OLYMPIC LIFTING DRAWBACKS

Well, if you read my Monday June 20th article, you have a better understanding of what to look for in good Olympic lifting mechanics. By the way, I neglected to mention that the elbows need to be rotated out when doing the cleans and snatches. Again, the promotes better elevation of the bar and eliminates the "reverse curl" syndrome.
Well let's take a look at the other side of the coin. Many strength coaches are not big fans of the Olympic lifts. They like the sport of Olympic lifting, but believe rate of force development (RFD) is easier and quicker to develop via other methods. Read my June 22nd article on what is RFD. I am leaning toward that camp, but honestly need to evaluate and talk to more coaches about this at length. I've seen where athletes using a Westside Barbell type template for strength development, and only lifting 60%-70% of their Olympic lifts maxes. After doing this they come back a few months later and are able to post new maxes in the Olympic lifts. The lighter Olympic lifting is necessary to keep the technical aspects of the Olympic lifts in order. And where does the catch phase of the clean come into play on the football field? Do overhead lifts place the shoulder in a vulnerable position when it is already getting hammered in the sport of football? Does it over emphasize vertical improvement, and not horizontal improvement? As some trainers state, and I don't agree with this fully, does it make their hips tight? This is to say the least, a very debatable topic.
Anyway read inno-sport.net/why%20do%20coaches%20use%20olympic%20lifts.htm
As always, thank you very much for the interesting questions at acudave@yahoo.com

QUOTE "THE WEAKNESSES AND GOALS DETERMINE THE EXERCISES"

This quote is from coolcolj. He is one of many people that are doing interesting strength and conditioning research throughout the U.S. In the OC there are more and more companies that are poping up that use a template approach to developing athletes. What I mean by that, is they have a specific protocol regardless of what the weaknesses and goals are for each athlete. For example, if you have two football players, athlete "A" who is 5'8" 220 pounds versus athlete "B" who is 6'1" and 165 pounds, you can't train them the same. Lets say they both play the offensive line. Even with that in mind, you still shouldn't train them the same. You will here many knowledgeable coaches complain about this extensively. My flexibility series and the tests I cover expose some of the shortcomings that cookie cutter programs have. Lets examine the pros and cons of this.
In a high school setting, the amount of work necessary to develop athletes is astronomical, especially in football. I do have sheets for my players, that covers what they are supposed to do for a weeks time. Do they follow the exercises and numbers is an entirely different matter. I have to be a little of a staff sergeant at times, but when they see the progress they make, they are happy. I do individualize certain aspects of their programs because of injuries or experience. I had a player hurt his shoulder water skiing this weekend, so I had to adlib on the spot. He can incline bench, but can't flat bench. I use certain exercise like the Bulgarian split squat, where certain goals have to be reached before the athlete is allowed to progress to the next level. It creates a little competition and motivates kids to do better. But I still can't understand why an athlete or parent would want to send their kid to an individual who uses the same protocol for all of his athletes.
Unfortunately this is the route that many people are taking. I usually use simple questions to see if a coach is knowledgeable. Ask the coach what they think of Charlie Francis. He is one of the best linear speed development coaches there ever was. Minimizing injuries and injury recovery, especially related to athletes competing in the 100 meters is his forte. He was one of the first coaches to expound the theory that you have to type of running days. I am oversimplifying this for brevity sake so please be patient. The first type is a speed day. This is when the athlete is given a specific volume, specific intensity, with specific recovery time. The other running day is a form day. This is when the athlete runs no faster than 75% of max speed (the intensity), with a specific volume, with specific recovery times. If you notice, no running is done between 75% to 90%. This is saved for the long distance guys. There are many other factors, but their are so many hours in a day. If a coach has never heard of him, well where have you been.
There are strength coaches like Louie Simmons that do extensive work in powerlifting, and all levels of strength training in football and many other sports. He has given much focus to the box squat, which I have previously spoken about. Again, if you haven't heard of him, where are you?
Good coaches will look outside of their little nest to learn. When they do, they realize the gauntlet of approaches that have a viable use when training their athletes. Another words, get out there and learn. If you are looking for a trainer or coach, ask them who has influenced them, and that should give you a good idea of what they truly know. Thanks again to coolcolj. Any questions can be sent to acudave@yahoo.com.

SUPPLEMENT PRODUCT EVALUATION

This is an introduction to new products that I believe are very helpful to athletes. I will attempt to present the scientific side on why an athlete would want to use these products and when to use them. Understanding as much as possible will always benefit all parties involved and eliminate any possibility of questioning their use. The number one reason for failure of a patient in a medical setting to improve is patient involvement. If the patient doesn't follow the protocol laid out by the practitioner, then the patient won't improve. If the coach looks at the athlete in those same terms, then the same below expectation or even poor results will occur.
The products will cover anything and everything that could help enhance sports performance. I will not talk about products that are illegal or products that are legal in other countries that are yet to be evaluated by legal entities in the U.S. I won't answer any questions in these areas so don't bother to ask me. This will potentially be the most interseting aspect of my blog.
As always if you have any questions in this area, I can be reached at acudave@yahoo.com.

FLEXIBILITY OF THE LOWER BACK

Of all the tests that can be used to evaluate the flexibility of an athlete, the sit and reach test is probably the test that is the most used but poorly understood. The test is designed to test the flexibility of the hamstrings and the spinal erectors. We have reviewed the spinal erectors in previous articles, but the spinal erectors are new. The muscles that are located in the lower back closest to the spine are the spinal erectors.
The test is done with an athlete sitting on the ground with their legs fully extended. The athlete attempts to touch their toes. Typically if the athlete can touch their toes, then that is considered OK. The trick is to watch the difference in the backs curvature during this test. If the back is relatively flat (have a professional watch you on this evaluation) then this test the flexibility of the lumbar or lower portion of the back. If more curvature is allowed in the course of the test, then the thoracic or upper portion of the spine is being evaluated. There is a fine line between the two areas that are being evaluated, and the average person can not differentiate between the two.
If you keep a flat back and have your chest out, you will probably not be able to touch your toes, but you will get a much better stretch in your hamstrings. The stretch will be felt strongly at the part of the hamstrings that are very close to your butt.
If you have your face looking down between your legs, then the stretch is going to effect more of the upper or thoracic portion of your spine.
In any case if you can not touch your toes, then flexibility can be an issue. Hamstring pulls are more of a possibility. You may also not be getting as much range of motion necessary to run fast. As was mentioned in a previous article, it is like racing in the Indy 500 with your parking brakes on.
Next area up is the Tensor Fasciae Latae (TFL) for short. This is an area where I am personally working out some issues by using an OPTP. But that is for next week. Any questions, I'm at acudave@yahoo.com. Thanks!

