trainitright, Author at Alicia Bell IFBB Pro and Online Coach

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Carmelita Jeter

Jamaica's Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, left, and Carmelita Jeter will go head-to-head in the women's 60m at the British Grand Prix. Photograph: Steven Paston/Action Images

The double Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has criticised male sprinters for avoiding head-to-head competition in the build-up to major championships. The 26-year-old, who faces the world champion, Carmelita Jeter of the United States, over 60 metres in Birmingham on Saturday afternoon, said that while female sprinters regularly face each other throughout the season, the men had a habit of shirking the big showdowns outside championships.

"I definitely think there should be a lot more clashes," said the Jamaican. "I think it would get a lot more excitement, as opposed to just the one athlete competing with himself, basically. If he's No1 or No2 or No3 [in the world] and he's competing against people who are 21, 22 or 23 down the list, there's not much there they can expect. You know what will happen."

On the launch of the Diamond League in 2010 athletics fans were promised more head-to-head clashes between top sprinters such as Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay but, with the best male sprinters tending to command bigger appearance fees than their female counterparts, such showdowns are not cheap. "True. Yes, I think that's pretty much the problem," said Fraser-Pryce. "Who wants to pay for three of the top sprinters when they can all pay for one and have the headline?"

Inequality, it seems, still reigns in the sprint world. Fraser-Pryce feels the situation has improved but even she had to shrug her shoulders when relaying the tale of her arrival at Heathrow this week when an immigration official had no idea that the woman in front of her had won three medals at the London Games, including 100m gold, and instead was more interested in asking the sprinter if she knew Oscar Pistorius.

"I definitely think we have come a far way and now it's definitely getting better," she said. "[But] it's still not at the same level it is for the men and surprisingly the men hardly race each other. You hardly find there is a clash between a particular athlete while females, they can't avoid each other.

"I don't want to say it's an ego thing," she said, "but I definitely think we should have more clashes for male athletes. I think it would do wonders for the sport as well."

Surprisingly this will be Fraser-Pryce's first ever indoor race - her training partner and former world record holder Asafa Powell has been giving her tips on how to cope with the abrupt end -and she faces a tough line-up in Murielle Ahouré of the Ivory Coast who has already run 7seconds flat this year, as well as the second fastest woman in history, Jeter. "I know Carmelita and I have been having these duels very often and it's very good to compete against each other. I think it is good for the sport when we have rivalries and we have athletes who are never afraid to run against each other."

Britain's double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah says he is not content to rest on his laurels, with his defeat over 10,000m at the last world championships in 2011 is still "nagging away" at him. "I want to defend my title and try to win the 10,000m this time," says Farah. "That race nags away. But you learn from your mistakes and I have learnt a lot from that race. It's important I come back."

The 29-year-old, who has just returned from a training camp in Kenya, will also be competing in Birmingham, a one-off race in this indoor season, when he takes on a mainly domestic field over 3,000m. With no East African presence to push him, Farah said he was not seeking to break any records

I stumbled upon this great article about the Athletic Stance. Too many coaching do not teach this properly. I even saw it on my LFL football team. The article is by Lee at Sport Speed Etc and I wanted to share it:

I am often asked how I coach the athletic stance. There are many potential stances. It all depends on the sport, position and situation. Most athletic stances are active like a tennis players. If you coach an athlete in a static stance here are some important points to remember:

First of all, I want my athletes to understand the importance of using all three of the major joints (hips, knees, ankles). If they properly load these joints, then the ability to accelerate faster out of the athletic stance is increased.

1. Hips are pushed back with the shoulder forward over the knees. This loads the posterior chain and locks the body into a stable position.
2. Knees are pushed forward in order to stretch the lower leg muscles and load the ankles for greater pre-stretch.
3. Feet are straight ahead and ankles are loaded (dorsi-flexed). This stabilizes the ankle joint and loads the lower leg musculature.

A really important aspect of coaching the stance is cuing. I will give the athletes a few cues so they understand what I want in the body positioning. Here are a few cues to use.

1. Rip the Paper Towel. If the feet are aligned properly and the knees are slightly inside so the feet can push out (see picture), then the thought of ripping the paper towel makes sense.
2. Push Hip Back. When an athlete sucks the hips under or rounds the back the loading of the posterior musculature is lost.
3. Stay Tight or Lock In. These two cues mean for the athlete to tighten up their athletic stance posture. Being loose in posture will result in a sluggish take off.
4. Play in the Tunnel. This allows the athletes to visualize staying low. When they are low, they are loaded in the key joints as compared to being too tall and unloaded.

