Matt Hank » Strength Training

Different types of strength coaches

Matt Hank — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 19:49:37 +0000

A lot of strength coaches and personal trainers try to come up with intense strength training and conditioning/metabolic programs. Many strength coaches become well-known because of their crazy methods in the weight room or on the field. However, it is a lot easier to put together an intense program than to put together a complete and comprehensive program. For example, just put together a list of exercises that you know will elevate your heart and make you want to throw up. Now devise a plan where you can use these different exercises in some type of sequence. There you go, now you have a crazy hardcore training program. The only thing that is missing is some yelling and screaming at athletes while they try to perform this intense circuit.

Now try to evaluate the needs of your athletes – strength, power, fitness, movement patterns, stability, mobility, and change of direction just to name a few important qualities. Then put together a comprehensive year round program that address all the weaknesses or dysfunctions while at the same time pushing your athletes beyond their current capabilities. You will have to take into account different training phases and methodologies to ensure progress without overtraining your athletes. This is a completely different type of coach then the one previously mentioned in the first paragraph.

Coaches, athletes and parents make sure to choose the right coach.

Train Hard – Train Smart
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Pierce Women’s Volleyball Training Session

Matt Hank — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:52:02 +0000

Check out a training sessions with the women’s volleyball team at Pierce College. They are getting ready for the upcoming fall season by out working all other JC volleyball programs in the weight room and on the court.

I use the workout tracks by Workout Muse – make sure to check them out.

Train Hard – Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com

Workout Muse

Matt Hank — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 04:07:36 +0000

To spice up workouts with my teams I have introduced high intensity circuits to the beat of Workout Muse. It’s great to have a cadence during metabolic training in the weight room. I used this music during parts of the football metabolic circuit. Also, I will be posting a volleyball metabolic circuit shortly and used one of these sound tracks to guide the workout. Check it out.

Train Hard – Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com

Bicep Curls…

Matt Hank — Wed, 26 May 2010 23:25:54 +0000

I went to LA Fitness this morning with the intention of doing front squats. When I got to the weight room I realized that all 3 half squat racks were being used by meat-heads doing bicep curls. Are you kidding?! You really need to take up an entire squat rack to do bicep curls with an Olympic Bar. I was trying to get some real work in while these pathetic individuals would do a set of bicep curls, rest 3 or 4 minutes and then do another set. The funny thing is I would bet these guys go to the gym and only do biceps the entire workout. What a waste of time and energy…

This should be outlawed at the gym.

Train Hard – Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com

Pierce Football Test Week

Matt Hank — Fri, 21 May 2010 19:41:40 +0000

The semester is coming to an end here at Pierce. Therefore, it was time to retest the football team. Results after 6 weeks since the pretesting took place:

Average increase per player – Back Squat: 48 pounds

Average increase per player – Bench Press: 19 pounds

Average increase per player – Clean: 10 pounds

I was very impressed with the squat results. We really worked on lower body strength with squats – bilateral, split stance and unilateral squats. I personally do not put much merit on the bench press, but it was nice to see about a 20 pounds increase across the board. I thought for sure we would have more successful results for the clean. It is a very technical lift and what we saw was a huge increase with athletes who had very little experience performing this lift before. At the same time, many of the athletes who have been performing the clean for many years (through high school) had very little improvement. This could be do to a few different factors: taught incorrectly how to clean in the first place (many times this is true when high school football coaches are not trained and educated to teach Olympic lifts), athletes did not take the first 4-5 weeks of the semester serious when we only performed skill transfer complexes (jump shrugs, RDLs, front squats, light weight/bar only Olympic movements), and finally it could be my fault because of program design or coaching effectiveness. Either way this will improve with the next group of incoming freshmen.

Train Hard-Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com

Pierce Action Pictures

Matt Hank — Sun, 16 May 2010 04:23:41 +0000

Check out a few action shots at Pierce College.

Every program at Pierce College is designed with these training principles in mind (Training philosophies I and Training philosophies II). Every program is 3-6 weeks in length – depending on the training goal and phase of the program.

Train Hard-Train Smart

Training Circuit

Matt Hank — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 05:26:53 +0000

Here is a quick clip of a Friday “Fun” Day circuit with a few football players at Pierce College.

Train Hard-Train Smart
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Barefoot Running – Follow Up

Matt Hank — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 19:08:20 +0000

A few things I have noticed since training with the Vibram Five Fingers for about a week and a half during workouts (strength training and running):

After my workouts my feet feel like they actually participated in the workout. I have been working out for a long time and have never had that same feeling after workouts (unless training barefoot in the sand). It’s a weird feeling for your feet and lower leg to be just as a sore as your hamstrings and glutes.
- The foot is free to move through the full range of motion and activate muscles during athletic movements.
During jogging, running and sprinting I feel more aware of what part of foot is striking the ground and where in space (under or in front my center of gravity).
- Increased proprioception is a major benefit to barefoot training.
I have seen an increase in proprioception carry over even when I am wearing regular athletic shoes.
- Training barefoot has a transfer to athletic performance in court shoes, cleats, and turfs.
There is a feeling of being more connected to the ground when doing strength training exercises such as deadlifts. Athletic shoes with all the fancy cushing and arch support limit the feeling of gripping the ground with your feet. We know grip strength during exercises is important for activation of the shoulder musculature. The same is true for the foot and leg. If the foot is activated and gripping the ground the signal will be sent through the rest of the muscles in the leg.
- Barefoot training can enhance strength performance.

Train Hard – Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com

Pierce College

Matt Hank — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 04:32:23 +0000

Here are a few photos of my new training ground.

Train Hard – Train Smart

Recovery Between Strength Sessions

Matt Hank — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:08:44 +0000

Adaptation doesn’t take place during a training session, it is during the recovery. Knowing this, is makes sense to plan your workout routine with hard days (higher intensity) and follow those up with easier days (lighter intensity). It seems like some people feel they need to go at it hard every time they train. This can lead to over-training and decreases in performance in the weigh room or on the field/court. Here is an example I use with college athletes during a typical week of training:

Day 1
Medium Intensity

Day 2
High Intensity

Day 3
Low Intensity

Day 4
Medium Intensity

Train Hard – Train Smart
www.asap-pt.com