Look for all the details right here tomorrow, but for now, here's a little teaser:
So...are you in the game or not?
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com
News, views and special stuff from All-Star Sports Academy!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Train with your friends, go to Florida on All-Star!!
Starting December 15th, you'll have the chance to help your friends train smarter and get better results...and win hotel accomodations in Florida on us!!
Look for all the details right here tomorrow, but for now, here's a little teaser:
So...are you in the game or not?
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com
Look for all the details right here tomorrow, but for now, here's a little teaser:
So...are you in the game or not?
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com
Monday, December 8, 2008
Santa says "don't be naughty..."
Pretty soon, it'll be Winter Break for all those kids we sent off to college this year.
At college, they have their coaches and trainers to lead them through the process. At more than one college, they are using exercises and programs written by All-Star Sports Academy to prepare for their upcoming campaigns! Not so much here at home. Until now!
You see, Santa Claus called us and said "why don't you fellas set up a Sports Fitness Training Program for all the college athletes who've been good boys and girls, working soooo hard at school! They're all on my "Nice" list, and I wouldn't want them (or you, All-Star) to end up on the "Naughty" list. But that's what will happen if they spend Winter Break sitting around eating Mom's cooking and drinking egg nog!"
Who are we to argue with Santa?!? We don't want coal in our stockings! So here's our holiday gift to you:College Winter Break Small Group Training. Hint - find Bluto from "Animal House!"
We've arranged for college-aged athletes to be able to get great Sports Fitness Training during their Winter Break right here at All-Star Sports Academy...and we're going to make it available for a few bux a day! Come in as often as you'd like and work with our professional trainers in Small Group Training for only $149! Whether you're on break for 4 weeks, 6 weeks or longer, the enrollment fee is the same, $149!
This is no gym membership where you have to put up with a drop-off in the quality of your Sports Fitness Training and Preparation. This is the real, deal: straight up training that works! Every session is run by one of our trainers and gets you in and out in about an hour! So there's still time for friends and holiday cheer!
This is the place to start: College Winter Break Small Group Training - and look for Bluto!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
At college, they have their coaches and trainers to lead them through the process. At more than one college, they are using exercises and programs written by All-Star Sports Academy to prepare for their upcoming campaigns! Not so much here at home. Until now!
You see, Santa Claus called us and said "why don't you fellas set up a Sports Fitness Training Program for all the college athletes who've been good boys and girls, working soooo hard at school! They're all on my "Nice" list, and I wouldn't want them (or you, All-Star) to end up on the "Naughty" list. But that's what will happen if they spend Winter Break sitting around eating Mom's cooking and drinking egg nog!"
Who are we to argue with Santa?!? We don't want coal in our stockings! So here's our holiday gift to you:College Winter Break Small Group Training. Hint - find Bluto from "Animal House!"
We've arranged for college-aged athletes to be able to get great Sports Fitness Training during their Winter Break right here at All-Star Sports Academy...and we're going to make it available for a few bux a day! Come in as often as you'd like and work with our professional trainers in Small Group Training for only $149! Whether you're on break for 4 weeks, 6 weeks or longer, the enrollment fee is the same, $149!
This is no gym membership where you have to put up with a drop-off in the quality of your Sports Fitness Training and Preparation. This is the real, deal: straight up training that works! Every session is run by one of our trainers and gets you in and out in about an hour! So there's still time for friends and holiday cheer!
This is the place to start: College Winter Break Small Group Training - and look for Bluto!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
A very, very merry offer!
Until December 15th!
Save a very merry $200 on a three month enrollment
in Small Group Training!*
Enroll your 13-18 year old athlete in the most effective and results-oriented Sports Fitness Program available, and your first month enrollment will be an unbelievable $99!
Your 2nd and 3rd months will be only $149 a month! That's a $200 savings over the usual 3 month enrollment!*
But just like Santa's gone after Christmas Eve,
this special is gone on December 16th!
So go visit us at Small Group Sports Fitness Training
to find out more and get enrolled!
This is a Holiday Bonanza, just when everyone needs one!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
this special is gone on December 16th!
So go visit us at Small Group Sports Fitness Training
to find out more and get enrolled!
This is a Holiday Bonanza, just when everyone needs one!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Monday, December 1, 2008
The Clock is Ticking...
I had the chance to watch some football over the weekend.
I noticed something interesting.
It seems that the youth obesity problem in America is finally
becoming a national issue! The NFL is running spots for its'
program to encourage kids to play at least 60 minutes a day.
Public service spots are showing up. There's even a "nutritional
weight loss" program (you know a d-i-e-t) for kids!
I'm sure the NFL has good intentions, but has Peyton Manning
and company shown up at your kids' school yet? If he does,
what happens when he leaves? What kind of habits will your
kids return to then?
Don't even get me started on "diets" for kids! The ad I saw was for
the same kind of processed, pre-packaged robotic shove-it-in-
and-never-think nonsense that doesn't work for anyone else!
Kids need to play. At least 60 minutes a day, preferably more!
They need to run, jump, crawl, skip, throw, push, pull, hop, move
stuff, cooperate, compete and problem-solve on the fly!
Kids also need to eat. They need to eat real food! The trick is
getting them to make better choices, and to learn to like the real,
healthy, delicious foods that will make them strong and vibrant!
All-Star Sports Academy is dedicated to the health and fitness
of kids! Athletes, bookworms and everyone in between! Our
FitKidz! Fitness and Wellness Program for kids is growing by
the day!
We're working hard to reverse the trend in America that will
have 50% of our kids overweight by 2010, and will result in this
being the first generation of kids who will not outlive their parents!
Right now, we're making it easier to get your kids into the best
functional fitness program for kids available anywhere. Until
December 15th, we're giving you the first month of your child's
enrollment for a measly $39, and the next 2 at only $59!
Just visit: FitKidz! Fitness for Kidz!
You'll find lots of information about the program, and you can
enroll your kids in minutes!
So come on, let's get your kids, and America's kids, moving, having
fun, and on track to a long, healthy life! Together we can turn a
tragic trend into an incredible and exciting future!
Get on over to FitKidz! Fitness for Kidz! and get the party started!
Your kids are counting on you!
I noticed something interesting.
It seems that the youth obesity problem in America is finally
becoming a national issue! The NFL is running spots for its'
program to encourage kids to play at least 60 minutes a day.
Public service spots are showing up. There's even a "nutritional
weight loss" program (you know a d-i-e-t) for kids!
I'm sure the NFL has good intentions, but has Peyton Manning
and company shown up at your kids' school yet? If he does,
what happens when he leaves? What kind of habits will your
kids return to then?
Don't even get me started on "diets" for kids! The ad I saw was for
the same kind of processed, pre-packaged robotic shove-it-in-
and-never-think nonsense that doesn't work for anyone else!
Kids need to play. At least 60 minutes a day, preferably more!
They need to run, jump, crawl, skip, throw, push, pull, hop, move
stuff, cooperate, compete and problem-solve on the fly!
Kids also need to eat. They need to eat real food! The trick is
getting them to make better choices, and to learn to like the real,
healthy, delicious foods that will make them strong and vibrant!
All-Star Sports Academy is dedicated to the health and fitness
of kids! Athletes, bookworms and everyone in between! Our
FitKidz! Fitness and Wellness Program for kids is growing by
the day!
We're working hard to reverse the trend in America that will
have 50% of our kids overweight by 2010, and will result in this
being the first generation of kids who will not outlive their parents!
Right now, we're making it easier to get your kids into the best
functional fitness program for kids available anywhere. Until
December 15th, we're giving you the first month of your child's
enrollment for a measly $39, and the next 2 at only $59!
Just visit: FitKidz! Fitness for Kidz!
You'll find lots of information about the program, and you can
enroll your kids in minutes!
So come on, let's get your kids, and America's kids, moving, having
fun, and on track to a long, healthy life! Together we can turn a
tragic trend into an incredible and exciting future!
Get on over to FitKidz! Fitness for Kidz! and get the party started!
Your kids are counting on you!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Leadership and responsibility
The captain of a local high school sports team here walked into the locker room on the first day of tryouts at the crack of dawn and made a disturbing announcement.
Had someone died? Was a teammate injured in a car accident or sports-related incident?
No. His important announcement? "I don't want to be here. I'm hung over."
Hung over. One of the captains of the team.
A senior...in high school!
Now, I'm not going to preach about the dangers of teenage drinking, or the long term effects of alcohol on health and sports performance.