I hope this helps you understand the coaching aspects of the athletic stance. Now put it to good use for each individual athlete, sport and situation.

Yours in Speed,
Lee

P.S. – Check out Ground Breaking 2 for more.

Looking Beyond Protein to Increase Muscle Mass – the Role of Carbohydrates

Increasing muscle mass is often the aim of training regimes and particularly a goal for men who participate in them. Whether looking to improve their performance in sports, their fitness or physique, many taking part in training programs either supervised or in their own home will be seeking to bulk up their muscles. Larger muscles can lead to greater strength and power, but a body that contains a greater proportion of muscle has a higher metabolic rate aiding weight loss; someone with a lower percentage body fat also tends to have fewer health problems. While resistance training is vital to stimulate the growth of new muscle, this needs to be combined with an optimal dietary intake to achieve the desired results. Although many engaging in sport and fitness regimes will usually already be following a balanced diet, when the goal shifts towards building more muscle, they may start to emphasise their protein intake. Yes, taking part in resistance training increases your body’s protein requirement, but your body is only able to use a finite amount of protein for muscle growth; consuming protein beyond this will simply result in its excretion and doing so for prolonged periods may damage the kidneys. On top of this is the fact that without including adequate and appropriate carbohydrates in the diet, your ability to gain lean body mass will be limited. Here we consider the importance that carbohydrates play in the diet for building muscle.

Which carbohydrates to eat

Complex carbohydrates should provide the biggest proportion of calories in your diet. These carbohydrates are present in bread, cereals, potato, pasta, rice and similar foods. Following digestion and absorption your body uses the glucose they release for energy; excess glucose is stored as glycogen in the muscles, which provides you with the fuel you need for intense training sessions. Complex carbohydrate, particularly if you choose wholegrain varieties, tends to give a slower energy release than their sugary counterparts. Wholegrains are also advisable, as they have a higher content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, some of which play a role in the formation of new tissue such as thiamine, biotin and calcium. The nutrients in wholegrains are as well essential for good health in men and women; a diet rich in wholegrains is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. Although sugary foods and drinks are not off-limits, they should still be limited, as they do not provide the same stability for blood glucose levels as complex carbohydrates do. Their erratic impact on blood sugar levels can hinder new muscle formation, not to mention the fact that sugary foods tend to be sparse in other nutrients; the exception are fruits, which are rich in vitamins and minerals and their fiber content allows a more stable release of sugars.

Change your eating patterns

Including carbohydrates with every meal keeps blood glucose levels stable, so not only do you feel that you have the energy for training, but this stimulates the release of insulin, the hormone that helps to promote muscle growth. However, be sure to also include protein though, as this mix not only provides the amino acids that act as building blocks for muscle fibers, but fat storage is also less likely. Although you may have been used to eating three big meals daily, when training to build muscle you need to adjust your eating patterns. The focus needs to switch to eating more frequently, including a moderate portion of carbohydrate at each occasion; if big carbohydrate portions at taken at a time, insulin will stimulate some of this to be stored of fat, which will hinder your aim. Reminding yourself that your body can only use so much of a nutrient at a time will help you to train yourself to adopt this new approach to eating.

Refuel with carbohydrates

After a hard training session your blood glucose levels falls, so a carbohydrate-rich snack afterwards is vital; good examples include a sandwich, cereal with milk or an oat and nut bar, as these contain both carbohydrate and protein. The rise in blood glucose that this allows will trigger the production of insulin and hence encourages your body to build muscle. Failing to have this post-workout snack could place you at risk of your body entering what is known as a catabolic state, where rather than tissue formation occurring, the converse happens and your body will begin to breakdown its muscles. This shows just why it is so important to provide your body with the essential nutrition that it requires after a training session.

When resistance training, if you are able to follow these rules regarding which type of carbohydrate should be included and when they should be eaten, in combination with an appropriate protein intake, you will be providing your body with the best chance to build muscle.

Check out the cool pairing by Monster! I sure would love to have this pairing for my workout closet!

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Ok this is amazing for two reasons

1) I Graduated from Dalhousie University with a BSc in Kinesiology

2) Believe it or not I use to be the Dalhousie Mascot. The Tiger. Yes me. hahahhaha amazing

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Accessorize with your nike fuel band! This is so cool! Look how good it fits in with other jewellery! Way to go Nike!

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