RATE OF FORCE DEVELOPMENT

Rate of force development (RFD) is probably the most important aspect of training for athletes. Unfortunately most athletes today have been brainwashed by bodybuilding magazines. Coaches for that matter also. Bodybuilding is a great sport, but it is unique to itself.
RFD is defined as the ability of an athlete to be explosive in as little time as possible. When you see a talented wide receiver run a slant, and the corner bites, and then just as quickly the wide receiver cuts back outside, you understand RFD. I believe it all starts with Sir Isaac Newton's law F=MA or force equals mass times acceleration. When you walk into a commercial gym and see the average person working out, it is rare that you see any explosive lifting. These people are only working the M side of this equation. If A stays the same and the M is increased, then F will increase. Unfortunately if you don't train A what will happen? A will actually decrease and lessen the chance of F increasing. If the individual would train to improve M and A simultaneously or alternate focusing in on improving M or A then the force the athlete could deliver would be much improved.
Speed of movement or A can be measured in a few different ways. Some clinics have a Cybex machine and a variety of other measuring devices that unfortunately are prohibitively expensive or not practical from a sports perspective. This can be referred to as angular velocity.
You will go to track and field events when timing of the 100m, 200m, 400m, etc take place. Unfortunately that technology is not for such short and explosive movements as the squat. But, we still have the mighty stopwatch. I have used this to measure squats and bench presses, as I have mentioned in previous articles. Great stuff.
But another way is to assign numbers to the various segments of the movements. Ian King and Charles Poliquin assigned numbers to the eccentric or E (lowering), transitional or T (at the bottom of the squat, on the chest in the bench), and the concentric or C (against gravity portion of the bench and squat) portions of the lift. When you see the numbers 3/2/1 that would represent the E/T/C portions of the lift.
The C portion is the part of the lift most people absolutely ignore. It drives me crazy wacko nutso delirious. I think you get my point. You have to be explosive in that portion. As Ian King says "The power athlete cannot afford to spend more than 10-20% (as a generalization) of their total strength training time using a number greater than 1 as the third number". He also states "try to go fast". "This is rarely done". That hits me right between the eyes. Kids especially do not have the foggiest idea on that. RFD is only developed when you train explosively. Start training like "the numbers" or get that stopwatch out and start timing your reps!
Most of the articles that you read in bodybuilding magazines and many personal trainer programs either discourage speed lifts or makes no mention of it. Very disappointing when you think about it.
I will always be discussing this in a variety of ways within different topics. I will be writing something on neural versus metabolic approaches to training. Any question, I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com.

"WHAT ARE THE RULES?" ANONYMOUS

When I walk in a weightroom I usually have a sheet that I give to athletes, especially when I am dealing with large groups of athletes. Without a program the athletes would progress very slowly, if at all.
I love the rules quotes such as "You should know the rules before you break them", "we don't know the rules, we just break them", and my favorite by the Dalai Lama "learn the rules, so you know how to break them". Unfortunately that last one can be used by unscrupulous people. Not a good thing.
When I hand out sheets, the athlete is supposed to do the exercises in the order that they appear on the sheet. This seems logical to most people but not people that are lifting for the first time. Usually the order of exercises is in a sequence with four logical reasons behind it. They are:
1) Large to small- Exercises that involve a lot of muscles versus exercises that involve few muscles.
2)Fast to slow- This was the rule of thumb for a long time, but I have used the slow to fast method popularized by Coach Christian Thibaudeau.
3)Complex to Simple- Complex could be a power clean and a simple could be an abdominal crunch.
4)Priority-This means your coach wants you to work on a specific exercise, or muscle group to improve your overall performance.
This all seems simple to me, but some people just don't get it.

On Saturday and Sunday I worked a JAA Football amp with 5 to 12 years olds. On Monday we started our incoming freshman camp. I am also responsible for about 30 sophomores. On Tuesday June 21st I was down at Aliso Niguel High School doing a demonstration at a youth basketball camp. I will also be there on Thursday. I was at a late parents meeting on Tuesday night. Sometimes the summer may prohibit me from completing articles on a prompt manner. I do have some good ones coming up. Any more questions I am at acudave@yahoo.com

