The Hard Facts

10 Hard facts on strength training, conditioning and nutrition/fat loss & sport performance ideals

STRENGTH TRAINING 1. For muscle to grow and become stronger, it must be exposed to an overload stress. INTENSITY of effort is the key. 2. Muscle will adapt to the stress if given enough time to recover. Adequate RECOVERY time between workouts is the key. 3. For further adaptation (improvement), greater overload stresses must be applied. PROGRESSION of overload is the key. 4. To improve further - or maintain current ability - the overload stress must occur regularly. CONSISTENCY in training is the key. 5. Creating high tension in the muscle fibers and working to momentary muscular fatigue involves the greatest amount of relative muscle tissue. Effort (working to fatigue)and using good form (controlled movement with no bouncing or jerking) are important here. If in doubt, slow it down and aim for maximum repetitions (safely). 6. Muscle overload can be applied with a variety of tools: barbells, dumbbells, machines, manually applied resistance, body weight, sand bags, etc. Anything that can createhigh tension in the muscles can be used. 7. A variety of exercise prescriptions can be used provided muscle overload occurs.  Examples: heavy resistances/few repetitions, lighter resistances/more repetitions,minimal exercise bouts (i.e., 1 to 3 sets per muscle group) and/or varied rest time between sets and exercises (i.e., 30 seconds to 3:00+). 8. No matter the speed of movement used, muscle fibers are recruited in a fixed order: slow twitch/type 1 --> intermediate/type 2 --> fast twitch/type 2A --> fast twitch/type 2B & 2C. Generally speaking, if the demand is low, the slow/type 1 fibers are called upon. As the demand for EFFORT increases, the higher threshold,    fast/type 2 fibers are called upon. 9. There is no skill transfer from a weight room exercise to a totally different athletic skill done in competition. The principle of specificity clearly states that for a positive transfer to occur, exactness of a number of factors must be present. The fact is no weight room exercise exactly replicates any sport skill (other than the sports of weightlifting and power lifting). That is why one should practice his/her sport skills separately then separately improve total body strength in the weight room. 10. Although anyone can alter their strength, muscle size and body composition via strength training, their genetic endowment significantly effects the the magnitude of their potential gains.  Those blessed with a high percentage of the slow/type 1 muscle fibers may not develop large muscles or great strength. Likewise, those who more easily get bigger and super-strong most likely possess a greater volume of the larger, more powerful type 2 fibers. Also, longer arms/legs and unfavorable muscle origins and insertions hinder great strength demonstration. Ultra-strong humans – male or female – usually have exceptional body leverages to allow for this.

CONDITIONING 1. Because of the specificity of energy demands, varied muscle contraction dynamics and general body stress and fatigue, playing and practicing your sport should be a priority when it comes to physical preparation. As they did in the good ole days, you CAN play yourself into shape. It's 'sport-specific” and still true today. That stated, following a sensibly-designed conditioning program can further prepare one for the rigors of competition provided it “fits” with all strength training activities and practice sessions and does not over-stress the body's recovery systems. 2. Like strength training, a legitimate conditioning activity must a) create an overload on the (energy) system(s), b) allow adequate recovery/adaptation time, c) be progressive relative to the variables of running intensity, volume, distance and bout work/recovery times and d) be performed on a regular basis. 3. All other factors being equal, running speed can be improved if one a) gets stronger, b) stays lean and c) practices the skills of running. 4. Purported “speed drills” that do not replicate exact sprinting body mechanics (same speed, muscle contractions, angles of force output, etc.) may not transfer to improve speed. Again, the principle of specificity states that to become proficient in any activity, the activity itself must me practiced exactly. Anything “almost” or “close” is NOT exact. Therefore, general drills such as high knees, skips, bounds, box jumps, or other slower-moving actions (relative to all-out sprinting speed) can be used, but more as a part of a dynamic warm-up routine. 5. Being in good condition is also a part of a sound speed-enhancement program. Simply put, if you're fatigued you cannot run at your maximum speed potential. 6. Straight-line sprinting ability does not correlate to lateral or backward agility or the ability to react and change directions based game/contest situations. 7. All energy systems - ATP-PC (immediate), Lactic Acid (short term-high power) and Aerobic (long term-lower power) - are activated at the onset of any activity. What determines which system is relied upon the most is the intensity and length of the activity. 8. You don't have to jog for 30-45 minutes or keep the heart rate in the “aerobic zone” to ultimately burn body fat. Shorter, higher intensity lactate threshold work actually gets you more bang for the buck since it burns a lot of calories. Also, post-exercise fatty acid mobilization from the adipose (fat) tissue is accelerated after demanding, high intensity work. 9. One can improve lactate threshold and VO2 max with a variety of training regimens: short and long intervals, fartlek runs and continuous runs using various running speeds, distances, volumes and work-to-rest ratios. 10. Genetics also play a role in conditioning: those endowed with a high percentage of the slow/type 1 muscle fibers may possess better endurance and recover faster than those with more quicker-to-fatigue fast/type 2 fibers. On the other hand, predominantly fast/type 2 people may run relatively faster but take longer to recover between bouts, all other factors being equal.

