Standing Hip Abductor Exercise

The Standing Hip Abductor Exercise will improve your lateral strength (frontal plane) which will help develop your lateral power and speed.

It is better to do this exercise on your feet since most athletic movements are done on your feet. Besides, the sit-down hip abductor machine doesn't work the hip muscles near enough.



Inadequate training of the gluteus medius (hips) will limit your athletic performance. Weakness in the gluteus medius can result in knee and back injuries.

Weakness in the gluteus medius also contributes to instability when you walk, run and jump. In other words, you will avoid alot of injuries just by training the darn gluteus medius!

Take the necessary steps to improve your lateral strength. Working out on exercise machines will primarily work your muscles in the sagittal plane of motion.

That's okay except that many athletic movements occur in the frontal and transverse planes of motion. So, your program needs to include exercises in all planes of motion.

1) As you perform the movement, keep your leg straight and torso upright. Don't drop your head.

2) Use enough weight so that the hip muscles are adequately trained.

Check out "Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" to see a full program designed to help you compete at a high level!

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Tight Hip Flexors Limit Performance

Tight hip flexors will limit your performance on the field or court. Tight hip flexors will also lead to other leg injuries. A good dynamic flexibility exercise for you would be hip rotations.



Do external hip rotations (pictured above) and internal hip rotations every day to improve your speed and athleticism.

If your hip flexor muscles are not flexible, you will not even be a good athlete in your sport(s)! Tight hip flexors also lead to some painful injuries (like pulls and strains) that are hard to recover from. Every athletic movement involves your hips so condition them continually!

Great athletes dominate dynamic movements with the hips, glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. Lateral speed is particularly created and maintained by the strength of the glutes and hips. There are a host of injuries that arise when your hips are tight causing your glutes to not fire properly.

Check out "Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" to see a full program designed to help you compete at a high level!

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Is Bench Press Max Overrated In Sports Training?

Is bench press max strength overrated in sports training (especially for football players)? Read this question and answer:



Client Q: How important is achieving a high 1 rep max weight on the bench press to my success in football?

Mark's A: This is a very good question. One of the primary tests required of athletes at the NFL scouting combine is how many times they can bench press 225 pounds. While this may show how much strength the player has, it says nothing about how good of a football player he is.

From my experience of playing football at the Division I level in college as a defensive back (my bench press max was 400 lbs.), a big-time bench press max had little to do with successfully playing the game. Speed, power, quickness, agility, acceleration, explosion, etc. were all more important than brute strength.

And, on the occasions that bench press strength came into play, such as taking on a tight end, leverage and body positioning was more important than bench press strength. I know a former NFL lineman who started on 2 Super Bowl championship teams who said that leverage and positioning was more important than bench press strength. He should know.

When I train football players, I focus on building their full-body strength and endurance as a foundation for speed and power training. A big-time bench press max is not a bad thing, but I stress more importance on speed, power, quickness, agility, etc. using exercises that simulate game-time actions.

That's why SPARQ testing is a more reliable predictor of tangible athletic skills. SPARQ football testing procedures assign scores in the vertical jump, 40 yard dash, kneeling powerball throw and shuttle run. There is also a SPARQ Pro testing procedure that includes things such as vision and reaction tests. Individual and total scores can be compared to others in your sport to see how you measure up.

Get "Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" It is a must training guide for any serious athlete!

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Lateral Bounding Drills

Lateral bounding (with proper footwork) during a game and explosively continuing with the play will separate you from the competition. How many times have you seen a linebacker, running back, shortstop, soccer defender or basketball player bound laterally and accelerate past the opponent? High level athletes have excellent lateral speed.



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 injury.

When's the last time you worked to improve your lateral speed and explosion?

Get "Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" It is a must training guide for any serious athlete!

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Baseball Power Workout

The best baseball players have power---powerful arms, powerful swings and powerful movements. Baseball requires quick, powerful bursts, whether its on the basepaths, batter's box or in the field. You need the All Star Baseball Power Workout Manual!.

