You'll see the great athletes on television Sunday.....put down the food long enough to notice how great these guys are----and learn from them!
It all looks so easy. Trust me, it is not easy to make those great plays during the heat of competition. I played collegiate football and the level of play at the Division I level is incredible. The game is fast and violent. And, you won't be successful if you don't play at that level. Pick the sport and the same standard of excellence will hold true.
These athletes all have great speed, agility, quickness, balance, etc. or they wouldn't be at that level. They also work hard and "do things the right way." That means not just practicing but "practicing to make perfect."
It doesn't matter what level you play at---elementary, middle school, high school, college or pro. You can always work harder than your competitor! Hard work can sometimes make up for a lack of talent. Remember this, Michael Jordan was cut from his middle school basketball team. It just made him work harder to reach his goals! And, look where it got him!
Work hard, train smart, do your best----and see what happens for you in your sport!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Young Athletes Working Out In The Gym
I was working out yesterday at a local gym and I saw several young athletes working out.....I always like to see dedication to your sport---the best indication of dedication is working out on your own (without a coach telling you to do it)....
I also saw something I don't like to see: they were spending too much time strengthening their arms and legs and not nearly enough time strengthening their cores! Big mistake young fellas (I got to talk to a few)!
The key to lessening your risk of injuries and maximizing your arm/leg strength and power is to strengthen and stabilize your core! A stronger core gives you stronger and more powerful arms and legs! A strong core also makes you faster for a longer period of time (speed endurance).
If your core is weak, you are not ready for high-speed, high-risk sport specific training!
Low back pain/injuries is the injury I see most with young athletes. Other injuries related to the core are also a big problem with young athletes. Many times, its related to lack of core training.
Even injuries that seem to be unrelated to the core, can originate with the core.
For example, I have a friend who had a serious elbow and forearm injury. The cause of the injury was out-of-line shoulder blades. This caused his throwing motion to be flawed and it lead to his elbow/foreman injury. After months of rehab, he is back to about 85% but still not ready to pitch again in the minor leagues.
Young athletes need careful monitoring to make sure they are doing the exercises correctly. Don't skip the core training! That's why I only do 1-on-1 training for all clients. Core strength exercises should be emphasized first and not the highly glamourized plyometric training.
Plyometrics should be introduced when the athlete has advanced to a level that allows she or he to handle this high level of training. I have seen more than one athlete with injuries because of inadequate core strength.
Foundational stability strength is critical for young athletes!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
I also saw something I don't like to see: they were spending too much time strengthening their arms and legs and not nearly enough time strengthening their cores! Big mistake young fellas (I got to talk to a few)!
The key to lessening your risk of injuries and maximizing your arm/leg strength and power is to strengthen and stabilize your core! A stronger core gives you stronger and more powerful arms and legs! A strong core also makes you faster for a longer period of time (speed endurance).
If your core is weak, you are not ready for high-speed, high-risk sport specific training!
Low back pain/injuries is the injury I see most with young athletes. Other injuries related to the core are also a big problem with young athletes. Many times, its related to lack of core training.
Even injuries that seem to be unrelated to the core, can originate with the core.
For example, I have a friend who had a serious elbow and forearm injury. The cause of the injury was out-of-line shoulder blades. This caused his throwing motion to be flawed and it lead to his elbow/foreman injury. After months of rehab, he is back to about 85% but still not ready to pitch again in the minor leagues.
Young athletes need careful monitoring to make sure they are doing the exercises correctly. Don't skip the core training! That's why I only do 1-on-1 training for all clients. Core strength exercises should be emphasized first and not the highly glamourized plyometric training.
Plyometrics should be introduced when the athlete has advanced to a level that allows she or he to handle this high level of training. I have seen more than one athlete with injuries because of inadequate core strength.
Foundational stability strength is critical for young athletes!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Core Training Secret You Need To Know
Stop thinking so much about your "6-pack abs" and work on the things that will make you a better athlete! When you train your core, the strength of the "deep stabilizing core muscles" are critical to your athletic success....