What matters here is that this clown threw his pre-tryout night drinking binge and resultant hangover out there like a badge of honor.
Something of which to be proud.
Something, perhaps, that other team members, underclassmen and future captains should aspire to achieve.
A tryout hangover!
Here's what I think.
Strip him of his captaincy. Now. Yesterday. Publicly.
Then cut him. Turn him loose...ban him from the locker room and the arena.
Make it known that any team member associating with him will be benched. Maybe even cut.
Set an example for the rest of the team and the school community that this kind of crap is intolerable.
Set the tone for the future. A future without that kind of idiotic behavior.
Otherwise, your team gets to try and play in a present tainted by the small-minded bufoonery this "captain" represents!
What kind of culture will that create? Certainly not a "Culture of Victory With Integrity!"
Every captain, every senior leader and every underclass leader has a massive responsibility to everyone who looks to them for leadership and every underclassman who will come after them.
Leadership. Creating a team culture where victorious habits, speech and actions are the only acceptable ones.
In other words, recognizing and living the phrase every team we work with hears from us repeatedly:
What you leave behind is infinitely more important than what you accomplish here and now!
Do you agree? Then you belong here, and we'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Had someone died? Was a teammate injured in a car accident or sports-related incident?
No. His important announcement? "I don't want to be here. I'm hung over."
Hung over. One of the captains of the team.
A senior...in high school!
Now, I'm not going to preach about the dangers of teenage drinking, or the long term effects of alcohol on health and sports performance.
What matters here is that this clown threw his pre-tryout night drinking binge and resultant hangover out there like a badge of honor.
Something of which to be proud.
Something, perhaps, that other team members, underclassmen and future captains should aspire to achieve.
A tryout hangover!
Here's what I think.
Strip him of his captaincy. Now. Yesterday. Publicly.
Then cut him. Turn him loose...ban him from the locker room and the arena.
Make it known that any team member associating with him will be benched. Maybe even cut.
Set an example for the rest of the team and the school community that this kind of crap is intolerable.
Set the tone for the future. A future without that kind of idiotic behavior.
Otherwise, your team gets to try and play in a present tainted by the small-minded bufoonery this "captain" represents!
What kind of culture will that create? Certainly not a "Culture of Victory With Integrity!"
Every captain, every senior leader and every underclass leader has a massive responsibility to everyone who looks to them for leadership and every underclassman who will come after them.
Leadership. Creating a team culture where victorious habits, speech and actions are the only acceptable ones.
In other words, recognizing and living the phrase every team we work with hears from us repeatedly:
What you leave behind is infinitely more important than what you accomplish here and now!
Do you agree? Then you belong here, and we'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
High Def...Sports Fitness?
If you've watched even a tiny amount of television lately, you've been hearing about "High Definition," and the coming switch to HD TV signals.
What about the idea of "High Definition Sports Fitness and Preparation?"
Why not improve the quality of the "signal" being sent through your body when you want to perform at your best?
How about the idea of turning the "definition" of your athletes' sports performance and enjoyment into "high definition?"
Well, it can be done!
All-Star Sports Academy is offering you the chance to bring your sports fitness and performance into "High Definition," regardless of the chosen sport!
Simply click here for your trial membership in the "High Definition Sports Fitness and Preparation" club!
What about the idea of "High Definition Sports Fitness and Preparation?"
Why not improve the quality of the "signal" being sent through your body when you want to perform at your best?
How about the idea of turning the "definition" of your athletes' sports performance and enjoyment into "high definition?"
Well, it can be done!
All-Star Sports Academy is offering you the chance to bring your sports fitness and performance into "High Definition," regardless of the chosen sport!
Simply click here for your trial membership in the "High Definition Sports Fitness and Preparation" club!
In the note area, just write "I want High Definition Sports Skills!"
We'll get you started right away on your path to playing better, and enjoying the process!
As always, you can call us at 732-597-3725!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
We'll get you started right away on your path to playing better, and enjoying the process!
As always, you can call us at 732-597-3725!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
What to eat for breakfast!
Athletes often ask us "What can I eat for breakfast?"
Very good question, since breakfast can make or break your nutritional day!
We're reprinting the recipes for 2 of our favorite breakfast meals.
Enjoy them!
Athlete Builder Breakfast Burrito
The way for an athlete – or anyone who wants to eat well and feed their metabolism – to start the day!
Description
This breakfast burrito has all the ingredients you need to start the day off right! Protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals are all found in this great meal! As a bonus, the “eggs and stuff” can be cooked the night before, reheated in a microwave and added to the wrap in the morning! Saves time and eliminates excuses!
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
¼ cup low fat shredded cheddar or “Taco” cheese
½ cup chopped green or red pepper
½ cup diced or chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 high fiber wrap (Mission “Carb-balance” wraps are great for this. High fiber and great taste!)
Optional (use any or all, as desired):
½ cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup chopped onion
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Lower heat to med-low and add oil. Make sure the oil covers the bottom of the pan. (Tip: a natural cooking spray is fine for this, in place of oil)
2. Place eggs, cheese, pepper, tomatoes, and/or desired veggies into a bowl and mix together. Pour evenly into pan. Cook egg mixture either as an omelet, or scramble.
3. When cooked, place into wrap, roll up and eat.
4. Combine with a cup of fresh berries for a perfect breakfast!
Nutritional Information:
350-450 calories
3-4 g total fat (<1 g sat)
low cholesterol
35-50 g carbohydrate
32-36 g protein
21-27 g fiber (using Mission “Carb-balance” Wraps)
Note: If you like other vegetables that seem appropriate, try them!
Here's one more, for good eating!
Amazing Breakfast Pizza
Variety is the spice of life, so why not pizza for breakfast? It’s not as if the “menu police” will come and take you, or, Heaven forbid, your breakfast away! This great recipe serves 4, so simply split it into quarter or half recipes for one or two.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes (20 minutes start to finish!)
Preparation difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
4 ounces packed spinach (4 cups)
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 (6 inch) whole-grain pitas, cut in half horizontally
2 large plum tomatoes, sliced thin
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces reduced fat crumbled feta cheese (1/3 cup)
Option: use part skim mozzarella cheese instead!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450° F
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet or saucepan. Add spinach (in smaller batches, if needed) and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Brush the rough side of each pita round with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place them, oiled side up, on a large baking sheet and bake until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Split spinach and tomatoes evenly among pita halves. Leave an empty space in the center of each for an egg. Crack 1 egg into center of each pita. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to oven. Bake until yokes are lightly set, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and continue to bake until cheese has softened, about 2-3 minutes more.
Nutritional Information:
250 calories
13 g total fat (3.5 g sat)
21 g carbohydrate
13 g protein
3 g fiber
500 mg sodium
Now you have 2 simple ways to start the day off right!
To make sure your workouts are "working" for you, stop by All-Star Sports Academy and get your free trial to any of our great Sports Fitness programs!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
Very good question, since breakfast can make or break your nutritional day!
We're reprinting the recipes for 2 of our favorite breakfast meals.
Enjoy them!
Athlete Builder Breakfast Burrito
The way for an athlete – or anyone who wants to eat well and feed their metabolism – to start the day!
Description
This breakfast burrito has all the ingredients you need to start the day off right! Protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals are all found in this great meal! As a bonus, the “eggs and stuff” can be cooked the night before, reheated in a microwave and added to the wrap in the morning! Saves time and eliminates excuses!
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
¼ cup low fat shredded cheddar or “Taco” cheese
½ cup chopped green or red pepper
½ cup diced or chopped tomatoes
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 high fiber wrap (Mission “Carb-balance” wraps are great for this. High fiber and great taste!)
Optional (use any or all, as desired):
½ cup chopped broccoli
¼ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup chopped onion
Instructions:
1. Pre-heat pan over medium heat for 1 minute. Lower heat to med-low and add oil. Make sure the oil covers the bottom of the pan. (Tip: a natural cooking spray is fine for this, in place of oil)
2. Place eggs, cheese, pepper, tomatoes, and/or desired veggies into a bowl and mix together. Pour evenly into pan. Cook egg mixture either as an omelet, or scramble.
3. When cooked, place into wrap, roll up and eat.
4. Combine with a cup of fresh berries for a perfect breakfast!
Nutritional Information:
350-450 calories
3-4 g total fat (<1 g sat)
low cholesterol
35-50 g carbohydrate
32-36 g protein
21-27 g fiber (using Mission “Carb-balance” Wraps)
Note: If you like other vegetables that seem appropriate, try them!
Here's one more, for good eating!
