Athletic Lab

Athletic Lab is proud to announce our first USA Weightlifting Level 2 certification course and our third USA Weightlifting Level 1 certification course. Coach Harvey Newton, 1984 USA Olympic Weightlifting Team head coach, will be instructing the Level 1 and Level 2 courses.

Coaches can register for the LEVEL 1 course here: REGISTER

Coaches can register for the LEVEL 2 course here: REGISTER

Level 1 Course Information:

Successful completion of this comprehensive introductory course will result in a Level 1 Sport Performance Coach Certification.

Course Location: 
Athletic Lab
1823 North West Maynard Rd.
Cary, NC 27513

Date: April 13th-14th, 2013

Coordinator: Chris Garrett - 919-475-8777 - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Instructor: Harvey Newton - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Hotel Accommodations: http://bit.ly/usawlevel1 (the special room rate has already been applied) If you are calling, please mention the USAW course at Athletic Lab.

Course Itinerary:

Registration fee is $495.00 and includes the following:

• Course registration and materials
• One (1) year of USA Weightlifting membership

Note:  Travel, hotel and meals are not included in registration fee.

Upon successful passing of the course, the attendee will receive the following:

• One (1) year of Level 1 certification
• Level 1 Certified polo shirt.

Please note the following critical information:

• You must be present for the entire course and exam in order to be eligible for certification.
• The registration deadline is 5 business days prior to the course; no late registrations allowed.
• Pre-registration is required for all courses.  No walk-ins allowed.
• In the event a course is cancelled, USA Weightlifting is not responsible for pre-paid hotel, travel or other costs incurred by registrants.
• To maintain certification, annual USA Weightlifting membership renewal, submission of completed recertification test and payment of renewal/recertification fee are required.
• Courses may be closed at any time prior to the deadline without notice. Please do not make travel arrangements before registering for the course.
• For questions about a specific course, contact the course coordinator.
• If you are not a current member, a membership will automatically be created for you. Your membership start date will be the first day of the course.
• If you are a current member, your membership will be prorated to include the 1 year membership paid for in the course fee upon completion of the course.
• Certificates are not mailed after completion of the course. Once the course is processed, you will receive an email with your score and instructions to log on to your membership account to print your membership card and coaching certificate. You can expect your information 4-6 weeks following the course.
• The NSCA gives 1.2 Continuing Education Units for NSCA members who take this course.

Level 2 Course Information:

Successful completion of this comprehensive introductory course will result in a Level 2 Senior Weightlifting Coach Certification

Course Location:
Athletic Lab
1823 North West Maynard Rd.
Cary, NC 27513

Date: December 14th-16th, 2012

Coordinator: Chris Garrett - 919-475-8777 - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Instructor: Harvey Newton - .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Hotel Accommodations: http://bit.ly/usawlevel2 (the special room rate has already been applied) If you are calling, please mention the USAW course at Athletic Lab.

Level 2 Registration Fee: $495.00

Course Description:

The Level 2 Senior Coach Course is the second formalized education course within USA Weightlifting’s Coaching Education curriculum. The course accommodates the needs of coaches who have already qualified as Level 1 Weightlifting Coach (Club Coach) and is generally scheduled over four consecutive days or two 2-day segments.

The aim of this course is geared toward the developing Level 1 Weightlifting Coach graduate who has progressed beyond coaching beginners. The course offers an expanding education for coaches, introducing many Sports Science elements. Instructors will provide candidates with a body of knowledge and practical expertise so that they can develop their lifters from Club standard to National standard and beyond. More emphasis is on programming of training and preparing athletes to compete on the international platform. A more comprehensive biomechanics chapter is included and a number of new topics are introduced such as anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, strength and power principles and general physical preparation.

Prerequisites to taking the course:

• Level 1 Weightlifting Coach or Level 1 Sport Performance Coach certification
• Current USAW membership and certification at the time of the course

*Candidates seeking promotion to Level 2 Coach status can attend and pass the course if they have not fulfilled the athlete requirements listed below. However, they are given a two (2) year period to complete these requirements. Only then will the Level 2 Coach certification be awarded.

