K2 Performance Training

Pre-Tournament Nutrition

K2 Performance Training — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 22:20:54 +0000

Q: What foods should you eat to start your day when you are going to play in an all day tournament?

A: First, I’ll assume that you’re planning to wake up early enough to have something somewhat substantial and are not just rolling out of bed and running out the door.

When you’re preparing for several games during the day. If you read nothing else, pay attention closely to this …

Stick with what you know and don’t try new foods on the day of competition. Or even the day before competition. I once worked with a client who came to me after she had a bad day on the field hockey field. She was hungry, a coach told her carbohydrates were important and that fiber was important, so with a large bran muffin as an option, she chose that. Unfortunately for her, her body wasn’t used to that much fiber…and she had a few GI issues during that day of tournaments that kept her cramped and certainly not performing at her peak (or at all in this case).

All that being said, a few tips.

Eat something somewhat substantial 2-3 hours before your first game.

Ideally this meal will be primarily carbohydrates with some protein. Here’s an easy way to imagine this.

Hold out your hand. Have about 2 fistfuls of carbohydrate and 1 of protein.

Examples?

1 Greek yogurt with a banana (2 parts carbs, 1 part protein).
1 slice of whole grain toast, 1 orange, 1 egg.
1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 apple + low fat milk.

The closer you get to the actual workout, time wise, the less you should eat so you don’t have heavy food sitting in your stomach.

Agility Training For Athletic Performance

K2 Performance Training — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:51:36 +0000

INTRODUCTION

Generally, agility can be defined by the ability to explosively start, decelerate, change direction, and accelerate again quickly while maintaining body control and minimizing a reduction in speed. Universally, agility can often be described as an athlete’s collective coordinative abilities. These are the basic elements of technical skills used to perform motor tasks spanning the power spectrum from dynamic gross activities to fine motor control tasks and include adaptive ability, balance, combinatory ability, differentiation, orientation, reactiveness, and rhythm. Coordinative abilities are often recognized to be most easily developed in preadolescence, which is considered to be an important time period for skill development. This period often changes focus during adolescence when the shift from general to special preparation should begin.

Most athletic activities that utilize agility occur in less than 10 seconds and involve the ability to coordinate a few or several sport specific tasks simultaneously (like catching a football and then making a series of evasive moves and cuts to avoid being tackled in order to advance the ball further down the field (6). With the exception of skills specific to the sport, agility can be the primary determining factor to predict success in a sport. Sports inherently require changes of direction in which lateral movements are used in the several planes of movement simultaneously. Sports regularly are played in short bursts of 30 feet (10 yards) or less before a change of direction, acceleration and/or deceleration is required. Because movements can be initiated from various body alignments, athletes need to be able to react with strength, explosiveness and quickness from these different positions.

Some people in sport may believe that agility is primarily determined by genetics and is therefore difficult to improve or enhance to any significant level. Sport coaches often become enamored with an athlete that possesses natural physical attributes (physical size, strength, vertical & horizontal power, ideal body composition) that are generally associated with a successful performance in sport.

However, many coaches often find these attributes alone will not guarantee success in sports that require agility. Unfortunately, because of the focus placed on physical attributes the focus on off-season programs often revolves around strength training and conditioning. Often agility and speed development at sport-specific speeds are neglected or only focused upon during small blocks of time in the preseason. Agility is a neural ability that is developed over time with many repetitions. The nervous system, motor abilities and sport specific movements at sport-specific speeds will have little time for development if not addressed throughout the off-season. It takes athletes weeks and months to see improvements in speed and agility. Agility should be trained as an important component of the annual training program.

Athletes who train for power oriented sports by only strength training and not incorporating sport-specific agility training are making a mistake in reaching their absolute best performance enhancement for sport. Whether it is a basketball player cutting toward a pass or a football lineman pulling to trap a defensive lineman, agility is a “critical” and often overlooked component of athletic performance. In sports such as baseball lateral speed, agility and quickness can be just as essential as strength and speed. The performances of athletes in sports today have dramatically elevated the level of agility necessary for performance success. There is a direct correlation between improved agility and the development of athletic timing, rhythm and movement.

