training on a treadmill provides load resistance based on spatial position and gravitational pull during bouts performed on inclines greater than 0% grade (Myer, et. al. 2007). If the HST is at an inclination anywhere above 0% grade, the body has to apply force in the same sequential firing pattern to propel the body both vertically and horizontally, and the individual has to adequately ‘hold’ their position on the treadmill.

•  Inclined treadmill sprinting creates adaptations in stride frequency by increasing lower extremity muscle activation and through increases in joint angular velocities (Swanson, et. al. 2000). Similar to resistance training with various lower body movements to improve both muscle force and power, utilizing a HST to induce these adaptations is no different than using a heavy back squat to improve force development, or a power clean to improve lower extremity power.

The objectivity of developing speed on a HST provides the technician with two key components to determining speed improvements – raw miles per hour (MPH) and the time for which he/she can hold that velocity. Ground-based testing from 10 meters (m) to 400m is essential, and can provide the technician, through some arithmetic, similar MPH numbers. Either method can be utilized on the HST to properly progress the individual, along with the times for which these efforts need to be applied can be meticulously adhered to. Often, if performing high effort sprints on the ground, individuals may “hold back” on the intensity due to the length of the workout, fatigue or the body’s instinctive nature to protect itself. In addition, total work performed and power outputs per bout and training session can be calculated.

The HST allows individuals to work within a “True Velocity Training Zone”, which is categorized between 80-90% of maximum velocity. The inclination adds a ‘speed-strength’ component to this application by not only increasing muscle activation in the correct mechanical sequence (Swanson and Caldwell 2000),  but by also preventing over-striding and eliminating excessive braking forces. Since the individual is working concentrically when performing inclined HST training, the frequency of training may be increased because of the diminished eccentric forces (braking forces induced by flat ground contact).

Individuals should be aware that ground-based applications are necessary for adequate transfer characteristics from the HST to the court, diamond, track, or field, and should be implemented concurrently during HST. Although surrounded by myths and opinions, HST can be a valuable resource for speed development, including sprint mechanics, increasing maximum sprinting speed, and enhancing energy system development (Hauschildt, 2010). Applications for strength, speed, and power involve manipulating the body using weight, cords, boxes, drills and/or time intervals to elicit improvement. High speed treadmill training is another resource that specifically caters to the improvement of sprinting speed, using speed and specific inclination, but also acts as a compliment to all other movement training. Running, and more importantly sprinting, is the backbone of all sports related movements. The best runners/sprinters tend to be the best athletes, male or female, and can perform multi-directional skills with finesse and fluidity. Technical development of this skill through strategic manipulations of speed (MPH), inclination (% grade) and time, provide the ultimate mechanism for sustained running speed development.

References:

Hauschildt, M. D. (2010). Integrating high-speed treadmills into a traditional strength and conditioning program for speed and power sports. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 32(2), 21-32.

Kram, R., Griffin, T. M., Donelan, J. M., & Chang, Y. H. (1998). Force treadmill for measuring vertical and horizontal ground reaction forces. Journal of Applied Physiology, 85(2), 764-769.

Lockie, R.G., Murphy, A.J., and Spinks, C.D (2003). Effects of resisted sled towing on sprint kinematics in field-sport athletes. JSCR 17: 760-767.

Meyer, G.D, Ford, K.R., Brent, J.L., Divine, J.G., and Hewett, T.E (2007). Predictors of sprint start speed: The effects of resistive ground-based vs. inclined treadmill training. JSCR 21(3): 831-836. 

Gottschall, J. S., & Kram, R. (2005). Ground reaction forces during downhill and uphill running. Journal of biomechanics, 38(3), 445-452.

Swanson, S.C. and Caldwell, G.E. (2000). An integrated biomechanical analysis of high speed incline and level treadmill running. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 32: 1146-1155.