Muscular, Powerful Athletes Outperform Fat Athletes

Its common sense right? Muscular, powerful athletes outperform fat athletes. Why do I see so many fat athletes--whether its youth, high school, college or professional leagues? Maybe its the culture we live in.

Either way, this phrase remains true:

"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!"

If you want to be your best at your sport(s), you need to control your body fat.

The best way to burn body fat is to increase lean mass (including muscle mass) through regular weight training (including power and bodyweight exercises). Body composition is the key to peak athletic performance.

Stated another way, how much lean mass does your body have in relation to fat mass. One major athletic goal should always be to decrease fat mass to an acceptable level for your sport.

Have you ever seen an overfat athlete who was performing her or his sport at a high level. That same athlete would perform at an even higher level if her or his body fat was at an acceptable level for athletes. Acceptable levels of body fat for athletes are as follows: Women 14-20%, Men 6-13%.

Some athletic positions, like a catcher in baseball, might require a little more body fat (like 10% instead of 8%). Whereas a swimmer would need less body fat. The point is this: if you are serious about your athletic performance, being overfat will not help you achieve your highest athletic potential.

Work hard and prepare to succeed!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Spring Football Strength and Conditioning

Use spring football strength and conditioning to help you peak at the right time---during the football season in September!



You will win your position on the field by being dedicated in the weight room and during spring team practices. You should concentrate on building your foundational strength and growing your muscles (hypertrophy).

Since muscle weighs more than fat, you would also gain needed muscle mass (while burning fat) and weight. Its not uncommon to put on 15-20 pounds of muscle during offseason training (assuming you are following your sports nutrition plan)!

You need to STABILIZE and STRENGTHEN your body during this period. You will also correct muscle imbalances, joint dysfunctions, postural problems. This period is also used for rehabilitation of injuries after a long season.

The training program is Multi-Planar (sagittal, frontal, transverse), Multi-Joint (exercises such as bench press, squats, lunges, deadlift, rows), Multi-Dimensional (stabilization, strength, power in later months) and Proprioceptively Enriched (high neural demand, like balance exercises).

Foundational core training exercises like planks, side planks, supermans, cobras, bridges and back extensions are important to do during this period.

This period of training also prepares your body for the more demanding sport specific, speed and plyometric training in the coming months.

Your strength will help you to be faster and more explosive. For example, you should be able to squat your 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.

Work hard and prepare to succeed!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
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3 Ways to Improve Flexibility for Sports

You should perform flexibility and stretching exercises every day to help your body feel and perform better. Flexibility is the normal extensibility (capable of being elongated or stretched) of all soft tissues (muscles, ligaments, tendons) that allow the full range of motion of a joint.

Flexibility training integrates various stretches in all three planes of motion to produce maximum extensibility of tissues. You may have to undergo some corrective flexibility training based on your postural assessment or based on previous injuries incurred.

Here are 3 ways you can improve your flexibility:

1. Static Stretches - These 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
b. Active
c. Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation(PNF)
d. Isometric

Static stretches should generally be done after your workout to return your muscles to their normal length. They are also useful if you are in rehabilitation from an injury.

2. Dynamic Stretching - An effective dynamic warmup is a MUST before your workout or game. A dynamic warmup will prepare your body best for practice or games.

Do static stretches after your workout or game (when muscles are warm) to increase your range of motion.

Accomplish the following during your dynamic warmup:

a. Make sure your "power center" is flexible. An athlete's "power center" consists of the glutes, hips, quadriceps and hamstrings. This area of your body is prone to some hard-to-recover-from injuries!

b. Your hip flexors need to flexible. Tight hip flexors cause many problems, including problems with your glutes and hamstrings.

c. When you warmup, practice relaxing your face, shoulders, arms and torso. You will perform better when you are relaxed and you want your body to work like a "well oiled machine."

Some good dynamic warmup exercises are back pedals, lunges, step ups, cariocas, form running, medicine ball exercises, shuffles, heel sprints, ankle bounces, bounding, prancing and jump rope.

3. Massages - Massages will help you perform better as an athlete.

a. Sports massages are a must for high level athletes. Typically, lifting weights, training with medicine balls, increasing speed, etc. are thought of immediately as ways to improve performance.

Sports massage is also an important tool that you can use to help you perform better during practice and competition. It can be used before, during and after practice or competition. Stress, tension and adhesions build up in your soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse.

The benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.

b. Self Myofascial Release (SMFR) is like getting a massage (self massage). The foam roller is one of the most effective techniques for releasing tension while improving mobility.

Foam rolling exercises will release and organize your muscles, as well as release and align your skeletal system. Muscle injuries such as strains and tears and broken bones can be avoided with proper flexibility and skeletal alignment.

Condition your body all year to perform better during the season.