The "deep stabilizing core muscles" are: transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal obliques, lumbar transversospinalis, pelvic floor and diaphragm.
If these deep muscles don't activate properly, your spine, pelvis and joint structures are placed in a position that will lead to injuries.
The transversus abdominis is the deepest layer of all abdominal muscles and it is considered your body's internal weight belt. When it contracts, it causes hoop tension around your mid section like a girdle. When the transversus abdominis is working properly, it contracts before the extremities (arms and legs) will move. Bracing your torso will activate the transversus abdominis (act like you are taking a punch to the gut).
When the spine is unstable, the central nervous system will not recruit the extremity muscles correctly. The extremity muscles assist with functional movement patterns. For example, if you bend over to lift a heavy load, your transverse abdominis needs to activate in order to stabilize your spine. When it doesn't activate and stabilize, you are at high risk for a low back injury.
When you make a habit of not recruiting the transversus abdominis to stabilize your spine, your joints will begin early degeneration.
The multifidus lies deep to the spine crossing over three joint segments. It works to provide joint stabilization at each segmental level. The vertebrae need stability to work correctly and reduce degeneration of joint structures.
The pelvic floor covers the area under the pelvis. The pelvic floor is critical for core stability.
Some exercises that improve strength in the "deep stabilizing core muscles" are planks, side planks, bridges and cobras.
Train hard and smart to succeed in your sport!
Download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
The "deep stabilizing core muscles" are: transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal obliques, lumbar transversospinalis, pelvic floor and diaphragm.
If these deep muscles don't activate properly, your spine, pelvis and joint structures are placed in a position that will lead to injuries.
The transversus abdominis is the deepest layer of all abdominal muscles and it is considered your body's internal weight belt. When it contracts, it causes hoop tension around your mid section like a girdle. When the transversus abdominis is working properly, it contracts before the extremities (arms and legs) will move. Bracing your torso will activate the transversus abdominis (act like you are taking a punch to the gut).
When the spine is unstable, the central nervous system will not recruit the extremity muscles correctly. The extremity muscles assist with functional movement patterns. For example, if you bend over to lift a heavy load, your transverse abdominis needs to activate in order to stabilize your spine. When it doesn't activate and stabilize, you are at high risk for a low back injury.
When you make a habit of not recruiting the transversus abdominis to stabilize your spine, your joints will begin early degeneration.
The multifidus lies deep to the spine crossing over three joint segments. It works to provide joint stabilization at each segmental level. The vertebrae need stability to work correctly and reduce degeneration of joint structures.
The pelvic floor covers the area under the pelvis. The pelvic floor is critical for core stability.
Some exercises that improve strength in the "deep stabilizing core muscles" are planks, side planks, bridges and cobras.
Train hard and smart to succeed in your sport!
Download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Sports Fitness Hut Is Named To "100 Best Blogs For Athletes!"
The test for any blog writer is whether readers think the blog articles are useful and offer expert advice.......There are tons of blogs on the internet so it helps to be recognized by experts in the health field!
Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health field! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!
A little about Nursing Degree Network:
"The Nursing Degree Network has made it easy to navigate over 1,200 nursing school programs. We keep our site clean and simple, so that nurses and health care professionals can find the information they're looking for in a hurry.
Print or bookmark our list of accredited schools of nursing for your home state, then submit requests for nursing school and nursing program information online.
The Nursing Degree Network is filled with nursing schools accredited by the two major USA nursing commissions: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC or NLN)."
Thanks to Nursing Degree Network!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Sports Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by NursingDegree.net as one of the Best 100 Health and Nutrition Blogs for Athletes! It is an honor to be recognized by those in the health field! Afterall, health is number one for everybody---including athletes!
A little about Nursing Degree Network:
"The Nursing Degree Network has made it easy to navigate over 1,200 nursing school programs. We keep our site clean and simple, so that nurses and health care professionals can find the information they're looking for in a hurry.
Print or bookmark our list of accredited schools of nursing for your home state, then submit requests for nursing school and nursing program information online.
The Nursing Degree Network is filled with nursing schools accredited by the two major USA nursing commissions: Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) and National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC or NLN)."