The key to improving agility is to minimize the loss of speed when redirecting your body’s center of gravity. Drills that require rapid changes of direction forward, backward, vertically and laterally will help you improve your agility as well as coordination by training your body to make these changes in movement more quickly.ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE BENEFITS OF AGILITY TRAINING

Sport coaches may have difficulty bridging the gap between the application of strength, power and metabolic conditioning developed with strength training and conditioning to sport performance. Even for the athlete who will never make that Koby Bryant type move and bring the viewing audience to its feet, agility training has many benefits. Neuromuscular adaptation, improved athleticism and injury prevention and decreased rehabilitation time are three critical benefits that an athlete can receive with agility training (10).1. Neuromuscular Adaptation – Agility training may be the most effective way to address the neuromuscular system and sport-specific skills necessary for sport performance, since agility training most closely resembles the sport itself . Training at sport-specific metabolic training speeds enables athletes to train at a level that most closely resembles the intensity, duration, and recovery time found in sport during the off-season. The use of agility training in an annual training cycle provides a critical link for athletes to apply their strength and conditioning program gains to the competitive athletic arena.

2. Improved Athleticism – The most critical benefit of agility training is increased body control resulting from a concentrated form of kinesthetic awareness (10). Athletes that incorporate effective, consistent agility programs into their training often talk of the stunning gains in athleticism, no matter what the sport. It teaches the intricacies of controlling small transitions in the neck, shoulders, back, hips, knees and ankle joints for the best postural alignment. Athletes gain a sense of control to the task of moving faster. This can be seen in a greater sense for the uncoordinated athlete who learns more about him or herself through agility training then the coordinated athlete.

3. Injury Prevention & Decreased Rehabilitation Time– While it is virtually impossible to eliminate injury from sports, agility training improves athletic injury management. Injuries are not just a result of bad luck. By possessing the ability to control the body during that split second, critical instant of impact, an injury can often be prevented or have its severity reduced. This means preparing the body for the awkward movements, which can occur in sport and may result in injury. By imitating sport movements under low to moderate stress levels in practice situations and through training, the athlete’s body becomes better prepared for sport movement and injuries can be prevented or greatly reduced. When athletes utilize agility drills, they develop neuromuscular awareness and thus are better able to understand the movements of their bodies. The rehabilitation process can then proceed much more rapidly if the injured athlete possesses such neurological awareness.COMPONENTS OF AGILITY TRAINING

A comprehensive agility program will address the following components of agility: strength, power, acceleration, deceleration, coordination, balance and dynamic flexibility. When designing an agility program for athletic performance enhancement a strength & conditioning coach should incorporate the following components of agility (5,6,10,11,12,14,15):

1. Strength – Strength refers to the maximal force that a muscle or muscle group can generate at a specified velocity (distance ¸ time). When an athlete is in contact with an opponent the addition of their opponent’s resistance plus their own body weight is the resistance. Research has demonstrated a strong correlation between lower body strength and agility. The more emphasis the sport has on strength and power the greater the need for strength training, particularly the Olympic lifts, where the rate of force development is most similar to that of agility movements on the field or court.

2. Power – Power is rate at which work is completed (force X velocity). The faster an athlete gets from one point to another, the greater his/her power.

3. Acceleration – Acceleration is the change in velocity per unit of time. It’s an athlete’s ability to go from a starting position to a greater velocity and then change from one speed to another.

4. Deceleration – Deceleration is recognized as the ability to decrease speed or stop from a maximal or near maximal speed. Deceleration can be in various forms from using single or multiple footsteps, backpedaling, shuffling, or using a crossover step to slow down or stop completely.

5. Coordination – Coordination is referred to as the ability to control and process muscle movements to produce athletic skills.

6. Dynamic Balance – Dynamic balance is the ability to maintain control over the body while in motion. When the body is in motion, various feedback from the body, such as sight, kinesthetic awareness and perturbations, are made by the nervous system to adjust the center of gravity. Agility is closely aligned with balance by requiring athletes to regulate shifts in the body’s center of gravity, while subjecting them to postural deviation.