The baseball power exercises are illustrated by All-American collegiate shortstop, Blake Kelso. Check out Blake's technique as he trains to excel at the most athletically demanding position in baseball!



Every baseball player wants more power, speed and strength! Not every baseball player is training right for explosive power. 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.

Baseball requires a series of rotational and lateral movements. Therefore, the baseball player needs a strong core to generate rotational and lateral speed and power.

The physical demands of baseball are: starting ability, acceleration, stopping, cutting, stride rate, stride length, sprinting form and speed endurance.

Most explosive movements occur after some other movement (swinging, sliding, etc.). Maximum velocity is rarely reached except in the case of hitting a triple, inside-the-park homerun or running down a long fly ball. Therefore, starting ability and acceleration should be emphasized during training.

Sports Fitness Hut's All-Star Baseball Power Workout Manual will show you how to improve your performance in these drills and exercises. If you do this, it will improve your power game on the field.

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Hips and Glutes Are Your Power Center

Powerful Hips and Glutes separate great athletes from good athletes. The hips and glutes are your power center. Great athletes dominate athletic movements with the hips, glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. All of these muscle regions need to work properly or you will not compete on a high level.



Hips and glutes injuries will put you out of the game. It is impossible to run, jump and cut with power if your hips or glutes are injured. Hips and glutes injuries can also cause hamstring and other injuries. You can lessen your risks of these injuries with proper training.

The glutes don't fire properly when the hip flexors (psoas, iliacus, tensor fascia latae, etc.) are overactive or tight. This can happen due to poor flexibility or prolonged sitting. When the hip flexors don't work properly, its antagonist (mainly the gluteus maximus) becomes weak.

It is important to keep your hips and glutes conditioned all year with challenging exercises and workouts.

Get "Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" It is a must training guide for any serious athlete!

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Functional Athletic Training

Functional athletic training should be a huge part of your strength and conditioning program. Or, stated another way, you should be trained for the sport you will play (train movements, not just muscles). Some traditional training techniques have not focused on functional training. Bench pressing 500 pounds may not prepare you to play a sport.



One of the best physical predictors of success in sports is your "rate-of-force production" or how fast your muscles can produce force (power).

The number one reason that athlete's don't reach their power potential is a weak core area.

The saying "you are only as strong as your weakest link" is true in the case of the human body. The majority of powerful athletic movements are either initiated or transfer through the body's core area. Many sports injuries can also be linked to a weak core area.

Here are some tips to follow during functional athletic training:

1. Your body needs to be stabilized and strengthened before progressing to high-speed power exercise programs. If this is not done, you are headed for certain injury when more intense exercises are introduced.

Many young athletes are progressed too fast by coaches/trainers to "more glamourous" plyometric exercises! Along the same lines, you should perform an exercise correctly before progressing to power exercises.

2. Most athletic core exercises should be performed in a standing position since most athletic movements are on your feet. These exercises will also involve the important hip stabilizer muscles and not just the abdominals. A great full-body core exercise is the medicine ball chop.

3. The core exercises should be multi-planar, multi-dimensional and progressive. Many athletic movements involve twisting, rotating, turning, etc. The exercises should also constantly challenge and improve (progressive) your athletic ability. Finally, the athletic training should target endurance, strength and power.

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Lateral Cone Hops Improve Power

Use lateral cone hops to improve your power in the frontal plane of motion.



The frontal plane is an imaginary bisector that divides the body into equal front and back halves. The motions primarily involve abduction and adduction (side-to-side motions).

Abduction takes your limb away from the midline of your body and adduction takes your limb closer to the midline of your body. Examples include exercises performed on hip abductor and hip adductor machines. Other frontal plane motions would be lateral lunges, dumbbell lateral shoulder raises and lateral spinal flexion.

Quickness and agility movements made by athletes require adequate frontal plane stability, strength, power, flexibility and balance.

