Requirements for Soccer

The sport of soccer requires strength, explosive power, speed & agility, and overall total body strength. When selecting appropriate exercises I use the following guidelines:
1. Train using primarily multi-joint (whole body) exercises
2. Train Explosively when possible (there is no such thing as "slow-speed")
3. Train on your feet when possible (as we play the game)
4. Train using exercises that require placing or supporting weight above your head (to promote core strength and stability)

Youth Fitness Facts

According to research compiled by the Fitness for Youth (FFY) organization, the average American kid gets less than 15 minutes of intentional exercise each day, and only 43 minutes of “moderate” activity. American kids, on average, spend about 20 percent of their time watching television and drink 20 ounces of soda per day.

Half of school-aged children aren’t required to take physical education classes. In fact, only 36 percent report having daily PE classes, while another 36 percent is offered PE twice a week or less. And, in a typical American gym class, less than 30 percent of class time is devoted to actual physical activity.

As kids get older, they’re less likely to work out—especially girls. Boys, on average, exercise about 3 percent less each year, while girls lower their workout rates by almost 8 percent each year.

Flexibility Training

Flexibility training must be viewed as a workout in itself, not a token warm-up or warm-down. For the greatest benefit, flexibility training should begin in the childhood or teenage years and continue through life. The benefits of flexibility training extend to athletes of all ages and abilities, wheteher elite, prfessional, or amatuer.

Quality of movement, is affected by flexibility. When athletes have command of their flexibility, they are able to perform exercise or events more strongly, quickly, and expressively. Flexibility aids in the development of conditioning and coordination as well as generate acceleration over a greater range of motion, thereby increasing speed. Flexibility governs movement. I will be posting some flexibility exercises soon. Stay Tuned!

Media Day down at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym

http://www.fightnews.com/Boxing/bernard-hopkins-quotes-68639#more-68639

Isolated Muscle Development is Popular in Bodybuilding

The goal of training is not to change how the body looks, but to improve how the body moves. Therefore, sports performance training should focus on movement patterns rather than individual muscles. Muscles will develop naturally as different movement patters are worked, so most athletes will look as if they have done some bodybuilding.

MOVEMENT TRAINING

"It's About Feel"

Athletic movement is first and foremost about human movement. Basic movements consists of pushing, pulling, reaching, twisting right and left, balance, how you feel squatting, and how you feel lunging. It is important to understand that the language of movement is written thru feel. The feel is called proprioception or body awareness. The way an athlete moves, not how the look ultimately defines a great athlete.

Joe Hand Boxing Gym

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7AM6CFKtEw

There is a great thing happening in Philadelphia right now trying to bring an awesome sports complex for soccer, basketball, baseball and other sports. It has been in the works for awhile and it is starting to get some press. Please join the PSZ facebook and past the word to join!!!


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Philadelphia-Sports-Zone/323155213352?ref=ts

EX60 & 21 Minutes to Fitness @ Joe Hand Boxing Gym

Athletic Development Training

http://eepurl.com/be3Mc

Recovery Foods & Quick Tips

Recovery Foods & Quick Tips from Gatorade Sports Science Institute

* Sports drinks, like Gatorade Thirst Quencher
* Granola, energy or breakfast bars
* Bagels with peanut butter
* Sub sandwiches
* Crackers and chesse
* Burritos
* Fresh fruit like apples, bananas, oragnes, grapes
* Vegetables such as carrots and celery
* Fruit smoothies
* Rice Cakes or trail mix
* Low fat chocolate milk

- Athletes who fail to refuel and /or rehydrate during and after activities will not have the optimal level of energy to play at the same intensity the next day.
- To help in the process, athletesshould eat a high-carbohydrate snack within 30 minutes after practice or competition and a healthy meal two hours later
- Carbohydrates are the most efficient source of energy for muscles and they should make up approximately 60 of an athletes diet.
- Sports drinks are ideal way for athletes to rehydrate during and after exercise.
- Having parents provide snacks and sports drinks for the bus trip home after an away game is an excellent way to help athletes recover from exercise

Read more about this article, go to http://www.gssiweb.com/Article

Post Workout Refueling

I read a great article about the importance of post workout refueling. Check it out.

