Name: Will
Team_Member: Chris Romanow

 

Question: Hey Chris,

This is Will, you train my brother Wade.  I know my mom already told you about my bet, but i definitely need a couple of exercises to get more definition, especially in my bottom two abs.  Thanks.

 

Answer: 

Hey Will,

 

There are no special ab exercises I can give you that will make your lower abs more defined.  Your abs are just like all the other muscles in the body, the lower your body fat the more defined the muscle will be.  Doing thousands of ab exercises/reps will only increase the muscular endurance of those muscles, not make them more defined.  Similarly, loading the abs (i.e. heavy squats, weighted ab exercises, heavy GM’s etc.) but keeping the volume (reps) low will make them stronger, but not more defined.   

 

I recognize you are a college student, and I’m very familiar with the typical collegiate diet.  The best I advise I can give you would be to slowly step away from the keg and take the Papa Johns off of speed dial.  If you clean-up the diet a bit, you’ll be grating cheese on your abs in no time!  Good luck on that bet; I hope you don’t have to shave your stems haha!

 

We all have 6 packs, but most of us prefer to keep them hidden…..

 

Coach Romo

Name: nass
Team_Member: All Team Members
Question: i want to ask you how about athlete performance between man and women?

Answer:
Nass,
If you are asking about performance differences between men and women of a similar training level, there is going to be a difference – always. For example, a highly trained male athlete can be expected to squat at least 2x body weight, while a highly trained female athlete can be expected to squat 1.5x body weight or more. Testosterone is the main difference between males and females and accounts for varying expectations.

Both males and females can be pushed equally as hard, train with the same intensity, frequency, and volume, and be given the same recovery time.

Sarah Walls

Name: C-Dizz
Team_Member: All Team Members
Question: I have to start getting my fitness level up for wrestling... lots of running. I'm one of the fastest guys on the team for sprints, but coach makes us run distance to get in shape and it's SO hard. I hate it. If I'm fast for sprints, why do I always finish behind everyone else on the distance junks?

Answer:
C-Dizz,

The answer to your question is rooted in some pretty complex physiological processes. Basically, to maximize the potential for success on the mat a wrestler needs to be as fast twitch (IIX) dominate as possible. These are the muscle fibers responsible for great displays of strength, power, speed, and reaction. Now, when you go for an endurance run your body begins to shift towards slow twitch (type I) fibers. In fact, IIX fibers contract at roughly 10x the speed that type I contracts (Siff).

The idea of doing mass amounts of endurance cardio to build an aerobic base is antiquated. There are lots of other options to ensure you are aerobically and anaerobically fit for a match.

I actually polled a few Division 1 strength/conditioning coaches on this issue last year to see what happens outside of the university I work with, here are two of the responses I received:

From the University of Buffalo: “…Funny you asked this question, b/c we just had this conversation with our wrestling coaches.  They were all about these long distance runs and once we finally explained it to them in a way they could understand, it clicked!
 
Here’s how we explained it.  You know how wrestlers get “heavy leg” syndrome?  Well, that’s due to lactic acid build-up.  The more that they are trained at lactate threshold, the better their bodies will get at getting rid of and recycling the lactic acid.  Running long distance is aerobic.  It won’t help them at all when they are in the third period and their muscles are “heavy” or filled with lactic acid.  Some longer recovery runs are beneficial on days in between hard workouts or hard practices.  We typically do a “2 minute/ 3 minute routine”.  Two minutes of running (either done on a football field where they have to make a certain number of yards or on a treadmill at a certain speed…. Heavy weights and light weights are different, of course), then 3 minutes of recovery (walking).  This is the longest running we will do with almost any of our athletes.  They do need to have some aerobic training, but not 5 miles straight, know what I mean?  Most of our training is done in shorter intervals (30-60 seconds).

