National Athlete of the Month | Allyson Felix | May 2012

Event: 100m, 200m, 400mBorn: 11/18/1985
College: USC
 
Career Highlights: 2008 Olympic 4x400m gold medalist; Two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist ('04,'08)
 
A past 100m, 200m and 400m champion, in 2012 Allyson Felix must decide which races to focus on for London. She made history at the 2009 IAAF World Outdoor Championships by becoming the first woman ever to win three world 200-meter titles. In 2007 Felix became the second woman in history to win three gold medals at one World Championships (200m, 4x100m and 4x400m). In 2005, she went undefeated in the 200m, winning the world title and recorded the three fastest times in the world. As an 18-year-old, she won her first Olympic medal in the women’s 200m at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and secured the world junior record at 22.18. Felix actually ran faster at a meet in Mexico City in 2003 (22.11), but meet organizers had not arranged for drug testing at the meet and the time wasn't ratified by the IAAF. Her winning time at the 2004 Olympic Trials 200m (22.28) was faster than every winning time at the Olympic Games through 1976. Her father, Paul, is an ordained minister who teaches New Testament Greek at the Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, Calif. Her mother, Marlean, is an elementary school teacher. High school teammates called her “chicken legs” due to her long, spindly legs. She didn’t start running track until her freshman year of high school. USA Today reported that she had leg-pressed 700 pounds on a machine and dead-lifted 245 pounds. Felix was a prep media sensation, having had front-page articles in Sports Illustrated and USA Today, among other publications.
 
USA Championships
2011 USA Outdoor 400m champion (50.40)
2010 USA Outdoor 100m champion (11.27)
Five-time USA Outdoor 200m champion - 2004 (22.28); 2005 (22.13); 2007 (22.34); 2008 (21.82); 2009 (22.02)
2004 USA Junior 200m champion (22.28)
2003 USA Indoor 200m champion (23.14) - National High School record
 
International Championships
2011 World Outdoor 400m silver medalist (49.59) and 200m bronze medalist (22.42)
2008 Olympic 4X400m gold medalist (3:18.54)
Two-time Olympic 200m silver medalist - 2004 (22.18); 2008 (21.93)
Three-time World Outdoor 200m gold medalist - 2005 (22.16); 2007 (21.81); 2009 (22.02)
Two-time World Outdoor 4x100m gold medalist - 2007 (41.98); 2011 (41.56)
Three-time World Outdoor 4x400m gold medalist - 2007 (3:18.55); 2009 (3:17.83); 2011 (3:18.09)
2003 Pan American Games bronze medalist (22.93)
 
Awards and Honors
Three-time Jesse Owens award winner (2005, 2007, 2010)
2010 Diamond League champion in the 200m and 400m
USA Junior and high school 200m record holder (22.51)
Five-time California state prep champion (three-time 100m, two-time 200m)
2001 World Youth 100m gold medalist

Exercise of the Month | Hamstring Curl on Physioball | May 2012

The Hamstring Curl is an excellent low impact exercise for the lower extremity. When you add the physioball into the equation it becomes a great core exercise, as well. Equipment needed for this exercise is minimal: an open space on the floor and a medium sized physioball.

As with any exercise, a effective warm-up is needed before proceeding. To get into position for this exercise, lay supine on your back with your feet resting on top of the physioball. To begin the exercise, tighten your abdominal muscles and lift up into a bridge position. Then, roll the ball toward you by bending your knees and hips. After you have rolled the ball inward, pause and slowly extend your knees allowing the ball to roll away from your body, stopping it when your knees are fully extended. After your become accustomed to this exercise you may add difficulty by performing the motion with only one leg on the physioball at a time.

Muscles Involved: Bicep femoris, Semimembranosus, Semitendinosus, Gluteus maximus, Abdominals, Obliques.

Weekly Training Article | Proper Hydration Is Vital | 5/28/12-6/3/12

By Wolney H. Filho

How many liters of water do you drink per day? Everyone should drink at least 2 liters of water per day, and if you exercise or are overweight, even more. Your body is made up of mostly of water. Approximately 85% of your brain, 80% of your blood and 70% of your muscles are water. Every cell in your body needs water to live. Water is responsible for transporting nutrients and energy to muscles and for taking waste from tissues.

Water helps remove the dangerous toxins that your body takes in from the air you breathe, the food you eat, and the chemicals used in the various products you use on your skin and hair. Another thing water does for your body is cushion your joints. Water carries oxygen and nutrients into all your cells. Water also helps regulate your body temperature.

You need water to keep your metabolism working properly. In order for this to happen, there is a certain level of water in each of our bodies that we need to maintain. If we do not keep that amount, our bodies will start to dehydrate. An easy way to think of this is to imagine the oil your car needs. If your oil level gets too low, your engine will start to run rough. If you totally deplete the oil supply in your car, your engine will stop running. It's the same situation with your body.