OLYMPIC LIFTING PROBLEMS

I learned about Olmpic style weightlifting while training at the Holy Saviour Club in lovely Norristown, Pa. I say lovely jokingly because Norristown was bars, unions, and a fair share of people who were lucky to graduate high school. It was nevertheless a blue collar town of hard working people. I saw a lot of the bad things during the 1970's when the U.S. was a little crazy.
The Holy Saviour Club was a mixture of Olympic weightlifter's, Powerlifters, and a couple of bodybuilders. The Olympic weightlifters were great teachers because they were strict on technique. "You will never be able to lift your maximum weight because you will get hurt before you get there" I was told. That has always stood out in my mind. I remember when Dominic, one of the better lifters told me that the lift, when done properly goes beepada bopada boop. I still use that very scientific term today. Dominic was a massage therapist that worked on Mario Lanza, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and many other entertainers. He knew what he was talking about. He could also Clean And Jerk around 270 weighing 165 in his early 50's. I look back on that today and go wow. He was one of a couple of excellent lifters. Another lifter Victor and his brother Greg were my friends and training partners. Vic missed a 570 bench while weighing 235 in 1978. The bench he was using tilted backwards because of the tremendous leg drive he had. The world record at the time was 573. Another wow. It was a good place to lift and I learned a lot about Powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting.
My years of experience has taught me what to look for when examining the many technique problems that athletes have when performing the Olympic lifts. Here is a list of the more common ones I've seen:
1) The start with poor posture- A flat back or "Superman back" is what I look for. Many kids have poor posture and their shoulders are forward with a rounded back. This is no good. Stick your chest out and have your shoulders back. If you want to simultaneously stick your belly button out a little bit, that would be O.K. also. I usually teach from the hang first. Eventually you have to pull off the floor. The same analysis applies there also "flat back!".
2) Feet same width as your hips- When learning the "Olys", you want the feet to be the same width as your hips. Kids want them constantly to be to wide. It drives me crazy. How high can you jump when your feet are that wide? If you are 6'3" and 260, that is different. You need to widen out to some extent, but not excessively.
3) The knees should be over the toes- I see the knees way to in front of the toes to many times. If the lifter is doing their lift from the hang, then the first movement is backwards and then forwards. That makes no sense, if you want to generate force forward why do want to go backwards first. It is like a "false step" in a sprint. Why do you want to step backwards first when you are running forwards. Keep the knees over the ankles and the butt tucked backwards, with the legs slightly bent as if you are loading up a big push forward. You will generate more force that way.
4) Keep the shoulders in front of the bar- If you follow number three you will want to follow number four. If the shoulders are behind the bar, the knees will be to far forward. You will also have to much weight on the back third of your foot instead of the front half of your foot. When the shoulders are behind the bar you will also loose out on a lot of your lower back strength. The analogy I use is if a fish wire was attached to the front of your shoulder, and a lure was attached at the end of the fish wire, the lure should be dangling in front of the bar. If the lure, or the metallic/plastic device that attracts the fish (for you non-fishers) is behind the bar you will lose a lot of that force. You need an experience coach to teach you all this. You can't eyeball all this by yourself. After about three years you may be able to feel it.
5) The pull below the knees- This an area that can be a huge problem for newcomers to the lift. They usually pull the weight way to fast off the floor. Their hips come up way to fast, or the bar is to far away from the body, or many other things. This is a loaded question within itself. Newcomers need to learn to keep the bar kissing the shins at the start. They need to pull the weight in a controlled fashion, not necessarily slow, off the floor. When they get to a point at the knee or they are confident that they will clear the knee (without clicking/hitting it), then they can start the second pull at maximum overdrive (Great AC/DC reference). This is the second most common problem. An advanced version of this is the dive pull, but I've only seen one kid do it naturally. This will not be discussed here.
6) The bar has to graze the thighs- This is the number one problem. If the bar does not slightly touch or graze the upper thigh then the bar is to far away from the body. I always tell kids "how much time does a base runner spend at second base when he is running from first to third?" Not much. That is how fast it should be. To many kids try to slightly pause at this spot because they become to mechanical. Filming them would be very helpful at this point.
7) A reverse curl clean- This is probably the third most common problem. It is like they have a piece of metal running through their body, and the arm from the shoulder to the elbow, can't move. The elbow have to go slightly outward. I like to tell them to pretend that the part of the bar that is between their hands is a rubberband. They are trying to pull apart the rubberband. This cause their arms to go outward and they get a higher pull. Some coaches like to see their athletes cup the bar at the beginning. The athletes will have a slightly bent wrist, and not have the wrist bent backwards. There is some program in the human brain that tells us to reverse curl when are wrists are bent backwards. Some kids understand this concept better if you teach them an upright row. Overall, if the wrist is to far in front of the body, it is no good. You also want to rotate your elbows outward. This is similiar to doing an upright row. The bar trajectory will be closer to the body, and the elbows will rotate outward, instead of being glued to an area immediately below the armpits.
8) Jumping backwards just before catching the weight- The optimal position for catching the weight is having the hips under the bar. If you jump backwards, the hips will be behind the bar. If you attempt to catch a heavy weight, you will lose it forward. Occasionally you will see kids pull the weight to far backwards, but this is far less common.
9) Bent arms at the beginning- As soon as your arms are bent, then you lose a lot of strength. Have you ever seen any of the World Strongest Man Contest? If you were pulling a train that weighed whatever pounds, would you want the rope that is attached to the train to have slack or no slack? I want no slack. Bent arms equals slack. If your arms are bent you are using your upper body, and you are just straightening out your arms initially and not pulling any weight. That seems like a waste to me? How about you?
This is a very long subject, where a good coach is needed. I've seen some ugly pulls in my day. More on this next Monday! Questions can be answered at acudave@yahoo.com

THE SUCCESS QUIZ

For a great article on attempting to find out where you are falling short in your training program go to t-nation.com. There is an article written by Christian Thibaudeau called "The Success Quiz, Trouble shooting Your Training Program". The article appeared on 7/13/04. Look in the archives section. Remember, much of that website is slanted toward selling products. Some of which, I don't know. Anyway Coach Thibaudeau is a very talented coach from Canada. I'd like to think I'm pretty talented also, and that is why I am sharing this and other information with my readers.
As always, any questions I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

FEMALE MUSCLE

I usually write articles about flexibility, but I also like to include articles on weight training as related to women. Today's article is such an article, and I will return to the flexibility series next Thursday. Since more and more women are discovering the benefits of weight training, I will make an effort to point out the benefits for athletes, as well as non-athletes.
I use to train at a gym called "The Physical Edge". It was located very close to mile square, near Fountain Valley Hospital. I occasionally see the owner Jeff, who trains at Met-Rx. He ran one of the best gyms I've ever trained at. Second to Met-Rx. Fortunately, in both cases for that matter, there were a fair share of women that trained at The Physical Edge. I've trained in gyms where it was all guys. It would be tough for me to return to a situation like that. I remember the wife of one of my training partners telling me that always stuck in my head. She didn't want to train with weights because she didn't want to have muscles like we had! Do you know how hard we had to train to get like that? That was just a weak excuse not to exercise.
If you have noticed, only a few women are able to get as muscular as men. Estrogen (E), the primary hormone in women does not work the same as testosterone (T) does for men. Women do have T in them, but only about one-tenth as much as men. That is why women don't have beards and like to chew tobacco. Hey, I think that is a good thing! In fact, T increase protein synthesis and muscle size, where E has shown more potential toward stamina. If you do see a women with a low voice, aggressive behavior, facial hair, lots of muscle mass, you would have to suspect some kind of steroid usage. Their are a few women that have the ability to get real big, but they are few and far between.
The benefits of weight training for women are numerous. For younger women you will notice that they are similar to younger men. The benefits include:
1) Reduced potential of injuries. If an experienced coach or personal trainer is good, this is of great importance. I will be talking more at length on this as related to the knee and other areas in future articles. Muscle imbalances can be detected and eliminated. Previous injuries that went unattended can also be addressed.
2) Change in body fat as compared to muscle mass. This is where women love to shine. When they become a "hardbody" after a lot of work, it does nothing but boost your self confidence. Hey, same for men. Besides that their relative strength levels, or comparison of what they can lift versus what they weigh improves. From an athletic standpoint that is a big plus.
3) Reduced risk of osteoporosis is something that probably won't effect men, but should be a concern of all females. Weight bearing exercise will thicken your bone structure. If you look at x-ray's of a tennis player, you will easily be able to figure out if the athlete is left handed or right handed. Well why not transfer than bone density gain throughout the body. As women get older they realize the importance of this. I remember suggesting to a girl friend about joining a gym. Before I could say anything she said "What, do I look fat to you?". I think she had some self-esteem issues. Her mom had osteoporosis (dowagers hump). Sometimes it's better that another women make comments like that, rather than a man. I learned.
So if a woman want to train with weights, are there any major differences versus how a man trains? There are slight differences that are based again, on their primary hormone differences versus men:
1) Slightly more reps per set. A man might be doing 5 versus a women's 8 reps.
2) Slightly more sets per exercise. A man may do five sets, versus a woman's 6 sets.
3) Slightly less intensity. You can sort of figure that out from the previous to areas.
Just like everything else, don't stereotype all women. I make some suttle changes in the training routines of male athletes, so why wouldn't I do the same for female athletes. Don't get caught up in stereotyping athletes. Don't make mistakes on a woman's weight training routine that you see being committed on men's training routines. It doesn't make sense!
Any questions, acudave@yahoo.com