7. Dynamic Flexibility– Dynamic flexibility is the range of motion at a joint during active movements. These are generally activities utilized as a part of the warm-up designed to increase flexibility, coordination, speed and balance.TECHNIQUE

When instructing athletes on the execution of agility exercises it is critical to instruct athletes on technique. Visual focus, arm action, deceleration, recovery and biomechanics all play a valuable role in the proper technique of agility drills (6,10).

1. Visual Focus – The athlete’s head should be in a neutral position with eyes focused directly ahead, regardless of the direction or movement pattern being used by the athlete. Exceptions to this guideline will occur when the athlete is required to focus on another athlete or object. Additionally, getting the head around and finding a new focus point should initiate all directional changes and transitions.

2. Arm Action – Powerful arm movement during transitional and directional changes is essential in order to reacquire a high rate of speed. Inadequate or improper arm movement may result in a loss of speed or efficiency.

3. Deceleration – The ability of an athlete to decelerate from a given velocity is essential for changing directions.

4. Recovery – When training athletes to enhance their agility it is important to ensure that drills are performed at work and rest intervals consistent with the sport the athlete is training for. Partner athletes with other athletes of similar ability. Perform drills in a competitive atmosphere with technique always being more critical than the speed the drill is performed.

5. Biomechanics – When it comes to biomechanics and agility training three interrelated considerations should be taken into account:

A. Body Alignment - Maintaining a lower center of gravity enables the athlete to move more quickly, decelerate, and reaccelerate especially when needing to overcome the resistance of an opponent or object. The maintenance of core stability (maintenance of a neutral spine through the use of the musculature that supports the spine of the body) and the athletic position (perfect posture with the shoulders pulled back and down and abdominals tight, knees slightly bent with hips back and down and bodyweight forward on the middle of your feet) will enable the athlete to supply maximum power.

B. Movement Economy – Athletes should be educated as to the most efficient movement patterns and develop the required skills necessary to reach their performance objective. These patterns and skills may include movement patterns or skills that include side shuffling, backpedaling, use of a crossover step, turn and run or combinations of these patterns and skills.

C. Acceleration & Deceleration- Most sports require athletes to have the ability to accelerate, decelerate and reaccelerate. The more efficient an athlete becomes the better the athlete becomes at creating space between an opponent, move more quickly to a space or object and enhance performance potential.SUMMARY

Outside of sport specific training, agility training may be the primary determining factor to predict success in a sport. Sports are not straight ahead, but require changes of direction in which lateral movements are used in several planes of movement simultaneously. Because movements in sport are initiated from various body positions, athletes need to be able to react with strength, explosiveness and quickness from these different positions. Unfortunately, because of the focus placed on physical attributes in sports the focus on off-season programs often revolves around strength training exclusively. Often agility and speed development at sport-specific speeds are neglected or only focused upon during small blocks of time in the preseason. Agility is a neural ability that is developed over time with many repetitions. Research has shown that an increase in speed and strength was not as effective in developing agility as participation in activities specifically designed to develop agility.

The performances of athletes in sports today have dramatically elevated the level of agility necessary for performance success. Agility training provides the athlete with performance benefits: neuromuscular adaptation, improved athleticism, injury prevention and decreased rehabilitation time. A comprehensive agility program will address components of agility such as strength, power, acceleration, deceleration, coordination, balance and dynamic flexibility. When instructing athletes on the execution of agility exercises it is critical to instruct athletes on technique as a priority and speed of movement only after technique has been mastered.

Boost your metabolism all Day

K2 Performance Training — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:45:41 +0000

Boost Your Metabolism all Day!!

When you want to create a lean, firm body, the best way to accomplish it is with an effective workout program and a healthy eating plan. But that’s not the end of the story . . . . Because no matter how much you’re putting into your exercise sessions, practicing a range of healthy habits the rest of the time can give your metabolism an even bigger kick.

So here’s a full day’s worth of metabolism boosters. Any one of them may have a relatively minor effect, but when put together, they’re bound to help your body burn fat more efficiently. Add these tips to your weight loss arsenal, and you’ll get the results you want as quickly as possible.

