07.18.03
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click
here to Ask Joe about training. If you send a
question, it may appear on the website. Please do
not submit a question if you do not want the question
published. Only your first name will be used for privacy
reasons.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Submit your email address to subscribe to
our free newsletter.
You can receive our weekly email letting you know
when there are new Questions and Answers. We will
also keep you up to date with upcoming events and
new ways to become a better athlete.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: In general, what do you think
are the most common mistakes high school athletes make that
prevent them from gaining size and strength?
Thanks, Andrew
A: First of all, most
high school kids think, “more is always better.”
The amount of muscle size and strength you build is not
determined by the amount of time you spend in the gym. If
it were, there would be a lot more big and strong high school
athletes around! I think short, intense workouts that give
your body the proper “stimulus” for new muscle
growth, without tapping too far into its “recovery
potential”, are best. Most of my high school athletes
train with weights 4X a week. These sessions take no longer
than an hour after the warm-up is completed. After an hour
with me, most of them are pretty much ready to have their
post-workout shake and crawl home!
Another huge mistake with most high school
athletes is very poor exercise selection. I always find
it funny that I never have to wait for the squat rack or
chin-up bar at the gym. The leg extension, lat pulldown
and pec deck are another story. This is called training
economy. Choose the exercises that give you the best bang
for your buck and work the most muscle, while spending the
least amount of time in the gym. (By the way, these exercises
usually aren’t the most fun to perform, but the results
will come quicker.) For example, if high school kids spent
more time doing squats, deadlifts, chin-ups, benches and
lunges, they would get bigger and stronger much quicker.
Finally, a major limiting factor in getting
bigger and stronger is that they don’t feed their
bodies often enough throughout the day. I believe to keep
your body in an optimal state for building new muscle tissue,
you’ve got to have a constant influx of nutrients
into the body and very stable insulin levels. The best way
to do this is to eat a nutrient-rich, protein and carbohydrate-containing
meal around every 3 hours throughout the day. (By the way,
a bowl of pasta is not considered a meal and neither is
a can of tuna. Try to have balanced meals.) Obviously, it’s
very difficult to prepare 6 meals a day, especially when
you’re in school. This is why I highly recommend meal
replacement shakes and nutritional bars to all of my athletes.
I consider these the “fast food” choice for
athletes. As far as brands are concerned, I usually recommend
bars that favor the 40-30-30 macronutrient profile (Zone
and Balance bars) and reputable meal replacement shakes
(Myoplex, Met-Rx, etc.).
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: My adductors are weak and underdeveloped.
For some reason my adductors have been my weak link since
I can remember. Whenever I run, I feel like I’m on
the verge of pulling my groin. The day after running, my
adductors are always sore as hell. I’m going into
my junior year in college next year and have a chance to
start at receiver. My leg routine for the past 3 months
has been front squats, hack squats, leg presses and then
leg curls. Should I incorporate a specialization program
to add size and strength to my adductor muscles?
I look forward to your response,
Terrance
A: There’s really no reason to do
a specialization program for your adductors. This would
then take away from training your all-important “posterior
chain” (spinal erectors, gluteals, hamstrings). These
are the muscles responsible for your running and jumping
ability. The adductors largely serve to stabilize the knee
and hip when there is movement in the sagittal plane. Your
training basically takes place in an environment that is
almost totally front and back. You need to start doing some
unilateral work for your legs. Reverse barbell lunges, step-ups
with a knee-height box, low-pulley split squats and single
leg squats with the back leg elevated are all great choices.
You can also try adding an unstable environment to theses
exercises, such as a Dyna-Disc placed under your working
leg on step-ups and split squats. One or two high rep sets
of squats on a wobble board once or twice a week can also
do the trick. Try incorporating these exercises into your
lower body training and let me know how you progress.
By the way, get rid of the hack squats
and leg presses and start incorporating more barbell squats
and deadlift variations into your training.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: How many days a week should
I run if I want to improve my 40-yard dash time? I live
on the east coast and now that the weather is getting warmer,
I’m ready to hit the track and get fast!
Chris
A: Here’s the deal.
The shorter the distance of the race, the less often you
have to run to improve upon it. Since the 40 is a very short
race, it relies heavily on strength, power and technique.
After you are properly coached on the intricacies and technique
of the race, the majority of your training should take place
in the weight room. I found that after around 6-8 sessions
of running forties and practicing technique, the biggest
limiting factor in an athlete’s speed is his/her strength,
flexibility and/or body composition.
A great example of this is Boston College
linebacker Vinny Ciurciu. Vinny has been a client of mine
for the past 4 years. Over the years he has run endless
10-yard sprints and 40-yard dashes. He knows the technique
to the 40-yard dash better than most qualified speed &
strength coaches. This is why leading into the biggest 40-yard
dash of his life (at his Pro Day on March 26th) his training
focused primarily on strength/explosive power training,
flexibility and proper nutrition. He lifted weights and
incorporated intense flexibility training on an average
of 4 days a week, ran on an average of 1-2 days a week and
followed a diet of lean proteins, essential fatty acids
and low-glycemic carbohydrates. Exercises of primary importance
were dynamic box squats with bands, trap bar deadlifts from
a podium with chains, barbell reverse lunges and reverse
hyperextensions. During flexibility training sessions the
hip flexors, gluteals and hamstrings were given top priority.
After all was said and done, Vinny ran
an official 4.43-second forty-yard dash, weighing 240 lbs.!
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Q: I read your 40-Yard Dash and
Vertical Jump books and thought they were both very informative.
I read them mainly to help my son’s training (he plays
football & basketball). I am an ex-athlete and now work
out mainly to just stay in shape and be healthy. In your
2 books, you prescribe a lot of advanced strength-training
exercises that seem better suited for athletes. For a guy
like me, do “average” exercises like concentration
curls, tricep pushdowns and leg presses have their place?
I’m interested in knowing what you think about these
exercises.
Mel
A: Mel, I don’t
think about those exercises.
Return to Top
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