Amazing Breakfast Pizza
Variety is the spice of life, so why not pizza for breakfast? It’s not as if the “menu police” will come and take you, or, Heaven forbid, your breakfast away! This great recipe serves 4, so simply split it into quarter or half recipes for one or two.
Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes (20 minutes start to finish!)
Preparation difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
4 ounces packed spinach (4 cups)
5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 (6 inch) whole-grain pitas, cut in half horizontally
2 large plum tomatoes, sliced thin
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2 ounces reduced fat crumbled feta cheese (1/3 cup)
Option: use part skim mozzarella cheese instead!
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450° F
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet or saucepan. Add spinach (in smaller batches, if needed) and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Brush the rough side of each pita round with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place them, oiled side up, on a large baking sheet and bake until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven.
4. Split spinach and tomatoes evenly among pita halves. Leave an empty space in the center of each for an egg. Crack 1 egg into center of each pita. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to oven. Bake until yokes are lightly set, about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and continue to bake until cheese has softened, about 2-3 minutes more.
Nutritional Information:
250 calories
13 g total fat (3.5 g sat)
21 g carbohydrate
13 g protein
3 g fiber
500 mg sodium
Now you have 2 simple ways to start the day off right!
To make sure your workouts are "working" for you, stop by All-Star Sports Academy and get your free trial to any of our great Sports Fitness programs!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
GM, BMW and your Sports Fitness
I heard on the news this morning that General Motors may be paring back its' investment in product development. You know, research on how to make their cars perform better. Apparently, it's temporary; to get through this "challenging economic time."
Wow! Really? That's the plan? To stop planning and preparing for the future? To surrender your competitive edge by giving up on improving performance?
Have you noticed that "challenging economic times" don't seem to effect Mercedes Benz and BMW the same way they do GM, Chrysler and Ford?
It's easy to dismiss this as related to the idea that high-end car makers have customers who can afford to buy the best, even if the rest of us are driving Chevy Cobalts or Dodge Neons. (Not that I have a problem with affordable American cars...I drive one!)
I think the real reason has nothing to do with the tax bracket of a typical American auto buyer. It has more to do with how the American auto makers see R & D and the learning process involved with improving car performance. As an expense...a necessary "evil."
Sounds a lot like how many athletes view their training, nutrition, rest and skills improvement!
You see, German and other foreign car makers focus on constantly improving their vehicles. Think about it...when you see a TV ad for BMW, what do they talk about? Let me help you: German Engineering! In other words, they brag about the performance results their cars get from all the research and development (learning) they do!
They pride themselves on the fact that they are constantly improving themselves!
What does this have to do with Sports Fitness Training and Preparation? You mean it's not obvious!?!
I'm glad you asked! You see, All-Star Sports Academy views Sports Fitness as an ongoing learning process. We're constantly doing "R & D" to improve the performance of our athletes.
The key to successful Sports Fitness Preparation is to teach, not train! Athletes who (like BMW) learn the why of their program as well as the how, will enjoy the process more, and get a far better result than those who act like GM and just keep trying to put out the product!
All-Star Sports Academy does the research and develops the programs to teach:
And our athletes? Well, you'll know them when you see them. They'll be the ones performing consistently at the top of their game...and responding to all the "challenging times" by succeeding!
Oh yeah...and loving every minute of the journey!
Click here for your trial membership at All-Star Sports Academy:
And...we'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Wow! Really? That's the plan? To stop planning and preparing for the future? To surrender your competitive edge by giving up on improving performance?
Have you noticed that "challenging economic times" don't seem to effect Mercedes Benz and BMW the same way they do GM, Chrysler and Ford?
It's easy to dismiss this as related to the idea that high-end car makers have customers who can afford to buy the best, even if the rest of us are driving Chevy Cobalts or Dodge Neons. (Not that I have a problem with affordable American cars...I drive one!)
I think the real reason has nothing to do with the tax bracket of a typical American auto buyer. It has more to do with how the American auto makers see R & D and the learning process involved with improving car performance. As an expense...a necessary "evil."
Sounds a lot like how many athletes view their training, nutrition, rest and skills improvement!
You see, German and other foreign car makers focus on constantly improving their vehicles. Think about it...when you see a TV ad for BMW, what do they talk about? Let me help you: German Engineering! In other words, they brag about the performance results their cars get from all the research and development (learning) they do!
They pride themselves on the fact that they are constantly improving themselves!
What does this have to do with Sports Fitness Training and Preparation? You mean it's not obvious!?!
I'm glad you asked! You see, All-Star Sports Academy views Sports Fitness as an ongoing learning process. We're constantly doing "R & D" to improve the performance of our athletes.
The key to successful Sports Fitness Preparation is to teach, not train! Athletes who (like BMW) learn the why of their program as well as the how, will enjoy the process more, and get a far better result than those who act like GM and just keep trying to put out the product!
All-Star Sports Academy does the research and develops the programs to teach:
- Injury prevention
- Speed and Agility
- Athletic Strength and Power
- Flexibility
- Movement patterns
- Joint Stability, Mobility and Performance
- Explosiveness and Quickness
- Balance and Coordination
- The "Mental Game"
- Nutrition, Rest and Regeneration
And our athletes? Well, you'll know them when you see them. They'll be the ones performing consistently at the top of their game...and responding to all the "challenging times" by succeeding!
Oh yeah...and loving every minute of the journey!
Click here for your trial membership at All-Star Sports Academy:
And...we'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Get off the wobble boards!
I walk into gyms and training centers all the time and see it.
"Circus act training." "Daredevil training." Stupid trainer tricks.
Trainers and fitness "professionals" pushing their athletes, and even little old ladies to perform ridiculous stunts under the guise of "functional training."
Just because the training center has wobble boards, bosu balls, stability balls, Airex foam pads and inflatable rubber discs doesn't mean every client has to use them all in every workout.
Most clients are inherently not ready for single leg dumbbell clean and press on a bosu ball.
In fact, most clients can barely sit still on a bosu ball or stand on one leg without stability issues for more than 30 seconds! Forget the dumbbell clean and press!
In fact, here's an example of a balance and stability exercise we use to rapidly develop this incredibly important athletic skill:
SL Kettlebell Crossover Romanian Dead Lift
"Circus act training." "Daredevil training." Stupid trainer tricks.
Trainers and fitness "professionals" pushing their athletes, and even little old ladies to perform ridiculous stunts under the guise of "functional training."
Just because the training center has wobble boards, bosu balls, stability balls, Airex foam pads and inflatable rubber discs doesn't mean every client has to use them all in every workout.
Most clients are inherently not ready for single leg dumbbell clean and press on a bosu ball.
In fact, most clients can barely sit still on a bosu ball or stand on one leg without stability issues for more than 30 seconds! Forget the dumbbell clean and press!
In fact, here's an example of a balance and stability exercise we use to rapidly develop this incredibly important athletic skill:
SL Kettlebell Crossover Romanian Dead Lift
It's simple, but not easy to perform, and it relies on the most important tool an athlete must master: the neuromuscular system!
Did you realize that use of all those other "functional training tools" could actually INCREASE your risk of injury while they DECREASE your athletic fitness?
Don't get me wrong. utilizing unstable surfaces or destabilizing movements and positions is not necessarily bad. In fact using stability balls, rocker boards and other stability-challenging tools can be a "multiplier" in your athletic fitness training.
What makes the difference in whether stability tools help or hurt?
Simple: a proper understanding of when they should be introduced into a program, how to progress the athlete through the stages of stabilization training and how to avoid unnecessary risks in training stability.
Not sure how to incorporate stabilization training into your sports fitness program? Let us help you!
Click here:
Did you realize that use of all those other "functional training tools" could actually INCREASE your risk of injury while they DECREASE your athletic fitness?
Don't get me wrong. utilizing unstable surfaces or destabilizing movements and positions is not necessarily bad. In fact using stability balls, rocker boards and other stability-challenging tools can be a "multiplier" in your athletic fitness training.
What makes the difference in whether stability tools help or hurt?
Simple: a proper understanding of when they should be introduced into a program, how to progress the athlete through the stages of stabilization training and how to avoid unnecessary risks in training stability.
Not sure how to incorporate stabilization training into your sports fitness program? Let us help you!
Click here:
We're here and ready to help you explode your sports fitness and performance!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Fear and Hope for Our Kids' Future!
This article is reprinted from the USA Today Monday, November 3, 2008.
It will shock and frighten you...but we have to fight back, for our kids! This is a "war" we as a nation SIMPLY MUST WIN!
