5 Tips for Athletes to Avoid the Physically Unable to Perform List

If you are an injured athlete, you can't compete. You are "physically unable to perform." You don't want that, right? The purpose of your sports fitness training is to give your body the best chance at avoiding injuries while competing at a high level.

Here are 5 tips to stay off the "physically unable to perform" list:

1. Don't over-train. Over-training is a leading cause of sports injuries. Signs of over-training include slow foot movement, extreme exhaustion and sloppy execution of exercises. A periodized training program will insure that you are peaking at the right time---during the season. Recovery time is also built into this type of program.

2. Perform the exercises correctly. If you repeatedly do your exercises the wrong way, you will end up with injuries. Also, the exercises will train the wrong muscles the wrong way. For example, if an exercise hurts, that is a sign that you are injured or you are doing the exercise wrong. You might need the help of a professional trainer.

3. 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.

4. Don't base your exercise program on something you read in a magazine. Also, don't base your exercise program on another athlete's program. Every athlete is different and will have a unique training program. A professional trainer can design a program just for you.

5. Get a fitness and nutrition assessment done by a professional trainer. This is a very important step to take. Among other things, postural deficiencies, body fat percentage, muscle imbalances and flexibility problems are identified. Also, you need to know if you are eating like an athlete should.

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
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A Stronger You Makes You a Better Player

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 physically 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!

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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Train Safely and Stay Hydrated in Hot Weather

If you're training for your sport in hot weather, take precautions or you could be putting your life in danger!

In the heat, you should always stop competing during practice or a game if you feel sick, have chills, headache, severe muscle burning or aching, dizziness or blurred vision.

If your symptoms don't subside in a few minutes, you could be headed for a heat stroke that can kill you. During athletic competition or training lasting 2-4 hours, fatigue, dehydration, muscle weakness/cramps and decreased coordination is caused by low levels of fluids, salt or glycogen (fuel from carbohydrate calories).

It is important to keep your fluids, salt and glycogen levels adequate during competition because it is often too late once the symptoms show up.

When you sweat, you lose water and salt. If the sodium levels in your blood get too low (hyponatremia), you will no longer be able to move water across your body's membranes and you will become dehydrated - even if you are drinking enough water.

Some of the signs and symptoms of hyponatremia include bloating, upset stomach, nausea, headaches, cramps, disorientation, slurred speech and confusion. Untreated, hyponatremia and dehydration can lead to collapse, convulsions, and sometimes even death.

Everyone is different, but generally you should try to ingest 1 gram of sodium per hour during a long event, practice or game. You should also increase your sodium intake in the days leading up to the race or event. Ingest about 10-25 grams of salt per day before a race like a marathon.

Endurance sports require your heart to efficiently pump oxygen in your bloodstream from your lungs into your muscles. A study from the University of Connecticut shows that with dehydration, your heart beats with far less force, so it pumps far less blood with each beat. Therefore, an inadequate amount of oxygen reaches your muscles unless you condition your body.

Again, don't depend on thirst to tell you when you lack fluids. When you are going to exercise for more than a couple of hours, especially in hot weather, drink small amounts of water frequently and eat salted snacks or consume a sports drink.

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
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Hard Work Plus Athletic Skills Leads Mike to a Basketball Scholarship

Congratulations Michael Marquis Hardge! I'm glad I was there today to witness you signing a full basketball scholarship to attend Tarleton State University! Without your hard work and dedication on the court and in the classroom, this wouldn't have happened for you.....Of course, your family has always been there but many of us will continue to follow you and cheer you on. Georgetown High School will miss you for sure.

I had the pleasure of training you for a year. You hated the 100 degree heat during those training sessions but you always worked hard.



But, the real key is that you have played basketball all your life and you improved every year. Many practices, road trips, good food, bad food, injuries, blood, sweat and tears came your way....I saw some of them. I know this is just a step to help you succeed further in life.

