Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, there are only so many tomorrows.
"Beware before"... In the warfare of the 17th and 18th century, infantry advanced in formation while artillery batteries fired from behind, above their heads. An artilleryman about to fire would yell "beware before," alerting nearby infantrymen to drop to the ground to avoid the shells screaming overhead. Beware before simply became "fore", meaning lookout it is coming your way!
I believe in training right now, there are only so many tomorrows. I don't want athletes to think they have a make up day. Strength training is important.
The following are four exercises that train the entire body and if you train them well rest assured, the athlete wil Get Strong.
'FORE'
1). 5 Way Neck - 10-15 reps
Front, Back, Right, Left and Shrug
2). Chins - max reps
Pause at the top of the movement and descend in a controlled manner. Exercise until the athlete reaches momentary muscular failure.
3). Dips - max reps
Pause at the top of the movement and descend in a controlled manner. Exercise until the athlete reaches momentary muscular failure.
4). Leg Press -or- Squat Pro - 50 reps
First Model Pendulum Squat
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.
He is currently developing a protocol for strength training the musculature that protects the cervical spine.
I think utilizing the Set Extension Technology for starting points and using straps has been an important part in helping me gain almost three inches on my neck this summer.
Gabe Harrington, Colgate University's Head Strength and Conditioning Coach shows off one of a series of new Pendulum 5 Way Neck machines.
Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, that muscles don't actually contract.
Do muscles contract? A simple test show you they don’t. Jump in a pool and retain in your respiratory system as much air as you need not to sink. You should be barely floating. If you are floating easily, well, that is another issue.
Now squeeze those muscles, notice I did not say contract. If your muscles really contracted you would become a little smaller and your mass being unchanged, you would become denser.
Being denser you would begin to sink. But you don’t sink because your muscles didn't really contract. Muscles pull their ends together and get thicker and change shape, but their volume remains the same.
Think. If you push aginst a wall the muscles are actually pulling but they certainly aren't getting any shorter! Muscles can get longer and lengthen or muscles can get shorter and shorten, but they don't contract by scientific definition.
Depending on the interaction between the force developed by the muscle and the load on the muscle, the muscle will either shorten, remain at a fixed length (isometric), or be lengthened.
In the late 30s, Hubbard and Stetson set out to fix the incorrect usage of "contraction". They decided to change the verbage in the literature to reflect what was occuring scientifically.
The three words they chose for the muscles' condition were termed "miometric," "isometric," and "pliometric," by coupling the Greek prefixes "mio" (shorter), "iso" (same), and "plio" (longer) to the noun "metric", defined as "pertaining to measures or measurement."
This made things crazier all of a sudden we had the term "isometric contraction", an oxymoron!
In 1963, Fenn tried once again to let everyone know about the contraction 'snafu'. Fenn gained ground for years. Then, at the National Strength Coaches convention in the late 70s, somehow the term pliometric became "plyometrics" for conditioning. Oh no!
European track drills were introduced with high-powered jumps that involved repeated, rapid, and forceful shortening and lengthening actions. The coaches were calling them "plyos", which now means many things to many people except a scientist. Pliometric (lengthening) became a new term (lengthen shorten).
Dr. John Faulkner, PHD, who runs the University's Molecular & Intergrated Physiology lab has been a great friend over the years. He got mad. In 2003, once again tried to straighten everyone out. He published in the Journal of Applied Physiology the proper terminology for muscles.
Shorten
Isometric
Lengthen
Don't get angy with me Doc for changeing things again, but the bottom line is this: when you get in the weight room you must 'shorten em', 'same em' and 'longer em' to GET STRONG. And when you run be careful when you 'Plyo em'
Kaylee Gittleson ran hurdles for Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. The team won three out of four Division I State Championships during her four years. Kaylee was told by her dad to write about training from her perspective on the Rogers Blog.
FROM THE COACH'S DAUGHTER
My Dad was a Strength Coach for 30 years. We literally live in a gym with furniture. I asked my father, "Why did I get tired so quickly when I tried to match my brother's stride?"
When I run with my brother he tries to bury me. Understand, I said he "tries", so it is not quite like he thinks. He also spends a lot of time thinking about how he is going to do it. And casually asks, "Would you like to go for a little run?" I am competitive and he knows it.
