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Sunday, July 22, 2012
Discover a dozen alternative cancer clinics
White spots on your nails could mean cancer risk
Low Sex Drive, Saggy Skin and White Spots on Your Nails Signify a Lack of This Mineral —
and a Higher Cancer Risk
Your body loves this mineral.
Without it, you wouldn't be able to make babies, or grow and feed them. This mineral also fights diseases and performs over 300 other biological functions.
Too much or too little of this mineral, and all these processes suffer, putting you at risk of disease and possibly even an early death. It's also a very popular cold remedy. So keep reading and I'll unveil the secret. . .
Continued below. . .
Without it, you wouldn't be able to make babies, or grow and feed them. This mineral also fights diseases and performs over 300 other biological functions.
Too much or too little of this mineral, and all these processes suffer, putting you at risk of disease and possibly even an early death. It's also a very popular cold remedy. So keep reading and I'll unveil the secret. . .
Continued below. . .
The Best-Kept Secret in Alternative Health...
What if you could get your hands on the secret that can "unlock" your body’s own "pharmacy" to relieve pain, reduce high blood pressure, shed pounds, quit smoking permanently, revive low sex drive and effectively treat over 350 diseases?
This little-known therapy is recognized and approved by the World Health Organization and the FDA to treat countless health problems without drugs. It can be done in the comfort of your own home — and you can easily learn it in a few minutes. Activate your body’s ability to heal itself today by clicking here. |
Zinc deficiency leads to cancer —
And cancer therapy leads to zinc deficiency
And cancer therapy leads to zinc deficiency
Zinc is needed throughout life for proper cellular growth and repair, as well as maintaining immune function.
If you're deficient in it, you can suffer impaired immune function and have poor resistance to infection and disease.
This can spell a major problem for cancer patients. In the case of zinc deficiency, it most often expresses itself in prostate and breast cancers. But it is also associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, 65 percent of patients with head and neck cancers were zinc deficient.1
As you may know, cancer is primarily a disease of the immune system. In fact, the medical and scientific community has known for over 100 years that nearly ALL diseases are a result of poor nutrition at some level or another.
So anyone wanting to avoid cancer needs to pay heed to the risk factors they can personally control — such as nutrient imbalances in your body that can lead to cancer.
Zinc deficiency is a general cancer risk factor. This is a fact well-established in cell, animal, and human models. Lack of zinc is associated with DNA damage and chromosome breaks. Your cellular level of zinc dramatically influences your cells' ability to repair such DNA damage and recover.
If you're deficient in it, you can suffer impaired immune function and have poor resistance to infection and disease.
This can spell a major problem for cancer patients. In the case of zinc deficiency, it most often expresses itself in prostate and breast cancers. But it is also associated with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, 65 percent of patients with head and neck cancers were zinc deficient.1
As you may know, cancer is primarily a disease of the immune system. In fact, the medical and scientific community has known for over 100 years that nearly ALL diseases are a result of poor nutrition at some level or another.
So anyone wanting to avoid cancer needs to pay heed to the risk factors they can personally control — such as nutrient imbalances in your body that can lead to cancer.
Zinc deficiency is a general cancer risk factor. This is a fact well-established in cell, animal, and human models. Lack of zinc is associated with DNA damage and chromosome breaks. Your cellular level of zinc dramatically influences your cells' ability to repair such DNA damage and recover.
Can zinc every day keep the doctor away?
Ladies, Penn State researchers report that the glands in your breasts have unique zinc requirements due to your need to transfer large amounts of zinc into milk during lactation. If you're deficient in zinc while nursing, your baby can suffer a severe zinc deficiency, resulting in impaired growth and development.
But the news gets worse. If you have a zinc deficiency or aren't metabolizing it, it can result in breast cancer.
Today, zinc shortfalls are implicated not just with the initiation of breast cancer, but also in its progression and metastasis. Zinc deficiencies are known to cause cellular dysfunction in the breast.2
In another study, Dr. David Watts reviewed trace mineral reports on the hair of thousands of women. He discovered that a pattern of high boron, copper and calcium levels — along with lower zinc — was associated with breast cancer. Boron and copper make you more sensitive to the dangers of high estrogen, and less responsive to progesterone. Zinc helps your body utilize progesterone.
