Showing posts with label baserunning. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baserunning. Show all posts

Monday, May 18, 2009

Metabolism and Making it Work For Athletes

Here's a concept that you must understand. You need to understand that improving your eating habits and improving your performance are related. It all depends on how you fuel your body. The fuel you put in your body will determine how your metabolism works and how much energy you have for athletic performance!

YOU CAN MAKE YOUR METABOLISM WORK FOR YOU, INSTEAD OF AGAINST YOU!


Let’s use a simplified definition of metabolism. Metabolism means the rate at which your body burns through food. Simple enough, right? Most athletes have fast metabolisms (which allow them to burn lots calories). As a result, it is important that you fuel your body with food frequently throughout the day.

I’ll say it again: Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day will keep your metabolism fired up, and keep you ready to perform at your best. “Getting” this will mean the difference between performing at a high level on a consistent basis and performing in fits and starts! “Getting” this will allow you to “get it done” any time you want!


To play well and stay in top shape, you are going to eat 5 meals a day. In fact, you’re going to eat at least 5 meals a day if you want to practice and play at your best! It might not completely make sense to you yet,
but as you begin to understand metabolism, and as you begin getting the results that you want, your comfort level with eating this many meals will increase.

I’ll explain further as we go along, but for now, “get” that you need to eat supportively and every 3 to 3 ½ hours. “Supportive eating” means making sure that each meal consists of a lean protein, a starchy carbohydrate and a fibrous carbohydrate. No pre-processed “diet food” made of make believe ingredients and “pseudo-foods!”


Here’s a short list of proteins, starchy carbs and fibrous carbs to get you started:

Lean Protein: tuna in water, egg whites, chicken breast, fat free dairy, flaky fish, tofu
Starchy Carbohydrates: potato, sweet potato, tomato, whole grains, oatmeal

Fibrous Carbohydrates: broccoli, cauliflower, onion, celery, peppers, cucumber, greens


I’m going to make a bold, borderline sacrilegious statement here: You don’t need “diets” to fuel your body for top-level athletic performance! Nor will you have to eat massive protein bars or gallons of protein shakes. This is all bad information that you have been given. All that will do is stress your kidneys and liver and make you feel sick.


Top performing athletes know that food is a tool to be used to hone the athletic body
to a sharp-edged weapon! Along with intelligent, challenging athletic and skills training, it’s the thing that will separate winners from wanna-bes!

So start planning your food intake to support your success! We’ll be glad to help!

Contact All-Star Sports Academy for your free one week trial in any of our strength and conditioning programs!

Monday, April 27, 2009

Beat Swine Flu...

The newsmedia is full of breathless, panic-stricken reports about Swine Flu. They throw around words like "pandemic," Recombinant" and "transspecies."

What does it all mean? Is this bio-terror, or just an anomaly? I even read a story linking a reduction in solar flares and solar wind to the rise of new strains of flu and maybe other diseases.

Wow. Makes you want to stay home, wrap yourself in a blanket and hide!

So what to do? It's fairly simple, really.

First, DON'T PANIC! If you've ever read Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" you already get this sage advice. Read through the news hype. Swine flu is NOT prowling your neighborhood streets, looking for a random sucker to infect.

Most likely, it's being spread through direct contact with those within the "hot period," or in the case of this bug, 24-72 hours after infection. So unless you're spending time in Mexico City, airports or places where we KNOW THERE IS AN OUTBREAK, you are probably not at risk yet.

So...now is the time to gather information about this and other flu viruses. Knowledge is power.

Second, Wash your hands! Yeah, your mom is right. Clean hands (and other skin surfaces) help prevent not only infection in you, but in others as well. Do you need anti-bacterial gels and soap. Um, think for a minute...influenza is a VIRUS...so anti-bacterial soaps, gels, etc. probably won't help.

Third, Flush the air at home! Open windows on breezy days when it's warm enough. Keeping the house closed up, whether you're heating or cooling, is like inviting the virus in. Let the fresh air in, let the sun in, you and your house will feel better.

