Everything is raw.

Sumo Dead’s:
2×4 @ 485
2×4 @ 495

(A1) RDL: 4×10 @ 270
(A2) Medball Leg Raises (8lbs): 3×15

(B1) DB Shrugs: 3×15 @ 100
(B2) TKE’s (g-band): 3×20

Notes:

Still having some issues with the left leg; oh, well. Did the medball leg raises to get an iso hold with my adductors which I believe is where some of the pain is originating.

I’m making more of a conscious effort to get ABSOLUTELY mentally engaged before and during my heavy working sets. What separates athletes from imposters is the amount of focus one brings to their craft. I was really good at visualization and maintaining a calm but intense focus during baseball games. Now, I’m taking the same approach but allowing myself to get a bit more worked-up internally; I would say it’s more of a football mentality.  I’m no longer going to under estimate this aspect of sport. The three day/week split allows me to ramp-up my focus on the task at hand.

Romo

Yesterdays training…
2×4 @ 330 2×4 @ 340
All sets with pause on the chest and feet flat on the ground.
(B1) 4-board close-grip: 2×8 @ 365 and 1×10 @ 315
(B2) DB Row: 4×10 @ 120, really focused on the movement
(C1) A bunch of face-pulls
(C2) A bunch of standing banded 3-way abs
Stairs for 15 minutes
Fin

Romo

Our new shipment of medicine balls arrived!  There is nothing like getting some new toys; athletes beware…

 

BTW, have you seen the video on our homepage http://www.studentathletept.com/index.html.  I wonder where these guys train…

 

SAPT athletes are stronger than your athletes,

 Coach Romo

Oscar Inspiration 2/23/09…

 

What’s up everyone!  I hope you all aren’t too tired from watching Slumdog Millionaire win 700 Oscars last night.  I thought it was a good movie, but it was incredibly hard for me to watch.  My anxiety was through the roof the entire movie. 

 

This may sound a little cheesy, but I drew a lot of inspiration from watching some of the acceptance speeches last night.  Yes, I know everyone tends to get overly dramatic and long winded, but amidst all the tears and screaming is hidden a fragment of good advice.  All the stars kept saying, “never give-up on your dreams,” “nothing is impossible.”  Of course we’ve heard these cliché over and over again but they definitely hold some truth. 

 

This is why I’ve decided to enter America’s Next Top Model!  Oh, how I kid.  But seriously, check the complacency and laziness at the door, figure out what you want, and keep moving forward. 

 

It's that simple,

 

Coach Romo

Kayla Bartosch won the Kentucky State girls wrestling tournament on Feb 21st competing at 125. Today she will be taking on the state of Tennessee - good luck!!!

 Charlie Haislip's season ended yesterday at the conclusion of the AA Virginia State tournament in Salem. We still don't know how he finished up...

The SAPT Survive,

S. Walls

SAPT Blog-Q/A'ers:

A sincere apology goes out to our extensive readership.  My absence of posts are due to the fact that this week has been CRAZY, which I suppose is a good thing!  I hope everyone has a great weekend; tune in again on Monday!

Seeing some old friends tonight...

Chris

Coaching…

 

Yesterday was a very rewarding day for me as a coach.  During the last hour of training one of the athlete’s in the group asked me for help with a school assignment.  My immediate reaction was, “for the love of God, don’t ask me anything math related.”  Thankfully, I was spared from having to solve a complex equation.  Instead he needed my assistance constructing an essay that would be used as criterion for acceptance into a top-notch high school in our area.  Frankly, I was honored that he would seek my opinion for such an important matter. 

 

For a few minutes I acted as his sounding-board as he pitched his ideas to me.   I provided my two-cents, and in the end he was ready to construct his masterpiece; pretty friggin’ cool.

 

It’s the little things,

 Coach Romo

When we last visited with our voluntarily fasting Tough-Guy and his Mr. Miyagi like mentor they were about to discuss the importance of snacking and eating lunch; lets tune in for their enlightening conversation.

 

Me:  “So, at 10:30, or about 2-2 ½ hours after breakfast, head directly to the loo to chow down on some grub.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “You’ve got to be kinding me; have you ever been inside a high-school bathroom?”