Read on after the article to see how All-Star Sports Academy intends to help you win!
The answer is simple:
All-Star Sports Academy's revolutionary new fitness and wellness program made just for KIDZ!
If you're thinking "My kids hate to 'work out,'" YOU'RE RIGHT! Kids love to play games, be challenged, cooperate and compete, however, and that's what FitKidz is all about!
If you're thinking "My kids are way too athletic for something like this," YOU'RE WRONG! Sports and athletic movement is all about the very things we teach and reinforce at FitKidz sessions.
Do kids run, jump, crawl, hop, race, skip, throw, catch, push, pull, get on the floor or ground and get up again, carry things or any combination of these? OF COURSE!
Do these things happen in sports? OF COURSE!
OF COURSE THEY WILL!!
It will shock and frighten you...but we have to fight back, for our kids! This is a "war" we as a nation SIMPLY MUST WIN!
Read on after the article to see how All-Star Sports Academy intends to help you win!
So how are we going to help in the fight against childhood obesity and all the diseases, dangers and risks to our kids that comes with it?Number of kids on medication jumps alarminglyMost of the illnesses related to obesityBy Liz Szabo
USA TODAYThe number of children who take medication for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically, another troubling sign that many of the youngest Americans are struggling with obesity, doctors say.
The number of children who take pills for type 2 diabetes - the kind that's closely linked to obesity - more than doubled from 2002 to 2005, to a rate of six out of 10,000 children. That suggests that at least 23,000 privately insured children in the USA are now taking diabetes medications, according to authors of the new study in today's Pediatrics.
Doctors also saw big increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, asthma and attention deficit and hyperactivity. There was smaller growth for drugs for depression and high blood pressure.
"We've got a lot of sick children," says author Emily Cox, senior director of research with Express Scripts, which administers drug benefit programs for private insurance plans. "What we've been seeing in adults, we're also now seeing in kids."
Type 2 diabetes was once known as adult-onset. But Cox says her records show kids as young as 5 being treated with prescription diabetes drugs.
Cox based her study on prescription records of nearly 4 million children a year, ages 5 to 19, covered by Express Scripts. She says her findings may not apply to the 40% of children who are uninsured or covered by government health plans.
Unless these children make major changes - such as eating healthier and exercising more - they could be facing a lifetime of illness, Cox says.
"These are not antibiotics that they take for seven to 10 days," Cox says. "These are drugs that many are taking for the rest of their lives."
Cox couldn't explain one surprising finding: Most of the increase in drugs for diabetes, attention deficit/hyperactivity and depression was seen in girls. The gender gap was most striking in diabetes: While the number of boys taking medication grew by 39%, the number of girls using them climbed by 147%, Cox found.
The answer is simple:
All-Star Sports Academy's revolutionary new fitness and wellness program made just for KIDZ!
If you're thinking "My kids hate to 'work out,'" YOU'RE RIGHT! Kids love to play games, be challenged, cooperate and compete, however, and that's what FitKidz is all about!
If you're thinking "My kids are way too athletic for something like this," YOU'RE WRONG! Sports and athletic movement is all about the very things we teach and reinforce at FitKidz sessions.
Do kids run, jump, crawl, hop, race, skip, throw, catch, push, pull, get on the floor or ground and get up again, carry things or any combination of these? OF COURSE!
Do these things happen in sports? OF COURSE!
Will your kids benefit from the FitKidz Fitness and Wellness for Kidz Program?
OF COURSE THEY WILL!!
So what are you waiting for? Did you know that November is FitKidz Preview Month? You can enroll your kids in a trial week of FitKidz Sports Fitness and Wellness FOR FREE!!
Will they like it? How about this...WE GUARANTEE IT!!
Call us today at 732-597-3725 and enroll your kids for their preview month trial...you have absolutely nothing to lose.
Your kids, on the other hand, may have everything to lose...or gain!
Will they like it? How about this...WE GUARANTEE IT!!
Call us today at 732-597-3725 and enroll your kids for their preview month trial...you have absolutely nothing to lose.
Your kids, on the other hand, may have everything to lose...or gain!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Reduce Breast Cancer Risk by 35%!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
We all know this. We've seen the "Pink" campaigns and products.
But did you know that all the pink blenders and pink blowdryers and pink pajamas in the world won't lower the risk of breast cancer as well as something simpler and more elemental.
Exercise!
That's right...as little as 3-4 hours of moderate to strenuous exercise a week will reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 35%!
How might you get 3 hours of moderate to strenuous exercise a week without boring yourself to tears, you ask?
Try Power Fitness Camp for Women!
That's right...at Power Fitness Camp for Women, you'll get all the important aspects of fitness in one fun, challenging workout!!
So fight breast cancer (and excess body fat!) Check it out today, and try it risk-free!
For more information about the studies showing the link between increased exercise and reduced breast cancer risk, try this article:
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20030908224352_health_news.shtml
or this one:
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13486.html
Exercise and live longer!!!
See you at All-Star Sports Academy!
We all know this. We've seen the "Pink" campaigns and products.
But did you know that all the pink blenders and pink blowdryers and pink pajamas in the world won't lower the risk of breast cancer as well as something simpler and more elemental.
Exercise!
That's right...as little as 3-4 hours of moderate to strenuous exercise a week will reduce the risk of breast cancer by up to 35%!
How might you get 3 hours of moderate to strenuous exercise a week without boring yourself to tears, you ask?
Try Power Fitness Camp for Women!
That's right...at Power Fitness Camp for Women, you'll get all the important aspects of fitness in one fun, challenging workout!!
So fight breast cancer (and excess body fat!) Check it out today, and try it risk-free!
For more information about the studies showing the link between increased exercise and reduced breast cancer risk, try this article:
http://www.aphroditewomenshealth.com/news/20030908224352_health_news.shtml
or this one:
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/13486.html
Exercise and live longer!!!
See you at All-Star Sports Academy!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Teacher's Convention Basketball Camp!
All-Star Sports Academy
&
Jersey Shore Hurricanes Basketball
present
2008 Teacher's Convention Drillz and Skillz Basketball Speed, Agility and Skills Camp!
November 6th & 7th, 2008, 9 AM to 1 PM at the North Dover Elementary School Gym!
Camp Fee only $75.00! (Current All-Star Sports Academy Athletes receive a 50% rebate - email us for details!)
In this unique, fun and highly effective 2 day camp:
&Jersey Shore Hurricanes Basketball
present
2008 Teacher's Convention Drillz and Skillz Basketball Speed, Agility and Skills Camp!
November 6th & 7th, 2008, 9 AM to 1 PM at the North Dover Elementary School Gym!
Camp Fee only $75.00! (Current All-Star Sports Academy Athletes receive a 50% rebate - email us for details!)
In this unique, fun and highly effective 2 day camp:
You'll discover the fastest way to dramatically improve your vertical leap!
You'll uncover the keys to electrifying court speed!
You'll find out how the most accurate shooters in the game got that way!
You'll unearth the secrets to dominating "in the paint!"
You'll find out how you can become a slippery and elusive "ball thief!"
You'll expose the secrets of the best rebounders in the game!
You'll (finally) have the simplest and most effective injury prevention secrets known to the basketball world revealed to you!
Note!! Space in this camp is strictly limited!! If you want to become a game-changing player, you need to be here!!
Call 732-597-3725 to register or go to: http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/basketball and follow the link to this Camp!!
You'll uncover the keys to electrifying court speed!
You'll find out how the most accurate shooters in the game got that way!
You'll unearth the secrets to dominating "in the paint!"
You'll find out how you can become a slippery and elusive "ball thief!"
You'll expose the secrets of the best rebounders in the game!
You'll (finally) have the simplest and most effective injury prevention secrets known to the basketball world revealed to you!
Note!! Space in this camp is strictly limited!! If you want to become a game-changing player, you need to be here!!
Call 732-597-3725 to register or go to: http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/basketball and follow the link to this Camp!!
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
3 Giant Reasons They Fail
Before I begin, I just want to say a heartfelt "Thank You" to all the athletes,kids, parents and coaches who have helped us grow and succeed as we have, in such a short time. We owe it all to you, and promise never to forget that!
Recently, the local franchise of Velocity Sports failed. Closed their doors and left clients cold. Yesterday, I read in our local paper that a well-known and respected Monmouth County trainer closed his training center and went to work for a gym. This gym says it's a "performance center, but admits it can't stay open without member dues from their "McFitness" side. Shouldn't performance centers focus on, well, performance?
