Client testimonial. John Golden. College basketball player. 

In-Season Training, Football & Performance pt 1.

KEEP PERFORMANCE HIGH and REDUCE INJURIES....IN-SEASON TRAINING PT 1

In-season training for football arguably plays as big a role in performance as any other aspect of the in-season schedule. Football players have such a unique sport in that there is generally only 1 competition per week after many hours of practice, skill work, film study and other forms of mental and physical conditioning. Football requires great power, strength, aerobic endurance, mental focus, athletic skill and attrition. The nature of the game is explosively aggressive and takes a simple yet well designed in-season plan if athletes are to continue meeting the various demands required to play at high levels.

During the off season the training begins with a focus on building general work capacity, strength, mobility and endurance. Athletes enter into lifting programs that help build what we call GPP or general physical preparedness. This general approach is essential for setting the ground work for the demands that will be placed on  the athletes' later in the training year. Programs most likely start by focusing on building a good aerobic base, establishing sound joint mobility and tissue flexibility and good baseline strength. There is usually very little focus on sporting skill at this juncture. Most skill position football players (basically all non-lineman)  do some form skill work whether it is throwing, catching or basic route running or footwork. But this work is at very low volumes and with little to no intensity. As the season approaches the element of speed ,explosive power comes to the forefront. Since the game is played in very short powerful spurts of time, the training begins to mimic those biomechanics  and metabolic demands, perparing the athete for the game of the football  itself. This transformation in training approaches is what we call SPP or special physical preparedness. The final piece to the off-season approach employs the all important aspect of conditioning. This element of training is the most over looked and most misused form of training done by most sport/physical preparation coaches. While this can be an entire article within itself, the goal approximately 2 months out is to build the athlete's specific work capacity to handle the specific demands of the sport itself. When the training is laid out properly, the athlete enters the season prepared to make an immediate impact.

Now that we're about 2 months into the season, athletes are starting to feel the effects of the rigorous life of a football player. Strength levels have probably dipped a bit and most of the players are dealing with little nagging aches and pains that they've got to deal with and play through. This is the portion of the season, unlike the off-season, where training (practice) is 100% specific. So in order to keep performance levels high and reduce the amount of damage done on a daily basis, athletes must focus on their strength, mobility and regeneration.

My recommendations for staying fresh, strong and performing at high levels has a lot more to do with how you handle your body as a whole during the season. Just doing any 1 or 2 things will not produce the results you desire. As the war of attrition commences, athletes need to understand the global affects of all the different demands on their bodies and their time. Today we lay the ground work for how to be at your absolute best for the stretch run.

We will start with talking about strength training:

Strength training is absolutely critical. Everyone understands the fact that a football players' body takes a pounding. So in an attempt to reduce the trauma from going toe to toe down after down, you must train regularly! The tempo of your workouts must be moderate to high. By this I mean, no slow body building type workouts. You want to train for 40-60min at a good enough tempo to get your CNS (central nervous system) kicking. This means a healthy up-tempo warm-up full of ballistic/dynamic movements and using both ground based and standing movements. Just keep in mind, the overall goal of strength training during the season is to maintain the highest level of performance for the longest period of time.

I believe that athletes need to maximize their time in the weight room by utilizing exercises that give you the most bang for your buck so that you don't over train and cause more damage. Squats, pull-ups, bench press,  Deadlifts and other multi-joint compound movements will give you the greatest return on investment. I generally like to have my athletes work in the 60-85% range with these lifts with fairly high intensity and at low volumes. 3-4 sets of 3-5 "quality" reps. This means no half-stepping!

We generally keep assistance work to a minimum during the season. This basically means we dont load up kids with a ton of sets or reps in their secondary exercises. This will create a nice "pump" feeling, but can really be overkill if not performed correctly. Instead we do more "pre-hab" type work at high reps. This means we do pre-habilitation work like "band-pull apart's" or band TKE's (terminal knee extensions) to help stabilize joints in the hips, knees, ankles, and shoulders mainly. This also keeps the major muscles from taking the brunt of the blow down after down. What many people fail to realize is that muscles take 1-3 days to recover from trauma, but connective tissue like (ligaments, tendons & certain forms of cartilage) can take much longer. This means we have to be cognizant of the amount of blows a player is taking, and plan his training accordingly.

One of the Shore's Best players, offensive lineman Brad Henson has been a part of our system here at Key 2 Sports for 2 years now. Brad has done an excellent job at understanding the importance of off/in-season training and dedication to being the best. Brad drives over an hour both ways to train with us twice a week and still excels in class and in his community. There is no wonder he has offers from 5 major 1A schools with 10 or more schools planing to bring him is for visits. Brad is a specimen of an individual standing at over 6'5 and weighing almost 270lbs and the best part is he's only a junior! Here is a glimpse of what Brad does at Key 2 Sports 2 times a week:

(photo by Hallmarc photography)

Day 1 - Low Volume/Heavy Day
*dynamic warm-up/foam roll/lax ball soft tissue work/bands and other forms of pre-hab performed.