Therefore, it's easy to see why it's very important to drink six to eight glasses of water per day. If you do not have enough water your blood pressure can fall to dangerously low levels. Blood clots may form. Your normal kidney function may become impaired. You may get terrible constipation.

Some of the signals your body gives of a low water level are constipation, terribly dry skin, and increased incidence of urinary tract infections and reoccurring headaches.

If you have a problem with water retention, excess salt may be the cause. Your body will tolerate a certain amount of sodium, however, the more salt you consume, the more fluid you need to dilute it. To overcome this problem, always drink plenty of water.

Do you see relationship between body dehydration and weight increase? Water contributes to energy storage, along with glycogen. Without water, extra amounts of glucose remain in the bloodstream until reaching the liver ... the extra glucose is stored as fat. Your body takes water from inside cells, including fat cells, in an effort to compensate for a dehydrated state. Less water in your fat cells means less mobilization of fat for energy.

One of the primary functions of the liver is to metabolize stored fat into energy. The kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins, wastes, ingested water and salts out of the bloodstream. If you are dehydrated, the kidneys cannot function properly and the liver must work overtime to compensate. As a result, it metabolizes less fat. So remember, if you are trying to decrease the amount of fat on your body, drink plenty of water.

There are three ways we get water into our bodies: We get it from the foods we eat, the fluids we drink and as a by-product of metabolism. It's always better to drink pure water instead of soda, tea or coffee. These products actually increase your need for fluids because most contain caffeine, which is a diuretic. Diuretics force out stored water, along with certain essential nutrients.

Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net

Weekly Training Article | The Keys to Well-Rounded Strength Training | 5/21/12-5/27/12

So you've decided to strength train, but do you have a well rounded strength training routine? There are many books and programs that will dispense information, but the bottom line is that you are very unique. Your goals, your fitness level, your experience and your personal strengths and weaknesses all make you unique.
The reason I bring this up is because unless you find a program that talks directly to YOU, you will have a hard time finding a routine that works for YOU. You'll need to find well rounded strength training routines (many of them in fact), and healthy meal suggestions.
A well rounded strength training routine should include 7 factors. If your routine is missing one of these 7, I strongly recommend finding a new program. The 7 factors are: reps, sets, rest, recovery, exercises, pace and change. Some specific details are below.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #1: Reps. How many reps you need will depend on your goals. As a general guideline, you want to work anywhere between 8-12 reps for adding lean muscle and toning up. Working at a rep range above 15 is for endurance training. Rep ranges under 8 are primarily used for adding muscle mass and higher gains in strength.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #2: Sets. I like to stay between 3-5 sets for general health and fitness. Sets higher than 5 should be supervised and part of a program designed by a trainer specifically for you. Sets under 3 are primarily for power lifting and 1RM work.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #3: Rest. Inbetween each set should be at least 1 minute of rest. This allows your muscles to gather back strength for the next set. The only time rest between sets may be skipped is during a superset. This is where you work one muscle and then immediately move to the next muscle, and then back to the first muscle. Even under this circumstance, the first muscle is resting while you work the second muscle. So the rest period still exists.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #4: Recovery. If you work your biceps today, they need to rest tomorrow. You should allow 48 hours of recovery between working the same muscle. This ensures proper rest. Gains in strength and size occur during your recovery time.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #5: Exercises. You should do an exercise for each major muscle group. If you are just beginning, I like to recommend a full body routine. Choose an exercise for each muscle group and complete the proper amount of reps and sets that day.
You can split up your exercises and perform them on different days. For example, you can do upper body today and lower body tomorrow. Work your larger muscles first (chest, back, quads, etc) and then work the smaller muscles (triceps, biceps, calves, etc).
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #6: Pace. A good rule of thumb is to move through each repetition by following the speed of your breathe. Exhale on the hard parts and inhale on the easy parts. Or another unit of measure is 2 seconds on the lift and 4 seconds on the lowering.
Well Rounded Strength Training Routine Factor #7: Change. You should change your strength training routine every 4-6 weeks. This will prevent your body from reaching a plateau and will help keep things fresh.
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net

Weekly Training Article | Common Errors to Avoid While Running | 5/14/12-5/20/12

By David Horne
Running is one of the most heavily participated sports and recreational activities in the world. However, from a young age, we are told to go out on the streets and run until we are tired. This may be alright for a while but further on down the road you will be likely to sustain an overuse injury that takes away your passion for running.
In order to make running a lifetime activity you need to be aware of some of the contributing factors that lead to common running injuries. Once you acknowledge these injury-causing factors, then you can develop the right plan for you. This applies to both the recreational runner as well as the competitive runner.
To ensure that you gain the most out of your training sessions, while also reducing the risk of sustaining an injury, be sure to take note of the following mistakes made by many athletes and coaches.
Excessive hill running can often lead to excessive demands placed on the calf muscles (possible shin splints). Shin splints are an absolute nightmare for a runner. This type of injury can put you out of running for months.