From James Madison University: “LSD [long slow distance] for wrestlers depends on why they're doing it.  For performance gains it's worthless, it's like having your sprinters do it for greater speed improvement.  But, for improved aerobic capacity to aid in match recovery it has a small place, and I think there are much better ways to improve this capacity rather than going on long slow runs or staying on a bike for a long time, so I would say on occasion it may be okay but not as a regular activity.  Last, and probably the one most wrestlers use as their excuse for wanting to do LSD is for weight loss, cutting weight.
There are a lot of variables to this debate, LSD or no LSD?
LSD has been proven to cause:
Decrease in strength and power
Decrease in anaerobic power
Decrease in muscle mass
Last time I checked wrestling relies pretty heavily on all three of those, and a decrease in them will ultimately cause a decrease in match performance.
I prefer the Tabata method of HIIT (high intensity interval training) and this is what we had our wrestlers doing.  But, there where always those guys that went on the LSD runs to cut weight.
 
I hope that helps to explain it.  Once we explained it in terms that the coaches could understand (they understood “heavy leg syndrome” not lactic acid build-up), then it made sense to them and they were more open to changes.”

C-Dizz, I hope this helps explain why you feel the way you do. Hit me up with more questions if you need suggestions on how to EFFECTIVELY prep yourself.

Save the long runs for cutting weight, but only after you’re so exhausted from doing every sprint, jump, and circuit you can think of and you still need to cut a little bit more…

It’s all about prioritizing.

Sarah Walls

Name: HutchyBear

Team_Member: All Team Members

Question: Soooooooo..... I have this great question for you guys.... Why do the boys from W&L bench with wood under the bar??

 

Answer:

 

Hey there HutchyBear:

 

We’re glad you made it to “Sleeveless Wednesday” last night; everyone was quite impressed with the .50 cals you were sporting last night!

 

This wood you speak of is actually referred to as a board press.  W&L Baseball was working off of a 1-board last night; however, we also use 2-boards, 3-boards, and 4-boards in our training.  The low boards (1-2) work the lower end of the bench press range of motion (ROM) while high boards (3-4) work the middle to upper end of the bench press ROM.  The boards allow the athlete to overload (use more weight or load) through these portions of the lift. 

 

When performing a board-press, the barbell should be lowered at a controlled speed to the board; the athlete allows for a brief pause on the board and then drives the weight back up.  The result; the athlete becomes more confident with heavier weight in their hands, they learn to recruit more muscle fiber (especially in the triceps), and in the end they become STRONGER and more POWERFUL.

 

Thanks for the question Hutchy?

 

An SAPT athlete trains HARD,

 

Coach Romo

Name: Jimmy

Team_Member: All Team Members

Question:

"My son plays high school varsity football and after a game he is body is beat to a pulp; swelling, bruises, stiffness, the whole nine yards.  He normally gets home around midnight depending where the game is played. The next day, his coach makes the entire team arrive at 7:00 AM for an intense, max-effort type lift.  His rational, “it helps remove excess lactates from their bodies.”  Is this really beneficial to have the team lift max weights after a tough game, and how much sleep should a teenager get to aid in bodily repair?

 

 

Answer:

Hi Jimmy,

 

I do not endorse this coach’s approach to recovery.  Realize that the game itself is equally, if not more taxing on the body’s energy systems as a max-effort type lift.  Literally, your son engages in numerous max-effort movements, sprints, lifts during a football game; throwing 500 lbs on your sons back the following day probably isn’t what his body needs. 

 

The SAPT post competition prescription is as follows:

 

-A thorough 25-30 minute dynamic warm-up.  See my previous post for explanation of a dynamic warm-up.  This would usher increased blood flow to the joints and muscles, and act as a flushing off the excess lactates.

 

-A 25-30 minute full body, low intensity type lift would follow the dynamic warm-up.  Again, the focus of the lift is to bring blood to the muscles and joints to speed up the recovery process.  The training session would be moderate in volume and include almost entirely body weight calisthenics; absolutely no spinal loading.

 

-Tempo sprints would follow the lift; keep the blood pumpin’!

 

-The team would then static stretch followed by an agonizing foam roll session.  The foam roller is fantastic recovery tool; every weight room should have one. 

 

-EAT!!!!!!!!  You need to bring nutrients to the muscles.

 

In regards to sleep, every human regardless of age should strive for 8 hours of sleep.  For a teenager whose hormones are raging, body is growing, and just spent his entire Friday night throwing his body around a football field, 8+  hours is the way to go.

 

What’s the foam roller?

