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DeFranco's Training NEWS!
2007 MS Walk
I wanted to start this week’s update by thanking the hundreds of people who participated in the MS Walk in Ridgewood, NJ on April 22nd. For those of you that are unaware, 400,000 Americans and their families suffer from the devastating effects of Multiple Sclerosis. Unfortunately, this disease hits home for me and my family as my mom has been living with MS for almost 20 years. Thankfully, my mom has been blessed with an incredibly positive attitude and she’s the most mentally strong person that I know. I pray everyday for a cure for her and events like the MS Walk help to bring the world one giant step closer. For more information on the National MS Society, or to make a donation, CLICK HERE.
There was a tremendous turn-out this year at the MS WALK and I am proud to say that DeFranco’s Training Systems LLC was one of the sponsors of this great event.
We were proud to have our table set up at the start line as we fueled the walkers with our DeFranco Energy Bars. Our table was packed all day long and the response was tremendous. (People were finishing their walk in record time after being fueled with the DeFranco bar!!)
The event raised a lot of money and brought us one step closer to putting an end to MS.
Great day. Great cause.
Joe D.
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An amazing gesture from an amazing person
All too often we hear about the negative things that professional athletes do when they’re not on the field. Well, here’s something positive that I wanted to bring to everyone’s attention; DeFranco’s Training client, Justin Hamilton, a former Virginia Tech safety and current Cleveland Browns safety, donated $50,000 to aid the victims of the Virginia Tech tragedy. Through his Justin Hamilton Foundation,
Justin has mobilized his teammates on the Cleveland Browns and other players in the NFL to provide immediate comfort and relief to the Virginia Tech community. Knowing Justin personally, I am not surprised by his actions at all; Justin’s donation was an amazing gesture made by an amazing person during a time of tragedy. It is great to see a professional athlete that can be a role model to us all.
Joe D.
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NFL DRAFT UPDATE!
I wanted to congratulate the following athletes that trained with us this year to prepare for their NFL workouts. They have officially moved on to the next level!!
Deon Anderson, fullback
6th Round Draft Pick, Dallas Cowboys
First Deon was told that fullbacks are a dying breed in the NFL and that teams don’t draft fullbacks; Then, he was told that NFL teams were concerned about his “character issues” so there was no way he was going to get drafted. But THEN, Deon showed up at the NFL Combine, he KICKED ASS, he proved what a great person he is, and the son of a bitch ends up getting drafted in the 6th Round!
It is very fitting and appropriate that one of the biggest legends that ever stepped foot in my gym will join another DeFranco’s Training legend, Miles Austin, in the NFL. (I never thought I would see the day that I would root for the Dallas Cowboys, but that day has come. Wow, life is funny.)
Mike Richardson, defensive back
6th Round Draft Pick, New England Patriots
Mike did NOT receive an NFL Combine invite, but he vaulted up the NFL draft boards after dominating at Notre Dame’s Pro Day. He ran a 4.4-second 40, a 4.05-second 20-yard shuttle and he ran the fastest 3-Cone drill in NFL HISTORY (6.27 seconds)! Hmmm, do you think that maybe Mike should have been invited to the Combine? I do! Well, it doesn’t matter now…Mike is on his way to play for one of the best franchises in NFL history.
For more info on Mike’s stay in New Jersey and his training with us, click on the link below to read a great article from Notre Dame’s Blue & Gold magazine.
http://www.blueandgold.com/content/?aid=3725
Dan Murray, tight end
Signed contract with Jacksonville Jaguars
When Dan first entered my gym, he could barely walk without limping due to a severe high ankle sprain. Then, during his 2-month stay in New Jersey, Dan went through one of the greatest transformations in DeFranco’s Training history! Dan put on a show at UConn’s Pro Day which resulted in the Jacksonville Jaguars taking a “chance” on him. I don’t think they are going to be disappointed. This kid is now 100% healthy and he’s one hell of an athlete! CLICK HERE to read more about Dan’s incredible transformation.
Chad Upshaw, tight end
Signed contract with Carolina Panthers
Chad went through an incredible transformation during his stay with us as well. Most notably, Chad answered any questions regarding his speed by taking 3 tenths of a second off of his 40 time while training with us. Chad ended up running a 4.69-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day and the NFL scouts definitely took note!
Brenden Hill, safety
Signed contract with NY Jets
Joey Card, safety
Invited to Cleveland Browns mini camp
Devraun Thompson, linebacker
Invited to Chicago Bears mini camp
*Congratulations to these guys. We’re looking forward to watching them play on Sunday’s!
Joe D.
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Two High School kids make DeFranco’s Training history!
For the first time in my 10-year career of training athletes, I had 2 HIGH SCHOOL athletes squat 500 lbs. ON THE SAME DAY (wearing just a belt)! These kids aren’t 300 lb. kids, either; both athletes weigh in the 210-220 lb. range and are very lean. It was a great day in DeFranco’s Training history. Check these kids out…
St. Joe’s (Montvale) linebacker - Adam Triglia
Adam will be playing in the Ivy League next year for UPenn
Ramapo HS linebacker – Derek King
Derek will follow in the footsteps of DeFranco’s Training legend, Miles Austin, and play for Monmouth University next year
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We have added some new pictures to our HIGH SCHOOL MALE PICS section! Wanna get motivated? Check out what some of our other young athletes are doing HERE!
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Search Engine added!
