Miss New jersey 2018 scholarship

Miss New Jersey The Move – Look – Feel Scholarship

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The Move – Look – Feel Scholarship 2018

Intro to the award
There are many ways to define a person who lives a healthy lifestyle. A person who lifts heavy weights three to four times a week and goes to the gym may consider themselves to be living a healthy lifestyle. Another person may do 30 minutes of cardio and core seven days a week and they make sure to watch what they eat here and there. The question is–which is considered healthy?

Training Aspects would like to add a lifestyle and fitness scholarship that focuses on some of the other areas of fitness. As an independent scholarship, we’d like to offer  two awards, to the girl that wins overall points and to one other girl who dominates in a category (to be announced on march 3rd).

Rules and Regulations

The competition begins March 3rd and will run through June 3rd, 2018.

There will be a meeting on March 3rd to discuss the scholarships. We ask that all girls attend this initial meeting to go over the awards and ask all the questions needed. If all are interested, this will also be the first testing day.

  1. To be eligible, you must be a 2018 local title holder.
  2. There will be one non refundable charge of $55 to enter.
  3. You must keep up in the Training Aspects app on how you are working on improving yourself.
  4. There will be 5 testing days available March 3th (start date orientation/assessment) then the results testing days (you only need to attend one of the last 4 in May to test out): Saturday May 26th, Sunday May 27th, Saturday June 2nd, Sunday June 3rd. 
  5. Testing must be completed at Training Aspects, located in Voorhees, NJ. 
  6. You may train yourself or use a trainer outside of Training Aspects.

How to Win

We will Test on:

    1. Body fat (found by 3pt Calipers)
    2. Muscular endurance (An example could be how many squats can you do in 3 minutes)
    3. Muscular strength (An example could be highest jumper)
    4. Flexibility (as defined by range of motion)
    5. Cardio (An example could be how far could you run in 12 minutes)
    6. Nutrition: logging and keeping up with it.
    7. An exercise to improve on (A challenging exercise with a set time frame to complete it in)
    8. Obstacle course: 3-5 exercises completed within a set time.

 

 

 

The top 3 in each category will get 3, 2 or 1 point. The girl with the best scores, will receive the Move look feel award on the Miss Nj stage. We will have the specific test exercises onMarch 3rd. The one constant is the 1-8 categories.

The award is meant to help better define what true health and fitness is. If you were to compare an elite marathon runner, to an elite gymnast or an elite basketball player you would see three very different body types.The award will hopefully increase your motivation to work on the various categories of fitness to increase your health and fitness as a whole. This will be the third year of the Move, Look, Feel award. We had a great time with it in the past couple years and we look forward to continuing the award in 2018. Please let us know by February 18th. If you are still competing for a local title, once you win, you will still be eligible to jump in.   

Kirill Vaks
BA,CSCS,ACSM-cpt

 

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601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

sports performance exercise

4 Exercises To Add To Your Sports Performance Training – Getting Started

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4 Sports Performance Techniques to Add Into Your Program

 

sports performance exerciseThe competitive athlete is always looking for that advantage. The competitive mindset can be tough, it means you must continuously find new information that others are unaware of and add it into your already intense training program. If that’s what you are looking for, you’ve come to the right place. Here are 4 exercises to add to your sports performance program to get ahead of your competition.

  1. Resistance band training– This distraction will make you feel like you’re not as fast, everything is slower, and a component into your exercises with the bands where you have to react similar to the way you may need to react in the game. If doing resistance sprints, complete your route and have someone actually throw the ball at the end for you to catch. If skating, add a stickhandling competent to it. When creating these situations  make sure if you do 4 sets with the band complete another four sets without the band. Also, do not tie your hand behind your back or put the resistance band on your one ankle. the point of the resistance is to increase the challenge of the exercise not create an unrealistic situation that actually may affect your form in the long run.
  2. Train in your equipment– If you’re doing strength and conditioning, maybe all your equipment is overkill but how about mouthpiece and helmet. Mouthpiece may make it a bit harder to breath over time and helmet can create a number of distractions. If you play a sport in it. Add some training time with it.
  3. Visual cues- As you are training complete exercises that also make you react to visual cues. If you are doing push ups,have two small lights placed in front of you one eft one right. Whenever one lights up continue to do your push ups but tap the light.
  4. Talk as you workout- communicating with your teammates is huge. Make sure you are prepping your breathing as if you are in game mode and create specific points in the workout where game cues are needed and add them into your workout.

