Bolts of Lightning

The Greatest Game in the Country

I bet everyone thought they knew what this week's "Bolt" would be about..
 
"5 Ways to eat less at Thanksgiving".. NOPE!
"Reduce your Thanksgiving Day dinner, reduce your calories".. WRONG!
"10 ideas to avoid Holiday weight gain".. NOT EVEN CLOSE! 
 
Almost all exercise tips around the holidays focus on nutrition, eating less, fitness resolutions.  These topics are too plain, overdone, and plain boring.  Pick up the December issue of your humdrum fitness magazine for these snoozers.  Not here, not today, not from me.
 
I would, instead, like to tell you about the Greatest Game in the Country!
It is the Thanksgiving day football game between two high schools situated in the northeast corner of the country, Easton Area HS (Pennsylvania) vs Phillpsburg HS (New Jersey).  This year's game will be the 102nd meeting between the two teams, and I cannot possibly describe the tradition, fanfare, and excitement that surrounds the event for the two communities.  Nearly 18,000 people will gather at a local university stadium to view the game, rooting for their school, and looking for bragging rights in a game that some of their Great, Great Grandfathers played in. 

 

I have had the fortunate opportunity to be on the sideline of a number of high level sporting events in the last 13 years.  This list includes Division I college games in front of 90,000 people, American Football played in 4 different European countries, right to the NBA level with the top athletes in the world competing.  The Easton-P'Burg game, without question, remains the greatest.

 

Why am I mentioning this game to you?  I am an Easton Alum and played in the game for 3 years in high school.  Easton is also the very first school to enroll in WWSP's "Athletic Excellence" program, where school participation brings an amazing Strength and Conditioning program to the school and the ability to raise money for their individual sport as well.  Good luck to Easton tomorrow, BEAT P'BURG!

 

Here is one of the training phases that is part of the "Athletic Excellence" program.  This one is derived from the Eastern Europeans, and I call it "100 REP Training."  Perform this routine on a Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule for 6 weeks, for a quick muscle-building blast.  This one's designed to add bulk in a hurry!

 

MONDAY

Bench Press  10 sets of 10

Squat (Back or Front) 10 sets of 10

 

WEDNESDAY

DB Shoulder Press 10 sets of 10

Barbell Bicep Curl 10 sets of 10

 

FRIDAY

Pullups or Lat Pulldown  10 sets of 10

RDL or Machine Leg Curl  10 sets of 10

 

No rest in between each exercise of the pair, but leave 3 minutes of rest after you complete each pair.   Throw in some ab and low back exercises on each of the days, and you have a full body "Hypertrophy" workout that is sure to make your friends and family saying.. "You look amazing, have you been working out!?!"  IN JUST 6 SHORT WEEKS!

 

 

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

Challenging Muhammad Ali?

I was watching TV the other day, and saw a profile piece that ESPN did on Baltimore Ravens Linebacker Ray Lewis.  I have followed his career and accomplishments over the years, as he has been recognized as one of the most feared and relentless competitors in the entire NFL.  His intensity is unmatched, and his ability to lead his team and establish his "culture" has made the Ravens defense one of the best in the league during his time with the team.

When asked to describe his overall approach to the game, he said something that struck a chord with me:

"I'm not a butterfly, I'm not a bee.. I'm a sledgehammer."

Simple.  Direct.  Descriptive.  Profound.

I think I like that he challenged a well-known quote from Muhammad Ali, and made it his own.  I think I like that, in one statement, you know exactly what he is all about.  I know I like that he has established his own identity and has no hesitation in communicating it.  One sentence speaks volumes about the high standard that he sets for himself as an athlete, and as a person.

He is passionate about his craft.
He brings energy, excitement, and enthusiasm in all that he does.
He takes action.
He dominates.

I have had the fortunate opportunity to meet a number of very successful people in my life.  They span many arenas, including business, sports, education, fitness, and many other professions.  Most of these people hold themselves to the same high standard, and weave these qualities into their everyday actions.  Pretty good example, if you ask me.

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

Meet me at the monkey bars!

For this week's "Bolt", I knew I wanted to give you guys a workout, but wasn't sure which way I wanted to go.  Do I give them a speed workout?  How about core?  Should it be for competitive athletes or do I send them a high level fitness program for weight-loss and toning?  As I was getting my own sweat in on Monday, it came to me... I'll just send them the workout that I was doing at that moment!  So here it is...

All you need for this one is to go to your local playground.  That's right, no equipment or gym memberships, and you get to work out outside in the gorgeous Fall weather (ok, maybe you'll want to bring a basketball)!

   1. 5 min warm-up
   2. I repeated the following drills 6 times, with no rest in between:
          * 60-second basketball court distance agility run - run back and forth from baseline to baseline as many times as you can in 60 seconds (it's a near sprint, so try to get 8-10 lengths!).  After the third round, I changed this to a 30-second sprint back and forth instead of 1 minute
          * 20-second Pullup Pulse - take an underhand grip on the monkey bars, and perform a small pulse movement up and down with about 90 degree elbows (not a full pullup, you're just moving a few inches with each pulse... this one fires up the biceps!)
          * 10 Pullups - I took a neutral grip on this one (palms face each other) on the rings of another set of monkey bars.  Bang out a set of 10
          * 10 1-arm Pushups - I just walked over to the picnic bench, put 1 hand on the edge of the table, and knocked out 10 full range-of-motion pushups for each arm (try to get your chest all the way to the table edge, keeping your shoulders square)
          * 12 Hanging Leg Raises - back to the monkey bars to burn up the abs!  Keep a strong grip here and drive your knees straight up to your chest without swinging
          * REST!  I always like to maximize my workout (and rest!) time, so I always try to incorporate "active recovery" (I'll do something small while I rest). I went over the the basketball court, and shot free throws until I made 3 in a row.  I'm not the best free throw shooter, so it usually took me about 3-4 minutes or so!