Morning

Get some sun. A little outdoor time in the morning can help you slim down in three ways. First, bright light helps regulate your body clock, so you’ll be more energetic during the day and sleep better at night. Second, during the winter months, sunshine helps ward off SAD (seasonal affective disorder), a condition that can lead to uncontrolled food cravings. And third, sunlight on your skin increases your levels of vitamin D, which are associated with a higher metabolism and a lower risk of obesity. (While sunscreen cuts down on your natural vitamin D production, experts warn that you shouldn’t spend much time outside without it. You can also get more D by taking multivitamins, drinking fortified milk, and eating fatty fish.)

Eat a good breakfast. Research has shown that a filling breakfast that includes both lean protein and complex carbohydrates helps you burn fat all day (and keeps you satisfied longer, too). In a study presented to the Endocrine Society, dieters who ate hearty breakfasts stuck to their food plans and ended up losing more weight than those who didn’t, despite the fact that their daily caloric intake was actually slightly higher.
And add some grapefruit. There’s a reason grapefruit diets have never gone out of fashion. In a recent study in the journal Diabetes, mice on a high-fat diet that were given naringenin—a flavonoid chemical that gives grapefruit its slightly bitter taste—didn’t gain weight, while others on the same diet did. And a study conducted at the Nutrition and Metabolic Research Center at Scripps Clinic found that half a grapefruit before each meal helped obese people drop more than 3 pounds over 12 weeks. (Consult your doctor if you’re taking any medications—large amounts of grapefruit can change the way they’re metabolized by your body.)
Have a hot beverage. As you’ve surely heard by now, regular consumption of green or oolong tea can raise your metabolism by as much as 5 percent. But plain old java gives your fat-burning ability a boost too. Green coffee beans have been found to boost your metabolism through the combination of caffeine and something called chlorogenic acid. While roasting lowers the amount of this chemical, according to the Coffee Science Information Centre, a light roast retains more than a dark roast.

Whatever you drink, don’t overdo it, and keep the additives to a minimum—the calories in cream and sugar, or a coffeehouse latte, can far outweigh any fat-burning benefits.

Midday

Take the stairs. Your daily workout will do more than anything else to burn fat and build lean muscle. But that doesn’t mean you should be a slug the rest of the time. A highly publicized British study found that kids who were very active during physical education classes were that much less active throughout the day, which suggests that you may need to make a conscious effort to move your body when you’re not working out, including taking such simple steps as walking everywhere you can and using stairs rather than elevators. Even relatively brief periods of exercise will help keep your metabolism revving at a higher level.
Snack on nuts. All nuts (including peanuts, which aren’t technically nuts, but whatever) are fairly high in calories, but they’re also full of nutrients, especially protein and healthful fats. In a study at Purdue University, when people added 500 calories of peanuts to their daily diets, they ate less during meals and increased their resting metabolic rates by 11 percent. You don’t need to eat so many, though. Just an ounce at a time will go a long way toward boosting your metabolism and keeping you satisfied.
Shop in the outer aisles of the grocery store. Most supermarkets are laid out in similar ways: produce, meats, fish, dairy products, and other fresh, whole foods are along the outside edges, while processed, boxed, and canned foods are in the inner aisles. Shop on the perimeter first, and you’ll end up with nutritious ingredients that will fuel your muscles while keeping you full—and because they’re higher in fiber and protein and lower in starch, you can eat more of them and still lose weight.
Take time to relax. Stress can take a toll on your metabolism. When scientists at Georgetown University fed two groups of mice a high-fat, high-sugar diet, the ones under stress gained more than twice as much weight as the low-stress group. If your job (or any other part of your life) leaves you feeling like a mouse in a cage, try to find ways of cutting down on stress. At some point during the day, take a break for meditation, yoga, or just sitting in a peaceful place and thinking about something pleasant.

