Coach Eck's Training Session 3/8/13

by Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

Quick Thoughts:

1. Another quick sessions this morning between clients and my interns. 
2. Turned out to be shorter than I would have like as I spent more time on soft tissue (much needed today). 
3. Throughout this journey of the last month and tracking my workouts it has reinforced a truth to me that I encourage my clients and students toward: consistency is key. Time and time again I realize that consistency trumps intensity or volume in my training. While both intensity and volume are important, it’s much more important for me to maintain consistency in order to sustain a training effect (in all facets: smr, mobility/flexibility, stability, power, strength). In short, getting in something is always better than nothing.

Coach Eck's Training Session 3/5/13

by Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

Quick Thoughts:

1. Today was another extremely busy day that I didn’t think I was going to be able to fit training into. Luckily an hour opened up. 
2. Although it’s already Tuesday, I’m feeling physically exhausted. Definitely unloading and trying to peak this week if I feel well enough each day.  Since I didn't feel great today, I kept my loads about 10-20% lighter and tried to minimize my tempo. 
3. Threw in a couple different variations today simply because I trained at Prevail and this is a training day I've been doing at UCSB over the last 2 months.

Coach Eck's Training Session 2/27/13

by Chris Ecklund, MA, CSCS, USAW

Quick thoughts:

1. Trained at UCSB today.  I must admit that is was humorous to watch people watch me do the BB Bent Leg Hip Extensions.  Though I have tried to encourage my classes to begin working on this lift...next to NO ONE at UCSB performs it.  Quite funny to watch their faces as it's a pretty conspicuous exercise.  But...great glute/adductor exercise.
2. Had more time today, got more work done.
3. ESD and Core work still pathetic.  Not getting either done on a regular basis.  Painfully obvious that I need to do a better job with my consistency in these areas.

More Backing for Training to Run Instead of Running to Train

(courtesy of coreperformance.com)

 
Train to Run Farther, Faster
Paul Robbins November 20, 2008

A training plan for the intermediate runner, this workout session will improve your movement efficiency and your time.

As an intermediate runner, the training sessions here will bolster your movement efficiency, meaning you'll reduce wasted movement and use less energy to travel the same distance or speed. Think of it as upgrading to a more fuel-efficient engine. And by training common weak areas for runners, you'll also become stronger and more resistant to pain and injury.

The Workout
You can consider yourself an intermediate-level runner if you’ve completed a 5K, 10K, or maybe even a marathon.

Directions: Rest at least a day between training sessions and vary your intensity. For example, you might run hard intervals on Monday followed by a day of rest on Tuesday, and then run at a medium intensity on Wednesday. Repeat this general training schedule,or get a customized program.

Intermediate Energy System Development
Warm up in what we call the "yellow zone" (65-75% of your maximum heart rate) for 5 minutes.
Run for 5 minutes in the "green zone" (80-87% of your maximum heart rate).
Run for 2 minutes in "yellow zone."
Repeat steps 2 and 3 for duration of your 30- to 60-minute workout.
* If you don't have a heart rate monitor, then correlate the "green zone" to a mile and the "yellow zone" to a ½ mile.

Agility Ladder: Hop & Stick Lateral

Prevail Summer S&C Schedule

Here is our updated Summer S&C Schedule.  Contact us for more information or to sign up and reserve your spot!

Trainer Workout 5/7/10

Here's another one to enjoy.  Remember, always use loads, tempos and speeds you can maintain perfect technique with.  Poor movement with load = Pain.

Strength and Power
1a. Hang Clean 3x3-6
b.  Non Alt Bent Leg Quadruped Opposites w/MiniBand and Band Resistance 3x8 each, 30-60 seconds recovery

2a.  BB Dead Lift 3x8
b.  Push-ups on Bosu (with leg lifted) 3x10-40
c. Rotating Push-ups on Wobble Board Rotating 3x3-8 each
d.  Reverse Crunch on Bench with SB 3x 8-12, 30 seconds recovery

3a. Foot Elevated Split Squat SB - Foot Elevated Push Up 3x2/2 8-12 total
2. BB RDL - BB High Row 3x2/2 8-12 total, 30 seconds recovery


Metabolic Conditioning:
Each Station 30 secs

1. Mountain Climbers on slide
2. Jump rope
3. Cone Clock Drill
4. Box Jumps Up and Down
5. Sled pushes with 50lbs

One min rest. Repeat 2 more times.

Consult a physician prior to beginning any exercise program and stop at the onset of any pain or dizziness.

Today's Workout...Brutal

Great workout today. Give it a shot. Quick warning...the rope climbs are incredibly demanding for forearms. If you're forearm strength is low (like mine), you may need to add in greater recovery periods or have to rest between the climb and lowering phases.

Strength:
1a. BB Split Snatch 4x6
b. Valslide Handwalks Forward/Backward 4x15yds each 30 sec recovery
2a. Rope Climbs Hand over Hand (no feet) 4x8ft
b. Dips off Bench 4x20
c. Swiss Ball Oblique Crunches 4x7ew 30 second recovery
3a. Rope Climbs Parallel (no feet) 3x8ft
b. Swiss Ball Push Ups hands on 4x25
c. Sled Push @180lbs 4x30yds
d. Torso Trainer Russian Twists 4x3ew 60 second recovery

Metabolic Conditioning:
4 x 20 Seconds Heavy Rope Circuit
-10 Jumping Big Waves
-10 Big Circles outward
-20 Drums
30 seconds recovery

Great Job Wolfshorndl!

