one thing that has puzzled me for quite some time is why is it that young athletes (or namely, the coaches) strength train in the off- or pre-season to accomplish the goals described above, and then it gets abandoned in-season? Coaches will push for their kids to attend summer workouts, yet dismiss in-season training.
Read MoreA good friend of mine, who is a long-time collegiate strength and conditioning coach, talks about “neck down training” and “neck up coaching.” What he means is that we often focus on training the body from the neck down – arms, legs, core–for physiological adaptations like strength, power and aerobic fitness, but need to coach the athlete through motivation, confidence, self-esteem, positive self-talk, leadership, etc.
This neck up coaching alludes to sport psychology and behavior change–and again, how can we, as coaches, make athletes, clients, etc. believe in themselves, motivate them, etc. I think you see the point here. The mind is a powerful “muscle.”
Read MoreAs we re-open America and return to what we have started to call “the new normal,” how do we go from at-home body weight workouts and driveway hoops (perhaps inspired by The Last Dance) to assembling with our team to practice, train, compete, and offer friendship? Or for the opportunity to be a spectator or a sports parent and experience the joy of sports?
This question is definitely the hot topic and being asked not only in the sports arena but everywhere else–restaurants, the entertainment industry, schools, the workplace, everywhere.
Read MoreI remember hearing in the early days of my academic career “it’s interesting to see how researchers turn their attention to the effects of aging on the cardiovascular system, strength, etc. when they get older.” I’m not here to tell you that I am shifting my focus from pediatric exercise science and youth athletic development to aging. It just happens that I’m a bit more interested personally in aging as I turn the Big 5-0, and get to experience all of age’s great effects!
Read MoreStrength Training—it’s all about biceps, barbells, dumbbells, and meatheads, right? Well, that’s simply wrong!
Strength training is a form of physical activity and exercise that should be part of everyone’s pursuit of health and fitness. Youth. Teens. 20-somethings. Adults. Grandmas and Grandpas. Aunts and Uncles. Athletes. Recreational athletes. Powerlifters. Gym rats. Firefighters. Military. Teachers. Lawyers. Diabetics. Cancer survivors. Small business owners. Software engineers. Everyone!
Read MoreVolt’s Dr. Joe Eisenmann sat down Scott Sehnert, the Director of Sports Performance for the Dallas Cowboys. The two talked about nutrition and recovery for the high school athlete, including Sehnert’s top three tips for fueling properly.
Read MoreSince the new Volt app was launched in 2018, there have been over 1 million users (and growing!) who input data on sets, repetitions, and load on a daily or weekly basis into the Volt Database. For a moment, just stop and think of the total number of data points! Indeed, this is the era of Big Data. Big Data is now a term used in many sectors including business, health care, banking, government, manufacturing, retail, education…and also sports, as first popularized by the book and movie Moneyball. And, just as professional sports teams are data mining and using predictive analytics to improve performance, so are the software development, data science, and sports science teams at Volt.
Read MoreI see and hear it all the time: “Is it ok for my (healthy) son or daughter or my team to lift weights?” or “I heard that kids shouldn’t lift weights before they’re done growing.”
Where does this view come from? There are a few fallacies that parents and coaches often subscribe. I’ve addressed these comments and questions countless times, and have developed a downloadable PDF handout that is a helpful resource for coaches to share with parents, or for parents to share with other parents (and sometimes coaches).
Read MoreIt’s that time of year again, late February. The Super Bowl is a few weeks behind us and it’s time to start thinking about “next year.” For NFL organizations and football fans, this means settling in to watch the feats of strength and athleticism during the NFL Combine. And for sport scientists, this garners a lot of talk, debate and discussion about testing. Inside, you’ll learn about the history of athleticism, as well as the Volt Strength Score and more…
Read MoreAn athlete’s potential is typically predicted from a young age, many times based on their size. In tryouts, coaches tend to home in on the big kids first, and forget the smaller boys. Coaches note how hard the big kid throws and hits the ball — irrespective of his technique or coachability. On the other hand, the smaller, weaker boy — who possesses a good understanding of the game and great footwork and hands in the infield (yet struggles to throw it hard) — gets discarded because “well, he’s too small.” Has this coach selected the Fool’s Gold at the top of the pile? And didn’t dig deep enough for the Diamond in the Rough?
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