 

Me:  “Fine, hide in your locker, you’re skinny enough.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “That was bellow the belt, dude.”

 

Me:  “Don’t call me, dude; besides you’re totally missing my point.  You want your body to be a fat burning, muscle building machine, right?”

 

Tough-Guy:  “Does Chuck Norris blow bubbles with beef jerky?”

 

Me:  “Exactly, beef jerky and your favorite piece of fruit or veggie is just what your body needs.  You see, there is a set of chemical reactions in your body that keeps you alive, called your metabolism.  Every time you put a piece of quality food in your body your metabolism (or the chemical reactions that comprise this process) extracts the nutrients and uses them as energy.  It’s like stoking a camp fire so to speak.  If you let a camp fire sit without adding lighter fluid, wood, and agitation, the flames will die, but if you frequently pump Kingsford and cedar into the inferno the flames will rage.”

 

Though-Guy:  “That’s awesome you crazy pyro, but what does this have to do with fat burning and muscle building?”

 

Me:  “Well you see Copernicus, your feeble body is built for survival.  In times of famine eating a meal may only be feasible once maybe twice a day; essentially, consuming just enough to survive until the next day.  During this time, one’s insulin levels get all jacked-up.  The body’s fat cells become increasingly sensitive to insulin (fat cells grow), and the opposite occurs in your muscles (muscles deplete).  This is exactly how your body is reacting when you feed it garbage twice a day.  As far as your body is concerned we’re still cavemen hopping around from glacier to glacier just trying to stay warm, hungrily chasing a single wildebeest because they haven’t eaten all day.  The signals your eating patterns are sending your metabolism are that it needs to halt any kind of muscle growth and pick-up the pace with the fat storage; we’ve got ourselves a food shortage on our hands!”

 

Tough-Guy:  “You have just blown my mind “Oh Premature Grey Haired One,” tell me more about this insulin fellow.”

 

Me:  “Is the grey that noticeable?”

 

Tough-Guy:  “It’s accentuated by your receding hair line.”

 

Me:  “Stupid genetics.  Anyways, back to insulin.  As I mentioned earlier, the more frequently you “stoke the camp fire” the healthier and larger the fire grows.  Just like the camp fire, if we frequently feed our body’s “fire” with small well balanced meals, we will remain anabolic (or muscle building).  Thus, decreasing insulin sensitivity in fat cells (fat go bye-bye) and increasing muscle insulin sensitivity (jacked here I come).”

 

Tough-Guy:  “So why can’t I just eat constantly so my insulin levels are always through the roof?”

 

Me:  “Because that is how you get really fat and put yourself at risk for Type II Diabetes.  The point of eating small well balanced meals at a rate of every 2-2 ½ hours is because this allows our body to operate efficiently while not overbearing it with excess.”

 

Though-Guy:  “Here comes another fire analogy, right?”

 

Me:  “Thou asked and thou shall receive.  If along the way we get too willy-nilly with the Kingsford and cedar, the fire will rage uncontrollably.  The flames reach the tree tops and soon you’re doing community service in a Smokey the Bear costume the rest of your life.  Too much of a good thing is just as destructive as too little.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “I love Smokey the Bear!”

 

Me:  “He’s adorable.  Now run along my soft little bag of bones and eat something.  You’ve got a 5 minute intermission until we talk about lunch and post-workout nutrition.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “You got it Steve Martin.”

 

Me:  “Lay-off the hair, pal.”

 Chris RomanowIneedtoeatmealnumberfour

Back with a plan…

 

I took some time-off to recoup and then I got sick (still not feeling too chipper), but today was my first day back training with a plan.  The past week or so I’ve been training to recover, completing complexes that weren’t taxing and made my body feel good.

 

After today’s training session I was spent to say the least.  I don’t even feel like posting what I did, I’m still fuming about what transpired between 8 and 9am.  At one point I actually told the barbell that she was a pain in the you know what and that I wish I had never met her.  Shocker, she gave me the silent treatment; she certainly knows how to get under my skin.  In the end, we made amends; I know she is just trying to make me stronger.  

 

I finished-off the session’s festivities spending some quality time with the sled.  It was a lot of fun pushing it through the thick carpet.  I’d recommend it to anyone who has absolutely no sense, such as myself.  Seriously, my conditioning needs to improve; laziness is no longer an option.

