November 2010 Blog Posts (28)

Go For The Gold

Throughout history great human achievement has been rewarded with gold. Gabe Harrington the Strength and Conditioning Coach at Colgate University wants his athletes to appreciate what small incremental increases really mean and has instituted his 'Bars of Gold Program'.…

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Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 30, 2010 at 8:13pm — No Comments

The Gambetta Leg Circuit

The Leg Circuit is the foundation for more specific work to follow in terms of absolute strength and plyometrics. This is a program to establish a foundational strength and power endurance base. It is also a very useful tool to use in lower extremity injury rehabilitation to rebuild a work capacity base in preparation for return to play. The basic prerequisite for progressing to heavier lifting and high level plyometrics is the ability to perform five full leg circuits without stopping. When an… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 30, 2010 at 11:16am — No Comments

Periodization - Linear or Undulation

Why does periodization or as I prefer to call it Planned Performance Training (PPT) have to be either linear or undulating? Frankly in my application of the principles of planned performance training for 41 years I have observed that adaptation is always undulating. The body does nothing in a linear manner, so therefore all periodization is undulating. I think this distinction is just another exercise in intellectual gymnastics. You may write a linear program but the response will not be… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 28, 2010 at 7:43am — No Comments

Small Changes can Cause Large Adaptations

Recently I came across a very interesting and thought provoking case study. The study examined deep cervical neck pain and the wearing of eye glasses. You wouldn’t think something so small in weight and structure

could elicit any change or adaptation in the human body. Can something

so small throw… Continue

Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 27, 2010 at 5:16pm — No Comments

Why do you want to be certified as a strength coach?

Warning: This post might offend some of you, but it may also inspire educational efforts, so the time and money put into education translates into more clients and increased revenue for ones buisness.

“I believe a college education is quite overrated, that’s the reason I don’t put letters

after my name. I don’t belive it means anything.”

This is a direct quote from one of the - in my opinion - world’s best…

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Added by Karsten Jensen on November 24, 2010 at 2:35pm — 11 Comments

Gadgets and Toys

There is a plethora of training equipment on the market today. Some of it is very fancy, very “high tech,” and expensive. My experience has shown that equipment is not the answer, no matter how fancy and high tech. You quickly become a slave to the equipment; the focus shifts off the athlete you are coaching and squarely on the equipment. Once you pay top dollar for a piece of equipment or a gadget there is a subconscious obligation to use it and you end up using it even if it is inappropriate… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 23, 2010 at 7:13am — 1 Comment

Athletic Development - Fundamental Rules

There are some simple unifying concepts or rules that must be followed to effectively build the complete athlete. The rules are not complex in themselves, but the are complex in their application. The Fundamental Rules of Athletic Development are:

Train Linkage - The body is a link system. Movement occurs from toenails to fingernails. Reinforce connections and linkages at every opportunity.

Think & Train the Big Picture - Training is essentially assembling a jigsaw puzzle.… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 21, 2010 at 7:06am — No Comments

Thoughts On Experience & Learning

Aldus Huxley said: “Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens.” How long have you been doing what you are doing? What kind of experience do you have? Are you challenging yourself on a daily basis to get better? How are you challenging yourself? What are you doing to get out of your comfort zone and move into the performance zone? Are you having experiences or are you repeating the same experience? Are you making mistakes and taking calculated risks? Are you… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 20, 2010 at 6:36am — No Comments

Paralysis by Analysis

Trivialization is not a training principle. Sometimes what you see is what you get, nothing more, and nothing less. Recognize what you see in coaching, or what you are reading for professional advancement for what it is. Do not pick the fly poop out of the pepper, that approach will only get you smelly fingers. Details are fine and important as long as they have context. That context always should be the big picture. Rather than focus on minutiae focus on the need to do training activities and… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 19, 2010 at 5:55am — No Comments

Athletic Republic Boasts New Vision Training Program

http://www.sports.dynavisiond2.com

Monroe, La. – Nov. 18, 2010 – The Athletic Republic of North Louisiana: Monroe and Shreveport Facilities has implemented a new vision training program for its athletes, through the adoption of an I-SPAN Reactive Trainer device. Dynavision Sports is the maker of the I-SPAN, a diagnostic instrument designed for… Continue

Added by David Harris on November 18, 2010 at 10:00pm — No Comments

Getting A Grip On Things

Most people agree that combative sports require training your hands to reach your maximal potential.

