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Showing posts with label Online strength and conditioning coach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online strength and conditioning coach. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Coaching Reflections: Avoiding Your Expert Phase ( From StrengthCoach.com)

Rob Assise, Homewood-Flossmoor High School - 
I am still relatively young in the profession of teaching and coaching. I am halfway through my 15th year teaching high school math and I have 27 seasons of coaching under my belt between track and field (15), cross country (6), and football (6).
In terms of coaching, there was a point in my career where I felt I knew enough, and that was somewhat correct. I knew enough to have success, but not nearly enough to be considered an expert. I have heard ITCCCA Hall of Fame coach Tony Holler say, “I was a pretty good coach before I knew anything.” I think this applied to me. Most of the time, I was able to motivate athletes and provide an atmosphere for them to thrive. I made mistakes, but for the most part, athletes improved and we had success as a program. The result of this? A false reflection of what I was.
The graph below depicts the Dunning-Kruger effect, a phenomenon observed in a series of experiments by psychologists David Dunning and Justin Kruger. It is my personal favorite (which is saying a lot because I really like graphs). I view it daily because it serves as a reminder to spend time each day acquiring knowledge.

Figure 1: This graph was created by Simon Wardley. He openly admits it is a joke and not based on concrete data, but I definitely think there is much truth to it.
Dunning summarizes the effect by saying, “Incompetence does not leave people disoriented, perplexed, or cautious. Instead, the incompetent are often blessed with an inappropriate confidence, buoyed by something that feels to them like knowledge.” [i]
Somewhere around 10 years ago, I was at the peak of the “I'm an expert” phase. I felt I had a reasonable answer to just about any question I was asked. I was unaware saying “I don't know” was the most empowering phrase I could say because it would provide me with an opportunity to learn. According to Dunning,
“Wisdom may not involve facts and formulas so much as the ability to recognize when a limit has been reached. Stumbling through all our cognitive clutter just to recognize a true ‘I don't know' may not constitute failure as much as it does an enviable success, a crucial signpost that shows us we are traveling in the right direction toward the truth.” 1
My bias to thinking I knew enough was further fueled by hearing much of the same material whenever I attended a professional development function (both in teaching and coaching). However, I slowly began to pull myself out of the “I'm an expert” phase. There were many moments along the way that caused my inflated opinion of my knowledge to begin to deflate, and as I write this, I am fully into the “I know nothing” phase, though I certainly do not feel that I am an expert.
As I have worked my way through this journey towards higher expertise in coaching, one item that has really begun to bother me about coaches at the high school level are ones who are completely entrenched in their ways. When challenged, the typical response is, “This is the way we have always done it, and we have had success.”

Image courtesy of Marjorie Sarnat
This bothers me because I was completely guilty of saying it myself, and there is no doubt that every time I said it, it was the most unintelligent phrase I could have said at that particular moment! It truly exudes ignorance. A much better response would be, “This is why we do it: __________. This is why we feel it translates to success: __________. What do you see that could make it better?” Dunning supports this thought-process by saying,
“The trick is to be your own devil's advocate: to think through how your favored conclusions might be misguided; to ask yourself how you might be wrong, or how things might turn out differently from what you expect. Most importantly: Seek advice. Other people may have their own misbeliefs, but a discussion can often be sufficient to rid a serious person of his or her most egregious misconceptions.”1
When I devote my time to sport, most of it directed to track and field, which has the “simple” objectives of getting athletes to run faster, jump higher, and jump and throw farther. A track coaches “x's and o's” are based in finding ways to get athletes to achieve those objectives. We don't have to worry about running offensive or defensive sets or game plan for our opponents. Training our athletes is our game plan. We constantly self-scout.
From this perspective, I find it unfortunate when I see coaches who:
  1. Feel their training programs (workouts) are the prime contributor of their athletes making progress. I see this a lot in the track and field community. I feel the primary reasons the vast majority of high school athletes improve over time is because they have a low training age and they are still developing physically. If a high school athlete is exposed to a reasonable training stimulus, he or she will tend to respond favorably. I would even argue that the stimulus doesn't even have to be completely specific to the task.

