11/01/2021
🔑'S TO POWER DEVELOPMENT
💣 Some athletes want to improve their conditioning, others their flexibility/mobility levels, but I have yet to meet an athlete who didn't want to become more powerful!!
🔎 There are many ways to train for power, not to mention various forms of power training (eg., peak power, explosive power, etc.), but there a few key principles that should be emphasized when trying to increase your levels of power.
📊 As seen in the infographic above, provided to us by and coaches Max and Matt , who have provided the field of strength & conditioning with an extensive amount of valuable information with regards to all things performance and athleticism.
📲 Go ahead and save this pic and use it as a reference for your next program or as a quick intra-session training guide.
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
10/25/2021
🚀 3 WAYS TO DEVELOP POWER
🚀 What is Power? Power, for the sake of simplicity, is 'the ability to express force at a given velocity'. In other words, Power = Force x Velocity.
🚀 So why is this important? Easy! Most field and court sports require high amounts of both power output AND power endurance, therefore solely focusing on improving force expression/production (i.e. heavy loads and slow movements) will get you so far.
🚀 A common tool used to develop power in the world of strength & conditioning is Olympic Lifting. But is this the only way to improve an individuals expression of power?
🚀 Heck no! As you can see in the infographic above (shoutout to for the awesome breakdown), power can be trained and various other ways such as through the use of loaded jumps, med ball throws and plyometrics.
🚀 So if your goal is to become faster, more explosive and even better conditioned, you best be doing some power training, son!
🙋🏽♂️ Of the three power modalities listed above, which of them do you prefer the most?! Let Coach Chris know in the comments below!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
10/18/2021
🔋 AEROBIC ENERGY SYSTEM
⛽ A midfielder in soccer, an MMA fighter, and a marathon runner, despite being three completely different athletes, all have one very important thing in common... they all rely heavily on the Aerobic Energy System in order to compete in their given sport.
📝 Some of the characteristics of the Aerobic System are:
✔️ Dominant energy system for anything +2 minutes (regardless of intensity)
✔️ Responsible for recovery between explosive bouts
✔️ Most "metabolically adaptable" energy system
🎯 Regardless of the sport you play (or lifestyle you live), the aerobic system should developed by anyone who is looking to improve sports performance as well increase longevity.
♻️ You're only as good as you're ability to recover, so if your aerobic system sucks, then your recovery is going to suck also!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
10/05/2021
💦 LACTIC ENERGY SYSTEM
🤢 You know that feeling you get during and after something like a '1 minute Max Calorie' challenge on an Air Bike, or trying to complete a '300-yard shuttle' test as fast as you possibly can?? Well my friends, those (brutal) activities are primarily fueled by the Anaerobic-Lactic system.
📝 A few characteristics of the Lactic system are:
✔️ Energy provided via Glycolysis
✔️ Dominant system for anything lasting 30-120s
✔️ Bridge between the Aerobic & Anaerobic systems
⚠️ FYI, very few sports (and general fitness activities/goals) require a high level of lactic capacity and both athletes and the average gym goer often spend far too much time training within lactic environments. "HIIT" is not the only type of training out there and is often overhyped and, if performed too often, can actually create more obstacles when trying to reach specific performance & fitness related goals, so maybe keep that in mind (😉).
Shoutout to for the helpful infograph!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
09/27/2021
⚡ THE ALACTIC ENERGY SYSTEM
⁉️ What does throwing a knockout punch, dunking a basketball and completing a 100 meter sprint have in common?? They all rely primarily on the Anaerobic-Alactic system to accomplish these tasks.
📝 Some of the common characteristics of this particular energy system are:
✔️ Dominant system for anything lasting
09/20/2021
✅ IMPORTANCE OF PLYOMETRICS
↗️ If you're looking to increase your reactive/elastic abilities (a.k.a. your bounce), increase impulse and develop more resilient tissues, then you better make dang sure that you're included some form of plyometric training into your programs.
