We’ve all experienced a canceled practice or workout session whether it’s because of nasty weather outside, staff being out of town, construction at the facilities…. Whatever, it happens, but it doesn’t mean it’s an excuse for you to give in and skip training. The best athletes know that what sets them apart from the rest is their dedication to remaining fit and prepared regardless of their circumstances.
For this ‘Ask An IMG Trainer’ blog post, we decided to chat with Victoria Druehl, a Physical Conditioning Coach at IMG Academy in order to help you find ways to workout at home.
Workout Types
Circuit Style: Pick five to six of your favorite exercises listed below and do a set of each with minimal rest between. After you make it through the circuit, take a rest before doing the exercises again three or four more times.
Interval Style: Pick an exercise, for example: goblet squats, and do as many as you can for 20 seconds. After your set you then rest for 10 seconds and repeat eight times. Then, rest for two minutes, pick a new exercise and repeat.
Superset Style: Pick lower body and upper body exercises or lower body and core exercises and do sets of them directly after each other without rest. After you finish the superset, rest for one to two minutes.
Below are some workouts you can do in circuit, interval, or superset styles with little or no equipment.
Upper Body
Pushups: multiple variations and grips
Arm circles/arm pulls
Dips
Core
Planks: multiple variations
Mountain climbers
Dead bug: on your back alternate moving side to side and raising your leg to your hand
Sit ups
Crunches
Scissor kicks
Toe touches
Lower Body
Body weight squats
Lunges
Glute bridges
Lateral squats
Lateral lunges
Wall sits
So mix and match away! Staying inside and working out in the privacy of your own home can truly be fun, and when practice starts up again, you’ll be glad you didn’t slack off on your training.
It’s
a golden time for signature shoes. While the old guard of players such as
LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who are on their 17th and 12th
shoe respectively, still exists, there’s a new guard of players like Kyrie
Irving, Paul George, and Giannis Antetokounmpo who want to make their mark on
the kicks game.
Paul
George has brought a much-needed breath of fresh air to the signature sneaker
world. He’s one of the few players who insists on having a low-cut shoe, and he
has consistently prioritized performance on the basketball court above all
else. The PG 4 is no different.
Nike
designer Tony Hardman took all of George’s feedback about the 3 and worked to
create an even better shoe. One of the major updates implemented was an
overhaul of the cushioning system. In the past, George and Hardman had been
content with Zoom Air cushioning living in the forefoot. This time around, the
two decided to do something never-before-seen in a Nike shoe. Swapping the
strobel (a sock-like layer that connects the outsole to the rest of the shoe)
for cushioning had been done in the KD 12, but Hardman swapped it for a complete
Zoom Air Unit that provides elite cushioning.
With
the PG, Nike has been willing to try less-than-traditional traction patterns looking
for any advantage over the classic herringbone pattern that is frequently used.
Similar to the circular pattern they used for the PG 3, the 4 draws on
inspiration from the cloud-like design of the Zoom Air Unit itself. The other
noticeable aesthetic change is the addition of a zip-up shroud covering the
laces. The shroud is semi-transparent and made of mesh to offer extra support
while still providing excellent breathability.
Did you know that more records have been set on The Armory’s track than any other track in the world?
A historic venue, a beautiful city, the most talented high school runners in the world — what more could you ask for? The stage is set for another historic weekend here in New York as The 2018 New Balance Nationals Indoor gets underway.
With athletes like Arria Minor, a top overall sprinter who will be competing in the 200m and 400m, Lanae-Tava Thomas, the number one female long jump athlete, and Brendon Stewart, the top ranked male in the 60m — the battle to be named an All-American will be intense and plenty of new records will be set.
Make sure to follow along with this blog and on our social channels all weekend long for up-to-date content and photo slideshows.
And if you’re at The Armory competing or cheering racers on this weekend, stop by our Eastbay Experience near the awards area to learn more about us, check out some great New Balance gear, and pick up some Eastbay swag. Best of luck to all competing this weekend!
Friday, March 9
As our team arrived at The Armory this morning and made our way to the Eastbay Experience to set up for the day ahead, you could feel the excitement in the air.
NSAF and New Balance staff members made the final touches to the track and the set-up surrounding it as the early arrivers for the morning events began to check in on the first floor. By 9 AM, all systems were a go in the historic Armory building, signified by the firing of the starting pistol and the thunderous noise of runners on the track.
Kettlebells are an essential workout tool today, and are super versatile. They’re easy to use for in-home or gym workouts and can be used to perform anything from normal barbell and dumbbell exercises to kettlebell specific movements.
The kettlebell can help you improve your strength, muscle mass, power, and explosiveness, all while working on your cardio as well. If you are looking for an all-around simple and safe workout, chances are the kettlebell is your best choice.
