​NEW COMPLETE ATHLETE TRAINING TIME SLOTS ADDED & CLASS CAP REDUCTION

In order to continue to improve the performance of all of our athletes, we have decided to shrink the cap size of the Complete Athlete Training classes AND offer more time slots for our athletes to train.

Class sizes will now be capped at 6 unless otherwise noted due to overall gym capacity for that respected hour. We are now adding a 4:30 Complete Athlete Training - HS time slot on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. A 7:30 pm class will also be added on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday as well as a new Saturday 8:00 am class.

The addition of classes and lowering of class capacity will allow for athletes to get even more workouts tailored to their needs and goals.

Me: "Ok, so we're starting next Monday. Do you girls have your 1 Rep Maxes? I'm trying to program appropriately."
Athlete: "Nope. All we did this Fall was workouts with mini bands and sprints with bands around our waists."

​Now depending on the types of training modalities you deliver your athletes, this may or may not be a problem. However, Athlete 1 and her teammates had requested to specifically weight train as they said they felt weak and slow. Knowing that we only had 6 weeks to get as strong as possible, but also prepared for their upcoming season, I decided to put an emphasis on not only improving their strength, but increasing their power. The program had to not only make them feel stronger, but also more powerful.

POWER

In becoming a more powerful athlete, the training must have a strong focus on increasing power output. Power can be looked at several different ways, but it's most common form is viewed as:

Power = Force x Velocity

When arranged in this format, we see that power is the product of force and velocity. An increase in power is the result of an increase of force, velocity, or both. Power can also be broken down into the following:

Force = Mass x Acceleration
Velocity = ΔDistance / ΔTime
Work = Force x ΔDistance
Power = (Mass x Acceleration) x (ΔDistance / ΔTime)
            = (Mass x Acceleration x ΔDistance) / ΔΤime
            = Work / ΔΤime

The Greek letter "Δ" (Delta) refers to "change" as in a change in distance or a change in time. What this basically says is that to increase power, you can either increase the force of the object to be moved (as previously stated), increase the velocity at which the object is moved or do more work in less time. 

ASSESSING ATHLETE 1 AND HER TEAMMATES

​​​The more powerful athlete is the athlete who does more work in less time. Team sports are predicated on athletes frequently producing a lot of forces at high velocities. Since games and competitions have time constraints, it is imperative that an athlete's ultimate goal in training is to increase their power. However, you cannot create power without first developing strength. The fact that these young women were coming to me to get better in only 6 weeks without any baseline level of strength limited their programming. One of the problems I had to deal with is that two of the four athletes had not lifted in three months, while the other two had not lifted in more than that. As noted earlier, they felt weak and slow. 

​After briefly assessing them in the warmup on their first day of training, their movement indicated that moving straight into a High Force High Velocity Phase was not appropriate. Their display of weakness in their hips and core was not as alarming as the tightness that I saw in their feet and ankles. With that being said, I decided that they would train barefoot on all Lower Body and Movement Days. The purpose of training barefoot was to allow the foot to move freely as opposed to being restrained within their shoes. This would improve mobility in the foot and ankle complex as well as promote proper force application through the big toes and balls of the feet. When the foot moves properly, it can root into the ground to create power. These girls were taught to root their feet in the ground by driving their toes through the ground while keeping their heels down. Their feet were not fully rooted until they felt tension in their arches. If they were not quite sure if they had tension in their arch, then all they had to do was check their anterior tibial tendon. If this tendon was not actively exposed, then there was no tension. This is important because if the foot and ankle complex is not stiff, then the athlete's leg is not aligned. If the athlete is out of alignment, then the athlete cannot create their maximum amount of force.  

The first five minutes of each of these sessions would begin with simple self myofascial release (SMR) using a lacrosse ball on their feet, hips, quads, and hamstrings. Their weaknesses were a result of tightness, and this is a result of poor tissue quality. By simply applying pressure with a lacrosse ball and their own bodyweight to all these parts of their body, they were able to break up the tissue and allow it to start sliding properly as opposed to being sticky. After SMR was completed, the girls would move into a warmup that would prep them for the workout of the day. 