In both cases, "the economy" took the blame. I've always believed that if you help people succeed and make progress, you will always outlast economic downturns.
There are 3 simple reasons why gym-McFitness-healthclubs-performancecenters-sportsfitnesscenters fail.
1. They focus on "training." I know a strength coach locally who is essentially a power lifting coach who applies that style to "solve" every performance problem in every sport.
Need more speed? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Need better direction changes? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Need more velocity on your shots, your pitches or your swing? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Do you see the problem here? The guy's a solid powerlifting coach, with trophies to prove it. Big deal! To the man whose only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!
It's simple...don't "train"...teach, teach, teach!!
What does that? Simple: start younger, introduce critically important movement concepts and techniques and continue to reinforce them as the children get older.
Chain facilities and "strength coaches" take kids as young as 10 or 12 and have them working in "gym science" workouts, focusing on sets, reps and how much weight they move! These kids are working in maximal lift and absolute strength programs! My goodness!! Are they TRYING to get these kids hurt early?
This is not only a recipe for failure, it's the perfect road to sports burnout and repetitve injury patterns! Teach and reinforce movement, THEN you can "load" those well-performed movements later!
2. There's no "play" in their "training programs!" - Kids want to play! That's why they love sports, remember??
Organized sports have replaced the "free play" most of us enjoyed as kids. My colleague, Brian Grasso, CEO of the Int'l Youth Conditioning Assoc., said about play recently:
You know what? I couldn't say it better myself! If you've ever watched an All-Star Sports Academy "training session," you've seen kids playing. You've seen athletes playing.
You've also seen them working their tails off and improving multi-directional movement patterns, multi-planar speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, endurance and strength. Real, whole body, sports strength!
That's because we remember that play is the reason their here! They want to play better! They want to play longer and healthier! Which brings me to reason #3 for the failure of "sports fitness" chains and trainers...
3. No return on parental investment! - Parents will do without a lot of things in order to give their kids the things they (parents) perceive to be important.
Some youth fitness professionals recognize this and respect it. All-Star Sports Academy is in that category.
Others see it as leverage to separate the parents from their money, using the kids as the lever. I know it sounds harsh, but that's the way I see it.
The failing sports fitness trainers wave their "success stories" around as if to say "if your kid doesn't train here, they'll never succeed like this or they'll wind up hurt...blahblahblah!"
Do you know what our "secret" is? We celebrate...and suffer with our athletes! When athletes and kids that we work with do well, we celebrate it with them! When things don't go so well, we let them know we feel it, too, and we try to help in any way we can.
They know we care, and they know we work for them. So do the parents we work with.
We recognize that many sports training centers either see themselves as a "luxury" and price their programs that way, then act as if their services are indispensable! They are completely clueless as to the economic challenges facing families, even when the economy is in excellent health!
We just won't do that! First, we want to bring our experience, programs and knowledge to as many kids as we can. To do that, Mom & Dad have to be able to fit it in the budget!
Second, we're just not that arrogant. We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror each day!
Parents, athletes and coaches are the reasons we exist! Without them, and without the support, feedback and ideas they provide us, we couldn't learn, grow and continue to provide the kind of high-quality, high return youth and sports fitness and skills training programs we provide!
The now-closed "sports fitness centers?" Well, after a conversation with the (soon to be former) owner of the chain franchise, and my experience in talking with other "strength coaches" and trainers...Let's just say that some who should "get it"...really don't!
Of course, now...some never will, some will go to work for others who don't get it and others...well maybe they'll pay attention to the things and people who really matter now...
Would you like a great youth fitness or sports fitness experience for you kids?
Give us a call at 732-597-3725 and find out what we have to offer. Or visit us on the web at:http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/ - the site's not quite done yet, but you'll still find some good stuff there!
Recently, the local franchise of Velocity Sports failed. Closed their doors and left clients cold. Yesterday, I read in our local paper that a well-known and respected Monmouth County trainer closed his training center and went to work for a gym. This gym says it's a "performance center, but admits it can't stay open without member dues from their "McFitness" side. Shouldn't performance centers focus on, well, performance?
In both cases, "the economy" took the blame. I've always believed that if you help people succeed and make progress, you will always outlast economic downturns.
There are 3 simple reasons why gym-McFitness-healthclubs-performancecenters-sportsfitnesscenters fail.
1. They focus on "training." I know a strength coach locally who is essentially a power lifting coach who applies that style to "solve" every performance problem in every sport.
Need more speed? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Need better direction changes? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Need more velocity on your shots, your pitches or your swing? Bigger squats and bench presses!
Do you see the problem here? The guy's a solid powerlifting coach, with trophies to prove it. Big deal! To the man whose only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail!
It's simple...don't "train"...teach, teach, teach!!
What does that? Simple: start younger, introduce critically important movement concepts and techniques and continue to reinforce them as the children get older.
Chain facilities and "strength coaches" take kids as young as 10 or 12 and have them working in "gym science" workouts, focusing on sets, reps and how much weight they move! These kids are working in maximal lift and absolute strength programs! My goodness!! Are they TRYING to get these kids hurt early?
This is not only a recipe for failure, it's the perfect road to sports burnout and repetitve injury patterns! Teach and reinforce movement, THEN you can "load" those well-performed movements later!
2. There's no "play" in their "training programs!" - Kids want to play! That's why they love sports, remember??
Organized sports have replaced the "free play" most of us enjoyed as kids. My colleague, Brian Grasso, CEO of the Int'l Youth Conditioning Assoc., said about play recently:
"I used to free play everyday of my life. Ride my bike to the park...Play baseball... Climb trees... Jump rope...Race my friends.
This was a normal 'day-in-the-life' for folks my age and older when we were kids.
And the effects were perfect.
Everything I just mentioned amounts to multi-lateral development.
Another way of saying that is amassing physical intelligence...
It's through this kind of free play experience that kids develop quality coordination, mobility & systemic strength.
But you know what, Phil, kids don't free play anymore.
They don't enjoy good quality PE classes anymore either.
And because of that, obesity is skyrocketing and injury rates in youth sports are going through the roof.
Without the intervention of high quality long-term development systems, where exactly are kids today going to receive the type of physical stimulus they need?"
You know what? I couldn't say it better myself! If you've ever watched an All-Star Sports Academy "training session," you've seen kids playing. You've seen athletes playing.
You've also seen them working their tails off and improving multi-directional movement patterns, multi-planar speed, power, agility, balance, coordination, endurance and strength. Real, whole body, sports strength!
That's because we remember that play is the reason their here! They want to play better! They want to play longer and healthier! Which brings me to reason #3 for the failure of "sports fitness" chains and trainers...
3. No return on parental investment! - Parents will do without a lot of things in order to give their kids the things they (parents) perceive to be important.
Some youth fitness professionals recognize this and respect it. All-Star Sports Academy is in that category.
Others see it as leverage to separate the parents from their money, using the kids as the lever. I know it sounds harsh, but that's the way I see it.
The failing sports fitness trainers wave their "success stories" around as if to say "if your kid doesn't train here, they'll never succeed like this or they'll wind up hurt...blahblahblah!"
Do you know what our "secret" is? We celebrate...and suffer with our athletes! When athletes and kids that we work with do well, we celebrate it with them! When things don't go so well, we let them know we feel it, too, and we try to help in any way we can.
They know we care, and they know we work for them. So do the parents we work with.
We recognize that many sports training centers either see themselves as a "luxury" and price their programs that way, then act as if their services are indispensable! They are completely clueless as to the economic challenges facing families, even when the economy is in excellent health!
We just won't do that! First, we want to bring our experience, programs and knowledge to as many kids as we can. To do that, Mom & Dad have to be able to fit it in the budget!
Second, we're just not that arrogant. We all have to look at ourselves in the mirror each day!
Parents, athletes and coaches are the reasons we exist! Without them, and without the support, feedback and ideas they provide us, we couldn't learn, grow and continue to provide the kind of high-quality, high return youth and sports fitness and skills training programs we provide!
The now-closed "sports fitness centers?" Well, after a conversation with the (soon to be former) owner of the chain franchise, and my experience in talking with other "strength coaches" and trainers...Let's just say that some who should "get it"...really don't!
Of course, now...some never will, some will go to work for others who don't get it and others...well maybe they'll pay attention to the things and people who really matter now...
Would you like a great youth fitness or sports fitness experience for you kids?