1. Log Clean and Press 4x3 moderately heavy
- we do these because of the neutral grip on the bar being less stress on the shoulders. this is also a great exercise that can be used as a full-body Olympic lift variant. We don't do much pressing for lineman during the season but this exercise certainly makes the cut for our athletes.

2A. Safety Bar Box Squat 4x5
-this is another great exercise that helps Brad stay explosive in the hips and glutes but doesn't leave him overly sore due to the box variation. The box makes this a more concentric lift lessening the eccentric load and decreasing stress. The Bar type reduces shoulder stress and requires a good deal of core strength.

2B. Band Pull-ups 4x3-7

3A. DB Bench press 3x5-8
3aa. Peck stretch on squat rack

4A.1arm DB Row (w/ fat grip bar attachment) 3x6-10
4B. Low Back extensions

5. Abdominal Roman Chair Knee Raise 3x10-15

Day - 2 Medium Volume/Light Day
*dynamic warm-up/foam roll/lax ball soft tissue work/bands and other forms of pre-hab performed.

1A. Barbell Front Squat 3x5-8
* we reduce the vertebral loading here and focus on great bend and abdominal/core strength

1B. Lat Pulldown 3x6-10

2A. DB Shrugs 4x25
2B. Band Pull-aparts 4x25                                                                        
*both exercises are using a slow twitch muscle where higher reps should be performed.

3A. Seated Cable Row 3x12-15
3B. Swiss Ball reverse hyper extensions 3x15
*the lower back is trained every single session during the in-season. It's critical for lineman to have a strong posterior chain.

4 Bi's and Tri's - Pick any two you like. My personal favorites are Iso-hold DB curls and band tricep pushdowns. Both dont require much time and can get the desired affect after 2-3 sets. More importantly, because of the motion and the use of bands, tendinitis flare up and other muscle issues are eliminated. We do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps each.


There you have a simple layout designed for one of the top lineman in the Shore. Before you rush off to begin training I want to remind you of a few things.

1. Your workouts should coincide with your work load. If you aren't playing much, you should still be training just as hard as you did in the off-season. No reason to de-train if you aren't playing. 
2. If you are taking an innumerable amount of snaps, adjust your training to fit what you can handle. Your main objective is recovery, so don't go crazy in the weight room. Remember, performance is number 1.
3. If you are injured, you should train hard at what you can and rehab like a madman. Get back on the field and then go back to training as a regular participant. Focus on your re-hab/exercises and be smart with heavy weights and range of motion. There are a ton of ways to stay strong, don't just jump into something cause you saw it some where. Get the recommendation of your trainer 1st. 
4. Your program should be somewhat specific to you. Do not just engage in any old program. Doing so can and will lead to injury. Heavy powerlifting, Olympic lifting workouts as well as cross-fit and other forms of high threshold training are not recommended for in-season football players. Train hard but also train smart. 

Stay tuned for part 2 on the importance of regeneration and rest. Until next time:

GET STRONG BE EXPLOSIVE!!

For more information on Key 2 Sports Training and Cornell Key, please visit www.Key2sportstraining.com or email him @ key2sportsperformance@gmail.com

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5 REASONS YOU ARE NOT GETTING STRONGER!

5 REASONS YOU ARE NOT GETTING STRONGER!

In today's world strength is a high priced commodity. People will go to great lengths and pay a big money to increase their strength and muscle size. Strength is being displayed all around us every day. We see it at gyms and through various media outlets. We also hear about it constantly. As a high school athlete it wasn't uncommon for 2 total strangers to share stories about their strength feats whether on the field on in the weight room. We'd ask about who benched what or who manhandled who on the field. In school you got respect for being strong. At work and in the gym and even at home strength always gives someone that little extra something,...... respect, attention or just flat out fear. So it's no wonder that of all the questions I get daily, 70% or more have to do strength.

In this article I'm not going to give you keys on 'how' to get stronger. There is so much content on this subject now-a-days that you would have a harder time NOT finding something than you would trying to find something about strength. I'm simply going to address some of the possible reasons on why you may not be seeing your strength increase. Because of all the content that is available, its easy to get information overload. I see people so often today going from one program to the next with completely conflicting styles  and completely different requirements. People need to understand that information should be gained, but knowledge is for the purpose of improvement and correction. It shouldn't be used to produce a 'schizophrenic" mind set that has us jumping from program to program. 

For the sake of this article, im going to assume that many of the readers are already on a strength program of some sort. Whether its a body building type program or a athlete based program, programs all have the same basic requirements when it comes to strength. PMT! Plan, method and timing. This topic itself is a separate article but the premise is that any program needs the proper plan, the method for which to execute the plan, and time to allow the method to work. If there is any breakdown in any 1 of these areas, you're going to have problems. 

More specifically when I ask to see a persons program or inquire of what they are currently doing, I usually get an idea of where they are going wrong. With that said, here are some of the reason why many of you may not be seeing your strength increase:

1 - Lack of Heavy Weights in the program - Make no mistake, the number #1 way to get stronger is to lift heavy weights progressively loading over time. Heavy weight training stimulates the CNS to call upon the biggest most powerful muscles to achieve the task needed. When there is a lack of heavy training, this system cannot develop properly. High rep training and other forms muscle building should not be confused with building strength. Make sure you include an adequate amount of 'max effort' training and you'll be sure to see increases in strength.