Refueling after training is like putting money in the bank--it's the body's safe deposit box for muscle sugars called glycogen. This investment for muscles ensures adequate energy for daily training and overall health. Without food or fluid after exercise, the body is unable to completely recover from workouts and improve performance.
The post workout snack, beverage or meal also helps tendons and ligaments to heal, builds and maintains a healthy hormonal & immune system, and keeps electrolytes in balance--minerals that helps muscles to contract and relax on every run, jump, kick or tackle. Post-training nutrition is especially important for athletes who workout twice daily; compete in all day, multiple- day and/or in events where morning prelims are wedged between afternoon finals.

What are the Most common injuries in soccer and How can we prevent them?

Injury rates are about 1% under age 12 and 8% in high school. Older players sustain more severe injuries and girls tend to be injured more often than boys. Most injuries are caused by illegal play, poor field conditions, or incorrect heading.

Most injuries are sprains and strains; of these, the most common are ankle injuries, followed by knee injuries. In the knee sprains of the MCL or ACL and menical (knee cartilage) injuries is the most common.

Injuries can be prevented if players wear shin guards, adequately warm up, and follow rules of play. *(Your Sports Injury by: Thomas M. Howard, Garry WK Ho, MD, and Josh Lewis, MD)*

Coming in September, I will have the video of the dynamic warm up that I use for the defending State Champs from Father Judge.

Foot Locker Commercial - Rajon Rondo and Amare Stoudemire

Performance Training

Athletes who do not refuel and rehydrate during and after activities will not have the optimal level of energy to play at the same intensity the next day

-To help the recovery process, athletes should eat a high carb snack within 30 minutes after practice or competition and a healthy meal two hours later

-Carbs are the most efficient source of energy for muscles and they should make up approx. 60% of an athletes diet

-Sports drinks are an ideal way for athletes to rehydrate during and after exercise

Dehydration can impact your safety,mental & physical performance, recovery, and increase risk for injury
-Drink throughout the day
-Muscle Cramping
-Inadequate fluids
-Inadequate sodium(salt)
-Inadequate levels of other electrolytes
-Appropriate Competition Nutrition
-Meal should be 3-5 hours before game
-Plenty of carbs, some protein, only little fat
-At least 1 fruit or veggie
-Add salt, pick salty foods
-Lots of fluids, no caffeine
-Finish Strong
-Hydrate & crab up at half time or during breaks
-Include Fluids:Gatorade,water
-Carbs:Gatorade,fruit,honey,gummy fruit snacks,graham snacks,pieces of sports bar

-Recovery Foods

-Sports drinks

-Granola, energy or breakfast bars

-Bagels w/ peanut butter

-Sub sandwichs

-Crackers & cheese

-Burritos

-Fresh fruit, apples, bananas, oranges, grapes

-Chocolate milk

-Animal crackers

21 Minutes 2 Fitness Workout Day 1

“During the off-season, the primary goal is always to build strength and power”.

“Annual planning should be based on four clearly defined phases throughout the calendar year. It begins with an off-season emphasis on pure strength training in August, then moves to light strength and power training during September and October. The intensity increases in November through January (Note: three major holidays occur during the off-season) before making a transition in February to strength and power maintenance. The maintenance phase continues throughout the season, which normally ends in Mid-June”. Steve Tamborra (Complete Conditioning for Baseball)

The high school and collegiate players as well as professional players need well structured year round training programs that include strength training, conditioning, and agility training. The program will start basic and become more complex as the athletes adapt to the program. Extra Innings-Bensalem will be hosting its 1st Annual “Baseball Movement Training Program” presented by A-PECS Training. It will be a 12 week program. The goal of the program will be to improve performance on the field by developing strength and power using the latest cutting edge techniques. More details to come in August..

Workout of the Week #1

The first workout in the 21 Minutes 2 Fitness program starts with the basics. The premise of the workout is, each routine will have 8 exercises, after every two exercises you will break for 20 seconds and after all 8 exercises, you will break for a minute, then repeat for two more rounds.

Day 1 Round 1 Reps Rd 2 Reps Rd 3 Reps
Push ups 20- 15 -12
Squats (no wgt) 20- 15- 12
rest 20 seconds
Alt. toe touches 12 ea side- 10 ea side- 10 ea side
Supermans 20 -15- 15
rest 20 seconds
Burpees 10- 9 -8
Jumping Jacks 30- 25- 20
rest 20 seconds
Pull ups 10- 8- 8
Running in Place 20 sec- 20 sec- 20 sec
rest 1 minute, then repeat

Video of all exercises coming soon!!!!!!!