Excessive downhill running can lead to increased stress on the quadriceps muscle. Most athletes say that running downhill is easier, however, it is just as tough on your body as running uphill.
Running in one direction all the time (track work or running around the tennis court, football field, etc.) can cause excessive pronation on the inside leg. Once again, this can be easily fixed by alternating directions in which you run.
Running on unforgiving surfaces/street running (high impact). Asphalt is not an appropriate running surface. This is one of the major causes of knee and hip injuries for runners. Roads are made for cars and not runners! If you must run on asphalt, add in some runs on a grass surface.
Lack of variety in your training sessions can lead to overuse injuries, as well as mental boredom. Select different workouts each week. Do you always run the same route, in the same direction, each time? If so, vary where you run, the distance you run, as well as the intensity of the run.
Running on an uneven surface, such as a grass field. Often athletes try to avoid the hard surface of the streets so they decide to run on uneven fields, which can lead to injuries of the feet. I love running on ovals as they are more friendly on my body. But I choose not to run on a football ground, as I know that the surface is likely to be uneven and full of holes. Most recreational parks are better.
Increasing training volume too quickly (allow for individual progression). This is a tough one for highly driven individuals who thrive on pushing themselves. Have a plan and follow it. Even if you feel that you can push yourself and run that extra mile, hold back!

Increasing the pace or speed at which you run too quickly (can be achieved slowly through Fartlek training). Try and stick with your plan and run at a similar speed before you get into your next phase. As we improve we often want to run faster. Increasing both the speed and distance of your run at the same time can lead to injury.
It is important to wear the proper footwear when you run. Encourage your athletes to change from their normal sports shoes (eg. tennis shoes, basketball shoes) to running shoes prior to starting their run. Wearing tennis or basketball shoes while running long distances will lead to injuries. They don't provide the required support for the feet.
Recognize that each individual will have their own pace and level of endurance, so set individual goals for each athlete. When running in a group at a set pace, that pace may be comfortable for some runners, but too fast for others. Divide your athletes into two even groups. This is often a big flaw for many coaches of sports teams. We have all been guilty of doing this in the past, but you must allow for the individual abilities of athletes.
Running long distances in extreme weather conditions, such as freezing temperatures, hot and humid conditions or even when there has been a high pollution alert level given by the weather bureau. My tennis coach in college would often make our team run at 7:00a.m. in the morning, in the middle of winter, in North Carolina. As you could imagine we would often suffer from bronchitis and other common respiratory ailments. Unfortunately, mine developed into pneumonia … so, make sure the environmental conditions are appropriate for running.
Be smart when you run and your body will thank you for it!
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net

Weekly Training Article | Interval Training: A Key to Fitness | 5/7/12-5/13/12

By Ian Williamson
When it comes to exercise, the word 'intervals' puts fear in many peoples' minds. Intervals are sometimes misunderstood, but adding them to your exercise program can help you burn fat and get in shape quicker.
Intervals are not for everyone. To begin performing intervals, you should be in good condition, and a physical from your doctor is highly recommended.
What are intervals? The easiest definition would be periods of high intensity exercise followed by recovery periods of low intensity exercise.
Here's an example. You are following a walking program and have been walking briskly for thirty minutes a day, four days a week. You feel pretty good but would like to lose weight a little quicker.
Intervals might be perfect for you. Begin your regular walking program and after five minutes, jog for ten, twenty, thirty seconds or more. Your heart rate will begin to increase and your breathing will pick up. After this period, return to walking briskly until you have completely recovered. Then, begin to jog again.
In the beginning, you may only want to perform two or three of these short jogs. That's fine. Do what's comfortable for you. Later, as you become more accustomed to this routine, you can add more jogs or increase the length of time you jog.
During each period of jogging, your heart rate has increased. When you stop jogging and continue walking, your heart rate will be at an increased rate for a minute or so. This is an added benefit. During aerobic exercise you want your heart rate to increase, which makes it stronger and makes you healthier.
Intervals work great on a treadmill. You can increase the speed for however long you want, or you can increase the height for added difficulty.
This is interval training at a low level but you still get benefits from it. You can follow a similar routine in your other aerobic exercise, as well. For instance, if you are riding a bike for exercise, every so often pedal faster until you begin breathing heavier, and then return to riding as before.
You can see that interval training is not only for athletes. It's one of the fastest and most effective means of reaching a top level of fitness and decreasing body fat. Do these routines three or four days a week and watch your fitness level go up while your pounds begin to disappear.
Source: physicalfitnessarticles.net
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