Lateral cone hops are done as fast as possible. Also, your feet should remain on the ground as little as possible as you do the hops. Focus on hopping (not jumping) from side to side (on the balls of your feet) with very little vertical height. You are working to improve lateral power with this exercise and not vertical power. Do 8-10 repetitions per set.

As you progress, you can begin to do single leg lateral cone hops. Train hard and safe!

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Improve Speed And Power---Every Day

Improve your speed and power in some way---every day. You can improve your speed and power without doing a full-blown speed and power workout. For example, you can improve your running mechanics every day. And, you don't have to wait until the offseason to improve your speed and power. Improving in small steps every day adds up to huge improvements over time. Some training techniques you can do consistently are:



1. Starting and acceleration speed is critical in the forty yard dash.

2. Work on your running mechanics every day. Wasted motion and bad running technique will stop you from improving.

3. Strengthen and condition your hips, glutes, thighs and hamstrings. These groups make up your athletic "power center."

4. Keep your hips loose and flexible by doing exercises like leg swings. Tight hip flexors will cause problems to other areas such as the glutes.

5. "Powerize" your running with exercises like power step ups and squat jumps. Other single leg exercises like lunges are great because single leg exercises use the same pathways that it takes to run.

6. Run fast! You get faster by training fast.

7. Make squats, deadlifts, good mornings, glute/ham drops and hang cleans regular exercises in your routine.

8. 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.

If you will do these simple things on a regular basis, your running speed and power will improve. You will probably need the help of a professional trainer to make sure you are doing things right. If so, give me a call or email.

Train hard and smart!

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Triathlete And Ironman Advice From Steve Stenzel

I met super Triathlete and Ironman, Steve Stenzel, at a Nutrilite Health Bloggers Event that we were both invited to attend in 2009...his wife, Sarah, is also a super Triathlete and Ironwoman. Anyway, I read Steve's blog and articles and just wanted to share a great article with you that he wrote about Triathlete Training:



Quick, Full Body Workout: Great For The Off-season
St. Paul Triathlon Examiner, Steve Stenzel

If you’re traveling for the Holidays and won’t be near a gym, try this quick, intense, full body workout. You can try this during your off-season as a way to work your muscles in a different manner than they are used to. This routine was created by Mark McLaughlin, the founder of Performance Training Center, in Beaverton, Oregon. It’s very similar to many CrossFit-style workouts.

Repeat these four exercises as many times as you can within the time limit, resting 30 seconds between each. (The time limit can be anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.) To maximize the workout, avoid resting between exercises, or cut the rest from 30 seconds to 10 seconds. Make sure to work slow enough to keep good form as you are doing this workout.

1. Pushup:

You can do this “traditionally,” or you can place two dumbbells about shoulder-width apart on the floor. Grab them with your palms facing each other. Start in the up position of a pushup, your body forming a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Lower yourself, hold at the bottom for 1 second, and then push back up. Watch your form: don’t let your head drop; instead make sure to lower your chest all the way to the floor or dumbbells. Do 10 to 20.

2. Lunge:

Stand and take a large step forward. Your front thigh should be parallel to the floor and your back knee just off the floor. Return to a standing position. Repeat with your other leg. That's 1 rep. Watch your form: step out far enough to keep your front knee from going past your toes. Do 10 to 20.

3. Chin-Up:

Grip a bar with your hands shoulder-width apart and your palms facing you. Pull up until your chest reaches the bar. Hold the position for 3 seconds, and then take 5 to 6 seconds to lower yourself. Watch your form: do these slow to keep from using your momentum to get all the way up. Do 4 to 10.

4. Plank:

Assume a pushup position, but with your elbows bent and your weight resting on your forearms. Your body should form a straight line. Brace your abs as if you're about to be punched in the gut. Watch your form: keep your butt down. Hold for 30 to 90 seconds.

