The precipitation has turned from snow to rain. You can smell the grills on Saturday afternoon. The sun comes up before 8am. You don't need a winter hat, jacket and gloves to walk to your car. It can only mean one thing...
Yup. It's hill season.
The weather is nice enough to get your "cardio" done outside. Yesterday was day 1 for me and a training partner. It was brutal and awesome. We essentially did an hour of sprints.
I've written on here in the past about running hills and how much I love them and all the benefits so I won't go through that again. All I will say is get a partner or group together and start sprinting up a hill. Set a number or a time and every time you hit the hill push yourself to get better and progress.
Having a training partner is a must. Its very easy to quit half way through if you're by yourself. When you're with somebody else its very difficult and the more people you have the better.
For those of you in the Ravena-Coeymans area, the hill behind the high school is perfect. I'll be going 2-3 times per week and I'll be posting what times if anybody wants to jump on board.
Hill season comes before beach season. Get your hill on for the next 2 months and you'll be happy with the results.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The Most Important Factor in Training
Training relies on many things, but there is one important factor that is head and shoulders above the rest. That factor is intensity.
No matter what program you're on, how much protein your taking in or how sweet your gym is, none of it matters if you don't train with intensity.
You may have noticed that I don't use the word "working out". Instead, I use the word "train" with clients, friends and myself. Training means you have a goal. Training means you have a purpose. Training means you have more intensity than others when you step foot inside of the gym or weight room.
You focus on what you're goals are when you train with intensity. Every set is done with perfection. You push yourself and your partners to get the weights, reps and sets you are supposed to get. You don't give in when it gets tough.
This is from dictionary.com - great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling: He went at the job with great intensity.
If you're not pushing yourself, you aren't getting the results you could be. If you're comfortable with you're training and you're ok with how your body looks and feels, good for you. But if you want to make a change in your body, your strength, your athleticism and your life, put your game face on when its time to move weights and train with intensity. Thats how you make changes. Not going half-assed. Thats not how it works in the weight room or in life.
How many of you train at a place that is in line with your goals? I will discuss the importance of this in my next post.
Leave questions and comments on my facebook fan page. Also, follow me on twitter - @bobbyfisk.
No matter what program you're on, how much protein your taking in or how sweet your gym is, none of it matters if you don't train with intensity.
You may have noticed that I don't use the word "working out". Instead, I use the word "train" with clients, friends and myself. Training means you have a goal. Training means you have a purpose. Training means you have more intensity than others when you step foot inside of the gym or weight room.
You focus on what you're goals are when you train with intensity. Every set is done with perfection. You push yourself and your partners to get the weights, reps and sets you are supposed to get. You don't give in when it gets tough.
This is from dictionary.com - great energy, strength, concentration, vehemence, etc., as of activity, thought, or feeling: He went at the job with great intensity.
If you're not pushing yourself, you aren't getting the results you could be. If you're comfortable with you're training and you're ok with how your body looks and feels, good for you. But if you want to make a change in your body, your strength, your athleticism and your life, put your game face on when its time to move weights and train with intensity. Thats how you make changes. Not going half-assed. Thats not how it works in the weight room or in life.
How many of you train at a place that is in line with your goals? I will discuss the importance of this in my next post.
Leave questions and comments on my facebook fan page. Also, follow me on twitter - @bobbyfisk.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Jogging: The Athleticism Grim Reaper
It always makes me go crazy when I hear that a sports coach, specifically for basketball or football, makes their players go on long runs of a mile or more. Most of the time it seems a coach just runs out of stuff to do, or actually believes that they are helping their athletes "get in shape".
I'm sure they mean well, but what they may not understand is that basketball falls in between an intermittent-sprint and transition sport, as defined by Vern Gambetta in his book, Athletic Development, which is a must read if you're a coach at any level. Gambetta defines basketball as, "a sport that requires a series of efforts of varied intensity that occur in random patterns, with recovery that allows for complete recovery, at times".
Gambetta goes on to say, "We need to get away from the idea that the endurance base is built by long, slow, steady aerobic work".
So now we know what basketball consists of. Now lets look at why jogging isn't the best answer for conditioning.
