Strength

What do you think of block vs linear periodization in creating a strength training plan?

Choosing the Best Periodization: Block or Linear? Experts Weigh In

This is great question about periodization one that we get quite often linear periodization being that slow steady ramp up. Where you start? Here you go here and then you go here throughout the however, many weeks that you're training, whereas block training or undulating training period. Is Asian is going to be more up and down, where you taking, you know, a hard day and mixing that with a light day or a medium day for me. Personally, I prefer block or undulating periodization I'm simply because of the people that we work with, we don't often get an athlete that comes to us, eight weeks in a row and never misses a workout. So because of that, we're always adjusting to competition schedules. Practice schedules, things like that. So, when we identify a particular week where we say, hey, I've got you for a week or I've got you for two weeks then we can take them through a quick block periodization and say, hey we're going to do a medium day and intense day. I light recovery day. And hopefully work on some of the things that they need to work on to help them, get better at their sport. So, for me, block, periodization undulating periodization is going to be the more preferable method for us. Linear periodization is something that we would typically only use for a rehab patient or somebody that we know isn't going to miss a workout for eight weeks in a row.

Block or undulating periodization is more preferable than linear periodization since it takes into account competition schedules, practice schedules and the possibility of missing workouts. Linear periodization would typically only be used for rehab patients or those that wouldn't miss a workout for a set amount of time.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/ys7tn1ffvqbqhbfiuiww.vtt

When it comes to creating a strength training plan, the choice between block and linear periodization is an important consideration. Linear periodization involves a gradual and steady increase in intensity over the course of several weeks. On the other hand, block or undulating periodization involves alternating between high-intensity and low-intensity days or weeks.

Personally, I prefer block or undulating periodization, especially for the clients we work with. Athletes often have unpredictable schedules due to competitions, practices, and other factors. With block periodization, we can take advantage of a specific week or two where we have the athlete's full focus. We can then design a plan that includes medium-intensity, intense, and recovery days, targeting specific areas for improvement in their sport.

In our experience, linear periodization is typically reserved for rehab patients or individuals who we know will consistently adhere to their workout schedule for several weeks without interruption.

Ultimately, the choice between block and linear periodization depends on the individual's circumstances and goals. For us, block or undulating periodization provides more flexibility and allows us to tailor the training plan to the unique needs of our clients.

What does 'engaging the core' or 'using the core' mean to you?

Unlock the Power: Engaging the Core for Stability and Strength

Engaging, the core using the court can mean a lot of things. I think the first thing is to Define what the court actually is. And to me, the core is anything, but an arm or leg, so that includes my back, my neck, even my glutes. So really, for me engaging, the core means stabilizing through my pillar and in creating movement where I'm transferring Force Through The Core not creating Force Through The Core so that means making like a nice tight fist. So if you make a tight fist with your I'm right here. And if you have been a punch, something that fist that forearm has got to be still, has got to be stiff, has got to be engaged. Otherwise, you're going to get some bending where you could break the wrist or potentially hurt your hand. Well, the spine is the same way. So when you engage your core, you're essentially making that tight fist, but you're doing with the muscles that support the spine so that it doesn't extend or Flex when you are pushing into the ground or you're pushing into a weight or maybe pushing into another person during a competition. So to me, engaging the core is keeping things, still keeping still keeping things stable, especially when it comes to the lumbar spine because you don't want any unwanted movement in that and transfer the energy through the floor through the ground.

Engaging the core means creating a stable force in the body by making a tight fist with the muscles that support the spine, so that energy is transferred through the ground and not through the spine itself.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/ofxjjmtbxoxo3ghuaeuc.vtt

Engaging the core or using the core can have various meanings. For me, it starts with defining what the core actually encompasses. In my understanding, the core includes more than just the arms or legs; it involves the back, neck, and even the glutes.

When I talk about engaging the core, it means stabilizing through my pillar and creating movement by transferring force through the core, rather than generating force from the core. It's like making a tight fist with your hand before throwing a punch. The forearm needs to be still, stiff, and engaged to avoid injury. Similarly, when you engage your core, you're activating the muscles that support the spine, preventing excessive extension or flexion when pushing against the ground, lifting weights, or competing against others.