Thanks to Nursing Degree Network!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Don't Get Too Fat During The Offseason
You don't have to get fat just because you are recuperating and resting after a long season! You can still follow your sports nutrition plan!
"Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!"
And, you can stay active (active rest) by doing things you enjoy such as golf, basketball, racquetball, etc. The point is this: don't get too out of shape during offseason and you'll ready for training camp!
You've worked hard to blast the body fat....don't slide back!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
"Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!"
And, you can stay active (active rest) by doing things you enjoy such as golf, basketball, racquetball, etc. The point is this: don't get too out of shape during offseason and you'll ready for training camp!
You've worked hard to blast the body fat....don't slide back!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
The Season Is Over.....Pamper and Strengthen Your Body
Most fall season athletes, like football players, are finished with the season. Now is the time to rest, recuperate and rehab your body.......this step is important----don't overlook it! Nagging injuries could "spill over" into the next season (s) and cause more injuries and degeneration!
This phase of your training prepares your body for the more intense phases to follow. General strength and conditioning is needed by strengthening the core and all other major muscle groups and joint structures. The cardiovascular and nervous systems are also developed.
This phase of training is also used to rehabilitate injuries and correct any postural dysfunctions. Strength training is high volume and low intensity. This means training with lighter weights and higher repetitions.
The heavier weight training and sport specific training will follow! All athletes need this phase of training. Elite athletes won't need as much time in this phase as a beginning or low-level athlete.
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
This phase of your training prepares your body for the more intense phases to follow. General strength and conditioning is needed by strengthening the core and all other major muscle groups and joint structures. The cardiovascular and nervous systems are also developed.
This phase of training is also used to rehabilitate injuries and correct any postural dysfunctions. Strength training is high volume and low intensity. This means training with lighter weights and higher repetitions.
The heavier weight training and sport specific training will follow! All athletes need this phase of training. Elite athletes won't need as much time in this phase as a beginning or low-level athlete.
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Monday, January 5, 2009
Improve Your Sports Power With Medicine Ball Workouts
Explosive power is many times more important than running speed. The ability to "get there quicker" helps you "make the play" or "beat your opponent to the spot."
Medicine ball workouts are great for increasing your power (especially full speed workouts).....with medicine balls it is easier to work your body in all 3 planes of motion.
It doesn't help you to continually get stronger if power development is not there also. Power, or speed strength (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one of the best physical predictors of success in sports. Plyometric medicine ball exercises help you to increase power. Traditional barbell and dumbbell strength exercises don't allow you to move at the speeds necessary to improve power.
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Medicine ball workouts are great for increasing your power (especially full speed workouts).....with medicine balls it is easier to work your body in all 3 planes of motion.
It doesn't help you to continually get stronger if power development is not there also. Power, or speed strength (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one of the best physical predictors of success in sports. Plyometric medicine ball exercises help you to increase power. Traditional barbell and dumbbell strength exercises don't allow you to move at the speeds necessary to improve power.
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Friday, January 2, 2009
Write Down What You Eat and Drink For 3 Days
That's right! Write down every thing you eat and drink for the next 3 days to see what your eating habits are really like.....then, compare it to your sports nutrition plan. This will help you start the New Year off on the right track when it comes to eating right!
One of the top problems I see with athletes that I take on as clients is---BAD FOOD INTAKE! A steady diet of fast food or skipping breakfast won't help your sports performance---especially in the late stages of games.
Start eating right at the earliest age possible for your health and sports performance. Many young athletes don't know how or what they should be eating. They are more than regular students. They are student-athletes burning alot of calories during the day. So, it is not uncommon for a 14 year old athlete to need at least 4000 calories a day (and maybe more if trying to build muscle and gain weight).
More than anyone, athletes physically depend on their bodies to succeed. And, its been proven that you won't be mentally sharp if your nutrition is lacking. And, you know my take on supplements: try to get the nutrition you need from food. Save your money! Don't depend on supplements to significantly build your body up!
