Strength development

I enjoy programming workouts with the objective of getting stronger.  I find that the development of strength is one of the easier goals to program for and achieve. The main concept behind the development of strength is to be just a little stronger tomorrow than you are today.

The two programming techniques that I employ the most are a periodized program with the reps decreasing and the weight decreasing over time and a heavy/light routine with one workout of the week being heavy and the other being lighter. Both of these methods are extremely successful if your main goal is the pursuit of strength.

The added bonus of strength development is that the workouts are shorter, since fewer exercises are being performed. You can do 3-5 exercises per workout and still get stronger on a consistent basis. As always, it is important to eat enough quality calories to fuel recovery and replenish energy stores, as well as getting adequate sleep.

When your goal is to get bigger or smaller, the program has to change and nutrition becomes a huge component of your training plan. But, strength development is the simple application of doing a little bit more every time you workout.

Currently, I get to lift 2-4 times a week and follow a weekly linear periodization program descending from 15-6 reps and then repeating.

Push:
Incline DB Press
Standing shoulder press
lateral raises
skull crushers
Pressdowns

Pull:
Trap bar deadlifts
Bent over rows
EZ bar curls
Incline curls

Push 2
I exchange DB presses with pushups since my shoulder has a tendency to flare up with too much pressing. This is also why I don't do flat pressing, personal preference to decrease my discomfort

Pull 2:
I exchange deadlifts for Bulgarian split squats and Bent over rows for one arm dumbbell rows


As you can see, there is nothing fancy with this program, but if you add more weight every week, you will definitely get stronger.

Fitness social media use

When you own a business, or even if you work in a client services role within a business, it is important to stay up to date of technology. The impact of technology is dramatically changing a lot of industries and those that are able to understand and capitalize on those changes stand a better chance of being successful.

 

These two fitness professionals were able to explode their business and generate a lot of revenue by simply utilizing Instagram as a means to share content and connect with like-minded people who then became clients. This simple strategy helped them to build a complete business model around their profiles.

 

The simplicity of this plan means that most people who interact with others have the potential to generate income by becoming more proficient on social media. Take the time to learn about the brand you want to have and the clientele you want to have, then execute it.

 

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/web-social/building-body-and-brand-instagram-impacts-fitness-industry.html?eid=277204494&bid=1261796

 

Stadium revenue

Great little article out of Pittsburgh that is looking at the revenue generated from the three sports venues to the city. The study shows that the direct financial impact has been 102 million dollars over 5 years. But does that tell the full story?

 

As is usually the case with numbers, economics and projections, the answer is not really. The study was commissioned by the city to assess to revenue generated from the facilities. The study did not address a return of investment of the city’s direct contribution to the projects or the opportunity costs of the facilities.

 

When the picture is enlarged, it tells a different story. The direct impact is 102 million. But the facilities are subsidized by tax dollars. The real estate that they sit on is tax exempt, so there is no property tax being collected, the opportunity costs of previously existing structures or other tax paying entities is also not discussed. So, what is the actual net financial impact to the city for these facilities? We don’t  have that answer. 

 

The point to remember with numbers is that they can be used to reinforce one perspective, which seldom gives the global picture. Ask questions and dig deeper to get the real answers.

 

http://www.athleticbusiness.com/stadium-arena/revenue-from-sports-venues-flood-city-coffers.html

Competent leadership

When evaluating team performance, choosing the right leader can lead to improved performance.


In studies evaluating the effectiveness of three different groups: competent leader, random leader, and self managed democratic groups, the teams that had the leader with competence in the field and understanding of the technical aspects of the business outperformed the other groups. Even self managed groups outperformed the teams that had a randomly assigned leader.


I think that the key point is not trying to find the best leader, but to avoid choosing someone who does not understand the business. There are plenty of ways to improve management and leadership skills; formal education, reading, attending seminars, certifications, but that will not matter if that person does not understand enough about what the work actually is. Teams routinely choose leaders that display confidence and physical attributes, but may not possess the technical skill or understanding. These teams then lag behind because they are not able to make the best decisions. In turn, look to people that have excellent technical understanding and leverage their knowledge.


