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The reality of life is some days you just feel like crap. So how do you make progress week after week, even when your feeling down or just having "one of those days"? I discovered this simple chart as a way to easily moniter (besides just listening to your body) how hard you should go that day:
1) How Do You Feel?
- Fantastic: +4
- Good: +2
- Average: 0
- Bad: -2
- Awful: -4
2) Are You Motivated to Train?
- Beyond Belief: +4
- Yes, I'm Psyched: +2
- I Wanna Go, But That's It: 0
- Do I Have to?: -2
- I Really Don't Want to: -4
3) How Did You Sleep?
- Great Night: +4
- Pretty Good: +2
- Average: 0
- Had Trouble Sleeping: -2
- Barely Slept: -4
Add up your score and use this chart to see how you should train today.
Interpretation Chart:
> 10 to 12: Increase daily training load a lot (intensity and volume)
> 6 to 9: Increase daily training load (volume only)
> 0 to 5: Stay with planned training load
> -6 to -1: Decrease daily training load (volume or intensity)
> -12 to -7: Skip it
Hopefully you are are following some sort of program or have an idea of what you want to do throughout the week. This chart will help you make progress even if your having a rough week or not feeling your best. There's no point in pushing yourself when you just don't have it....and if you feel great, there's no point in holding yourself back just because that's what your program says to do.
Happy training.
- Max
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
More on ankles......
Sorry I haven't posted in a while.
Here's a few more drills you can do to strengthen your ankels and literally make them un-sprainable.
1. 747's - This is a quick drill that you can do anywhere, anytime. Stand on one leg (keeping it as straight as possible) while putting your hands out to the side (that's why they're called 747's - you'll look like an airplane). First lean as far forward as possible, bending as the waist and keeping the balancing leg straight. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Now repeat this with the other leg. You'll repat this in each direction (lean forward, left, right, and backwards) with both legs, holding it for 30 seconds each way. It should be challenging to stay balanced (if it's not, you need to lean farther) and it's ok if stumble a few times. You'll feel a nice burn in the lower leg, around the ankles. This is a quick and very effective drill.
2. Toe Raises - As Jimmy Smith talked about in my previous post, most athletes have WAY stronger calves than they do shins. Beleive it or not, strenghtening your shins will not only strengthen your ankles, prevent shin splints, and balance out your lower leg musculature....but they probably will improve your vert! Shins are arguably even more important than the calves in jumping (not to mention running, cutting, deccelerating, etc.). Toe raises are pretty much the opposite of calf raises and, again, can be done pretty much anywhere. Just find a stair or ledge with something to hold on to for balance. Simply stand with your heels on the edge of the stair and lift your toes as high as you can and the down as low as you can, trying to go throught a full range of motion. Just try to do as many as you can while keeping good form.
3. Heel Walks - These are very similar to the toe raises (strengthens your shins). Just walk backwards and forwards, taking small steps and staying on your heels (pull your toes upward as hard as you can the whole time). Try walking 10 -20 steps forwards and backwards to start out.
Use these drills 3 - 5 times a week, along with some of the ones from my previous post and you'll be on your way to ANKLES OF STEEL.
- Max
Here's a few more drills you can do to strengthen your ankels and literally make them un-sprainable.
1. 747's - This is a quick drill that you can do anywhere, anytime. Stand on one leg (keeping it as straight as possible) while putting your hands out to the side (that's why they're called 747's - you'll look like an airplane). First lean as far forward as possible, bending as the waist and keeping the balancing leg straight. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Now repeat this with the other leg. You'll repat this in each direction (lean forward, left, right, and backwards) with both legs, holding it for 30 seconds each way. It should be challenging to stay balanced (if it's not, you need to lean farther) and it's ok if stumble a few times. You'll feel a nice burn in the lower leg, around the ankles. This is a quick and very effective drill.
2. Toe Raises - As Jimmy Smith talked about in my previous post, most athletes have WAY stronger calves than they do shins. Beleive it or not, strenghtening your shins will not only strengthen your ankles, prevent shin splints, and balance out your lower leg musculature....but they probably will improve your vert! Shins are arguably even more important than the calves in jumping (not to mention running, cutting, deccelerating, etc.). Toe raises are pretty much the opposite of calf raises and, again, can be done pretty much anywhere. Just find a stair or ledge with something to hold on to for balance. Simply stand with your heels on the edge of the stair and lift your toes as high as you can and the down as low as you can, trying to go throught a full range of motion. Just try to do as many as you can while keeping good form.
3. Heel Walks - These are very similar to the toe raises (strengthens your shins). Just walk backwards and forwards, taking small steps and staying on your heels (pull your toes upward as hard as you can the whole time). Try walking 10 -20 steps forwards and backwards to start out.
Use these drills 3 - 5 times a week, along with some of the ones from my previous post and you'll be on your way to ANKLES OF STEEL.
- Max
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Prevent Ankle Sprains: the Smart Way.