There are many amateur and professional athletes that on paper look great. When given one task. one variable to overcome, they look like studs. When the game begins and the many obstacles appear, they disappear. Your sports performance training may be missing the application factor. If realistic, add those variables into every part of your life and see how your game time ability improves.

 

Kirill Vaks
BA,CSCS,ACSM-cpt

 

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Voorhees, NJ 08043

avocado

Is Magnesium the Third Piece to Vitamin D and Calcium Absorption?

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Expanding on last weeks article about Vitamin D and Calcium absorption, Magnesium could be the third piece to the puzzle.

Magnesium has so many functions in the body and when it interacts with certain vitamins it can really increase their benefits. Vitamin D is one of them.

How Magnesium Helps:

 

  • Magnesium is essential for the metabolism of vitamin D.
  • Magnesium influences the body’s utilization of vitamin D by activating cellular enzyme activity.
  • Enzymes are protein molecules that stimulate every chemical reaction in the body. All the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D require magnesium.
  • Magnesium has a possible role in vitamin D’s effect on the immune system.

avocadoMagnesium Rich Foods:

Avocados, seeds, almonds, cashews, black beans, bananas, spinach, oats, and dark chocolate. These foods should always be consumed in moderation, well mostly the dark chocolate 😉 (keep it to 1 ounce to get the magnesium benefits)

 

Add in some of these magnesium dense foods in your meals or as snacks and improve your nutrient absorption!

 

Robert Jost

NSCA-CPT, ACE-CPT

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hoodie up

Mental toughness a muscle?

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The Next Level of Sports Performance Training

 

 

hoodie upWeights clanking, slamming, and athletes competing to get the teams greatest weight. Team bonding, strength gains, mental discipline, endorphins release,  the strength and conditioning portion of the sports world helps develop athletes on a number of levels. Sports of all ages are adding some kind of sports performance training, outside the actual sport played, it’s great!

Body mobility and power (speed and strength) needs to be developed in order to help prevent injury and achieve the athletes true potential. There are many benefits to this when there are proper progressions in the art of sports performance training.  The Neurological, bone and muscular  components of the body must work together and there for must develop in unison. This is where Movement training is established. The strength and the speed comes together to progress the athlete to power training. Where the athlete is able to complete movements in a strong and fast (powerful) component.

At a certain point in training, over training the power may actually cause set back rather than positive result. If you’re at this stage, don’t worry, there is another level to tap into.

The Great Athletes of our time and present day:

There is a level of greatness that we have all witnessed. Athletes on every Elite team have that go to player. The Oilers with Wayne Gretzky, The Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps in the US olympics, The Penguins with Crosby (No, I don’t like him either, but game on the line, the guy has been proven reliable)   The Rangers have Lundqvist, The Philadelphia Eagles have Foles ( a little Super Bowl prep 🙂 ).

When the game is on the line, put the game in their hands. It doesn’t only stop with the professionals, all youth sports teams have that player that when the game is on the line they put the game on their shoulders. Whether they will come through is a different story.

The ability to focus in high pressure situations is not a god given/innate skill. It can be developed. Certain athletes may have a greater potential for it but we all have the ability to strengthen our abilities under pressure. Focus is a muscle, Train it, develop it, unleash your true potential!

Next week: 6 ways to develop your Mental Game toughness- beginner edition

 

Kirill Vaks
BA,CSCS,ACSM-cpt

 

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601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Turkey meatballs

Healthy Turkey Meatballs and Low Carb Zoodles!

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Craving some Italian food? We got you covered. Turkey meatballs and zucchini noodles are delicious and nutritious alternatives to the typically high carb, high fat spaghetti and meatballs dish.

Turkey meatballs

Ingredients (2-4 servings):

Turkey Meatballs:

  • 1 lb organic ground turkey
  • 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
  • 3 tbsp sundried tomato, chopped
  • 1/2 cup spinach, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1 tbsp fennel seed
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 3 tbsp crumbled goat or feta cheese
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tbsp olive or avocado oil to cook in
  • 1 egg (optional)

Zoodles:

  • 2-4 Zucchinis

Sauce:

  • 5 fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (to peel, cut a small “x” on the top and drop in to boiling water for 10 seconds and drop in to an ice bath. Skin will easily peel off)
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of fresh garlic, finely minced
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
  • 1 sprig of fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp dried)
  • 1 sprig of fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
  • 1 bay leaf (remove when done)
  • 1 sprig of parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

 Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Combine meatball ingredients into a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Using two spoons, form mixture into 1-inch balls as evenly as possible. Add egg if mixture doesn’t hold together.
  3. Bake all meatballs for 15-17 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees F on parchment paper.
  4. Add all of the ingredients used to make the tomato sauce and simmer until hot.
  5. Spiralize zucchinis using a spiralizer and set aside. In a separate pan, spray with olive or avocado oil to heat, then add spiralized zucchinis. Toss zoodles with tongs until hot (1-3 minutes). Don’t overcook or they can become soggy!

