SAFETY JOSE GUMBS SIGNS WITH NEW ORLEANS SAINTS!!!

 

  For anyone who's been following Key 2 Sports Training for any length of time now, its no shock that we have been preparing Monmouth University Safety Jose Gumbs for life in the NFL. However, through all the preparation, Pro-days and NFL buzzzz, there are NO GARUNTEE'S any athlete will definitely make that step. So leading up to the NFL Draft this past weekend, everyone had their attention set on the young safety to see if he's actually take that next step! Tension was thick as Jose, myself and a host of other people waited through 7 rounds of the NFL Draft waiting to hear his name called. NFL Network came down this past weekend to spend time with Jose for an upcoming show airing this fall on NFL Network. The show's name is "Hey Rookie, welcome to the NFL"...and the cast members are various NFL rookies looking to stake claim on NFL life! Well the cameras were everywhere as we worked out here on Friday, day 2 of the NFL Draft. They took part in every aspect...

In "true" Strongman training, just about every exercise is MAX Effort or at least somewhere close to it. This is because the true nature of that sport is, in and of itself, STRENGTH. However, when using Strongman variations for fitness purposes, its not wise to train with extremely heavy loads as your purpose isn't just strength but also conditioning and overall fitness. And because Strongman training has the added benefit of cardiovascular development (unlike powerlifting or Olympic lifting variants) , the training can be used in a variety of different ways successfully. When we program Strongman lifts into our workouts we do it because of the sheer fun it brings! Its just down right fun to express your strengths through non traditional training. Pushing trucks, flipping tires, pulling sleds and carrying inordinate heavy objects presents a challenge while you strength train that is unmatched by any set/rep scheme. Its also a sneaky way to do a ton of work without thinking about set after set and rep after rep. Its feels like a bigger accomplishment to do heavy hand over hand rope pulls for sets over just doing single...

EXERCISE:

UP-SIDE-DOWN KETTLE BELL "ARNOLD " PRESS

This variation of the "Arnold Press" popularized by Arnold Schwarzenegger is great for anyone rehabbing their shoulders or just trying to increase stability. The range of motion allows a smooth natural flow of movement. This acts to protect the AC joint from stress normally incurred through traditional over pressing with a pronated grip. The "up-side-down" nature of the kettle bell places the weight at the top of the bell, forcing the lifter to have to balance the weight while performing the lift. Over all this lift can be used as both a great rehab tool or just a advanced variation to challenge and build better shoulder strength. Give them a try!

VIDEO HERE

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What is Sport Specific Training?

Over the years the term sport specific training has garnered a ton of attention. Businesses all over the country have used this tag line as a marketing tool to get athletes of all types and ages to train with their company. Coaches and parents have even used this phrase to qualify themselves for their coaching resumes' &  any additional services they may offer. People every where are looking for sport specific training whether it be for their child, who's an aspiring athlete, their team or even for themselves.  So today I want to briefly discuss what it really is and how you can benefit from it?

So what IS Sport Specific training??...

Well i'll start this off by telling you what it is NOT.

Sport Specific training is not:

1. Doing exercises that ONLY physically mimic the specific actions one does on the playing field. Many times I see trainers and coaches who promote sport specific training doing nothing more than playing their sport with dumbbells and cables in a gym. Using a cable machine to throw, swing, punch etc is NOT sport...

In-Game Adjustments: The "REAL" Strength of a Program

 

Solid program writing is one of the hallmarks of any good fitness program. If you plan on achieving the best possible results and want to maximize efficiency of your time, its critical to have a solid program in place. However, it's almost inevitable that at some point during any program there will need to be adjustments. This is truly when the program starts. Its safe to say that if you write programs for people, you will need to make adjustments to those programs. Why? Because people change, things change, circumstances change and all these problems can become quite complex when broken down into their various types & forms. I've seen it time and time again, people begin doing a certain program and then all of a sudden they stop seeing results. Weight stops coming off, strength stops rising and enthusiasm soon dips. Well, the life blood of any good program is not in the blueprint. That's right. Although a solid system is necessary to build from, its not the the thing that makes the program work. The true strength...

THE X FACTOR: ACTIVE REST! WHAT IS IT & HOW YOU CAN USE IT TO MAXIMIZE PERFORMANCE!

Active Rest is something many of the top sports performance coaches have been using for some time now. Active rest basically means just that, being active during rest intervals. The uses of active rest can be many and if done right can add tons of positive benefits to your training program.  

Active rest 1st came to me by accident

At Key 2 we have training times where we fit clients and or groups of clients into time slots. With in these time slots we have to get as much done as possible without overloading our clients with too much training content. A few years ago while working with a group of athletes we were doing maximal effort lifting for one of our training sessions. Now anyone who knows about true maximal effort lifting, there needs to be fairly long rest intervals between sets. This simply gives the body time to go through the different chemical phases necessary to lift at true maximal effort. Well, part of our business is...

Acceleration Running Rules of Engagement

  By now everyone knows when it comes to most field & court sports, acceleration is one of the most influential factors in athletic performance. Most sports are played at angles and require very short powerful bursts of what we call speed. Because of this, acceleration must be a major focus of any athletic training program. Here today we will discuss a few "rules of engagement" for approaching acceleration and how you can get the most out of your body to increase sports performance! #1 - Acceleration requires strength & more importantly, dynamic power! Here's a quick science lesson. Our bodies are constructed of a complex group of nerves muscles and bones ( as well as organs & other things.. etc). Our nerves are controlled by our brain. This brain sends signals to our nerve endings that, for the sake of time, communicate to our bones when movement is required. The speed at which are bones can move is affected by how strong our muscles are, because it is or muscles that move the bones. So.....if you have weak muscles, they wont be...

Do you workout or do you train? Many people sadly don't know the difference. By not knowing the difference, you therefore have your answer. Anyone who trains, knows it. But anyone can simply workout. Today I'm going to give some simple pointers detailing the difference between the two. However, I wont address workouts very often. The reason is because I shouldn't have to. When you want to know whats real, you don't study whats fake. I good older friend of mine used to tell me; "Bankers don't study counterfeit money as they learn whats real and whats not. They simply spend their time learning everything about real money. This way when they spot the fake, its recognizable." In like wise fashion I will address training, in hopes that if there are areas in question you can begin to move toward a more authentic approach. You may ask what is training? Here is a short list of what training is and how it's approached. There may be points not listed here, however, by maintaining these simple steps you can rest assured that you are training and moving toward the prize.   # 1. Training is about winning. Training is about having a serious set of goals...

   

In-season training for football arguably plays as big a role in performance as any other aspect of the in-season schedule. Football players have such a unique sport in that there is generally only 1 competition per week after many hours of practice, skill work, film study and other forms of mental and physical conditioning. Football requires great power, strength, aerobic endurance, mental focus, athletic skill and attrition. The nature of the game is explosively aggressive and takes a simple yet well designed in-season plan if athletes are to continue meeting the various demands required to play at high levels.

During the off season the training begins with a focus on building general work capacity, strength, mobility and endurance. Athletes enter into lifting programs that help build what we call GPP or general physical preparedness. This general approach is essential for setting the ground work for the demands that will be placed on  the athletes' later in the training year. Programs most likely start by focusing on building a good aerobic base, establishing sound joint mobility and tissue flexibility and good baseline strength. There is...