 

I will resume Tales of Tough-Guy: Food, tomorrow.  Stay tuned for that tomfoolery- (Word of the Day meaning crazy business).

 

At least I have a delicious salad and grilled chicken to look forward too…

 

Chris RomanowIneedtotakeanap.

And the answer is….FOOD!

 

I get real sick and tired of skinny kids coming in here telling me that it’s impossible for them to put on weight.  What a bunch of baloney, pun intended.  An enlightening conversation typically follows; 99.9% of the time it goes something like this:

 

Me:  “Hey tough guy, tell me what you ate for breakfast.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “Breakfast….ughhh, I hate breakfast.  Seriously, I wanna’ vomit every time I look at breakfast.”

 

Me:  “Dude, I know, breakfast is so ugly looking.  Hey, but you know what, BREAKFAST IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MEAL OF THE DAY MEATBALL!  Your body has just been immersed in a catabolic state (because I know you didn’t eat a slow digesting protein before bed) for over 8 hours (being generous).  So instead of sitting down with breakfast and reaching a mutual agreement you’d rather have your body eat away at itself for another 4 hours until you eat 7 bins of tator-tots at lunch?  But you really want to put on weight, riiiight. 

            “Tough-Guy, next time you talk to breakfast just tell him how you truly feel.  Let him that you are going to put a little syrup (or favorite sugary condiment) on him so that when you ingest his ugly goodness he will stay in your stomach to provide you the nutrients your body needs, and not return to the bowl you scooped him out of.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “But Coach, breakfast is a total jerk, he just never listens.”

 

Me:  “Just tell him that you always liked lunch way better anyways so he’s going down the hatch whether he likes it or not; unless you’d rather be 90 lbs the rest of your life.”

Tough-Guy:  “Well you know what, lunch sucks too.”

 

 Me:  “Look man, I don’t know what food ever did to you, but it sounds like you two need a little mediation.  Anyways, we are getting a bit ahead of ourselves, there needs to be a mid-morning snack before lunch even arrives.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “No way man, we aren’t allowed to eat in class.” 

 

Me:  “Right, that’s why you eat in the bathroom.”

 

Tough-Guy:  “This is getting really weird.”

 

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where these questions and more will be answered:  What is Coach going to make Tough-Guy eat in the bathroom?  Will Tough-Guy be able to stomach the news?  Will Tough-Guy be able to workout his differences with lunch? 

 

EAT PEOPLE, EAT!!!!

 

Romodelicious

Congratulations to Charlie H., SAPT student-athlete, for capturing the 140 lbs Dulles District Title last Saturday! 

 Romo

Pull-up

 

My performance coach said to me as I entered SAPT;

“Miss, can you do a pull-up;”

“HAHA, ya rite, NO,” says me.

 

He asks me “why;”

I tell him that;

“Pull-ups are impossible; why even try.”

 

That’s gonna’ change he says with a smirk;

You will do pull-up;

Are you afraid of hard-work?

 

When “hell freezes over I say in my head;”

It’s been 7 years of gym class and still no luck;

Each test I fail; I should just put this one to bed.

 

“HAHA,” he laughs “The funny thing about pull-ups,

You’ve got to work at’um for weeks;

Pull for every inch until your head erupts.

 

He says, “I’ll help you map the way;

Are you onboard?”

Aye Captain; I’ll have my day!

 

Weeks went by, and work we did;

We ran the gambit;

Partials; ISO’s, Ecc’s; Assited.

 

Most of time I just wanted to cry;

“Press he on,” he said; “A quitting attitude won’t cut it;

It simply won’t fly.”

 

So I fought tooth and nail, through the arm numbing burn;

Pull-ups I will own you;

This I will earn.

 

Finally, the day came, it was time to test;

“I’m nervous,” I said;

“Don’t be,” he said, “just try your best.”

 

So I chalked-up my hands, and pulled with all my might;

My chin….CLEARED THE BAR;

OH, WHAT A FIGHT!”

 

I triumphantly dropped from the bar;

Pull-ups, I defeated;

Coach said, “You should be proud, you’ve come so far.”