 

 

 

Time to Enjoy!!

 

 

Robert Jost

NSCA-CPT, ACE-CPT

 

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601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043

Focus

Resistance bands and the focused mindset

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Hockey resistance band training, The distraction overcoming mindset

It’s hot outside, 96degrees and humid. You’re driving by and you see a couple guys doing sprints in hoodies. Thoughts?? “those guys are crazy..They’re going to pass out”, probably one of the first thoughts… but Why? It’s already hot out, why add a hoodie. Mind set, focus, applying your performance to various pressures to test your own ability to keep yourself at a high intensity and dominate even when the mind tells you, it’s hot, I’m tired, I need a break. Quick note before we go on**Do not do this on your own, No matter how advanced you believe you are there needs to be an understanding of the technique**  Ok, with that said lets get into it. How often is the player that is amazing on paper and shows up to the easy games but mentally can’t come through in critical games? Talent is extremely important but the ability to simplify the game and focus in on the specifics,  block out all other distractions is what separates the skilled hockey players and the Elite hockey players.

FocusThe actual in game experience and challenges are essential and that’s where you’ll get better at blocking out the other teams fans booing you, the little cheap shots, the scout(s) that may be up in the stands, what your own teammates might be saying to you and all those other little nuances that your brain has to process. If a person doesn’t live that ability to block out all distractions and learn to focus in on the prize, then they are less equipped to improve in those high pressure situations. Training the muscle we call *focus* ,it can be trained, is what will help separate you from the others. The guys on the bench that focus strictly on how they can get their line to create havoc on the next shift and not stop until the final buzzer, instead of the players caught up in the drama/pressure surrounding the game.

Incorporate obstacles into your daily activities that even with distractions (Not While driving!!) your focus stays on task. Our minds have the ability to actively think about 5-9 things at one time. That means any extra drama or processing takes away our ability to focus on the main goal. Train your mind’s ability to focus on the main objective.

What does mindset and resistance band training have in common.Resistance bands can be extremely helpful from a movement perspective, increasing your power output, understanding your technique but one benefit that usually isn’t mentioned, is your  thought process when you’re sprinting/skating with a band holding you back? If you’re thinking about how annoying the band, we need to change that, your focus is off. Blocking out the “noise” training is an advanced technique which if incorporated properly into all facets of your life your on ice game will improve dramatically. More on this in the coming articles, here are a few basic drills, remember, master the drill as if there is no band around your hips.

**Mind set training within sports performance techniques are advanced and  as mentioned in the hoodie example, do not try these without proper progressions and always better to have an expert in the area guide you through the progressions. Extreme techniques may be dangerous.**

 

Kirill Vaks
BA,CSCS,ACSM-cpt

 

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Yogurt

Are You Getting the Right Nutrient Combos? Calcium and Vitamin D

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Calcium and Vitamin D are another set of important nutrients that work more efficiently in combination. You always want to make sure you are not only getting the vitamins and minerals your body needs but also getting the most benefit out of them as well!

YogurtCalcium Food Sources:

Dairy products are well known for their high calcium. Most popular are low fat milk, yogurt and cheese. You want to keep these foods in moderation as they can be high in calories and saturated fats. Other ways to get calcium include: spinach, kale, okra, and white beans.

Vitamin D Food Sources:

The sun is one of the best Vitamin D sources, but it’s not always feasible to catch some rays. The time of year and weather play big factors in how much sun you can get. So here are some other great options. Salmon, Herring, Tuna, Mushrooms, egg yolks, and shrimp.

Perfect Meal Combos:

Make an omelette with mushrooms, spinach and low fat mozzarella cheese. Or grill up some salmon with a side of sautéed spinach.

 

 

 

Written By:

Robert Jost

ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT

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Omelette

Simple and Healthy Breakfast Recipe!

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This recipe is not only very healthy for you but also only requires a few simple ingredients and minimal prep!

