Need Quick Feet?

Fast twitch muscles are extremely important when participating in athletic competition. Here's a short clip of one of our Energy Fitness trainers showcasing some of the footwork drills that we do at our facility. Check Jay's footwork!

A Sensational Start

When we have athletes train at the gym, one area that we target is the start. A start is an important component of an athlete's running pattern.

In different sports there are different types of starts. A track runner uses a starting block in a number of events. Football players have a specific start position that they use for their freestyle 40 yard run. Soccer, tennis and field hockey player require their bodies to go from a resting position to a maximum speed it the shortest amount of time. Therefore, their starts are different from that of a track or football athlete.

A start consists of three elements: an explosive first step, technique and power.

For our football players, we hone the explosive first step and technique aspects of their 40 yard runs. Is the athlete utilizing their arms and shoulders properly? Are the legs coming up and going down as quickly as possible? How many steps are they taking before their body raises up?

With the athletes that need to go from a resting state to another point as quickly as possible, we zero in on their explosive first step and body misdirection control. How is the athlete pushing off with their lead foot? Does the athlete have a strong enough core to sustain their speed? Can the athlete adjust their body to sudden stops and turns?

Our goal is to help each athlete to understand the answers to the questions that we ask. It allows the athlete to develop each aspect of their start, and it helps them to learn their unique push-off and leg turnover characteristics. The end result is an athlete that can move efficiently and quickly to their desired destination with the immediate trigger of a sensational start!

Get A Rope!

Are you looking to get back in shape for the summer? If this is you, walk to your garage and pull out that often overlooked jump rope.

Jumping rope will provide you with a good dose of cardiovascular, coordination, plyometric and breathing technique training. At Energy Fitness, it is common practice for us to include jump ropes in our training sessions.

We have three types of rope that we use. Our thinner, speed rope forces our clients to turn the rope quickly and move their feet faster. The medium rope works the wrists and arms because it is harder to pull overhead. Lastly, our heavy rope helps to develop the shoulders, wrists and forearms. By using each of these ropes, our clients develop a variety of targeted body areas and learn how to adjust their coordination to each particular rope.

Go out today, and get a jump rope. It is a quick, cost-effective and multi-functional way to get ready for vacation season!

All in the Hips

When an athlete walks into my gym for the first time, I can guarantee that they do not know the relationship between their hips and their athletic performance.

Training manuals spend little time on the subject, and athletes hear repeatedly that legs, glutes, abs and upper body development are the keys to their development. However, this is not the case.

The hips are located on both sides of the body in the area below the waist and above the thigh. This ball and socket joint and the muscles surrounding this area are intricately linked to the body’s core, lower abs and legs.

Hip development is vitally important because it allows an athlete to control lower body direction, power and speed. This control is important because athletes are constantly changing directions and speed during the course of play.

To develop hip mobility, flexibility and strength, we incorporate static stretching and a combination of hurdles, plyometric boxes, ladders and cones into our multi-functional drills. These exercises allow our athletes to understand the proper way to move quickly and efficiently within their sport. Secondly, it prevents them from enduring unnecessary injury due to over reliance on other body parts.

Do you know an athlete that wants to improve his or her performance? Tell them, it’s all in the hips, and send them to me on Northside Drive. We can make sure to get them up to speed!