About a mile and one half from our home is a water tower with a mile long 'parcours' laced through the park surrounding it. So we are talking 1.5 miles to the tower + 1 mile with exercise stations + 1.5 miles home , plus I don't know where he's taking me. All I know is that if he can do it, so can I.
As we ran I decided to try and match his stride length. When I did it just made me tired so I quickly abandoned that strategy. I decided I'd better just run the way I always do and then close in for the kill.
When I got home I asked my father why I got so tired when I took big strides or even short ones?
"Changing your stride length even a slight bit increases oxygen consumption" ....he said.
Dad showed me some literature that said 8 out of 10 runners already had located their optimal stride length. The optimal stride length meant the minimum oxygen uptake.
If you Change the stride length, you change the action of virtually every muscle in the body"...he said
When you make a mechanical change, a tiny insignificant, innocent-looking change, it is really powerful in terms of the consequences on the body, and when you do it you better also look at the physiological consequences.
My father discussed with me why new mechanical techniques on the football field required practice and preparation because they affected the players fitness. He emphasized how important it is that new skills be learned and perfected before the athlete is thrust into competition.
As I read the literature, it ulitimately said the performance in any sport boils down to adapting to your own anatomy, to your own physiology, and to the peculiarities of your own body. The body knows.
"The 'body knows' Kaylee because it is so lazy... make no mistake about it"......he said
Rogers Wall Mounted Dip Bar
Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, there are a lot of ways to run distance.
"Distance running to a professional athlete in my day was five laps around the field."
-Lynn Swann
For many years I had every football player do the Balke treadmill test prior to the winter conditioning program and immediately afterwards. I wanted to get a feel for what the oxygen uptakes were in this population of athletes. No one really had any data at the time.
Dr. Bruno Balke was the first exercise physiologist to chart the precise relationship among oxygen consumption, exercise, and cardiovascular health, so it was fitting to use his test. Besides, having the first name Bruno made it sound rougher. So, I began calling it the
Bruno Balke test instead of Balke.
The Bruno Balke test was simple. Because the athlete just walked, it was very easy to administer.
When administering the Bruno Balke, the treadmill speed is set at 3.3 mph, with the gradient starting at 0%. After 1 minute it is raised to 2%, then 1% each minute thereafter.
The player walks as long and as far as he possibly can and finally when he feels he can go no more, grabs the rail, straddles the treadmill belt and the test is over. Upon completion of the test, with a little math you have an estimated maximum oxygen uptake.
Dr. Bruno Balke taking endurance test after stay in space chamber.
The winter program consisted of an hour of various drills. All were short bursts of speed. Nothing that could be considered distance running or what people were then starting to call aerobics.
Winter football conditioning was the typical hardnose, tough stuff that you would expect from a top level team.
At the end of winter running, as indicated, everyone post-tested on the Bruno Balke, and their oxygen uptakes all went up. Their cardiorespiratory fitness improved.
Someone might argue that it was a change in anaerobic fitness. But the results went up every year. Yep, there VO2 max was increasing. I guess you could say football players were becoming better distance runners.
Nothing earth shaking because prolonged bouts of work cause cardiovascular adaptation.
Cardiorepiratory fitness is good stuff for someone who needs to be able to cool off during a long drive on the football field. This is especially so, when wearing a uniform of 100% polyester dazzle cloth, a helmet with an anti-microbial overliner and heat observation technology and the HIT telemetry system installed, O2 flex shoulder pads, ION mouthguard and impact absorbing gloves running on rubber field turf, on a hundred degree day.
It pays to GET STRONG.
Rogers Wall Mounted Dip Bar
Mike Gittleson was the Director of Strength & Conditioning at the University of Michigan for 30 years and was a part of 15 Football Championships in that time. He explains, strength training often requires adjustments.
When I began my career I purchased dumbbells. At the time the heaviest dumbbells I could obtain weighed 100 pounds each. I decided to have a special set made that went up to 150 pounds to accommodate some of the stronger athletes. I was excited about my purchase until the dumbbells arrived. Getting them off the truck and rolling them into the weight room was memorable.