CREATINE

I often get asked about Creatine. I thought that I would present a series of articles that are primarily the opinions without any influence of money or other factors. The following information is from the Australian Sports Commission. The Australians have had good success in many sports without the scar of drug usage and a country with a much smaller population than the United States.
The Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) can be found at www.ais.org.au. If you go to their home page and follow the following route, you can find an interesting article on creatine. Go to:

sportscience & sports medicine/sports nutrition/fact sheet/supplements/creatine pdf.

A small summary of the article includes the following:
"*Creatine is a naturally occurring compound found in large amounts in skeletal muscle as a result of dietary intake and endogenous synthesis (developing within the cell wall) from amino acids. Creatine monohydrate is the most practical form for supplementation with creatine.
*Phosphorylated creatine provides a number of important functions related to fuel supply in the muscle. The most well known role is as an immediate and short-lived source of phosphate to regenerate ATP. The creatine phosphate system is the most important fuel source for sprints or bouts of high-intensity exercise lasting up to ten seconds."
Anyway, take a look at the rest of the article. I believe the biggest problem with creatine and supplements in general are the few bad apples that say a product contains X and instead it contains X plus Y plus M. I will make every attempt to answer questions from creditable sources. Thanks for your questions and any others can be sent to acudave@yahoo.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY "THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RUT AND A GRAVE IS THE DEPTH"

I've had the opportunity to see a lot of strength programs up close. The majority of programs have very few changes. The coach should realize that progress is dampened when the workout becomes drudgery. I am constantly making little changes so that athletes won't get stale. So what do I mean by stale?
This could include not just mental, physical, but neurologically. The body adapts to changes very quickly. If this did not occur, the human race would have never survived this long. Mental can be changed quickly. I remember attempting a 495 deadlift, but the song on the radio in the gym sucked. One of my training partners thought I was a bit out there. He was a multiple world record holder in the deadlift (843 weighing 275!). I waited until the next song and made the lift easily. I think it was AC/DC. This was circa 1986. So the mind can be fixed, sometimes quickly.
The muscles need 48-72 hours to fully recover. At this time I am training Monday (legs and back), Wednesday (Bench Heavy), Friday (Legs heavy), and Sunday (Speed Bench Press). I am experimenting with new routines that I will be using in the summer and beyond. I have a few friends and guinea pigs that are following some similar routines. A lot of the success is based on proper rest.
Neurological recovery is the toughest of all. The central nervous system (CNS) takes much longer to recover. Sleep, stress, training, life in general all influence these results. I have spoken about some forms of post-workout recovery, but if you aren't taking care of yourself, you won't move forward. The coach needs to also recognize this. This week many public schools in the area are in the midst of finals. You need to take the gas off of the pedal.
As a side note, when doing new exercises, adaptation to these exercise takes time, neurologically speaking. One new exercise I'm referring to is the split lunge static hold. If took me four weeks, but I was able to up my time to over three minutes. I am close to the five minute mark when weight will be added. I also reached the five minute mark in the push up between to boxes static hold and am presently adding weight on my back. This is also the case with four other people I am presently working with. Neurologically adaptation is taking place so the goal or weight has to vary. That is the responsibility of the coach.
Remember coaches, change your training template every 2 to 4 weeks, and your athletes will respond. Hey, if you aren't under the bar how can you relate with your athletes! Lead by example! We all get into a rut, but graves are forever! You will not know this if you are not working out!
For questions on this article I can be reached at acudave@yahoo.com

REMINISCES OF A STRENGTH COACH #1

At 5:09 my alarm rang. I was going up to USC to see Coach Carlisle. Coach C is the head strength and conditioning coach at the #1 ranked football program for the last three years. I am fortunate enough to be able to talk with him and see the players first hand. At 6:55 players were hustling out to Howard Jones field, the outdoor practice facility that is adjacent to the baseball field and swimming stadium. The players sign up for different times, and we were seeing the first group. About 30 plus football players, a girls basketball player, and possibly others were there.
Their workout started off with a dynamic warmup which combined active movements followed by a specific stretch. For example, they may do a 40 yard sprint, not at maximum speed, followed by a hamstring stretch. Then another 40 yard sprint followed by a different stretch. Then this is followed by some ground based hip oriented work. This is work you may have seen in aerobics classes and scoffed at, but now see as an excellent way of improving and maintaining hip flexibility.
Eventually the group is broken into three sub groups that are roughly lineman, secondary/wr, and lb/fb. By the way, Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart was there, performing physical therapy band drills. Winston Justice and other starters were there. It is an awe inspiring site to see. These smaller groups rotated around three stations. The first station was a form running drill that focused on feet and hands and the delivery and absorption of force. Some of the secondary/wr were very good. The lineman did a combination of bags and ladders. They worked hard where other players would have easily lost their cookies. The third group was doing a series of medicine ball balance/stability drills supervised by Coach Brian Bailey. Coach Bailey was previously at Nebraska, and is a very nice addition to the staff.
After each group rotated through the various drills at each station, the entire team went into the weightroom. I watched the lineman perform power snatches from the hang, power cleans, one legged lunges (with the back leg elevated) and a variety of other lower body work. Toward the tail end of the workout I went into the other room, and saw a skill player that was awesome. He was doing one legged squats with a vest on and weight in each hand. That was impressive. I'm sure he will excel regardless of the position he plays.
The session was ended with 40's. The had to run sub 5.5 to 6.0. They did ten ten. This is a sprint under a time dependent on their position with a 25 second rest. This was repeated ten times followed by a 2 minute rest. After the 2 minute rest, they would repeat the process of ten reps. Oh, by the way, if they didn't start behind the line, they would repeat the sprint. This did occur once. The discipline is excellent. Coach Carlisle has an excellent staff of Jamie Yanchar (best stare in the business), Charr Gahagan (looks like he can still make all pro), Gary Uribe (worked hard to be part of an important part of a great staff), and Leslie Cordova (don't let her deceive you she knows), and Brian Bailey. It is always educational and awe inspiring to be allowed to see them all in action. THANK YOU ALL!
When I was returning to Fountain Valley HS for our afternoon workout, I was brought back to earth. Their is a hill adjacent to the school, that crosses the 405 freeway. There was a personal trainer, I don't want to know him, who had two of his athletes running sprints. Running up a slight embankment is great, but on a hard surface, on a smoggy day, next to a heavily traveled street, didn't make sense to me. What about those athletes lungs sucking in all that dirty air. Especially on a smoggy day. Did you know their is a green belt that runs through FV and HB, that has lots of grass you can run on. This park system is in areas that are not adjacent to heavily traveled streets! Dah! Then I walked into the weight room to help coach the freshman. I realized that the Wizard of Oz (USC) was far away, and I was back into reality!
For questions about any part of this journey I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