Jogging causes physiological changes that are detrimental to the transition and power athlete. Jogging targets type I muscle fibers, which are the aerobic fibers. These are great for marathon runners, but will not help you become a quicker, faster, more powerful athlete. Sprinting, jumping and strength training with relatively heavy weights and high speeds target the type II muscle fibers, which are the fast-twitch fibers we hear about when a plyometric jumping program pops up on your computer screen. A good comparison that is made a lot is posing the question, would you rather have a body of sprinters or marathon runners? My guess is most people concerned with performance, whether its on the court, field or just with physique development, would choose to look like a sprinter.
With this in mind, its important to train athletes for the most important aspects of their sport; sprinting, jumping, changing direction, side stepping, sliding, backpedaling and all the other movements players do throughout a contest. Also, its important to train athletes, especially basketball players, to produce power quickly so that they can get to a full speed sprint in as little time as possible. In high school its more important because the court is smaller, but even in college and the pro's, how long does it take them to sprint from one end to the other? Anywhere from 3-5 seconds, so if you can get to full speed faster than you're opponent, chances are you're getting to that loose ball or finishing the lay-up before getting fouled, and every coach and player knows that games can come down to 1 or 2 plays.
Does an athlete need to have the endurance to last an entire game? Of course they do, but they need to be able to sprint and produce maximum amounts of power at the end of the game. I think that's why so many coaches end practices with timed sprints, or place them at different times throughout a practice.
The question I always ask athletes and coaches is this: If you're consistently jogging during games, how many games do you think you'll win? A base of conditioning is necessary, but you would have to question your players commitment to becoming better if they are so out of shape at any time of year that they can't get up and down the court or field for a couple hours of pick up games.
In the next couple days I will post some drills to train first step quickness and speed that you can do as a seperate workout from strength training, or add in after a warm up and before strength training. Make sure not to forget that STRENGTH is a determining factor in speed and power. I'll touch on that again soon, as well.
Questions or comments? Post on facebook or email me.
I'm sure they mean well, but what they may not understand is that basketball falls in between an intermittent-sprint and transition sport, as defined by Vern Gambetta in his book, Athletic Development, which is a must read if you're a coach at any level. Gambetta defines basketball as, "a sport that requires a series of efforts of varied intensity that occur in random patterns, with recovery that allows for complete recovery, at times".
Gambetta goes on to say, "We need to get away from the idea that the endurance base is built by long, slow, steady aerobic work".
So now we know what basketball consists of. Now lets look at why jogging isn't the best answer for conditioning.
Jogging causes physiological changes that are detrimental to the transition and power athlete. Jogging targets type I muscle fibers, which are the aerobic fibers. These are great for marathon runners, but will not help you become a quicker, faster, more powerful athlete. Sprinting, jumping and strength training with relatively heavy weights and high speeds target the type II muscle fibers, which are the fast-twitch fibers we hear about when a plyometric jumping program pops up on your computer screen. A good comparison that is made a lot is posing the question, would you rather have a body of sprinters or marathon runners? My guess is most people concerned with performance, whether its on the court, field or just with physique development, would choose to look like a sprinter.
With this in mind, its important to train athletes for the most important aspects of their sport; sprinting, jumping, changing direction, side stepping, sliding, backpedaling and all the other movements players do throughout a contest. Also, its important to train athletes, especially basketball players, to produce power quickly so that they can get to a full speed sprint in as little time as possible. In high school its more important because the court is smaller, but even in college and the pro's, how long does it take them to sprint from one end to the other? Anywhere from 3-5 seconds, so if you can get to full speed faster than you're opponent, chances are you're getting to that loose ball or finishing the lay-up before getting fouled, and every coach and player knows that games can come down to 1 or 2 plays.
Does an athlete need to have the endurance to last an entire game? Of course they do, but they need to be able to sprint and produce maximum amounts of power at the end of the game. I think that's why so many coaches end practices with timed sprints, or place them at different times throughout a practice.
The question I always ask athletes and coaches is this: If you're consistently jogging during games, how many games do you think you'll win? A base of conditioning is necessary, but you would have to question your players commitment to becoming better if they are so out of shape at any time of year that they can't get up and down the court or field for a couple hours of pick up games.
In the next couple days I will post some drills to train first step quickness and speed that you can do as a seperate workout from strength training, or add in after a warm up and before strength training. Make sure not to forget that STRENGTH is a determining factor in speed and power. I'll touch on that again soon, as well.