Nighttime

Watch your eating. If you’re like most people, your activity level slows down at night, and so does your metabolism. And yet there’s also a tendency to eat a lot at this time, either by having a big dinner or snacking in front of the TV, or both. If you’re overeating due to stress or boredom, the evening is a good time to concentrate on healthful dietary habits.
Hold the hooch. Your body loves alcohol—so much so, in fact, that it’ll burn its byproducts as fuel before anything else. That means that while you’re processing alcohol, you’re not burning fat. Of course, alcoholic beverages also have calories, virtually none of which are good for anything other than helping you gain weight.
Turn off your screens. At least 2 hours before bedtime, dim the lights, put away your computer, and turn off your video games. Bright lights, including those from computer screens, can interfere with your body’s production of melatonin, an antioxidant hormone that builds up in the evening and helps you sleep. Research has shown that higher levels of melatonin are associated with lower levels of body fat.
Catch your z’s. While you’re asleep, your body is hard at work producing hormones responsible for weight loss, muscle gain, and glucose metabolism. Studies have found that consistently getting less than the optimal 8 or so hours per night leads to a lower metabolism and a higher body mass. If you find yourself getting sleepy during the day, going to bed just an hour earlier could make a significant difference in your waistline.

The Speed Training Secret

K2 Performance Training — Wed, 25 May 2011 20:39:17 +0000

The Speed Training Secret

I received this great question from one of the coaches I work this earlier this week, and I thought it was a very important question, I wanted share it with parents and coaches of young athletes because it is very important:

“Hi Kevin. When training young athletes 8 – 12, what are the most important concepts of speed and acceleration to teach or stress?”

The answer, my friends, is none of them…

… Well not really, anyways.

If I were to look solely at speed and acceleration development with pre-adolescent athletes, my suggestion would be strength. Strength is an often forgotten variable in the speed and power equation and quite a critical component to the matrix of developing young athletes.

But the actual answer is deceleration skills.

If you learn to decelerate well, you will be in a position to re-accelerate effectively.

It means that you are likely one of the ‘fastest’ kids on the field (remember – it’s not who runs the fastest… it’s who can change direction quickest and with the most ease).

It means that you are likely injury-free (a combination of strength and quality mechanical understanding are the two greatest factors I have seen in terms of reducing the likelihood of knee and ankle injuries).

Now when teaching proper deceleration skills, it is critical that you move from Closed to Open Habits.

Closed Habits – skills being executed in a static environment.

Open Habits – skills that are adaptable to varying conditions and situations.

Closed Habits remove the external concerns of adjunct movement, opponents, teammates, speed and objects like a ball or puck.

In essence, Closed Habit skills are taught in the beginning stages of learning a given movement or series of movements. You need to teach both linear and lateral deceleration skills starting with repeating the motion from a static environment.

Eventually, you move into more advanced variations of learning and mastering these skills, such as repeating them in harmony with a random cueing from a coach or trainer.

At this level, the skills are known as Open Habits.

It is the progression of learning quality deceleration skills that make young athletes truly ‘fast’, ‘quick’ and ‘agile’.

Not the answer you were looking for, perhaps

- Kevin

Youth Speed Training

K2 Performance Training — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:15:08 +0000

Youth Speed Training

By Patrick Beith

Acceleration

Athletes in any sport, need to be able to accelerate as quickly as possible to get to the ball or opponent first. As a coach you must be able to put your athletes in the best possible position to succeed. I’m sure you can tell stories of athletes that you’ve seen that haven’t mastered body control and haven’t even learned to skip correctly. Now, how are you supposed to teach these athletes proper sprinting mechanics?

Fake it until you make it!

This doesn’t mean just have your athletes run until they get it right, because they won’t get it right. You must teach them proper form even if you have to trick their bodies to get into it.

Partner Marching Drills

1). The first drill that needs to taught is the Partner Marching Drill

Have the two partners face each other. The first person leans in at a 45 degree angle, while their partner is holding them in this position. Have your first athlete bring their right knee up, keeping the ankle behind the knee and the toe up towards the shin. This is triple flexion on the front side, the position your athlete would be in during acceleration. On the support leg (left leg), have your athlete in triple extension. That left leg will be in a straight line with the hips, spine and head. The ankle will be plantar flexed (pointed) and make sure that your athletes left glute is firing. For now, both arms will be at the side.

From this position, the athlete on your command will be driving the right leg down and back with the foot landing behind the hips. Switch legs, hold the position and on your command, have the athlete drive the left leg down.

*After this drill is perfected, you can add the arms in. Drive the opposite elbow down and back. Keep the hands loose, but not open. Arms should remain at approximately 90 degrees from the elbow.

