March Athlete Spotlight – Luke Mellon

This month’s Athlete Spotlight is about Soccer player, Luke Mellon.

Luke is a forward with Fortuna Düsseldorf Football Club in Germany. Luke started training at SST as a kid and has returned to Canada in his off-season to prepare for his upcoming season .Check out the video below to see what brought him to SST and how it has made a difference in his athletic career!

 

 

 

Core Training For Hockey Players

Core Training For Hockey Players

Core and Instability Training – Circus Act, or Performance Fact?

It is becoming impossible to talk about strength and conditioning without someone mentioning “CORE” training. The notion that in order to have functional sports training you must train the core specifically is not only wrong, but is leading to many problems and imbalances in today’s poorly trained athletes. Before we delve into this, let’s first examine the classical thinking behind “core” training. To many, the core consists of the muscles in the abdomen, lower back, some even include muscles of the pelvis, ribcage, and spine into the equation. You can begin to see where the problem with “core” training begins as it means many different things to different people. Some believe sit-ups and leg raises to be core training, others argue the core is trained with every movement. So which is it? Well, although sit-ups and leg raises will isolate and train the muscles of the abdomen, they likely will not improve performance. In fact they can lead to tight hip flexor muscles and decrease mobility; a hockey player’s worst nightmare. In order for improved performance we must improve the body’s ability to transfer force between tissues. In order to achieve the greatest amount of force transfer the body must develop the ability to remain stiff. This is where the core comes into play; for improved performance we must train the core’s ability to remain rigid in order to allow for force transfer between the upper and lower extremity. This is especially important in hockey during changing direction, taking a slap shot, and many other basic skills performed numerous times each game.

How do we train Stiffness?

To train the body to be able to stay stiff under different conditions we must put it in different situations and force it to remain stiff. Sounds simple? The devil is in the details – using single leg exercises, the body is forced to stabilize itself; also single arm weighted carries may be some of the best core exercises you can use. In both cases, the body is given an uneven load that it is forced to balance in order to perform the exercise. Other variations that are great for improving stability: plank variations and loaded squats; both encourage stiffness throughout the mid section in order to transfer force between the lower and upper body. Therefore, if training the body to balance is best then wouldn’t using unstable surface equipment be the most effective?

Although these types of training techniques are often utilized in an attempt to improve stability within the core during exercise, you may not be achieving these benefits from them. Studies have shown that unstable surface training in trained athletes does not provide adequate stimulus in order to promote a training effect. As a result although it may look impressive to stand on a physio ball with a barbell over your head, or to balance a dumbbell on your head while squatting on a Bosu, in actual fact you are not receiving much more than a cool story to tell at the dinner table that night, and certainly not an increase in performance. In reality, sports are played on stable surfaces and should be trained on stable surfaces. The inclusion of unstable surfaces during training can also potentially increase the risk of injury due to falling, rolled ankles etc. If the goal of training is to reduce injury and increase performance, then training in a fashion that best mimics the demands of the sport is your best option.

Dave Scott McDowell

SST has been very fortunate to have trained thousands of hockey athletes throughout their 8 locations in Canada. We, at SST, wish everyone a great summer and remind you to concentrate on your off –ice training. Please check out our website www.sst.training for more info about SST’s High Performance Summer Camp!

Learn how to become faster by dragging a sled, tire flipping, fire hose dragging, car dragging and much more!

Our locations include:

Burlington http://sst.training/burlington.php

Hamilton ; http://sst.training/hamilton.php

Laval ; http://sst.training/laval.php

Milton ; http://sst.training/milton.php

Mississauga; http://sst.training/mississauga.php

Oakville ; http://oakville.sst.training/

Richmond Hill; http://sst.training/richmondhill.php

Waterloo; http://sst.training/waterloo.php

Hockey Summer Training Part 4

Part 1- Overtraining

Part 2- strengthen weak muscles

Part 3- don’t be a Jack of all Trades!

Part 4- Spending Too Much Time on Machines!

Too many players fall into the trap of using weight machines instead of opting for free weights. This is the center of a debate that has gone on for a long time. SST recommends limiting the use of machines in favor of incorporating more free weights and unstable device work. The results speak for themselves. Hockey is three dimensional so train in this manner. By limiting yourself to machines only the prime mover muscles are recruited while the stabilizing muscles remain under worked. Free weights help strengthen the stabilizing muscles by working in a three dimensional plane.

I never understand why some strength coaches would have an injury free player perform leg press as a testing procedure. If you spend time on your back during a game there is a definite problem with your game! As well, leg press does not strengthen the lower back region; instead, it places compression on the lumbar vertebrae. We prefer to have hockey athletes learn how to dead lift or squat properly so that they can use the resulting functional strength on the ice. Here’s a great idea. Get yourself a 500-pound truck tire and set up a tire-flipping program. Not only will your lower back and legs get strong but your grip will also be improved and you’ll benefit from the added component of energy system training, which will have you gasping for air!

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We, at SST, wish everyone a great summer and remind you to concentrate on your training. Please check out our website www.sst.training for more info about SST’s High Performance Summer Camp!

Learn how to become faster by dragging a sled, tire flipping, fire hose dragging, car dragging and much more!

Our locations include

Burlington

Hamilton

Laval

Milton

Mississauga

Oakville

Richmond Hill

Waterloo

How to pack a healthy lunch for your child Part 6!

Be careful of the drinks you pack. It’s tempting to send prepackaged drink boxes, however; they are almost all filled with too much sugar and empty calories. Instead opt for water or milk sent in reusable drink containers. Children need to stay well hydrated for proper concentration, to avoid fatigue and for proper cognitive brain function. Sugary drinks dehydrate and add too many extra empty calories.

