Improve Agility During Pick-Up Games

I improved my agility during pick-up football, basketball and baseball games growing up. When you play pick-up games (or street ball), you don't think about technique---you just play the game. Consequently, you improve your agility skills (if you do them correctly).



You can work on your agility and speed during any pick-up game. You don't have to wait until your formal team practice to get better. Matter of fact, I learned much about how to compete by playing pick-up games with older guys. You either got better or embarrassed!

Improve your agility with these drills and then apply them during your movements in a pick-up game:

1. jump rope (one foot, two feet, slalom, Ali shuffle, backpedal)

2. speed ladder drills

3. cariocas, tapiocas, back pedals, shuffles, toe taps

4. hip turn and hip flexibility drills (like leg swings)

What are you doing to improve your agility and speed to become a better athlete? Let us know!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Plyometrics For Power Athletes

Plyometrics are important exercises for power athletes. Power athletes play sports that require power and speed like football, soccer, track, lacrosse and basketball.

Really, any athlete in any sport can use some form of plyometric exercise. If your body has the needed strength and stability, plyometrics will improve your sports power by leaps and bounds.



It doesn't help an athlete 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 exercises help you to increase power.

Here is a good general plyometric workout to improve your sports power and speed.

1. In Place Vertical Jumps, full speed, Double Leg, 3 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

2. Depth Jumps, 2 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

3. Bounding and Lateral Bounding, full speed, 2 sets of each/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

4. Lateral Cone Jumps, full speed, 2 sets/10 each side, 1 minute rest between sets

5. Standing Broad Jumps, full speed, 2 sets/10, 2 minutes rest between sets

6. Dumbbell Calf Raises, full speed, 3 sets/25, 2 minutes rest between sets

Do a plyometric workout no more than 2 days a week because of the full speed intensity of this type of workout.

Avoid knee injuries by perfecting jumping and landing techniques before progressing to full speed plyometric workouts.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Peak Performance In Sports

Peak performance sports training allows you to peak at the right time--during the season!



Building a powerful, athletic body is more than doing plyometrics! Plyometrics is a popular, glamourized method of training that is leading many athletes to the doctor's office.

Plyometrics is a high-risk, high-reward type of training and is very effective when used as part of an overall athletic training program. Again, the goal of an athletic training program is to allow you to peak at the right time---during the season! This is where periodization training comes into play:

In periodization, annual training is divided into different phases to allow you to progress to the next phase of training. In each phase, you train to achieve certain goals. Each phase prepares you for the next phase of training. If you don't reach the goals of a phase, you cannot move on to the next phase of training.

The periodization plan is usually broken up into four phases. Each phase may last anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. The annual training plan can be divided into 2 major periods known as macro-cycles.

This typically indicates that there are two major seasons in the sport such as baseball (summer leagues and winter leagues) and basketball (winter leagues and summer leagues). The macro-cycle is divided into the meso-cycle (one or more months) and the micro-cycle (weekly). The weekly cycle is very important because it allows the trainer to make adjustments as needed.

Here is a brief discussion of each phase of periodization training:

Phase 1 - General Physical Preparation

This phase of training prepares you for the more intense phases to follow. General strength and conditioning is accomplished 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. 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.

Phase 2 - Sport-Specific Training

This phase of training begins as the first phase is ending. This phase of training is sport-specific. The exercises mimic the actions made your sport and strength is developed in the same range of motion used in the sport.

Running exercises also duplicate what you need to compete. For instance, football players would need starting speed, acceleration speed, speed endurance and power. Both training volume and intensity is high during this phase. This is a critical phase for the elite athlete.

Phase 3 - Training During The Season

During this phase of training, increases in strength and speed may still be needed (as in track and field). In other sports, such as baseball or football, strength and power needs to be maintained during the season.

Phase 4 - Post-Season Training

After the season, you need to recuperate physically and mentally. Active rest is often used for this purpose. For instance, a football player might enjoy playing basketball in the off-season.