Coach Romo

Name: Mr. Clark

Team_Member: All Team Members

Question: At what age is it is safe for youth athletes to begin strength training?

 

Answer:
Hello Mr. Clark:

 

At SAPT, no athlete, especially those under the age of 15, are allowed to perform exercises that load the spine (i.e. heavy barbell squats etc.).  Their joints are too unstable to even consider putting significant amounts of load on the back. At SAPT we’ve seen tremendous results using training tools such as sandbags, kettlebells, jump-stretch bands, tires, ropes, towels, sledge hammers, sleds, and body weight calisthenics.  These tools provide adequate amounts of external resistance to supplement a barbell load while allowing the athlete to learn and execute the movement properly with minimal risk of injury.  It isn’t until we see dramatic increases in joint stability and proficiency in executing proper technique of certain movements that we consider an athlete for powerrack exercises.  After undergoing this SAPT progression, our athletes transition to barbell power or Olympic lifts without a hitch.

 

Sledge swings are fun…

 

Coach Romo

Name: Nafie Nafie
Team_Member: Sarah Walls
Question: Hello Coach Walls, My question is:
I've heard much ado about vegetarian diets as an alternate and healthy lifestyle, is there truth to this?

Answer: Mr. Nafie O.,
Thank you for your question. There is truth to this – BUT the misconception associated with meat is that it is unhealthy (cholesterol, saturated fats, etc). This often leads people to eat like giraffes. The problem with vegetarian diets is the lack of COMPLETE proteins. Complete protein sources come from animal products. As long as you choose lean sources such as skinless white meat chicken, fish, and eggs you will be good to go.

Of course, if your reason for not eating meat has to do with animal rights or some other nonsense then enjoy your greens!

Trace your food back to the earth – how many steps away is it? A potato chip is technically from a potato, but how many processes has it been through to make it fattening, unhealthy trash? Save some money, get healthier, and just eat the potato. Each day my goal is to only eat food that is one step away from the ground or the animal.

What would we all look like without the King?
Sarah Walls

Name: Rita McP
Team_Member: All Team Members
Question: What are some good exercises to help my 9 year old son run faster?

Answer: Hi Rita,

This is a fantastic question! Here is the #1 most important rule for someone his age: Make sure he is participating in a wide variety of activities/sports to encourage his motor skills to develop in an environment that is constantly challenging his body in new ways. By doing so, you can be assured his body is developing at an appropriate rate. Also, encourage him to go outside and “play.” There is a lot to be said for this type of activity and it is becoming lost behind video game controllers and keyboards.

Now, if you know he is already doing these things on the regular and your son seems to be behind relative to the majority of the kids, then there are a few special exercises to move things along:
Body Weight Squat 3x8-12
Broad Jump 3x5
Skipping (for distance & height) 4x15 yds
High Knees 2x5/leg
Low & High Pogos 2x10 of each

This is very basic stuff – give it a try and let me know how it goes.

You CAN Coach SPEED,
Sarah Walls

Name: Kayla

Team_Member: All Team Members

Question: Did you get your blubber measurer yet? Is there a limit to how many questions we can ask? If you ride in the front of the bus will you get there faster?

 

Hello Ms. Kaylaaaaa:

 

I got so sick and tired of Coach Sarah chasing me around the facility armed with the calipers that I’ve unfortunately “misplaced” them.  Seriously, they’re MIA but bound to turn up somewhere.

 

There is no limit to how many questions you may submit, except for people named Kayla.  Those named Kayla will only be allowed to post once every fourth leap year on the 29^th day of February. 

 

Actually, if you fall asleep on the bus you get there faster; at least that’s what my parents told me on road trips.

 

Kayla, keep workin’ hard, we’ll see ya tonight!

 

Did you ride the bus or pack your lunch today???? huh

Coach Chris

Name: Alex
Team_Member: Sarah Walls
Question: Have not heard from you in ages??? everything going OK?

Answer: Hi Alex!
Everything is going very well! We finally got internet put into the warehouse, so now it is MUCH easier to stay in touch and on top of emails. No more writing emails at work and sending them at home or at the library.