2 - Too many assistance exercises - When I first began strength training for a living I was all about assistance exercises. 2-3 different assistance exercises for each body part 2-3 times a week. This was something I grew up doing because much of what I learned came from an old body building techniques and people who'd learned that same way. I'd notice a change in muscle size but not really as much in strength. The problem was NOT the assistance exercises, but rather the large quantity of assistance exercises. Too many assistance exercises in your programs will keep your strength levels at bay. This happens because strength is NOT about sets and reps. Again, strength is a nervous system response to external loads. Big multi-joint compound movements cause your CNS to activate more muscles to help achieve that specific task. When your CNS can call on a particular groups of muscles to work with proper activation, symmetry and timing....strength is achieved. Assistance exercises are usually more localized and can help improve local strength, cross section (size) and improve physique. However, too much focus on them and the overall goal will be diminished. If strength is the goal, cut back on large amounts of assistance work. 2-3 exercises will produce far more carryover than 2-3 per muscle group. On top of that you'll feel much better and have much more variety for your weekly training sessions. 

3 - Too much volume - When I was in school we had a program that literally had 15lifts in one workout. Volume overload! We did an explosive lift, followed by a "core" lift like a squat, bench press or a dead lift. Then we did an assistance lift or 2. Then we did a ton of supplemental lifts which are lifts that are usually involving shoulder cuff stability and or ascetic work like arms and calf work. The workout was "supposed" to take our team 45 min but it usually took us closer to 90 min due to the sheer volume of exercises that had to be done. The training effect of the major lifts was almost gone because we had done so much else that it became one huge loss and waste of time.  Too much volume in training is similar to using too much water on a plant. When a plant grows it requires water, sunlight and rest. If you sat there and watered it all day, the growth of that plant would be hindered. Well likewise, programs with too much volume (sets and reps) will not yield proper strength results. You would be better off doing less (volume) and eating/resting more than you would doing more. Its just too much stress to recover from and the effect that you are trying to gain from training would be lost. You wouldn't eat a main course and 10 sides with dinner, correct? Usually 2-3 sides (all with a planned purpose) will suffice. Likewise, strength gains will be negatively effected by too much volume in training.

3 - Too much cardio - I always find it funny when I see guys who claim they want to get big and strong but spend all day doing cardio. Cardiovascular training to some degree should be a part of every program, but if your goal is to gain strength, cardiovascular training would have to be monitored so that your gains would could be optimized.

Steady state cardio is great for recovery and building a good aerobic base. However, if you engage in too much volume, you are going to see strength levels go down. This is basically because maximal strength requires a high amount of fast twitch muscle activation & longer rest periods. Too much aerobic base cardio training will stimulate more slow twitch muscle fibers thus creating two separate adaptations that are in fact opposing one another. Bottom line is, if you want to get stronger...lift heavier weights and rest more. Use aerobic training for recovery and restoration and not make it the main focus in your training.

Anaerobic cardiovascular training can also produce negative effects if used improperly. Because of the high threshold motor units being activated, rest is extremely important if strength gains are going to go up. Using methods like plyometrics, sprints, barbell complexes etc will all have to be scheduled and programmed properly if you are going to maximize strength gains. If any fast twitch training is used, it must be done at its maximal intensity and with adequate amounts of rest. It also must be accompanied by max effort training. simply doing heavy barbell complexes alone will not get you stronger. It may help burn some glycogen and fat due to the alactic nature of the training. But strength will not go up from this type of training. 

4 - Not enough rest between sets - I've already mentioned that rest is a vital necessity when it comes to building strength. But most people dont rest enough. Especially those of us who train people for a living and only have so much time to work with people. Rest to a 'restless soul' seems like a pure waste of time especially when you're in a bind with time. But if you're going to optimize your ability to build strength....you need to rest between sets. During heavy lifting your high threshold motor units are being recruited and all your fast twitch muscles are being used to complete the lift. It is highly important that in-between reps of heavy maximal effort lifting you allow the regeneration process of storing additional ATP and the removing of waste products to take place. If you rush back in for the next set, you may not have fully recovered from the previous bout and will not be at your maximal capacity for the next lift. This happens all too often in lifting because people feel as though they need to rush and build up an incredible sweat for the workout to be effective. If you're lifting for strength, its quite possible that you'll sweat very little at times. But if your goal is strength and your program layout is correct, then you'll see results. Rushing between sets should be reserved for another type of training, but not with building strength. 

5 - Poor program layout - This should probably be listed 1st because it is probably the #1 factor why people cannot get stronger. Many program layouts are just not right. There is too much of the wrong things with too little of the right things all at the same time. Because of the length and depth of the volume of programs out there, its hard to discuss how each of them may be flawed. The important thing to remember it that strength requires major compound multi-joint movements that recruit the highest amount of muscle at 1 time.In addition your nervous system will recruit the most muscles possible which stimulates the highest level of hormonal production improving the biological adaptation of strength. If you need help with your program layout contact me at key2sportstraining@gmail.com and we can help you construct a program that works best for you.

