Monday’s CrossFit Endurance time change
CrossFit Endurance on Mondays at 6:00pm will now be held at 6:30pm. Please take note that this change will take effect on Monday, August 6th.
CrossFit Endurance on Mondays at 6:00pm will now be held at 6:30pm. Please take note that this change will take effect on Monday, August 6th.
In the final post in this mini-series on how we’re striving to make Athletic Lab the best possible training center it can be, we’ll look at the actual training experience. In our first post in this series we looked at how our coaches are the most qualified in the area and are still striving to separate themselves from their peers through continuing education and certifications. In the second post we looked at the improvements we’ve made to our facility to ensure that even as our numbers grow, we’re able to offer an un-compromised training experience. While those two points are admirable, at the end of the day, what we’re ultimately trying to provide is the best possible training experience for our members. That’s why on this post, we’ll focus on how we’re ‘connecting the dots’ and making sure that our efforts are guided toward that end goal. Here’s some of the things we’ve done to ensure that this is being done:
We’re grateful to all our awesome members who make our job easy. We’ll continue to make Athletic Lab the premier training center in North Carolina to serve you better.
Good, better, best; never let it rest till your good is better and your better is best.
~Unknown Author
[This is a guest blog by one of our Athletic Interns, Jesse Wang, an Exercise Science student from the University of Oregon]
In order to perform at a high level, it is essential to train hard as well as recover from the training stress. The quicker you are able to recover from the workouts, the faster your progress will be. Inadequate recovery can lead to slow progress, overtraining, and/or injury. Active recovery, contrast showers, and self myofascial release can all increase the speed of recovery and lower the chance of injury.
Active recovery is low intensity exercise between high intensity training sessions. These workouts will increase capillary density and general fitness. An example of active recovery is when a sprinter does tempo running (ex. 15x100m at 70%) between his speed days. Other examples include medicine ball circuits, long warmups, or light weightlifting circuits. Since the intensity is low, it is recommended to keep the rest periods low as well.
Contrast showers increase the rate of recovery by improving blood circulation. The increased blood circulation will help increase the amount of nutrients to the muscles. One way to perform a contrast shower is having 3 minutes of hot water followed by 1 minute of cold water. Repeat this cycle three or four times.
Self myofascial release is more commonly known as foam rolling. Foam rolling can get the knots out of tight muscles. This will lead to increased mobility as well as a decreased chance of muscle tears. The IT band and lats are especially painful but it is important not to neglect painful areas. Foam rolling will hurt at first, but the pain will decrease as the tissue quality improves over time.
These activities can help you recover in between training sessions. Paying attention to recovery and will distance yourself from the competition. It can help increase your work capacity, fitness, and reduce the chance of injury.
In the first installment in this mini-series, we highlighted how our coaches have gotten even better over the past couple months. In this post we’ll look at what we’ve done to improve our facility.
We already had more strength and conditioning equipment than any other facility in the area but we went ahead and added more just to ensure we could offer the highest possible quality of training experience to our members as possible. Here are a couple of the additions:
We’re obsessed with providing the best possible training experience for our athletes. Our motto is “Training Without Compromise” and we strive to ensure our facility matches that ideal.
There was a time when we were the new kid on the block. That time has passed and we have moved in to the driver’s seat for sports performance training centers in all of NC. This summer has been great for Athletic Lab and in this mini-series, we want to highlight what we’re doing and what’s new at Athletic Lab so those who aren’t part of our Athletic Lab family can see what they’re missing out on. We’ll kick things off by taking a look at our coaches. In the past couple months, the best staff in town got even better. Not only did we double the size of our coaching staff in the last 5 months but our already qualified staff became even more so. Staff members Chris Hoina, Stephanie Shaw and Drake Webster, and intern Adam Whitehead, all earned their CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) from the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association). The CSCS is widely regarded as the gold-standard of the fitness, sport performance and strength and conditioning industries. With 6 staff holding this certification, Athletic Lab boasts more CSCS on staff than any competitor in NC. And since we’re not one to rest on our laurels, all coaches at Athletic Lab regularly participate in continuing education through writing, presenting, in-house seminars, and attending coaching clinics. Our competitors claim to have the most qualified staff but you can do the comparisons for yourself. By any metric (education, certification, athletes coached, etc) Athletic Lab wins by a mile:
We encourage you to do the comparison with our ‘competition’...you’ll quickly find that we don’t have any.
Mark on your calendars that CrossFit Advanced on Sunday, July 29th will be moved to Saturday, July 28th at 12:00pm due to Dr. Mike Young’s Soccer Fitness Clinic being held at 12:30pm on Sunday the 29th.
[This is a guest blog by one of our Athletic Interns, Jesse Wang, an Exercise Science student from the University of Oregon]
This blog is inspired by Athletic Lab client, Chase Rogers, who added 5kg (11lbs) to his all-time personal best on the power clean yesterday without doing anything other than improving his technique. Olympic weightlifting is a great way to build explosiveness but the lifts are technical. If done improperly, it will result in less weight being lifted and an increased risk of injury. This can cause strength coaches to eliminate Olympic weightlifting exercises completely from the program. My first exposure to Olympic weightlifting was through Glenn Pendlay. His learning progression was very easy to learn and it resulted in great form. There are several philosophies on how to teach the power clean and I’ve found this one to be quite useful.