Keep working hard to be the best student and ball player you can become. Trust me, it will be well worth it. We are proud of you!

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

Recovery After Workouts Needed for Young and Old

You can't workout like a beast every day....your body needs time to recover and get bigger, stronger and more powerful.

A study from Griffith University in Queensland, Australia found that recovery times from intense workouts are the same for old and young athletes. This is true even though muscles weaken with aging because of decreased muscle fibers (the remaining muscle fibers work as well as those for a younger athlete).

The tests were performed using two groups of experienced cyclists racing in 30-minute time trials on three consecutive days. The first group had an average age of 24 while the second group's average age was 45.

Both groups maintained their average power, had the same amount of muscle damage and had the same drop in their maximal heart rate during the third time trial.

Loss of muscle fibers may be part of the reason why older athletes must work harder to stay even with younger athletes.

I was listening to an interview of a professional football player and one question was this: "How do you keep your body prepared to meet the demands of your physical sport?" He said, "I get massages after every practice and game and I get as much rest as I can between workouts, games and practices."

This man performs at the elite level of the football profession---The National Football League! He is basically saying that recovery is just as important as the workouts or games. Recovery also includes getting the necessary nutrition for your body to rebuild itself stronger.

You can also do self massage with self myofascial release with foam rolls (SMFR). SMFR is like getting a 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.

You'll immediately feel the effectiveness of SMFR and its something you can do every day at home.

Train hard and smart (recover)!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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4 Tips to Improve Muscular Balance, Speed and Power

Get closer to your speed and power potential with better muscular balance. Its not uncommon for one side of your body to be stronger than the other side.

One side of your body might not align with the other side. Or, one hip could be looser than the other. Training can help with these problems.

It is important for your body to be in muscular balance to prevent injuries and to help you perform better. For example, the frontside of your body should not be significantly stronger than your backside. And, your quadriceps should not be significantly stronger than your hamstrings.

Four effective ways to keep your body in muscular balance are:

1. Full body strength, power and speed training,

2. One-legged and One-armed strength, power and speed training exercises,

3. Doing exercises in all 3 planes of motion and

4. Keeping all areas of the body flexible.

Training with bodyweight and dumbbell exercises force each side of your body to do its share of the work. And, you see right away if a side of your body is weaker than the other. Some of the best exercises for this are:

--Step ups
--Lunges
--Single leg squats, deadlifts and good mornings
--Single leg/arm cable exercises
--Pushups
--Two-armed and one-armed dumbbell presses and rows
--Single leg arm and leg curls
--Medicine ball exercises working all sides of the body

Train hard and smart!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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3 Top Athlete's Offseason Training Tips

Offseason training is when you as an athlete can make the greatest strength, speed and power improvements. Just remember to train for the sport you will play (train movements, not just muscles). Some call this sport-specific training.

Some traditional training techniques have not focused on sport specific training. For instance, 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 with or transfer through the body's core area. Many sports injuries can also be linked to a weak core area.

Here are 3 Top Athlete's Offseason Training Tips:

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 soccer throw (pictured above).

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.

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

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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10 Athletic Training Tips to Make You Better

My 10 athletic training tips will improve your success on the field or court. Training hard and consistently is the key. You can't lay off training for 6 months and expect to get better. Hard work (and not just talent) separates champions from all other competitors.



Everyone wants more strength, power and speed. Some of you are doing too much strength training and not enough power training.

To continually get stronger without an increase in speed, power and athleticism will not help you reach your athletic potential.

Here are 10 tips to make you a better player:

1. Train your body in all 3 planes of motion. Many athletic movements happen in the transverse plane (rotations, turning, twisting, etc.) and frontal plane (side-to-side, lateral).

Machine-based training concentrates on the sagittal plane (up- down, forward-backward movements). Do miminal athletic training on machines because they limit your natural movement patterns.

