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Articles by Jimmy Pritchard
Don't Overlook These Body Parts In Your Training
We all know the stereotypical meathead with a massive upper body and an unimpressive lower physique, which we attribute to him/her avoiding leg day like the plague. While neglecting an entire part of your body is bad, so many of us assume we are getting everything when we are not, and typically just as guilty.
6 Popular Sport Technology Devices to Increase Athletic Performance
Technology and sports performance have become synonymous with one another over the past several decades. The primary function most of these technologies serve is to log or track raw data within training, and then aggregate it in a way that’s digestible for the end user to guide decision making.
Benefits of Isometric Training
When people think about strength training, they typically imagine large compound movements through extensive ranges of motion i.e., back squat, deadlifts, bench press, etc. Contrarily, what they typically don’t think of are isometric exercises, which I cannot fault them for. At the surface level, there doesn’t appear to be much to them, making them an underwhelming afterthought in the resistance training realm. The benefits, however, of isometric training are not only abundant but also unique.
Bear Crawls: How to Properly Perform and Integrate Them Into Your Program
Crawling is touted as a highly beneficial movement pattern included in numerous training programs which offer various performance-enhancing, rehabilitative, and corrective benefits. Not only does it tie together the vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (awareness), and ocular (visual) systems of the human body, but it can potentially improve hand-eye coordination and reflexive strength or one’s ability to anticipate movement. This is also sometimes referred to as motor control.
Executing and Implementing the Kettlebell Windmill Exercise Effectively
Among the vast array of movements one can perform with a Kettlebell, a personal favorite of mine is the kettlebell windmill. It is, however, frequently misunderstood and performed incorrectly by many. This is likely due to a lack of understanding about the purpose of the exercise as well as how to load it properly. Special attention to the details and technical nuances of this exercise is key to ensuring it can be implemented safely and effectively. What Is It?
How To Be A Successful Athlete
As a coach, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is helping athletes of all ages increase their athletic potential and reach goals through strength and conditioning. When an athlete or parent entrusts me with their training, it is something that I take very seriously. I know that no matter who walks through the door or when I am going to give them everything I’ve got. That being said, coaches like myself are only a small part of the equation for athletic success in the grand scheme.
Breathing for Lifting
Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of improving maximal strength or the ability to move significant loads is an optimal breathing technique. It may seem insignificant compared to other technical lifting nuances, however, it is the foundation that underpins all proper and safe movement patterns involving heavy loads.
How To Effectively Motivate Your Athletes
Motivation is anything but static, continuously coming and going. It is easy to obtain when things are going your way and ever so absent when things are not. As a coach, you are responsible for mustering not only your daily motivation but assisting your athletes with theirs as well. What makes this particularly difficult is that most individuals are motivated by different things and varying degrees.
Is Acute: Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR) Effective?
Training load and athletic injuries have long been synonymous, thus the number of studies aiming to quantify their precise relation has spiked in recent decades. One of the most popular metrics, and often considered the “gold standard”, over time has been what is known as the acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) (5).
How To Prevent Overtraining In Youth Athletes
The term, “Overtraining” frequently gets thrown around by parents, athletes, and coaches. Some individuals have a general understanding of what constitutes overtraining syndrome or what it may even look like, but few understand how to prevent it, particularly in youth athletes. It is commonly noted by long performance decrements, lasting longer than two months. Some instances can be seen through severe physiological, psychological, endocrinological, and immunologic issues.
Sports Scientist: Who Are They and What Do They Do?
“Sport Science” has traditionally been a catch-all term often used for anybody or anything that has to do with competitive sports and enhancing athletic ability. While this isn’t 100% incorrect, it far from captures the essence of what it truly is or the profession itself. In years past, Sports Scientists were often classified as those who served in academia, coached a particular sport, or somehow leveraged technology to better serve their athletes.
Hang Clean, Hang Power Clean, Power Clean, and Clean: What's the Difference?
Perhaps you’ve heard of or seen some derivate of the “clean” weightlifting movement where one powerfully yanks a loaded bar from a static position and catches it on the shelf that is their anterior shoulder/neck area. Sometimes they start from the ground, and other times they’re holding the bar from a standing position, but what’s most confusing to many is the different naming conventions often used for this particular movement.
Strength and Conditioning for Lacrosse - Part 2
In part 1 of this 2-part series, I provided insight into the rules, positions, and environment that is lacrosse as well as strength and conditioning methods one can implement to enhance overall performance. Part 2 details additionally important components of lacrosse (like nearly every field or court sport) including speed and change of direction.