This is in line with other research that demonstrated that teams preferred leaders who had similar backgrounds to them. They felt these leaders understood them, and their role, better and were then able to be more effective in their leadership.


Take the time to understand the business and the technical aspects of what is needed to be successful. This will improve your ability to create strategy and become successful. When in a hiring position, do not just hire someone who has a degree, make sure they know the business.


"Leadership qualities" vs. competence: which matters more? Harvard Business Review, 11/5/15

Recommendations on Tackling in Youth Football

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a study looking at tackling in football. The authors of the study performed a literature review looking at the mechanisms of head, neck and catastrophic injury in football.

 

Not surprisingly, the act of performing a tackle, or being tackled, is a leading mechanism of injury in football for head and neck injuries, catastrophic injuries and other serious injuries. One of the leading causes of concussion in youth and high school sports is head to head contact. The main recommendation in this area is to continually stress proper tackling technique and educating players and coaches on the importance of keeping their heads up and making contact with their shoulder pads, thus reducing the mechanism of head to head contact.

 

The authors summarize their findings of tackling in football by exploring the idea of limiting contact in practice to reduce the overall occurrence of head contact throughout the season, but do point out that it is not fully known how much of an impact this will make. They also discuss increasing the age at which players initiate contact and the possibility of non-contact leagues. This would allow those that are interested in playing, but are concerned for head injuries, an outlet to enjoy the game with a decreased injury risk.

 

As athletic trainers, we play a key role in the recommendations made by the authors. The last two points that they recommend on tackling in youth football are to institute neck strengthening programs and have an athletic trainer on hand for contests. We have the ability to educate coaches, athletes and administrations on the risk of head injury in football (and sports in general) and the implementation of programs to reduce to the risk, including strengthening and skills based technical training. Having an athletic trainer available to athletes allows injuries to be detected and treated earlier.

 

While the risk of injury will not be eliminated in sports, we can hopefully continue to make progress with our educational material to keep all of our athletes healthy and active.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/early/2015/10/20/peds.2015-3282.full.pdf

Management questions

When you think of management, what comes to mind? How is your manager working to meet the company and your individual needs? If you are like a lot of Americans, the answers are not encouraging.

 

This article is trying to change that. If you are a manager, take a step back and look at your role, how you fulfill your responsibilities and how you interact and lead the people that work for you. Do you actively listen and engage to your staff and listen to what they tell you? Do you take an interest in them and their career and want to see them succeed? If not, then start to implement some of these questions and solutions into your daily activities. They can really help you gain a better understanding of your staff and your time. By empowering them and encouraging them they will be more likely to put in the extra effort for you and the company.

 

On the flip side, if you work for someone else, see what aspects of these you can implement for your own career success. Do you touch base with your manager on a consistent basis to stay up to date so there are no surprises? Do you offer to take on more tasks that are in line with what you want to do in the future? If not, then start having a conversation with your manager about your skills and how you can be better utilized to reach personal, department and corporate goals. You can’t expect someone else to care about your career growth if you don’t.

 

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites#/sites/jackzenger/2015/10/14/the-shrinking-effectiveness-crisis-4-reasons-organizations-fail-to-fully-utilize-employees/?utm_campaign=Forbes&utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_channel=Leadership&linkId=17970862

 

Words of wisdom

Warren Buffett is well known for his investment success and his frugality. He has crafted a life that has netted him billions of dollars and yet, he remains humble.

 

His phrases around investing are famous and he takes a very forward, simple approach to his businesses. Some of the people that he has influenced have taken the time to write about some of his phrases and applied them to everyday life. The following is a guide book for how to live your life, spend your time and make decisions. All of us could benefit from heeding this wisdom.

 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/schifrin/2015/10/04/not-for-investors-only-top-10-nuggets-of-buffett-wisdom-for-life-success/2/