The problem was the 140s-150s I ordered for the team had flaws as they touched the athletes forearms on the descent of the weight and began to bend upon hitting the floor.
Later in my coaching years, these poorly designed dumbbells became great door stops as well as decorative pieces. A little artsy as they were obtusely shaped.
What troubled me about using the new heavier dumbbells was watching the athletes bring these large chunks of steel from the rack to the weight bench. I was concerned someone would blow their back out as they waddled over, especially after practice, when they are in a fatigued state.
My rule was .....'If it looked dangerous, it was.' Using a maximum of 100 pounds quickly became my dumbbell weight room limit.
The advent of the adjustable bench solved my 100 pound limit rule for dumbbells for the strong athletes.
Once a week in the off-season program, we would start with the dumbbells on the adjustable bench in the flat position. We called this level one. The goal was to achieve 10 reps.
Each rep was paused at the top and the weight was descended under control.
Upon completion of the 10th repetition the bench was quickly adjusted by a spotter to the next setting, a slight incline. The athlete had to get 10 more reps immediately at this new adjustment, level two.
The rule was simple, four levels and 40 reps. The object was to achieve 10-10-10-10 continuous repetitions, stopping only to allow the spotter to adjust the bench height up.
Once thie rule was matched, the athlete raised the weight the following workout.
The problem for the athlete was the rule of achieving 10 repetitions at every level was set in stone. If 10 continuous reps couldn't be achieved and it required setting the weights down because of fatigue, the athlete was to stay on the bench until the goal of 10 repetitions at each level was met. 40 repetition had to be accomplished even if it meant all the subsequent repetitions were singles.
The good news was rest between attempts was not at issue. The lifter had a spotter who could get him water as he was to remain on the bench, encourage him, send out for food, or even just commiserate until the task was completed.
I liked using this little program to Get Strong... I liked it because the athletes didn't.
The Loyola University Greyhound Strength and Conditioning Department is hosting the 4th Annual Strength & Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference.
Friday, July 23, 2010 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Saturday, July 24, 2010 8:00 am to 4:00
3:30-4:30 Early Bird Presentation: Jeff Sherman, Owner of Jeff Sherman Training Camp
5:00-5:30 Registration / Check-In – (In McGuire Hall on the Loyola University campus)
5:30-6:00 Opening Remarks
Father Jack Dennis S.J. and Robert Taylor, Jr.
6:00-6:50 ”Creative Conditioning Drills and Team Challenges”
Robert Taylor, Jr., SCCC, CSCS*D, CCS, PES, CES, CSES, NSCA-CPT*D, NSPA-CPT
Director of Sports Performance at the Gordon Institute in Baltimore, MD/Founder and Owner of STT
7:00-7:50 “Nutrition: What you need to know”
Michelle Rockwell, MS, RD, CSSD
Sports Nutrition Consultant and Co-founder of RK Team Nutrition
This presentation is sponsored by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute
8:00-8:50 ”Strength Training Considerations”
Mike Gittleson, MS
Former Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the University of Michigan
8:50-10:00 “Meet and Greet” – Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided in Sponsor/Vendor Area
Proposed itinerary for Saturday, July 24, 2010
7:00-8:15 Registration / Check-In – Drinks and bagels will be provided in Sponsor/Vendor Area
8:00 - Welcome and the “Kick Off”
First Quarter
8:05-9:05 ”Teaching The Hang Clean: The Syracuse Way”
William Hicks, Jr., CSCS
Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance at Syracuse University
8:15-9:15 “Speed Training: Coach ‘Em Up!”
Allan Johnson, MS, MSCC, CSCS, NASE
Founder and President of Champions Edge
Second Quarter
9:20-10:20 “Nutrition and Supplements for Improving Body Composition and Performance”
Jose Antonio, Ph.D., FACSM, FNSCA, FISSN (sponsored by VPX/Redline).
CEO and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
9:30-10:30 “Grip Training”
1:00-1:50 “Heart Rate Monitoring: Implications for In-Season Training”
Jason Dierking, MS, CSCS, USAW
Assistant Director of Olympic Sports Performance at the University of Louisville
1:05-1:55 “Considerations in strengthening the shoulder post injury: A Proactive Approach”
John Smith, MS, ATC
Head Athletic Trainer at the University of Delaware
Fourth Quarter
2:00-2:50 “Finish This!”