USAW Level 2 Senior Coach Certification is contingent on the following:

• Successful completion of the Level 2 Senior Coach Course
• Receive a passing score on the Level 2 Senior Coach Course Test and the LWC Referee Test
• Provide proof of current (accredited) CPR certification (USAW is not responsible for applicable fees) Certification accepted from the American Red Cross, the American Heart Association, and the National Safety Council.
• Pass a background check(USAW is not responsible for applicable fees)
• You must coach at least
• Four (4) individual USAW-registered athletes at the National School Age Weightlifting Championships OR
• Two (2) individual USAW-registered athletes at any of the following:
• the National Junior Weightlifting Championships
• National Collegiate Weightlifting Championships
• American Open Weightlifting Championships
• National Weightlifting Championships
• The athletes you coach must have you listed as their coach on their respective USAW membership accounts.
• Active, continued USAW membership and certification at the current level.

Please note the following critical information:

• You MUST be present for the ENTIRE course and exam in order to be eligible for certification.
• The deadline to register for any course is 5 business days prior to the beginning of the course.
• In the event a course is cancelled, USA Weightlifting is not responsible for any hotel, travel or other costs incurred by people who have registered for that course.
• To maintain certification, annual USA Weightlifting membership renewal and bi-annual background checks are required.

[This post is written by John Grace, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

Do you want an increase in grip strength? Be able to pull more weight in the Snatch and Clean? Then get used to the hook grip, plain and simple. This grip is mainly used for the Snatch and Clean & Jerk and is the most common grip used among many Olympic weightlifters. 

To set the hook grip up correctly, wrap your thumb under the bar, then take your other four fingers and wrap them over the bar. Your index and middle finger (depending on hand size) should be over your thumb. This grip creates a tight lock on the bar that the traditional grip (thumb over your index and middle finger) can not give you. This grip takes weeks to get comfortable with. Stick with it though and you will become accustomed to the grip and it will begin to feel just like your old grip.

If you want to make a transition from the traditional grip to a hook grip, use it often. Any snatch, clean, or derivative (i.e. clean pull) should be performed with the hook grip. Using the hook grip every chance you have will help speed up the familiarization process. During this process, your thumbs will take a beating because they are not accustomed to being positioned directly on the bar. One way to deter some of the pounding your thumbs will take in this process is to use athletic tape wrapped above and below the thumb knuckle.

When using the hook grip, there may be some minor adjusting you will have to do in technique. As you receive the bar in a Clean, you want to make sure you release the hook grip for safety reasons. Although, in the Snatch, I have heard the question “Should you keep the hook grip or do you release the hook grip?” Do whatever feels natural. If the thumbs want to stay in a hook grip position, let them. If they pop out over the fingers, let them. Don’t over-think it, just allow this to happen.

We will be changing the class times of the Monday and Thursday CrossFit Endurance due to darkness. Starting October 1st the CrossFit Endurance classes will be held at 5:30pm. All current RSVPs from October 1st to November 1st will be transferred to the new class times.

With an increase in popularity of our Olympic Weightlifting (OWL) classes, we have made changes in our schedule to accommodate the demand. We will be updating our schedule in the upcoming weeks. Please take note of the following changes to our Performance Fitness/CF classes and Olympic Weightlifting classes:

Olympic Weightlifting:

• An additional OWL class will be offered on Saturdays at 12:30pm starting September 15th.
• OWL will return to 7pm on Thursdays starting September 20th.
• All members with a CF / Performance Fitness membership can attend OWL sessions at no additional fee as long as they have instructor approval.
• The cost for an OWL only membership will increase slightly to $99.95 / month.
• You no longer have to be a member of the USAW Athletic Lab Olympic Weightlifting club to participate in this class but people who are members will have reserved spots as they are attempting to compete for the club.

CF / Performance Fitness:

• Thursday, September 20th, the 7pm class will be dropped in place of an Olympic Weightlifting class.
• October 1st, 6am, 11am, and 7pm classes will be capped at 16 per class.
• Pending instructor approval, CF / Performance Fitness members can now attend any OWL sessions at no additional fee.

Open Gym:

• We have added open gym time slots at 8-9am M-F and 12-1pm M-F; Sun at 12:30pm. As before, members must ‘test-in’ to be able to take advantage of the open gym slots.

If you have RSVP’d for October 1st classes and beyond, please note that you will have to re-sign up for those classes with the adjusted times. 

We’re happy to announce some pricing changes at Athletic Lab that we feel will reward those ‘putting in the work’ to get better. We have always been the best value (benefit / cost) in the Triangle for sport performance training and as our competitors have increased their costs we’re actually offering an opportunity to lower the costs of our members.

