Speed Training for Young Athletes

Speed training has become one of the most important aspects of any athlete’s training program. Young athletes now have more opportunity then they once had and many are taking advantage of it. If you watch sports you know that speed on any playing surface can be the difference in wins and losses. Take Oregon football for example: They have, for the last decade, been quite possibly the fastest team in the country and have been a force in college football.

The younger an athlete starts the higher the ceiling becomes.  The main reason I recommend starting athletes out young is all about form and technique. If you can teach them young how to position arms, strike the ground, start, etc. they will already be ahead of others that choose not to, or don’t have the resources.

Speed training is NOT throwing out a speed ladder, hurdles, bands etc.  There is much more to speed training than that. If you have ever signed yourself, or your child, up for a speed program and they first thing you see is a speed ladder laid out, ask for your money back. This is the lazy or uneducated way to speed “train”. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is definite need for those resources but it doesn’t start there. It starts at the toes to the top of the head with good posture in between.

At Infinity we run a six week program starting Oct. 13th that consists of movement mechanics, explosive movement, agility, reaction, acceleration and core development. Our program has been very successful. It has been creating a visible difference in our athletes and it is being used on every type of field and court. If you are the parent of an athlete or an athlete yourself, I recommend finding a speed program that is near you. It will change the way you play the game.

Mike Sheahan, CPT, PES, CES, NASE

7 Motivation Reminders

We all experience days where our energy levels are low. Days where you don’t feel like getting up from your bed. Days where you simply want to sit on the couch and watch your favorite movie. There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting these things. We’re all human, and we all need to relax and spend time to decompress from our daily, hectic schedules.

Whether you’re at home or at work, it’s important to remember to fit in exercise to your daily routine. While it may seem as though 30 minutes is a lot, health professionals recommend that adults get at least 30 minutes of daily exercise in for health.

If you need a reminder about health benefits, take a look at this list and share it with your friends and loved ones for motivation!

1. Exercise to look and feel great. Not only does exercise keep you energized, it can also improve your posture, make your skin glow and tone your body. Exercise also acts to reduce the risk of different types of disease – everything ranging from heart disease to cancer and type 2 diabetes.

2. Exercise to lose weight. For many people, burning fat is a motivator especially as summer rolls around. Exercise burns fat and prevents fat storage as well.

3. Exercise to stay energized. Exercise can not only reduce your stress levels, but also ensures you feel less exhausted and ready to tackle any of your daily responsibilities. Start your day with a simple routine, or switch things up to get your 30 minutes in!

4. Exercise to sleep better and age slower. While it fuels your energy levels, exercise can also ensure that you get a good night’s rest. Be sure to catch at least 8 hours of sleep to get ready for the next day. Regular exercise has been linked to fighting aging and reducing inflammation as well.

5. Exercise to relieve different types of pain. By strengthening your muscles and focusing your energy on exercise, you can relieve all types of pain. Of course, it’s good to consult a physician and your Method Fitness personal trainer to get advice on what’s best for your body and health.

6. Exercise to stay happy and enjoy your lifestyle. As part of its many benefits, exercise has been proven to reduce depression, which can lead you to enjoy your lifestyle and fun activities with kids, family and friends.

7. Exercise to boost your confidence and to stay sharp. Staying on track with your fitness is a definite confidence booster as you notice visible results of your efforts. Be sure to monitor your routine, switch up exercises and keep with your goals for exercise. Exercise additionally helps cognitive functions – keeping you motivated and your mind sharp.

Jeff Cymbalski, CPT

Do you drink enough water?

We all think we are drinking enough, but are we really? Why is water so important anyway? You might say to yourself, “I’m not thirsty, so why should I drink water?” There are numerous benefits to water—many of these benefits we can’t physically feel, but are so important to help us our bodies perform at maximum potential both in and out of the gym.

In my opinion, probably the most important reason why we should drink more water: Water energizes and lubricates muscles. Muscle that isn’t well hydrated will “shrivel,” decrease performance, and will put you at risk for injury. I like to think of our muscles like sponges; if the sponge is wet, it has less of a chance of ripping; if the sponge is dry, it has more of a chance of ripping. Your muscles work the same way!

Water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Your body is 60% water! All of our body functions rely on water: digestion, absorption, temperature regulation, creation of saliva, and transfer of nutrients.

Water aids in weight loss! Okay, it doesn’t directly make you lose weight, however, it replaces sugary, calorie packed beverages that add up and enable you to pack on extra pounds. Filling up on water instead of unnecessary drinks such as soda, sweet tea, or alcohol will help you feel more satisfied, help you cut calories, and support you in your weight loss journey. Drinking 8-16 ounces of water before you consume a meal can prevent you from overeating.