Fourth, Eat to be immune!Include lots of fresh veggies and fruits in your diet. One precaution...since much of our produce comes from California and Mexico (Swine Flu hotspots), wash your produce well!

Fifth, Get some sleep! The body repairs itself and resets the defenses during sleep periods. Get 8-10 hours a night, and maybe grab a nap daily.

Sixth, VITAMINS AND MINERALS! I cannot stress this enough. EVERYONE needs a good multivitamin/mineral complex! Stop buying Centrum, OneADay or whatever other $15 crap you're throwing your money away on and go get some Prograde VGF+ For Men or Prograde VGF+ for Women! The reality is that if you're not spending about $35-$50 a month for your multi, you're probably getting crap.

In addition, it helps to add supplemental Vitamin C to your regimen. In spite of the scare tactics often employed by the medical community to stop people from using this natural immune booster for that purpose, Vitamin C really does boost immune response in humans. 1,000 - 3,000 mg/day will help, more is ok if your system can handle it.

Seventh, and last...No rubbing snouts or smooching with pigs or birds or people who sound like they're hacking up a lung! Enough said!
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Quinoa and Fresh Herb Salad With Garden Tomatoes

Makes 2 servings, with leftover quinoa Description


Quinoa is a high-fiber grain that's loaded with protein and readily available in groceries or health food stores. Need a convenient grain? Try this one: it cooks in 6 minutes! Here’s a version of the delicious Middle Eastern salad, tabbouleh, with quinoa instead of bulgur.


Ingredients

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup quinoa

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

3 scallions (white and light-green parts), thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons lightly packed fresh parsley, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

3 large beefsteak tomatoes, preferably a mixture of red and yellow

2 ounces low-fat feta cheese


Instructions

Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan, over high heat. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt; bring back to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 6 minutes, until nearly all the water is absorbed and quinoa is tender and chewy but not soft.


While quinoa is cooking, combine juice, oil, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Fold in quinoa, scallions, cucumber, and herbs. Toss until thoroughly coated. Season to taste as desired.


Thinly slice tomatoes. Arrange on serving plates. Spoon about 1 cup quinoa over tomatoes. Crumble feta on top. Serve immediately.


Nutritional information

350 calories

14 g total fat (4 g sat)

10 mg cholesterol

47 g carbohydrate

15 g protein

7 g fiber

410 mg sodium

Friday, April 24, 2009

Friday Round Up

Well, we approach the end of another exciting week here at All-Star Sports Academy.

When Monday rolls around, one of our athletes, Charlie Henry, formerly of Toms River North High School, Monmouth University and Susquehanna University (Phil's Alma Mater!) will very likely be a National Football League Fullback!

Here's just a taste of what Charlie said about what All-Star Sports Academy did for him:
"I have done many workouts where players say 'why am I doing this? I'll never do this on the field!' Every exercise we do is relevant to my sport, and even my position. I feel I could not have had an equal experience with any other sports facility in New Jersey!"

Wow! Thanks, Charlie! Watch this blog on Monday or Tuesday. We're all pulling for Charlie, and the early word is he'll be in a Cleveland Browns or Dallas Cowboys uniform this season!

Also in the All-Star news: The Answer calls All-Star Sports Academy his training home!

Frank "The Answer" Edgar, a Toms River resident and up-and-coming mixed martial arts competitor is preparing for what many are calling the fight of his career!

So, where does a tough UFC guy like Frank go for his conditioning training? All-Star Sports Academy, that's where!

On May 23, you can catch Frank's big fight against Sean Sherk on pay-per-view live from Vegas.

Between now and then, he'll be working hard at All-Star! Video coming soon...

Let's see, the best athletes at the Jersey Shore call All-Star their training home. NFL prospects tell us they couldn't have it better anywhere else. A professional mixed martial artist chooses us to get him ready for the fight of his career.

What's YOUR reason for not being here again?

We'll make it really simple for you.
Go to http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/free-trial-membership

Apply for a trial membership. In the "Comments" section, write "Charlie and Frank sent me!"