Give us a call at 732-597-3725 and find out what we have to offer. Or visit us on the web at:http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/ - the site's not quite done yet, but you'll still find some good stuff there!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Gimme back my gym dues!
If you belong to a "health club," you already know their business model flat out stinks!
What are you waiting for?
If you don't, all you have to do is look at the tons of mail you get from the new, "hot" McFitness chain coming to your town or neighborhood.
Around here, it's the guys with the gaudy yellow equipment, the ones with the owners who want you to pay for their fitness business education or the ones with "fitness trainers" in their commercials who are barely dressed and educated to match their outfits.
If you go to McDonald's with money, you are going to get some food. If you go to a car dealer with money (or credit), you are going to get a car. Going in, you know what you want during both of these transactions, and unless the business is run by baboons, you're going to get what you came for!
What about when you join a "health club?" The gaudy yellow equipment clowns send mailers around bragging about how much equipment they have, their "cardio theaters," child care centers, juice bars (think 1,000 calorie milk shakes) and "group fitness studios."
Do you know what's missing from those advertising mailers?
What's missing is the assurance that you'll get the one thing for which you should be joining a "health club": HEALTH AND FITNESS!!!
What's missing is the assurance that you'll get the one thing for which you should be joining a "health club": HEALTH AND FITNESS!!!
You join McFitness and the "sales professional" (who was a high school student or janitor the week before) tells you that their "fitness training professionals" will design a "personalized" fitness program "guaranteed to work!"
The problem? Their "professionals" don't know a bicep from a bicuspid, a scapula from a scallop or functional movement from a bowel movement!
The "personalized program?" It's the same program "personalized" for the previous 243 members the "fitness professional" saw!
"Guaranteed to work?" Try asking for your money back after the program fails! And it will fail 99% of the time because of boredom, a lack of real challenge and no real,
Yes, I'm highly critical of big box gyms. I used to work for one, and I was critical of their complete lack of cogent programming or real client service then, too.
Now, I want all those big box, "McFitness" gyms to be really, really mad at me.
So here's what All-Star Sports Academy is going to do: we're going to pay you back for all the hours you wasted in the gym not getting what you paid for!
It's simple, and it's for women only!
Enroll in Power Fitness Camp for Women for 6 months, show up, have fun and get in shape... and we'll pay your gym dues for those 6 months!
It's all explained on postcards you may have already seen around the Ocean County area that look like this:
What are you waiting for?
Call us today at 732-597-3725 and tell us "I want my gym dues back!"
We'll tell you how to get started ASAP.
C'mon! Have fun, get in great shape and help us p**s off the big box McFitness gyms that aren't getting the job done in the first place!!
Oh, did I mention that you'll get over $100 in fitness bonuses just for enrolling? Well, you will! T-shirts, cookbooks, fat loss guides and other stuff to help you get the body you deserve & feel great & have fun doing it!
Friday, October 10, 2008
Pre-Seas0n Training for "hoops"...because you asked!
Basketball season in our area is right around the corner. It starts right around Thanksgiving, and will run through March. As Sports Fitness Specialists, our task is to assist players in their quest to prepare for this grueling run.
The season is demanding; several games a week, long practices and little rest time. The beginning of the season can include 4 hour practices.
Needless to say, we're getting lots of requests for "Pre-Season" training, so we thought we'd share some of our training ideas with you.
Players must understand that in-season training will help maintain strength, speed, power and agility levels, but only if the player is properly prepared.
A basketball court is only about 30 yards long. Most of the highest-demand activity takes place within 8 feet of the basket. This is also where some brutal physical contact can occur.
So why would coaches “prepare” their players with high levels of slower, longer distance running?
Good question! The answer is probably one of the deadliest phrases in athletic conditioning: “That’s how we’ve always done it!” OUCH!
Think about the best teams in high school, college and even pro basketball. What’s the one weapon that’s deadlier than any other? SPEED! Especially multi-directional speed!
Combined with agility, full-body power and injury resistance, speed can help a player become a weapon of opponent destruction!
During the last 4 weeks before the season, it’s a good idea to structure a 4-5 day per week training program, splitting time between strength/power training, speed/agility training and flexibility/movement mechanics.
Typical strength/power training sessions will include functional and dynamic warm-up, flexibility training, movement mechanics training and joint stability/mobility work, and circuit training variations that incorporate full-body strength workouts.
Circuit training helps acclimate the players to a high volume of work and is specific to the requirements of pre-season practice. Variations may include timed work/rest stations, gross-rep programs completed in minimal time and volume loading variations to create anaerobic and aerobic intensity.
Core training is incorporated into strength training days, with an emphasis on lumbar stability during rotational movements, as well as frontal plane movement and load deceleration. This mimics what happens in traffic when bodies collide, and when players need to explode out of a crowd for a shot or rebound.
Generally, athletes would perform speed & agility workouts, either supervised or self-managed (that depends on the temperament of the athlete), on the other 2 days of the week.
These workouts include speed & agility exercises that last only 5-10 seconds at a time. Each exercise is performed at maximal effort with 10-20 seconds of rest. The goal of the speed and agility workout in the final weeks of pre-season is not for cardiovascular conditioning, rather, to work on the efficiency of movements that will translate to the basketball court.
Conditioning, or aerobic/anaerobic endurance development during sport-specific activities, is crucial during the pre-season phase of any sport. Basketball is no different.
It’s appropriate to use shuttle and interval drills to develop sprint endurance during this phase. This should not, however, be confused with speed and agility work. Shuttle and interval drills develop endurance; speed and agility work reinforces good functional movement patterns during high speed, highly dynamic sports movement.
Shuttle distances of 150 and 300 yards seem to work well. Work time for 150 yards should be 24-30 seconds, with 300 yards taking 57-63 seconds. A work to rest ratio of 3:1 is suitable.
Interval running can be done in 100-110 yard, 200-220 yard or 300-330 yard bursts.
Use a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or 1:2.5 for the 300-330 yard work, and 1:3 to 1:3.5 for the shorter ranges. Shorter distances will allow for more intensity in sprinting, and it’s important for the neuromuscular system to recover at least nominally before repeating.
A well conceived, well managed pre-season preparation program will maximize the last 4-6 weeks before the season begins. This will let the player, and the team, start the season with full energy and force.
From there, a combination of good team leadership, smart coaching, hard play and a good in-season training program will carry the team to its’ goals.Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Saving a Generation...One Fun-filled Session at a Time!
If you have kids, know kids or ever were a kid…we implore you to read this entire entry! Thanks!
We Americans take for granted that our life expectancy will increase from generation to generation.
Each generation can expect to live longer than the ones that came before, right?
Not so fast. America’s children are at risk! Spreading like wildfire, a deadly “disease” has affected nearly 30% of our kids already, and by 2010, nearly 50% could be afflicted with this slow killer!
What’s this exotic virus, bacteria or “bug” striking down our youth? It’s not exotic. It’s not a virus, bacteria or other biotic.
But it is killing our kids…Have you figured out what I’m talking about yet?
The killer I’m talking about is Youth Obesity!
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, life expectancy among those now 6 to 19 years old will fall for the first time since has been measured.
Did you get that? Our kids’ generation will have a shorter life span than ours! 2 to 5 years shorter!
The Surgeon General says it’s nothing less than a “national catastrophe!”
Kids as young as 7 or 8 are turning up in doctor’s offices with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, painful joint conditions and even gallstones! All typical “adult conditions!”
So what’s the problem? There are many, including:
The “couch potato culture” - Computer use, video games, watching TV & “hanging out” actually discourage movement, and don’t help kids build healthy movement patterns, stay fit, burn off excess calories or manage stress and anxiety! Kids become less coordinated, less mobile and more sedentary.
A “more is better” culture surrounding food – Have you noticed the portion sizes in most restaurants? How about the size of the pizza you get delivered (not to mention the breadsticks and other crap) or the giant gulps, supersizes and megaloads of junk pitched to our kids on radio, internet and TV all day and night?
Recess and Physical Education-free schools – I don’t care who’s to “blame!” Our kids don’t move enough in school! Recess is a thing of the past, or so it seems. Schools can’t find the funds needed for the quality physical fitness education our kids need to grow strong, healthy and vibrant!
Fast foods, pseudo-foods and just plain junk food! - Childhood obesity rates in America continue to soar, and the “lack” of “available” healthy foods isn’t helping! Our kids need to learn good eating habits, and that great tasting, healthy food is always within reach…if they know where and how to look!
Safety Issues - Once upon a time, kids came home from school, did homework and ran out to play without a care in the world. Not anymore. We need to let our kids “go out and play,” somehow!