This allows you to stay in relatively good shape and begin the next phase of training fresh and healthy. You can also make greater physical gains and have a better season the next year.

It takes time to build your athletic body the right way. Don't take shortcuts!

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
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Overstriding Slows Sprinters Down

Overstriding by sprinters is one of the most common sprinting mistakes.

When you overstride, your heel lands first with your foot well ahead of your body's center of gravity. This causes "braking" and slows you down. Its also a good way to get injured. The heel should never touch the ground when you sprint.

MAKE SURE YOUR FEET LAND UNDER YOUR HIPS (your center of gravity) and you'll improve your running speed! You'll generate more power running this way.

Apply more force to the ground with your feet! This sprinting technique is often overlooked. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The more force you apply to the ground, the more the ground will "give you power."

When you run, don't lift your knee past your "thigh being parallel" to the ground. This way, you will use your "power center" (mainly glutes and hamstrings) to apply force to the ground instead of the less powerful hip flexors. In other words, running "with high knees" is not the best way to run! Also, step over the opposite knee and drive the foot down into the ground to create maximum force.

When the foot leaves the ground, it should follow a path straight up to the buttocks. It should not flail from side to side.

Train smarter and not just harder!

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
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Athletic Power Training

Athletic Power Training should be done when your body is ready for this intense type of training.



Get your body ready for athletic power training by preconditioning your muscles and then stabilizing and strengthening your muscles. Prevent or minimize your injury risk so you can stay on the field and compete! Coaches can't use you if you are always hurt!

You can strengthen your body and then do athletic power training prior to your team's training camp. For example, use the summer to train your body and get in shape to play! To compete at a high level in today's competitive climate, you need to show up to training camp "in shape and ready to go!" Coaches will not waste time getting you in shape. There is too much pressure for them to win.

Certain weight training exercises are good preconditioning exercises. They include:

1. Lunges (forward, reverse, lateral and transverse)
2. Step ups (front, lateral and transverse)
3. Shoulder exercises
4. Trunk exercises like planks, bridges and cobras
5. Hamstring exercises like glute/hamstring drops and hamstring curls
6. Pushups, Pullups and other back exercises
7. Bench Press
8. Squats (including single leg)

You can use these same exercises to strengthen and grow your muscles by using heavier weights.

These exercises should also emphasize concentric (force production), eccentric (force reduction) and isometric (force stabilization) contractions.

Eccentric contraction training of muscles can significantly reduce your injury risks. Eccentric muscle contraction weight training is the lowering phase of a lift. For example, you would lift the weight on a hamstring curl for one count and lower the weight for 3-4 counts.

Now, you are ready to do intense speed and plyometric (power) training to prepare your body for training camp.

Exercise smart and get your body for training camp!

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
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Hamstring And Low Back Injuries--Prevent Them!

Prevent hamstring and low back injuries with adequate flexibility and strength.

The sit and reach test measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings.



You will need a box about 12 inches (30 cm) high and a ruler:

1. Sit on the floor with your back and head against a wall. Your legs should be straight ahead and flat against the floor.

2. Place the box flat against your feet (no shoes). Keep your back and head against the wall and stretch your arms out towards the box.

3. Have someone place the ruler on the box and move the zero end towards your fingertips. The beginning measuring point is where the ruler touches your fingertips.

4. Lean forward slowly and smoothly (do not bounce) as far as possible keeping the fingertips level with each other and the legs flat.

5. Slowly reach along the length of the ruler 3 times. On the third attempt, reach as far as possible and hold for 2 seconds. Have someone record the score. Do the test 2 more times to see if you can improve your score.