NUTRITION BASICS PART SIX "MAYBE NOT BASICS?"

Probably the second most abused meal, with the breakfast being first, is the pre/during/post workout meals. This is a serious hot bed, so that is why I called it "Not So Basics?". There are many overlooked factors that athletes are totally unaware of. The following are some basic questions that you need to consider:
1) How many carbohydrates did you consume in your meals prior to your workout? Hopefully they were 45 to 60 minutes prior.
2) Did you consume glutamine during your workout? When consuming glutamine during your workout, it is thought that you will not need to consume as many carbohydrates post workout to replenish your glycogen levels. This has recently come under further evaluation. We will be covering that next week. The thinking has not brought up any negatives other than the studies that were used to initially evaluate glutamine might have overstated its effectiveness. It is somewhat debatable.
3) What kind of workout did you perform? When performing a max strength workout, you will need fewer carbohydrates in your during/post workout drink than a workout that included a lot of high repitition exercise or multiple sprints. An individual performing weight training only may need a protein (P) to carbohydrate (C) ratio of 1:2 for recovery purposes. If more running is involved, then the P:C ratio could be as high as 1:5. Having some fruit on hand like strawberries, raisins, peaches, apples and a variety of other fruit. By the way, I have been doing research on fruits, and did you know that Ralph's sells eleven to thirteen different apples? Just a thought. Back to the topic. Three important points I would like to make about fruits.
A) In oriental medicine all foods are classified as hot, warm, neutral (water), cool, and cold. Many thin skinned fruits are considered cool in nature. Thick skinned citrus type fruits are considered warm in nature. Watermelon is considered cool, so there are exceptions. Would it make sense to eat a cool in nature fruit, like a grape, when you are overheating in the summer, or a warm in nature type fruit, like a grapefruit?
B) Food allergies are a lot more prominent than people may understand. It is important to avoid even foods that you may be slightly allergic to. Tomatoes (warm in nature), which some consider a fruit because of an enzyme it contains, can be highly allergic to some people. Be aware.
C) There is more evidence that when the body is in a more acidic state, that the result is more body pain and slower recovery. Two common foods that will assist the body in switching to a more alkaline state are raisins and spinach. "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I live in a garbage can." Hey, stop that. Anyway, three important points on fruits.
I hope that I did not veer to much of the original topic of during/post workout drinks. Please consider these points when recovering from some of those nasty summer ball sessions.

If you are considering nutritional guidance, prior to the summer is a good time to start! Basketball, football, and baseball players looking to put on intelligent muscle mass, not bodybuilding muscles or sloppy looking muscle. Muscle that has a reason and is functional for the sport you are participating in. This includes your first logical shopping experience. Stay way from the middle of the store! For answers to your questions, I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

FLEXIBILITY "THE OTHER HAMSTRINGS"

Last week I explained that there are three muscles that make up the hamstrings. The flexibility can be evaluated with three flexibility tests. We will review the second of these three today. In review, the biceps femoris (BF), semitendinosus (ST), and semimembranosus (SM) were the three major components of the hamstrings. The biceps femoris had a short head (BFS) and a long head (BFL). The test that was explained in the June 2nd, 2005 article explained how to evaluate that. Today we will learn the test to evaluate the BFL, ST, and SM.
O.K. here is the science. Hey, don't complain, I didn't put this stuff in last weeks article so you should be happy. The hamstrings are probably the most important muscles in any sport where explosiveness, and change of direction are involved. Hey, that is most sports! The BFS have different insertion points, but the same origin points. The BFS has its origin along the linea aspera of the femur while the BFL has it's origin on the ischial tuberosity of the femur. The ST and SM both have their origins on the ischial tuberosity (part of the ischium in the pelvic cavity). The ST has its insertion on the anterior proximal tibial shaft, while the SM has its insertion on the posterior medial tibial condyle. The insertions of the ST and SM are also an important acupuncture point, that can be used to evaluate overtraining, injury recovery and other interesting things. This will be covered in future articles. O.K., enough of the science, lets get to the good stuff!
The athlete will lie on their back, with both legs completely on the table. When doing this test one leg will be held by the coach evaluating the athlete, while the other leg will always remain flat on the table. The coach will place one hand behind the calf of the leg that is elevated, and the other hand on top of the knee of the leg that is flat on the table. The coach will comfortably separate the athletes legs as if the athlete was punting a football or kicking a soccer ball. The lower back has to remain flat on the table, otherwise an incorrect result will occur. If the angle between the two legs is between 80 to 90 degrees, that is considered normal. If the angle is greater than 100 degrees, that is considered hyper flexible. If the angle is 70 to 80 degrees, then the athlete lacks in flexibility. When an athlete is to flexible or has poor flexibility, the athlete has a greater chance of injury. The logical approach is to strengthen the musculature in athletes that are overly or hyper-flexible. This is a common problem in gymnasts.
If an athlete has poor flexibility, they have a higher potential for injuries like muscle pulls and strains. These athletes need to spend more time improving their flexibility. They also could be carrying to much bodyweight, which inhibits or gets in the way of normal range of motion. In either case the athlete needs to address the core issue or problem correctly, with the assistance of a coach.
Next week, the spinal erectors.
Sorry for releasing this article late, but spring football is ending.
I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

