Acceleration Speed On Sunday In The NFL

Like you, I watched some National Footall League (NFL) action this past Sunday.....I saw acceleration speed personified. You see, a running back in the NFL is not supposed to be able to "turn the corner" on the defense (because defenders are too fast)!

Well, I saw a running back "turn the corner," outrun pursuit angles and score on a play. How? His acceleration speed is "off the charts!" In case you don't know who I'm talking about---check out Adrian Peterson's 28 yard touchdown run against the vaunted Tennessee Titans defense.



Researchers from New Zealand found that athletes with quicker ground contacts produced better acceleration speed. If you get there quicker, you don't necessarily have to be the fastest on the field. See my blog post on acceleration speed.

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Client Sports Fitness Question Of The Week, 13

If you are in a sport that involves running, read this Q & A:

Client Q: I have had problems with hamstring pulls and strains for a long time. What can I do to fix this problem?



Mark's A: Hamstring injuries are bothersome because they are so hard to recover from! It is better to prevent hamstring injuries if possible. The problem I see most is inadequate flexibility and strength in the hamstrings. Also, when the hamstrings are significantly weaker than the quadriceps, you are susceptible to knee ACL injuries.

Improve your hamstring flexibility with these exercises:

walking lunges, resistance band eccentric stretch (pictured above) and static stretch (static stretch should be done after workout or game).

Improve your hamstring strength with these exercises:

lying or standing hamstring machine curl, deadlift, good morning exercise (with or without weights) and glute ham raises.

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

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

How Important Is Pre-Workout Nutrition?

I was training a client the other day and he couldn't finish his workout. My sports fitness workouts are tough but he usually does just fine. The problem? He had not eaten in the six hours before his workout! No fuel, no running motor!

Pre-workout nutrition is critical and should mainly include carbohydrates and proteins. During intense physical activity, your body depends on fuel from glycogen made from the carbohydrates that you eat.

The body can't use fat for fuel during high intensity exercise because there is not enough oxygen available. Eating fruits, vegetables and smoothies 1-2 hours before a workout will build up your glycogen stores.

Glycogen is stored in your liver and muscles and it is broken down into glucose. Glucose is then used by your body to make energy. As a result, when your glycogen stores are low, your performance will suffer.

Research has shown the effectiveness of pre-workout protein drinks (such as whey and casein). These drinks will make enough amino acids available to take advantage of the increased blood flow to your working muscles. Also, your muscles get 2 times as much benefit from a pre-workout protein drink compared to having just a post-workout protein drink.

Endurance athletes can also benefit from consuming moderate amounts of fat (such as flax oil and omega 3s) because of the availability of oxygen during exercise or competition.

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

Improve Your Vertical Jump To Improve Speed

Your vertical jump height is an indication of the power in your lower body and an indication of your speed. You need a comprehensive training program to improve your vertical leap.



Many times, plyometrics are over-emphasized and other aspects of training are not adequately done by the athlete. A certain amount of strength (core and overall) is needed to enhance your jumping power.

Quadriceps, hamstrings, hips, glutes and calves are targets for improvement if you want your vertical leap to improve. Squats, lunges, leg presses, step ups, hip abductors and calf raises are all good exercises to improve lower body strength. Also, the hang clean is a great exercise because you execute the exercise from the same position that you jump from (or the power position).

How much lower body strength do you need to develop optimum power? 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.

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.

This is where plyometrics would come into play. Plyometrics is jump training and is definitely sport specific. Squat jumps (bodyweight and resisted), which are pictured above, are great for plyometric work. When performing depth jumps, never jump off a box that is higher than your vertical leap.

I recommend doing plyometric work 2 times a week and speed work 2 times a week. Strength work can be done 3 times a week. You should do your plyometric work on the same day that you do lower body strength training.

Lower body plyometrics would be done before your leg strength work because plyometrics are done with maximum effort. Therefore, you need to be fresh.

A more advanced technique would be to immediately follow a strength exercise with a biomechanically similar plyometric exercise. An example would be to do a set of squats at 85% of one rep maximum followed by a set of bodyweight squat jumps. This method has been proven to develop optimum power but it should only be used by advanced athletes.

Train hard and smart!

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Eat and Train Like An Athlete And You Will See Your Body Change

By far, I see one common improvement that most athletes need to make---EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE! If you put garbage in your body, don't expect your body to perform at its peak!

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!

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.

Also, pre- and post-workout meals are just as critical to your muscle growth (hypertrophy) as the training.