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
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Strengthen Hips with Medicine Ball Side Lunge

Use the medicine ball side lunge to strengthen your hips which will improve your speed and power during lateral movements.

This medicine ball exercise and the frontal plane (lateral movement) of motion is often neglected by athletes during training.

The side lunge forces you to decelerate movement through one hip at a time, placing greater emphasis on the gluteals and hamstrings.

It trains you to move correctly in the lateral direction. Many knee ACL injuries occur when athletes place too much stress on their knees and not enough stress on their hips during deceleration. In other words, the hips are often under-used during sports activities.

You will improve your lateral speed and power only if you have adequate strength in the frontal plane of motion.

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
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3 Ways to Prevent Sports Injuries

One major way to prevent sports injuries is to prepare your body for training. Or, don't just jump into training "out of shape."

"Training to train" or preconditioning will prevent or minimize sports injuries. Muscle areas such as the hamstrings need preconditioning because the hamstrings are prone to injury. Preconditioning can be done all year to supplement your main training program.

Here are 3 key ways to prevent sports injuries:

1. Eccentric contraction training (force reduction) of your muscles can significantly reduce your injury risks.

These exercises help build eccentric contraction strength:

--Running downhill.

--Depth jumps (emphasize the landing and hold only).

--Eccentric muscle contraction weight training (i.e., 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.

Injury risks like torn anterior cruciate knee ligaments, achilles tendon strains/tears and hamstring pulls can be lessened with proper training.

2. Improve your muscular balance. For example, your quadricep muscles should not be significantly stronger than your hamstring muscles. Your frontside should not be significantly stronger than your backside. And, your left side should not be significantly stronger than your right side.

When you are strength training, keep this important principle in mind. Get your muscles balanced early in the training progressions. One-legged and one-armed exercises help you to achieve and maintain muscular balance.

3. Improve your flexibility and range of motion. Do strength exercises (including core) with a full range of motion unless you are in rehabilitation. Rehab exercises are done to restore your full range of motion.

It is a misconception that strength training makes your body's muscles "tight and inflexible." This won't happen if you consistently improve your joints' range of motion (dynamic flexibility) and perform exercises with full range of motion. You CAN be strong and flexible!

Work hard and expect success!

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

3 Ways To Improve Throwing Velocity

Improve your throwing velocity with an integrated training approach. Just lifting weights and increasing arm strength won't improve your throwing velocity "to the max."

What you also need is more power and explosion, or speed strength. Improve your arm speed in order to improve your throwing velocity.

Here are 3 tips to improve your throwing velocity:

1. You need strength in your legs, core and upper body/arm (particularly a strong shoulder).

2. Improve your power output. Power needs to be transferred from your legs through your core to your throwing arm. This will improve your arm speed and throwing velocity. Many athletes have strong, powerful legs but weak cores.

Include power exercises like squat jumps, vertical leaps, sport-specific plyometric exercises and sport-specific medicine ball exercises in your training program. These power exercises should be performed at FULL SPEED.

3. Medicine ball power exercises are a must in your program. You are able to mimic powerful motions with these exercises. Some exercises you should do are the medicine ball rotational throw, medicine ball soccer throw, medicine ball one-armed throw and medicine ball slams.

"Powerizing" your entire body will improve your arm speed and throwing velocity.

Work hard and expect success!

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

3 Ways To Improve Strength for Sports

Two players with equal ability will be separated in ability---by the stronger player. A stronger version of you makes you a better ball player.

Are you strong enough to play your sport? You should train for the type of strength you will need to compete at a high level. For example, you will not need maximal levels of strength to play baseball or tennis.

Even though you don't need to win a strong man contest, you do need a certain amount of strength to enhance your power and speed.

Here are 3 ways to improve your strength:

1. Optimum Strength – The ideal level of strength needed to perform in your sport. Continually getting stronger will not continually increase your power, or speed strength.

Speed strength is the ability of the neuromuscular system to produce the greatest possible force in the shortest period of time. Obviously, every athlete wants and needs this type of strength. You should know the levels of strength you need to play your specific position.

2. Stabilization Strength – The ability of your body’s stabilizing muscles to provide dynamic joint stabilization and maintain postural control during athletic movements. All athletes need this type of strength.

Core strength would fall within this category. Many athletic injuries can be traced to inadequate core strength. Core strength enhances your power.

3. Functional Strength – You should train movements (not just muscles) during strength training sessions. Producing dynamic, multi-planar eccentric, concentric and isometric contractions quickly and efficiently is the goal of training for functional strength.

Do your strength training in all 3 planes of motion.

Strength train your muscles with all contraction types (eccentric, isometric, concentric). All muscles function eccentrically (reduces force or deceleration), isometrically (stabilizes force) and concentrically (produces force).

Are you strong enough to compete? You can't just show up at the gym and do any kind of workout! Don't lose your position because you are weak!

Train hard and smart!

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