TD Athletes Edge offers high level, research-based strength training advice for athletes of all levels through our blog and social media. Using evidence and experience, TDAE helps you turn training, recovery, and nutrition into achievement.
Viewing entries in
Training
Compared to training in any other sport, basketball strength and conditioning approaches are like the wild, wild West. As we are watching in the NBA Finals, the game of basketball has a high-octane, unpredictable nature and a long list of physical skills necessary to compete. This makes it an outstanding game to play or watch, but leads to "basketball specific" training strategies that are all over the map.
If you have ever looked at a new training or fitness program as "THE ONE" that is finally going to get you the results that have eluded you, then you are not alone. The flaw in this approach is looking to the program for results instead of looking in the mirror for them.
You should be able to do biceps and triceps work without worrying the "beach muscle" police are going to spear tackle you. Let me tell you why arm work is functional, how to do it responsibly and give you four unique exercises to pump your bi's and tri's.
A few extra miles per hour on your fastball can change everything. This study set out to determine if baseball players could increase their velocity in just 6 weeks. Here's what they found and my take on it all.
The number of athletes that I have worked with who would feel safer licking the bottom of their shoe after a night on Bourbon Street than locking their knees out while training is incredible. Lets get to the bottom of this exercise conundrum.
Planks, turkish get-ups, kettlebell swings, loaded carries and battle ropes - within the last 5 to 10 years they have each taken their turn as the latest and greatest viral exercise. I'm not doubting that the popular exercises listed above deserve the label of great, but just because they're great for lots of people doesn't mean they are right for you. Here's how to recognize if you are resistant to a great exercise:
Burning primarily sugar for fuel is a devastating error in the quest to shed body fat. Not only does it mean that you limit your chances of torching body fat but the cost of running on sugar at the cellular level is much greater than the cost of burning fat.
Having your pelvis out of position while training may seem like a trivial slip-up. Who really cares where your pelvis is as long as you are burning calories, pounding pavement or pushing weight around? I do. Here is why you should too and how to become a pelvic awareness pro.
This article from Yahoo Health does a great job of showing the importance of recognizing and navigating fitness fads or wearable technology tchotchkes. It also lists some great enduring exercises or fitness tools. Unfortunately, by listing them in a random fashion and suggesting that they will all get you results "no money back guarantee needed," this article is luring people into the workout trap.
The article posted today on bbc.com is a refreshing example of a study author admitting to the limitations of a study or body of work. It's a lesson in the importance of carefully critiquing research quality, reliably, and validity. Not all "research" is created equal.
Mark Madsen has been to the Final Four, won two NBA Championships, is a colleague and someone whom I hold ultimate respect for as a coach and a friend. I asked him about the challenges he faced during the 1998 NCAA tournament when he helped Stanford advance to the Final Four. Mark gives us a backstage snapshot of what the players are up against in March.
The idea that there is a big difference between "working out" and "training" is a head scratcher - the two terms seem synonymous. By the time you finish this post, however, you are going to be crystal clear on what it means to "work out" versus "train".
There is an exercise you are ignoring that can solve your core and posture dysfunction. That exercise is the loaded carry, and you need to being doing it.