(Editors note: I just tried this workout. I gave myself 15 seconds rest between sets. I did 15 pushups, 10 lunges [each leg], 5 chin-ups, and 60 second planks. I did 4 “rounds” in about 17 minutes. It’s pretty killer! I could have done more for my legs, but I had trouble getting in the last 2 chin-ups, and my core was on fire. I’ll be doing this workout again for sure! Next time, I'll give myself the full 30 seconds rest, and I'll do more lunges.)

Follow Steve Stenzel on Twitter (http://twitter.com/steveinaspeedo) or on his blog.

Get Strength Before Power

You need adequate strength in your overall body before you advance to risky power (plyometrics) exercises.

Plyometrics represent high intensity training, placing great stress on your bones, joints, and connective tissues. While plyometrics can improve your speed, power, and performance, they also place you at greater risk of injury than less intense training exercises.



Certain guidelines need to be followed to prevent injuries during training.

Functional Strength - You should display adequate eccentric, isometric and concentric functional strength during movements.

This allows for optimal neuromuscular efficiency and produces greater force production (concentric contractions), or power. Also, optimum eccentric strength (force reduction) allows for efficient use of stored elastic potential energy and greater concentric contractions during the plyometric exercise.

Kinetic Chain Structural and Functional Efficiency - When your neuromuscular system performs functional activities (body movements) with the least amount of energy and stress on the kinetic chain (human movement system), functional efficiency is achieved.

When the kinetic chain is properly aligned during static, transitional and dynamic movements, structural integrity is achieved (and fewer injuries).

Stabilization Strength - Adequate amounts of core strength and neuromuscular efficiency decrease the amortization phase (time between the eccentric contraction and the concentric contraction in a plyometric exercise).

Sport-Specific Movements - The plyometric training exercises should mimic the movements in your sport (mechanical, physiological and metabolic similarity).

Training progressions should follow this path:

1. Simple to Complex
2. Stable to Unstable
3. Body Weight Exercises to Resistance Exercises
4. Low Loads to High Loads

Signs of over-training include:

1. Prolonged foot contact with the ground
2. Lack of control
3. Decreased vertical height or horizontal distance
4. Longer rest periods are needed by the athlete

Safety concerns during plyometric training are:

1. Proper footwear for the athlete
2. Proper training surfaces (hard surfaces should be avoided)
3. Program design and supervision by a fitness professional

Always train safe, hard and smart!

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Flexibility for Athletes

Flexibility for athletes in all 3 planes of motion is critical if you want to compete at a high level in your sport. Here are some tips:

You can avoid many injuries if you have adequate flexibility. The sit and reach test measures the flexibility of the lower back and hamstrings.



Your torso and shoulders need to be flexible to avoid injuries in your core area. The trunk rotation test measures trunk (torso) and shoulder flexibility.

Keep the groin area flexible and you will help prevent painful, nagging injuries. The groin flexibility test will measure the flexibility in the adductors.

If your hip flexor muscles are not flexible, you will not even be a good athlete in your sport! Tight hip flexors also lead to some painful injuries (like pulls and strains) that are hard to recover from.

Great athletes dominate athletic movements with the hips, glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings. All of these muscle regions need to work properly or you will not compete on a high level.

As an athlete, you need to incorporate self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMFR) and other sports massage techniques into your flexibility routine. These techniques will relieve stress and muscle tension, among other benefits.

If you are in rehab for an injury, flexibility is critical. You should rehabilitate the injured area as follows: a) restore the range of motion, b) restore flexibility and strength of the injured area and c) regain balance lost because of the injury.

A comprehensive flexibility training program for athletes could include the following:

Static Stretches - It is better to do static stretching after your game or workout (perform dynamic flexibility routines before a game or workout). Static stretches are performed without movement. The individual gets into and holds the stretched position for 20-30 seconds. The different types of static stretches are:



a. Passive - This type of stretch requires you to use another person or object to assist you. The person who assists you should be careful when applying the stretch and any object used should be stable. The advantage of this type of stretching technique is that it allows you to reach a greater range of motion. Passive stretching is often used to stretch the chest and shoulders.

b. Active - Active stretching uses opposing muscles (antagonists) to stretch the targeted muscles (agonists or prime movers). The opposing muscle is contracted and the targeted muscle is relaxed and stretched. Lifting your leg straight out and holding that position while standing is an example of an active stretch.

c. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation(PNF) - This type of stretching should be used with great caution. Your partner should also be knowledgeable about PNF stretching techniques.