We'll DOUBLE YOUR TRIAL PERIOD! That's 2 weeks of no-cost, no-obligation sports fitness preparation on All-Star Sports Academy!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

First Step to a Faster 40

Last week, we covered how important your first step is in any sport. This week we'll be going a little further with that subject because of a question I hear every day from athletes (usually football players), "How can I run a faster 40". My answer, your starting position and first step.

This is the area in which even very fast athletes lose the most time. It is also the easiest area to fix because it is usually just a technical error rather than the lack of any physical attributes.

Although I don't think the 40 yard dash is really that important for an athlete's on-field performance, coaches love it and they want their players to have certain numbers. Today I will give you some tips on how to lower your time and catch those coaches' eyes so you can show off your real ability in all of the other areas that really matter.

Know the test. Just like any other test you've ever had, it is important to know what you're being tested on. You wouldn't work on calculus to ace your history final, would you? In the case of the 40 yard dash, you must realize that this test does not test your overall/top speed. Since most athletes do not reach their top speed until 50-60 yards into a sprint, this test is really about acceleration. How quickly you can get your body in motion and continue to gain speed. In order to do this, the next tip is very important.
Find your ideal starting position. Every athlete's starting position will be slightly different depending on flexibility, height, strength, and comfort. The important thing to do is to find the position that you feel comfortable with that still follows the guidelines of a good start position.
  • Dominant foot back
  • Hips above shoulders.
  • Angle from knee to ankle is pointing down and back (both legs).
  • Pressure through both feet.
  • Hand cocked back behind hip.

Each athlete can tweak their position in order to be comfortable as long as those guidelines are still met. For example, Reggie Bush liked to start with his feet back about 6 inches further than most athletes have been taught. This allowed his legs (knee to ankle) to be at a 45 degree angle to the ground. This smaller angle lets him push out rather than up with his first step so he is able to stay lower and distribute as much force as possible in the desired direction. Many athletes have started to shift closer to this type of start for that reason.

Here is how Reggie sets up for his 40. I've found that it works really well because it is comfortable and it forces the athlete to stay low rather than popping up too quick. Try it out:

  • Set your non-dominant foot about 12 inches away from the line.
  • Line up the toes of your dominant (back) foot with the heel of your front foot.
  • Slide the back foot 8-12 inches away from the front foot.
  • Adjust each foot in order to put pressure through both feet.
  • Reach both hands about 2 feet in front of the starting line without moving your feet. Walk your hands back until the dominant hand is at the line and both legs are loaded.
  • Keep head and eyes down.
  • Cock opposite hand back.
  • Inhale before start.
  • Run 40 yards in 4.2 seconds (ok, maybe not)

First and 10. These are the most important steps, your first step and first 10 yards. Aim your first step to be 1 yard out. Drive out of the start and keep your eyes focused at the 10 yard line. Think about being full stride in 2 to 3 steps. Practice the first 10 yards until you're comfortable with your starting position and your first few steps.

Always get faster. Continue to try to accelerate through the finish line. Run a 60 yard dash instead of a 40 yard dash. Remember, you won't reach your top speed until after 40 yards so you want to feel like you're still getting faster and faster with every step.

These tips can HELP lower your time, but they are just one piece of the puzzle. They will NOT make you a better athlete. Sports are played in multiple directions and require you to accelerate, decelerate, change direction and change speed. Having a faster 40 may get a coaches attention, but improving all aspects of your performance will get you that spot on the roster.

Contact us here for a free trial week with All-Star Sports Academy: http://www.allstarsportsacademynj.com/free-trial-membership

Monday, April 20, 2009

Coach off the excess weight

Researchers at Duke University Medical School have "discovered" something our clients have known for years.

Their research reinforces our belief that working with a professional to lose body fat, change your body shape and develop healthy habits results in better, well, better results!!

They studied people who lost at least 8.8 lbs over a six month weight-loss phase. Lo and behold, the group that worked with a fitness/diet professional kept off more of the unwanted weight than any other group!