After the warmups were completed on Day 1 and Day 2 of Week 1, we did some testing to set some baseline numbers. The testing was not only a visual assessment of their movement, but also an objective analysis of their power output. On Day 1, we used a Jump Mat for 2 tests to check their Lower Body Power Output: 

• 1 Jump with Countermovement
• 4 Jump with Countermovement

On Day 2, we used a Jump Mat for 2 tests again, but this time we used it to test their Upper Body Power Output:

• 1 Plyo Push-Up
• 4 Plyo Push-Up

The purpose of the 1 Vertical Jump with Countermovement (1VJCM) test was to measure their vertical jump height while the 4 Vertical Jump with Countermovement (4JCM) measured their average vertical jump height across 4 consecutive vertical jumps. The 1 Plyo Push-Up (1PPU) test measured the height at which they threw themselves off the ground from a plyo push-up while the 4 Plyo Push-Up (4PPU) test measured their average height at which they threw themselves off the ground across 4 consecutive plyo push-ups.

Now remember, power is a product of force and velocity, and velocity is distance over time. The results of these tests were only part of what was needed to calculate each athlete's initial power output at the start of this training cycle. However, you cannot use the traditional power formula (Power = Work / Time) to calculate an athlete's power output in a vertical jump because the time that force is acted upon the body is unknown. Thanks to the work of Dr. Stephen P. Sayers, I was able to use the test results and plug them into a formula that he and his team created to find Peak Anaerobic Power output. This formula is:

• PAPw (Watts) = 60.7 x Jump Height(cm) + 45.3 x Body Mass(kg) - 2055

The following is our initial results:

As you can see in the formula and data above, bodyweight is needed to calculate peak power output. Since the subjects of this programming cycle are females and bodyweight can be a sensitive subject, I decided to exclude their names. Also note that although the measurements were recorded in US Customary Units, I converted them to the Metric System in order for the data to fit the Sayers Equation.

THE SIX WEEK TRAINING CYCLE

Over the course of the 6 week training cycle, the athletes trained 6 days per week with the exception of Christmas, New Year's Day, and a snow day. Their training schedule was as follows:

• Day ​1: Lower I - Quad Dominant - Medium Intensity
• Day 2: Upper I - Horizontal Push-Pull - Medium Intensity
• Day 3: Movement I
• Day 4: Lower II - Hip Dominant - High Intensity
• Day 5: Upper II - Vertical Push-Pull - High Intensity
• Day 6: Movement II

The two Movement Days rotated between workouts that emphasized:

• Anaerobic-Alactic Work Capacity
• Aerobic Work Capacity
• Lateral Movement
• Linear Movement
• Acceleration Form
• Top Speed Form
• Jumping and Landing

​This 6 week cycle consisted of three 2-week blocks:

• Eccentric-Focused
• Isometric-Focused
• Concentric-Focused

Cal Dietz stated that, "every dynamic movement begins with an eccentric muscle action." The purpose of the Eccentric-Focused Block was to reprogram the golgi tendon organs to control greater forces as they lengthen. In doing so, this training block improved the athletes' stretch reflex and stretch shortening cycle (SSC). Once the muscles were trained to control greater forces, then they would be able to get rid of them.

After the Eccentric-Focused block, the athletes moved into an Isometric-Focused Block in which they would control the same near maximal loads from the previous block in specific positions for 3 - 5 seconds before attempting to rapidly contract their muscles. The purpose of this block was to train the muscles to withstand greater forces in their lengthened state. Dietz also stated, "an isometric action occurs when the force being exerted by a muscle equals the force being imposed on it by a load while the joint angle remains the same." With that being said, you cannot generate great forces if your muscles cannot eccentrically load them and then isometrically control them.

The final block was the Concentric-Focused Block. This block brings everything full circle as the same near maximal loads that were being eccentrically controlled for 2 weeks, then isometrically controlled for 2 weeks, were now being concentrically moved with violent intentions. Emphasizing the concentric action of the compound exercises featured in this cycle improved each athlete's rate of force development (RFD) because the contractions were aided by the combined forces of the stretch reflex and SSC that were improved in the previous blocks. This block takes the potential energy that the athletes developed for the previous 2 blocks and now teaches them how to properly use them. 