Water helps kidney function. Your body fluids help flush toxins out of your cells, and your kidneys filtrate the fluids. If there is no fluid to filtrate, the toxins cannot be flushed out. In other words, the toxins will be stuck in your body! This makes you feel lethargic, run down, and could potentially put you at risk for having kidney stones.

Water helps the appearance and health of your skin. Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and is beat up enough by pollution and sun. Don’t do any more damage by dehydrating it! Proper hydration can help your skin look smoother, younger, and could reduce the appearance of wrinkles. And who doesn’t want great looking skin?

Bottom line: get your water in! Keep a water bottle with you at all times, know how many it takes to hit your goal and keep track of how much you have drank. You should drink at least half of your body weight in ounces of water per day (example: a 200lb person should drink 100oz of water.) Keep in mind that if you live in a dry, hot climate, you should drink even more!

Heather Weber, CPT, CES

Should my young athlete train in-season?

Should your child train during their season? Very simply, yes they should. In-season training for athletics seems to be lost at lower levels (high school and below). Coaches are doing their best to game plan for the next game, set practice schedules and probably have a separate full time job. Many coaches are also the strength and conditioning coaches at the high school level in the off-season, but they don’t have the time to train the kids properly in-season. Then there are some coaches that don’t realize that in-season training is as important as off-season and preseason training.

Key reasons to train in-season

• Injury prevention
• Maintenance of strength, power, agility and flexibility

I would urge you to talk with your child’s coach or admin to encourage in-season training. If a current program does not include training, then the work your child put in during the off-season will waste away rapidly because there isn’t proper maintenance being done. The difference between winning a state championship and losing early in the playoffs can be made in a gym.

My recommendations are to have a well rounded in-season program, 2-3 times per week, that includes hypertrophy, muscular endurance and also strength and power exercises. I would also recommend a flexibility program or coach to keep your athletes at full functionality. At Infinity Fitness we run a Sports Performance program, which is offered year round, and has athletes making strides, not just maintaining but also excelling during their seasons. Check our schedule here for available times. Please contact us if you, your child or your child’s team would be interested in training with us: info@infinityfitnessaz.com

Mike Sheahan

Member Spotlight: The Buelnas

At Infinity Fitness AZ we strive to provide a welcoming atmosphere and help our clients meet their personal fitness goals. Here is an inspiring story from our clients Memo and Lisa….

Memo and I started our journey at Infinity Fitness AZ on January 2^nd, 2014. No, it wasn’t a New Year’s resolution… it just seemed like a good day to start! We decided to purchase the Groupon in December 2013 and promised each other we would give it a shot for the month of January. We both figured we would do the month and then move on to something else. Starting the first day of this year, we ended up going 6 days/week every week for the entire month- by the end of week 2, we were completely addicted and there was no questions we were going to join permanently!

We were instantly hooked on Infinity for a number of reasons- first and foremost for me is that the intensity of the trainers and workouts is very motivating. As a former college athlete, I thrive in an environment where I have coaches and “teammates” holding me accountable and pushing me to work harder. What also keeps us going back is the variety of workouts from day to day and the comradery we have with both the staff and other gym members. It truly feels like we’ve joined a gym with a bunch of our friends. The classes are also a fun thing for Memo and I to do together. We both spend a lot of our free time playing golf (Memo) and tennis (Lisa) separately, so it’s nice to once again have an activity to do together, and help motivate each other when one of us might not feel like going to class one day.

In March of this year, we found out that I was pregnant with our first child. While excited, I wasn’t quite sure how this would affect my workouts. I was determined to keep working out and soon discovered that the one hour/ day that I was at the gym was truly the only hour of each day that I felt good. So that motivated me to keep going. As I’ve neared the end of my pregnancy, Chase, Heather and Mike have all been great about helping to alter my exercises to keep both me and the baby safe and healthy, while still getting in a good workout. We’re now five weeks away from the due date, and I feel great. I’ve gained 17 pounds so far, and it seems to be all belly. I 100% attribute this to the classes at Infinity!

Memo decided to participate in Challenge #2 this year, and did an amazing job. He lost just over 20 pounds during the challenge and has lost 39 pounds altogether this year. The way the staff sets fitness goals, puts together meal plans and runs the classes during these challenges is a great thing. I was extremely proud of how hard he worked and the results he got were very inspiring. After seeing him work out and eat healthy off and on for years, to witness how this program has made him stick with his fitness is a true testament that this whole Infinity system really works!