    For example, imagine a 16 year-old who has little to no experience in athletics and begins running to get faster in the 100 meters. On day one, he gets timed in the 100 meters. For the next 6 weeks, his training consists of running a mile as fast as he can 2-3 times per week. At the end of the 6 weeks he times himself in the 100 meters. I think there would be a very good chance that his time would be better than it was on day one. Just because your program has produced athletes who have improved and had success, it does not necessarily mean that you have achieved optimal improvement and success for those athletes.

    You can be happy about what your program has achieved, but you should never be satisfied. Therefore, you should always be open to criticism and investigating ways to improve.
  2. Say, “If that athlete was in my program, he/she would be performing at a way higher level.” Honestly, how the heck can anyone say that with complete certainty? Furthermore, many coaches go to another level and start coaching kids who aren't on their team. While the intentions may be good, I think it just leads to additional confusion for the athlete and performance suffers even more.
  3. Defines a high school athlete's experience by discouraging them to participate in other sports, mainly because they feel their program will do a better job developing the athlete. This often combines the concepts in #1 and #2 (my workouts are the best and the athlete will end up being better by only being involved my program).

    Current statistics and research continually show that being involved in multiple sports is healthier and allows athletes to reach a higher ceiling, but even taking that out of the picture, shouldn't our student athletes get to choose what their high school experience will be? We have already had our high school experience, let them have theirs. Don't make them live with regret in the future.
A huge component of being an educator and coach is going through honest self-assessment on a regular basis. I've made every mistake mentioned above except #3. I am sure I will make more mistakes, but it will not be due to living in a self-imposed world of absolutes. As the humorist Josh Billings once put it, “It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.” 1

It's important to have a set of governing principles, but they need to be malleable and progressive. If you are a young coach, do your best to avoid the “I'm an expert phase.” One of my biggest regrets in coaching is spending time in that phase. If you feel you know enough, start asking different questions and look for information in different places.
If you are a coach with substantial experience, asking yourself if any of this applies to you may be difficult. Recognizing that it may and implementing changes would be even more difficult, but I guarantee your future athletes are already thanking you.

About Rob Assise

Rob Assise is in his 15th year teaching mathematics and coaching track and field at Homewood-Flossmoor High School. He also has had experience coaching football and cross country. His writing can be found at Simplifaster, Just Fly Sports, and ITCCCA. He can be reached via e-mail at robertassise@gmail.com or Twitter @HFJumps
[i] Dunning, David. “We Are All Confident Idiots.”
https://psmag.com/we-are-all-confident-idiots-56a60eb7febc#.at06x01mo. October, 2014.
Click here for more helpful articles

Thursday, March 10, 2016

US Sports Was Voted The Best Of 2016!

Please excuse this communication as a possibly a little "unpolished" as I got some great news today and it is in big part because of YOU!

Here is the news as reported on our website just a few minutes ago:
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We Won! :) For the 2nd Year In A Row US Sports Strength and Conditioning System Has Been Awarded The Best Of 2016 Award By One Of The World's Top Service Websites: Thumbtack!
A coach is only as good as his/her players and support team. Its YOUR hard work that makes me look like a genius. I humbly accept this award! Thank you Thumbtack and Thank you clients, subscribers and friends. And now on to bigger and better success!

Its you that trusted me with the design, delivery, and execution of your programs in person or online, and I do not take that trust lightly.

Its you that showed up some of you as early as 5:30am in the morning. Some of you in the afternoon after a long day at work or school at times when you might rather be doing something a little more relaxing than squats, dead lifts, lunges, bench press, kettle bell swings. core work and on and on.

Its you that followed the meal plans even when it was inconvenient to properly energize your bodies and help convert body fat to fuel.

Its you athletes that got bigger, faster, stronger, and better to the point where you are now able to attend college tuition free and for some of you the opportunity to play your favorite sport and get paid handsomely to do so! (I think a few parents or guardians like this statement too! ) ;0)

I could go on but I promised myself I would make this short. Thank you does not convey my appreciation for the opportunity to help you. I can only pray that I am able to help you for many years to come as many more athletes and warriors seek my help.

You see, we win awards such as this because I personally got tired of all the hype, lies, and rip-offs in the fitness world that have worsened in the last 10 years. I decided that if I was going to be in this business I am going put the success of my clients programs as top priority. By applying sound exercise and fitness science, and leaving the hype to the crooks out there and believe me, there are many. And because I have been blessed to work with a winner like you, that made my job awesome! I just can't stop thanking you!

