Well add me to the list of writers and (now that I have joined the ranks of the) bloggers that will not let this issue die. I would like to take a slightly different slant however.
What is lost in every ESPN, Fox, CSN's expert's rant is what do athletes do now to get that edge that we the fans pay to see. As a certified strength and conditioning coach and personal trainer with 35 years of experience, let me offer a few suggestions:
- Let's eliminate from the training landscape one of the most critical mistakes that athletes themselves make. Not using full range of motion in all weight bearing exercises. For instance, when you squat, squat press, jump squat, etc. take 'dat' butt all the way below parallel! I cringe whenever I see an athlete with 495 lbs on the squat rack but just barely bending at the knees. This is of course after he has gone through all of the trouble of wrapping the knees, chalk all over the gym floor, snorting like a bull in heat [especially when the hot gym girls come within 25 feet of the Olympic Weight training area], you get the picture. This is just one example.
- For goodness sake eat some food! You want to add 25lbs of good natural muscle before Kickoff 2009 then you better commit to eating 6-7000 calories a day of clean foods a day. Too many of you are on the 'Fatkins' diets and other low carb nonsense so that you look real good in your 'unis' while you are flat on your back on your team's way to another 0-5 start. Sorry to be so harsh but you need to know the gravity of not training, eating, and resting properly.
- Train year-round. Should this still be a secret in 2009? You have the ability to grow bigger, stronger, faster and better year after year not just for 6 months at time!
These are the basics another factor is the disparity in athletes at a very young age whose families have the resources [money] to give their kids proper training and those that unfortunately do not. That is why I have joined forces with Ryan Lee and the good folks with Fitness Generator to be able to train any athlete online for just $10 per month. This is by no means a substitute for qualified one-on-one training from your strength and conditioning coach, but for those who are self starters, have a gym, fitness center, or some decent equipment at home, a customized progressive workout program tailored for you to help improve your strength, speed and agility to the point where you as a natural athlete will be accused of using roids which in a backwards sort of way is the best compliment that can be paid to a natural athlete. If you wish for more information Here is the web 'addy' www.fitnessgenerator.com/ussportsradio