The American College of Sports Medicine gives the following as good and sub-standard scores:

Men, Ages 20-29

99 Percentile - 23 in (58 cm)
80 Percentile - 20.5 in (52 cm)
50 Percentile - 17.5 in (44 cm)
10 Percentile - 12.25 in (31 cm)

Men, Ages 30-39

99 Percentile - 22 in (56 cm)
80 Percentile - 19.5 in (50 cm)
50 Percentile - 16.5 in (42 cm)
10 Percentile - 11 in (28 cm)

Women, Ages 20-29

99 Percentile - 24 in (61 cm)
80 Percentile - 22.5 in (57 cm)
50 Percentile - 20 in (51 cm)
10 Percentile - 15.5 in (39 cm)

Women, Ages 30-39

99 Percentile - 24 in (61 cm)
80 Percentile - 21.5 in (55 cm)
50 Percentile - 19 in (48 cm)
10 Percentile - 14.5 in (37 cm)

If you fall below the 80 percentile rank, you need to improve your hamstring and lower back flexibility to enhance your athletic ability.

Some good hamstring flexibility exercises are walking lunges, resistance band eccentric stretch, bodyweight deadlift and hamstring static stretch (static stretch should be done after workout or game). Good low back flexibility exercises are double knee-to-chest stretch, pelvic tilt, lower trunk rotation, trunk flexion and prone lumbar extension.

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
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Explosive Weight Lifting Improves Power

Explosive weight lifting will improve your power and set you apart from your athletic competitors.

Just as you can do medicine ball exercises, plyometric exercises and light dumbbell exercises explosively, you can also lift heavier weights explosively.



Lifting weights explosively is an advanced form of exercise and shouldn't be done by beginners or youngsters. Your body should have the needed stabilization and strength before beginning explosive lifts.

It doesn't help you improve as an athlete 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.

Research has proven that only lifting heavy weights at a moderate or slow pace will not improve your explosive power.

Especially at the start of the lift, explosive lifting can be done for exercises like (5-6 repetitions):

--Bench press
--Shoulder press
--Squats
--Leg press
--Hamstring curls
--Calf raises

....and also for bodyweight exercises, like (6-8 repetitions):

--Power step ups
--Bodyweight squats
--Pullups
--Pushups
--Inverted rows

......and medicine ball exercises, like (8-10 repetitions):

--Throws
--Chops
--Slams
--Rotational exercises

Lift explosively, safely and improve your power!

Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Sports Fitness Hut's All-Star Baseball Power Workout Manual

If you need more power hitting the baseball, more speed running the bases or more quickness at your position then you need this power workout manual. The manual's drills, techniques and workouts are designed for advanced baseball players.



Power or rate-of-force production (how fast your muscles can produce force) is one the best physical predictors of success in baseball and sports in general.

Maximum power is achieved by performing resistance and plyometric exercises at maximum effort. This type of training has great potential for injuries. So, it is imperative that you have adequate core and body strength before starting power training.

If you don't have foundational strength and stability then that's where your training would start. You should not progress to more risky power training exercises until you build your foundation.

The speed demands of baseball are: starting ability, acceleration, stopping, cutting, stride rate, stride length, sprinting form and speed endurance. The power workout manual will help you improve your athleticism and playing ability.

Most explosive movements in baseball occur after some other movement such as swinging or sliding. Maximum running speed is rarely reached by a player except in the case of hitting a triple, inside-the-park homerun or running down a long fly ball.

Therefore, starting ability, acceleration and lateral speed should be emphasized during speed training.

Download your FREE All-Star Baseball Power Workout Manual and improve your strength, power and explosiveness on the field!

Train hard and smart!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Top 5 Plyometric Exercises For Athletes

My Top 5 Plyometric Exercises will improve your athleticism, speed and power.



Plyometrics are important exercises for athletes. If your body has the needed strength and stability, plyometrics will improve your sports power by leaps and bounds.

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 exercises help you to increase power.

Here are my Top 5 Plyometric Exercises for your lower body.

1. In-Place Squat Jumps - The squat jump will improve your speed acceleration and power. Bodyweight squat jumps should be mastered first. The fastest runners usually have the highest vertical jump heights.

2. Depth Jumps - The depth jump is an exercise that will improve your speed, power and athleticism because it works the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and calf muscles. You will improve your athleticism and speed in any sport that involves running or jumping by using the depth jump.