Until next time -

Get Strong / Be Explosive!

Cornell Key
www.Key2SportsTraining.com
732-749-3093

UN(Cross) YOUR (Fit)ness Program......here's why!

Look at any book, magazine or website relating to fitness today and you will undoubtedly see the ever growing popularity of Cross-Fit training. Cross-Fit training has literally taken the country by storm over the last few years and seems to be running away from its competition (if it even has any). Cross-Fit training for those who live under a rock and don't know, is exactly what it says, a cross between many different forms of training all meshed together @ seemingly torturous intensities to create what they believe is better bodies and better fitness levels. Cross-fit also garners world wide attention for it's "all-inclusive" approach. A statement from the website HERE says  The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs. This statement is the hallmark of their program and their culture. The idea that "we dont change programs" says it all. Before I continue I just want to mention that I personally have NOTHING against cross-fit style workouts in and of themselves. This is a free country and people are free to do as they wish. But, if you're an athlete or simply an individual who has a specific set of goals...we challenge you to think again. It's time to uncross your fitness and here's why:

Here at KEY 2 we train athletes and individuals who are serious about their goals. Goals and vision are the driving force behind what we do because they are what gives the purpose for why we train. Where there is no goal or vision, there is chaos. We believe strongly that training must have a purpose and a concise well planned approach before goals can be reached. Simply throwing a bunch of exercises at the proverbial wall will never have the same effect as a well planned training regimen.

Hey don't get me wrong, i'm all for super high intensity and challenging ourselves to the core of our being. I'm all about squats, bench press, olympic lifts, sprints, medium distance runs and body weight training. Rings and kettle-bells are a part of our program as well. I'm not against any of the methods, my issue is with the layout and its relevance to athletes/clients specific goals. The one size fits all mantra doesn't cut it when we're looking at improving athletes performance. In addition to the intensity, volume and sheer "tough as nails" mentality behind cross-fit, there has to be accountability for bio-energetic demands of training and its affect on performance. Your cardiovascular system, CNS, Metabolic system as well as your hormonal system all have to be considered before maximum fitness and results can be achieved. If your program or trainer doesn't have at least a working knowledge of how these systems are being affected, you will undoubtedly run into issues. So I will repeat, training grandma the same way you train 'Mr. Military Buff Guy' will not work. Here are some reasons why:

Training is specific and must have a plan. The general adaptation syndrome states that our bodies will develop an adaptation to the stressers we place on it. In short, if we do enough of any one thing, our bodies will respond by its own means to adapt to that same stimulus. A body builder is interested in muscle size and muscle symmetry. Therefore their program must have the proper amount of exercises within it to allow their bodies to grow in those two areas. It would be highly inaccurate and very niiave for a body builder to walk into a gym and simply start doing distance training, power training and high repetition resistance training all at the same time. Their goal is muscle size and symmetry, therefore they train for that purpose.

Now, that's an easy example and one many can understand. But it works the same way regardless of the goal. When we cross all forms of fitness together in one big ball, our bodies cannot develop the proper adaptation in any one specific area. That said general conditioning does have its place. General conditioning is great for beginners and even novice level individuals like teenagers looking to increase their fitness levels. However after the first few weeks or sometimes months of a beginners program you may see performance come to a halt or even begin to go down. This is when you need to hone in on the goal for your program whether it be muscle size, fat loss, better aerobic conditioning etc. Prolonged periods of unorganized training will not lead to optimal results. At best you will simply train yourself to handle "poor training". This leads me to my next point.

Over training/under training. The Jack of all trades is usually the master of none. When our bodies under go super intense stimulus over prolonged periods of time we are susceptible to over training. All training is interpreted as stress to our bodies. All these stressers have acute, short term, accumulation and sometimes even delayed effect on our bodies. When we fail to realize that what you lift, or how you lift/run today has an affect on what you "can" do tomorrow or even next week, we leave ourselves vulnerable to harms way. Not everything can or should be trained at the same time. Even at times when we are training different qualities simultaneously, there has to be a plan and order. This is where understanding our bodies systems and how each works comes into play.

the phrase over trained can mean many things... avoid all of them

In addition, when we involve too many un-related types of training all together we invariably leave out some of what we "should" have been doing. If you're goal is to simply get in the best shape possible while increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat then your program should resemble that. However, depending on the individual you may have two do different programs based on where you are physically when you start. A 40yr old male who's 50lbs over weight and never been an athlete should not begin (even with a modified load) with the same program as a 27yr old female who played collegiate soccer and has only been inactive for the last 3 years. Common sense would tell you that their programs, albeit have the same goal....will and should have different approaches. There are too many variables to consider, however the point is to see the individuality that should be somewhat present when we engage in training programs.