Questions or comments? Post on facebook or email me.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Single Leg Strength
Single leg strength is important and necessary for athletes. Lunging and its variations more closely mimic the act of sprinting, can help with flexibility in the quads and hip flexors and can aid in core stability. All of this makes single leg exercises functional exercises. The word functional gets thrown around a lot and brings to mind squats on swiss balls. Squats on swiss balls aren't functional, they're stupid and as Master RKC David Whitley says, the first rule of strength training is, "Don't be stupid," followed by his second rule, "Don't do anything that will get you hurt." Advice to live by.
Anyway, I believe the biggest benefit is gaining strength throughout the full range of motion (front knee at or below parallel). If you aren't squatting below parallel you should be, but when you lunge your knee should be hitting the ground (softly) with every rep so the range of motion test is built in to the exercise. Below is the progression I use for the lunge, as well as variations I use and ways to load in order to train single leg strength.
Progression
- pump lunge
- reverse lunge
- reverse lunge from step
- forward walking lunge
Other variations
- step ups
- step downs
- rear leg elevated (split squat)
- side lunge
Loading
- overhead weight (medicine ball or plate)
- dumbbells
- barbell
Anybody that has done these exercises knows that they might leave you a little bit sore. That's why the progression is good so you can ease into it. If you do find yourself sore, be sure to do something to get the blood flowing through your muscles. The days I have DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness, generally the worst 24-48 hours after exercise) I like performing a few sets of bodyweight lunges in between upper body exercises or pushing the bench around for 10-15 minutes, as seen in the last video I posted - http://www.youtube.com/bobbyfisksandc
The squat and deadlift are great and should be staples in your training, but when you're done with them, make sure you're getting some single leg work in too!
Questions or comments? Email me or post on facebook.
Anyway, I believe the biggest benefit is gaining strength throughout the full range of motion (front knee at or below parallel). If you aren't squatting below parallel you should be, but when you lunge your knee should be hitting the ground (softly) with every rep so the range of motion test is built in to the exercise. Below is the progression I use for the lunge, as well as variations I use and ways to load in order to train single leg strength.
Progression
- pump lunge
- reverse lunge
- reverse lunge from step
- forward walking lunge
Other variations
- step ups
- step downs
- rear leg elevated (split squat)
- side lunge
Loading
- overhead weight (medicine ball or plate)
- dumbbells
- barbell
Anybody that has done these exercises knows that they might leave you a little bit sore. That's why the progression is good so you can ease into it. If you do find yourself sore, be sure to do something to get the blood flowing through your muscles. The days I have DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness, generally the worst 24-48 hours after exercise) I like performing a few sets of bodyweight lunges in between upper body exercises or pushing the bench around for 10-15 minutes, as seen in the last video I posted - http://www.youtube.com/bobbyfisksandc
The squat and deadlift are great and should be staples in your training, but when you're done with them, make sure you're getting some single leg work in too!
Questions or comments? Email me or post on facebook.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
An Easy 10 Pounds
If you're looking to bulk up a little so you don't fit into that xtra-shmedium sized shirt come beach season, its really a lot easier than you may think. I know this is normally the time to "slim down" for the beach, but if you're an off-season athlete, you should have bigger picture goals to get stronger and more muscular if it will help you become a better player. The process isn't easy, but the things you should be doing in the gym and in your kitchen certainly isn't rocket science.
Like I said, eating to gain weight is easy, because there's not a lot to think about. The hard part is most of the time people think they're eating more than they are. It's similar to when people are trying to lose weight and they think they're eating less than they actually are.
Here is a typical conversation with a skinny athlete in college:
Skinny athlete - "Coach, I eat a lot, I just can't gain weight."
Me - "Do you eat breakfast?"
Skinny athlete - "No. I have class at 8am."
Me - "What time does the dining hall open?" (I know it opens at 7:30, because that's when I'm there),
Skinny athlete - "7:30," he says with his head down.
Me - "Then I'll see you then."
I actually had a "breakfast club" while I was an assistant men's basketball coach. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long and it resulted in players not putting on weight, getting stronger and not seeing improvements in their game. Commitment is the name of the game in college. If you want to be good, you gotta do the things that are going to make you better on a consistent basis. Its just like strength training.
So here is what you need to do to put on an easy 10 pounds:
- drink milk - One of my favorite strength coach's, Mark Rippetoe, has a program called GOMAD, which is an acronym for Gallon Of Milk A Day. Sounds daunting, but it works. If you aren't already drinking milk on a regular basis, start with 2 large glasses at every meal. The milk helps specifically because of the calories and protein.