2. Train on your feet because most athletic movements in games are done standing and running.

3. Stabilize and strengthen the core first and limbs (arms and legs) later.

This can be done using exercises like bridges, planks, bird dogs, cobras, supermans and back extensions. You would later progress to full speed core exercises on your feet like medicine ball chops, medicine ball slams, 2-arm and 1-arm medicine ball throws and medicine ball rotational throws.

4. The same holds true for body strength exercises. Start with dumbbells to stabilize your joints. Dumbbells also don't allow you to cheat when 1 arm or 1 leg is weaker than the other.

Also, bodyweight exercises work well to stabilize your body strength. You can get to the heavier weights once your joints and muscles are stabilized and balanced. If you can't do bodyweight squats correctly then you won't do heavyweight squats correctly.

5. Continuing with strength exercises....concentrate on compound (multi-joint) exercises like squats of all types, lunges of all types, bench press, rows, step ups, and deadlifts.

One-legged squats, step ups and lunges improve your running strength and power because about 80% of running is done on one leg. Do less single-joint exercises like bicep curls, calf raises and leg extensions because you get little benefit.

6. And, improve your muscular balance. Quadriceps shouldn't be significantly stronger than hamstrings. Likewise, the frontside of your upper body should have muscular balance with the backside of your upper body.

7. 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).

Eccentric contractions are able to produce the most tension development followed by isometric contractions and lastly, concentric contractions. If eccentric contractions are able to produce the greatest tension development, then more time should be devoted during training for eccentric contractions to reduce the risk of injuries such as knee ACL tears.

Also, strong eccentric contractions are critical for athletes to produce maximal power since all force production (concentric) must be preceded by force reduction (eccentric).

8. Improve your flexibility and correct postural problems in the early stages of your training to avoid injuries when you get to more intense training.

9. Progress to more intense exercises like plyometrics, speed training and full-speed sport specific exercises after you have stabilized and strengthened your core, joints and overall muscle structure.

At this stage, you will train athletic movements in your sport (transfer-of-training effect) and not just muscles. YOU MUST TRAIN FAST AND EXPLOSIVE TO GET FASTER AND MORE EXPLOSIVE.

10. Rate-of-force production (how fast your muscles produce force) and dynamic balance are the two best physical predictors of athletic success. Your training program (strength, power, speed, flexibility, etc.) should be pointed toward improving these 2 physical traits.

Train harder, smarter and safely!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Sport Specific Training--When To Do It

The "sport-specific training" buzzwords have taken the athletic training world by storm.....there is good reason for this. When done right, sport-specific training will definitely improve your game on the field, in the water or on the court. When done wrong, sport-specific training will lead you to many injuries!



Parents should not get too eager to put their kids in a sport-specific training program. Foundational core training and general muscle strength/stability/endurance should come first.

Trust me, I have seen many injuries related to high intensity sport-specific training because the player's body wasn't ready for the demands of this type of training. Don't skip steps A and B to get to step C!

You should do a major part of your sport-specific training during the offseason when you have more time to devote to improving your athletic skills, strength, power and speed. Offseason training also gives you time to recover from the full speed, intense exercises. YOU MUST TRAIN FAST TO GET FASTER AND MORE EXPLOSIVE.....IT IS HIGH RISK, HIGH REWARD!

The exercises mimic the actions made in your sport and strength is developed in the same range of motion used in your 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.

Plyometric exercises are also a big part of sport specific training. This is a critical phase for an elite athlete. See this post for common plyometric exercises.

Train hard and smart!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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Sports Injury Prevention

Prevent sports injuries with proper training techniques! Injury prevention is always the best way! If you are an injured athlete, you can't compete! Its that simple! The purpose of your sports fitness training is to give your body the best chance at avoiding injuries while competing at a high level. Here are some tips:



Don't over-train. Over-training is a leading cause of sports injuries. Signs of over-training include slow foot movement, extreme exhaustion and sloppy execution of exercises.