Many of the cross-fit disciples are severely over trained. They market marines and MMA fighters as trophy's to what they can accomplish by training cross-fit. But think about it, many marines and state/local police officers who are fresh out of boot camp or the police academy are also over trained. Only difference is that they (marines and officers) are trained that way on purpose! I don't know about you but, I want people serving and protecting me that have been sharpened and pushed to limits beyond the norm. I want to know they are mentally and physically trained to protect and serve. But to think that one should prepare for being purposely over trained by pre-over training is asinine! Not taking into account proper rest, joint and connective tissue regeneration, skeletal muscle regeneration and proper heart conditioning will lead to severe injury, period. If not right away, then definitely over time. Balance training and order of regimen are vital if achievement is going to be made. In order to have balance, you must have an approach that accounts for all the general and specific areas of your goals. Order is what will help take you there. This brings me to my next point......

selection process comes after the goal has been established

Exercise selection. Exercise selection should NOT be the primary governing factor behind exercise programs. I know I know.... I've done it too, cycled a bunch of exercises week to week in an attempt to develop a "well rounded" program. This is and always will be a mistake, and i've definitely made my share. Your training regimen should be indicative of your goals 1st. Then you must select the correct training type followed by the correct volume and intensity that will help produce that adaptation to meet that goal. Cross-fit is not interested in your goals primarily, it's more interested in its reputation. When the program is more important than the goal, you have yourself a faulty program. Exercise selection should be next to last on the list. Why? Because the same exercises can create different adaptations based on the volume and intensity with which they are done. You want to get strong?.... squat....you want to get faster?....squat......you want to improve endurance?.......squat......mobility? .......squat. The squat is not the goal. Its simply the vehicle used to produce the response you're seeking. So whether you squat heavy, or for reps or jump squat or super slow squat or whatever, understand that 1 single exercise can produce many different responses based on how its used. I simply used squats as an example to make my point, i'm not literally saying all one should do is squat. My point is the mere exercise isn't as important as the way one uses it. After selecting the appropriate training type, the volume and intensity is whats most important. Once that's established, the program can be sure that at least for the moment, its on the right path.


General and Specific gains. Because of the super high intensity used in X-fit and the relative ease at which one can be over trained, it very hard to see results.

Cross-fit and muscle - If you're looking for muscle size or strength you may see small resemblance in the beginning of what looks to be strength increase. You will soon realize that strength is not a matter of sets and reps. Muscle size doesn't come from doing 1000 dips in  a 30 minute workout 3x's a week. Muscle building and strength building are much different but both require 1 vital thing. REST. When we strength train either by body weight or resistance, we need to give our bodies rest. Our bodies need energy to operate. The way we get energy is by the metabolizing of food in to a substance called ATP. ATP gets converted into energy we can you for whatever the task at hand is. When we fail to eat properly and rest we rob our bodies own ability to utilize this energy. In addition when we train at super intense paces without fully recovering, we fail to give our CNS and our skeletal muscle and its connective tissue to time necessary to prepare for the next bout of exercise. This leads to muscle breakdown. So while you think you're building muscle and strength, you're actually breaking it down much faster than it has time to recover and thus grow.

Cross-fit and fat loss. Fat loss can come in many different forms. For some its a mere matter of eating cleaner and drinking more water. For others, intense exercise is needed to assist in the process. Pretty much every one falls some where in-between the two. So the perfect combination is to eat better, train smart and rest. However we must remember that intensity is relative. We respond best when we use the LEAST AMOUNT OF INTENSITY TO STIMULATE RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE. This means that we should do only what is necessary to see change. By progressing whether by load or volume too early, we can set ourselves up for failure or injury. Many people have not developed the proper aerobic work capacity to handle bouts of kipping pull-ups, 400meter sprints and kettle bell swings repeatedly. They need more aerobic/oxidative muscle capacity to even be able to sustain any level of activity for long periods. I'm talking from a safety issue, 1st. So its possible that a more general program may be needed for some involving low grade aerobic work to build a base. For others who have stronger cardiac capacity, intensity should be minimized to meet them at their threshold and not exceed it. To go over and beyond and have someone throwing up just to say you gave them a good workout is not burning fat, its simply uneducated. My over all point is not to associate intense circuits with fat loss. Many times you could be burning more than fat if you're even burning fat at all.

BUT I LOOK GREAT HOW CAN YOU DENY THAT? There is something to be said about consistency and effort. Any person will see changes if they apply themselves to any one thing long enough. All programs will work even for a short period of time. They KEY is to constantly evaluate and educate. Evaluate your program constantly. Look over it and consider the long term effects. Many cross-fit enthusiast are sold on its 'quick fix' appeal. Workout crash course for 2 weeks and drop 30lbs and look great. Yeah ok, but what about after you've lost the weight? A healthy program should sustain you over time and always have a progression that keeps pushing you forward. Not pushing you to near death, but progression. There is a difference. Also, keep educating yourself about what it is you're doing. There is a reason why programs progress every few years. The same things always work, but education about how they work certainly can increase performance. Continually educate and evaluate and you'll at the very least know how to navigate through the myriad of marketing hype pushing you to the next fad workout.