We’ve set up a tiered pricing schedule that will allow those members who commit to longer terms to actually SAVE money. We haven’t increased our prices in 3 years despite upgrades to the facility, equipment, and coaching staff and we feel that this will allow us to reward our most committed members while allowing us to continue to invest in having the most educated staff and uncompromising facility in the area. These changes apply for any NEW (or non-current) member. Any existing member as of Sept 9, 2012 will be grandfathered in to their existing membership pricing unless they would like to take advantage of the savings that a longer term commitment provides. Our new membership options for the CF / Performance Fitness Class are as follows:

Unlimited Attendance:

• $139.95 per month with 12 month commitment
• $149.95 per month with 6 month commitment
• $159.95 per month with 3 month commitment
• $169.95 per month with no longer term commitment

2x / Week Attendance:
Unlimited Attendance:

• $111.95 per month with 12 month commitment
• $119.95 per month with 6 month commitment
• $127.95 per month with 3 month commitment
• $135.95 per month with no longer term commitment

If you have any questions, or would like to convert to a cost-saving longer term commitment, please contact one of our staff.

[This post is written by John Grace, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

Inflammation is the body’s automatic response to start repairing what’s damaged. If we did not have the inflammatory process, our body would have a hard time repairing itself.  When there is swelling, deoxiginated blood and waste product are being pooled. These waste products have to be cleared from the area.  In my last post, I discussed how the lymphatic system plays a major role in removing waste and deoxiginated blood. 

As soon as inflammation occurs, it can be very uncomfortable due to pressure build up that is generally associated with strength training. When this happens, many people revert to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen. Although, this may take away the pain, it does not get to the root of the problem; congestion and build up. This poses the sixty-four thousand dollar question:

Will taking anti-inflammatory drugs decongest the area? 

No, anti-inflammatory drugs may take away pain, but it also prevents the body’s natural signal to solve the problem.  One of the most efficient ways for waste to leave is through the lymphatic system. Also, as muscle activation (i.e. walking, jogging, weighted exercise, etc.) increases, the efficiency of the lymphatic system to rid deoxiginated blood from the area increases.  When you take NSAIDs, you are just masking the problem.  There is still waste buildup that has not been cleared out of the area.  When this pressure from the waste builds up, the inflammatory response repeats itself… Congestion begets congestion. 

There are many people, if for sitting for long periods of time, will experience ankle swelling or swelling of the feet. This is mainly because muscle activation has severely dropped off. Do people immediately pop an ibuprofen to reduce swelling? No, you get up and walk around! Muscle activation is extremely important to help the inflammation process and to speed up recovery.

Just remember one thing: There can be inflammation without healing, but there cannot be healing without inflammation.

[This post is written by Drake Webster, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

Are you training harder than ever but getting slower and weaker? Maybe it’s time you looked at a very important concept when it comes to training. This concept is overtraining and could potentially be a serious problem when it comes to performance and your adaptation to training. If you do not let the body adapt to the training stimulus, then the training is not aiding in performance but actually hindering it.

Overtraining is caused by too great of a training load without enough recovery and can be influenced by other training and non-training stressors (Fry, Morton, and Keast 32-65).Overtraining can be achieved through unplanned training programs, insufficient rest between exercise, or too much of a training stimulus for a detrained individual. If you run a tight program and the training is in order, it is important to be aware of the non-training stressors that might also push you in to a state of overtraining:

• Stress
• Insufficient or poor quality sleep (varies between athletes)
• Poor diet
• Dehydration

Knowing what overtraining is and how it happens can be very important to a coach, but it is even more important to know how to identify it. When overtraining occurs, the athlete most likely won’t know it and they won’t have a sign around their neck to display overtraining either. Understanding the signs of overtraining is vital:

• Ventilatory and cardiac efficiency
• Suppression of the immune system
• Indicators of muscle damage
• Depressed muscle glycogen reserves
• A depressed psychological profile
• Poor performance in sport specific tests (Fry, Morton, and Keast 32-65)

As coaches we need to be aware of outside non-training stressors and also be aware of the signs of overtraining so we can step in and not let the silent killer of high athletic performance affect our athletes.

Reference
Fry, RW, AR Morton, and D Keast. “Overtraining in athletes. An update..” Sports Medicine(Auckland,N.Z.). 12.1 (1991): 32-65. Print.