I haven’t been without internet access since age 10,
Sarah Walls

Name: Jack

Team_Member: All Team Members

Question: I see A LOT of youth teams stretching before they warm-up and they also bounce during the stretch.  Is this right? When should you stretch, for how long, #reps, and with what technique?

 

Jack Attack:

 

These teams you speak of, do they have a high rate of injury?  My body aches just reading your question. 

 

This “bounce-stretching” is called ballistic stretching.  Ballistic stretching uses the momentum of a moving body or a limb in an attempt to force it beyond its normal range of motion.  This type of stretching does much more harm than good because it doesn’t allow the muscles to adjust and relax into the stretched position.  In short: DO NOT DO THIS.

 

At SAPT all of our athletes complete a thorough dynamic warm-up to prepare their bodies for training.  Our dynamic warm-up consists of traditional stationary stretches put into motion.  Adding movement to these stretches educes increased blood flow to the athlete’s muscles and surrounding joints.  Increased blood flow raises the internal temperature in these areas dramatically decreasing the potentially for injury during sport and training.

 

Another benefit of the dynamic warm-up is its effect on the central nervous system.  Our collegiate style of training both emphasizes increased motor recruitment, muscle size, and mobility.  To ensure that these components are accomplished to the highest level possible it is important to understand the relationship between the muscular system and CNS; together these systems comprise the neuromuscular system.  The dynamic warm-up effectively “awakens” the neuromuscular system allowing it to fire on all cylinders and.  While our style of training is absolutely necessary and appropriate to improve performance, it has an extremely taxing effect on the neuromuscular system.  Completing a thorough dynamic warm-up limits the stressors put on the body allowing the athlete to perform optimally for longer periods of time.

 

Post workout, our athletes perform a static stretch.  Static stretching involves simply holding a stretch (ex: stand in place and touch your toes) for 20 seconds.  This is an appropriate way to cool-down after training and reduces delayed muscle soreness. 

Thanks for the question Jack!
 

Stretching hurts,

Coach Chris 

Name: James 
Team_Member: Chris Romanow
Question: When I exercise for over 2 hours my "area's" chaff.  Do you have any
suggestions? 

Hi James,

I know this question was directed at Sarah, but I thought that being a male, I would be better “equipped” to respond.

 

#1 Don’t workout for more than 2 hours!

 

#2 Purchase a pair of comfy compression shorts.  These will help to absorb sweat and limit friction in the nether-regions.

 

#3 Baby Powder…lots and lots of baby powder.

 

Good luck my friend, and I hope that these three tips will prevent you from any further painful waddling.

 

Sarah says hello; and thank you for the question!

 

Tip-toed around this one,

Coach Chris

Name: GEOFF Team_Member:
                                             All Team Members 

Question: I'm getting sick, but I'm gonna eat some NASTY food tonight and
                                             I like to workout before those types of meals. 

What should I do?

Geoff,

Your body needs to rest - the extra calories will be good for aiding
                                             in recovery.  

Good Luck,

Coach Walls 

Name: SuperPLifter Team_Member: Chris Romanow Question: Romo - I know
                                             you're a big baseball guy... what's some common baseball vernacular? Frozen ropes, lazy chickens... 

SuperPLifter:
Really, any series of incoherent grunting and shouting followed by spitting is properly executed baseball chatter.

Try these for starters:

"Hey #42, are you from Louisana, cuz' that pitch was bayou;" I heard this one a lot in my career.

"Adios pelota, pollo grande;" translated, "Goodbye ball, big chicken!" Note that by delivering your chatter in another language provides a veteran touch, and the appropriate amount of nonsensical mumbling you should strive for.

"We've got some soft-slappy lefty up on the bump tossin' up trash to a 220 lbs punch-and-Judy who's hittin' the pill at a .350 clip. If the Einstein toein' the rubber is going to keep coughin' up that lazy slop to the moose at the dish, he's gonna go shoppin' in the GAP; it's gonna be curtains, lights out, drive home safely." I'm not even sure what I said here, but I just got a standing ovation from the guy who's had one too many in the fourth row.

Be creative, have fun, and be sure to follow your chatter with a loogie!

Lazy chicken...that's what Coach Sarah does on the dance floor!

Coach Chris

This is a test for the Q&A post