NUTRITION / FAT LOSS 1. The bottom line: if the total number of calories consumed is less than the number used to support basal metabolism, thermogenesis and activity energy demands, weight LOSS will occur. Likewise, weight GAIN will occur if calories consumed exceeds energy demands. 2. Due to their various functions within the body, the time-proven breakdown of the daily recommended percentages of the three macronutrients – carbohydrates (55%), proteins (20%) and fats (25%) – is still reasonable advice. 3. You can't go wrong if these are on your grocery list: fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high-fiber foods, skinless chicken and fish, lean red meat and anything low in saturated fat, high fructose corn syrup, white flour and sodium. Attempt to emphasize complex carbohydrates over simple sugars and go for lean, unsaturated proteins over high-fat proteins. 4. Nothing beats plain old water. 70% of your body is water. Drink periodically to stay hydrated. It's literally free, for Pete's sake. 5. Eat breakfast! If you skip it, then eat lunch at noon, you will have gone 12 -16 hours without food from the previous day! Skipping breakfast slows your metabolism, lowers your energy level, hinders muscle weight gain for those attempting to build muscle and encourages binge-eating later in the day. 6. Excessive alcohol consumption = dehydration, increased fat storage, lower strength levels and a greater risk of a D.U.I. None of those options are attractive. 7. Pre- and post-exercise feeding: pre-exercise = complex carbs + low in fat. Post-exercise = simple carbs + protein. 8. If you are attempting to lose body fat, a) strength train regularly (to keep metabolically expensive muscle), b) eat fewer calories spread out over 5 to 6 feedings each day (speeds metabolism and creates a calorie deficit) and c) be disciplined not to eat if feeling hungry between feedings (indicates your tapping fat storage sites). 9. 5 minutes of bad eating can negate 30 minutes of traditional exercise. 6 x chocolate chip cookies = 300 calories. 150 lb. man jogging at 10 miles/hour pace for 30 minutes = approximately 300 calories burned above BMR. Message: if you spend time “working out,” be disciplined in your eating. 10. More bang for the buck: try circuit strength training. Rather than plod away at a low-level for 30, 45 or 60 minutes on a treadmill, elliptical machine or running track, a more time-efficient 20-30 minute strength training circuit will not only use more calories per unit of time, it will also increase calorie consumption post-exercise due to a greater recovery demand placed on the body. Physically demanding circuit strength training is the total package: more muscle contractions = more energy expended, more muscle fibers overloaded = better muscle tone/strength, and the higher the intensity of work = the greater the demand placed on the cardio-vascular system.

SPORT PERFORMANCE PROGRAM IDEALS The goal of a sports performance program is to maximize physical qualities needed for optimal athletic performance and injury prevention. Simply put, athletes want to perform at their best from start to finish each contest, over an entire season, and throughout their playing careers without incurring injury setbacks. Many programs that address this can be complicated, time-consuming, and unproductive, but a sound program simplifies the process by focusing on the alterable physical qualities to assure time-efficiency and measurable results. The bottom line is following a sound program makes sense and optimally prepares you for the rigors of competition. Program components: 1. Progressive strength training. The benefits of increasing muscular strength are numerous. Increasing over-all body strength will improve your potential to exert maximum strength, explosive power and muscular endurance during competition. It will also assist in improving running speed, agility, body composition (body fat levels), and injury prevention. I utilize a variety of intensity-based protocols for both in-season and out-of-season programs. 2. Sport-related conditioning. Fatigue can inhibit maximum skill performance and increase the risk of injury, especially in the latter stages of competitions and important contests at the end of the season. Being in top condition is therefore vital. A good program addresses the energy demands required for your sport by using various interval runs, speed &, agility drills, and sport-specific activities to improve your ability to work at a high level the entire contest. Numerous methods can be used to get you “in shape,” but the closer you can replicate work demands of your sport during conditioning training, the greater the transfer to the sport. 3. Flexibility. All other factors being equal, applying muscular force over the greatest range of joint motion can improve power output during skill execution. Therefore, maximizing one's inherent flexibility can be beneficial. One's joint flexibility is contingent upon skeletal muscle origins and insertions, body composition, and to some extent activity level. Some athletes are quite flexible while others are not. Whatever your level, it can be maximized by emphasizing full range of motion strength training exercises and performing basic pre- and post-workout safe static-stretching exercises. An inordinate amount of time spent on static stretching is normally not necessary unless there is a specific need for it. 4. Nutrition. Nutritional intake can have a significant impact on your performance potential as it can both positively and negatively effect body composition, energy levels during training and competition, and the ability to grow muscle and build strength. Following a sensible nutrition plan is therefore very important. A sound program offers advice and guidelines for adhering to a proper food intake plan to optimize your training results. If one eats sensibly from healthy products obtained at the local grocery store, it will augment their training and recovery so expensive nutritional supplements are really not necessary. Benefits of the sports performance program components: Strength training: > Increased muscular strength > Increased muscular power > Increased muscular endurance > Increased muscle size > Improved running speed > Improved agility > Assists in body fat reduction > Reduced injury risk Conditioning: > Improved endurance > Improved running speed > Improved agility > Improved reaction/quickness > Assists in body fat reduction > Reduced injury risk Flexibility: > Improved force production potential > Improved skill execution > Reduced injury risk Nutrition: > Maximizes muscle strength > Maximizes muscle size > Assists in body fat reduction > Improved endurance > Assists in recovery time