November 2019 Newsletter
One of our missions is to become recognized as world leaders in sports performance. We have been extremely fortunate to work with athletes of all levels since the inception of Varsity House. As a result, we wanted to level up our training processes and show everyone how to train athletes for optimal performance.
We revamped our speed and performance training days.
We recorded over 10,000 performance numbers.
We created comparison charts and data as reference points.
We got results. Every athlete that walks in our doors improves by 8.4% within 8 weeks.
What’s the Secret Sauce?
I think by now we all understand the importance of strength training. Whether you are a coach, parent, or athlete you understand that your athlete’s have to be strong in order to have a competitive edge in the world of sports performance.
Strength, however, is relative.
A competitive strength-based athlete must be strong as lifting heavy weight, typically with the use of a barbell or free weight.
A dancer or gymnast must possess incredible body weight strength to be able to manipulate their body through time and space.
A team sport athlete should be able to strike the ground with force with each stride which requires a great deal of specific strength.
Strength in the realm of sports performance is how fast can an athlete produce force and get from point A to point B in a little time as possible, this is known as SPRINTING.
Contrary to popular belief, sprinting is the MOST explosive exercise in the world. No other exercise requires the nervous system and the body to utilize 100% of their entire motor units. In layman terms, the entire body and brain is used to sprint.
Sprinting is the foundation of all athletic performance. At Varsity House Gym, we have CREATED fast athletes.
According to 3,000 numbers of compiled data over the last 3 years, the average athlete who walks inside our doors and spends a minimum of 8 weeks in our performance program gets 8.4% FASTER.
I want to quickly explain 4 reasons why the sprint is the KING of all exercises.
Reason #1 Speed is Strength
With every single stride, the human body, regardless of training age, generates 5x the amount of force. You read that right.
If you weigh 100lbs and take 1 step that = 500lbs of force. Obviously, the more weight you carry the more force you generate.
Find me an athlete who can squat over 1,000lbs!
Reason #2 Speed is a Mind-Brain Activity
As mentioned previously, the brain utilizes 100% of it’s motor units. This means, the central nervous system is extremely engaged. Athletes who sprint faster also make faster decisions, react quicker, and have more agility.
Why? They are FAST and TRAIN with the brain!
Reason #3 Speed Can Injury Proof the Body
Injury prevention is extremely important. We always say the number one asset you have as an athlete is availability. I understand you must perform “correction exercises” and specific exercises to help bulletproof the body.
However, NOTHING in the weight room requires the muscles to contract and relax as much as sprinting. The body is moving so fast, the muscles, tendons, connective tissues, and fascia all learn to become resilient to be able to handle the forces of sprinting and jumping.
Reason #4 Speed Can Improve Your Conditioning
This point makes people’s heads turn.
Let me explain.
Having your athletes run at a moderate pace for long periods of time can actually have a NEGATIVE effect on the body. How?
Because you’re not accomplishing anything in this “middle zone.”
Let’s say you have two cars. The first car’s engine can handle speeds up to 300mph and has a bigger engine. The second car’s engine can handle speeds up to 150mph and has a smaller engine. Which car will be able to maintain a higher speed for longer periods of time? Car A – I hope you said. This is called the Speed Reserve.
An athlete truly never reaches TOP SPEED in a game. However, they can in training. If an athlete has a higher ceiling – they’re “in game” speed will be much faster than a slower athlete.
We pride ourselves at Varsity House Gym in properly progressing and acclimating our athletes to being able to produce these levels of speed. In the process, we get athletes faster.
Open Enrollment is right around the corner and I highly suggest you sign up before our spots are filled!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns reply to this email.
-Adam Menner
P.S. If you would like to work with us and train at Varsity House here’s how we can help!
- CLICK HERE to Register Early for Winter Open Enrollment
- Call the gym and book your free consult 201-767-1305
- Simply respond to this email to let us know where you need some help!