3. Bounding and Lateral Bounding - Lateral bounding is a progression from lateral lunges that requires you to practice lateral movement at game-time speed.

Do not progress to full-speed lateral bounding until the proper mechanics are achieved with lateral lunges. One common mechanical breakdown is when the knees protrude far in front of the feet when decelerating, landing or squatting. This puts undue stress on the knees and often causes knee injuries.

4. Lateral and Transverse Cone Jumps - Lateral cone jumps improve your side-to-side power and explosion. Transverse cone jumps improve your rotational power. The frontal (lateral) and transverse (rotational) planes of motion are often under-trained by athletes. This is a mistake because many of your athletic movements are side-to-side and rotational.

5. Standing Long Jumps - Improving your standing long jump will also improve your speed and power. A more explosive, powerful athlete will be a faster athlete. Improve both your standing vertical jump and standing long jump and you will be faster and more explosive.

Avoid knee injuries by perfecting jumping and landing techniques before progressing to full speed plyometric workouts.

Train harder, smarter and safely with plyometric exercises!

Download your FREE 10-Minute Strength and Power Workouts now!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Top 5 Medicine Ball Exercises For Athletes

Medicine ball exercises for athletes are a MUST! I don't know how you could have a serious athletic training program without medicine ball exercises.



Medicine ball exercises will help you improve your speed, power and core strength. Explosive power is very important in sports because you rarely reach maximum speed during a game.

Medicine ball exercises also allow you to exercise with natural movements. Your movement is not restricted by weight machines or barbells. Every one moves differently and you can even be a little creative with medicine ball exercises. Doing these exercises at full speed will give you maximum power potential.

Here are my Top 5 medicine ball exercises for athletes:

1. Medicine ball diagonal chop - The medicine ball diagonal chop helps you work multiple muscle groups in different planes of motion (at the same time). Injuries of the torso (such as oblique strains/pulls) hurt like crazy and are hard to recover from....its better to avoid these types of injuries!

2. Medicine ball front chop - The medicine ball front chop is a great full body core exercise that also works your lower body. Do this exercise at a moderate pace before progressing to full speed.

3. Medicine ball squat jump - The medicine ball squat jump will improve your speed acceleration and power. Bodyweight squat jumps should be mastered first. The fastest runners usually have the highest vertical jump heights.

4. Medicine ball rotational throw - Some sports such as baseball, tennis, lacrosse and hockey require explosive levels of rotational core power. The medicine ball rotational throw should be done full speed to train your central nervous system and body to move faster and more explosive.

5. Medicine ball soccer throw - The medicine ball soccer throw is a great sports power exercise to improve your core strength and arm speed. The soccer throw works the muscles that you use to throw a ball or swing a racquet overhead.

It is hard to limit this list to just 5 medicine ball exercises. Medicine ball lunges with rotation and medicine ball side lunges are two exercises that come to mind. If you are an athlete, there are many medicine ball exercises at your disposal. Use them and become a better athlete!

Train harder, smarter and safely with medicine balls!

Be sure and download your Free Dumbbell and Medicine Ball Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Top 5 Core Training Tips

Get a handle on the Top 5 Core Training Tips. If you are going to be a successful athlete, YOU MUST HAVE A STRONG, POWERFUL CORE!

Your body's core consists of the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex, thoracic spine and cervical spine, shoulder girdle and pelvic floor. THE CORE is your body's center of gravity. Many athletes have sufficient EXTREMITY STRENGTH (limbs), but few athletes display sufficient CORE STRENGTH.



A strong and stable core will maximize your EXTREMITY STRENGTH and POWER. A core strengthening program involves using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating specific joints as in most weight lifting exercises, core stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once.

The core muscles are very important for preventing low back pain.

The body's core is so much more than your "six pack" abs! A strong core will maximize your strength and speed. Since the core is your body's center of gravity and all movement begins with the core, it is essential to strengthen and stabilize it. A strong core will allow you to handle heavier loads as your training progresses. You will also lessen your chances of injury.