This type of stretching is good for targeting specific muscle groups, increasing range of motion and improving strength. The hamstring stretch is good for applying this stretching technique. While lying on your back, you would contract your hamstrings while your partner holds your leg in place during the stretch.

The stretch would last for about 5 seconds. The hamstrings are relaxed, the partner then immediately and safely pushes the muscle group past its normal range of movement for 20-30 seconds. That would be one repetition. Rest for about 30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times. Many athletes have trouble with nagging hamstring injuries.



d. Isometric - This form of stretching is similar to passive and PNF stretching except that the contractions are held longer. Isometric stretching is very demanding and is not recommended for children or adolescents still growing.

Only one isometric stretch per muscle group should be performed. An example of an isometric stretch would be to contract the calf muscles for 10-15 seconds during the leaning calf stretch. Relax for 20 seconds and repeat 3-5 times.

Static stretches should be done after your workout to return your muscles to their normal length.

Dynamic Stretches - Dynamic stretches are performed with movement. The individual uses movement to increase range of motion and flexibility. The different types of dynamic stretches are:

a. Ballistic - I do not recommend this type of stretching because it uses rapid bouncing and swinging motions to force the body part past its range of motion. Other forms of stretching are available and less risky.

b. Dynamic - This type of stretching uses controlled movements to increase range of motion. Unlike ballistic stretching, the body part is never forced past the joints normal range of movement.

Shuffles, backpedals and running-in-place are exercises that can be used during a dynamic warm-up. Research shows that a dynamic warm-up prepares an athlete's body best for competition.

c. Active Isolated - This type of stretching works by contracting the opposing muscle group which causes the stretched muscle group to relax. The stretch is held for 2 seconds. Repeat the stretch 5-10 times.

Train hard and smart!

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Soccer Throw Builds Upper Body Power

Build upper body power with the soccer throw. This medicine ball power exercise is helpful for baseball players, football quarterbacks, tennis players and lacrosse players.



Using medicine balls for plyometric power exercises is ideal. Upper body medicine ball plyometric exercises help to improve power because you can safely train at full speed to retrain the central nervous system to move the body faster.

It doesn't help you to keep getting stronger if your power (how fast your muscles can produce force) doesn't improve...racket sports (like tennis and lacrosse) and throwing sports (like baseball) require you to have superior arm speed.

The soccer throw and the two-handed chest pass are two great medicine ball exercises that improve power if you do the exercises at full speed. When these types of exercises are combined with your strength training program, you will be a powerful athlete!

Get your Sports Fitness Hut "March Madness" Medicine Ball Power Workout today and get your "GAME ON!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Weak Core Equals Decreased Performance

A weak core will decrease your athletic performance on the field or court. You will also be headed for core-related injuries.



Core strength is no doubt the weakest link on most athlete's bodies (and people in general). Why? Because most spend too much time strengthening the limbs (arm and legs).

Strength training should be just the opposite....stabilize and strengthen the core first (where all movement begins) and the limbs last.....show me an athlete with a strong, explosive core and I'll show you an athlete who will excel over her or his opponent......

If you have trouble maintaining your speed during the late stages of a game, you probably have a "core weakness" problem. Core strength is important to help you remain strong and upright when you are running, especially when you are tired....

Adequate core strength helps your speed endurance, which is the ability to maintain maximum velocity or a percentage of maximum velocity for a prolonged period of time or in a fatigued state. The best players and teams have excellent overall body strength, core strength and speed endurance (and they win the most games).