Santa Barbara High School Football Hell Weeks

This August I had the opportunity and pleasure of working with the Santa Barbara High School football program. I am truly pleased to say that my time with the SBHS coaching staff was probably the best experience I've had with a coaching staff from any sport at any level. The coaches were open and trusting to turn the reigns of all the Strength, Performance and Conditioning work over to my staff and me. Rare. Aside from that their communication with myself and coaching staff was excellent. Their desire to do what was best for their team(s) and begin the building process (during a rebuilding year for their program) of developing safe and efficacious training practices is truly admirable. I know that this season is going to be a long haul for them but am quite certain that with the desire and concern for doing what is best for their program, they will quickly be where they desire to be.

Hats off to Coaches Jaime Melgoza, Doug Caines, Sean Simms, Char Vandaele (ATC), and all of the other coaches whose names I've missed.

Below you'll find some of the footage from the training we did on site:

Progression Periodization for Power: IDEA 2009 World Convention

IDEA World Convention 2009 in Anaheim was a great experience this year. Had the opportunity to hear some fantastic speakers, including: Greg Roskopf (inventor of M.A.T.), Chuck Wolf and Peter Twist (Internationally renowned Strength Coach). Top notch speakers with a wealth of knowledge that added value to my training toolbox.

For those of you that missed my workshop or did not get the handouts and still wanted them, click on the link below and you can access them.

Feel free to holler with any questions you may have. Also, visit the www.prevailvideo.com website to see more of the progressions that are listed in the presentation.

Exercise of the Week: Bosu Push Up

Here's a simple example of adding in some instability training to your program. Benefit? Any lazy torso stability or incorrect application of pushing force is easily seen. You've got to work harder to make the movement clean and controlled.

Exercise of the Week: Inchworms

Great addition to Dynamic Warm Ups or as a part of your torso training regimen for torso musculature, shoulder stabilizers and hip mobility/flexibility.

Exercise of the week: Inverted Row Suspension

Here's another great exercise for upper body pulling strength. If you're an athlete or advanced lifter and you can't do these through a full range of motion (handles touch lower pec) it may be an indicator that you either have anterior flexibility or mobility problems (shoulders) or posterior weakness in upper back (especially traps and rhomboids).

A good goal is to work toward 8-10 full range reps starting with your body parallel to the ground.

Exercise of the Week: The Squat

Here's a basic exercise that basically everyone performs poorly. I see it in the gym literally everyday. Usually it's as simple as:

Male use too much weight and can't stabilize the movment
Females can't stabilize the movement and therefore can't use more weight

It's something that everyone should be able to do (regardless of gender, age, sport, etc.) as long as there are no joint or health limitations. If you can't do it, it may mean you've got some limitations to fix (joint mobility, joint flexibility, strength decrements, muscle imbalance, improper muscle firing patterns).

Hope this helps!

Olympic Lifts, Plyos, and the Jane Fonda Outer Thigh Exercise

I don't care what the exercise is, everyone has an opinion about how do it correctly.

In some recent conversations I've had with some colleagues regarding Olympic Lifts, the concept has come up quite a bit. I also noticed an observation of the issue from Robert Dos Remedios (a strength coach that I respect a great deal) last month on his blog (read article here). Lastly, I've had countless conversations with students in my NSCA Prep course over the past couple years that have struggled with the same issue. Point?...exercise technique/performance is a common question and a common area of confusion. Quite frankly, I feel like I learn more and more each day about how to "do an exercise right."

I will say this, though, as with most issues in exercise this is one of the areas where I have to begin my answer with the ever-hated, "It depends...".

All quality exercise performance starts with some fundamentals, of course. I actually refer back to an old NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) biomechanics perspective that was developed by Tom Purvis (if I'm not mistaken). Smart guy. It essentially deals with 6 fundamental rules of lifting illustrated by the following acronym:
G - Goal
R - direction of Resistance
A - Alignment
S - Stabilize
P - Path of Motion
R - Range of Motion

Without getting into all of these areas, let me simply focus on the "Goal" component, as the way I determine the technical components of movement and exercise weighs heavily on this concept.

Case in point:
I will teach a male competitive Olympic Lifter how to do an Olympic Lift very differently than I will teach a female high school Volleyball player how to do an Olympic Lift.

Why?
Different people. Different goals and desired outcomes. Different body limitations and structures. Different ability levels.

If these things are true...shouldn't it determine how we instruct people to move...to lift...to train? And, if it's true in this situation, doesn't it make sense that we're going to have to modify or make appropriate exercises based on the INDIVIDUAL (if we do the lift at all)?

By the way, I have a woman who is 50+ years of age training in a group training class I offer that does Olympic Lifting Variations. Before she came to me she had hardly done any consistent free weight exercise in her life. And, oh yeah, she got out of physical therapy for her shoulder right before she came to me. Results? In the last year she lost weight, had less shoulder pain than she's had in years. It's been a process. It's been progressive. It's been modified.

P.S. I do that Jane Fonda outer thigh exercise with my clients. It's a great activation exercise if you use it right.

Exercise of the Week: Star Drill

Exercise of the Week: Supine Bridge

Exercise of the Week: Side Bridge

Exercise of the Week: Prone Bridge

Chris Ecklund to present at 2009 IDEA World Fitness Convention

I am excited to announce that I will have the opportunity to be a Presenter at this year's IDEA World Fitness Convention for Strength Coaches, Personal Trainers and Group Fitness Professionals.

I will be presenting on Progression Periodization for Power and dealing with the movement side of periodization (an often overlooked periodization component) to improve muscle firing and function.

The 2009 IDEA World Fitness Convention will be held in Anaheim, CA on August 12-16, 2009. They will host over 5,000 fitness professionals from all over the world at the 2009 IDEA World Fitness Convention in The OC (Anaheim), California.

For more information, visit the IDEA website (click here).