Perform the exercises correctly. If you repeatedly do your exercises the wrong way, you will end up with injuries. Also, the exercises will train the wrong muscles the wrong way. For example, if an exercise hurts, that is a sign that you are injured or you are doing the exercise wrong. You might need the help of a professional trainer.

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.

Don't base your exercise program on something you read in a magazine! Also, don't base your exercise program on another athlete's program. Every athlete is different and will have a unique training program. A professional trainer can design a program just for you!

Get a fitness and nutrition assessment done by a professional trainer! This is a very important step to take. Among other things, postural deficiencies, body fat percentage, muscle imbalances and flexibility problems are identified. Also, you need to know if you are eating like an athlete should!

What are you waiting for? Schedule your fitness and nutrition assessment today! It won't cost you anything but your time (about 45 minutes)! Call (512-289-8879) or email me at the bottom of this post! Don't put it off!

Train hard, smart and injury free!

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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Lateral Cone Hops Improve Hip Strength and Power

Lateral cone hops will strengthen and power up your hips and gluteus medius. This will make you a more dynamic athletic in the field or on the court.



Use lateral cone hops to improve your power in the frontal plane of motion (side to side motions).

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!

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Mark Dilworth, BA, PES
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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!

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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Sports Massage

Sports massage is another tool you can use to improve performance. The purpose of your massage will determine what type you get. A massage can help you prepare for competition, recover from competition or rehabilitate an injury.



The sports massage therapist has many techniques available. For instance, techniques used in deep tissue and swedish massage can be combined with other techniques like neuromuscular therapy, myoskeletal alignment (postural distortions), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching) and myofascial release techniques. There are also specific massage techniques for injuries of the ankle, hamstrings or other muscle groups.

Sports massage can help you reduce stress, tension and adhesions built up in the soft tissues (muscles, skin, tendons, etc.) during intense competition and overuse. Some of the benefits of sports massage include improved flexibility, tension release, relieving of swelling, alleviation of fatigue and prevention of injuries.

I will discuss two popular sports massage techniques in use today. As I stated earlier, the massage therapist can also use other techniques to enhance the massage process.

Swedish Massage - Its purpose is to increase circulation and oxygen flow in the blood. The massage strokes are often in the direction of the heart. This massage also releases toxins from the muscles such as lactic acid and uric acid (decreases recovery time from muscle strain).

Shiatsu - This massage technique uses finger pressure to stimulate the body's energy flow. The therapists can also use the thumbs, palms, knees, forearms, elbows and feet to provide pressure.

Some of the physical benefits of Shiatsu are stimulation of the circulatory, lymphatic and hormonal systems. The nervous system is also better regulated after a Shiatsu massage.

One tool that the massage therapist often uses is proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF stretching). This technique is effective when dealing with hamstring muscle problems.

If you are an athlete, give sports massage a try. It will give you one more competitive advantage you need to compete at a high level.

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 And Braking Slows Speed

Overstriding and braking are two of the most common running mistakes that slows your speed.



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.

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

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.

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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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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Speed And Power Training For 2010

Start your speed and power training for 2010 the right way---with Sports Fitness Hut's Speed And Power Training System!



The rule of the day in sports competition is bigger, faster and stronger. Every athlete wants these physical traits. Every athlete can improve strength, power and speed. Every athlete needs a plan for athletic success! You can't just show up at the gym 3 or 4 times a week to "workout" and expect to get the results you need to improve your performance.

Listen to this true story! I know a kid who was a pretty good football player in high school. At the end of his junior season, his coach said to him, "if you want to play on the collegiate level, you need to work harder!" That cocky kid was me!

My coach had told me to my face that "you aren't as good as you think you are!" He said that I needed to join his workout club at night to learn how to really train like an athlete.

He was right! Before the beginning of my senior year in high school, I had improved my strength, power and speed to be able to have a great senior season and sign a full-paid football scholarship at the Division I level!

I didn't have a plan! Once I did get a plan, it led to athletic success for me!