Each block utilized a Contrast Method on lifting days to help improve force production as an assisted plyometric exercise was performed immediately after a compound exercise. For example, after a set of squats were completed, the athletes would set themselves up in a band that was suspended from a squat rack to perform Accelerated Band Jumps. The Contrast Training Method was perfect for this short training cycle because the compound exercises were performed at near maximal loads, which increased the recruitment of high threshold motor units. Going right into the plyometric exercise that mimicked  the same movement of the compound exercise caused post activation potentiation which, in turn, yielded an increase in force production and power output.

​​RESULTS

As you can see, almost every athlete increased their PAPw in each of the 4 tests. Honestly, I was not expecting to see huge improvements in power output as this was a High Force Low Velocity Phase as opposed to the High Force High Velocity Phase I originally wanted to put them through. However, Athlete 1 and Athlete 2 both saw an increase of over 5% in their 1 Countermovement Vertical Jump Power Output while each gaining roughly an inch in addition to gaining weight. Although weight gain was what we wanted to avoid (note: none of the athletes in this group were on any type of diet or going through any nutritional counseling), I was impressed with an increase in vertical jump height nonetheless. Since power is the product of force and velocity, our goal was achieved in 6 short weeks as jump heights and plyo push-up heights were all increased even though each of the four athletes also gained weight. 

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, if I were to do this program over, I would have tested broad jumps as well as body fat percentage. Without access to a force plate, calculating power output in the horizontal vector would have been impossible as I have not been able to find anyone that has yet to figure out how to calculate power output from broad jumps without the use of a force plate. If anyone knows how, please let me know ASAP! By measuring body fat to check lean body mass, I would have been able to see if the increase in overall bodyweight was due to an increase in lean body mass or body fat. Even though I mentioned earlier that weight gain was something we wanted to avoid, it should be noted that an increase in lean body mass is always accepted while an increase in body fat is something we want to generally avoid in the case that the athletes do not need to gain any more fat to stay healthy. 

I am extremely happy with the results as I felt challenged to do so much in such little time without any sort of foundational strength to build any type of power upon. When these athletes return in the summer, I would love to pick up where we left off. If we have to return back to a High Force Low Velocity Phase, it would not be as big of a deal as we would have roughly 16 weeks to train which would leave us time to hit a High Force High Velocity Phase and maybe even a High Velocity Peaking Phase. Either way, one thing remains apparent from this short training cycle and that is that FEMALE ATHLETES NEED TO BE STRONG TO BECOME POWERFUL. Yes, all athletes need strength in order to develop power, but it is important that we finally start putting an end to the myth that female athletes do not need to lift!

REFERENCES

Sayers, Stephen P., et al. “Cross-Validation of Three Jump Power Equations.” Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, vol. 31, no. 4, 1999, pp. 572–577., doi:10.1097/00005768-199904000-00013.

Dietz, Cal, and Ben Peterson. Triphasic Training: a Systematic Approach to Elite Speed and Explosive Strength Performance. Bye Dietz Sport Enterprise, 2012.

​Well, because the body cannot work or survive without energy. In the body, energy is provided in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate). ATP is produced by the body from the foods it consumes and is then used aerobically (with oxygen) and anaerobically (without oxygen). Between the aerobic system and anaerobic system, the aerobic system is the most efficient. Properly programmed conditioning will increase an athlete's work capacity thus resulting in more ATP production which in turn means more energy. This article is going to focus solely on the aerobic system and conditioning.

Aerobic exercise requires the body to take in oxygen, deliver it to the lungs, transfer it into the blood, then pump it to the working muscles where it is utilized to oxidize carbs and fats in order to produce ATP. Aerobic training also stimulates the heart to adapt by becoming larger and stronger through exercise to supply the body's increasing demand for oxygen. The heart then becomes more efficient by pumping more blood per beat. Pumping more blood per beat will result in less beats to supply the same amount of oxygen.

Aerobic energy production requires a constant and adequate supply of oxygen and is often termed the oxidative system as it involves several body systems including the respiratory, cardiovascular, muscular, and endocrine systems. Through a complex series of chemical reactions, glycogen and fats are broken down in the presence of oxygen to provide energy to be transferred into ATP.  The aerobic system produces much more ATP than the anaerobic system and gains far more ATP when using fat as a fuel since it is able to break down fat to provide energy. 