Frankly, we're not surprised! Our clients tell us that it's easier to keep off unwanted pounds when you have someone who cares about your results guiding and helping you to your goals.

THAT is the essence of why our programs work. We care about your results, and the programs are easy to follow and FUN!

Speaking of fun and effective body transformation programs, have you registered for the amazing
Get a Swimsuit Ready Body by July 4th! kickoff session yet?

What are you waiting for?

For a teeny tiny $10 registration fee, you'll walk away with over $75 in bonuses (we just added "A Woman's Fat Loss Strategy", a 10 step eating, diet and lifestyle guide to the body you want. It's a $20 value, and it's included as a bonus for registering for the May 1st, 7:30 PM Kickoff Session!)

May 1st, 7:30 PM at our Strength & Conditioning Center at 1856 Route 9, Toms River

$10 registration for the kickoff, and we promise some awesome stuff that night!

Over $75 worth of bonuses just for registering and taking the first step!

See you there, and then we'll see YOU showing off this summer!

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A quick and very useful recipe today:

Better Butter!

This is the best butter replacement we’ve ever found. It requires you to do a little work, but the rewards in taste and good health are well worth it!


Ingredients

2 cups Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cups softened organic (salted or unsalted) butter


Preparation

Place the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using a power beater, slowly blend the olive oil and butter together.


Blend until the mixture is smooth.


Transfer contents of bowl into several table serving-size containers.


Place in refrigerator until firm like butter.


Use it just like butter, as well as for cooking lubrication and as a substitute for olive oil in cooking meats and vegetables, if desired.


Nutrition Info (approx. for 1 Tbsp
Calories ---- 110
Fat Calories ---- 110
Total Fat ---- 12.5 grams
Saturated Fat ---- 4.5 grams
Monounsaturated Fat ----- 5.5 grams
Polyunsaturated Fat ----- .75 grams

Saturday, April 18, 2009

What a Week!

WOW!

It was a big week for All-Star Sports Academy athletes!

>> Dave DalCortivo signed to play Juniors Hockey with the Philadelphia Revolution!

>> Meredith Kalinowski leads the undefeated Toms River South Girls Lacrosse team to 3 victories, scoring 25 goals and 9 assists along the way!


Meredith also set a TRS Girls Lacrosse single-game scoring record on Thursday, tallying a stupefying 9 goals and 3 assists in a 16-3 victory over Toms River East! WOW!

>> Tatum Coffey (TRN) lit things up on the Lacrosse field, as well.

>> Mike Bodden continues to have a solid year for MonDon Baseball.

>> Anthony LaCava is tearing the cover off the ball on the diamond over at Toms River North.

>> Ben Nogiewich is having a solid year on the Volleyball court at Toms River South.


>> Fresh in from Miami Beach is the following news:
Ashley Conroy scored personal bests in the 100 freestyle and the 100 backstroke at the YMCA National meet!

Ashley Conroy cruises to a personal best 59.59 in
the 100 backstroke
at the YMCA nationals in Miami Beach

She swam Ocean County YMCA record times in both events! Ashley cruised to a 59.59 second 100 backstroke and a blazing 53.97 in the 100 free!!

As if that wasn't enough, just before she left for Miami Beach, Ashely was awarded the team MVP Trophy at the Monsignor Donovan Swim Team Banquet!! She owns the MonDon 100 backstroke record, at 59.44 seconds!

Each of these athletes, like the hundreds of others who call All-Star Sports Academy their training home, are tasting success because of their work ethic, good training habits and sheer desire to win!

All-Star Sports Academy congratulates them all! If you're having success in your sport, whether it's club, league or scholastic, be sure to tell us, and we'll put your exploits in these pages, as well!

Do you want to taste victory and success, too? We're here to help! Simply Contact Us and we'll set you up with a free, one week trial membership at All-Star Sports Academy!

Hey, we're making it as easy as we can for YOU to get into All-Star!!