How to Perform the Turkish Get-Up Properly
The Turkish Get Up (TGU) is perhaps one of the most unique movements one can perform due its paradoxically challenging yet simple characteristics. The exact origins of this movement aren’t universally known; however, many speculate that it dates back several decades or even centuries, popularized by wrestlers from what is now known as Turkey. To the naked eye, it is simply nothing more than getting up from a supine to a standing position while holding a weight over one’s head.
Progressions and Regressions of Exercises, Such as the Squat and Deadlift
A conversation I’ve had countless times with clients, both young and old, centers around exercise selection. More specifically, exercises they have either been instructed “not to do” or are simply fearful of for lack of experience/education. I must preface what you are about to read with the understanding that I am not a medical professional; therefore, please consult your provider(s) before taking any advice you read on the internet, including mine.
Mixed Martial Arts: Strength & Conditioning Plan
MMA (mixed martial arts) is a complicated, multifactorial sport that requires the fighter to possess the skills necessary to execute their desired game plan in defeating their opponent. In the cage, the fighter will have two primary opponents: the other fighter standing across from them and their own preparedness. This means that developing a robust level of metabolic conditioning, strength, power, and speed to complement skill is paramount to the success of an MMA fighter.
Considerations for Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Athletes
The Breakdown of BJJ The origins of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) span back to the early 20th when masters Helio and Carlos Gracie of Brazil were introduced to Judo by the talented practitioner Mitsuyo Maeda of Japan. The two would eventually adapt their newfound techniques to better suit the smaller, less athletic individual to beat the larger and stronger opponent. Today, BJJ plays a major role in the overall arsenal of many MMA fighters; however, it is a competitive sport itself too.
Attentional Focus for Resistance Training
Attentional focus and resistance training go hand in hand, particularly with heavily resisted compound movements. The mind-muscle connection was popularized during the 1970s and 1980s by professional bodybuilders such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Frank Zane. In their attempt to increase focus while training, they would literally visualize the contractile elements of their muscle fibers cross bridging as they performed a movement.
How to Train for Firefighter Academy
Firefighters are critical to the safety and well-being of our society. Without them, we would be in great danger daily which makes it a critical yet difficult occupation. The mental and physical demands can be quite strenuous; thus, one must be prepared to handle anything that the job brings. If one is seeking to become a firefighter, one must pass physical tests and successfully complete the fire academy.
The Ultimate High School Baseball Lifting Program
Baseball is a unique sport consisting of primarily low-intensity activity interspersed with sporadic bouts of quick high-intensity action over an extended period. There is a significant amount of skill involved and the demands vary tremendously amongst each position. An outfielder could conceivably play every game on the schedule, whereas a pitcher would be lucky to find their way on the roster every fourth or fifth game of the season.
Exercises For Skateboarders
Skateboarding and exercise have classically shared a relationship akin to oil and water. It isn’t easy to pinpoint exactly why, but in my own personal experience, it is rooted deep in the skate culture itself. Regardless of whether one prefers to call it a sport or not, it is an activity that requires immense technical capabilities and poses a serious risk for injury.
Should Child Athletes Lift Weights?
For decades, there has been debate over the appropriate age for youth to begin resistance training. The old wives’ tale that it will stunt a child’s growth, claims that it reduces flexibility, and even worse, can cause serious injury. Fortunately, the majority of these claims have been debunked by research. It has been shown that resistance training is extremely safe for children, particularly compared to other sporting activities.
What To Do When Your Athlete Needs A Break From Sports
The modern youth athlete is inundated with a busier lifestyle than ever before. They bounce from one sporting season right into the next with often little to no break at all. What used to be summer break has now turned into ‘non-mandatory mandatory workouts for coaches seeking to get a leg up on the competition in the coming year.
Strength and Conditioning For Lacrosse Part #1
Lacrosse is a competitive sport derived from the historical North American Indian game known as baggataway. The game requires two teams of multiple players using long-handled implements to catch, carry, and throw a small ball down the field into the opposing teams’ goal. Men’s and Women’s lacrosse vary slightly in that only Men’s lacrosse includes body checks, therefore requiring the players to wear helmets and pads.
How To Support Your Teen Through The Pressure of High School Sports
Most high school athletes playing sports are on the last stop of their athletic careers. Numbers do not lie. A small fraction of these athletes makes it to the collegiate level and even fewer play in the professional ranks. In theory, it should be a joyous time filled with exciting competition and everlasting memories, but it is riddled with immense pressure for some. The game’s speed gets faster, the competition gets tougher, and the crowds get larger.