Download your Free Report, "What to Never Eat After You Workout!" Fuel your body all day to give you better results during and after workouts.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
One of the top problems I see with athletes that I take on as clients is---BAD FOOD INTAKE! A steady diet of fast food or skipping breakfast won't help your sports performance---especially in the late stages of games.
Start eating right at the earliest age possible for your health and sports performance. Many young athletes don't know how or what they should be eating. They are more than regular students. They are student-athletes burning alot of calories during the day. So, it is not uncommon for a 14 year old athlete to need at least 4000 calories a day (and maybe more if trying to build muscle and gain weight).
More than anyone, athletes physically depend on their bodies to succeed. And, its been proven that you won't be mentally sharp if your nutrition is lacking. And, you know my take on supplements: try to get the nutrition you need from food. Save your money! Don't depend on supplements to significantly build your body up!
Download your Free Report, "What to Never Eat After You Workout!" Fuel your body all day to give you better results during and after workouts.
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Start Your Year Right With Sports Fitness Hut's Training!
Improve strength, build muscle mass, improve power, increase speed and dynamic balance with Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System!
We all want that body! What body, you ask? That cut, ripped, lean, toned, etc. body! There are many different words for it and we want varying degrees of that body type.
Bodybuilders are probably the most extreme when it comes to "getting cut" for competition. Athletes need the lean body type to compete at a high level. Others want the lean body type because it looks good. For everyone, the lean body type will bring good health which is the most important thing!
At My Fitness Hut (includes Her Fitness Hut and Sports Fitness Hut), I have designed all of my exercise programs based on a Fat Blaster Athletic Training System. Why? Here are the reasons:
1) There is not a better or faster way to sculpt your body. You also get superior heart health. Research and my personal experience backs this up. Just look at an athlete's body.
There are varying degrees of athletic training---some techniques are more intense than others. I TAILOR THE PROGRAM TO YOUR SPORT AND FITNESS LEVEL.
2) I am a former NCAA Division I athlete, so I'm not playing a guessing game when it comes to this type of training. I use research, evidence and real-life experience to develop training programs.
3) Forget about weight loss/gain and concentrate on FAT LOSS. Building lean muscle mass will BURN THE FAT and permanently SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM. The weight loss or gain will take care of itself. And you will be a better athlete. You could say Your Fitness Hut. It is about YOU and what YOU REALLY WANT! Don't let fear stop you from reaching your sports fitness goals!
4) It doesn't require marathon training sessions. We all have a tight schedule. No training session last longer than 1 hour and some sessions are as short as 30 minutes.
Start taking steps now to improve your athletic success on the field or court!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
We all want that body! What body, you ask? That cut, ripped, lean, toned, etc. body! There are many different words for it and we want varying degrees of that body type.
Bodybuilders are probably the most extreme when it comes to "getting cut" for competition. Athletes need the lean body type to compete at a high level. Others want the lean body type because it looks good. For everyone, the lean body type will bring good health which is the most important thing!
At My Fitness Hut (includes Her Fitness Hut and Sports Fitness Hut), I have designed all of my exercise programs based on a Fat Blaster Athletic Training System. Why? Here are the reasons:
1) There is not a better or faster way to sculpt your body. You also get superior heart health. Research and my personal experience backs this up. Just look at an athlete's body.
There are varying degrees of athletic training---some techniques are more intense than others. I TAILOR THE PROGRAM TO YOUR SPORT AND FITNESS LEVEL.
2) I am a former NCAA Division I athlete, so I'm not playing a guessing game when it comes to this type of training. I use research, evidence and real-life experience to develop training programs.
3) Forget about weight loss/gain and concentrate on FAT LOSS. Building lean muscle mass will BURN THE FAT and permanently SPEED UP YOUR METABOLISM. The weight loss or gain will take care of itself. And you will be a better athlete. You could say Your Fitness Hut. It is about YOU and what YOU REALLY WANT! Don't let fear stop you from reaching your sports fitness goals!
4) It doesn't require marathon training sessions. We all have a tight schedule. No training session last longer than 1 hour and some sessions are as short as 30 minutes.
Start taking steps now to improve your athletic success on the field or court!
Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!
Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!
Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs
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