The whole workout took me 35 minutes to complete, and I was totally spent at the end!   You don't always need a fancy gym or expensive membership to get a great sweat.. sometimes you can drive right past the gym and head to the park instead!
For more creative workouts like this one, take a minute to check out www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

What's up partner?

Everyone should have a buddy.. to talk to, to laugh with, to hang out with, and to train with!  With exercise, many people like to go at it alone.  I've heard all of the logic:

"I just like to get in and out of the gym, someone else would just slow me down."
"I don't really want to exercise with anyone else, I prefer to do it alone."
"I can't find anyone to work out with, so I just go by myself."

Whether it's strength work, cardiovascular training, plyometrics, speed or agility work, or group exercise, a training partner serves many valuable purposes:

1. Instant accountability.  When you have someone waiting for you, you're less likely to cancel for any of those small reasons that you might skip your workout.  You are more likely to stick with a regular routine, just so you don't let the other person down.
2. Motivation.  A good partner will motivate you, pushing you past what you can do comfortably, and giving you some direct competition within all of your workouts.
3. Additional safety.  This one might be the most important, in that a partner provides an extra set of eyes.  They can spot you, watch your technique, and will be there for you should an accident happen. 

Don't just go to the gym and separate to do your own thing, though.  Actually develop a similar routine, so you both can workout together.  Here are few cool ways to get it going:

1. Run on the same treadmill. (No, not at the same time!).  Perform an interval program using the same machine.  For example, after you finish your 30 second run, step off the treadmill, and let your partner get on to perform his or her 30 second run.  You'll instantly push each other to better results!
2. Pair a strength movement with an ab exercise, and alternate.  For example, you perform your set of DB Bench Press while your partner performs their set of Double Crunches on the floor right next to you.  They crunch during your entire bench press set, then you switch!
3. DPT.  We have all heard of the DD (Designated Driver).  Same concept here, but one of you will be the Designated Personal Trainer.  Instead of doing the same old routine that you two always do on Wednesdays, challenge your partner to come up with a brand new workout right there!  You'll be amazed at what someone will create when put on the spot.. I'm sure you'll be fatigued as well!

The take home from this "Bolt": get a buddy.  A good partner is an invaluable piece to successful training program!

For amazing workouts that you can do with your workout partner, take a minute to check out www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

Smoothie Anyone?

Before I get into the training content of this week's "Bolt," I have to take a second to recognize the 2 major celebrations that we all have seen in the past week..

First, it was the 2 million plus that showed up at a parade and cheered on the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies last Friday.  I had the fortunate opportunity to attend and witness this event first-hand, seeing the pride and joy of a city that lives and dies with the success of its teams.  It was certainly a day I will never forget.

Second, it was a proud country, celebrating the election of the first ever African-American President, Barack Obama.  Whether you agree or disagree with his political views or ideals, no one can argue that this was an amazing accomplishment, and one that will go down as a signficant moment in our country's history.

There is a strong message here that can apply to training and fitness, business, sports, or any other life activity.  Both represent the notion that with a clear vision, with a strong belief, and with a tireless work ethic.. anything is possible.  That message is clear.

Now to the training stuff..

When talking about nutrition, I get 2 questions the most

   1. What should I eat (or not eat) to lose weight?
   2. How do I gain weight?

For the sake of keeping this Bolt to a nutrition topic, let's factor out the exercise part of the equation here (though training is a huge part of reaching those goals, we'll save that for another day).  On the nutrition side, I have one solution to both questions... the SMOOTHIE!
Here is a recipe for a great-tasting shake, that will help you to accomplish both of the above goals:

STRAWBERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIE

1/2 ripe banana
3 large strawberries
2 cups of milk
4 ice cubes
2 scoops Vanilla protein powder
Combine all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth

• You can find the protein powder at any nutritional supplement store.  Stick with a reputable brand name like EAS, MetRx, or Twin Lab, but experiment with different products for taste

• This shake is a great source of nutrients, and holds about  250-350 calories, depending on the protein source

For the weight loss candidate, drink this as a meal replacement, to reduce your overall calories over the course of a day or week.
For the weight gain candidate, drink one or two of these per day, to add calories to your diet and (again, with heavy strength training) begin to pack on muscle.

One simple recipe = A GREAT WEIGHT MODIFICATION SOLUTION!

For more great sports training, nutrition, and fitness information take a minute to check out www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

Yours in Strength,

Jesse

What's the smell?

Whether intellectual, spiritual, emotional, or physical, the body is amazing at "getting used to" any one stimulus.  We are built to naturally adapt, to the point that after a certain amount of time or a certain number of exposures, that exact stimulus no longer has a noticeable effect.  Ever walk into a room with a very noticeable and strong odor, either pleasant or not? If it is strong enough, you immediately notice it.  Spend some amount of time in that room without leaving, however, and the smell eventually goes away.  You almost forget that the room ever had an odor.

This same principle applies to the body with exercise as well.  To see any significant results, you must regularly alter your workouts.  If you do not continually challenge your body by safely increasing weights and intensities, changing volume, and consistently building in new exercises, your body will adapt to the same old routine you are giving it.  Your body (and mind!) will get bored, and you will never reach your ultimate fitness goals.

For ever-changing, challenging, and dynamic workouts, take a minute to check out www.worldwidesportsperformance.com!

Yours in Strength,

Jesse