Training during COVID-19: Back to the Basics of Movement, Health & Sports Science

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Training during COVID-19: Back to the Basics of Movement, Health & Sports Science

This may be a good time to re-set and return to the basics. Re-set not only our basic movement patterns and strength training regimen but also slow down; keep it local; re-connect with our neighborhood; play backyard and playground games; find simplicity and solitude; reading; self-assess who we are and what matters; appreciate humanity, etc.

And finally, let’s keep in mind the social connections that humans need to sustain quality of life. Yes, physical activity, strength training, nutrition, sleep, stress reduction and relaxation are all important to health and well-being, but when it comes down to it, the number 1 determinant of happiness and a good life is…positive social relationships.

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Raising the Bar with Workplace Wellness

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I have never been a CEO or business owner. But, I have been a head coach. I’ve wanted my athletes to feel that every practice or training session was efficient and productive. I’ve wanted the athletes to be focused and put in 100 percent effort. And, most importantly, I’ve wanted my athletes to get good work done. You hear coaches yell it all the time: “Hey, let’s get to work!”

Hmmm…sounds a lot like a CEO, doesn’t it? Just exchange ‘employees’ for ‘athletes.’

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#WHYITRAIN: The Big 5-0. Reflections on LTAD, Aging and a Healthy Lifestyle

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I 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!

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The Nature-Nurture Debate in Sports: Are Athletes Born or Built?

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 What does it take to be a great athlete? Some say that “DNA is destiny” or “it’s all in the genes.”

Other people will vehemently answer this question with “it just takes a big heart: (figuratively, not literally) or “hard work, just good old-fashioned hard work.” This latter response falls in line with the thinking of the “10,000 hour rule”—which was misconstrued in Malcom Gladwell’s book Outliers. This thinking also aligns with Daniel Coyle’s book The Talent Code about how greatness isn’t born, it’s a matter of how it’s nurtured.

This, of course, brings us to the age-old nature-nurture debate. Despite articles and opinions on both sides, I’m here to tell you that it is not a debate—because, athleticism requires both nature and nurture. 

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Tactical Athletes Need Specific Training Programs. Period.

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Tactical athletes are in need of specialized programming considerations to ensure their training is fitted for long-term success. While a majority of the needs of tactical athletes and sport athletes are similar, tactical athletes have intrinsic differences and circumstances that make their training needs incredibly distinct. Therefore, they deserve the attention and dedication through programs that are designed with those factors taken into consideration.

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Nutrition and Recovery: Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Director of Sports Performance

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Nutrition and Recovery: Tips from the Dallas Cowboys Director of Sports Performance

Volt’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.

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Fool’s Gold and Diamonds in the Rough: The Adolescent Growth Spurt in Boys

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An 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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Saving Our National Pastime

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Saving Our National Pastime

Somewhere across America, an early-maturing 12U All-Star is pitching in his third game in two days for his second team. Elsewhere, in an operating room, an orthopedic surgeon performs Tommy John surgery on a 16-year-old. Our national pastime is facing some challenges — but luckily, USA Baseball is implementing a Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan to combat them. Volt’s Head of Sport Science, Joe Eisenmann, PhD, takes us through USA Baseball’s model for developing athletes and discusses potential solutions to the challenges facing America’s game.

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Life in the NBA: Damaged Goods and Youth Training Habits

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Life in the NBA: Damaged Goods and Youth Training Habits

Life in the NBA is a grind. And with athletes playing for 9 to 10 months straight—or even longer, if they make the Playoffs—it’s not surprising that the NBA is plagued by an injury epidemic. A $350-million-per-year epidemic. Volt’s Head of Sports Science, Joe Eisenmann, PhD, addresses the underlying causes behind this influx of injuries and asks: What if it’s related to how youth basketball is structured in the U.S.? Read on to learn more about the state of youth basketball in America, and how several organizations are working diligently to turn it around.

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The NBA Combine, Correlation, and Tryouts: Individuality Matters!

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The NBA Combine, Correlation, and Tryouts: Individuality Matters!

Each May, the NBA invites top college basketball players to participate in their annual Combine, a series of physical measurements and athletic tests that can help determine a player’s fate in the NBA Draft in June. But combine performance doesn’t necessarily correlate to performance in the NBA (just look at Kevin Durant’s failed combine bench press attempt!). Breaking down the research on the validity of the NBA Combine, Joe Eisenmann, PhD, examines the statistical concept of correlation and how it relates to combine testing, and shares some valuable lessons for coaches about tryouts at the youth and high school levels.

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