Athletes and Knee Injuries

The knee is the largest joint in the body, and is subjected to an enormous workload during many sports. That is why the knee is the most frequently injured joint in the human body. The most commonly known knee injuries in sports are the ACL and Meniscus tears.
The main causes of these injuries are sports related, such as a violent twisting of the knee while the foot is fixed or excessive knee twisting. Most often ACL injuries occur when pivoting, cutting or landing from a jump. Majority of sports- related ACL injuries are non- contact injuries like soccer and basketball. Female athletes are known to have a higher risk of ACL injury while competing in competitive sports. Why woman are more prone to ACL injuries is unclear, some experts say it’s due to a combination of theories such as Anatomic differences between men and woman the Q-(quadriceps) Angle the angle at which the femur (upper leg bone) meets the tibia (lower leg bone) this angle is greater in woman then in men it is thought this increased angle places more stress on the knee joint. Muscular imbalances may be another cause, Hamstring/Quadriceps strength imbalances. Most athletes tend to have strong quadriceps and tight hamstrings. A good strength training program along with a stretching program will help to correct these hamstring/quadriceps strength imbalances. A proper training program on jumping and landing technique can reduce the likelihood of an ACL injury.
Meniscus tears. Again these tears occur with a twisting turning or violent bend of the knee while the foot is planted. Basketball, Football and Soccer have high rates of meniscal injuries. Injuries to the medial meniscus are about five times more likely then lateral meniscus tears. An athlete with a meniscus injury who wants to continue sports activities will have to undergo surgery. An injury to the meniscus will almost never heal by itself, due to lack of blood to that area. If you feel you have an ACL or Meniscus tear seek medical attention for further evaluation and treatment.

Posted by, Christopher Sarver NSCA-CPT

Fuel for the athlete

A good strength training program will keep you injury free. Let’s say you have a great strength coach, but are you eating the right foods and at the right time? Young athletes will perform better if they learn what, when, and how much to eat. Let’s start with carbohydrates. Being an athlete is like being a high performance sports car. Cars need fuel, so do athletes. The fuel of choice for the athlete is carbohydrates. At least 50 percent of the calories an athlete eats should be from carbohydrates. This is what your muscles prefer to use as fuel to keep you running at peak performance. 1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories and is the fuel of choice before, during, and after activity.

There are two forms of carbohydrates: simple and complex. Simple carbohydrates (also know as empty calories) are found in sweets like fruits, candy, cookies, and soda. They digest quickly and are a good source of immediate fuel. They are not the preferred choice of carbohydrates while playing sports because they affect energy levels.
Complex carbohydrates are found in bread, cereal, pasta, and other starchy foods. Complex carbohydrates are digested and absorbed a bit slower than simple carbohydrates and provide the athlete with a longer lasting type of fuel. When glucose is not used immediately for energy, it is then converted to glycogen that is stored in the muscles and liver. Glycogen is the fuel that allows an athlete’s engine to keep running on all eight cylinders during sports activity.
Protein is made up of small building blocks called amino acids. The body uses 20 amino acids. Of the 20, the body can make 11 on its own. These are called nonessential amino acids. The remaining 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids because the body cannot make them and they must be supplied through the foods we eat. Just like carbohydrates, 1 gram of protein = 4 calories and can be used as fuel for the body.

Protein is only used if there are no carbohydrates available to be used as fuel. Protein is used for building muscle and repairing the body, not for fueling sport activities. A growing teenage athlete needs about 0.8-0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight. To determine protein requirement of an athlete, multiply weight x 0.8 or 0.9 Example 160x0.8=128 or 160x0.9=144 grams of protein per day.

You want to eat your protein and carbohydrates within 1 hour after your workout or competition to start the rebuilding process of muscle and to restore glycogen levels for your next sporting event.

Posted by: Christopher Sarver, NSCA-CPT

Fluid Replacement

Fluid replacement is a vital component and must be addressed in a diligent manner. The following fluid recomendations are as followed:

480-600 cc fluid: 1-2 hrs before exercise
300-480 cc fluid: 15 minutes before exercise
120-180 cc fluid: every 10-15 minutes during exercise

*Start fluid intake 24 hours before an exercise event

Hydration in the postexercise recovery is best achieved by the ingestion of either the typical glucose-electrolyte solution or a carbohydrate-protein mixture. Howwver if the exercise duration is less than 60-75 minutes, then plain water is recommended.

