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!

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

"Game of Inches"

In any sport, any day, a game can be won or lost on a matter of inches (not pounds).

Whether it's a cornerback tipping away a cruicial pass, an outfield making a "snowcone" catch in the 9th with runners on, or a runner beating out a throw to first on a "bang-bang" play, big plays in big games are based on a few inches and fractions of a second.

Those game-changing inches are not gained on a bench on "max out" day, your "leg day", or on those weeks when you want to "go heavy"! (Jose Reyes never stole a base because he racked the leg extension machine)

The inches that make the difference can be gained in a step. One step! Your FIRST STEP!

This is the step that an athlete has the ability to make a huge improvement on with only a few basic changes. For example, in baseball, the average time difference between being out or safe when stealing second base is close to 0.10 seconds. Improving only your starting position and first step as a base-runner can make that difference.

What do I mean by first step speed? Simply put, first step speed is the ability of an athlete to put his or her body into motion quickly and efficiently. The body must be in a position that enables an athlete to produce an explosive and productive first step.

So how do we improve our first step and quickness?

Here are a few tips:

• Be in an athletic position at all times. Being in poor position will result in an inability to produce the optimal amount of force in the desired direction. For example, a stance that is too wide makes it difficult for an athlete to explode laterally for two reasons; the athlete will not have a good "push" off both legs and it requires more force to get the body's center of gravity over the lead foot to develop any momentum in the appropriate direction.
• Train "fast". In order to have the explosive first step you want, you must train the body to be an explosive unit. Plyometric training (done properly) is an excellent way to increase your explosiveness. Squat strength will not result in an optimal first step if you do not develop power as well. Power is determined by the amount of force you apply through a certain distance in a certain amount of time. Therefore, an athlete should be working to increase strength (force production), range of motion (distance force is applied), and speed of movement (decreasing the time it takes to move through the range of motion). Ok, in normal terms, push harder, faster. Small improvements in each of these areas will result in a large improvement in overall power and the ability of an athlete to have an explosive first step.
• Increase mental quickness to increase "game speed". Incorporate visual cues to your speed and agility drills. Athletes must be able to react and adjust quickly to certain on-field cues. Make basic agility drills more difficult by simply adding the element of reaction time.

So take your workout to the next level! Get off the bench, get on your feet, and move!

Need ideas to help get your game "up to speed"? Check out www.allstarsportsacademynj.com for some videos and click on free trial to get started TODAY!