To me, engaging the core means maintaining stability and stillness, particularly in the lumbar spine, to prevent unwanted movement and effectively transfer energy through the ground.

What are some of your favorites drills to increase top end speed in youth athletes?

Unleash Youth Speed: Drills for Explosive Top-End Velocity

Haley, this is a great question. When you're training young athletes how to run faster. Of course, there's really two elements to speed, there's the the acceleration and there's top-end speed. So when you're working on top end speed, you really want to work on vertical Force, application versus horizontal Force application like you do in acceleration. So a couple of exercises that I like, that's going to help them say. Vertical is a box jump or a step up and then we really want to work hamstring strength. So hamstring strength, like legs, like leg curls or stability. Ball leg curls. If you have a suspension trainer TRX is a great option and then working your way, all the way up into. Like a Nordic hamstring curl, will be great for strengthening the hamstrings and that's going to translate into good top-end speed.

When training young athletes for speed, focus on vertical force application such as box jumps or step ups and strengthening the hamstrings with exercises like leg curls, TRX or Nordic hamstring curls.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/ld1lwcwuuizuf5wnn3cf.vtt

When training youth athletes to increase their top-end speed, there are a few drills that I find effective. Firstly, it's important to focus on vertical force application rather than horizontal force application used in acceleration.

One exercise that helps with vertical force is the box jump or step-up. This helps develop explosive power and strength. Additionally, working on hamstring strength is crucial for top-end speed. Exercises like leg curls or stability ball leg curls can target the hamstrings effectively. If you have access to a suspension trainer like TRX, it's a great option for hamstring exercises. As athletes progress, they can work their way up to more advanced exercises like Nordic hamstring curls, which further strengthen the hamstrings and contribute to improved top-end speed.

What is the most fascinating topic in your field right now?

Unlocking Athlete Intelligence: The Fascinating Connection Between Body, Brain, and Performance

Hey Sam, this is a great question. I think there's a lot of fascinating things happening in the field of strength and conditioning right now and how we can affect or change an athlete's performance on the field. For me, the biggest thing that's really been capturing. My attention is the concept of athlete intelligence and how we can train athlete intelligence, ten years ago. If you would have asked me, can you make somebody faster? I would have told you that, you know, somebody's either faster than not and now through Experience and through some of the research that I've done, I know that you can make somebody faster and you can affect that change. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that they're going to be faster in the game because they either have good game instincts, or they don't. So yes, you can train speed but you can't train instincts. But now what's your, uh, time researching and what I'm finding is that you actually can train instincts and you can affect an athlete's intelligence, and you can build an athlete's ability to respond and react and recognize different. Game type of situations. So that's what's fascinating to me. Right now is connecting, what's happening with the body and the brain and a game situation and helping that athlete, ultimately perform better and faster on the field.

What's really fascinating in the field of strength and conditioning right now is the concept of athlete intelligence and how we can train it. We can affect an athlete's performance on the field by training their instincts, building their ability to respond and react, and recognizing different game situations.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/bceeghvyvh1t4ufdlos6.vtt

The most fascinating topic in my field of strength and conditioning right now is athlete intelligence. In the past, it was believed that someone's speed or instincts on the field were fixed traits that couldn't be trained. However, recent research and my own experiences have shown that we can actually train an athlete's intelligence and improve their ability to respond, react, and recognize different game situations. This connection between the body, brain, and performance on the field is truly captivating to me. It opens up new possibilities for enhancing an athlete's performance and speed in the game.

When looking for new trainers to hire, what intrinsic personality qualities do you look for?

Trainer traits: Adaptability and likability - key qualities we look for.

Haley. This is great question about hiring you trainers and the intrinsic qualities that we look for really the. Number two thing that we look for is adaptability as a trainer. There are so many things that you have to be able to adapt to. You have to be able to adapt to the environment adapt to the equipment. The, the space that's available to you and of course, you have to be able to adapt to the client themselves. And, you know what, mood, they're in, how ready? They are to train that day. What injuries they're dealing with and all those other things. But then, the number one thing. We look for is just are they cool person to hang around? You know so much of being a trainer is being somebody who's likeable somebody that people enjoy being around and you're full of positive energy, you're able to communicate with Effectiveness but also in a subtle way where you're not coming across as harsh or rude. So yeah, we're looking for those two things when we're hiring trainers.