2). The next progression is to perform the same drill with the athlete in motion. The athlete’s partner will be resisting slightly to keep the athlete at the desired 45 degree angle. The athlete is going to be marching for 10 steps, forcefully driving the front-side leg down and back. The forward movement will be short in distance with the focus on the driving motion. You want your athlete to be able to feel their feet behind them during these drills so it seems natural when it comes time accelerate during games.

3).The final progression of the Partner Marching Drill isn’t a march at all. This time you want your athlete to run. The object for your athlete is to make it to the cone (15 yards away) as quickly as possible while maintaining proper form. Their partner will be providing more resistance. A common mistake is for the athlete to bend or break at the hips. Make sure that there is a straight line from the support leg’s ankle all the way to their head.

Here are a couple more drills to use once your athletes have mastered the Partner Marching Drills. Again you will be putting their bodies in the right position without them knowing it.

Pushup ‘Down’ Position

Pushup ‘UP’ Position

Seated (forward or backward)

The pictures were of the starting positions for each exercise for speed training. You will notice when your athletes are getting up and out of these positions that they are driving out at a 45 degree angle to the ground. They are stepping over the opposite knee and driving the foot down and back into the ground to create maximal force and the foot strike will be slightly behind the hips. Your athletes will also come up gradually in a proper acceleration pattern without trying to force themselves to stay low or to pop up to soon.

All of the drills shown are great for the youth athlete. Teaching their bodies to learn, feel and remember the correct pattern of proper mechanics will set them up to make huge improvements with their speed without having any set backs and keeping them a step ahead of the competition.

Is A.M. The Best Time To Exercise?

K2 Performance Training — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:02:51 +0000

A.M. is the best time to exercise?

By Kevin Haag, Fitness Consultant

When is the best time to exercise? Whenever you can make time to exercise is the best time. For some people, it’s nearly impossible to find the time to exercise at all, and for others there’s no way they can break a sweat until the evening. But if a.m. exercise may be an option, I’ve got five reasons why working out in the morning is best.

It’s a fact that burning 500 calories at6 a.m.is no different from burning the same amount at6 p.m.So what difference does it make what time you choose to do your workout?

For you night owls out there, working out in the evening may be the best thing for you, but for the majority of people looking to get in shape, the morning looks a lot brighter for making true gains in your fitness and weight loss goals.

Why? Well, for these sensible reasons:

Consistency

As the day goes on you get busier and busier and your schedule can easily change, leaving you no time for exercise. How many times has that happened to you? Probably more often that not.

Get your workout out of the way by doing it first thing in the morning and you can be flexible to any changes that may pop up during your day. This way, you’ll have no excuses for not exercising, because you’ve already done it before your day got hectic. This means you’re more likely to exercise every day, helping you to be consistent with your workouts for lasting results.

Metabolism Boost
Start your day out right and you’ll reap the benefits all day long. Morning exercise will rev up your metabolism, helping you to burn more calories all throughout the day.

Ever notice that after you work out for awhile you actually feel like you have more energy than when you were taking it easy?

That’s because your metabolism kicks in and feeds your body a consistent stream of energy all day long. You would be burning more calories while reading this if you had only worked out this morning.

Healthy Routine

Your body craves routine! Waking up at the same time every day to get your workout in helps your body to regulate many different functions for optimal performance all day long. It’s known as your circadian clock, and everyone has one.

This “clock” is really the routine that your body is set to. It takes time and practice to change this internal clock, so don’t expect to be waking up cheery at first if you’re trying to wake up earlier to exercise.

As you get up earlier on a consistent basis, your body will adapt and you’ll find that it’s not as difficult to wake up at5:30 a.m.as you thought it would be. In fact, you’ll probably end up waking up at the same time every morning without an alarm clock.

Research has also shown that your body is better able to prepare for the day ahead when your sleeping routine is consistent.

Smarten Up!
Have an important meeting with the boss today? A big, scary test at school today? Exercising in the morning gets the blood flowing to your brain, circulating precious nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to your various organs. More oxygen to your brain gives you a mental boost, helping you to stay focused all day long.