OmeletteIngredients:

  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tbsp. Coconut oil
  • Half an avocado
  • 1 cup Fresh spinach
  • 1 tbsp. Olive oil
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1 medium tomato

Instructions:

  1. slice the avocado in half. Then slice into slivers. (optional)
  2. Cut a tomato into quarters (or desired size)
  3. Mince the garlic and combine with the olive oil in a sauté pan.
  4. Sauté the spinach until cooked.
  5. In another sauté pan use 1 tbsp. coconut oil and cook 2 eggs sunny side up (or your favorite style)
  6. Enjoy!! 🙂

Recipe by:

Nika White

NPTI-CPT

 

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5 Great Resistance Band Exercises for Elite Football Performance

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Resisted High Speed Training is a great way to challenge the whole body, with high speed movements that allow for full power output. It allows for optimal body and mechanic control without impairing body movements. Here are 5 great drills you can implement into your training program and start seeing great results. (Video of each exercise at the bottom)

1. Resistance Band Sprint:

This exercise is great for developing overall power through the whole body, as well as, allow for isolated mechanics tweaking. The band is a great way to focus on your stride length. It forces you to sprint just as hard but not allowing you to generate the same amount of speed. Have someone tape your attempt (preferably a speed coach and in slow motion) and get a separate partner to hold the band. After each attempt, assess the encompassing technique. Whenever you complete resistance sprints, make sure to knock out some regular sprints, to reinforce the movement and increase your confidence to apply it to the game.

 

2. Resistance Band Back Pedal:

For most positions, back pedaling is huge! This exercise allows for you to create power while back pedaling and also working on your balance and core control. Follow these up with un-resisted back pedals to apply everything in real time.

 

3. Resistance Band Broad Jump:

The goal here is to develop a more powerful jump and create a controlled landing. It’s so important to focus on full extension through the hips. You will want to look like superman with your body completely extended out straight as you leave the ground. Landing must be light and controlled. Follow these up with some un-resisted broad jumps to apply your new technique and improve overall power.

 

4. Resistance Band Multi-Directional Sprint and Touch:

The ability to transition and accelerate, is essential!  Add  a cone touch in the mix to force multi level adjustments during the sprint. A great situational drill, make sure not to round as you touch the cone.

 

5. Resistance Band Multi- Directional Broad Jump

This one is more advanced than the regular broad jump because now your body is forced to react in different directions. Once you come back from jumping to the left now you need to adjust and create power going to the right. This requires a great amount of core and body control.

 

Here is each exercise in real time!

 

Written By:

Robert Jost

ACE-CPT, NSCA-CPT

 

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Personal training success

7 Goal setting tips for Success

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successNew Years is often a time of “New year new me” mentality. Understanding that there is a problem and wanting to make a change is the first step. The second step is setting yourself up for success. In the New years Resolution process to success, we shared the importance of understanding the purpose, the plan and the focus/visualization. Once the foundation for your new vision of success is established, there are seven points that follow.

Write them down: Paint the picture of your definition of success, so you truly understand it. See how it fits into your lifevisualize your goals and how it’ll be committed to your new lifestyle. Often what makes sense in your mind, once written is missing a few pieces. Find clarity, work it out on paper.

Write it every day and keep it visible: When you wake up commit it to paper and while you get ready keep it in front of you. On the mirror while you brush your teeth, on the stove while you make your eggs set your mind for a day of success. This way the vision is reinforced and made a priority.

Win the war not just ONE battle: Your final goal is your vision, when setting time tables, keep it flexible. Urgency is important but also remembering that the big picture is just as important. If you miss by a little bit, make sure the next marker you hit by a little extra. Win the war not just one battle.

Make it Measurable: How will you keep tabs on your progress? Weight, body fat, pictures, ability to exercises, exercise intensity; set many markers in case one area begins to plateau it doesn’t feel like its all a loss.

got purposeThere is a passion for the purpose: Everyone wants to be “in shape” but not everyone wants to make the sacrifices necessary to be “in shape”. Understand your motivation and if it isn’t enough to get you out of bed or put down that favorite pastry, then keep brainstorming. The goal must be greater than the possible obstacles.

Understand the obstacles keeping you from success: Understand the obstacles and find powerful solutions that will help you achieve success. If you know there is a certain weekly ritual that is unavoidable, find a way to minimize the damage.

The battles that we have with ourselves, our schedules, our commitments are often challenging. There is always a solution available even if it isn’t directly in front of us. Making a change takes time, patience, perseverance and faith! Create a strategy, start the strategy and then make sure to assess the findings. Starting on a new journey is never easy but  remember, the reward is in the journey!

Kirill Vaks
BA,CSCS,ACSM-cpt

 

 

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601 Laurel Oak Rd.
Voorhees, NJ 08043