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How can we help you achieve your goal
How can we help you achieve your goal
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Although we live in a performance world where everyone wants to use weights to get stronger which obviously can work…but before you go buying all those weights, there are a few techniques you can still use to get super strong that can be done anywhere anytime! We’ll break down our top 3 techniques. we use with our athletes.
Adding tempo to your exercises can greatly increase the strength you can gain from them. Tempo refers to the time under tension during your reps. Let’s use a pushup for example. Use a 5 second down, 5 sec up cadence on your pushup. This will greatly increase the difficulty and strength you can gain from the exercise! You can also add in pauses during your reps too. This will not only make the exercises harder but also will improve your body control and stability!
Intensity is referring to how hard your body is working during exercise. Ok, this may seem like an obvious one but there are specific ways to increase the intensity to make sure your getting the most of your exercise program! Let’s use a squat for an example. A body weight squat may not be hard but you can add a jump to add intensity or switch to only one leg to increase the intensity of it.Another way to increase intensity is to combine multiple exercises together without any breaks. This is called super setting. An example may be pushups right into pullups or squat jumps right into jump lunges.
Duration is exactly what it sounds like, how long you are performing an exercise. Either you can do an exercise for continuous reps until failure or complete a certain amount of reps in a certain period of time. An example is on our challenge days with our athletes they may have to complete 200 pushups and 50 pullups, among various other exercises in a certain period of time. Anyone who has ever completed a challenge workout with us knows they are no joke and require some serious strength!
Now you can see there are many ways to still get super strong without needing heavy weights. Although weights still have a place in a balanced elite hockey player program, the ability to be strong through your bodyweight first is always a core component we look to instill in our athletes!
Written by:
Rob Jost – ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT
Suggested Article: Have Your Best Off-Season Yet
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Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Optimal physical performance and overall fitness require preparation for our muscles to be at their most effective. Whether you’re gearing up for a workout, sports performance, or simply aiming to enhance daily mobility, the type of muscle preparation can significantly impact how you move and feel. Understanding the four essential steps — Release, Mobilize/Stretch, Activate, and Integrate — forms the cornerstone of a holistic approach to muscle prep. This effective method caters to the needs of all populations, from easing tension in overactive muscles to improving range of motion and enhancing muscle engagement. Let’s unlock your body’s full potential to ensure a flourishing, smooth performance!
Priming muscles for performance or training becomes more challenging when they’re tense or overactive. The muscles you’ll be targeting are typically the ones that feel the tightest or sore. Releasing these muscles helps alleviate tension, improving range of motion and reducing discomfort. Begin by using a foam roller or a palm-sized ball to target the muscle in need of release. Position the muscle on the roller or ball and roll up and down until you locate the ‘sweet spot’—the area that feels the most tense and sore. The aim isn’t to force the muscle onto this spot but rather to focus on controlled breathing and relaxation while pressure releases tension. Each spot requires at least a minute as different muscles will vary in tightness. Once each targeted muscle is released, you can proceed to stretch/mobilize step.
Mobilization is a crucial step in creating stronger ranges of motion. With the surrounding muscles released, it’s time to test and enhance the ranges of motion by facilitating movement throughout the joints. This process gradually opens up the joints, making them easier to move through without the discomfort of soreness or tightness. Mobilizing the limbs alleviates stiffness, allowing for deeper and fuller ranges of motion translated through the exercises. When it comes to stretching, dynamic stretching can also be incorporated, but static stretching should be avoided unless the muscles are already adequately warmed up. Engaging in static stretching without proper warm-up may hinder performance and could potentially lead to muscle strain. Mobilizing includes moving the joint throughout it’s entire ranges of motion in a nice controlled fashion. Simply said, it lays the groundwork for stronger ranges of motion by facilitating joint movement.
After mobilization, next is activating the muscles to prepare them for the upcoming demands. Activating the muscles involves engaging them in a controlled manner throughout the desired range of motion. Think of this step as priming and waking up the muscles for their optimal performance in these deeper ranges. By activating the muscles, you increase blood flow and improve the neuromuscular communication needed to go past the usual mobility they’re used to. Muscle activation exercises help reinforce proper movement patterns, reducing the risk of injury and maximizing performance by incorporating loaded dynamic movements that can further stimulate the muscles and prepare them. This phase sets the stage for a smooth transition into more intense movements, ensuring that your muscles are ready to perform at their best while minimizing the risk of strain or injury.
The final step is integration, which involves mimicking the specific movements that will be performed during training or the performance itself. Integration allows the muscles to seamlessly transition from activation to functional movement patterns, ensuring optimal coordination and efficiency. By replicating the demands of the upcoming activity, integration reinforces the neuromuscular pathways. This phase not only prepares the body for the specific challenges ahead but also enhances the body’s awareness of its position and movements in space. Through targeted integration exercises, such as sport-specific drills, functional movements, or dynamic simulations, the body is slowly prepared for full performance. By completing the integration phase, you bridge the gap between preparation and execution, ensuring that your muscles are fully primed to excel!
Written by:
Dan Aquino – ASFA-CPT
Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043
Boxers should understand the critical importance of maintaining excellent balance for success in the ring. Elite balance can often be the deciding factor between victory and defeat, with even a slight imbalance potentially resulting in a knockout blow.
Having superb balance is essential for both offensive and defensive maneuvers. It allows fighters to remain stable while launching attacks and evading opponents’ strikes. Moreover, skilled boxers strategically disrupt their opponent’s balance to gain an advantage, exploiting moments of imbalance to counter and capitalize on openings.
Furthermore, balance directly correlates with overall athletic performance. By mastering the mechanics for impeccable balance, athletes can enhance efficiency and power off every movement they make.
Effective weight transfer is foundational to proper technique. By maintaining balance, athletes can seamlessly shift their weight between feet, generating maximum power in their movements.
Balanced athletes exhibit superior agility, effortlessly changing direction and executing intricate footwork maneuvers to assert dominant positioning. This agility enables boxers to evade opponents’ attacks and swiftly counter with precision.
In sports and boxing, immovable positioning is paramount for success. A balanced stance provides athletes with stability, amplifying their power and agility while defending against their opponents’ game plan. Mastering balanced positioning ensures swift, purposeful movement, propelling athletes towards victory. By prioritizing balance in training, athletes unlock their full potential, standing as a balanced and powerful force.
Written by:
Thomas Kennedy
Boxing Coach
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Visit us:
Inside of the Flyers Training Center
601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043