The ankle sprain. If you're a basketball player, you've most likely tweaked your ankle in some way or another in your playing career. For some, the frquency of your sprains gets so bad that you have to stop playing all together or for large periods of time....only to sprain it again as soon as you step back on the court. This is especially true for supinators (those, like myself, who walk on the outside of their feet....only about 2% of the population are true supinators though).
Believe me, I feel your pain (literally...in the summer of '05 I nearly broke my ankle and it still looks like a weird meatball). There's got to be a way to got out this horrible cycle, right? Guess what? The answer doesn't rely on more ice, braces or *gasp* taping! Read over this article by Jimmy Smith, a former college basketball player and nationally recognized trainer.
Doing these drills religiously will not only improve ankle stability and prevent sprains, it will make you a better athlete. Basketball players usually have horrible ankle mobility due to excessive taping, braces, and the dredded Nike Shox (heel lift = bad). Improving ankle mobility will most likely alleviate the pain in that knee that's been nagging you all season.
Ankle mobility will also help you vert. The foot/ankle is the first part of your body that makes contact with the ground as you jump and if your range of motion is limited you won't be able to apply maximum force into the ground. When you load up like a coil to jump, the force you apply to the ground travels from your foot/ankle all the up to your head and back down again before take-off. Basically, you might gain a few easy inches if you work on ankle mobility (don't forget the hips either).
- Max
Believe me, I feel your pain (literally...in the summer of '05 I nearly broke my ankle and it still looks like a weird meatball). There's got to be a way to got out this horrible cycle, right? Guess what? The answer doesn't rely on more ice, braces or *gasp* taping! Read over this article by Jimmy Smith, a former college basketball player and nationally recognized trainer.
Doing these drills religiously will not only improve ankle stability and prevent sprains, it will make you a better athlete. Basketball players usually have horrible ankle mobility due to excessive taping, braces, and the dredded Nike Shox (heel lift = bad). Improving ankle mobility will most likely alleviate the pain in that knee that's been nagging you all season.
Ankle mobility will also help you vert. The foot/ankle is the first part of your body that makes contact with the ground as you jump and if your range of motion is limited you won't be able to apply maximum force into the ground. When you load up like a coil to jump, the force you apply to the ground travels from your foot/ankle all the up to your head and back down again before take-off. Basically, you might gain a few easy inches if you work on ankle mobility (don't forget the hips either).
- Max
Think YOU work hard?.....
If you think you've been working pretty hard lately, take a look at this guy
Sometimes we all need to realize we're not working as hard as we think....
What are you waiting for?
Get after it.
- Max
Sometimes we all need to realize we're not working as hard as we think....
What are you waiting for?
Get after it.
- Max
Monday, February 25, 2008
The Tabata Protocol
If you're looking for a great way to get in shape fast (and probably the toughest workout you've ever done), look no further than the Tabata Protocol. It's a form of high intensity interval training (HIIT). If you are already training very intensely in the weight room with high volume, I wouldn't recommend incorporating Tabata intervals into your workouts. However if you're trying to lose weight, get in killer shape, or are taking it easy on the weights, go ahead and try this workout a couple times a week. Trust me, you won't need to do anymore.
The process is simple: go as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. The best exercises for these are sprints, jumping rope, kettlebell or dumbbell swings, kettlebell or DB snatches, KB or DB cleans, or any bodyweight exercise (push-ups, squats, etc.). This is one of the best fat loss workouts out there. Tabata training is also nice during the winter, when it can be hard to train outside. They're also great when you're short on time and much more fun than running on the treadmill. Also, they're great for basketball players (or other athletes) because they're easier on the knees.
Here is a couple articles on Tabata training:
Article 1
Article 2
The process is simple: go as hard as you can for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. The best exercises for these are sprints, jumping rope, kettlebell or dumbbell swings, kettlebell or DB snatches, KB or DB cleans, or any bodyweight exercise (push-ups, squats, etc.). This is one of the best fat loss workouts out there. Tabata training is also nice during the winter, when it can be hard to train outside. They're also great when you're short on time and much more fun than running on the treadmill. Also, they're great for basketball players (or other athletes) because they're easier on the knees.
Here is a couple articles on Tabata training:
Article 1
Article 2
Vertical Jump FAQ
Vertical jump expert Kelly Baggett answers some frequenlty asked questions in this article.
If you're wondering about plyometrics, how strong you should be, flexibility training, what mistakes not to make, or anything else about vertical leap training, give it a read.
- Max
If you're wondering about plyometrics, how strong you should be, flexibility training, what mistakes not to make, or anything else about vertical leap training, give it a read.
- Max
Need Some Motivation?
If you're feeling unmotivated to train today, watch this video and turn up the sound (make sure to watch it until the end to appreciate the significance).
If you've ever played in organized, competative sports, I'm sure you'll relate....
If this video doesn't get you fired up or bring on some type of emotion, you need to check and see if you have a pulse.
- Max
If you've ever played in organized, competative sports, I'm sure you'll relate....
If this video doesn't get you fired up or bring on some type of emotion, you need to check and see if you have a pulse.
- Max
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