-Lisa and Memo Buelna

The Importance of Stretching

Stretching is one of the most important pieces of exercise. When done properly it can provide great benefits to your overall athletic performance. With this being said, many people don’t really know what stretching does or even when to do it. This is important information to know because stretching at the wrong time can have a big effect on overall performance during a workout and the injury prevention aspect of stretching. Lets go over some details that you need to know.

First are the types of stretching. There are many different kinds of stretching that you can do, but lets stick to the ones we do most often at Infinity. The two we use most often are dynamic and static stretching. Dynamic stretches are the stretches that we do during our warm-ups. These stretches involve movement during the stretch. Dynamic stretching is a great way to increase blood flow to a muscle. This is why dynamic stretching should be used at the beginning of a workout. At the beginning of the workout, it is important to have proper blood flow through the muscle to aid of overall function of the muscle and injury prevention. A few examples of dynamic stretches are walking deadlifts, forward lunges, and heel digs.

Static stretching is normally what we do after a workout here at Infinity. Static stretching is a stretch that does not involve movement throughout the stretch, hence the “static” in the title. Static stretching is used to not only relax the muscle, but also aids in increased range of motion, or ROM. It is important to do static stretching after a workout to help relax the muscle.

Many people ask why they should only do static stretching after a workout. As stated above, static stretching causes the muscle to relax. This happens due to certain structures in the muscle that activate during a stretch. We have what are called Golgi Tendon Organs, or GTO’s, located within the tendons of our muscles. These organs monitor the amount of force that is being places on the tendon. When a great deal of force, or stretch, is placed on tendon for a period of time, the GTO’s activate, causing the muscle to relax. This relaxation decreases the force on the tendon and also allows you to go even deeper into a stretch. This is why after you hold a stretch for a few seconds; the feeling of the stretch starts to dissipate. The feeling of that stretch dissipating is the GTO’s activation. Studies show that this reflex lasts up to 30 minutes post stretch. This relaxation period is why it isn’t good to static stretch before or during your workout. This relaxation inhibits your ability to initiate maximum force output through the muscle during your workout. By placing static stretching after your workout, you cause the muscle to relax, and this allows more blood flow through the muscle. Static stretching also increases your range of motion over time, and more ROM equates to lower risk of injury.

We now offer athletic stretch classes here at Infinity to help stretch you out after your workout or just when you’re feeling tight. These classes will run you through a series of stretches across your entire body to help loosen you up and increase your range of motion. If you have any questions on the classes or just stretching in general, please feel free to ask!

Tony Milano, CPT

Join us in the Studio on Tuesdays at 6:15 pm and Fridays at 9:15 am to get your weekly stretch.

Are you guys like a Crossfit?

Whenever we have someone new come in and tour the facility, that is one of the questions I will hear most often. It may be because we don’t have a lot of machines and equipment crowding the floor, or because of the dumb bells and squat racks in the weight area that gave people this idea, whatever it was, it always bothered me a little. Mainly because ground based training, and functional movements was how I have always trained individuals. I have always worked in sports performance facilities and have avoided “Big Box” gyms like the plague. So when I get asked that question it almost seems like we tried to copy a Crossfit Box, but really this environment is what I know and where I have cut my proverbial teeth.

I’ve never really had a solid way of describing what we did from a branding standpoint, which is where Crossfit has done a phenomenal job from a corporate standpoint. To me it was just working out and training with an emphasis on efficient movement patterns. Cliche phrases like bootcamp, and circuits, and intervals get thrown around, but there is no one thing that describes what we do consistently. Really, our possibilities are Infinite (Ha!), and that’s how we like to describe the adult classes to our clients, and what I think is a big draw for them.

Now, when I hear the comparison to Crossfit, I don’t mind it as much. A lot of the goals are similar; constant movement, compound exercises, daily variances, and ground based training. However we definitely have different approaches on how to get there. My dad has a phrase he likes in his business practices “A rising tide sinks no ships.” I think that’s one thing I can thank Crossfit for, and why I almost welcome that once-dreaded question. Because of their popularity it has opened up a lot of people’s eyes that there can be more to working out than sitting at a leg press machine for 3 sets of 15 reps and then taking five minute water break laps while debating whether to do DB Hammer Curls or Barbell Shrugs next. If having to endure watching ESPN announcers fawn over the “Killer Cage” (Stop, they’re freaking monkey bars!) once a year means having more people out searching for workout alternatives to a “Big Box” then I’m OK with this question.

(Note: The elephant in the room when discussing Crossfit is the injury rate, I’m not going to comment one way or the other, but bad trainers come from all kinds of training, not just Crossfit.)

Chase Noll, CSCS

NUTRITION IN 108 WORDS

Eat real, unprocessed food as close to nature as possible; listen to your body.