Solution

For those of you who are willing to admit there is truth to what i'm saying, I challenge you to over look your program. Your program should incorporate all areas you are trying to improve. I prefer block style training programs because they have proven to be the best at developing all the general and specific qualities in the least amount of time while being completely 100% healthy. After a organized and well planned block, you will not be over trained or under trained. You will not have gaping holes in your program symmetry and you will feel 10x's better progressing into the next phase of training. Block training, unlike cross-fit or group (boot camp) training doesn't work as well for groups although it can be used in a group setting.

In short block training focuses on general & specific training means and pre-determined training periods over time. The focus of building work capacity and building optimal development of the aerobic system which fuels all of our energy systems happens early on. As the end date approaches or as work capacity improves, the blocks become more personalized to hone in on specific training designed to optimize that specific training block. Blocks may last anywhere from 1-4 weeks depending on the goals of the individual. The blocks, when outlined properly, will overlap at the proper times to fully optimize the effects of the previous block and allow the individual to train unaffected. Blocks can come in many types and depending on the individual, can take all different time frames to complete. The benefit of this style of training is that there is NO wasted effort and NO useless or detrimental training. All the stages compliment and are specified as you improve. This is a far superior way to train than picking random exercises out of a hat and doing them until you either throw up or can go any longer. The even better part is, once a training block ends, you'll have the next one waiting and you'll be able to track progressions and look at tangible increases over time. This is not possible with cross-fit style training.The one issue you may run into is actually having a block program developed. This may cost you a little bit more because a great deal of education is necessary before a program can be written. However, once you see the results of a proper training regimen, it'll pay for itself twice over. Besides the gym you have a membership at and never attend probably has 10x's more of your money for NO results, so if you're going to spend $$ the least you can do is spend wisely. If you want to learn more about having a specific block designed for you contact me @ key2sportsperformance@gmail.com.


My goal is to help stimulate thought and educate those willing to listen. Hope this sheds some light on the issue. Until next time....

GET STRONG BE EXPLOSIVE!!

-Cornell

What is your True Training Age?? Why you should Care

What is your training age? How mature are you when it comes to training? Regardless of if you've been in the iron game or cardio training game, you need to know how old you are in proportion to when you began. Why? Because if you arent growing you arent progressing and if you arent progressing you are simply wasting your time!

I began training back at the ripe age of 15yrs old. I used to spend a bunch of time at the gym with a few high school buddies of mine. We frequently bumped into another guy who was always at the gym when we were there. He was obviously a body builder and looked the part. He would give us tips and pointers on how to workout and what kind of lifting to do on what days. It became a non-formal appointment that we'd meet him 3 days a week after school. There, under the watchful eye of this man who's name I cannot remember, we began our quest for strength and physical growth. After a few years I was well on my way with the basic knowledge I'd gained as well as other tings i'd learned from other male influences. I began training regularly because I wanted to be the best I could be at any sport I decided chose. Like any other dedicated person,  I began seeing results and advancing in size strength and most importantly training age. At first it was the basics of what sets and reps were. Then it was the basics of what exercises did what. I moved on to even learning about heavier weights and less reps for strength and lighter weights and more reps for size. Then how to plan mini, meso & macro cycles. This all, believe it or not, took place over the course of a few years and the more I learned the more I understood what I was doing.

Fast forward to today, I pondered exactly what I was doing differently today as opposed to the over 15 years ago when I began training. That got me to thinking and watching. I learned that while exercise and fitness had grown leaps and bounds, the training age of many people certainly has not. If you've been training for years you should have a basic understanding of your training age. If you do not, ponder these simple questions:

• How have I progressed since I began? Am I...

• #1 - Smarter & more knowledgeable? As you progress in your training its important to grow in knowledge. 2 of the best things anyone can do in ANY walk of life is READ & APPLY. I can almost guarantee you that no matter what it is you are doing in life, if you read information pertaining to it and begin to apply that information you will GROW. Bottom line. If you are not reading and applying, you really have no basis for growth. Age, size and strength do NOT constitute all growth are is not synonymous with training age. I've known tons of guys who look huge, have tons of muscle and still train like this is the stone age. They may have been on the cutting edge at some point but haven't progressed and their programs are tired, boring and their training variety stinks. But, they look awesome in a tank top.  They are not 15 years old in training but rather 1 years old 15 times. If you want true growth you are going to have to read and apply. In addition, growth forces you to put down your pride. Many people dont read anything because all the new stuff sheds light on their own weaknesses. So instead of addressing them and progressing, they shrink back and ban anything that doesn't line up with what they already do. Sad. Growth will force change and change will help you grow in training age. 
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*Advice - Begin to read more books on training and how to increase your individual performance. Then begin to apply that information. When selecting books DO NOT only select book that you agree with. True growth is learning what all angles are and deciphering all the information to come up with your own personal template.

• #2 - Have I made tons of mistakes? - This one is HUGE. Anyone who's grown in life has made mistakes. No one can grow without them, NO ONE. If you aren't making mistakes you aren't growing, point blank. Mistakes are here to help us. Yes, said it. They are here to help. No one is perfect. If you were, you'd be God, and you aren't, so you're not (smile). Mistakes in your training help to shape and mold you for progress in the future. They come in all sizes and shapes. I'll just list some of my mistakes:
• training too heavy too often
• using too much volume, too many reps
• not having a "plan". Just doing whatever whenever.
• using advanced methods I saw "so and so" use.
• using bands and chains too early
• not warming up properly
• taking too long to workout (2-3hours)
• changing exercises too frequently
• doing too much steady state cardio
• not doing enough steady state cardio
• etc...