UDO'S OIL

As a writer I am always looking for interesting information on sports performance enhancement. Sometimes it can come from unusual sources. I was in Kinko's this morning, sending a fax off. There was a line of about 6 people. One of the customers had twin sons with him. They were are 5 or six years old and I don't think their names were Chris and Christian! (inside joke to everyone associated with FV football). There was music playing in the background that I thought was appropriate. A song from the early 80's called "Mirror Man" by the Human League was playing. I guess if you are twins you are looking at a mirror man if both twins are male. The Human League had a big hit in "Don't You Want Me Baby", when MTV got into the scene. Not a bad tune.
So what is the point Dave. Well I always thought that if you use things that have been successful with others, that the same could happen to you. "Don't reinvent the wheel" as they say. So in a sense you will "mirror" what other successful people do. One such person is Udo Erasmus. He is the person behind Udo's Oil. May be not the most original name, but it gets the job done. Udo's Oil is an excellent source for essential fatty acids (EFA).
In my 5/13/02 article "Nutrition Basics Part 2" one topic I briefly spoke about is EFA. There are 2 EFA or what could be referred to as "good fats". I know that sounds odd but EFA are necessary for us to exist. The body is not capable of producing them, so they need to be attained through the diet. The two EFA are:
1)Alpha-Linoleic Acid (ALA)- No this has nothing to do with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim! I think they are the LAA. Anyway, ALA is important for healthy cell membrane, proper development and Functioning of the brain and nervous system, and other important processes in our body. You can get ALA from cold pressed or canola oil, walnuts, wheat germ, leafy green veggies, and flax seed oil. I know, everyone has all those things in their diet at the present time. Not!!!
2)Linoleic Acid (LA)- The importance of this EFA is cell membrane phospholipids and many other reactions throughout the body. Actually for the nerds in the audience, I guess you can include me to some extent, if you go to wikipedia.org or nih.org you can find some in depth information on EFA. Sources for LA include black currant, evening primrose oil, and hemp seeds. Hey, more stuff that all americans have on a daily basis. Yeah, right!!!
Udo's Oil is a great source for both ALA and LA. The typical ratio between LA:ALA should be approximately 3:1. Unfortunately LA is found in many processed foods, and the average American's ratio of LA:ALA could be as high as 20:1! Another reason to clean up the diet.
For all the information you will ever want to know on Udo's Oil go to udoerasmus.com. It is available in capsule or oil.
Udo's Oil is available locally at health food stores like The Sports Nutrition Depot on 17th Street in Costa Mesa. Ask for Ryan.
"I was working as a cocktail waitress when I met you, that much is true"...... I guess that song will be in my head for a while. I'll have to go listen to some 50 cent to clean it out!
Thank you one and all for all the comments and questions. I can be reached at acudave@yahoo.com

QUOTE OF THE DAY "ONE SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN THE PURSUIT OF THE HOLY GRAIL"

I am an avid reader. A book that I read over a year ago is called "Theory Application of Modern Strength and Power Methods" by Christian Thibaudeau". If you are a strength coach it can be purchased at charliefrancis.com. The quote in the foreword was written by Thomas J. Mylinski, a veteran of the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers. Until early 2005, he was also a strength coach for the Cleveland Browns with Buddy Morris.
One area the book covers is Eccentric Quasi Isometrics (EQI). Originally received exposure via Mel Siff (1994), the author of Supertraining. Most recently EQI has been used by Jay Schroeder, the strength coach responsible for the development of Adam Archuleta of the St.Louis Rams. Coach Schroeder has trained over 60 NFL players. Hey, not to bad. So, what are these EQI?
Eccentric refers to the portion of the bench press when the bar is lowered from full extension down on to your chest. Isometric means no movement at all. Nada. In this case quasi isometrics means that small movement occures when muscles stretch, even if it is just a little. When someone holds a static or motionless position for as long as 5 minutes, at some point they will be unable to maintain that position. For example, if you take two blocks that are 6-12 inches high, and get in the pushup position, with your hands on the blocks, try holding it for 4 to 5 minutes. Yes, I can do it at 47 years old. I'm not saying it is easy, but I can do it. It took about four weeks to build up to that level. I'm now in the process of adding weight on my back with the goal of reaching ninety pounds on my back for 5 minutes. I have others that are getting there. So what can this teach me?
Well when you are stairing at the floor, you can see how dirty it is, for one! Oh wait, I don't care about that. Actually part of the process is referred to as "neural imprinting". Thanks goes to Buddy Morris for learning this term. When you learn something new you have to think about it a lot, because it is not ingrained in your brain. Charlie Francis has talked about the ability for athletes to use their hindbrain (unconscious) versus their forebrain (largest part of the brain, abstract thinking). When you are using your forebrain to absorb this new concept, the rest of the body goes "Duh". When an athlete is able to perform something ( for example, dorsiflex the foot during running) and not thinking about it, then that info is now in the hindbrain. Neural imprinting is the term that partly explains the transference of info from forebrain to hindbrain. Why freshman have problems in this area is an entirely different issue. I won't discuss that here. Right, freshman!!
I hope I haven't lost to many people. But that was an important concept to at least sort of understand. Anyway, when you are holding the pushup position, at the bottom, you will feel a nasty stretch, that will scream at you to stop. You could also start to shake in your mid-section, which indicates weak core development. You could feel a burning sensation in the hips or lower back indicating muscle tension or the possibility of a visit to a chiropractic, doctor, massage therapist, acupuncturist, or other health care professional. So it can expose weaknesses in the athlete. Here are the various reasons you would use EQI:
1) Teaching proper technique in a lift. In the bench, shoulders down, elbows at a 45 degree angle, straight line from the shoulder to the ankle (No a frames or saggy buts).
2) Provides a tremendous stretch to the area in use. This you will see after using it a while. Initially you will go "this is crazy Dude!" You are basically training the golgi tendon organ (GTO) that the muscle and tendon are capable of more strength, and more explosive strength. The GTO (it was a sweet car in the 70's) is the guard in the tendon which lies between the muscle and bone. It tells the muscle to relax when there is to much stress placed on the muscle. It helps to protect the muscle and tendon from being injured. This is a slow and gradual process, so don't think you will get to strong that the GTO will go to sleep and you will tear the muscle off the bone.
3) It teaches mental toughness. I think that kids today need to get tougher. I use some World's Strongest Man (WSM) exercises like the farmers walk, to help the mental approach.
4) If used properly it can also be used to enhance recovery. The explanation is very detailed and probably beyond the scope of this website.
5) There are other areas such as Lactic Acid Tolerance, hypertrophy development, and a unique flushing affect called "reactive hyperemia". I would put people to sleep with explanations on those areas.
Suffice to say, this concept can be used in a variety of different exercises that are in every part of the body. Absolutely great stuff. I am acudave@yahoo.com