The first position to learn in the power clean is the position where you begin your second pull. Stand up straight with the bar. Pull your shoulders back and keep the weight on your heels. Keep your arms long and straight. Make sure your head is facing forward and your chest is tall. Bend two inches at the knees without bending at the hips. Jump and catch the bar in a front squat position.
Once you have mastered step one, it is now time to go to step two. The second position is when the bar is right below the knee. You achieve that by going to step one, and bending at the hips until the bar is right below the knee. Make sure everything is the same as step one except the bar position. The weight should still be on the heels, back tight (shoulders back), straight arms, and head is still facing the crowd. Now move into step one, pause, and jump and catch.
The third and last step is when the bar is on the ground. This position is reached by bending the knees at step one, bending at the hips at step two, and bending at the knees again until the bar touches the ground. The weight should no longer be on your heels, it will shift forward to the ball of your foot. Make sure your back is still tight, arms long, and your head is still facing forward. Move into step two by pushing the knees back, pause, move into step one, pause, jump and catch.
After nailing those positions into your brain, it is now time to clean without pausing. If you are trying to do a full clean, make sure to do a front squat after receiving the weight. This is so you won’t be catching the bar with excessive distance with your feet.
Who: All soccer players and coaches!
What: Athletic Lab Soccer Fitness training clinic with Dr. Mike Young of the Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS)
When: Sunday, July 29th 12-3pm
Where: Athletic Lab - 1823 NW Maynard Rd, Cary, NC 27513
Cost: $50 for parents and coaches; $15 for athletes
Soccer fitness training tips from an MLS fitness coach! Learn how Athletic Lab co-owner and Vancouver Whitecaps fitness coach Dr. Mike Young has led the resurgent Whitecaps to become one of the fittest and fastest teams in the league. This 3 hour clinic will cover topics like:
Don’t miss out! Sign up today.
About Mike
Mike Young, PhD started Athletic Lab in 2008 and has been training elite level athletes for the past decade. He is widely recognized as one of the foremost sport performance coaches in the world. He was the fitness coach for the Carolina Railhawks during their 2 championship years (2010 & 2011) and has recently helped the Vancouver Whitecaps go from being the worst team in the MLS in 2011 to one of the best this season. He is a prolific author and researcher, having published multiple books, book chapters, research publications and websites. His site FitForFutbol.com has quickly become one of the top resources on the web for soccer fitness tips. He has presented over 1,000 hours on athletic development in 3 countries and consults with various national governing bodies (USA Speed Skating, Chinese Olympic Committee, USA Track & Field). Read Mike’s full bio HERE.
[This is a guest blog by one of our Athletic Interns, Adam Whitehead, an Exercise Science student from East Carolina University]
Some Facts:
Staying hydrated is key to keeping normal and balanced cellular function. When training or doing anything outside under extreme heat conditions, it is important to keep your hydration level high. The National Strength and Conditioning Association’s (NSCA) Essentials of Strength & Conditioning tells us that as little as a 2% loss of body weight from water can affect a lot of different physiological functions and lead to performance decrements. We all want to be able to perform our best given any type of condition. Even in times of extreme heat where sweat loss is going to be plentiful and dehydration is the enemy.
Possible Symptoms of Dehydration (source):
In addition to understanding the importance of keeping your hydration levels up, it is crucial to understand how dehydration can affect your body. Dehydration can cause the body to stop sweating. Sweating is a mechanism that your body does naturally in order to keep its temperature regulated. If you’re not sweating, it could lead to a body that over heats and in turn, might lead to a life threatening heat illness such as a heatstroke. In extreme heat, we sweat more in order to regulate our body’s temperature. When doing high intensity exercise like what you might do at Athletic Lab in extreme heat, you will be sweating even more and your body temp will shoot up. Therefore, it is crucial to get and stay hydrated well before your workout to avoid these symptoms caused by heat and dehydration so that you can maximize your workout.
Tips on staying hydrated from the NSCA:
[This is a guest blog by one of our Athletic Interns, Jesse Wang, an Exercise Science student from the University of Oregon]
Heat exhaustion is a heat related illness that may occur after being in high temperatures for several days without being properly hydrated. It is important to be aware of this condition in case there is another heat wave. Heat exhaustion comes in two forms: water depletion and salt depletion. This illness is not the same as a heat stroke, although if left untreated, it can progress into heat stroke. Fortunately, the symptoms are obvious and they are easy to treat and prevent.
Water depletion symptoms include thirst, weakness, headache and loss of consciousness. Dark colored urine is also an indicator of dehydration. Salt depletion symptoms include nausea and vomiting, frequent muscle cramps, and dizziness.
The first step to treat the symptoms of heat exhaustion is to remove the person from the heat. The best way to do this is by getting them into an air-conditioned building. It is recommended not to rehydrate with caffeinated and alcoholic drinks because they are diuretics. A diuretic increases the passing of urine which may dehydrate you further. An electrolyte rich sports drink can be helpful for replenishing fluids as well as the salts that have been excreted during perspiration.
Preventing the possibility of heat exhaustion is important when one is exposed to high temperatures for an extended time. Wearing light weight, and loose clothing can help prevent heat exhaustion. Use hats and umbrellas to shade yourself from the sun. It is also recommended to drink 24 ounces of water two hours before exercising in high temperatures. Sunscreen is also beneficial.
Heat exhaustion is an illness we should all be aware of due to its potential to progress into heat stroke. Staying hydrated and wearing appropriate attire for the hot summer can go a long way to preventing this potentially serious illness.