Conditioning doesn’t always have to require running. In our case, at the end of the workout, we can condition by dragging the sled, doing farmer’s walks, suitcase walks, battling ropes, prowler, etc. Tonight, this athlete finished with a paired set that included pull ups and his grip strength was shot. I was planning on doing farmers walk and suitcase walks, but had to change things because I didn’t think his grip would hold up to make the exercise effective. So we went to the waiter’s walk. This exercise doesn’t tax the grip as much, but with the resistance overhead, it can work the trunk and shoulder complex isometrically while conditioning the athlete as well.

Tags: Lacrosse, strength, conditioning, waiters, walk

In an attempt to strengthen the legs, we’ve tried to work in rear foot elevated split squats. The theory is, by going single legged, you can really stress the working leg without loading up the spine with too much weight. Typically the trunk or spine is the weak link in a squat where the resistance is either across the front or back of the shoulders. This way we can load up the leg as best we can and have less concerns about the back being able to handle the weight. We’ll use this exercise for three weeks, then go back to either trap bar deadlift or front squat.

For the rest of the team, I believe in a week or two of active rest. Frisbee, basketball, or just going on a jog is fine. For HS kids, finals is coming up also, so studying is also a priority.

After that, it’s time to hit the gym. I wouldn’t wait any longer than two weeks after the season is finished. The longer they wait, the further they get into the summer, the harder it is to get back into the weight room and make progress.

Spots are filling up for our summer program already. If you’re ready to get in on the action, either email me at pete@lacrossestrength.com or call 201-970-4470 to schedule an interview.

What we fail to understand is the body simply cannot handle the volume of work prescribed without some pharmacological help. Some of these programs were designed by those using anabolics for those taking anabolics. You’d need the drugs to recover from a program like this.

If you’re like most lacrosse players, your nutrition is barely on point, so recovery from training is challenged as it is. That being the case, you can get a great training effect from a program with a lower volume of exercise. I believe in whole body training, one exercise per movement. I have friends who subscribe to the Westside, Conjugate, Skinny Bastards method, and even they only do one heavy exercise per workout session.

The take home message is get your nose out of body building magazines and seek out the advice of a professional strength coach who has your best interests at heart.

PS. With summer coming, new camps and strength programs will be announced. Sign up for our newsletter to get the most up to date information.

No squats??

Keith includes a full self-assessment section, corrective exercises for each major joint in the body, detailed and targeted soft-tissue work, and something called “plug-ins.” For these “plug-ins,” Keith took the corrective exercises and categorized them so that they can be integrated into any training program to ensure that folks are taking care of their issues while still continuing on their current plan.

Check it out at YourUnbreakableBody.com.

Multiplanar Training – Frontal Plane

Tags: Lacrosse, Strength, Core, Strength, training, youth,

Multiplanar Training: Sagittal Plane

Tags: Lacrosse, Strength, Brian, Paris, Multiplaner, Sagittal, Performance, Lacrosse

Lacrosse is a sport that requires training in all planes of motion. This article aims to
teach the reader some tips on enhancing lacrosse performance in the sagital, frontal and
transverse planes of motion. Also the reader will learn about the importance of including
the nervous system in training.

Although we classify movement in three planes of motion when training, one must also
be aware of the six degrees of freedom in movement. For example, sprinting forward
would be considered movement in the sagittal plane and so would sprinting backwards.
The same goes for the frontal and transverse planes. Such as, laterally shuffling to the
left or laterally shuffling to the right, or diagonal running to the left or diagonal running
to the right. Training for lacrosse must have a focus on training for these types
movements not solely muscles. Training the muscles to get bigger and stronger only
does not train them to move more efficiently. If you want to move fast on the lacrosse
field you must train fast. This is how the nervous system works. Just like ‘you are what
you eat’, you perform how you train.

(Kip Turner of the Boston Cannons and Performance Lacrosse trainer Colin Cooley.)

Movement preparation must also be done in all three planes of motion. This better
prepares the nervous system for the demands of the game. Keeping your nervous system
in tune for efficient movement requires flexibility and good joint mobility. This allows
the best feed-back and feed-forward of information resulting in stability. If a player has
tight hips he will be unable to get lower while changing direction. This also puts more
abnormal strain on the knees and ankles leaving them more susceptible to injury.
Your core (everything except your arms and legs) is best trained in all planes of motion.
If you were on the lacrosse field in the same position you are when doing crunches then
chances are you just got leveled. Crunches were designed to make the abdominal
muscles bigger in one plane of motion (sagittal) so they look good when you are static
(not moving). Think about the complexity of all the movements that occur while playing
lacrosse. Full body actions during training that combine planes of motion best prepare
the core to integrate movement between the upper and lower body. This will help the
athlete avoid injury and perform optimally.

Dr. Brian Paris
Advanced Spine & Wellness Center
Performance Lacrosse
302 King Farm Blvd. #120
Rockville, MD 20850
240-361-2225
www.parischiro.com
www.performancelacrossetraining.com

Tags: Performance, Lacrosse, Multiplaner, exercise, movement, Kip, Turner, Brian, Paris, Colin, Cooley

I was moved enough to immediately pull out my credit card and plop down the $29 bucks. I can’t wait to see the whole movie. If I’m feeling this way now after watching a 50 second trailer, I can’t imagine what emotions will stir after seeing the movie in it’s entirety.

Get Strong.

www.strongmovie.com

Tags: Strong, Mike, Guadango, Joe, Defranco, Movie

I wrote an article a while back called Training the Antirotators. It was published in Lax Speed Magazine, by Devoe Human Performance. Although it was written a year or so ago, I think the information is still pretty relevant. You can download the pdf file here=> Antirotators.pdf.

Hope you enjoy it.

Tags: Lacrosse, Strength, Training, Low, Back, Antirotators, Pete, Koeniges

Players should be starting their pre-season routines, if you haven’t already started. Your pre-season program should be tailored toward your goals, whatever they may be. So get a program, and stick to it. Don’t have one? Ask your coach, strength coach, hire a strength coach in your area, or even email a coach. Most coaches would be glad to give you some direction. However you do it, get a program, and work hard.

Tags: lacrosse, strength, program, goals

Every time Joe had a seminar, it was always on a Saturday during the football season, or some other weekend, when I was unavailable due to my work schedule. This time was different. The seminar Joe is doing with Zach Even-Esh is actually on a weekend I’m available. So, on Friday at 10AM, I logged onto defrancostraining.com and went to the store. The pricetag for this weekend event was $495.

Now, a full weekend with these two and their staff is worth double that price to me. But, for the first time, I thought about return on investment (ROI). In this economy, where I’m paying off my credit cards for my kids school clothes, etc, can I get a good ROI? I know the seminar will be fantastic and I’ll get a new perspective on training, but what will I do with that information? The people I train these days are young lacrosse athletes. Most of the time I’m their first strength coach, so I’m doing a lot of “teaching” rather than “training”. So, with great disappointment, I passed on the opportunity.

The continuing education I’m investing in these days focuses on youth training, neurological development, & developing a passion for fitness and exercise. Brian Grasso of the IYCA and Lee Taft seem to educate me with information I can use right now with my athletes. Some day I hope my athletes develop to the point where I can pass them over to guys like Joe & Zach. But for right now, I need to focus on my athletes and their needs rather than my own.

Tags: Lacrosse, Strength, Youth, training, Joe, Defranco, Zach, Even-Esh, IYCA, Lee, Taft, Brian, Grasso