4 Exercises for Elite Alpine Skiers
I’ve been lucky enough to work with winter sports athletes who train and compete at the highest level for the bulk of my career. Upon being employed to do so, the first discipline I was assigned to work with was Alpine Skiing. Although I was highly excited, I quickly realized that at that time, I had no prior experience working with athletes of this nature.
The In's & Out's of Box Jumps
Box jumps are a staple in most training programs these days and for a good reason. They can improve coordination, explosiveness, and the overall rate of force development in athletes. But just because somebody blindly tosses them into a program does not automatically improve said training components. The box jump is one of the most misused and inappropriately programmed movements in training programs. The Biggest Errors Athletes Make When Performing Box Jumps 1.
Why Agility Ladders are Overrated
Suppose you were to poke your head into any number of sports performance facilities across the world. In that case, chances are that you will find an agility ladder littered across the floor with athletes skipping, crossing, stepping, and shuffling their way through it. These agility or speed ladders are an extremely popular tool that coaches use to increase “speed, agility, or quickness” in their athletes. Unfortunately, the juice is not worth the squeeze.
The Different "Windows Of Opportunity" In Youth Sports
As humans, we all operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so long as we are lucky enough to be on this earth. In athletics, however, the same cannot be said as nothing is guaranteed. Some of us never even make the team, most never make it past high school, and only a handful of rare talents make it to the professional/elite level of competition. For this to occur, an immense amount of hard work, natural-born talent, and a little bit of luck must occur.
All Eyes On Quinn Ewers At 2021 Elite 11 Finals
T-minus five days until the kickoff of the 2021 Elite 11 Finals. Last year’s Elite 11 Finals took place at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tenn., and not Los Angeles, the usual home, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. But fear not, the camp for the most elite QB prospects in high school football that includes NFL alumni like Mac Jones, Trevor Lawrence, and Justin Fields, will return to Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach from June 30 to July 3.
9 Habits You Need to be a Good Sports Parent
Parents have this idealistic perception that winning dictates everything. Therefore, it causes you to push your child harder or be hard on them. And this will lead to bad parenting habits. You may think negativity improves resiliency and motivation. Well, it does not. This type of behavior takes a wrong turn for the worst. On the contrary, when your child learns to have fun, they will learn to play better and optimize their performance. Having fun does not mean you don’t take things seriously.
Include These Hydrating-Boosting Foods In Your Training
With the warm weather during spring and the upcoming summer months, it’s especially important for middle school, high school and college student-athletes to stay well-hydrated. Lost fluids from perspiration in humid and dry heated conditions from intense workouts and sports can easily cause dehydration – creating health-impairing issues such as low blood pressure, cramps, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches.
How Training Differs Between Children And Adults
Youth athletes are often the unlucky recipients of training programs tailored to adults, minus some ancillary details. In reality, kids deserve a much more specialized approach. A child is not just a small adult. We tailor nutrition, sleep, and education to meet the needs of our youth, so why not training too? Important Considerations Children may be stressed daily by classes, relationships, and pressure from a parent or coach that adults do not face.
Yes We Can Play - stack
“Mom, I want to play basketball,” I said as I watched the boys move up and down the court, dribbling around each other to get to the hoop. It was 1973, and I was seven. My mom peered at me through the bottom of her glasses and explained, “They don’t have basketball for girls your age, Sonya.” I narrowed my eyes and huffed. She gave me an exaggerated wink and said, “That doesn’t mean you can’t play.” Not long after, my dad installed a basketball hoop in our driveway.
What is Overtraining Syndrome?
During last week’s U.S. Olympic Trials, four-time Olympic medalist Simone Manuel shared she’d been diagnosed with Overtraining Syndrome (OTS) around March, which required a three-week break from swimming in April. Manuel spoke to the press about her struggle with OTS and with her mental health after she failed to qualify for women’s 100 freestyle at the Olympics, the same event in which Manuel won 2016 Olympic gold in Rio de Janeiro.
The Different
Read More >> As humans, we all operate twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, so long as we are lucky enough to be on this earth. In athletics, however, the same cannot be said as nothing is guaranteed. Some of us never even make the team, most never make it past high school, and only a handful of rare talents make it to the professional/elite level of competition. For this to occur, an immense amount of hard work, natural-born talent, and a little bit of luck must occur.
Your Talent Is Nowhere Near As Important As Your Character
Read More >> Being born with raw athletic talent is quite literally a gift from the heavens. It can propel an athlete to the highest levels of competitive sport and afford them the opportunities of a lifetime. It is unimaginable that anyone who possesses such skill would not be successful, but unfortunately, it happens all the time. Talent is only one piece to the puzzle of athletic success, albeit a rather large one. Still, one's character is arguably just as important.