So, here goes the Top 5 Core Training Tips:

1. Strengthen and stabilize your deep core muscles first. The transversus abdominis, which is the deepest of the abdominal muscles, lies under the obliques and wraps around your spine for protection and stability. Think of the transversus abdominis as "your internal weight belt." It is recruited when you brace (as if getting ready to take a punch in the gut) your torso during an exercise.

Other deep stabilizing core muscles are the multifidus, internal obliques, lumbar transversospinalis, pelvic floor and diaphragm. Exercises such as planks, side planks, bridges, cobras and supermans strengthen the deep core muscles.

2. Strenghten and stabilize the superficial core muscles. Superficial core muscles include your "six pack" (rectus abdominis). It also includes the external obliques, erector spinae and quadratus lumborum. Low back pain usually follows when the quadratus lumborum is not activated. The adductor complex, quadriceps, hamstrings and gluteus maximus also support core movements.

3. Strengthen and stabilize your shoulder girdle. The shoulder girdle supports all core movement. For the shoulder, the important areas are the lumbar spine, cervical spine and the scapulothoracic joint. If these areas are not stable, extra loading and strain is passed on to the shoulder joint.

4. Strengthen and stabilize your hip musculature. The hips, quadriceps and hamstrings are your "power center." You won't be even a good athlete if your "power center" is not strong and stable.

5. Do sport specific training for your core, or core power training. Full speed, sport specific core training should be the last stage of training. It is also the stage most prone to training injuries. This type of training is high-risk, high-reward training. It includes medicine ball exercises, sport specific lunging exercises, jumping exercises and dumbbell exercises.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workout and start changing your body faster!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Top 10 Speed Training Tips

You need my top 10 speed training tips because every athlete wants to be bigger, faster and stronger. To improve your sports speed, you must train the whole body. These training tips will apply to straight ahead speed only.



Every athlete can improve strength, power and speed with hard work and the proper training methods.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #1 Strengthen and stabilize your total body (and joint structures), including core strength. Without the proper body strength and flexibility, you will never reach your running speed potential! Strengthen your core every day. Exercises like planks, side planks and bridges can be done every day. A strong core is important for speed endurance. Arm strength will help you pump your arms faster which, in turn, will help you run faster.

Leg strength is critical. A male should be able to squat his body weight 8-10 times and a female should be able to squat about 75% of her body weight 8-10 times. If you are not able to squat, then you should be able to leg press about 1.5 times your body weight 8-10 times. Having enough lower body strength will enhance your running speed and power (how fast your muscles can produce force).

Some great lower body strength exercises are squats (including single leg), deadlift, lunges, step ups, power step ups (pictured below) and hang cleans. Single leg exercises like step ups and lunges use the same pathways that it takes to run fast.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #2 Strengthen and condition your hips, glutes, thighs and hamstrings. These groups make up your athletic "power center" and great athletes dominate with these muscle groups. In addition to the exercises mentioned in Tip #1, add exercises like good mornings and glute/ham drops.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #3 Be willing to change your eating habits! Sixty to 70% of your sports fitness goal success or failure will depend on good nutrition. YOU NEED TO EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL. ALSO, IF YOU HAVE TOO MUCH BODY FAT, YOU WILL NOT REACH YOUR RUNNING SPEED POTENTIAL! Get to know your body and what types of food you are better off not eating. For example, grains/starchy carbohydrates cause some people to not make progress with fat loss.

Cut out these type foods: sodas, sugary fruit juice drinks, candy, cookies, donuts, fried meats and fried foods, fast foods, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressings, foods in a bag

Add these type foods: oatmeal, salad greens, nuts, low-fat dairy products, low-fat yogurt, fruits, veggies, unsweetened tea, water, lean meats (baked, broiled or grilled), olive oil, cinnamon, mustard. You get the idea!