Happy New Year and all the best to you!

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Merry Christmas From Sports Fitness Hut!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us at Sports Fitness Hut!

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

Mark

Miscellaneous Speed Training Tips

If you are trying to improve running speed then read on....speed is much more than straight-ahead running.....In this article, I will cover some general speed training guidelines....

Straight-ahead speed is important but there are other types of speed such as starting speed, acceleration speed, top-end speed, change-of-direction speed, stopping speed, closing speed and speed endurance.

You should train for all types of speed particular to your sport. Quickness, which is reacting explosively without hesitation should also be trained for and will enhance your overall speed.

Your body needs adequate strength (including core strength) and speed strength (power) for you to reach your running speed potential.

Master bodyweight speed drills before progressing to assisted or weight-bearing speed drills.

You need to master the basic running mechanics to become faster. Posture, arm action and leg action are keys to improving your speed.



Running alone will not give you the leg strength you will need to improve your running speed. You should strengthen your legs with exercises like squats, step ups and lunges because these exercises use the same pathways that it takes to run with speed.

Don't worry about leg extensions too much because the quadriceps will get plenty of work with other exercises. Instead, focus on strengthening the hamstrings with exercises like hamstring curls, straight-leg deadlifts and good mornings.

The quadriceps shouldn't be significantly stronger than the hamstrings. If so, you are headed for injuries such as knee ACL tears. And, don't forget about your calf muscles. The calf muscles provide at least 30% of the strength and power it takes to run fast. Use calf raises (seated or standing) to strengthen the calves.

You have to train fast to get faster! Too much distance running will defeat your goal of improving your speed. 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.

Train hard and smart!

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
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Improve Running Speed By Training Fast

Improve your running speed by training fast during practice. Running speed is critical in many sports....some of you are born with more speed than others. One fact is true: you can improve your running speed no matter who you are!

The running mechanics are important to improve your straight-ahead speed. Practice these mechanics every day! Strengthening your body (core included) will also help make you faster.

You have to train fast to get faster! This might sound simple but how many times have you seen coaches have their players run "sprints" after practice. That IS NOT speed training---that is general conditioning!

You can only run full speed when your body has recovered. That means you need adequate rest between sprints in order to run each one at full speed. About 1 minute of rest is needed for every 10 yards sprinted.

Coaches, instead of having your players run sprints after practice, make sure that they practice at full speed during practice and drills. And, a better tactic would be to run sprints before practice when your player are fresher (they would still need adequate recovery between sprints).

Metabolic training and speed endurance training is also important for athletes.

The same holds true for plyometric exercises such as squat jumps.

These drills need to be done at full speed with adequate recovery time between sets. Drills like squat jumps help improve speed and power.

Train fast and get faster!

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

Other things being equal, a muscular, powerful athlete will outperform a fat, slower or skinny, weaker athlete. Sports Fitness Hut's Fat Blaster Athletic Power Training System will give you your "lean and mean" athletic machine!

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

Bodyweight Power Workouts Improve Explosion

Bodyweight power workouts are great for improving your explosion. They also sculpt your body without your joints taking a pounding from lifting heavy weights!



To get your muscles to improve power (how fast your muscles can produce force), do some or all of the exercises full speed.

Getting stronger and stronger won't help you much if your power doesn't improve. Also, you will really burn fat when doing exercises at full speed!

Bodyweight workout circuits are a tried and true method to burn more fat, increase strength/endurance and improve heart health.

Do each exercise (10 repetitions) one after the other with little or no rest between exercises. Rest 2-3 minutes and do the circuit 2 more times. Here is a good bodyweight workout:

--Bodyweight squats, moderate pace
--Pullups, moderate pace
--Pushups on medicine ball, moderate pace
--Squat jumps (pictured above), full speed
--Back extensions, moderate pace
--2-Handed medicine ball chest pass, full speed

Use correct form and get after it!

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