POST WORKOUT RECOVERY SCENE 1

When you are finished with your training session, you should already be anticipating the recovery and preparation for the next workout. There are a variety of things you need to do. A good start would be go home freshman. What are you still here when you last ate a meal over 5 hours ago. I will quote Anthony Almada, who was the research half of EAS. He said at a seminar in February of 2005, "it is better to eat anything, and I mean anything, than to eat nothing". We will be discussing post workout eating habits in an article very soon.
Post workout recovery is also the shower that you take after you have stunk up the place, and before you eat that post workout meal. If you feel achey, excessive muscular soreness, and worse than normal, then try a contrast shower. A contrast shower is commonly used by track and field athletes that have pulls, injuries or fatigue especially in the hamstrings, back, and quads. The trick is to alternate the temperature of the water. More conservative sources will have you turn the water to hot for three minutes, followed by cold for one minute. Repeat this cycle at least two times. Remember, don't burn your skin, or get frostbite, freshman!! Other sources will have you cut the time to one minute hot, and 30 seconds cold. Repeat at least three times. This contrast in temperature causes vasoconstriction/vasodialation in the blood vessels of the area where the water is hitting you. You will find that you will have to turn the temperature a little colder and a little hotter with each cycle. The body adapts after some time.
The benefits of contrast showers include:
1) Improved circulation
2) Helps bring nutrients, oxygen and immune cells to damaged and stressed tissues.
3) Carries away metabolic waste, inflammatory by-products, and other toxic substances.
4) promotes overall detoxification
5) Strengthens the immune system
The possible negatives include:
1) Do not do this on an open wound
2) Do not do this if you have Raynaud's syndrome. Cold extremities disorder.
3) Do not do this if a rash or infection is present in the area.
If you have this or any thing suspicious, go to a doctor!!!
4) Do not do this if you have an irregular heart beat.
5) Some athletes have said it fatigues the central nervous system (CNS) and produces to much fatigue during the treament. If you are overtrained this is a distinct possibility.
If you slightly massage the area as the water hits it, you may also add to the positive affect.
Remember, this is just one of many things you should be doing to improve or enhance your recovery. As a side note, wear appropriate shower shoes if you are in a public shower area because of bacteria that is floating around. If you have a lot of team mates with colds, maybe you could wait until they are done. Being in close quarters can cause the passing of air born bacteria. If you have any other questions on this or other related topics, I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

NUTRITION BASICS PART FIVE

In the early to mid 1970's charismatic sports figures were the norm. Shaq is the king today, but people like Mohammed Ali, Julius Erving, Reggie Jackson, and others drew sports fans to their various sports. In bodybuilding, Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of Caly fornia (it is hard to believe he is our governor!), was the man in bodybuilding. He was a marketing machine that drew the attention of everyone. Obviously people in Hollywood eventually took this dynamo, and ran with it.
I was one of many people who wanted to have the physical size that "Ahnold" had. In 1977 the movie Pumping Iron was released, and many of us were able to see the "behind the scenes" in this sport. I still remember the scene were Lou Ferrigno's father Matt said to Lou "never feel sorry for yourself, if you are training hard, he may be training twice as hard. You gotta keep coming back stronger." I've heard coaches use variations of that line in many different sports. But how could I get as big as Arnold and "Louie"?
In the book "Arnold: The Education of a Body Builder", printed in 1977, I was first exposed to the idea that there was a strong relationship between protein intake and muscle development. The examples in the book are crude by today's standard, but lay the groundwork. This concept of muscular development or "hypertrophy training" has gotten way over blown. I recently read an article where 30 different diets were examined. Yes, 30!! Give me a break!!
Much of the controversy stems from the fact on how much protein should be ingested per meal, and per day. High levels of protein intake can place a burden on the Kidneys, and produce problems like chemically induced gout (a form of arthritis), heart disease, arteriosclerosis, and a variety of other problems. Just take a look at some of the early passing of World Strongest Man competitors, passing of some huge bodybuilders (Trevor Smith of Nuclear Nutrition), and the quality of life of some NFL lineman.
Generally speaking 35 to 50 grams per meal is within an acceptable range. This can vary from individual to individual. If an athlete who weighs 145 pounds compares his diet to someone weighing 245, there is no comparison. The ability to digest food, and properly brake it down is also another major area of concern. I've read and met people who ingest over 400 grams of protein per day. If they have 7 meals a day, that is still 57 grams per meal.
What can one do to increase and safeguard against the excesses. If you compete in a predominantly aerobic or long distance type sport or endeavor, why do you need to put on this muscle mass? Maybe 5 to 10 pounds, but all that weight will slow you down and increase the potential for joint injuries. If you start to suffer from loose stool immediately after eating a meal, it might be that your protein intake is to high. Spread those meals out every two and a half hours so you are giving your body a chance to digest the previous meal.
What I do recommend is examine your present levels. Progressively add three to five grams of protein in your meals if you are presently below the 25-35 grams per meal mark. If you were ingesting roughly 20 grams in three meals per day, then increase to 23-25 in each meal, for at least one week. If you start to experience a bloaty or full feeling in the stomach, that is gas. Your body is unable to digest that much protein. You could also have a poor to fair digestive system. You could not be drinking enough liquids, and be partially dehydrated. You could be working hard in your training and not replacing enough of the lost fluids. You may have a food allergy. You may have to much stress in your life. Hey, this is not a simple issue. It goes without saying, please take into consideration your present weight, your bodyfat levels, health history, and discuss this with an experienced professional.
If you compete in a power dominant sport, then additional muscle mass is an important issue. If you are already in the 35-50 range per meal, you need to be consistent on your meals, and vary your protein sources. If you are a red meat person, or a chicken only person, you are both equally guilty of breaking that rule. Go to the store and look at all the choices you have. Sometimes picky eaters need to be hit in the head with a baseball bat. Athletes need to understand eating for enjoyment, typically in a social setting, and eating to improve should be looked at as separate situations. Unfortunately, all humans use eating as a form of socialization, just about all the time, instead of a form of refueling. I am not exempt from that either.
How much protein per day is another area in question. Under 1 gram of protein per kilogram of bodyweight is way to low. Over 7.7 grams per kilogram of bodyweight ( 3.5 grams of protein per 1 pound of bodyweight) is to high. A healthy athlete should be in the 1.25 to 2.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight is an ultimate goal. By the way, six meals or more are the only way this can be achieved. An intelligently designed eating tempelate must be developed.
In ending, I've had some good success with athletes, that are primarily ectomorph in stature, wanting to add weight. I have developed a program for individual parties. This includes teaching you how to shop, and simplified preparation. This also includes recommended supplementation. If you are an athlete or parent of an athlete interested in this area, I can be contacted at acudave@yahoo.com