In addition, p53 is the primary gene that protects you from breast cancer. It is believed to be the most frequently mutated or altered gene in cancer. The p53 gene requires zinc — which if missing, causes p53 to become inactivated or suppressed. Because it's well known that p53 dysfunction promotes breast cancer, it's very likely zinc deficiency is a risk factor in breast cancer regardless of boron, copper and calcium levels.
But the news gets worse. If you have a zinc deficiency or aren't metabolizing it, it can result in breast cancer.
Today, zinc shortfalls are implicated not just with the initiation of breast cancer, but also in its progression and metastasis. Zinc deficiencies are known to cause cellular dysfunction in the breast.2
In another study, Dr. David Watts reviewed trace mineral reports on the hair of thousands of women. He discovered that a pattern of high boron, copper and calcium levels — along with lower zinc — was associated with breast cancer. Boron and copper make you more sensitive to the dangers of high estrogen, and less responsive to progesterone. Zinc helps your body utilize progesterone.
In addition, p53 is the primary gene that protects you from breast cancer. It is believed to be the most frequently mutated or altered gene in cancer. The p53 gene requires zinc — which if missing, causes p53 to become inactivated or suppressed. Because it's well known that p53 dysfunction promotes breast cancer, it's very likely zinc deficiency is a risk factor in breast cancer regardless of boron, copper and calcium levels.
The raging controversy over zinc and prostate cancer
Does zinc also play an important role in maintaining prostate health? Some (including me) say yes. The normal human prostate contains a higher level of zinc than any other soft tissue in your body.
It's obviously there for a reason. And cancerous prostates have far lower zinc levels than do normal ones, suggesting men need to keep an eye on their zinc levels.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male American cancer deaths. Despite the well-known role of nutrition in cancer development, conventional medicine still maintains that the cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Conventional doctors like to pretend theirs is the only "evidence-based" form of medicine. Well, maybe they should look at the evidence. . .
Several studies have implicated zinc deficiency in the development and progression of prostate cancer. There's also evidence that increasing your dietary zinc leads to a decrease in prostate cancer. It's possible that a zinc deficiency increases your risk for oxidative DNA damage to your prostate cells.
Zinc is an ingredient in many supplements designed to promote prostate health. It's also found quite often in male potency boosters, and in supplements designed to increase testosterone levels. At this point, the consensus among nutrition experts is that zinc in the diet is essential to male reproductive health.
It's obviously there for a reason. And cancerous prostates have far lower zinc levels than do normal ones, suggesting men need to keep an eye on their zinc levels.
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of male American cancer deaths. Despite the well-known role of nutrition in cancer development, conventional medicine still maintains that the cause of prostate cancer is unknown. Conventional doctors like to pretend theirs is the only "evidence-based" form of medicine. Well, maybe they should look at the evidence. . .
Several studies have implicated zinc deficiency in the development and progression of prostate cancer. There's also evidence that increasing your dietary zinc leads to a decrease in prostate cancer. It's possible that a zinc deficiency increases your risk for oxidative DNA damage to your prostate cells.
Zinc is an ingredient in many supplements designed to promote prostate health. It's also found quite often in male potency boosters, and in supplements designed to increase testosterone levels. At this point, the consensus among nutrition experts is that zinc in the diet is essential to male reproductive health.
Can zinc help slow or reverse cancer once it's begun?
Potentially yes… because zinc plays a significant role in protecting DNA from damage. Besides, it is a potent anti-inflammatory, and can promote apoptosis (programmed cell death).
But lately there's been some controversy…
Though several studies showed that high cellular zinc levels inhibit prostate cancer development, one epidemiological study showed a higher risk for this cancer in men who took high-dose zinc supplements (over 100 mg/day) or long-term (more than 10 years).