Get it Done!!! It only takes 21 Minutes to become Fit

Corporate Fitness

Companies of all shapes and sizes are striving to make physical fitness part of thier employees' lives. Aside from the proven health benfits of exercise, physically fit employees can also handle physical work tasks better, deal with stressful situations more easily and tend to be less susceptible to illness and injuries. Companies are discovering the positive benefits of providing workplace fitness programs. They are realizing that hugefunds being spent on employees' medical health problems can be drastically cut by proactively investing in appropriately designed corporate fitness programs. Staistics show that companies with corporate fitness programs enjoy: Reduced health care costs, Increased productivity, Reduced absenteeism, Decreased recruitment and retraining costs, Improved employee concentration, Mental alertness and Better employee morale. The benefit from the employees' standpoint is improved health and energy levels, decreased body fat, and a more youthful, fit body. Here are a few exercises that can be done at your desk:

Squats to the chair
Dips off the desk
Sumo squat stretch
Standing 1 L lifts
Standing rotations
Push ups

Videos will be coming for all these exercises soon!!!!!!!!!! ENJOY

Current ACL Research

The most "at risk" sports tend to involve jumping, pivoting, and cutting such as soccer, basketball, football, and volleyball. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, girls soccer and basketball players undergo the greatest number of knee surguries every year. Some of the reasons why females are at such a higher risk for injury.

• Poor running, cutting, and landing mechanics
• Greater overall joint laxity
• Biomechanical diferences such as a wider pelvis and increased valgus

My next blog will talk about the prevention program and how to reduce the risk for an ACL Injury.

The importance of strength training

In athletic development process, strength training is possibly the most important area because it is the underlying quality of so many other components. Strength is a prerequisite for speed and for jumping. It is a prominent factor in injury prevention. Strength is a term that incorporates a spectrum of activities and training methods, all of which are designed to meet the force requirements of the particular sport.

The functional path in strength training requires the interaction of the body, gravity, and the ground. It involves a progressive spectrum of resistance modes culminating in high speed, high force activities. Strength training for athletic performance involves the application of basic concepts:

Train movements, not muscles

Train core strength before extremity strength

Build strength from the ground up

Incorporate pushing, pulling, and squatting movements that enhance linkage.

What are the Most Common injuries in youth baseball?

What are the most common injuries in youth baseball?

Injuries are usually overuse in nature and occur most commonly to the head and face. But the most common overuse problems are in the shoulder and elbow. Rotator cuff tendinitis and shoulder instability. Little League Elbow or chronic strain of the ligaments or muscles on the inside part of the elbow are also common overuse problems. Treatment of these problems centers on periods of rest from the sport, strengthening, stretching, and working on throwing mechanics. Overall fitness, leg strength, hamstring flexibility, and core strength all contribute to the proper throwing as well as injury prevention.
Check out the new site coming June 2010:
www.apecstraining.com

I LOVE this program

EX-60

I have spent months creating this unique & innovative fitness program. It's revolutionary, high quality training that is effective and exciting. I have combined my functional strength training with boxing cardio conditioning exercises. I am currently running this program at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym. Monday - Friday 7am - 12pm.
Check out youtube.com/apecstraining for sample programs

A-PECS Fitness Training

"21 Minutes 2 Fitness"

Specifically designed for the person who desires a training program that produces results in a minimum amount of time.

Uses 3 six minute HIGH INTENSITY TRAINING CIRCUITS.

I am currently running this program at the Joe Hand Boxing Gym

Monday - Friday from 7am-12pm

Check out my youtube channel- apecstraining for sample workout programs

A-PECS Sports Training

"Where Athletic Development is the Passion"

The "A-PECS Movement Training" program was created through the passion for athletic development. A-PECS Movement Training (Acceleration, Power, Education, Conditioning, Strength) is an innovative sports enhancement training program designed to teach student-athletes how to MOVE more efficiently and effectively on the field. The main goals are to EDUCATE the student-athlete on the prevention of injuries during movement and DEVELOP complete athletes to achieve their physical best.

The program will specialize in functional strength movements, core stabilization, and core conditioning. The program will also use several other key components:

Energy System Development Plyometric Training

Acceleration & Deceleration Training Movement Training Skills

Functional Dynamic Warm up ACL Injury Prevention