In closing, maintaining fluid balance reduces the effects of climate and/ or blood volume on hydration status.

Strength for Baseball the Functional Way

What every baseball player should know? Strength training is essential to any ball players program. The game of baseball requires you to use all the major muscles of the body to perform baseball tasks such as hitting, throwing, catching, and running. Unlike bodybuilders who train in single joint movement, baseball players need to train like the athletes they are. Not by using isolation exercises or machines you need to train like the body moves in multi-joint movements. Functional strength training should be thought of in terms of a movement continum. As athletes we are constantly using movements such as pushing, pulling, lifting, bending, extending, jumping, and running. The primary goal of functional strength training is to have improvements in strength from one movement to another. In functional training it is important to train specific movements, not muscles.

Muscles of interest for the throwing athlete: Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Subscapularis. These muscles are also known as the rotator cuff muscles. These muscles guard the glenohumeral joint of the shoulder and help to stabilize the head of the humerus.

Functional Exercises to strengthen your Shoulder and increase your Fastball

Pull-Ups overhand, underhand, wide grip, close grip, over under grip, Inverted row, Push-Ups, Staggered Push-Ups, Stability-Ball Push-Up, Dumbbell Rotational Push-Up, Upside down Bosu push-ups, Feet-Elevated Push-Up, Push-Up Bridge, Shoulder Bridge, Side Bridge, Back Bridge.

Leg Exercises

Squats, Dead Lifts, Lunges, One-leg Box Squat, Front and Lateral Step-Up, Lateral Squat

Pre-hab Shoulder Exercises

Y, T, W, L

These letters are used to describe the prone position in which to perform scapula retraction or elevation movements. Begin with 8 reps in each position with no weight without resting between exercises. These must be done in the order Y-T-W-L, for a total of 32 reps per set. Do two sets. Add 2 reps per week, up to sets of 16 reps in each position (64 reps total). When 64 reps can be done, go back to sets of 8 with one- to two-pound dumbbells.

For optimal results, repeated practice of these precise movements is required.

Posted by, Christopher Sarver, NPTI, NSCA-CPT

& Joe Hos, NSCA-CPT

Day 50 of Tough Mudder

Core-Flexibility

Total Time

Exercise Time/Reps Sets/Rest 30

1. Opposite Arm & Leg 45 sec 3/30 sec

2. Straight Leg Overs 8 ea.

3. BOSU Side Bridge R-L 20 sec

4. BOSU Birddog 15 sec

5. 1 L Calf Stretch 6-8 ea.

6. Figure 4 Crossover Stretch 15 sec

7. SB Jacknife 15

8. SB Crunch 25

Workout of the Week

Basketball SAQ Training



Dynamic Warm-Up 5-10 min 20 yards
Power slides, Carioca, Back pedals turn to jog, High knees, Butt kicks, Power skips.

Line drills: Two feet 30 sec on 30 off, work on foot speed. After you complete all four patterns then go to one foot and repeat the patterns.
Side to side, front to back, crisscross, zigzags

Ladder drills: Two feet quick feet forward and lateral, hop scotch two feet in two feet out of the box, hop scotch alternate landing on Right foot in right foot out then left foot in left foot out, in-in out-out forward and lateral, Stack outs, one foot hops forward and lateral. Advanced athletes can use a basketball for theses drills

Hurdles: Take (6) six inch hurdles, line them up space approx. 1 foot apart enough for adequate landing space.
One foot run through forward one foot between each hurdle, two foot run through forward and lateral two feet between each hurdle, two feet jumps forward, two feet jumps lateral, right/left foot jumps forward and lateral
After you complete above workout go to (6) 12 inch hurdles and repeat drills remember to maintain proper form and technique absorb the landing with the muscles not the joint. Bend your knees and hips when you land keep torso upright. Advanced players can use a weight vest for these drills.

Power slides with med ball pass: Against wall or with a partner. Place two cones approx. 10 yards apart start slides while making two passes to a partner or against a wall. Up and back counts as 1 rep. Try to work for a set time or for reps. Advanced players can use a weight vest or ankle bands. This drill will develop muscular strength, and endurance.