Pretend the modern supermarket doesn’t exist. Choose foods that could be grown, hunted or gathered – nothing packaged or processed.

Support local farms when possible.

Eat animals, marine life, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits.

Eat plenty of healthy fats from pastured animals, fish, coconut, avocado, olives and cold-pressed oils.

Drink water.

Incorporate traditional, nutrient-dense foods: fermented vegetables, organ meats and homemade bone broths.

Above all, ditch the “gurus”, “programs” and “diets”; get back to basics.

Connect with your intuition and allow it to guide you.

Jeff Cymbalski, CPT

Follow us on Pinterest for some healthy recipe ideas!

Why is Fitness essential in today’s youth?

The answer is simple. There are too many electronics and too much junk/processed/fast food.  I could share study after study about how electronics make children sedentary,  as well as the pitiful nutrition habits of America’s kids, but I will save you the boring read.  Get your kids off the couch, off of the smart phones, out of the pantry, and into a gym.  Even if it isn’t here at Infinity Fitness, do your son or daughter or grandchild a favor and get in one somewhere near you.  Your child already has a couple practices a week for basketball, you say? That’s not enough.  It’s important to add steady cardio, injury prevention, resistance training (and no, it won’t to stunt their growth), and core exercises to each of our young people’s weekly routine.

Here are two more REALLY good reasons to your child involved in a youth fitness program today:

•  Performance enhancement   Every parent wants their child to have an edge over other children.  For most, it is related to a sport they play. Fitness programs 2-3 times a week for 30-40 minutes can change a young athlete’s abilities dramatically.  Injury prevention goes hand in hand with performance enhancement – the more a child can build his or her musculature around their joints, the less susceptible to injuries they become. I know, as a father myself, that keeping a child safer trumps just about anything else.
  

• Beta Endorphins  This is a chemical that is released within the body that is a “feel good”, also referred to as a “runners high”.  Beta Endorphins create a sense of euphoria in the body after working out.  It’s the same feeling you get after you’ve worked out – happy, energized and ready to tackle life. Studies have also shown good fitness practices have a positive effect on academic performance, improving their mental capabilities if the child is exercising at least 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes or more.

To my understanding, schools are are doing away with more and more of the time young kids have to be active in favor of more time in the classrooms, and ultimately, sitting down. My belief, share with others I’m sure, is that it’s just adding to this country’s problem with childhood obesity. Youth Fitness programs are great for the young athletes, but it is also great for any kid.  I love to help all shapes and sizes build confidence and build better self images of themselves.

I am well aware of the amount of time that has gone into discussing the topic of childhood obesity, but helping kids get fit and enjoy it is my passion. I know this isn’t news, or a fresh concept, but maybe it’s a little bit of a call to action. Our kids don’t realize that these kinds of bad habits can slowly kill them.  It is our job – as parents, a community, coaches and trainers –  to give them the tools to make good choices and be healthy adults.  Start right now…if you are reading this, get up and go for a walk with your kid.

Mike Sheahan, CPT, PES, NASE

Heather’s Path to Competition

You know you’ve created a good goal for yourself when it scares you. I must have created a really good goal, because I’m terrified! Four weeks ago, I hired an IFBB Physique Pro to help me train for my first Figure Competition. This means on November 14^th, I will be walking on stage in a teeny tiny bikini and 5 inch high heels in front of hundreds of people to be judged on the physique I bring to the stage. I have created a goal to put myself outside my comfort zone, to hold myself more accountable than ever, and do something I never thought I was physically and/or mentally capable of doing.

I knew I needed to do something dramatic. I am a big advocate of the saying “practice what you preach.” I teach everyone else how to work out, how to eat, how to create good goals for themselves, and tell everyone to overcome temptation to become a better version of “you.” To everyone else, I was in decent shape already; however I wanted more and wanted to be better. I have always been told I should compete, but always just laughed it off and insisted I was not in THAT kind of shape. But why couldn’t I create that?

Three weeks ago I started dieting hard, training even harder, implemented 3am cardio sessions before work, and started working with a posing coach. I knew it was going to be hard, but this is definitely a full time job in itself. So far, it’s totally worth it! My body is transforming into something it has never been before, I’m seeing muscle definition I never have before, and I’m actually eating more than I ever have before too! I’m excited (and terrified!) to share this journey with everyone, glad I have so many people to hold me accountable, and I am VERY thankful for the support I am getting from my Infinity Fitness AZ family.

(I will be competing in the NPC Western Regional in Mesa, AZ on November 14th, Figure division; visit http://www.npcmilesproductions.com for details, pictures, and tickets.)