Low back injuries and other injuries of the shoulder girdle and torso are usually related to "weak core muscles" or "postural problems."

One painful and slow-healing injury that many athletes suffer is the oblique muscle strain or pull. This type of injury is usually incurred when doing a twisting or rotating movement such as swinging a bat/racket, rotating explosively, etc. The obliques are part of your core and can be strengthened with exercises like planks and medicine ball exercises.

Don't ignore the core!

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Ankle Sprain Prevention

Ankle sprains can be prevented or you can lessen the risk of ankle sprains. A bad ankle sprain or ankle ligaments tear can cause you trouble for the rest of your playing career.



One major goal of sports fitness training is injury prevention. Ankle sprains are common to sports competitors.

So, is there anything you can do to prevent ankle sprains during practice or games? Lessen your risk of ankle injuries by doing the following:

1) You can improve the ankle's joint proprioception (position sense) and dynamic stability with balance training. Doing one-legged balance exercises will accomplish this goal. One-leg balancing on foam pads or disks for 4-5 minutes (each leg) is a great exercise. Other great exercises are lunges, single-leg squats, step ups and medicine ball rotations on one leg.

2) Proper footwork during practice and games will also reduce ankle sprain risks. "Rolled ankles" are very common. An example would be failing to properly plant your foot (with the knee inside the ankle) when accelerating quickly out of a cut. Faulty landing technique from jumps also cause many ankle sprains and knee ligament injuries.

Of course, there are no guarantees to avoiding injuries. Just give yourself the best chance to avoid as many injuries as possible.

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

One-Legged Exercises Improve Power And Balance

Don't neglect one-legged exercises to improve your power and balance. They are important. How important? Well, you run on one leg at a time. Need any other reasons?



Sometimes, too much focus is placed on two-legged exercises. These two-legged exercises, like squats, are needed in your exercise program. But, one of the best physical indicators of athletic success is dynamic balance (rate-of-force production or power is the other).

Having dynamic balance means that you are able to maintain your center of gravity over a constantly changing base of support. You cannot have dynamic balance without muscular balance.

To achieve muscular balance in your lower body, one-legged exercises should be a big part of the athletic training program. These one-legged exercises can be performed as strengh or power (full speed) exercises.

One lower body exercise that should be in your program is one-legged step ups with knee lift (pictured above). This exercise is done one leg at a time to force each leg to work evenly. For example, you would do 10 repetitions with your right leg and then 10 repetitions with your left leg.

The hanging leg should not touch the bench and you should lower your body under control. This exercise can also be done with dumbbells to increase difficulty. Other good one-legged exercises would be squats and lunges. Add more one-legged exercises to your training regimen.

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Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!

Power Training For Performance--Stabilization Strength

Your power training for high-level sports performance begins with getting adequate stabilization strength.



Primary goals you should be focused on during stabilization strength training are:

1. to correct muscle imbalances
2. joint dysfunctions,
3. postural distortion patterns,
4. improve kinetic chain (human movement system) integrity and
5. reconditioning/rehabilitation.

You can't skip over stabilization training to do more risky strength and power training! The purpose of your sports fitness training is to give your body the best chance at avoiding injuries while competing at a high level.

Stabilization training prepares you for the more intense training 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.

Stabilization 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.

Don't do exercises before you are ready for them. For example, you shouldn't be doing high speed plyometric exercises before you have adequate core and body strength.

Stay tuned this week for more on Power Training For Performance.

Need more sports training tips? Subscribe to my Sports Performance Tips eNewsletter and get my FREE REPORT, "10 Must Know Speed Training Tips!"

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!

Check out my other great blogs:

Her Fitness Hut Blog Her Fitness Hut is featured on EmpowHER, a great health issues website for women! Her Fitness Hut has also been named in the Top 50 Personal Training Blogs by Physical Therapy Assistant Schools!

My Fitness Hut Blog has been recognized by Stanford University Wellsphere as a Top Health Blogger! Quite an honor coming from that institution!