Get the point?? This is a short list of mistakes. But s a result, I have learned and grown tremendously. So, I don't regret making these mistakes. In fact I embrace them. They have shaped me into the person I am today.

LETS KEEP MAKING MISTAKES IN PERSPECTIVE

TAKING STEROIDS AND CHEATING ARE NOT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

*Advice - Don't make any of the mistakes I made! Seriously. But.....make your own. Try and fail. They try again and succeed. Success is much sweeter when you've learned something along the way. So don't be a "fraidy cat"...get out there and give it you're best. Learn from your mistakes and grow.

• #3 - Am I more fit today than when I first began? Seriously you may laugh but this is a real question. Are you more fit than when you began? I bet in 90% of most cases the answer is NO. Why? Because you're older. When most of us began training we were in high school and had the best bodies of our lives. We also were not finished growing. So we had super fast metabolism and lightening quick recovery. We could do and eat whatever the heck we wanted any day and still look great. At worst, it took us all of 2 weeks to get back in great shape. Well fast forward to today. We're more health conscious and much more knowledgeable. We have many years under our belts and have made tons of mistakes right? Well why aren't we in better shape than we were in high school? Well its a good chance we have families and or demanding jobs or both. Our metabolism certainly isn't as fast as it was and we definitely can recover like we used to. The key to the golden days is we have to understand the cycle of life. There is a good chance we will never get back to the way we used to look. BUT, we can look and feel and operate at our absolute BEST for the stage of life we're in right now! Thats the true goal. Are you at your best for today or are you striving for what used to be?? Instead of spinning your head in circles, try taking what you know and applying it to the max today. That way you can begin to see what you should see and feel what you should feel. I like old cars, but i'd never expect the same performance from an older car today that I would have expected when it first came out. Why? Times have changed. And while you and I may share older models, you dont have to live older. You can certainly get the most out of who you are today. So let that be the goal. For some, high school and today share the same characteristics. But for many, we must take what we are and make it our best for this time in this season of life.

*Advice - stop looking at old pics and talking about what you used to do. Lets get on top of things today and make now your best season of life. Get as fit as possible and go from there. 

I BET THIS GUY UNDERSTANDS HE'LL NEVER LOOK LIKE HE DID IN HIGH SCHOOL. 

BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP HIM FROM LOOKING GREAT TODAY!

• #4 - Am I influencing others by what I've learned? - People who grow....teach! There is no reason for growth if its not going to be used to affect you and those around you. We are all in this thing together. For this reason I have studied many people, some of which I agree with and some I do not. I have read material from all different sides of the fitness spectrum with hopes of gaining as much information as I can. This all with the goal of learning so that I can apply and teach. This works in every area of life. I have a passion for training, I have a passion for sports, certain kinds of music and many other things. So I make it my business to learn those things and increase my knowledge for my ability to teach someone else. I love people who have a passion for history. People who can pull things from our human history for the purpose of understanding our lives today. Then I sit and listen and get a sometimes free education from them. I hope to do that for others (exclude the free part hee hee). In all honesty, our clients are better after they've trained with us because they have taken home not just a good workout, but education as to why its a good workout. After all, that's how i came into this game. That "old-head" guy from the gym I used to attend was simply sharing with my buddies and I his passion, knowledge and information. He was doing what all of us who've grown should do. We are hear to learn so that we can teach. Teach our kids, our circle of influence and our community. 

With all this in mind I pose a question. Whats your training age? What have you learned through the years? How many mistakes have you made? Are you still fit or even more fit than you were when you began? Are you teaching and affecting others?? Are you doing things differently than you did 10 years ago? Are you applying everything you know? 

There is no formula for determining age. You simply have to honestly answer the questions above. Be honest with yourself and make the changes you know you need to make. 

 * Advice - begin to learn so that you can teach. Study what your passions are so you can grow. More importantly, if your passion is training, learn all there is to know and give yourself the best chance to grow as possible. 

I'm 32 and can say I have been training for 18years now. In all honesty I have room for growth. I'd give myself an honest grade of 16years old. There are some areas I could improve on. I've missed it in some areas, so I've began to grow in them. Whats your training age? Have you been training for say, 10 years? Are you 10 years old, or are you 2 years old 5 times? Think about it. Improve your training age today and make it a better tomorrow. 

Until next time.....

Get Strong Be Explosive!

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How long should it take before I see Results? The common question and practical answer!

Everyday I get a ton of questions about building strength, increasing speed and programs for fat loss. However, there is probably no question I get more than, "How long should it take before I start seeing results?". Almost every time I get this question I cringe on the inside because the answer can depend on many different variables. The answer I usually give people is: "I don't know, it depends...". Clients don't usually like to hear that but it's the truth. I'm going to discuss a list of variables that all play a part in when you can see results in your training. Hopefully I can shed a little light on what factors play a part in most training programs. If you take a honest look at the list i'm going to share, and do a full self evaluation of your program, you'll then be able to reasonably predict when you can see results. But honesty with yourself is where it starts. Lets take a look at some of the actors who play vital roles in training and how we can use this information to our benefit.