The confusion stems from a 2003 National Cancer Institute (NCI) study, which found that taking more than 100 mg a day was linked to a doubled risk of advanced prostate cancer.3
It could be that 100 mg is too high a level, a toxic dose. But the finding could also be linked to the study's design. I can tell you one problem right off: NO alternative health expert recommends a zinc dose that high. It's widely understood that doses higher than 45 mg. per day over the long term can be toxic. Most zinc supplements and prostate or potency formulas contain daily doses much lower than 40 mg.
But lately there's been some controversy…
Though several studies showed that high cellular zinc levels inhibit prostate cancer development, one epidemiological study showed a higher risk for this cancer in men who took high-dose zinc supplements (over 100 mg/day) or long-term (more than 10 years).
The confusion stems from a 2003 National Cancer Institute (NCI) study, which found that taking more than 100 mg a day was linked to a doubled risk of advanced prostate cancer.3
It could be that 100 mg is too high a level, a toxic dose. But the finding could also be linked to the study's design. I can tell you one problem right off: NO alternative health expert recommends a zinc dose that high. It's widely understood that doses higher than 45 mg. per day over the long term can be toxic. Most zinc supplements and prostate or potency formulas contain daily doses much lower than 40 mg.
The study's design was poor and the analysis
that followed was even worse
that followed was even worse
Some critics say these scientists used statistical gymnastics to arrive at the calculation that taking 100 mg. of zinc daily for ten years or more doubled the risk of prostate cancer.
Nevertheless, the mainstream media ran a huge anti-zinc campaign to try to convince men to stop taking extra zinc.
We should also note that this study was hijacked by a friend of Big Pharma who later became head of the FDA. His role at the agency was to grant highly profitable cancer drug approvals to his Pharma friends. This zinc study was performed on his watch.
Most people are aware that statistics can be massaged to show results to meet a particular agenda. This NCI study is itself a poorly-designed study.
Even the researchers admitted their data could be skewed by men who chose to take higher levels of zinc after discovering their prostates were already in trouble. This is a vital point: it’s likely many of these men already had prostate disease BEFORE they started taking zinc. A lot of people figure if a little bit of a supplement is good, a lot is better. If zinc didn't help their pre-existing problems, maybe it just goes to show that a higher dose didn't help a man who's already ill.
This lack of control should never have been allowed, and makes the study too weak to prove anything.
Interestingly, the journal publishing it lists it as a "Brief Communication" — not a study. But the media portrayed it as a study.
Finally — as often happens with anti-vitamin studies — the researchers didn't consider the quality of the zinc being consumed. Most consumers would take cheap zinc oxide. Oxides generate free radicals — not desirable in men who are already struggling with low antioxidant levels. The use of low-quality nutrients is common to most studies that claim to prove vitamins or minerals don't work, or are harmful.
Contrary to the weak 2003 study, a 2009 study at the University of Washington evaluated zinc intake lasting more than ten years. They found a 66 percent reduction in advanced prostate cancer in men who took at least 15 mgs zinc per day. Of course, the media failed to run this story.
In related news, a study found zinc to be helpful at reducing enlarged prostate, officially called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The researchers found it was essential to help control initial prostate swelling which could eventually become cancerous. It's no wonder zinc produced these healthy effects, considering everything it does in our bodies. . .
Nevertheless, the mainstream media ran a huge anti-zinc campaign to try to convince men to stop taking extra zinc.
We should also note that this study was hijacked by a friend of Big Pharma who later became head of the FDA. His role at the agency was to grant highly profitable cancer drug approvals to his Pharma friends. This zinc study was performed on his watch.
Most people are aware that statistics can be massaged to show results to meet a particular agenda. This NCI study is itself a poorly-designed study.
Even the researchers admitted their data could be skewed by men who chose to take higher levels of zinc after discovering their prostates were already in trouble. This is a vital point: it’s likely many of these men already had prostate disease BEFORE they started taking zinc. A lot of people figure if a little bit of a supplement is good, a lot is better. If zinc didn't help their pre-existing problems, maybe it just goes to show that a higher dose didn't help a man who's already ill.
This lack of control should never have been allowed, and makes the study too weak to prove anything.
Interestingly, the journal publishing it lists it as a "Brief Communication" — not a study. But the media portrayed it as a study.