Below is a guide put together by our friends at Stack.com. It includes six kettlebell warm-ups — two for each range of difficulty. Feel free to start at whichever level feels most comfortable to you.
Beginner:
Start with 10-, 20-, and 30-pound kettlebells for females, and 20-, 30-, and 40-pound kettlebells for males. These circuits should be a general warm-up with a total body focus and they’re ideal before strength training, conditioning, speed training, or plyometrics.
Circuit 1 (perform each exercise for 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 times):
Jump Rope
Two-Handed Kettlebell Swings
Lunges
Inchworms
Bear Crawls
Push-ups
Plank
Reverse Crunches
Circuit 2 (perform each exercise for 30 seconds, repeat 2-3 times):
Jump Rope
Two-Handed Kettlebell Swings
Goblet Squats
Reverse Lunges
One-Legged Hip Hinges (each leg)
Medicine Ball Chest Pass
Intermediate:
Start with 15-, 25-, and 35-pound kettlebells for females, and 20-, 35-, and 50-pound kettlebells for males.
Circuit 1:
Jump Rope
Two-Handed Kettlebell Swings
Lunges (kettlebell held overhead, do 30 seconds on each side)
One-Legged Hip Hinges (each leg, bodyweight only)
Push-Ups
Bear Crawls
Heavy Rope Slams
Plank
Circuit 2:
Jump Rope
One-Handed Kettlebell Swings (do 30 seconds with each hand)
Kettlebell Deadlifts
Inchworms
Sled Push
Sled Pull
Plank
Advanced:
Start with 20-, 35-, and 50-pound kettlebells for females, and 30-, 45-, and 60-pounders for males.
One of the most common lifts in a high school athlete’s strength program today is the deadlift, a total body hinge exercise that works everything from your quadriceps to you trapezius muscles.
But the unfortunate reality of this great exercise is that many athletes are doing it incorrectly, or aren’t using the lift to their full advantage.
This is where we come in to help. Thanks to Thea Vock, a Physical Conditioning Coach with IMG Academy, we have the information you need to make every deadlift a successful one.
Q: Why is the deadlift an important workout for athletes today?
A: “The deadlift is something that many people do wrong. There are so many moving parts to the lift and it’s one of the most difficult to teach, especially to a young kid. Deadlifting is pretty much the only movement that will literally work the whole body. It works all the way from the ground up, so you are using your arms, your core, your legs, your hamstrings, and your glutes. It really is one of the best exercises to do for an overall total body workout.”
Q: Can you break down proper deadlift form for us?
A: “The lift involves a hinging movement so it’s much different than a squat where you are moving just straight down and up. Basically, it’s just moving your hips back and then extending them forward in one fluid motion.
To start, you’ll generally want to put your feet right under your hips, making sure your toes are pointing straight ahead or slightly turned out depending on what makes you comfortable. Make sure your hands are right outside of your hips while underneath your shoulders, and then you want to check your back to make sure it is nice and flat with no arch and that your shoulders are locked in. From there, you’ll brace your core and take a deep breath before driving up feet first while moving the bar up straight, keeping it nice and close to your legs all in one fluid motion. As you pass your knees with the bar while coming up, that’s when you’re driving your hips forward with the bar nice and close to your body. Make sure to repeat those steps on the way down so you don’t hurt your back as well.”
Q: Could you give us a few different variations of this exercise?
A: “What we trainers usually like to start with is a kettle bell deadlifts. The form is the same, they will just do the hinging movement with the kettlebell between their legs. Then you have the sumo deadlift where your feet are out wider than your hips, your toes are facing out, and your hands go on the inside of your legs. Another unique variation I like is the hex bar deadlift, this is a hexagonal bar that you will stand in the middle of with your hands on the outside of your hips doing the same hinging motion.”
Q: What are some common mistakes people make while deadlifting?
A: “The biggest and most common mistake would be the rounding of the back. A lot of times, the athlete will begin in a good position, but as soon as they start to lift the weight, they round their back, meaning the weight is probably too heavy for them. Another mistake I see is people locking their knees out and then driving their hips forward. With that we like to see that the bar is staying close to their knees, and as they pass the knees with the bar coming up that their hips are shooting forward. This keeps pressure off the lower back.”
Q: How does an athlete know when it’s the right time to add more weight to the bar?
A: “Starting out, you’ll want to stay pretty light so you can get the form down. What I like to do is ask the athlete how they feel and if they can do the eight reps or whatever they are doing pretty easily. If they can, then I’ll add weight to both sides, usually in 2.5 pound increments. On the other end of things if they are struggling through eight reps I’ll just keep them there, or if their form isn’t looking good then I’ll have them drop some weight.”