Young Athletes Do This For Success
Read More >> As a coach, one of the most rewarding aspects of my job is helping athletes of all ages increase their athletic potential and reach goals through strength and conditioning. When an athlete or parent entrusts me with their training, it is something that I take very seriously. I know that no matter who walks through the door or when I am going to give them everything I've got.
Myths About Nutrition For Muscle Gain
Read More >> Young athletes, particularly males, at the middle and high school levels often seek answers for how to pack on serious size in the shortest amount of time humanly possible. While there may be various explanations for this, some more reasonable than others, these young individuals are often misinformed about what a few extra pounds of muscle does to one's athletic performance.
The Importance Of Training Age
Read More >> Most people associate the word 'age' with a number that refers to one's biological maturity or length of time on Earth. As our age increases, so too do our experiences in life and hopefully our wisdom along with it. While this is an elementary number to determine, another type of age exists that's a bit more complex. The age I'm referring to specifically is what's known as 'training age.' What Is Training Age?
How To Avoid Coach Burnout
Read More >> 'Coach burnout' is an issue that is non-discriminatory, plaguing even the best of coaches from time to time. It can take weeks, months, or even years to manifest, but when work overrides living in the delicate dance we call 'work-life balance, ' burnout starts. A universal definition of 'coach burnout' ceases to exist.
How To Effectively Motivate Your Athletes
Motivation is anything but static, continuously coming and going. It is easy to obtain when things are going your way and ever so absent when things are not. As a coach, you are responsible for mustering not only your daily motivation but assisting your athletes with theirs as well. What makes this particularly difficult is that most individuals are motivated by different things and varying degrees.
What We've Learned About Youth and High School Sports Durning the Pandemic
We've learned a lot through this pandemic and have only scratched the surface on what we'll take away from this. From a high school athletics standpoint, we've seen things take place that we never thought would be imaginable. Seasons were shortened or canceled, and crowds were often not permitted to watch. Traditions that have been around for over a century (think Michigan versus Ohio State football) were left behind this year due to the most unfortunate of circumstances.
Finding Balance In The New Year
"Balance" is an interesting word. Google defines it as "noun. A state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight, amount, etc. something used to produce equilibrium; counterpoise, mental steadiness or emotional stability; habit of calm behavior, judgment, etc." As humans, we strive for something but often fall well short of due to the tug of war with our daily lives. However, during the New Year, we put it all aside for get-togethers, gifts, gatherings, carols, and cocoa.
How To Prevent Overtraining In Youth Athletes
Read More >> The term, "Overtraining" frequently gets thrown around by parents, athletes, and coaches. Some individuals have a general understanding of what constitutes overtraining syndrome or what it may even look like, but few understand how to prevent it, particularly in youth athletes. It is commonly noted by long performance decrements, lasting longer than two months. Some instances can be seen through severe physiological, psychological, endocrinological, and immunologic issues.
Healthy Habits for Kids in the New Year
Read More >> Health is the culmination of physical, mental, and social wellbeing, influenced by our daily habits and interactions with others. It is no surprise that we develop a number of these habits and behaviors from a very young age, which can carry implications for the remainder of our lives. Children are malleable beings, therefore ensuring that we do right by them as parents, teachers, and coaches to encourage healthy habits and behaviors from the jump is of utmost importance.
What Wrong With the Burpee?
Read More >> The 'burpee' is perhaps one of the most popular exercises used in training programs and group fitness settings alike.
3 Tips For Increasing Your Deadlift 1 Rep Max
Performing a properly executed deadlift is beneficial for numerous reasons. However, increasing strength in the movement overtime should be every trainee's primary goal. To build strength in the deadlift, progressive overload and proper loading schemes are necessary. When these variables are paid attention to, accessory movements can further assist strength development. Before adding additional movements, address technical proficiency and training volume must first.
The Great Footwear Debate
Read More >> Selecting appropriate footwear for athletic and recreational activities can be difficult due to the array of options we have available today. Couple that with contradictory research or claims made by shoe versus barefoot and "minimalist shoe" advocates, and it is easy to see why so much confusion exists. Do shoes help or hinder our performance and health? Are some shoes better than others? Were humans ever meant to wear shoes in the first place?
Why Rest Days Are Critical For Proper Recovery
Read More >> Most of us are aware that beating ourselves into a pulp day after day in the gym without rest eventually results in performance decline, overtraining, or even worse, injury. Despite this being common sense, there are still many individuals who neglect to do so. The "more is always better" mantra plagues individuals who would certainly benefit from "working smarter, not harder" instead.
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