Finally — as often happens with anti-vitamin studies — the researchers didn't consider the quality of the zinc being consumed. Most consumers would take cheap zinc oxide. Oxides generate free radicals — not desirable in men who are already struggling with low antioxidant levels. The use of low-quality nutrients is common to most studies that claim to prove vitamins or minerals don't work, or are harmful.
Contrary to the weak 2003 study, a 2009 study at the University of Washington evaluated zinc intake lasting more than ten years. They found a 66 percent reduction in advanced prostate cancer in men who took at least 15 mgs zinc per day. Of course, the media failed to run this story.
In related news, a study found zinc to be helpful at reducing enlarged prostate, officially called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The researchers found it was essential to help control initial prostate swelling which could eventually become cancerous. It's no wonder zinc produced these healthy effects, considering everything it does in our bodies. . .
Like the athletes who pass the torch from Athens to London...
Specific proteins in your body pass zinc atoms from your digestive system to every cell and system in your body.
Like the Olympians who pass the torch, these twenty-four special zinc transporters each has its own special purpose. Some move zinc into cells, some manage its intracellular functions, and some remove it from your cells.
Penn State's ongoing zinc research shows how zinc impacts your health at all stages of life, from before birth all the way through old age.
Zinc plays a substantial role in a baby's development in the womb. The nourishment from the placenta is directly related to the mother's zinc levels.
But even before you were in your mother's womb, zinc was critical. It aids the sperm's motility, allowing it to be a "strong swimmer" and thereby start the reproductive process. Without it, the sperm would be unable to "break into" the egg, and you would not have been conceived.
Once your lungs first breathed air, you were exposed to new diseases, and you needed zinc as a key component for your fragile immune system. Fortunately mother's milk,assuming she wasn't deficient, contained ample zinc for your needs — both your immune needs and growth and development needs.
Like the Olympians who pass the torch, these twenty-four special zinc transporters each has its own special purpose. Some move zinc into cells, some manage its intracellular functions, and some remove it from your cells.
Penn State's ongoing zinc research shows how zinc impacts your health at all stages of life, from before birth all the way through old age.
Zinc plays a substantial role in a baby's development in the womb. The nourishment from the placenta is directly related to the mother's zinc levels.
But even before you were in your mother's womb, zinc was critical. It aids the sperm's motility, allowing it to be a "strong swimmer" and thereby start the reproductive process. Without it, the sperm would be unable to "break into" the egg, and you would not have been conceived.
Once your lungs first breathed air, you were exposed to new diseases, and you needed zinc as a key component for your fragile immune system. Fortunately mother's milk,assuming she wasn't deficient, contained ample zinc for your needs — both your immune needs and growth and development needs.
Are YOU deficient?
The World Health Organization cites zinc deficiency as the most common cause of childhood disease for children under age five, worldwide.
One-third of the world's population suffers from some level of zinc deficiency. However, in some areas, a staggering 75 percent of the population is zinc deficient — with women and children being the worst victims.
While effective testing for zinc levels is under development, some symptoms of a zinc deficiency might alert you.
If you experience slowed wound healing, poor appetite, mental fog, sagging skin, a decreased ability to taste and smell, or white spots on your nails, it could indicate a zinc deficiency.
White spots on your nails are the classic sign of zinc deficiency.
One-third of the world's population suffers from some level of zinc deficiency. However, in some areas, a staggering 75 percent of the population is zinc deficient — with women and children being the worst victims.
While effective testing for zinc levels is under development, some symptoms of a zinc deficiency might alert you.
If you experience slowed wound healing, poor appetite, mental fog, sagging skin, a decreased ability to taste and smell, or white spots on your nails, it could indicate a zinc deficiency.
White spots on your nails are the classic sign of zinc deficiency.
Zinc's working partner
Zinc usually acts in tandem with selenium, but I'm not going to digress about selenium.
Both zinc and selenium are vital minerals normally found in soil in only small amounts — and reportedly the levels these days are much lower than fifty or 100 years ago. In fact, two-thirds of the earth's tillable soil is now either severely or completely lacking in selenium. And zinc isn't faring much better.