These two processes work together to make your training program successful. The rigors of training breaks down your body and you need proper nutrition and rest to rebuild your body bigger and better.

Ever wonder why your body fat won't decrease? Its mainly due to poor nutrition! If you are fat, don't expect to compete at a very high level! Here's an example of what and what not to eat:

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

Add these type foods: oatmeal, 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! EAT WITH A PURPOSE---THE PURPOSE OF BEING ABLE TO PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL!

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

Improve Your Speed With This Simple Change

One of the biggest barriers to athletes improving their speed is: rigid, inflexible running/movements. Matter of fact, you will have a hard time being any good in sports if you are not relaxed during movements. "Clutch performers" like Derek Jeter, Tom Brady, Josh Beckett and Lisa Leslie have learned how to relax when the pressure is greatest!



I was training a middle school athlete this summer and he was trying to improve his 40 yard dash time. His running style was a little rigid so I had him work on his flexibility between training sessions.

Also, before I timed him, I had him do leg swings (front-to-back and side-to-side) to loosen his tight hip flexors. By summer's end, he had reduced his time by 2 tenths of a second! That is a HUGE IMPROVEMENT in any sprint time!

Although the strength exercises and other running mechanics were also factors, the biggest factor was that this kid relaxed his running style by improving his dynamic flexibility!

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Client Sports Fitness Question Of The Week, 12

Did you have a good off-season of training for your sport? That's great, but you still need to train during the season! Look at this client Q & A:

Client Q: During my first college baseball season, I started to wear down because I hadn't played that many games before--what do I need to do?

Mark's A: A big part of periodization training is designed to allow the athlete to peak (and maintain high performance) at the right time--during the season! Read my post about athletic periodization training.

Increases in strength and speed may still be needed during the season (as in track and field). In other sports, such as baseball or football, strength and power needs to be maintained during the season. This means that if you stop strength and power training during the season, your performance will begin to decline as the season wears on. One to 2 days of strength and power training during the season is enough.

It is also critical that you get adequate rest and proper nutrition during the season. Some sports, such as baseball and basketball, require you to play as many as 5-6 games per week. And, a sport such as football takes a physical toll on the body. The right balance of training, nutrition and rest is necessary to allow you to maintain peak performance.

Be sure and 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

Athletes Should Do This Exercise: Transverse Lunge To Balance

We all do lunges---front lunges, reverse lunges, walking lunges, side lunges----AND TRANSVERSE LUNGES, right? If you are an athlete, transverse lunges are an important exercise for you.

Many athletic movements happen in the transverse plane of motion--movements like rotations, twists, turns and pivots. So, this plane of motion must be adequately trained for you to successful in your sport.

The transverse lunge to balance is done this way:



Starting Position

1. Stand with feet straight and shoulder-width apart.

2. Lift chest, tuck chin and place hands on hips.

Movement

1. Turn and lunge by opening the hips and stepping back at 45 degree angle, pivoting on back foot.

2. Stabilize, front foot straight, knee bent at 90 degrees and directly over second and third toes; opposite leg bent at 90 degree angle, heel of back foot off ground.

3. Push off the front leg into a balanced standing position.

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Do This Exercise For More Flexible Hip Flexors

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. There's a reason that cornerbacks in the NFL make loads of cash: they have great speed/quickness and the best swivel hips around!

Do hip ins, outs and holds before and after your workouts to help loosen those tight hip flexor muscles!




In, Out and Hold. Lean forward, with your hands on a wall for support. Swing the right leg out and in 3 times and hold for 6 sec after the third swing. Start by swinging the right leg out away from the body. Then swing it back across the body and out again. Hold in the "out position". Next, swing the leg inward across the body, back out and in again. Hold in the "in position". Do 3 reps with each leg.

Be sure and download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts and start shaping your body faster!  There are 3 levels:  beginner, intermediate and advanced.  Start at your level and progress.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut

Sports Fitness Hut's Hips And Glutes Training Guide

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.

The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the body. The anatomy of the gluteal region (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus) is shown below:



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.

"Sports Fitness Hut's Hips and Glutes Training Guide for Athletes" will be released tomorrow and you can get your copy for only $11! It is a must training guide for any serious athlete! Be sure and get your copy!

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

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

Client Sports Fitness Question Of The Week, 11

Let's face it....every one doesn't start with great or even above average athletic talent! So, what can the "average athlete" do to improve? Read this question!