Resistance rubber bands: Place a cone approx. 10 yards away step into band place around hips keep band tight. Sprint out to cone and back to start position. Continue for desired reps .3 sets forward sprints, backpedals and power slides (D-slides) both directions. Advanced players can use basketball for these drills. While going backpedal have a partner pass you a ball as you go out receive the pass as you come in return the pass. While doing power slides make passes to your partner. When going forward work on dribbling like you’re charging up the court. Advanced players use a green band all other players use purple.


Finish each workout with a cool down and stretch.

Posted by: Christopher Sarver, NPTI, NSCA-CPT

Good flexibility is known to bring positive benefits !

Good flexibility is known to bring positive benefits in the muscles and joints. It aids with injury prevention, helps to minimize muscle soreness, and improves efficiency in all physical activities. Few people realize that flexible joints and regular stretching are also essential for optimum health and activity.

Benefits of Stretching

Good muscular and joint mobility, range of motion (ROM)
Reduced muscle soreness
Improved posture
Increased blood and nutrients to tissues
Improved muscle coordination

Types of stretching

There are four major types’ of stretches:
1. Static
2. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF)
3. Ballistic
4. Dynamic

We will go over two of the most common stretches.
Static and Dynamic stretching

Static stretch is used most often. In static stretching, one stretches a particular muscle or group of muscles by slowly moving the body into position and then holding the stretch for a set time. Example: bending over to touch your toes and holding that position for a set time.

Dynamic Stretch: Dynamic stretching refers to the stretching that occurs while performing sport-specific movements. Example: High knees and Butt kicks.

Connective Tissue

Elasticity: The ability to return to original resting length after a passive stretch.

Plasticity: The tendency to assume a new and greater length after a passive stretch.

Improvements in range of motion as a result of a stretching program are mainly due to the connective tissue adaptations.




Warm-Up

5 to 10 min of slow activity such as using the elliptical, stationary bike and treadmill will help warm up the body’s internal temperature.

Frequency and Duration

Stretching 2 to 3 times per week is shown to improve flexibility.
Stretches should be held to the point of mild discomfort, but not pain, for 30 sec
Duration should be 15 to 20 min for your stretching routine.

When Should You Stretch?

Before practice and competition and following practice and competition

References: Arnold G. Nelson and Johko Kokkonen 2007. Stretching Anatomy
Baechle, T.R., R.W. Earle 2000. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, 2nd ed.



Posted by, Christopher Sarver, NPTI, NSCA-CPT

How much protein?

Depending on your goals, you should aim to consume 0.6 to 0.8 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you weigh, say, 180 pounds, you would want to shoot for between 108 to 144 grams of protein per day. Generally speaking, the leaner and more active you are, the higher your protein intake should be on that scale. That might sound like a lot, but consider how much protein is in common foods such as the ones listed below:

■Chicken (4 ounces, skinless, size of a deck of cards): 35 grams
■Tuna (6 ounces, packed in water): 40 grams
■Fish (6 ounces of cod or salmon): 40 grams
■Lean red meat (4 ounces): 35 grams
■Lean pork (4 ounces): 35 grams
■Reduced-fat tofu: 30 grams
■Cottage cheese (1 cup, 1% or 2% fat): 28 grams
■Milk (1 cup of 1%, 2%, or fat-free): 8 grams

What's Better Protein?

■Fish:
Fish provides omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which promote cardiovascular health.

■Chicken:
A wonderful source of protein.

■Meat:
Provided it’s a lean cut—that’s the key distinction. Red meat gets a bad rap, some of which is deserved since the heavily marbled meats are more tender and often have more flavor. But lean red meat is a tremendous source of important nutrients such as iron and phosphorous.

■Pork, the so-called “other white meat,” also gets a bad rap, but if you ask your butcher for a lean cut with little marbling, you’ll have a tasty and nutritious protein.

When choosing a protein, consider quality. Proteins can be divided into two categories:
Complete and Incomplete.

1.Complete proteins contain the appropriate amounts of all essential amino acids (amino acids the body cannot produce). Included in this category are animal/soy proteins.
2.Incomplete proteins lack the appropriate amount of one or more essential amino acids. Included in this category are plant proteins (excluding soy).
Generally speaking, complete proteins are of better quality than incomplete proteins. But you can also create complementary proteins to form a complete protein to ensure that your body gets all the amino acids it needs. Examples:

■Grains and legumes (ex. rice and beans)
■Grains and dairy (ex. oatmeal and milk)
■Nuts/seeds and legumes (ex. hummus, chickpeas and sesame seeds)

Are protein shakes a good?