An exclusionary youth sports and social system - Many kids feel excluded from sports or other activities feeling like they don’t fit in, or can’t compete with athletic kids. Self-esteem suffers, & they lose the desire to be active & try new sports or activities. Of course, this problem only gets worse as kids get fatter, more out of shape and sicker!
What can be done? Can the government save them? Will medicine find a “miracle cure” for this horrifying malaise?
Are we powerless to stop the decline of our children’s health, and their generation?
The answer: No! It’s up to us to keep the next generation from being the one whose lives are shortened by a preventable “disease!”
Ghandi once said “Be the change you would see in the world.”
All-Star Sports Academy intends to be that change, and we’re asking you to join us!
On November 1, 2008, All-Star Sports Academy will launch FitKidz©, an exercise and wellness program designed with a single purpose in mind: “Help America’s Children Rediscover the Joys of Movement, Fitness and Wellness!”
FitKidz© will teach kids that the journey to health and fitness is at least as much fun, and as worthwhile, as the destination of being healthy and fit!
From the basics of functional movement - running, jumping, crawling, throwing, skipping, climbing and moving things around – to the love of healthy foods instead of junk or “pseudo-“ foods, to the simple, healthy benefits of just having fun, FitKidz© will provide a fun, supportive atmosphere for ALL kids!
Athlete or non-athlete, fit or not, boys and girls alike will have the opportunity to “go out and play” (or ‘in’), all while developing the health-building habits that will serve them the rest of their lives!
Twice a week kids will run, jump, skip, throw, crawl, move stuff and learn to move in all directions with ease! They’ll play games as they learn to compete and cooperate, team-build and problem solve.
They will be guided through this terrific experience by a certified, trained youth fitness professional whose mission is to create an enriching, fulfilling and fitness-enhancing environment!
Most important, they’ll have fun! So much fun that they won’t even realize they’re “exercising!”
They won’t even realize that they’re choosing better foods and developing healthy habits! Ssshhhh!
But before you know it, they’ll realize how great they feel!
The best part is that you can give this incredible gift to your child each month for less than the cost of many athletic shoes or newly released video games!
If you’re not in Ocean County, NJ, don’t worry…we’re working to bring a FitKidz© Program to a location near you…SOON!
Call us today at 732-597-3725 or email us at fitkidzusa @ gmail.com!
We Americans take for granted that our life expectancy will increase from generation to generation.
Each generation can expect to live longer than the ones that came before, right?
Not so fast. America’s children are at risk! Spreading like wildfire, a deadly “disease” has affected nearly 30% of our kids already, and by 2010, nearly 50% could be afflicted with this slow killer!
What’s this exotic virus, bacteria or “bug” striking down our youth? It’s not exotic. It’s not a virus, bacteria or other biotic.
But it is killing our kids…Have you figured out what I’m talking about yet?
The killer I’m talking about is Youth Obesity!
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, life expectancy among those now 6 to 19 years old will fall for the first time since has been measured.
Did you get that? Our kids’ generation will have a shorter life span than ours! 2 to 5 years shorter!
The Surgeon General says it’s nothing less than a “national catastrophe!”
Kids as young as 7 or 8 are turning up in doctor’s offices with Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, painful joint conditions and even gallstones! All typical “adult conditions!”
So what’s the problem? There are many, including:
The “couch potato culture” - Computer use, video games, watching TV & “hanging out” actually discourage movement, and don’t help kids build healthy movement patterns, stay fit, burn off excess calories or manage stress and anxiety! Kids become less coordinated, less mobile and more sedentary.
A “more is better” culture surrounding food – Have you noticed the portion sizes in most restaurants? How about the size of the pizza you get delivered (not to mention the breadsticks and other crap) or the giant gulps, supersizes and megaloads of junk pitched to our kids on radio, internet and TV all day and night?
Recess and Physical Education-free schools – I don’t care who’s to “blame!” Our kids don’t move enough in school! Recess is a thing of the past, or so it seems. Schools can’t find the funds needed for the quality physical fitness education our kids need to grow strong, healthy and vibrant!
Fast foods, pseudo-foods and just plain junk food! - Childhood obesity rates in America continue to soar, and the “lack” of “available” healthy foods isn’t helping! Our kids need to learn good eating habits, and that great tasting, healthy food is always within reach…if they know where and how to look!
Safety Issues - Once upon a time, kids came home from school, did homework and ran out to play without a care in the world. Not anymore. We need to let our kids “go out and play,” somehow!
An exclusionary youth sports and social system - Many kids feel excluded from sports or other activities feeling like they don’t fit in, or can’t compete with athletic kids. Self-esteem suffers, & they lose the desire to be active & try new sports or activities. Of course, this problem only gets worse as kids get fatter, more out of shape and sicker!
What can be done? Can the government save them? Will medicine find a “miracle cure” for this horrifying malaise?
Are we powerless to stop the decline of our children’s health, and their generation?
The answer: No! It’s up to us to keep the next generation from being the one whose lives are shortened by a preventable “disease!”
Ghandi once said “Be the change you would see in the world.”
All-Star Sports Academy intends to be that change, and we’re asking you to join us!
On November 1, 2008, All-Star Sports Academy will launch FitKidz©, an exercise and wellness program designed with a single purpose in mind: “Help America’s Children Rediscover the Joys of Movement, Fitness and Wellness!”
FitKidz© will teach kids that the journey to health and fitness is at least as much fun, and as worthwhile, as the destination of being healthy and fit!
From the basics of functional movement - running, jumping, crawling, throwing, skipping, climbing and moving things around – to the love of healthy foods instead of junk or “pseudo-“ foods, to the simple, healthy benefits of just having fun, FitKidz© will provide a fun, supportive atmosphere for ALL kids!
Athlete or non-athlete, fit or not, boys and girls alike will have the opportunity to “go out and play” (or ‘in’), all while developing the health-building habits that will serve them the rest of their lives!
Twice a week kids will run, jump, skip, throw, crawl, move stuff and learn to move in all directions with ease! They’ll play games as they learn to compete and cooperate, team-build and problem solve.
They will be guided through this terrific experience by a certified, trained youth fitness professional whose mission is to create an enriching, fulfilling and fitness-enhancing environment!
Most important, they’ll have fun! So much fun that they won’t even realize they’re “exercising!”
They won’t even realize that they’re choosing better foods and developing healthy habits! Ssshhhh!
But before you know it, they’ll realize how great they feel!
The best part is that you can give this incredible gift to your child each month for less than the cost of many athletic shoes or newly released video games!
If you’re not in Ocean County, NJ, don’t worry…we’re working to bring a FitKidz© Program to a location near you…SOON!
Call us today at 732-597-3725 or email us at fitkidzusa @ gmail.com!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
What Shamu taught me
We've all seen it. We've all been amazed by it.
Admit it; the first time you saw it, you were slack-jawed.
The pool is relatively calm, water swirling softly, when 11,000 pounds of sleek, deadly power explodes out of the pool, passes over a bar set ridiculously high above it, and slides back into the water. Gone!
The trainers have developed trust, good will and love with the whales.
This can take several weeks. After this, the bar the whales will jump over is placed at the bottom of the pool. That's right; the bottom of the pool!
Slowly, over time, the bar is raised off the bottom. As the whales continue to swim over it, they are praised and rewarded by the trainers. These rewards include pats on the head and flippers, fin rubs, fish treats and even a simple spray with a cold water hose.
If the whales swim under the bar during training, that behavior is ignored! The trainers, you see, always want to accentuate the positive!
As the bar is raised to the top of the water level, what do you think happens? That's right; the whales swim or slide over the top of the bar!
Guess what the trainers do. They praise and reward the whales with gusto! And the whales respond! They seem to feel excited, happy and fulfilled at the reaction of the trainers!
When the bar is raised to 6 or 8 feet above the pool, well...you know what happens then. That's showtime!
So let's review how you can get 11,000 lbs of the deadliest predator in the ocean to jump out of a pool and over a bar for you:
Admit it; the first time you saw it, you were slack-jawed.
The pool is relatively calm, water swirling softly, when 11,000 pounds of sleek, deadly power explodes out of the pool, passes over a bar set ridiculously high above it, and slides back into the water. Gone!
If you're a thinking person, you asked yourself "How do they get a 5 ton Killer Whale to do that?" Or perhaps, "Why doesn't that killing machine just eat the trainer already?"
I know how they do it, and it doesn't really surprise me.