Client Q: My son has average athletic talent. He needs to improve quickness, speed, power, etc. What does he need to do?

Mark's A: There are many examples of the best players not being the best athletes on the field or court. Here are some examples of how to do it:

--Base Stealing: You can steal a base by getting a "good jump" and accelerating fast (you don't have time to reach maximum speed). So, starting and acceleration speed training is critical for baseball players.

--Playing Defense: Defending a player in basketball is about hard work and footwork! Anyone can improve in these areas! Speed ladder drills, cone drills, shuffle drills, etc. will help you improve in these areas.

--Endurance: Soccer mid fielders have to cover alot of ground--for the whole game! So do football wide receivers/defensive backs and lacrosse players. Speed endurance training builds the athlete up to be able to run repeated sprints for the entire game. The strongest and fastest player or team at the end of the game often wins it!

--Core: How many times have you seen a player start to "lose upper body power" after a long game and struggle to finish a shot or run? A weak core area (torso) will definitely slow your speed and power when you become tired. Anyone can train to strengthen the core!

Hard, smart work will make you a better player---and a better athlete! Don't concern yourself with what you don't have athletically! Concern yourself with improving your strength, power, speed and overall athletic skills as much as you can!

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

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

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 7

Golfers are athletes, just ask Natalie Gulbis! The following are excerpts from a Muscle & Fitness Hers interview in 2003:

She says, "women golfers have always been knocked a bit," says the 20-year-old phenom from Sacramento. "People didn't consider us athletes." But the next wave of female players, she says, will shatter those stereotypes.



Natalie is an elite athlete having been a gymnast before going full time with golf. She made the right choice! She finished second to Beth Bauer in the 2002 LPGA Rookie of the Year voting and had four top-10 finishes.

"I love the mental side of golf, dealing with pressure and different situations," she says. "I love the fact that, unlike team sports, everything comes back to me." At 14, she became the youngest person to play in an LPGA tournament.

"I have a real good work ethic," she says. "I like to work and I love to train, and I love to work out hard. It's great for discipline and confidence. It's also part of my personality. I have high energy, and I think it's probably because I always work out."

Gulbis trains for 60 to 90 minutes a day five days a week, usually first thing in the morning. Her two-days-on, one-day-off training split emphasizes explosiveness, flexibility and strength training. She does minimal cardio--maybe 15 to 30 minutes a couple days a week--because her current fitness goals involve building muscle.

It's been a concern for Gulbis since last year, when some golf-course chicken she ate left her with a case of salmonella. She lost about 20 pounds in a two-week span, leaving her a weak and frail 113 pounds. Besides that unfortunate event, Gulbis says she's been lucky.

"I've been mostly injury free for quite a few years, even through being a gymnast," she says. "I attribute a lot of that to nutrition and fitness."

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

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

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 6

No training tips article series would be complete without talking about the work ethic of legendary football player Jerry Rice! When you are the best, what else is there to do? If you're Jerry Rice, you just work even harder! That's almost not fair! Even his peers admit that Jerry worked harder than every one else. Here is an excerpt from a Men's Fitness interview:



MF: Your off-season training routine was the stuff of legend. What was the hardest thing about your workouts?

Rice: The hill sprints were about two-and-a-half miles up, and the last 800 meters were completely uphill. We ran it for time, and if you could get around that 15, 16 mark, that was excellent. A lot of guys came to train with me over the course of my career, and a lot of guys fell by the wayside.

You know your body is going to be sore, and you know there's going to be some days where you don't want to get out of bed, but still, you're obligated to do that, and that was my approach to the game. I enjoyed every second of it. A lot of guys dreaded going to training camp. I looked forward to it, because I had already prepared myself.

I was in top shape. Whenever I stepped into that stadium, I felt like I owed the people something. I wanted them to walk away with something special on that given day.

MF: How important was your weight while you played in the league?

Rice: One year I might come in weighing 189 or 190 pounds, so I really had to focus in on what I was putting in my body. Then, if I wanted to get a little bit heavier, I would start eating a little bit more protein to put me up in the 200-pound range.

A lot of my teammates thought I was crazy because during the season, if I didn't weigh 188, 189 pounds—under that 190-pound range—right before the game, I would go to the stadium early and do the stairclimber for 45 minutes or an hour or ride the bike.

I had to be at the weight that I felt comfortable at, and I think that was very important because when I stepped on the football field, I felt good. I was ready to go, I was at the weight that I wanted to be at, and then I just had to go out there and perform.