- eat 6 times a day - 3 full meals and at least 3 snacks in between meals. This is non-negotiable if your looking to put on some size. By the way, if you aren't eating a full breakfast, you're really not that committed to changing your body. Wake up a little earlier and eat as many eggs as you can with something else, like pancakes, waffles, french toast, sausage, bacon or a combination of them all. Lunch is not a ham sandwich. Its 3 ham sandwich's with cheese and mayo, an apple and a bag of chips with two glasses of milk. Dinner is as much as you can pile in of what mom or dad makes. If you're in college, the dining hall is perfect for weight gain. If you're on your own, hamburger helper is perfect. Snacks can be anything really, just find a way to get them in and don't miss one.
- compound movements - with all these extra calories you will be consuming, you have to hit the big lifts that I've stressed in other blog posts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, push press, pull ups and rows. Do them often. If you need a program, check out Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Just make sure you have good form on all of the exercises and are using a full range of motion. Doing quarter squats will probably still help you put on size, but you will be laughed at when you show somebody how strong you are in the quarter squat. Go down all the way.
So what makes me qualified to speak on weight gain? Well I was a "hard-gainer" all through high school. I graduated at 6'1'', 160lbs. I think back on what my diet looked like and its no wonder I couldn't put on any weight. Then I got to college and gained 10 pounds a year for 3 years. That isn't a lot, but with the amount of basketball I was playing, its not bad. Then during my year off from school I got up to 215, lost it during the next two years so I could play around 190-195 my senior year, and during my two plus years in VA I got up to 240 (thank you Averett dining hall). Not to mention I followed the type of diet I described above for the last 3 months while in VA in an attempt to gain as much strength and weight as I could and put on 20 lbs. So believe me when I say it works if you're committed to it.
I will also say that 10 pounds added all over your body is a lot less than you think. I remember wanting to get to 180 while I was in college. When I got there, I wanted to get to 190, then 200, then 210 and so on, just to see what my body would look and feel like at that weight. So chances are you will want to continue to gain until you have reached a good level of strength and size.
Now get eating!
Post questions and comments on Facebook and if you decide to man up and put on some weight, keep everybody posted on your progress!!
Like I said, eating to gain weight is easy, because there's not a lot to think about. The hard part is most of the time people think they're eating more than they are. It's similar to when people are trying to lose weight and they think they're eating less than they actually are.
Here is a typical conversation with a skinny athlete in college:
Skinny athlete - "Coach, I eat a lot, I just can't gain weight."
Me - "Do you eat breakfast?"
Skinny athlete - "No. I have class at 8am."
Me - "What time does the dining hall open?" (I know it opens at 7:30, because that's when I'm there),
Skinny athlete - "7:30," he says with his head down.
Me - "Then I'll see you then."
I actually had a "breakfast club" while I was an assistant men's basketball coach. Unfortunately, it didn't last very long and it resulted in players not putting on weight, getting stronger and not seeing improvements in their game. Commitment is the name of the game in college. If you want to be good, you gotta do the things that are going to make you better on a consistent basis. Its just like strength training.
So here is what you need to do to put on an easy 10 pounds:
- drink milk - One of my favorite strength coach's, Mark Rippetoe, has a program called GOMAD, which is an acronym for Gallon Of Milk A Day. Sounds daunting, but it works. If you aren't already drinking milk on a regular basis, start with 2 large glasses at every meal. The milk helps specifically because of the calories and protein.
- eat 6 times a day - 3 full meals and at least 3 snacks in between meals. This is non-negotiable if your looking to put on some size. By the way, if you aren't eating a full breakfast, you're really not that committed to changing your body. Wake up a little earlier and eat as many eggs as you can with something else, like pancakes, waffles, french toast, sausage, bacon or a combination of them all. Lunch is not a ham sandwich. Its 3 ham sandwich's with cheese and mayo, an apple and a bag of chips with two glasses of milk. Dinner is as much as you can pile in of what mom or dad makes. If you're in college, the dining hall is perfect for weight gain. If you're on your own, hamburger helper is perfect. Snacks can be anything really, just find a way to get them in and don't miss one.