SPEED TRAINING TIP #4 If you want to improve your running speed, you must first master the basic running mechanics.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #5 You must train fast to get faster! Any speed workout should begin after a 10 minute dynamic warmup. Exercises such as butt-kickers, jogging, lunges, prancing, ankle bounces and medicine ball drills, etc. get your body ready for activity. Perform static flexibility stretches after your workout to bring your muscles back to normal length.

When training for speed, distance running should be kept to a minimum because it reduces explosiveness. You can condition for your sport by doing metabolic training, which is training that closely mimics your game-time competition.

Do all of your speed drills with maximum effort. Training at less than maximum effort will not improve your speed. Take adequate rest breaks (1 minute rest for every 10 yards sprinted).

SPEED TRAINING TIP #6 Improving your power (how fast your muscles can produce force) will improve your running speed. Improving your standing vertical jump height will improve your straight-ahead speed. Using plyometric exercises like squat jumps and weighted squat jumps will help you improve your standing verticle jump and therefore your speed and power.

Likewise, improving your standing long jump will also improve your speed and power. A more explosive, powerful athlete will be a faster athlete. The NFL Combine 40-yard dash results for the last 10 years shows that those with the best standing vertical jumps and the best standing broad jumps have the fastest 40 yard dash times.

You should progress to plyometric exercises after your body has enough strength to withstand this high intensity, high risk type of exercise. Jumping and landing techniques should also be mastered before progressing to full speed plyometric exercises. Never do plyometric exercises on hard surfaces such as concrete and asphalt.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #7 Improve your speed acceleration. During intense sports competition, getting to the spot quicker is often more important than being faster than your opponent. Maximum speed is rarely reached in many sports, so your acceleration speed becomes crucial to your success. A sprinter can win a race without being the fastest runner in the race by attaining his or her maximum speed before the other sprinters. Researchers from New Zealand found that athletes with quicker ground contacts produced better acceleration.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #8 Apply more force to the ground with your feet! This running technique is often overlooked. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. The more force you apply to the ground, the more the ground will "give you power."

When you run, don't lift your knee past your "thigh being parallel" to the ground. This way, you will use your "power center" (glutes and hamstrings) to apply force to the ground instead of the less powerful hip flexors. In other words, running "with high knees" is not the best way to run! Also, step over the opposite knee and drive the foot down into the ground to create maximum force.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #9 Make sure your feet land under your hips! (your center of gravity)! And, when the foot leaves the ground, it should follow a path straight up to the buttocks. It should not flail from side to side. One of the most common running mistakes is over-striding.

When you over-stride, your heel lands first with your foot well ahead of your body's center of gravity. This causes "braking" and slows you down. It is also a good way to get injured. The heel should never touch the ground when you run.

SPEED TRAINING TIP #10 Improve your speed endurance. When I played college football, the teams who were stronger and faster in the fourth quarter often won the game. This applies to any sport, whether individual or team. Speed endurance is the ability to maintain maximum velocity or a percentage of maximum velocity for a prolonged period of time or in a fatigued state. When you are fatigued, it is important to maintain proper running mechanics. Doing so will give you an edge over your opponent.

Several sports require speed endurance including football, lacrosse, basketball, soccer, field hockey and tennis. These sports require repeated sprints followed by short periods of rest (walking or jogging).

Interval training for speed endurance is different than regular speed training. Speed endurance sprint intervals last from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Also, recovery time is reduced to prevent complete recovery by the athlete. A variation would be to use metabolic speed endurance training to simulate actual game time activity. An example would be for an offense in football to simulate the entire game in practice (i.e., huddle, run a play, huddle, run a play).

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Train Your Body For Speed And Power

Train your body for speed and power! Train to be the best athlete you can be and compete at a higher level than ever before! This takes hard, smart training on your part!

Improve strength, build muscle mass, improve power, increase speed and dynamic balance with Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System!

Bodybuilders are probably the most extreme when it comes to "getting cut" for competition. As an athlete, you 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 Sports Fitness Hut, I have designed all of my exercise programs based on a Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System. 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 and athletic 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
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