Both are vital to the production of two powerful antioxidant and anti-aging enzymes — Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione peroxidase. Scientists believe the "anti-aging gene" makes SOD — and that aging is just the natural outcome of declining SOD and other antioxidant enzymes.
Both zinc and selenium are vital minerals normally found in soil in only small amounts — and reportedly the levels these days are much lower than fifty or 100 years ago. In fact, two-thirds of the earth's tillable soil is now either severely or completely lacking in selenium. And zinc isn't faring much better.
Both are vital to the production of two powerful antioxidant and anti-aging enzymes — Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Glutathione peroxidase. Scientists believe the "anti-aging gene" makes SOD — and that aging is just the natural outcome of declining SOD and other antioxidant enzymes.
The "million dollar question"
How much zinc do you need, then?
That indeed, may be the "million dollar question".
The problem with zinc is that individual needs can vary wildly. Men need more than women. Your levels can plummet when you're under stress or you sweat a lot — so if you exercise outdoors during the heat of the summer, you'll need more.
A typical amount is 15 mg to 40 mg per day. As I said before, the consensus is that amounts in this range are totally safe. But some women need up to 75 mg per day and some men need up to 100 mg per day. This can only be determined by a qualified doctor who knows nutritional medicine.
For best absorption, use high quality forms of zinc — zinc citrate, zinc picolinate, and zinc as methionine. Any other form must be converted to these before it can be assimilated.
Zinc can upset your stomach — it does mine -- so take it with food. But I'm told most people don't experience this side effect, and zinc can help revive a weak or poor appetite.
Want even better absorption or more zinc? Take it in food form:
That indeed, may be the "million dollar question".
The problem with zinc is that individual needs can vary wildly. Men need more than women. Your levels can plummet when you're under stress or you sweat a lot — so if you exercise outdoors during the heat of the summer, you'll need more.
A typical amount is 15 mg to 40 mg per day. As I said before, the consensus is that amounts in this range are totally safe. But some women need up to 75 mg per day and some men need up to 100 mg per day. This can only be determined by a qualified doctor who knows nutritional medicine.
For best absorption, use high quality forms of zinc — zinc citrate, zinc picolinate, and zinc as methionine. Any other form must be converted to these before it can be assimilated.
Zinc can upset your stomach — it does mine -- so take it with food. But I'm told most people don't experience this side effect, and zinc can help revive a weak or poor appetite.
Want even better absorption or more zinc? Take it in food form:
- Brewer's yeast
- Egg yolk
- Kelp
- Lamb
- Legumes
- Lima beans
- Liver
- Meats, especially grass fed, organic red meats
- Mushrooms
- Pecans
- Poultry
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sardines
- Seafood
- Sunflower seeds
- Wheat germ
- Alfalfa
- Burdock
- Cayenne
- Chamomile
- Dandelion
- Eyebright
- Fennel seeds
- Milk thistle
- Nettle parsley
- Rose hips
- Sage
- Skullcap
- Wild yams
By all means eat some of these foods, but please don't listen to the press and conventional doctors who claim you can get all the nutrients you need from your food.
Today's soil is depleted of nutrients, even the soil used to grow the best organic foods. Nutritional supplements are advisable. Most people's diets are woefully deficient in zinc, selenium and other minerals.
Take heed, and make it a priority to get all the nutrients you need for your best health.
Last issue we talked about colonoscopy, one of the few cancer screening tests that’s really accurate and valuable. Now here’s more good news — there’s another test for colon cancer that’s cheaper, easier and almost as accurate as a full-scale colonoscopy. If you missed this important information, scroll down and take a look now.
Today's soil is depleted of nutrients, even the soil used to grow the best organic foods. Nutritional supplements are advisable. Most people's diets are woefully deficient in zinc, selenium and other minerals.
Take heed, and make it a priority to get all the nutrients you need for your best health.
Last issue we talked about colonoscopy, one of the few cancer screening tests that’s really accurate and valuable. Now here’s more good news — there’s another test for colon cancer that’s cheaper, easier and almost as accurate as a full-scale colonoscopy. If you missed this important information, scroll down and take a look now.