Don’t let morning fog stop you from getting that promotion, or getting an A on that test. Get up, get moving and get what you want out of your day

You Will Look Great and Feel AWESOME!
Your body will thank you, and so will your mirror. Exercise is not only healthy for your heart; it’s also great for an ego-boost. With consistent exercise you will shed unwanted pounds that have plagued you for years, giving you a new outlook on life.

And what better way to start your day than knowing you’re doing your body good?

What’s Your Fitness Style?

Some people find it easy to set the alarm clock for4:30 a.m.and jump out of bed for a five-mile run, while others hit the snooze button so many times that the chance of a morning workout becomes obsolete. There are specific aspects of your personality that determine what kind of exerciser you are, so if you’ve found yourself in a fitness rut it’s time to put your unique interests back into the equation.

Kevin Haag is a Fitness Trainer and Consultant with the K2Performance Team, and is the founder of Summit Fitness Adventure Boot Camps. You can reach Kevin at 908-803-8019 or www.LiveK2.com

Great Stretches

K2 Performance Training — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 21:49:52 +0000

Stretching Routine for ~~Athletes~~ Everyone

Why do we Stretch
We stretch for 3 reasons: injury prevention, injury treatment and function. If done properly, stretching increases flexibility and this directly translates into reduced risk of injury. A muscle group with a greater range of motion is less likely to pull or tear when used during activity. Stretching also improves recovery and may enhance athletic performance due to improved biomechanical efficiency. Additionally, increased flexibility of the neck, shoulders, and upper back can improve respiratory function.

Lets stick with function. Healthy muscles let enable you to naturally move through greater ranges of motion, which will make your daily activities easier and make you a much better athlete.

How to Stretch
There are 3 methods of stretching: static, ballistic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). The pictures below are great static stretches which should preferably be done after activity when the body is warm.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Hamstring Stretch
periformis stretch

Deep squat stretch

butterfly stretch

The Speed Training Secret

K2 Performance Training — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 19:14:00 +0000

The Speed Training Secret

I received this great question from one of the coaches I work with earlier this week, and I thought it was worth sharing with parents and coaches of young athletes because it is very important:

“Hi Kevin. When training young athletes 8 – 12, what are the most important concepts of speed and acceleration to teach or stress?”

The answer, my friends, is none of them…

… Well not really, anyways.

But the actual answer is deceleration skills.

If you learn to decelerate well, you will be in a position to re-accelerate effectively.

It means that you are likely one of the ‘fastest’ kids on the field (remember – it’s not who runs the fastest… it’s who can change direction quickest and with the most ease).

Now when teaching proper deceleration skills, it is critical that you move from Closed to Open Habits.

Closed Habits – skills being executed in a static environment.

Open Habits – skills that are adaptable to varying conditions and situations.

Closed Habits remove the external concerns of adjunct movement, opponents, teammates, speed and objects like a ball or puck.

Eventually, you move into more advanced variations of learning and mastering these skills, such as repeating them in harmony with a random cueing from a coach or trainer.

At this level, the skills are known as Open Habits.

It is the progression of learning quality deceleration skills that make young athletes truly ‘fast’, ‘quick’ and ‘agile’.

Not the answer you were looking for, perhaps

- Kevin

How to Improve SPEED!

K2 Performance Training — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:21:21 +0000

How to Improve SPEED!
by Kevin Haag, CSCS, Youth Performance Specialist

Who is the faster athlete….the one who gets there quickest

the one who can decelerate, change directions and accelerate most economically?

You better believe it is the latter!

Speed is every athlete’s need and many an athlete’s nemesis. A complete speed training program develops the muscle movements and bursts of energy required to beat the competition. Regardless of age, speed is the most fascinating component of sports. When an athlete displays speed on the playing field, it is eye catching. Speed is known to change the outcome of a game in a single play. In younger athletes, speed is more impressive due to the lack of tactics the opponents use to combat speed.

Speed training programs should ideally start at a young age. Drills for adolescent athletes focus on developing the correct mechanics and muscle memory required for quick sprints. Everything from posture to arm movements should be practiced and repeated to increase fleetness and reduce injury. Drills for pre-adolescents should be fun and more like a game. The age of the athletes and specific sport have to be considered when deciding which practices to implement.