🎯 Plyometrics, popularized by the Professor Yuri Verkhoshansky, can be defined as a "reactive movement involving a rapid eccentric contraction (lengthening/yielding), followed immediately by an explosive concentric contraction (shortening/propulsion).".
📝 Some of the benefits of plyometric training, which thanks to can be seen in the infographic above, are:
💥 Increased Relative Stiffness
💥 Increased Neuromuscular Coordination
💥 More efficient use of Stretch-Shortening Cycle
💥 Crap ton more of athletic qualities!!
⚠️ Word of advice before implementing plyometric exercises into your training... Start by using what has been termed as 'Extensive Plyos' before moving onto more intensive forms such as Depth Jumps/Drop Jumps. Trust me, your joints & connective tissues will thank you later!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
09/13/2021
5️⃣ IN-SEASON TRAINING MYTHS
⚠️ Myth #1: "It will decrease your flexibility."
✔️ Response: Strength training, eccentric and isometric training in particular, can actually help improve an individuals level of flexibility. Fun fact, limited ROM/flexibility can, at times, be caused by a LACK of strength at a given joint angle/tissue range.
⚠️ Myth #2: "Only lift light weights in-season."
✔️ Response: The loads used during a given training session will vary depending on factors such as time of year, age, lifting experience, etc. That said, if the goal is to increase, or at the very least, maintain strength levels, using ONLY light loads/resistance (relative to the athlete) can have unfavorable results in the area of force production (a.k.a. STRENGTH). In summary, don't throw the baby out with the bath water, y'all!
⚠️ Myth #3: "Strength training isn't necessary in-season."
✔️ Response: This simple quote will suffice, "The best way to get stronger in the off-season is to NOT get weaker in the in-season."
⚠️ Myth #4: "It will make you slower."
✔️ Response: ONLY doing strength training type activities can lead to a decrease in speed. BUT, smart coaches & successful programs do not focus solely on strength training means alone. Plus, athletes with high levels of relative strength have been shown to be faster and more explosive than those with lower levels of relative strength.
⚠️ Myth #5: "It will make you bigger and bulkier."
✔️ Response: Lifting weights will not necessarily lead to gaining muscle mass and/or becoming 'bulky'. Good strength training addresses the entire 'Force-Velocity Curve', especially when dealing with younger athletes! Looking to get big & bulky, then train like a bodybuilder. Looking to enhance athleticism, then "Surf the Curve", baby!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
08/17/2021
✅ ENHANCING SPEED IN TEAM-SPORTS
✅ Every athlete wants to get faster, wouldn't you agree? But in order for athletes to truly maximize their speed potentials, they first need to be addressing the specific qualities that help make athletes faster!
✅ Today's infograph, courtesy of the people over at , provides a basic yet helpful layout of the some of the "ingredients" that help make up the "Speed (insert favorite dish)".
✅ Remember, true speed training is NOT to be mistaken with conditioning. If your ultimate goal is to develop game-changing speed, then an emphasis on both max intent & adequate rest periods should be present. Otherwise, you run the risk of training a completely different quality altogether!
✅ Running "fast" isn't sprinting. Sprinting is sprinting!
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
07/30/2021
WHY SLEEP IS 🔑 FOR PERFORMANCE!
When you're tired, you grab a coffee. When you're hungry, you grab a snack. When you're anxious/antsy, you flip out on someone. But, what if all these stressors could be reduced simply by getting more SLEEP⁉️
📝 The benefits of a good nights sleep goes way beyond just feeling refreshed in the morning. Thanks to the talented people over at , a sound sleeping schedule can help with:
✔️ Recovery & Regeneration
✔️ Cognitive & Performance Abilities
✔️ Hormone Regulation
🛏️ So in summary, you best start taking your sleep patterns more seriously if you're serious about maximizing both your physiological & mental performance!
✋🏼 How many hours of sleep do you get per night? Let me know in the comments below.
Coach Chris out!!! ✌🏽
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