MF: What kind of supplements do you take?

Rice: I think the thing that really helped me is that I started using Elations during the off-season, and it really took me to the next level. It's a product that's good for your joints. If I wanted to play football all over again, I think I could do that. You can check out elations.com for more info.

MF: What do you remember about setting the all-time TD record against the Oakland Raiders on MNF?

Rice: Yeah, you know, they threw it up, and we just went up and fought for it. You know, it's funny, Bill Walsh taught me that. He would always say, "Look, you always want to attack the football at its highest peak."

So when the ball's up in the air, everything slows down. It was unbelievable. The ball slowed down, and I started thinking about what Bill Walsh said, to go up and attack the football at its highest peak, and I was able to catch it. I came down with it, and I had guys trying to wrestle me for it, but I was able to hold onto it.

MF: As someone who's been highly motivated for his whole career, what kind of tips can you offer our readers as to how they can stay motivated?

Rice: You just have to want to do it because you know it's going to benefit you. I feel so much better when I go to the gym. Even those days where I feel like I don't want to go, I still push myself to go and I feel so much better after. It puts a very positive spin on your day. That's going to help you in the long run.

Download your Free Book, "What to Never Eat After You Workout."

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 5

Sue Bird is an elite athlete by anyone's standard. She has been a champion at every level from high school to the UConn Huskies to the U.S. National Team to the WNBA's Seattle Storm! She has been a WNBA All-Star and All-WNBA in each of her four seasons! Sue is known as a fierce competitor. Following is an interview of Sue on the WNBA's website:



Q: What is your motivation when don't feel like working out, running that extra mile, or waking up early?

Sue: "My motivation is actually thinking about the feeling I get once working out is over. Working out can be hard sometimes. Especially if you're tired, your muscles are sore. But whenever you're done working out, there is always that relief that it's over, like ahhhhh, and you feel really good about yourself. And that helps me to get through it."

Q: Was there a time in your career or lifetime of playing basketball when you thought about giving up the game?

Sue: "No, never. I'm too young for that."

Q: How important is a healthy diet and good nutrition for your overall success?

Sue: "When I was in college, and even my first few years in the WNBA, I took nutrition for granted. I didn't pay attention. I ate McDonalds and stuff. But when I went to Russia this past offseason, I made a concerted effort to eat right. I made my own food, not just relying on fast food. Kamila actually helped me with that a lot. So when I came back, I was in the best shape of my life and I really felt the difference. So now I'm a big believer in watching what you eat."

Q: What are some snacks you like or favorite meals?

Sue: "As for snacks, I don't really snack as much as I used to. When I do, it's mostly things like cheese and crackers, fruit."

As I always tell my clients, YOU NEED TO EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE! Case closed!

Download your Free Book, "What to Never Eat After You Workout."

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 4

I hope you are beginning to see that the training methods of elite athletes are not that much different from yours! You just may have to work harder and smarter to reach your athletic goals. Don't let anyone outwork you! You don't need tons of talent to work hard!

Hope Solo is the goalie for the winning USA 2008 Olympic gold medal team. She was pulled from a game in the semifinal of the 2008 World Cup. The United States lost that game 4-0 to Brazil. After heavily criticizing coach Greg Ryan for replacing her, the team voted to not allow her to play in the 3rd place game (which USA won).

At some point, she and the team made up and she was the winning goalie on the gold medal Olympic team. Make no mistake---she is one of the best female goalies in the world!



In a July/August 2008 interview with Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine, Hope talks about her training regimen:

HERS: What is a typical training week like for you?

Hope: It really depends if I'm with the Olympic team or not. When I am with the team we do a ton of on the field, position-specific work. That means lots of diving, and getting up and diving again for me. It's exhausting. However when we have time off, I focus more on plyometrics, footwork, speed, agility, and endurance. I'm able to work on specific footwork that actually allows me to dive.

HERS: What specific weight training exercises do you do?

Hope: I'm a firm believer in bodyweight exercises and plyos. I lift weights, but minimally. I do a ton of pushups and sit-ups, both with stability balls. I also do pull-ups, lunge jumps, squat jumps, box jumps and jump rope work, which, surprisingly, really works my arms.

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

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

Client Sports Fitness Question Of The Week, 10

One area of your body is often under-trained when you are training to improve your running speed. Read this client Q & A.

Client Q: I'm trying to improve my running speed and I need to know if I'm leaving any training method out?