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cancer treatment cure natural
Saturday, July 21, 2012
TONIGHT is Orioles Night! Big Train Beat Nationals 4-1; Teddy Races Campers
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Friday, July 20, 2012
Big Train Win in Herndon; TONIGHT is Homer Bobblehead Night; Cody Allen Gets the Call!
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The Myth of In-Season "Maintenance" Training
The Myth of In-Season "Maintenance" Training
Ben Bruno
When I was in high school it used to annoy me so much when adults would start sentences with "Back when I was your age, things used to be so much different…" It just sounded so lame, and it made them seem old.
But alas, at the ripe old age of 26, I find myself saying it all the time to my athletes. I've become that guy.
They probably think I'm lame too, but it's true. Even ten years ago, things were so much different than they are today.
In high school, I didn't have a cell phone, the Ipod hadn't come out yet, and it used to be a big deal to swear. Now, all of that stuff is commonplace.
I can only imagine what it what it must've been like for Mike Boyle before the advent of fancy things like electricity and motor cars ;)
Seriously though, if you really take the time to stop and think about it, it's crazy how fast things have changed. At 26, I'm certainly not over the hill by any means, but it's a completely different world than it was just ten years prior.
Nowhere is that more true than the field of strength on conditioning.
I was an avid athlete growing up, but aside from some push-ups and sprints here and there at the end of practice, I never partook in any sort of organized physical training program all throughout high school. Nobody that I knew really did either, at least not on any meaningful level. I started messing around with some bodyweight training and light weightlifting when I was around 16, and I was first of my friends to do so. Keep in mind that I'm from New Hampshire, so trends take a little longer to catch on up there (kidding, sort of).
These days, it's become the norm for high school kids to participate in a strength and conditioning program, and it's really almost a requirement if you want to make it to the next level. MBSC is packed all year-round with high school kids looking to get a leg up on the competition.
It's great to see, and it's something I wish I had back in high school. It's a huge opportunity to make the most of your potential…if you take advantage of it.
I think that's why it grinds my gears a little bit when I hear about in-season "maintenance" training.
To me, training for maintenance is wasting a prime opportunity to get stronger and separate yourself from the pack.
The argument for in-season maintenance training is that you don't want to fry your athletes in the weight room and take away from their performance in their chosen sport.
I absolutely understand this rationale, and I agree that you don't want to fry them, but where I differ is that I absolutely believe you can get kids stronger in-season without frying them, and to take it a step further, doing so will in turn have a tremendously positive carryover to their ability to perform at a high level. The key is to keep the volume low and the intensity (and expectations) high.
For the past two years, I've worked with a high school varsity hockey team during their season, and about 75% of the boys come in to train with me year-round. This has been my first experience with coaching a team, but I'm lucky because being at MBSC, I have some great people to call on for assistance. I've made some mistakes along the way, but I've learned from them, and overall it's gone really well.
Both years the team has increased their strength over the course of the season. I say this based off simple testing we did prior to the start of the first practice and again at the end of the year. The tests included vertical jump, max reps on the bench press with 135 pounds (95 pounds for kids that couldn't bench 135), and max reps for bodyweight chin-ups. I do not like the idea of doing heavy one rep maxes with kids with a relatively low training age, so these tests allowed us to gauge their progress safely while still giving us some valuable objective data to see if the program worked.
It did, and it translated positively to the ice.
Well, I should amend that statement slightly because I think it's impossible to measure how much it truly translated, but I have to think it helped on some level because they've had two of their most successful seasons in quite some time, and in both seasons they've played their best hockey at the end of the season when other teams are fizzling out. More importantly, with the exception of a freak accident in the locker room with someone stepping on another boy's bare foot with a skate, they've incurred no serious injuries. In the brutal game of hockey, that's saying something.
The Program
The program we use is very simple. Games typically fall on Wednesday and Saturday, so we lift Thursday and Sunday to allow them time to recover. Workouts usually last 40-45 minutes: 10 minutes to warm-up, and 30-35 minutes to lift. We don't normally do any additional conditioning work since they are getting enough of that skating six days a week, but sometimes, depending on how they're playing and how they're feeling, we'll do some sled relays at the end of Sunday's lift-- partly for conditioning purposes, but more so for team-building.