If you are one of our new subscribers and would like for me to design, deliver, and allow me to help you execute your customized fitness/strength and conditioning program, feel free to visit our site hereand see why US Sports Strength and Conditioning is one of the top online and offline services in the Washington D.C. are and the world.

I look forward to helping you.

-Nate
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Athlete/Coach Resources...
Do you care about your BRAIN? EHT Supplement for the Brain, Discovered and Patented at Princeton University Endorsed By Professional Athletes!
The World's Best High School, College, and Pro Athlete's Highlight Reels and Training Videos.
The 91 Exercises Every Athlete Should Know!
Add 10 Inches Or More To Your Vertical Leap-The Jump Manual
StrengthCoach.com
BodyByBoyle OnlineShapeShifter Yoga
Discount Sports Supplements

US Sports Recruiting Assistance.

Athletes! All Registered Athletes Will Have Their Huddl Or other Highlight Video Reel Priority Posted on Our Athlete Highlight Video Reel Center! We have Thousands Of College Coaches and Recruiters Visiting Our Network Daily. Get More Exposure With US Sports Recruiting Assistance!
For just a one time fee of $25 we guarantee your highlight reel will be seen by over 5000 coaches, recruiters, and administrators.
Check out the US Sports Elite Athlete Highlight Reel Center:
Sign up for US Sports Recruiting Assistance here.
bpisports.com Recovery Supplements

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

8 Lies Fitness Magazines Tell You


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The D.C. Divas Take On The Dalla Elite Listen Live Today On US Sports Radio! Coverage Begins April 9, at 2pm EST. Kickoff 6pm EST
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(Yours truly and Michelle who competed in the then 1997 Shape Up and Cash In Challenge. Was a top 10 finalist. Now she is a happy and sucessful mother, wife, and entrepreneur in Michigan)

A popular magazine recently boasted the headline of "8 Lies Trainers Tell You." 

This quickly peaked my interest. 

Lies! Me? No way. 

I read the article and was not impressed. The "lies" were nothing but a bunch of fitness myths, nothing worth repeating and definitely nothing that I've told my clients. 

Then I got to thinking about all the lies that fitness magazines try to get us to believe, and realized that this was the real story to tell. 

So here you have it – 8 Lies Fitness Magazines Tell You: 

Lie #1: You need fancy diet foods to lose weight. 

Designer, brand name protein powders, bars and diet foods grace the glossy pages – looking gourmet and mouthwatering. And very expensive. The bold claims on these "foods" make them quite tempting, but keep your wallet in your pocket. Healthy weight loss is best gotten by eating a diet of wholesome, real foods.

  • Eat real food, not expensive diet foods.
Lie #2: Transformations are simple. Eat less and move more. 

So many of the one-page success stories water-down the truth about what it takes to transform from ‘before' to ‘after'. In order to showcase their reader's successes, one hundred pound melt-downs are condensed to a few paragraphs which undoubtedly say "Suzy ate small meals and exercised 60 minutes 3 to 4 times per week." I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but massive transformations take much more effort and laser-like focus than that.

  • Don't believe that massive body transformations are easy, expect to put in hard work and dedication.
Lie #3: You need the latest fitness fashions in order to see results. 

The latest fashions look great on those fitness models. Who knew that spandex could come in so many flashy colors and styles? And all the benefits of that hundred dollar tank top seem totally worth it, right? Actually your old t-shirt works just as well as the fancy stuff.

  • You don't have to spend an arm and a leg on fitness fashion, the pounds will melt off just as quickly in a faded t-shirt.
Lie #4: You can still eat junk food and look like a cover model.

By now I'm sure you're seeing the trend of less-than-healthy advertisements peppered throughout your favorite fitness magazine. A common theme is to offer "healthy" versions of your favorite junk foods. While these lighter versions may very well be healthier than the originals, its still packaged junk that will slow your results.

  • "Healthy" junk food is still junk, so choose wholesome, real foods instead.
Lie #5: You can get flat abs in just a couple of weeks. 

Catchy headlines sell magazines. Flat Abs in 3 Weeks! Get a Killer Core by Summer! Rock Hard Abs Fast! The truth is that real results take time. You didn't pack on all those unwanted pounds in 3 weeks, so don't expect to lose it in 3 weeks.

  • Don't believe headline-hype, real results take real time.
Lie #6: Pills will get you the results you want. 

