SPARQ Combine on April 15th

Last Sunday we were in Columbus, Ohio as part of a SPARQ Football combine. The combine was held at Capital University. We were very impressed with their facilities, especially considering they are a Division III school. The combine was well organized and attended. The athletes were broken into groups of 30-40. They were first led through the dynamic warm up, and then brought over to run the 40 yard dash, using the SPARQ cones. The athletes were given two tries with their best time recorded as their official time. Next up was the 5-10-5 pro shuttle, again they were given two tries with their best time as their official time. The athletes then performed the vertical jump, using force pads for measurement. The final component of the combine was the bench press. The athletes had to complete as many reps as they could with 185 lbs. Overall, we were impressed with how well the combine was run and how smoothly and quickly SPARQ was able to test almost 500 high school athletes. For results of the April 15th combine click on the link below.

http://www.sparqtraining.com/ratings/ratings_events.php

Athletic Nutrition 101 - Part I

I recently had a conversation on sports nutrition and supplementation for athletes with Jan Debenedetto of VitaQuest. Hear are some of the thoughts and recommendations on a supplemental nutritional regimen for athletes. Everything is safe, legal and has scientific support.

The BASICS
A good multivitamin mineral supplemental
If you live in the US you are not getting an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals; even if you are a couch potato. Folic acid and other B vitamins are critical for anyone consuming high protein diets since high protein also increases homocysteine and folic acid (along with other B vitamins) reduces homocysteine levels.

A good multi for an athlete should have about 3-5 x the RDA of most of the vitamins. Dr. Bruce Ames at Berkeley has strong rationale for this for the population as a whole, let alone the demands an athlete generates.

Antioxidants – a variety Lipoic acid (the R isomer is best and available through (www.geronova.com)

Polyphenols – green tea, grape seed, berries, quercetin, ginkgo (good stuff -EGB 761 extract), pine bark extract, cruciferous veggie extracts. Carotenoids lycopene, lutein, beta-carotene acetylcysteine – similar to lipoic acid in some respects.

Probiotics

• Healthy bugs – lactobacilli and bifidobacteria at least 5 billion per serving.
• These ferment carbo’s into high energy short chain fatty acids in the colon. Also help regulate bowel movements and enhance immunity.
• Recommended product is called Culturelle; good clinical studies, high potency and available at drug stores.
  

Omega 3 fatty acids (i.e. fish oils)

• 1-3 grams per day.
• Make sure they are high purity as contamination is important especially as respectable dosages. Great for blood sugar and anti-inflammatory.
  

Fiber

• At least 30 grams per day.
• This helps to control blood sugar, blood lipids and colonic health.
• Plus since our nearest animal kingdom pals – apes- eat so much fiber and pound for pound are so much stronger than us, I can’t help but think that there are other properties of high fiber diets that we have not touched upon, including the fact that gut bacteria ferments fiber to high energy short chain fatty acids.
  
  
  

What is a Workout?

A workout is 25 percent perspiration and 75 percent determination. Stated another way, it is one part physical exertion and three parts self-discipline. Doing it is easy once you get started.

A workout makes you better today than you were yesterday. It strengthens the body, relaxes the mind, and toughens the spirit. When you work out regularly, your problems diminish and your confidence grows.

A workout is a personal triumph over laziness and procrastination. It is the badge of a winner-the mark of an organized, goal-oriented person who has taken charge of his destiny.

A workout is a wise use of time and an investment in excellence. It is a way of preparing for life's challenges and proving to yourself that you have what it takes to do what is necessary.

A workout is a key that helps unlock the door to opportunity and success. Hidden within each of us is an extraordinary force. Physical and mental fitness are the triggers that can release it.

A workout is a form of rebirth. When you finish a good workout, you don't simply feel better. YOU FEEL BETTER ABOUT YOURSELF.

by George Allen

SPARQ Test Shoe

Once again Nike does an outstanding job in performance design and brings something revolutionary to the testing shoe market. The shoe is specifically designed for combine testing. For the athlete who is serious about his combine scores and SPARQ Rating.They have taken the design of a track spike, added a turf sole and stability on the lateral side. It's the ultimate performance test shoe, weighing only 8.9 oz, with primary traction elements, directional outsole, lateral outrigger for stability and a propulsion plate.

When we asked Nike about the design process and the hinking behind the SPARQ Test Shoe, they were clear in saying that this is Nike's way of continually making innovative products for football players. The shoe will be a fantastic piece of equipment for running a stellar 40, having the lateral stability to perform well in the pro-shuttle and the lightness to test the vertical.

The shoe is limited right now for athletes in the NFL Combine and Pro Days, but the retail version will be available in limited quantities in early May. I also heard that the shoe will be available for athletes testing at the Nike SPARQ Testing Combines. Check sparqtraining.com for updates and news.

Must Have Training Software for 2007

Most people think of vision as seeing 20/20 on the eye chart. While good eyesight is important for most sports, it doesn't tell you anything about how far away the ball is, how fast it is moving or whether it is changing direction, how to read the defenses, see the ice and judge sideline. Coordination, accuracy, concentration, balance are just a few of the visually related abilities. If the visual information is inaccurate, it can throw off the body's timing and cause the performance level to drop.

However, in the last decade, studies have shown that superior visual skills correlate with superior performance. Elite athletes are born with superior skills. Others need to improve their skills by identifying any deficiencies and training them as early in their careers as possible. In the past, it was assumed an athlete either had good visual skills or not, and other than corrective lenses or Lasik, nothing could be done to improve that innate ability. Now your visual skills can be measured, trained, practiced and perfected.

Check out the presentation below or in the find out more section. See why this is a must have tool for any athlete who aspires to reach the next level.

http://www.vizualedge.com/presentation

300 Spartan Workout

A clip on how Spartans train.