Although most team sports require quick bouts of explosiveness, it would seem that conditioning with an aerobic/oxidative focus would be counterproductive. However, athletes cannot create high operational outputs without having high maximal outputs. They cannot develop high maximal outputs without a having a high oxidative capacity. An athlete with a high oxidative capacity is an athlete with more mitochondrial dense tissue than the average person. We all know from high school biology that the mitochondria is the "powerhouse of the cell" because it generates the majority of the cells ATP. Therefore, an athlete with a high oxidative capacity is an athlete that yields more ATP production. In simpler terms, an athlete in great aerobic shape is an athlete that is able to produce more energy. 

It has been estimated that if you could extract all of the ATP in a human body and pour it into a glass, that glass would be anywhere from the size of a shot glass to as big as a small juice glass. With such a small amount of ATP available at any given time, the body of an athlete must be continually producing ATP. With that being said, it behooves all athletes to be well conditioned in an aerobic capacity for their respected sports.

Limited with space and bad weather is no excuse for poorly executed aerobic/oxidative capacity training (conditioning). If you are restricted to working within a small space, you can utilize Tempo Work in an interval fashion. Tempos are low intensity and can be done daily without any real issues as long as they are progressed and programmed properly. Since residual adaptations from aerobic development last up to 30 days, tempos only have to be revisited every so often to maintain aerobic capacity once an aerobic block is finished. Attached below is an example of an indoor aerobic/oxidative capacity training workout that we did at Overdrive Fitness. As you will see in the video, we picked low intensity exercises and implemented core exercises for active rest. All of the athletes were asked to perform at their perceived exertion of 75%. The first circuit lasted just over 10 minutes with about 45 seconds rest (including active rest exercises) between prowler sprints. After a 4 minute break, we started another circuit of about 2 minutes worth of low-intensity work followed by 1 minute of rest between the 3 rounds. To ensure that the athletes left the facility not feeling exhausted, we had them cooldown with a few dynamic mobility exercises while their heart rates slowly dropped. This entire workout was performed in just under an hour, but for the sake of not boring the entire world, this is a time-lapse video. To anyone trying to condition their athletes with weather restrictions and/or limited space, please try the sample workout in the video below or simply swap out the exercises and utilize the same template. Enjoy!

For the past 8 summers, we have conducted a summer camp in which we work diligently with numerous athletes to improve their:

• strength
• speed
• agility
• endurance
• lateral and linear efficiency
• deceleration and landing technique
• mobility 
• flexibility

Normally we only conduct a 6 week, 5 day/week camp beginning the first Monday after the Fourth of July and run it up until the last Friday before double sessions start for Fall Sports in New York. Due to increasing demand to begin the camp earlier, we have made a few changes to the Maximum Overdrive 2016 Summer Camp. This year, the camp will be 12 weeks long and split into 3 different 4 week sessions. In the past it was always $375 for the 30 sessions. This year, the camp schedule will be as follows:

• Session I: 5/23/16 - 6/18/16
• Session II: 6/20/16 - 7/16/16
• Session III: 7/18/16 - 8/13/16
• All sessions will be Monday through Friday at 10:00 am, 3:30 pm, 4:30 pm, and 6:30 pm. Saturday at 10:00 am. More times will be added if necessary
• All classes are capped out at 15 and must be reserved online in advance. Any athlete that shows up without a reservation and that is over the cap will be sent home

The Maximum Overdrive 2016 pricing options are:

• ​Unlimited Camp Sessions I, II, & III (5/23/16 - 8/13/16): $540
• Unlimited Camp Sessions II & III (6/20/16 - 8/13/16): $365
• Unlimited Monthly Camp Sessions I, II, OR III: $200/MONTH
• Unlimited Camp Sessions with 3 Month Commitment (payment plan): $190/MONTH
• ​30 Strength & Conditioning Sessions: $375

To download the registration form, click here. For more information, please contact Teddy at (845)613-7262 or email Teddy@OverdriveFitnessNY.com.