 

It wasn’t the pull-up that meant so much;

It was what I had learned;

All the planning, fighting, and such.

 

This I will remember for the rest of my time;

Nothing is owed to me; plan, fight, execute, then fight some more;

Extract from for this rhyme.

 

Failing to do the above only will mar;

Anything worth doing in life;

Lift your chin above the bar.

 

Coach Romo

 

Congrats to all the athletes who rocked some Pull-up PR’s the past two weeks!

Learning…

 

I've just got done reading some great articles pertaining to strength development for young athletes.  The first decade and a half of training is so critical to the overall development of an athlete.  Many strength coaches at higher levels of athletics say that by the time an athlete enters their doors the “work” or “damage” has already been done.  Essentially meaning that they can either proceed with more elite levels of training because the athlete already possesses solid foundational strength levels as well as attained technique mastery, or that they’ll be spending the next three years “cleaning-up somebody else’s mess.”  What athlete wants somebody else unnecessarily plateauing their career?  I find this notion to be fascinating and feel a tremendous amount of responsibility understanding this fact.       

 

Today, we anxiously await our second ankle biter participant.  This means we will be providing him his first ever experience with strength training.  He’s gonna’ love it; what a cool job I have! 

 

Who do you trust with your child’s development?

 Romo

Recovery Session… 

Long dynamic warm-up and foam rolling. 

Gigante Complex of: Tire Flips, face pulls, pushups, crossover step-ups, hip adduction (toe plate drags), sledge swings, bw inverted row, neutral grip pull-ups X 20 minutes. More foam rolling. 

“I wanna’ be fast…” We’ve been asked, more so told, by many inquiring parents and coaches that their son/ daughter/player doesn’t really need the “strength-training” it is more of the “speed-training” that is the necessity.  This is the perception by many, because as a whole, we’ve been fed a steady dose of “speed camp” marketing.  Sure, we could tell your athlete to sprint to the left, then to the right, and then chase a Superball in circles around the gym; but what are we really accomplishing?  All we'd be doing is provoking the same sub-par motor patterns and biomechanics that brought you to us in the first place, while praying to God that the abductor deficiency in the right hip doesn’t cause an ACL blowout.  What really needs to happen is we need to help “Little Johnny” or “Little Suzy” walk and chew gum at the same time (improve motor patterns) while strengthening muscles around the joints that will allow his or her body to operate more efficiently.  How many elite level sprinters have you seen that weigh 85 lbs, with an non-existent posterior chain (back of the body), internally rotated upper-body, and run with their elbows flailing all about like they’ve got a swarm of bees around their head?   

Now, we appreciate an athlete and their parent’s desire and acknowledgement that improving their capacity to move quickly will tremendously benefit their ability to improve sport performance; however, understand that moving faster is a byproduct of improving stability in the ankle joints, knee joints, hip joints, lower back, head and neck, shoulder girdle (strength training); while appropriately incorporating various jumping and sprinting exercises (emphasis being on executing the exercises with proper form) into a year-round, life long training program.  Emphasizing improvement on a single biomotor ability for 6 weeks will simply get you nowhere, and don’t be fooled by a program that suggests otherwise.   

Romo   

Superb Owl…

 

I’m taking this week to recover.  My training this week will consist of 3 recovery sessions designed to elicit increased blood flow to fatigued muscles and joints. 

 

Word of the Day: tocsin: a warning signal

When I woke-up this morning, my body was sounding the tocsin for rest; I reluctantly acknowledged its request.

 

Great Superb Owl last night!  The thing that impressed me the most was The Boss’s tremendous display of functional mobility.  That pose he does where he rests back on his heels without letting his knees touch the ground, is both impressive and excruciatingly painful to watch.  I was afraid his knee caps were going to shoot-off into the crowd.  I guess when you are 100% stud your body can do just about anything.    

 

All the pre-game hoopla is such a drain.  I could do without all the suits making their predictions and dissecting the game from 700 different angles.  But hey, all I needed to do was change the channel and I didn’t; I guess they’re doing something right.  The only pre-game segment I enjoyed watching was the Snoop and Ditka freestyle. 

 

Worky, work busy bee…

 

Romo