His parents stress the importance of recycling

www.sst.training

www.myblueprintnutrition.com

CFL COMBINE READY! Mercer Timmis!

mercer Timmis combine

The Combine is here and I am feeling ready. All the sacrifices that have been made through these last few months have all been preparing for this weekend. It has been filled with a strict nutrition plan, and countless hours on the field and in the gym. With Larry’s Combine prep program I feel that I am as prepared as I could be.  This last week in Burlington, was the final preparation in order to get ready for the combine. It was focused primarily on technique and making sure my body is primed for this weekend. With The help of Larry, the SST Burlington team, and Steve Bodanis they have prepared me for success and I am looking forward to an exciting weekend in Toronto. 

Mercer E Timmis

Haskayne School of Business ’17

Risk Management: Insurance and Finance

Combine READY- DAWGMODE BRETT BLASZKO

Brett B combine

 

Over the past 10 weeks I’ve had the unbelievable pleasure of working with Canada’s top training facility, Sports Specific Training. Not only have I had the pleasure of training with some of the top athletes in Canada, but I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked and coached alongside Larry Jusdanis and his amazing team including Steve Bodanis, John Blair, Dave McDowell and Sean Stewart. Over the past 10 weeks we’ve seen tremendous improvements in my physical shape and strength, which has significantly helped me prepare for the individual tests and on field work that will take place the combine. Choosing to stay in Burlington and train here wasn’t easy but I knew if I wanted to continue to chase my dream of playing at the next level and having an impact at the next level, that this is where I had to be. As my combine training comes to an end, I would like to thank Larry and Steve and SST for the time and effort they put in with me trying to prepare me for this huge event. I’m ready and I’m beyond excited for this incredible opportunity. LETS GO!

– Brett Blaszko

Get Your Summer Body ready Part 2!

Just in case you missed Part 1 of this series..... CLICK HERE

I know it may sound like it early but summer is right around the corner!

Part 2

Write down your goal. Studies have shown that by simply writing down a goal and posting it where you can visibly see it daily leads to greater success.

Sleep. Aim for a minimum of 7-8 hours of deep restful sleep every night. Your weight loss goals will never be obtained without adequate sleep.

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sst.training

Maca- what the heck is this???

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Health Benefits of Maca

Maca, a root that belongs to the radish family & grown in Peru has long been valued for its health benefits. Maca is a powerful adaptogenic agent with a rich nutritional content. Maca contains 31 trace minerals, rich in vitamin B12 and protein. Maca also contains vitamins B1, B2, C, E and plenty of calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus & amino acids, making it especially vital for those with a weakened immune system.

Athletes use Maca to increase energy, stamina & endurance, as it is rich in sterols, a natural plant hormone-like substance.

Available as a powder, pill or tea, Maca is also beneficial for:

· Relief from menstrual & menopause symptoms including: cramps, hot flashes, anxiety, mood swings & depression

· Increase energy levels, often within days of consumption

· Increase stamina & performance, making it valuable for athletes

· Excellent for skin, helping clear acne & blemishes

· Mood balance, including relief from anxiety, stress & depression

· Increase mental clarity & focus

· Keeps your bones & teeth healthy & allows wounds to heal more quickly

CFL Combine Blog Dillon Guy

Dillon Guy snow

 

My conclusion to the first phase of my training and preparation for the upcoming CFL combine and season. I feel that this would be a good time to check in and share my progress through this blog.

I am roughly two months out of ACL surgery and I can honestly say that I feel great and am always pushing myself to go above and beyond the ” Norm” . To define what the “Norm”  means , the best way to describe it is by simply doing what is expected. There is nothing wrong with doing the norm, if you’re content with just being average.  Personally I never am ok with the thought of being just average and when I look at the “Norm” I see it as a barrier that can be broken through. For example just being 7 weeks out of surgery I began to deadlift which consisted of 6 sets of 5 to 8 reps at the weight of 365. Now keep in mind that The staff here kept a close eye on each rep to ensure that I kept great form and to cut me off at any sign of compensation in  the left leg. To do this I must have incredible discipline in your nutrition and in the recovery process . Think of your body as a high end luxury sports  car.  To drive it the car requires supreme gas not the standard unleaded 87 gas. The human body is no different, as you cannot possibly expect to perform  at a high level if you put crap in your body. At Sst they put a huge emphasis on your nutrition because of the great importance it has on the athletes performance and recovery . 

The PROCESS….the will to win???? Do you have it???

Just working away and I asked one of my athletes if he wanted to participate in our upcoming 2016 Big Man camp for OL/DL..he stated no cause he wanted to tryout for a specific all star team and workout..no problem I totally understood

Although, this got me thinking…as a coach my players always here me say – you need to work the process- what do I mean by this?  I have no problem with this athlete or any other athlete wanting to play in all star games but I ask this- EVERYONE wants to win but what are you going to do in your athletic and academic process to get there?

I asked Diesel the same question and he said he went to as many camps as possible when he was younger…I asked one of my highly skilled athlete the same question – he attends as many camps as he can afford but does a ton to get better..says he rather spend his money on getting better with great coaching

The process…..learning as much as you can from a variety of coaches….taking these new found attributes in helping you succeed

I think about Michael O’ Connor- Vanier Cup champ and QB- would he be as good as he is by just playing games in Canada? Or by going to camps…training schools in the USA? Probably not- actually CERTAINLY not.

He won on that Saturday because of the work he put in…the process of his development..the hours of training with proper coaching

Agree or disagree but highly skilled athletes spend millions of hours honing their craft-spending endless time on a basketball court/ ice rink/ football field by themselves bettering their game- they went thru the PROCESS of hard endless work

Larry Jusdanis