Fat burning pills. Cleanse pills. Vitamin pills. Super Food pills. You name the pill and it's probably on display in a pretty ad depicting fitness models with perfect physiques. Be wary of any bottle of pills with extraordinary claims.

  • Results do not come in pill form, but by hard workouts and solid nutrition.
Lie #7: Don't eat carbs, unless it's carbs from our advertisers.

On one page you'll read about the horrors of carbohydrates and how cutting back will get you to effortlessly drop pounds. On the next you'll see a super lean fitness model holding up a piece of whole wheat bread with a sassy smile. She eats this brand of bread, so you should too if you want to look like her. Which page do you believe?

  • Carbohydrate intake must be controlled, regardless of its brand.
Lie #8: You don't need a trainer to achieve maximum results. 

A recurring theme in fitness magazines is the idea that you can do your body transformation on your own – no personal trainer needed. It's a great theme for the magazine since it means you'll keep buying the latest issue for your fitness advice. The truth is that people serious about achieve amazing transformations always seek out professional coaching to ensure their success.

  • Real results are achieved with the guidance of a professional trainer.
If you have a goal you've yet to achieve then reach out to me. 

Go to www.fitnessgenerator.com/ussportsradio Call (5715015306) or email ( ussportsradio@gmail.com ) today and I'll get you started on a program that will make your goals a reality.

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Athlete/Coach Resources...
Do you care about your BRAIN? EHT Supplement for the Brain, Discovered and Patented at Princeton University Endorsed By Professional Athletes!
The World's Best High School, College, and Pro Athlete's Highlight Reels and Training Videos.
The 91 Exercises Every Athlete Should Know!
Add 10 Inches Or More To Your Vertical Leap-The Jump Manual
StrengthCoach.com
BodyByBoyle OnlineShapeShifter Yoga
Discount Sports Supplements

US Sports Recruiting Assistance.

Athletes! All Registered Athletes Will Have Their Huddl Or other Highlight Video Reel Priority Posted on Our Athlete Highlight Video Reel Center! We have Thousands Of College Coaches and Recruiters Visiting Our Network Daily. Get More Exposure With US Sports Recruiting Assistance!
For just a one time fee of $25 we guarantee your highlight reel will be seen by over 5000 coaches, recruiters, and administrators.
Check out the US Sports Elite Athlete Highlight Reel Center:
Sign up for US Sports Recruiting Assistance here.
bpisports.com Recovery Supplements

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Dan Wirth - Cheating on Exercises Dan Wirth -

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Good morning athletes and warriors!
My clients have often heard me refer to "allowable cheating" to move a certain weight on certain exercises. Although first and foremost we want to use the best form that we can, there are instances where you might swing a weight or use your lower body a little on an upper body movement to help you push through thresholds in strength and all of the good things that go along with that increased strength. To get down to some more detailed guidelines in this area; here US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning's Director of fitness Dan Wirth
-Nate


Dan Wirth - Cheating on Exercises Dan Wirth -
Dan wrote this advice in response to a US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning Systems member's question. It has been edited for use as an article.

To cheat, or not to cheat. That is the question! It's actually a great question to ask, because you have to be aware of your exercise technique to ask it in the first place! Most people aren't even aware that they alter their technique (cheat) on everything they do, thereby sacrificing proper muscular development and safety. The main reason people cheat on their exercise technique is that it allows them to use more weight or to complete a set of repetitions when fatigue starts setting in. But, cheating goes much deeper than this in the relms of training lore :) Let me explain.

There are three main categories of cheating:

Category 1: Green Cheating - This type of cheating is usually used by someone that is just starting out with a training program, hence the term "green". I mentioned this above and it's simply when a person does not know the proper technique in the first place. There are no ulterior motives to their cheating. They don't have an ego problem and are not trying to use more weight than they should. They are not using a specific "overloading" technique to stimulate additional muscle growth. They just don't know. This problem is easily fixed with proper instruction or by studying the exercise definition and video library at Fitnessgenerator.com/ussportsradio. Here are some common mistakes beginners make:

  • Improper Breathing
  • Maintaining Poor Posture
  • Limiting Range of Motion
  • Training Too Quickly
Category 2: Ego Cheating - This type of cheating is probably the worst because it causes injuries This person knows how to do things correctly but they don't because they just can't stand the thought of using less weight on an exercise. Doing things correctly and being able to isolate a muscle group takes more work. So, they continue to "throw" weights around and never seem to make any progress. Here are some common things "Ego" cheaters do:

  • Arch their backs off the bench during a bench press
  • Throw a weight up with their legs and back when performing bicep curls
  • Bouce weight off a weight stack creating momentum to lift heavier weights
  • Use short, jerky movements to complete the reps on a set
Category 3: Advanced Cheating - These type of people cheat for a physiological reason. There is actually something called a "Cheating Principle". A phrase that was coined by the great Joe Weider. Notice that I didn't say developed. It has actually been used by people forever, before he just put a name on it to sell a book or something! Anyway, there are times in a training program, if you reach a certain level, that you would want to overload a muscle at a particular joint angle or during a particular movement. Eccentric loading, for example, is a term that describes emphasizing the down phase of a lift such as lowering the barbell during a bicep curl. But, in order to lower the weight you first have to lift the weight.

This is where it gets tricky. The advanced cheater would first use a weight that he or she could curl with perfect technique for 6 to 10 reps. Then, they would use their legs and with a certain rhythm be able to "pop" the weight up. Once the weight was up they would slowly lower the weight for 4-5 seconds back down to the starting position. On the other hand, the ego cheater would start their training program like this and never do a perfect rep!

Now, this type of training is not for everybody. You actually have to learn the proper technique of cheating so you don't kill yourself in the process! For most of us however, it is probably best to stick with the fundamentals. You can never go wrong if you learn how to train correctly and you stick with it!

Dan Wirth M.A., C.S.C.S.
Fitness Director (US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning)
Director of Strength and Conditioning
The University of Arizona
Athlete/Coach Resources...
Do you care about your BRAIN? EHT Supplement for the Brain, Discovered and Patented at Princeton University Endorsed By Professional Athletes!
The World's Best High School, College, and Pro Athlete's Highlight Reels and Training Videos.
The 91 Exercises Every Athlete Should Know!
Add 10 Inches Or More To Your Vertical Leap-The Jump Manual
StrengthCoach.com
BodyByBoyle OnlineShapeShifter Yoga
Discount Sports Supplements

US Sports Recruiting Assistance.

Athletes! All Registered Athletes Will Have Their Huddl Or other Highlight Video Reel Priority Posted on Our Athlete Highlight Video Reel Center! We have Thousands Of College Coaches and Recruiters Visiting Our Network Daily. Get More Exposure With US Sports Recruiting Assistance!
For just a one time fee of $25 we guarantee your highlight reel will be seen by over 5000 coaches, recruiters, and administrators.
Check out the US Sports Elite Athlete Highlight Reel Center:
Sign up for US Sports Recruiting Assistance here.



Friday, December 26, 2014

SKLZ 4 Day Football College\Pro 12 Week Offseason Quarterback Program Week 2 Day 4

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I pray you enjoyed your Christmas celebration. This is the time of year you get a jump on the competition. I can guarantee you that there are many of your future opponents not training at all for the next two weeks. That could cost them in this game of inches. 
Week 2 - Day 4 (Thursday) of US Sports Strength & Conditioning Free Demo ProgramWeek Difficulty:Hard
  View Printer Friendly Version
Click on an Exercise Name to view a description of that exercise
SelectExercise NameSet and Rep Combinations
1
 
Warmup and Stretch
8 minutes 
2
   Video
Power Clean
5 reps @ 150 lbs,4 reps @ 180 lbs,
3 reps @ 210 lbs,1 reps @ 240 lbs,
1 reps @ 255 lbs,5 reps @ 240 lbs,
4 reps @ 225 lbs,5 reps @ 210 lbs 
3
   Video
Snake Squat
10 reps @ 205 lbs,5 reps @ 245 lbs,
3 reps @ 285 lbs,6 reps @ 325 lbs,
6 reps @ 325 lbs,5 reps @ 305 lbs 
4
   Video
Dumbbell Jump Squat
6 reps @ 30 lbs,6 reps @ 30 lbs 
5
   Video
Barbell Side Step Up
10 reps @ 115 lbs,8 reps @ 125 lbs,
8 reps @ 115 lbs  
6
   Video
Barbell One Leg Squat
10 reps @ 125 lbs,8 reps @ 135 lbs,
8 reps @ 125 lbs  
7
   Video
Close Grip Pull Ups
8 reps,8 reps,
6 reps  
Get the complete program here

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Hit the weights now, hit the links with a vengeance this Spring!