Q: I want to gain weight in muscle, are protein shakes a good?

A: Yes, if you are trying to add lean muscle and avoid gaining body fat, protein shakes will help. You should still aim to get most of your protein from real food and use protein shakes to complement your diet.

Downing a protein shake after your workout can actually help your body recover faster from the stress of training by feeding your muscles and refueling your energy stores.

Aim to consume about 0.8 to 1.0 gram of protein for each pound that you weigh.

(0.8 to 1.0 g) x (Your Weight) = Daily Protein Intake

So, if you weigh 175 pounds, you should try to consume 140-175 grams of protein per day.

Day 35...55 Days to Go!

Week 6
Total Time
40

Warm Up Work Zone Rest Zone
5 min z3 30 sec z 1 60 sec
Work Zone Rest Zone
z 2 45 sec z 1 60 sec

Strength
Sets
2
Reps Exercise Combo
8-10 SB DB press lunge & curl
12-12 upright row cable rotation
8-10 1 L RDL BOSU pulldowns
25-20 double crunch BOSU supermans

Importance of Foam Rolling

I thought this would be good info for everyone who is training for the Tough Mudder
Foam rollers offer many of the same benefits as a sports massage, without the big price tag.

The foam roller not only stretches muscles and tendons but it also breaks down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue. By using your own body weight and a cylindrical foam roller you can perform a self-massage or myofascial release, break up trigger points, and soothe tight fascia while increasing blood flow and circulation to the soft tissues.

How It Works The superficial fascia is a soft connective tissue located just below the skin. It wraps and connects the muscles, bones, nerves and blood vessels of the body. Together, muscle and fascia make up what is called the myofascia system. For various reasons including disuse, not enough stretching, or injuries, the fascia and the underlying muscle tissue can become stuck together. This is called an adhesion and it results in restricted muscle movement. It also causes pain, soreness and reduced flexibility or range of motion.
Myofascial release is a body work technique in which a practitioner uses gentle, sustained pressure on the soft tissues while applying traction to the fascia. This technique results in softening and lengthening (release) of the fascia and breaking down scar tissue or adhesions between skin, muscles and bones.

Myofascial release has also been shown to relieve various muscle and joint pains such as IT band syndrome and shin splints as well as improving flexibility and range of motion.
You can go to my Fitness Store and look at the options.
www.myfitnessstore.com/apecstraining

Day 31 Tough Mudder Training

45 min Cardio combined with 1 set of strength training

Exercise/time work rest
jump rope (10 min) n/a n/a
efx (20 min) 30 sec 1 min
ladder/bosu (10 min) 30 sec 30 sec
bike/run (5 min) n/a n/a

Strength Training (1 Set)
Reps Exercise Combo
8 ea-12 ea spidey push up w/ bosu bicycles
8 ea-20 band row & rotate w/ SB toe touch
8 ea-20 1 L SB press w/ SB tucks
12-10 ea DB lat raise w/ SB plate rotate

Tough Mudder Day 29...Core-Flexibility

Total Time
30 min

Sets/Rest
4/30 sec between exercises
Exercise Time/Reps
Opposite Arm & Leg 45 sec
Straight Leg Overs 8 ea
BOSU Side Bridge R-L 20 sec
BOSU Bird dog 15 sec
1 L Calf Stretch 6-8 ea.
Figure 4 Crossover Stretch 15 sec
SB Jacknife 15 x
SB Crunch 25 x

Tough Mudder Day 28...Lets Go!

40 min intervals
40
z 1 5 min z3 30 sec z 1 60 sec z 2 45 sec z 1 60 sec
Strength
Sets Reps
1 30sec ea ex

Exercise Combo
SB DB press w/ lunge & curl
upright row w/ cable rotation
1 L RDL w/ BOSU pulldowns
double crunch w/ BOSU supermans

Transition from Off-season to In-season "Spring Training"

During the next 6-8 weeks the baseball players' workout regime starts to change from strength phase to explosiveness and power phase along with more emphasis on baseball fundamentals and skills. By the end of March the baseball player will start onto the maintenance phase, which will last the length of the season. REMEMBER! players should continue to lift twice a week and do general conditioning, sprint work, and agility work 2-3 times per week. Workouts should generally last 30-45 minutes. Contact
A-PECS Training to get in your Speed, Quickness, Agility, and Conditioning.
www.myfitnessstore.com/apecstraining and go to "services".