When hiring trainers, we look for adaptability and a personable nature. They need to be able to adapt to the environment and the client, as well as be someone who is likeable and full of positive energy.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/neepmcbogvzjjzlmeemw.vtt

When hiring new trainers, we prioritize two intrinsic qualities. The second quality we look for is adaptability. Trainers need to be able to adapt to various environments, equipment, and client needs. They must be able to adjust their approach based on the client's mood, readiness to train, and any injuries they may have.

However, the number one quality we seek is whether they are a cool person to hang around with. Being a trainer involves building rapport and being likable. It's important for trainers to exude positive energy and effectively communicate without coming across as harsh or rude. Being someone that people enjoy being around is a crucial aspect of the role.

In summary, we prioritize adaptability and likability when hiring trainers.

What does a good warmup before athletic performance look like?

Mastering the Art of Athletic Warmups: Core Activation, Range of Motion, and Brain Engagement

Hey Chris, this is a good question about warming up for athletic performance. I think that it is going to be several things that we want to make sure that we hit on number one. Well, you obviously want to increase the core temperature of the body, get that synovial fluid flowing, get the joints warmed up so that we are ready to practice compete. Whatever it is, your thing that we want to do is you want to activate that core, which includes the glutes. So I want to make sure that those those muscles are active and firing and And get those to be engaged throughout throughout all of my movement. I do want to establish range of motion in all three planes of movement, so, sagittal frontal transverse. And then the last thing that I want to do is I want to get that brain firing as well. So there's some athlete intelligence stuff that's out there, giving getting the athletes to react and to execute a movement or Implement a movement with some sort of agility or reaction a recognition, something where they have to make a decision and then in that rolls them into whatever sport it is that they play whether it be soccer basketball football. So, really something to again, get the blood flowing. Get the cardio up to establish range of motion. Three stabilize the joints that we want to stabilize and for activate that brain,

Warming up for athletic performance should include increasing the core temperature of the body, activating the core muscles (especially glutes), establishing range of motion in all three planes of movement, and getting the brain firing by doing some athlete intelligence exercises.

https://assets.anyquestion.com/raw/upload/rpgy9u9qlwava5122rl7.vtt

A good warm-up before athletic performance involves several key elements. First, it's important to increase the core temperature of the body and get the synovial fluid flowing to warm up the joints. Activating the core, including the glutes, is crucial for optimal performance.

Next, it's essential to establish range of motion in all three planes of movement: sagittal (forward and backward), frontal (side-to-side), and transverse (rotational). This helps prepare the body for the specific movements required in the sport or activity.

Lastly, engaging the brain is important. Incorporating athlete intelligence exercises can help athletes react, execute movements, and make decisions quickly. This can involve agility drills, reaction and recognition exercises, or any activity that challenges the athlete's decision-making skills.

Overall, a good warm-up should get the blood flowing, increase cardio, improve range of motion, stabilize the necessary joints, and activate the brain for optimal athletic performance.

Swimming

Triathlon

Photography

Track & Field

Nutrition

Physical Therapy

Running

Pets

Cycling

Podcasting

HealthCare

Musculoskeletal

Hockey

First Responders

Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic

Cross Country Skiing

Adaptive Sports

Mental Health

Surfing

Climbing

Tennis

Military

Mind Body

Scholars

Criminal Justice

Liquor

Golf

CrossFit

Soccer

Pickleball

Hunting

Public Speaking

Venture Capital

Strength Training

Opinions & Insights

Program Design

Training

Weight Training

Form & Technique

Chris Gorres is a Washington D.C. based athletic trainer who works with NBA, NFL and MLS players. He founded Onyx Elite with Oguchi Onyewu, a professional soccer player for Philadelphia Union. The facility offers training for high school and college athletes, as well as the general population. Gorres also travels to train professional athletes in the DC area.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.