FLEXIBILITY "BICEPS FEMORIS"

This is part three in a series of articles covering simple tests to confirm the importance of flexibility. Typically these articles appear on Thursdays, except last Thursday. So we are back, as Willie Nelson said "on the road again".
The Biceps Femoris (BF) is one of three muscles, the others being the Semitendinosus and Semimembranosus, that make up the hamstring. The sciatic nerve, which is the longest nerve in the body, innervates or sends messages to the BF to go. If the sciatic nerve is inflamed, then the BF and other hamstring muscles won't work as effectively. People that have suffered from sciatica know what I am talking about.
Now for the science. The BF actually has a long and short head. The origin of the long head is the upper area of the ischial tuberosity (part of the pelvic wall) and the short head has its origin on the lateral lip of the linea aspera (mid part of the femur). The insertion for both the long and short head of the BF is the head of the fibula. The fibula is the smaller bone on the lateral or outside part of the lower leg. The lower leg runs from the knee to the ankle. It flexes the leg at the knee joint and laterally rotates the thigh at the hip, and laterally rotates the leg at the knee joint.
O.K. you can come back know. The bottom line is you need to be flexible in your hamstrings to run fast. The best description I've read is how can a car go fast when you have the parking brakes on!! If you are not flexible in the hamstrings you will have a shorter stride length and more than likely a less explosive stride. So yes it is important to stretch after you have worked out.
This flexibility test primarily test the short head of the BF, but is usually a good indicator of overall hamstring flexibility. The athlete will lie on their stomach, with the legs curled at a 90 degree angle. The test should be done on a table. The toes of their feet will be pointed up to the sky. This is the start of the test. The legs will be extended so that the feet will hang off the end of the table. If the lower leg is completely flat on the table, with the feet hanging off the side if the table, this would be considered normal flexibility in the BF. If the shins of the athlete are not flat on the table, this is considered tightness of the hamstrings, or what is referred to as hypo-extensibility. If you are not flexible in the hamstrings you could also have a higher probability of pulls and other injuries in the BF. Beware, in the dog days of the summer, when you are trying to get in shape for football, take care of your hamstrings.
Next week we test the other portions of the hamstrings while on your back. For questions on this or other related topics, I can be reached at acudave@yahoo.com

REST BETWEEN SETS

I don't understand why all weight rooms don't have a clock in site. The amount of time between each set, and each exercise is extremely important. There are numerous reasons for this, so lets examine them.
1)Metabolic Recovery- Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the source of energy used in weight lifting and strength/speed events that last typically less than 10 seconds. You can have explosive events/exercises last longer than that, but that is the norm for many sports. The body is able to restore or replenish certain levels of ATP after certain rest periods. The following is considered the approximate norms per many physiology studies and texts.
30 seconds>>>>>>50% of ATP is restored
60 seconds>>>>>>75% of ATP is restored
90 seconds>>>>>>87% of ATP is restored
120 seconds>>>>>93% of ATP is restored
150 seconds>>>>>97% of ATP is restored
180 seconds>>>>>98.5% of ATP is restored
This is why some people who don't take enough rest between sets, are unable to perform as well as they like. For example, freshman who are in a hurry to go hang out with their "friends".
2)Neural recovery- Is the ability for the Central Nervous System (CNS) to recover between sets and exercises. This is not as easy to monitor because of the huge effect that lifestyle plays on the CNS. If I have an athlete who sleeping, eating, and rest/recovery habits vary from day to day, the CNS will not have an opportunity to recover. It has been stated that the CNS recovery takes three times as long as a muscle to recover from a work out. Some very good strength and speed coaches know how to manipulate this area, but if the athlete is burning the candle at all "three" ends, then it is inevitable that the athlete will overtrain. I will be writing on this topic and related areas in many future articles.
3)Work/Rest ratios- Unfortunately, this can only be used in small groups during weight training or field work. If you have athletes in a various states of conditioning, exercise familiarity, and desire to achieve, you need to brake these individuals into smaller groups to really achieve the results you want to see as a coach, parent, or athlete. For example, if you are doing sprints at a specific distance, will athlete A be able to hold form, while athlete B doesn't have the experience in running form. Or athlete B needs more time for recovery between sprints. More sprints at longer distances, with shorter rest won't make up for a crappy diet. I wish a lot more athletes, parents and coaches understood that simple fact. The separate area of Aerobic fitness is overlapped to some extent in that explanation.
4) Bodyweight composition- Hey, if you get someone who looks like frosty the snowman running next to another fit athlete you know what I'm talking about. Body composition, or how much bodyfat the athlete has can fill you in on desire, self-esteem, dietary direction at home, and many other issues. This is a can of worms that everyone is familiar with.
5) repititions and the rest between sets- If an athlete is doing a high rep, machine oriented conditioning type workout, you won't need as much rest as a lower rep higher intensity workout. Each workout has a different goal or emphasis, so the rest periods work in conjunction with this.
6) Training experience- I usually like athletes to take a little more rest between sets, when they have been lifting for less than one year, and/or under the age of 16. That are factors such as secondary sexual characteristics, discipline, attitude, etcetera, that also play into this.
I hope this article give all interested the importance of rest periods.