The workouts are set up as follows:
Workout A (Thursday)
Dumbbell Snatch
Mobility Filler (Squat Stretch, Toe Touch Squat, etc.)
Trap Bar Deadlift
Chin-up
Core
1 Leg Squat
Pushup
Core/Mobility
Workout B (Sunday)
Jump Squat
Core
Bench Press
Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat
Mobility Filler
Inverted Row
Single Leg RDL
Core
Sometimes we have to change around the order of the exercises slightly to account for equipment logistics when the gym is crowded, but that's the basic setup.
For the bench press and trap bar deadlift, we work up to one top set per workout, waving the reps every three weeks or so from anywhere between 3-8.
On the rest of the exercises, we do 3-4 sets within a consistent rep range (depends on the exercise, as different exercises lend themselves better to different rep ranges) and shoot for modest weight increases from week to week.
Using this program, 22 of the 23 kids increased their bench press, 20 of 23 increased their vertical jump, and all 23 increased their chin-ups. For the younger kids with a lower starting point, that's probably to be expected, but we have kids that bench 265 lbs, jump 31.5 inches, and knock out 22 chin-ups so it's definitely not all "newbie" gains.
The "Secret"
The program itself is really nothing special on paper, but I think the real "secret" lies in the simplicity, the execution, and the expectations.
Since the overall workload is low, we can push the intensity, both literally and figuratively.
Literally speaking, we urge small incremental weight increases from week to week, provided the form stays good.
Figuratively speaking, we demand full effort and clearly set the expectation of getting stronger.
If you have it in your mind that you're trying to maintain, it can lead to complacency. That's not the mindset we want. We want people expecting to get stronger and fighting tooth and nail to make it happen.
Now that's certainly not to say that all of the boys add weight every single workout because as we all know, that's just not realistic. Some of the younger kids actually do for the most part, but that's just because their training age is so small and their starting point is so low. Our freshman and sophomores made tremendous strength increases over the course of the season. For the stronger kids that have been lifting longer, there are days where they just don't have it or aren't feeling good and we have to adapt and either lighten the loads, reduce the volume, or both. If you've lifted heavy weights yourself, then you know that at a certain point, progress slows down and even maintaining strength levels is a tall order. For these guys, it's especially important to have them in a mind frame for improvement because otherwise it will surely lead to not only maintenance but strength loss. Even training for strength, stronger athletes may end up maintaining, but they'll at least be better off than if they had just trained to maintain in the first place.
Clearly you can't put the pedal to the metal day in and day out, and part of the art of coaching is knowing when to back off. The art is something that I think comes with experience, so I'm working on that and is something I will undoubtedly get better at with time. There's no substitute for experience, and at some point, you just have to try things, be ok with making mistakes, and then learn from them. With that in mind, there have actually been a few times throughout the season after particularly physically demanding games and/or late nights where I've called an audible and used the normal lifting time for extra foam rolling and stretching.
For the most part though, we push them to get stronger, and the general trend is in that direction. It's not linear, but I'm ok with that as long as the end result is better than a starting point.
Mistakes
I mentioned before that I've made some mistakes along the way, so I'll share those now.
The first one was not monitoring the players' bodyweight enough.
Most high school boys have an atrocious diet, which when coupled with a crazy practice and game schedule, is recipe for losing serious amounts of weight in-season, particularly in metabolically demanding sports. Last season, we tested their weight and body fat at the start of the season, but we didn't do much beyond that. Not surprisingly, when I rechecked their bodyweight at the end of the season, most of them had lost more weight than I would have liked them to.
This season, we did weekly or bi-weekly weigh-ins on Sundays to keep track of them more closely and to serve as a constant reminder for them to be cognizant of their diet. This system worked really well and the kids have been much better about keeping their weight up, which has translated to better strength in the gym and on the ice.
The other mistake I've made was switching exercises too frequently and/or progressing exercises too much.