You asked for it and you finally got it! With well over 300 “ASK JOE” questions answered, 13 Articles and tons of other info, defrancostraining.com is a gold mine of training information! The problem is that there is now so much info that it gets lost in the site. Well, you will no longer have to spend hours trying to find past information. You will now find our search engine in the upper right hand corner of the site. Enjoy!
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Q: Joe,
I love reading your website! I'm getting my Master's in Exercise Physiology, but I'd say the majority of the "real world" lifting information has come from your website and other coaches you recommend. I had ACL surgery Dec. 15th of last year with the patella tendon replacing the torn ACL. I was just wanting to know your protocol or favorite exercises that you've found to be beneficial for ACL rehabilitation. I would really value your insight and experience on this topic. Oh yea, thanks for the Super Strength DVD and the Defranco bars, absolutely amazing!
Thanks for your contribution to strength and conditioning,
Shep
A: Shep,
I want to preface my answer by saying that I am NOT a physical therapist. My experience with ACL rehab has been during the “post” rehab phase and thereafter. By “post-rehab” I am referring to the initial stages of training after the surgeon and physical therapists have cleared the athlete to resume “normal” training. You should be in this phase right now, but I just wanted to make sure your doctor has cleared you.
O.K., now that I’m done with my little disclaimer, let me give you my “Fab 5” ACL “post-rehab” exercises. There are obviously a LOT more than 5 exercises that can help strengthen your knee, but these are my “best of the best.” I chose these exercises because I have seen them work in the real world time and time again after ACL surgery. Here ya’ go…
#1 – Terminal Knee Extensions (TKE’s)
It still baffles me that this exercise isn’t more “mainstream” in the rehab setting. This closed chain exercise is FAR superior to the much more popular leg extension.
To perform a TKE, you must first wrap a band around a power rack or another stable object at knee height. Wrap the other end of the band around your knee. Walk back so that the band is pulling at the back of your knee. With your heel on the floor, bend and flex your knee. When you flex, make sure to contract your quad as tight as you can for a one or two count. Perform 15-20 reps for 2-3 sets each leg. This is a GREAT warm-up exercise to perform on lower body days if your knees tend to bother you when squatting. It is amazing how this exercise almost magically reduces knee pain when you perform it before squatting. Give it a try whether you’re recovering from ACL surgery or not!
Foot remains flat on ground as the knee bends
Keep foot flat on ground as you straighten your leg and flex your quad hard
#2 – Box Squats
When performed properly, box squats place very little stress on the ACL and patella tendon and they are a great hamstring strengthener (which is important because the hamstrings help stabilize the knee).
I’ve recently started loading the box squat a little differently with my “post ACL” athletes. Once they are able to box squat an empty bar with no pain, I add chain weight before adding regular weight plates to the bar. This is because most athletes coming off of ACL surgery have a hard time “getting out of the hole” with regular weight on the bar when they are squatting. By starting with chain weight, the athlete is able to get off of the box easier because most of the chain is deloaded on the floor; then the chains unravel off of the floor and add more resistance at the top (where the athlete is much stronger and has less pain.) Using the chains in this manner is a great way to help overload the athlete in a safe way after surgery. As the athlete gets healthier and stronger, the goal is to decrease the chain weight and increase the bar weight.
#3 – Backward Sled Drags
This is one of the all-time great exercises for strengthening the vastus medialis and it places very little stress on the joints. It will also help get your ass back in shape! Simply face your sled, grab the rope, turn your toes slightly outward and walk backwards using short, quick steps.
#4 – Upright sled walks
Attach the rope from a sled around a weight belt and simply walk with an upright posture. This is a great hamstring and glute strengthener and it places almost no stress on your joints. Great when you’re recovering from surgery!
#5 – Step-ups
Anyone that reads my website knows that my 3 favorite unilateral movements are step-ups, Bulgarian split squats and reverse lunges. I start my ACL post-op athletes with step-ups because they tend to put the least amount of stress on their knee compared to the other 2 movements. We start with bodyweight then progress to a weighted vest. After step-ups become pain-free, we move onto Bulgarian split squats and then reverse lunges would be the final exercise in the progression.
**Just to clarify, the above exercises are my favorite strength exercises for post-op ACL athletes. Once you get your strength back, make sure to progress to more challenging tasks, i.e., landing drills, jumping drills, and most importantly, speed/”agility” drills that do not have a predetermined outcome.
Best of luck.
Joe D.
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Q: Hey Coach, I was wondering if you had any new articles coming out or what new projects you had coming up?
Thanks, Tom.
A: Tom,
The next big project that DeFranco’s Training Systems will be bringing to you isn’t an article or a book…it’s something MUCH more interesting! I can’t get into any specific details just yet, but rest assured this project is going to be entertaining, educational & inspirational! I will follow up with details when everything is finalized.
“The DeFranco Experience - Summer of ‘07”
COMING SOON…
Joe D.
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Q: Hi Joe,
I love your site. I'm wondering how your Super Strength program would work for soccer players? Can you speak to this?
Scott
Austin, TX
A: Scott,
I am going to answer your question by asking you another question… “Do you think a soccer player can benefit from increasing his/her strength, explosive power and muscular endurance?” If you answered YES to this question, then my SUPER STRENGTH program would definitely work for soccer players!
As long as you continue to work on your soccer specific skills, you don’t have to change a thing about my Super Strength program.
I said it before and I’ll say it again, “The act of playing your sport is what makes the strength & power that you gain in the weight room sport-specific.”
Joe D.
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