The trainers at Sea World use a training "process" that begins with spending time getting to know the whale. From there they spend time in and around the water, letting the whales get used to them and lose their fear of the trainers.
You read that right; the whales have fear of the trainers. But once that fear is gone, the positive vibes between trainer and whale create an environment for learning and improvement like no other!
The trainers have developed trust, good will and love with the whales.This can take several weeks. After this, the bar the whales will jump over is placed at the bottom of the pool. That's right; the bottom of the pool!
Slowly, over time, the bar is raised off the bottom. As the whales continue to swim over it, they are praised and rewarded by the trainers. These rewards include pats on the head and flippers, fin rubs, fish treats and even a simple spray with a cold water hose.
If the whales swim under the bar during training, that behavior is ignored! The trainers, you see, always want to accentuate the positive!
As the bar is raised to the top of the water level, what do you think happens? That's right; the whales swim or slide over the top of the bar!
Guess what the trainers do. They praise and reward the whales with gusto! And the whales respond! They seem to feel excited, happy and fulfilled at the reaction of the trainers!
When the bar is raised to 6 or 8 feet above the pool, well...you know what happens then. That's showtime!So let's review how you can get 11,000 lbs of the deadliest predator in the ocean to jump out of a pool and over a bar for you:
- Develop trust, good will and love with them.
- Start at the bottom of the pool.
- Raise the bar steadily and consistently, until you reach the level at which you want them to "swim."
- Accentuate the positive, de-emphasize or ignore the negative (behaviors.)
- Praise and reward with gusto! Make sure they know you mean it! Celebrate every small progression like a victory along the way!
Now, would you like to know a secret? Training youth athletes and working with kids in fitness programs is exactly the same!!
They have to know you love and respect them!
They have to understand that progress is made from a definable starting point (bottom of the pool!)
They need to have the bar raised steadily and consistently, and they have to have an idea of where it's going!
They crave structure, discipline, direction and accentuation of the positives!
They live for praise, recognition, celebration of progress and reward! Just like the rest of us!
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, that's why we spend so much time talking about the journey, instead of the destination.
The process instead of the product.
The path to the goal instead of reaching it "by any means necessary."
All-Star Sports Academy builds better athletes and better people.
Find out why and how today! Call us at 732-597-3725 or email allstarsportsacademy @ gmail.com!
We'll see YOU at All-Star Sports Academy!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
This is just dumb...be smarter!!
Are you a baseball fan? A "true" fan?
Someone who goes to MLB games, buys gear and pays attention?
Then you're getting robbed. That's right, you are being swindled.
Not to mention you're supporting what is apparently an incredibly hazardous sport.
OK, enough of the cryptic stuff...here's the real scoop.
A 15 minute research project today revealed the following interesting information regarding Major League Baseball and injuries.
As of today, Sept. 17, in the American League alone, there are 36 pitchers on the disabled list. 36!
That's just pitchers. In only one half of Major League Baseball. These guys are being paid over $86 million dollars to not throw a baseball.
There are some notables. For example, Curt Schilling (Red Sox) is being paid $10 million to sit on the DL for the entire season!
Chien Min Wang (Yankees) has been sitting since June 15, but getting paid $4 million.
Danys Baez (Orioles) and Jose Contreras (White Sox) are both out for the season, to the tune of $16.17 million.
Over in Cleveland, the Indians paid Jake Westbrook $10 million this year. In exchange, they got all of 3 games out of him, and one win. That's $10 million for ONE WIN!
Now, I don't fault the players for the salaries they get. However, if you or I went "out for the season" at work with a biceps injury or a strained elbow ligament, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't get paid our full salary, if at all!
As fans, we're getting hosed. We shell out serious money to see these big-shot, high paid players perform! When they sit on the bench, we get to see, well, we don't see the guys we're paying to see.
If you went to see the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, and the theater showed you The Little Mermaid instead, how long would you put up with it?
What's my point here? Let's try a simple exercise and see if you can figure it out.
I'm going to list the players injuries, without their names, but with the simple, science-based training techniques or concepts that absolutely will prevent these injuries! No maybes here...just solutions! Here goes:
Lisfranc fracture/peroneus longus (foot/ankle muscle) tear.............Ankle mobility/stability training
Biceps strain/degeneration...........................Functional strength training/active flexibility & shoulder stabilization training
Elbow ligament tear (Tommy John).............Shoulder stability/dynamic stability & flexibility
Strained intercostal muscle.........................Functional Core Training/rotation training
Shoulder Inflammation.................................Functional Shoulder stability/Scapular stability
Amazingly enough, the other aspects of functional training that would help prevent these injuries include:
Core Stabilization, strength and power
Hip stability and mobility
Deceleration training (if you have no idea what we're talking about, call us NOW!)
Single leg training
Reactive neuromuscular training
You probably get it by now. Notice what's not on the list? Bench presses, leg presses and seated anything presses, rows or pulls.
These guys can afford the very best sports fitness training available, and they should take advantage of it!
Here's a secret: you can afford the best sports fitness training available, too!! All-Star Sports Academy can show you how to get the best training you can find anywhere, at a rate that will shock you!
Now, the question is: Are you smarter and more dedicated to your sports performance than a Major League Pitcher on the Disabled List?
These guys are willing to sit around injured and be absolutely no good to their team. How about you?
Step in, step up and do it right! Hundreds of athletes just like you already have.
Call us at 732-597-3725 and arrange to come in for your 1 week trial. Find out why All-Star Sports Academy athletes don't even know what the "disabled list" is!
Then you're getting robbed. That's right, you are being swindled.
Not to mention you're supporting what is apparently an incredibly hazardous sport.
OK, enough of the cryptic stuff...here's the real scoop.
A 15 minute research project today revealed the following interesting information regarding Major League Baseball and injuries.
As of today, Sept. 17, in the American League alone, there are 36 pitchers on the disabled list. 36!
That's just pitchers. In only one half of Major League Baseball. These guys are being paid over $86 million dollars to not throw a baseball.
There are some notables. For example, Curt Schilling (Red Sox) is being paid $10 million to sit on the DL for the entire season!
Chien Min Wang (Yankees) has been sitting since June 15, but getting paid $4 million.
Danys Baez (Orioles) and Jose Contreras (White Sox) are both out for the season, to the tune of $16.17 million.
Over in Cleveland, the Indians paid Jake Westbrook $10 million this year. In exchange, they got all of 3 games out of him, and one win. That's $10 million for ONE WIN!
Now, I don't fault the players for the salaries they get. However, if you or I went "out for the season" at work with a biceps injury or a strained elbow ligament, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't get paid our full salary, if at all!
As fans, we're getting hosed. We shell out serious money to see these big-shot, high paid players perform! When they sit on the bench, we get to see, well, we don't see the guys we're paying to see.
If you went to see the Batman movie, The Dark Knight, and the theater showed you The Little Mermaid instead, how long would you put up with it?
What's my point here? Let's try a simple exercise and see if you can figure it out.
I'm going to list the players injuries, without their names, but with the simple, science-based training techniques or concepts that absolutely will prevent these injuries! No maybes here...just solutions! Here goes:
Lisfranc fracture/peroneus longus (foot/ankle muscle) tear.............Ankle mobility/stability training
Biceps strain/degeneration...........................Functional strength training/active flexibility & shoulder stabilization training
Elbow ligament tear (Tommy John).............Shoulder stability/dynamic stability & flexibility
Strained intercostal muscle.........................Functional Core Training/rotation training
Shoulder Inflammation.................................Functional Shoulder stability/Scapular stability
Amazingly enough, the other aspects of functional training that would help prevent these injuries include:
Core Stabilization, strength and power
Hip stability and mobility
Deceleration training (if you have no idea what we're talking about, call us NOW!)
Single leg training
Reactive neuromuscular training
You probably get it by now. Notice what's not on the list? Bench presses, leg presses and seated anything presses, rows or pulls.
These guys can afford the very best sports fitness training available, and they should take advantage of it!
Here's a secret: you can afford the best sports fitness training available, too!! All-Star Sports Academy can show you how to get the best training you can find anywhere, at a rate that will shock you!
Now, the question is: Are you smarter and more dedicated to your sports performance than a Major League Pitcher on the Disabled List?
These guys are willing to sit around injured and be absolutely no good to their team. How about you?
Step in, step up and do it right! Hundreds of athletes just like you already have.
Call us at 732-597-3725 and arrange to come in for your 1 week trial. Find out why All-Star Sports Academy athletes don't even know what the "disabled list" is!
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