Mark's A: You may not have given your lower legs enough training attention. The lower legs can provide 20% to 25% of the power needed for an explosive start. When you plan your workout routine, include more lower leg exercises like:



1) Explosive standing dumbbell calf raises (go as fast as possible to failure 3-4 sets). You can progress to one-legged calf raises.

2) Explosive lifts on the leg press with only your toes lifting the weight (3 sets/20 repetitions). You can progress to one-legged lifts.

3) Barbell calf raises using jumping motion (explode upward on your toes as if you are jumping). Do 3 sets of 20 repetitions. Progress to one-legged raises.

You can work the calf muscles more frequently than other muscle groups (up to 4 times a week) because they bounce back faster.

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 3

Derek Jeter, captain of the New York Yankees is a champion having won 4 baseball world series titles in his first 5 years in the major leagues (1996-2000)! He is also my favorite baseball player so I will listen to what he has to say about training for his sport. He is an admitted hard worker and plays the game hard every play, every day.



In the April 2008 issue of Men's Health, Jeter talks about his training regimen. He plays one of the most demanding positions in baseball (shortstop) so he must be in peak condition for the long season. He doesn't go into a lot of detail about his workouts but he does list some workout principles.

1. Do a thorough, dynamic warmup before each practice or game like jumping jacks, lunges, arm circles, pushups and bodyweight squats. Research has proven that a dynamic warmup will prepare your body best for competition.

2. Jeter does a balanced weight training workout in order to prevent injuries and muscle imbalances. Some examples are deadlifts, pullups, rows, squats, lunges, shoulder presses, bench presses and core training. Rotational core training is critical for baseball players.

3. For his explosive training, Jeter does sprints and jump training (plyometrics) to keep his fast twitch muscle fibers tuned and working at peak performance. Fast twitch muscle fibers are crucial for speed and power and also the ones you lose the quickest as you get older.

See this post that discusses other baseball training exercises.

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

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

Training Tips From Elite Athletes, Part 2

I tell my athlete clients all the time: you need to eat like an athlete! I stress getting the nutrition you need mainly from food and not supplements!



All-American Ohio State linebacker, James Laurinaitis eats to fuel his body for peak performance. In the November 2007 issue of Men's Fitness magazine, Laurinaitis talks about how he eats on a daily basis. Here are some of the foods that he regularly eats:

oatmeal
Wheaties
red berries
chicken
eggs
veggies
bananas
grapes
strawberries
yogurt
cottage cheese

Sounds pretty healthy to me! And, at 6'3", 244 pounds, I'm sure he eats plenty and often! He's a top-flight performer and will play on Sundays next year.

Download your Free Book, "What to Never Eat After You Workout."

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs

Training Tips From Dwight Freeney

Dwight Freeney is an elite athlete and you should listen to his training tips!



Don't get me wrong, I was a very good athlete in my day (and still not bad now!) but I was never an elite athlete. My roommate in college was an elite athlete who went on to play in the National Football League for 5 years.

So, I know what an elite athlete looks like. They often have that "IT" quality that makes competition look easy. It's not easy, they are just elite athletes who make it look easy!

Anyway, I always seek to learn training tips from elite athletes. So, I decided to write an article series on this topic to pass along the information to you.

Dwight Freeney, defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts, is one of the best at his position. He is also freakishly fast for his size. At 6'1" and 268 pounds, he runs the forty yard dash in 4.4 seconds! That's running back speed (Adrian Peterson runs a 4.4 second forty)! Make no mistake about it, the NFL is a man's game that is fast and violent!

During a Men's Fitness magazine interview in the November 2007 issue, Dwight was asked to give a tip on improving speed. His response was, "When you work out, everything should be an explosive movement. It teaches your body to move quicker, your muscles to fire faster." That is correct sir!

Keep in mind that Dwight is a well-conditioned, strong, powerful professional athlete. You might have to work up to doing all exercises at full speed. Adequate overall body and core strength are needed to be able to train with explosive movements without injuring yourself.

THE TRAINING PRINCIPLE THAT DWIGHT MENTIONED COULD BE STATED THIS WAY: TO BECOME FASTER AND MORE EXPLOSIVE, YOU MUST TRAIN FAST AND EXPLOSIVE.

Download your Free Book, "What to Never Eat After You Workout."

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
Your Fitness University
My Fitness Hut
Her Fitness Hut
Sports Fitness Hut
Rapid Fat Loss and Six Pack Abs