Teen athletes should develop a speed training program that calls for explosive movement and muscle strength. If you want to get faster, do away with the long-distance running and long endurance exercises. Rather, emphasize getting the maximum burst of energy from the very first step. Shaving even just a few seconds off your speed time can make the difference between winning or losing the game.

Any speed training program should follow a few basic elements:

Warm-up every muscle group before starting.
Concentrate on posture, head and shoulder position, arm movements and hip agility to help prevent injury and give your muscles the chance to show their best.
Vary the drills and speed required for each to avoid hitting a “speed barrier.”
Strength is a top factor in developing speed, so don’t forget the resistance training.
Do not add more than 20% of body weight if your speed training program includes sleds or resistance objects. Anything over the 10% mark can have a negative effect on speed and actually slow the athlete down even when not weighted.
Optimal speed requires optimal health. Don’t focus on speed training when you are not at your athletic best. Instead, use those times to work on increasing range of motion, strengthening your core and other training specific to the sport.

Sample Speed Training Drill

Start with a Thorough Warm Up
Jog 10 minutes at an easy slow pace followed by some simple range of motion stretches for your shoulders, hips, ankles, neck, trunk and head. Move slowly and breathe deeply.

Maintain Proper Form
Good form means maintaining proper posture while focusing on how you move not just how fast you move. To ensure proper form, you should not be fatigued when you start drills. Form is the first thing to suffer when you are tired.

Avoid bending forward at the waist
Push from the balls of your feet (not the toes)
Focused your vision to the end of the course
Keep smooth forward/backward arm swings (not across the body)
Hands pump from shoulder height to hips (men) and from chest height to hips (women)
Elbows at 90 degrees at all times
Maintain relaxed arms, shoulders, and hands
Avoid head bobbing or twisting
Keep momentum forward and not side to side.

20 Meter Drills
Perform the following drills 2-3 times each session.

High-step walking: (lifting knees up to hip level)
High-step jogging: (lifting knees up to hip level)
Skipping
Crossovers: (Jog sideways while crossing right leg over left leg, then left over right leg)
Heel kicks: (while jogging kick heels to buttocks with each step)
Ladder drills: one foot contact per square
Plyometrics: single leg hopping, bounding, bunny hops, tuck jumps, jumping obstacles.

30 Meter Drills
Perform the following drills 2-3 times each session.

Double leg hops (jump forward over cones or another marker)
Zig Zag hops (jump forward in a zig zag pattern)
One Leg lateral bounding (jump sideways one leg, then the other)

Speed Drills: Take a 5 minute rest break between each set.

5 reps / 10 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 4 point start) walk back.
5 reps / 20 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 3 point start).
5 reps / 40 meters /100 percent effort (full out from a 3 point start).
2-3 reps of flying 30 meter sprints at 100 percent for acceleration (built up over 20 meters and at max for 30 meters).

Cool Down
Jog for 10 minutes at a slow, steady pace and finish with gentle whole body stretching.

Happiness is contagious?

K2 Performance Training — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 11:59:37 +0000

I was informed that along with one of my holiday greeting cards was a letter about this individual’s family experience over the past year. I was told that “You have to read this letter; It is so obnoxious and brags about the children the whole letter.”

Since “Those People” who write and talk about how great their kids are drive me nuts, I almost trashed the letter away before reading it. I am so glad that I did not!

This letter made me laugh out loud the entire time. Rather than brag about the children, this letter poked fun at the way kids’ act, the way they think they run the world and…you get the picture.

My point is: How did this person miss the satire????

I am not a shrink, but I KNOW that the happiest, most fulfilled, most balanced people complain the least. They see things different. They are more open-minded. This is a Fact based on hundred of interviews and case studies over the years. These people handle every situation, whether tragic and insignificant, better than others.

I personally believe that the person who viewed this letter as obnoxious is insecure or sad, and wasn’t able to see the happiness and humor this letter was meant to provide.

I cannot tell everyone how to be happier and live a better life, but I can tell you it begins with change. And most change cannot happen alone. Please always work on being happier. Happiness is contagious!!