The Golf Programs are designed for those wanting to achieve fitness, and, to improve their performance on the golf course! Millions of people enjoy playing golf and what better way is there to get in shape than to perform an exercise program that takes into account the specific movements and physical demands of the great game of golf.
The first available golf workout is our "Dumbbell Golf Program". This program can also be done just about anywhere! It is an excellent program for those who want more physical development and wish to train at home. Training with dumbbells requires more balance and control to perform the required exercises. It also enhances functional strength development for injury prevention.
The second available golf workout is our “Health Club Golf Program”. This program requires the use of a fully equipped gym but will help achieve fitness goals quicker and in many instances will give the best performance increases!
The final golf program is our "No Equipment Golf Program". This program will be for those who can't make it to the gym, or simply want to work out at home with no equipment required.
All of our Golf Programs will add more distance and more consistency to any golf game!
You are not alone on your way to the links! All US Sports Strength and Conditioning Programs come with flexibility, cardiovascular, and nutrition plans to help you to maximum success. 
 Looking forward to helping you hit 'em long and straight!

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Let's Do This!






If it's time to get serious about your fitness, you need a structured program. I'll tailor a program specific to your goals and abilities, that will contain:



Fully customized workouts, listing: exercises, sets, reps and weights.
Exercise videos and descriptions demonstrating proper technique for every exercise.
A built in feedback system and email contact with me anytime.
Using the world's most powerful online training tool I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness program fully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and schedule.
For more information about my background, fee structure and how to get started, go to:

US Sports Strength and Conditioning

 Just fill out the brief contact form if you would like to get started.

Contact Me:
Nathan Lewis CSCS
US Sports Strength and Conditioning

US Sports Strength and Conditioning

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Risks From Concussion Injury In Sports Underestimated

Neck Strengthening is an integral part of many of the US Sports Online Strength and Conditioning Programs. Train for safety and enhanced performance the right way. Click here and fill out the free fitness profile form to get started. -Nate


(MSNBC News Services,  Two or more significant blows to the head while playing sports can harm teen-agers,thinking abilities for years to come, according to studies that suggest such injuries are more common and more serious than some coaches and parents might think.
THREE SEPARATE sports injury studies highlighting the risks from concussions were published in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. This is a major public health issue that has been given short shrift, said Michael W. Collins, a neuropsychologist at Henry Ford Health System in Detroit and a leader of one of the studies. And this is information parents should know.
A concussion is any alteration in mental function after a blow to the head, said Collins. Signs or symptoms may be subtle, a headache, dizziness, difficulty with balance or memory, confusion or a personality change.
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETES
One of the studies, conducted by researchers at Med Sports Systems in Iowa City, Iowa, did not explore the effects of concussions but only how often they occurred in football, wrestling, soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, field hockey and volleyball at 235 high schools nationwide from 1995-96 through 1997-98.
There were 1,219 concussions, 63 percent of them in football, and 99 students suffered two or more, said researchers led by John W. Powell, a professor of kinesiology and an athletic trainer at Michigan State University. The researchers estimated that more than 62,800 concussions occur among high school students nationwide annually in the sports they studied. Researchers also reported that sideline tests for concussion may miss many cases of mild brain injury in high school and college athletes, with possible long-term effects on their mental functioning.
While many athletic trainers spot and appropriately manage head injuries on the field, according to Collins, some schools, particularly in rural areas, may rely on the judgment of coaches who are unaware of the more subtle signs of concussion, such as headache, dizziness or confusion. Many people believe concussion means the loss of consciousness, he said. So when athletes aren't knocked out, they're put back in the game.
FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Collins led a study of 393 college football players from four universities that looked at the risk factors for poor recovery from a mild brain injury. His team found that about one in three had suffered a concussion at some time in the past and one in five had suffered two or more.
Those who had suffered two or more were significantly more likely to report continuing problems with headaches, sleep and concentration, and they scored significantly worse on paper-and-pencil tests of the ability to learn words, to think quickly and to handle complex tasks.
Further, players who had learning disorders, 13.5 percent of the sample, fared even worse if they had two or more concussions, suggesting that the disorders make the brain especially vulnerable to jarring injuries. About 12 percent of all collegians have learning disorders, research has shown. "If they have a learning disability, if they have one concussion, you should be a lot more cautious in returning them to game conditions and practices after their first concussion, said an expert not involved in the studies, Jeffrey T. Barth, chief of medical psychology and neuropsychology at the University of Virginia.
He said the research on the prevalence of concussions among high school students confirms previous work but is by far the largest study, and it highlights a problem that, has been kind of ignored over the years. Most emphasis on managing concussion has been at college and pro levels, he said.
Animal research suggests that the youthful brain remains vulnerable after a first concussion for a longer time than a mature brain does, so a high school athlete may need a much longer recovery time from a concussion before returning to play than a college player or a pro, Barth said.
REPEATED BLOWS IN SOCCER
A third article in the journal reported that amateur soccer players scored lower on tests of memory and planning than other amateur athletes did, and that repeated blows to the head may be the culprit. Dutch researchers at the St. Anna Hospital in Geldrop compared the results of brain functioning tests of 33 amateur soccer players with those from 27 middle-distance runners and swimmers. Thirty-nine percent of the soccer players showed impaired performance on tests that measured planning abilities compared to 13 percent in the other group of athletes. On memory tests, 27 percent of the soccer players showed impairment compared to 7 percent of the swimmers and runners. Of the soccer players studied 27 percent had suffered one concussion during their playing career and 23 percent reported a history of two to five concussions. The median number of balls, headed, in a match was 8.5 among those studied.
While some research has implicated, heading, the ball, Barth and other experts believe the more likely explanation is the frequent collisions between players and players, heads hitting the ground or a goalpost.
According to a study published earlier this year in the same journal, Americans suffer about one million traumatic brain injuries each year, resulting in more than 50,000 deaths and about 80,000 long-term disabilities. About 30 percent of these are sports-related.
The Associated Press, Reuters and the Medical Tribune News Service contributed to this report.