- compound movements - with all these extra calories you will be consuming, you have to hit the big lifts that I've stressed in other blog posts like squats, deadlifts, bench press, push press, pull ups and rows. Do them often. If you need a program, check out Rippetoe's Starting Strength. Just make sure you have good form on all of the exercises and are using a full range of motion. Doing quarter squats will probably still help you put on size, but you will be laughed at when you show somebody how strong you are in the quarter squat. Go down all the way.
So what makes me qualified to speak on weight gain? Well I was a "hard-gainer" all through high school. I graduated at 6'1'', 160lbs. I think back on what my diet looked like and its no wonder I couldn't put on any weight. Then I got to college and gained 10 pounds a year for 3 years. That isn't a lot, but with the amount of basketball I was playing, its not bad. Then during my year off from school I got up to 215, lost it during the next two years so I could play around 190-195 my senior year, and during my two plus years in VA I got up to 240 (thank you Averett dining hall). Not to mention I followed the type of diet I described above for the last 3 months while in VA in an attempt to gain as much strength and weight as I could and put on 20 lbs. So believe me when I say it works if you're committed to it.
I will also say that 10 pounds added all over your body is a lot less than you think. I remember wanting to get to 180 while I was in college. When I got there, I wanted to get to 190, then 200, then 210 and so on, just to see what my body would look and feel like at that weight. So chances are you will want to continue to gain until you have reached a good level of strength and size.
Now get eating!
Post questions and comments on Facebook and if you decide to man up and put on some weight, keep everybody posted on your progress!!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The "He-Man" Push Up/Pull Up Circuit
I do a lot of reading. Books, articles, blogs and anything else that has to do with strength training. When I see something I like, the first thing I usually do is try it myself. After that, I try it out on a friend. It used to be a couple of former basketball players at Averett, now its my brother. Then I try it on an athlete or client. Sometimes I give my own spin to what I originally read and tried.
The workout I'm about to give you is one that I got from Nick Tumminello, a strength coach in Baltimore, MD. He originally wrote an article on t-nation.com a couple years ago, but I just saw the same workout in Men's Fitness, which gave me the idea to give my variation to you. Here is the online article. - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/everything_pushups
It gives a ton of great information on push ups, which I feel are greatly under-used
What Nick gives us is a push up circuit consisting of 4 different types of push ups with a medicine ball.
The 4 types of medicine ball push ups:
1 arm lock-offs - do a push up with one hand on the med ball and one hand on the ground. If the left hand is on the med ball, push up all the way so all the weight is on the med ball and with your right hand, touch your left shoulder. Complete all the reps before switching sides.
Alternating med ball push ups - do a push up with one hand on the ball and one on the ground. Upon completion of one rep, roll the ball to the opposite hand and perform a push up.
2 hand med ball push ups - like a diamond push up, both hands are on the med ball while performing the push up.
Med ball drop offs - begin with both hands on the med ball, then drop your hands off to the side of the med ball on the floor. Quickly pop back onto the ball with both hands. Don't let your elbows flex too much when dropping off and "jumping" back on.
Coach Tuminello's version has you go straight through this circuit, performing 5-10 reps (per side when necessary) per exercise for 3 sets.
My variation has you perform a set of pull ups after the first two push up exercises and after the last two. The pull ups are done for as many perfect reps as possible (full range of motion). With this variation, you get all the push ups, but also six sets of pull ups.
This is a great workout to do if you're short on time or if you just want to try something different. If you get some squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings or lunges in before doing the push up/chin up circuit you got yourself a pretty bad ass training session.
By the way, my variation has been termed the "He-Man" workout by the athletes and friends that have tried it, because of how it makes you feel when your done. Give it a shot sometime and let me know what you think.
The workout I'm about to give you is one that I got from Nick Tumminello, a strength coach in Baltimore, MD. He originally wrote an article on t-nation.com a couple years ago, but I just saw the same workout in Men's Fitness, which gave me the idea to give my variation to you. Here is the online article. - http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/everything_pushups
It gives a ton of great information on push ups, which I feel are greatly under-used
What Nick gives us is a push up circuit consisting of 4 different types of push ups with a medicine ball.
The 4 types of medicine ball push ups:
1 arm lock-offs - do a push up with one hand on the med ball and one hand on the ground. If the left hand is on the med ball, push up all the way so all the weight is on the med ball and with your right hand, touch your left shoulder. Complete all the reps before switching sides.
Alternating med ball push ups - do a push up with one hand on the ball and one on the ground. Upon completion of one rep, roll the ball to the opposite hand and perform a push up.