Jim Kielbaso, MS, CSCS
Director of Total Performance in Wixom, Michigan
2:05-2:55 “From My Perspective”
Greg Zecca, MA
Director of Athletics at The Calverton School
3:10-4:00 “45 Drills in 45 Minutes” – (On Diane Geppi Aikens Field/Turf!)
Developing Competition – Scott Swanson, MSCC, CGFI
Assistant Athletic Director of Strength and Conditioning Coach at the USMA
Dynamic Warm-Up: New Concepts and Techniques – Nick Tumminello
Founder and Owner of Performance University
Sled Training – Luke Tipple MS, CSCS, SCCC, USAWS
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at The Ohio State University
Speed and Agility Training – Tom Palumbo, MS, CSCS
Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports at The Ohio State University
4:00 Closing comments. Thank you for your attendance.
You can pick up your CEU’s at the completion of the conference where you registered by handing in your evaluation sheets of the sessions you attended. CEU’s will not be handed out prior
to the end of the conference as directed by the NSCA and NATA board of certifications.
Ralph Cornwell is a Ph.D. candidate in health promotion/human performance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
I recently had a Division I strength coach tell me,"You don't have to train the neck!"
What are the functions of the neck?Attaches the head to the trunk
Supports the head and its movements
Protects the head
The neck gives rise to:
Parts of the upper limbs
Parts of cardiovascular system
Respiratory diaphragm
The neck is conduit for:Respiratory system
Digestive system
Nervous system
Arteries, Veins, Lymph
The neck accommodates the:
Larynx
Endocrine glands
Thyroid
Parathyroids
Thymus
Twenty eight year old Megan trains her neck. She says,"a stronger neck and trapezius allow for better posture and make her feel more athletic".
"Men play the game; women know the score." - Roger Woddis
Train your neck to Get Strong and Keep Shrugin'
Kaylee Gittleson ran hurdles for Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. The team won three out of four Division I State Championships during her four years. Kaylee was told by her dad to write about training from her perspective on the Rogers Blog.
FROM THE COACH'S DAUGHTER
My Dad was a Strength Coach for 30 years. We literally live in a gym with furniture. I asked my father why people lift weights on unstable surfaces like exercise balls.
"Get the exercise ball"....he said.
We have a 26 inch exercise ball that kind of rolls from room to room. He handed me one of our fixed barbells, from our fixed barbell set, that was much lighter than I could normally press with. Dad had me sit on the swiss ball and lift the barbell overhead. It seemed hard, though it was light. Hard because I was trying to balance and press the barbell while on a ball. In actuality, more than anything I was worried about my safety. Fortunately or unfortunately I did have a spotter.
Then, my father had me sit on the adjustable bench. He handed me what I told him was my normal weight, and I pressed it overhead.
"The more you have to balance the less weight you can use,....he said
My father then took me to his paper pile and asked me to read the latest study on muscle activation patterns while lifting on stable versus unstable surfaces.
It showed the upper extremity muscle EMG decreased as the stability decreased.
What interested me was that the exercises performed on the stable surface, our exercise bench, required more abdominal activation, just the opposite of what I thought was going to happen.
My father told me the abdominals require greater activation with greater loads during an overhead lift.
The study concluded that exercise balls or unstable surfaces should not be used during the overhead press exercise when the goal is to increase muscle activation of the arms or abdominals.
The authors ended by remarking, "The findings provide little support for training with a lighter load using unstable loads or unstable surfaces."
Being curious, I asked Dad, "Seriously, why do people lift weights on a ball when you could easily lose your life?"
He Answered........
Well girl, back in the 1920s, a reporter from the New York Times felt that climbing the World's highest peak might not be the best idea because it was so dangerous. The reporter asked the great mountaineer, George Herbert Leigh Mallory, who by the way died doing it, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?"
Mallory replied, "Because it's there."
"That's why they do it Kaylee...because it's there girl...because it's there..make no mistake about it ....he said"