Little agreement exists among research studies on the optimum position of the wrist to facilitate optimal grip strength. Knowing the exact position would certainly aid in hand strength development

.… Continue

Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 18, 2010 at 12:54pm — No Comments

The Human Body – A Complex System

The body is a complex system that is always self-organizing. The reductionist ideas that break the body into separate distinct parts and systems is old school thinking. Segmenting body the body into isolated muscles is convenient; it works in the anatomy book but not in real life. The same is true with separating out the various systems of the body, good in the textbook and the college course catalog, not true in real life. Muscles do not work in isolation; they work in synergistic patterns… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 18, 2010 at 6:45am — No Comments

Do you believe in the human potential?

I am sure you have heard people say things like:

“You can’t run below 10.40 in the 100 without drugs.”

“Show me an Olympics track and field athlete who is not on drugs and I will show you the one who is last!”

In the power lifting world, Louie Simmons (www.louiesimmons.com) has said that steroids are necessary to become “as strong as possible”.

It has become a common belief that all high…

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Added by Karsten Jensen on November 17, 2010 at 1:36pm — No Comments

Training The Lower Extremity - Building & Rebuilding the Athlete From the Ground Up

My philosophy almost from the day I started coaching was to build and rebuild the athlete from the ground up. Functionally strong legs are a foundation for all performance. That being said I never lose sight of the fact that I must train the whole kinetic chain. I know it is has become very popular to divide the lower extremity into posterior and anterior kinetic chains. That is flat out wrong. The legs and hip must be trained as part of the whole kinetic chain. Our lower extremity functions… Continue

Added by Vern Gambetta on November 17, 2010 at 6:19am — No Comments

The Shot Put Is Not Just For Track

The Shoulder Shot Put Press

The clavicle, scapula and humerus meet to form our shoulder. The shoulder is known for its mobility and stability. …

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Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 16, 2010 at 1:39am — No Comments

Playing the Pain Game: Dealing With Injury

By Jordan Metzl

Metro Sports…

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Added by David Harris on November 15, 2010 at 9:54am — No Comments

How to Become a Strength & Conditioning Coach

How to Become a Strength and Conditioning Coach

Jim Kielbaso MS, CSCS

The field of strength and conditioning has exploded over the past 10-15 years, and more people are interested in joining the ranks than ever before. Unfortunately, most young…

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Added by Jim Kielbaso on November 11, 2010 at 10:00am — 3 Comments

The Ralph Cornwell Files Lets Spring Into Action And Protect Athletes

Get Strong

The Ralph Cornwell Files Lets Spring Into Action And Protect Athletes

Ralph Cornwell is a Ph.D. candidate in health promotion/human performance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to pursuing his Doctoral Degree he was a collegiate strength coach.

Research… Continue

Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 10, 2010 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Acceleration: It Starts at the Beginning

Acceleration- It Starts at the Beginning

By: Anthony Passamonte CSCS USAW & Ben Butterfield, CSCS USAW

The athletes that we see during a session range in ages and athletic abilities. Ages of the athletes range from 12 to 18 in any given 60 or 90 minute session. In a given session, we may work with an elite high school athlete and next to him or her we have someone who sits on the bench for most of the season. With these drills… Continue

Added by Anthony Passamonte on November 8, 2010 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Have We Missed Training Our Hands In Athletics?

Association Of Oldetime Barbell And Strongmen

Attending the AOBS dinner in New Jersey is quite interesting. At the hotel and throughout the evening you have a chance to visit with some of the greatest strength performers throughout the world.

In casual conversations you can learn tips about training. It is fun… Continue

Added by Dr.Ralph Cornwell Jr on November 8, 2010 at 1:17am — No Comments