2 hand med ball push ups - like a diamond push up, both hands are on the med ball while performing the push up.
Med ball drop offs - begin with both hands on the med ball, then drop your hands off to the side of the med ball on the floor. Quickly pop back onto the ball with both hands. Don't let your elbows flex too much when dropping off and "jumping" back on.
Coach Tuminello's version has you go straight through this circuit, performing 5-10 reps (per side when necessary) per exercise for 3 sets.
My variation has you perform a set of pull ups after the first two push up exercises and after the last two. The pull ups are done for as many perfect reps as possible (full range of motion). With this variation, you get all the push ups, but also six sets of pull ups.
This is a great workout to do if you're short on time or if you just want to try something different. If you get some squats, deadlifts, kettlebell swings or lunges in before doing the push up/chin up circuit you got yourself a pretty bad ass training session.
By the way, my variation has been termed the "He-Man" workout by the athletes and friends that have tried it, because of how it makes you feel when your done. Give it a shot sometime and let me know what you think.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Are You Using Progressions Properly?
So your off-season has started and you took a couple weeks off. The weather is getting a little bit nicer and you're going to start heading to the park every day after school to work on your game and play some pick-up ball. You know you need to strength train as well, so you get to the school's weight room before or after school. It's your first time strength training so you jump on board with the football team, doing bench press, reverse grip tricep pushdowns, single leg bosu ball barbell squats and all the plyometrics you read about on an info-website.
Is this using progressions properly? You know the answer to that question.
It's very interesting to me how we use progressions in all aspects of learning and education, but when it comes to strength training, everybody (including myself) think that we are ready for the most complex exercises the first day we step into a weightroom.
Think about this example of progression using basketball - how many of you started playing the game with a full size basketball, on a full size hoop? I'm sure some did, especially if you didn't start playing until later in life, but how many of you had a nerf ball and hoop and played in the hallway of your home? This is a simple example of progression. The same type of example can be given through school. Nobody started out doing calculus.
So when you first start out in the weightroom, use progressions to get stronger and better at performing movements that will help you become a better athlete on the court.
Before bench pressing, progress to doing 15 push ups with your feet on a weight bench with at least 25 pounds on your back.
Before you back squat, goblet squat 1/3 of your weight for 10 reps.
Once you can back squat, progress to doing 1.5x your bodyweight before starting an intense plyometric program.
Before performing the Olympic lifts, learn to hip hinge and perform the deadlift and high pull.
Before performing walking lunges, perform pump lunges.
There are many progressions that can prepare you for more complex exercises. Use these progressions thoughtfully and you will see strength and performance gains for a long time to come.
I am currently looking to speak to basketball or any athletic teams about off-season strength training. If you or anybody you know has a group of athletes that may be interested, please let me know and we can set something up.
Any questions or comments? Leave a post on the Bobby Fisk Strength and Conditioning facebook page!
Is this using progressions properly? You know the answer to that question.
It's very interesting to me how we use progressions in all aspects of learning and education, but when it comes to strength training, everybody (including myself) think that we are ready for the most complex exercises the first day we step into a weightroom.
Think about this example of progression using basketball - how many of you started playing the game with a full size basketball, on a full size hoop? I'm sure some did, especially if you didn't start playing until later in life, but how many of you had a nerf ball and hoop and played in the hallway of your home? This is a simple example of progression. The same type of example can be given through school. Nobody started out doing calculus.
So when you first start out in the weightroom, use progressions to get stronger and better at performing movements that will help you become a better athlete on the court.
Before bench pressing, progress to doing 15 push ups with your feet on a weight bench with at least 25 pounds on your back.
Before you back squat, goblet squat 1/3 of your weight for 10 reps.
Once you can back squat, progress to doing 1.5x your bodyweight before starting an intense plyometric program.
Before performing the Olympic lifts, learn to hip hinge and perform the deadlift and high pull.
Before performing walking lunges, perform pump lunges.
There are many progressions that can prepare you for more complex exercises. Use these progressions thoughtfully and you will see strength and performance gains for a long time to come.
I am currently looking to speak to basketball or any athletic teams about off-season strength training. If you or anybody you know has a group of athletes that may be interested, please let me know and we can set something up.
Any questions or comments? Leave a post on the Bobby Fisk Strength and Conditioning facebook page!
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