Last season I felt compelled to progress exercises every 3-4 weeks, even if what we were doing was working fine. I did it because I didn't want them to get bored, but the result was a lot of unnecessary soreness, and in some cases, pain. For example, I progressed them too quickly to ab wheel rollouts and it resulted in several of the boys complaining of excessive ab soreness and/or back pain.
It also didn't give them enough time to master some of the exercises. For example, after three weeks of offset single leg RDLs, they were just beginning to remember which hand to hold the dumbbell in, let alone master the balance aspect and start increasing strength.
This season, I tried to learn from my mistakes and followed the mantra "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I told myself I wouldn't change out an exercise unless one of three things happened:
- They stopped making progress
- They started complaining about being bored
- They complained of pain
Much to my surprise, they never once complained of being bored. In fact, overall enthusiasm was sky high. It really makes you realize that a lot of time as coaches, we probably make changes from our own boredom, and garnering excitement is much more about creating a positive culture than it is about creating a sexy program.
Also much to my surprise, we didn't run into any major plateaus with any of the exercises. In fact, their progress was actually better because they had more of an opportunity to master the movements they were being asked to perform. Again, it makes you realize the power of a well-executed, simple program, especially for trainees with a relatively young training age.
The only major change I made to the program was to take out trap bar deadlifts and replace them with single leg "skater squats" with about a month left in the regular season because a lot of the guys were complaining of feeling beat up.
Aside from that, the program stayed largely intact except for small modifications for certain individuals working around minor injuries.
Conclusion
I guess it goes back to what Dan John says about "simple, but not easy." In-season training obviously needs to be shorter and more focused, but I don't think it has to be (or should be) maintenance work. I don't think it's just of semantics either. It's a philosophy, and it's a mind frame. Remember, it's called strength training for a reason.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
New video reveals The Lazarus Cure
The Lazarus Cure
How a Nobel Prize winning
discovery can help you live longer and beat almost any disease. It’s nothing short of amazing. Thanks to a Nobel Prize winning discovery, you can now live longer, be healthier, and beat almost any disease. I call this discovery “the Lazarus Cure” because it can take aging cells and bring them back from the brink of death.
I’ll tell you all about the Lazarus Cure in just a moment, but first I need to explain why your body ages in the first place.
There are many symptoms of old age, but new research shows there is one main cause behind almost all of them. It’s called a telomere, and it determines the lifespan of every cell in your body.
Here’s how it works.
As you may know, every cell in your body contains DNA. And each time a cell divides, it makes a copy of that DNA. The problem is that the process isn’t perfect. Every time a cell divides, it loses a little bit of the DNA at the end of the chromosome.
The DNA at the end of the chromosome is called the telomere. A telomere is basically “junk” DNA that keeps the chromosome from unraveling. It’s sort of like the little plastic cap at the end of your shoelace.
As you know, when the cap on your shoelace wears out, your shoelace unravels and stops functioning. Well, your chromosomes work the same way. Every time a cell divides and the DNA copies, a little bit of the telomere “cap’’ is lost.
Eventually, the telomere becomes too short to hold the DNA together. At this point, the cell can no longer divide and it dies. These dying cells are what cause almost all “old age” diseases.
Research shows the shorter your telomeres are, the more likely you are to suffer from cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, macular degeneration, and even skin aging. Dozens of studies link shortened telomeres to deadly diseases. For example…
Until now scientists believed that there was no way to prevent your telomeres from shortening. They thought the aging process was irreversible.
Then two scientists discovered an “immortality enzyme” that can lengthen your telomeres.
And according to a review article, “In humans, this would be like restoring the health and vigor of a sickly 80-year-old to that of a young adult!”
So how can you lengthen your telomeres so you can live longer and beat nearly all the diseases of old age?
Find out by watching a special video presentation. This presentation will give you all the details about this amazing breakthrough.
If you delay in watching this, you might forget or the video might be taken down and you'll have missed out. But spend a few minutes watching this now and you'll be prepared to experience your own healing discovery!
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Big Train Make Aces Walk Off; Baseball History Night Recap; BT now #22!
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