Friday, August 29, 2014

Feature Exercise

Barbell Front Lunge


Place the bar across your shoulders and trapezius muscles. Step forward 2.5 to 3.5 feet and drop straight down. Try to keep your forward knee above your foot as you lower your body down as far as is comfortable to you, or until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. If your knee moves out in front of your foot you will increase the stimulus to the frontal quadriceps muscles of your leg, but you will also greatly increase the stress to your knee joint. Maintain good posture throughout the lift. Exhale as your push off the front leg and return to the starting position. This is an excellent exercise for developing the muscles in your buttocks and thigh area.

View a video of this exercise

If it's time to get serious about your fitness, you need a structured program. I'll tailor a program specific to your goals and abilities, that will contain:



Fully customized workouts, listing: exercises, sets, reps and weights.
Exercise videos and descriptions demonstrating proper technique for every exercise.
A built in feedback system and email contact with me anytime.
Using the world's most powerful online training tool I can design and deliver a 12-week fitness programfully customized to your personal fitness goals, abilities, and schedule.
For more information about my background, fee structure and how to get started, go to:

US Sports Strength and Conditioning

. Just fill out the brief contact form if you would like to get started.

Contact Me:
Nathan Lewis CSCS
US Sports Strength and Conditioning

US Sports Strength and Conditioning

10 Rules of Fat Loss

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Your 16 Day Sexy Slim Down

I posted Monday about my super fast fat loss program called the "16 Day Sexy Slim Down". 

It's pretty amazing really... 

You just workout with me  online 3-5 days a week and follow some very "loose" nutritional guidelines for 16 days. 

Over the 16 days you can expect to lose 8-12 pounds and up to 2 pants sizes. 

Since I sent out the email Monday 12 out of the 20 spots have been filled. 

So to get "in", Just click here and I'll reserve a spot for you. 

It's starting  Monday August 18, 2014

And best of all is that I've made the whole thing FREE for the 16 days and still FREE for up to 30 days after.


Like I said, the 16 Day Sexy Slim Down starts next Monday08/18/2014

So just click here I'll get you all dialed in. 

Nathan Lewis (CSCS)

BTW – Just to get you off your bum and give you no excuses, I'm guaranteeing this thing works or you pay NOTHING! 

But you can't get results if you don't take one little step and reserve your spot by clicking here.