I bet I don't get this question more than President Obama!

1. Genetics - Numero Uno! Genetics is the one area that NO ONE has control over. What God gave you at birth is what you have. I have no answer for why some people workout for 2 weeks and get "shredded" and why others simply cannot gain the physique they seek after years & years of training. Genetics can be sometimes an unfair advantage and even a slap in the face to those who have stuck with the plan and seen little result. I mean anyone who can eat McDonalds 4x's a week and still look like this, definitely has a 1 up genetically.

Now if you happen to be one of those people who don't have favorable genetics, you still can get a good general idea through some of the things i'll discuss in the paragraphs to come. It is simply listed as a variable that cannot be explained or reasonably accounted for when training. 

Training by and large is about 2 things: Stress and Adaptation.  Our bodies interpret everything we do as a "stress" and subsequently develops a response or an "adaptation" to that stress.  Going further, the specific volume & intensity of the actual stress becomes of the utmost importance. If your training volume and or intensity (or stressors) aren't arranged properly, the adaptations will be all out of whack. So it's a good idea to make sure you have a professional look over your program to make sure it's right for you. The same stressors given to 2 different people can and most times do present two totally different responses. We see this many times in group training classes.  

So if you and "the girl in the front" are doing the same fitness class and she's getting results and you're not, you may have to re-think your approach.

This leads me to my next variable for determining when you can potentially see results:

2. Poor planning - Poor planning or improper use of the proper planning are really one and the same. If you have a poor plan, like anything else in life, poor results will follow. You have to work from the ground up. 

When planning your training you must look at a few factors: (This list is paraphrased from the book Ultimate MMA Conditioning by Joel Jamieson. A fantastic source of information for anyone looking to take their conditioning to new levels.)

• The type of training you're actually looking to do. 
• The best training method to meet your needs. (where most people go wrong)
• The volume and intensity of your training based on your CURRENT level of fitness
• Your exercise selection best suited to the above three items. 

Once your plan is solidified based on the previous factors, you'll have a better timeline on when you can see results.

3. Unrealistic goals - I am a big believer that anything is achievable to the person willing to put forth the effort. With that being said, unrealistic goals will never have a realistic timeline. Consider your level of focus, commitment and relative ability to achieve that goal. In addition, you must take a mathematical approach. Loosing 20lbs is a great goal for many, but taking it in bite sizes will give you a better understanding on when you can see results. 

This little guy might have to re-adjust his plan

4. Total time training - There are 168 hours in a single week. If you consider the average person spends roughly 50hrs sleeping and another 40-50hrs working, you'll see there is a considerable amount of training time. If you train for 3 hours a week and spend the other 165 goofing off, you can expect your results to tarry.  However, if you spend that same 3 hours training and use the other 165 for quality rest, good meals and a lifestyle devoted to your goals, you'll see them much quicker. (3 hours was an example. Please don't take that as me saying you should only train 3 hours a week.) 

In general you may not be training enough or doing enough to to see the results you desire. For example: I had a kid and his dad ask me for advise about gaining weight. The kid had  tried everything and couldn't gain a pound. When we began talking about his food intake they were both adamant that he was eating more than enough. Meanwhile this kid's idea of a big meals were: 2 eggs and a bagel for breakfast, 2 PBJ's for lunch and 2 chicken cutlets with rice and salad for dinner. After some friendly advice and a little reality check, I got them to see that their idea of "enough" was inaccurate. Without getting into specifics I basically told them that until you see the scale weight go up, you're eating enough. This hold true with so many of us. We have conditioned our acceptance of what we do as an accurate barometer for success when in actuality we may need to be doing more or less.

5. Discipline - Discipline or lack thereof will throw off the timeline for training results. You cant train hard for 1 week and then completely lose your discipline and off schedule for a week. Do the little things and keep doing them. I find it funny how the people with the shortest attention span for their goals ask when they can see results the most frequently. Training (regardless of what its for) takes discipline and not having the ability to stick to the script will show up when its results time. 

6. Consistency - Once you've gotten your discipline in check, now its time to get in the groove and stay consistent. Similar to people who lack discipline are those who lack focus and lose their consistency. If you want to be faster, but you haven't consistently put in the work, it will simply take you longer to get faster. 

Notice of everything mentioned here, 5 out of the 6 are controlled by YOU. We cannot help our genetics, that's a fact. But we can make sure our programming is right, we're spending the necessary time training as well as being disciplined and consistent. Many times people will look to others for why they cannot see results fast enough. They'll get program A.D.D. and lose focus or start another type of program or diet every few weeks. This is a recipe for disaster. Remember, training is about creating a specific type of stress to induce a specific adaptation. In order  to get results, you have to do the right things to your body over time. No one can can give a sure fire time line on when results truly come. Just doing the right things and understanding your specific circumstances will enhance your ability to play the biggest part in your reaching that goal.