train for life & safety

NON-TRADITIONAL TRAINING

Every movement in sport is unique, so athletes should train as uniquely as their sport demands. Bench press, squats, and pullups are all GREAT, fundamental human movements to develop base strength, but how do these translate to demonstrating power on the field, court, or ice? At some point you have to incorporate competition level (sport/position specific) movements for athletes respective sport or position.

Ground Work: Bear Crawl Kettlebell Drag

At LRN 2 Move we train the fundamentals but also the non-traditional. The hits, slips, movements, and falls in sport demand the non-traditional training movements to compete at a high level as well as remain healthy. We train athletes in a variety of sports, including basketball, wrestling, and lacrosse so training in a variety of movement patterns, planes of motion (Sagittal, Transverse, Frontal), and keeping things fun/challenging is critical!

For example, lacrosse faceoff specialists, football linemen, and wrestlers all need power near or on the ground and this power cannot be static (still) in nature. Rather, the athletes must incorporate powerful movement while in these lowered positions, so that's why we train the way we do here at LRN 2 Move - take for example the Bear Crawl Kettlebell Drag (pictured). We encourage all of our athletes to take these movements as seriously as the movements they see being done on Social Media or maybe, in the team space with their sport coach (many of whom are not experienced in strength training protocols). Contact LRN 2 Move (lrn2move@gmail.com or call 312.720.4295) and we'll answer your questions and take advantage of our FREE initial consultation and training session.

understanding protein

Protein is all the rage. Many adolescent athletes want to eat endless amounts of protein because they think it will make them stronger/faster.

Here are some straight Protein truths.

1.) Protein is best from whole foods

2.) Protein alone does not "fuel" you

3.) Protein needs a stimulus to build muscle

4.) Protein timing (when to eat) is critical

Yes, the overwhelming majority of protein intake should be from whole foods. Minimal/non processed meat, chicken, pork, fish, and even a vegan option, like Quinoa is a complete protein! Make/cook these in abundance so your athlete always has leftovers (see our L2M blog post from January 23). Protein bars, shakes, and other foods, when carefully selected (read the ingredients, keep it clean - ie. minimal sugar for example!) are fine for quick on the go or between school and practice or games, but should not be used as meal replacements!

Protein does aide in our daily and athletic lives, however, protein is not our fuel, rather it's mainly for recovery and building muscle. Our fuel for everyday and athletics should come from high quality carbohydrates like whole wheat grains and pastas, bread, or other similar foods. For the growing/developing athlete, carbs are mandatory in much higher levels than for older populations (We see you Keto eating parents!).

Protein alone will not make you stronger, you must be giving your body a stimulus such as resistance training (body weight or external) or running/sprinting, to name just a few. Stressing your body consistently under these stimuli is simply the best way to get stronger particularly in the adolescent years (most of these athletes do plenty of running already, so weight/resistance training is mandatory!).

Finally, timing is critical. And that timing is consistency! For growing athletes, 25-40 grams of quality protein per meal (3-4 meals per day) is a good target for most adolescents who are growing and training (lifting, practicing, competing). Being consistent in your protein (and all macros: PRO, CARB, FAT) is critically important. LRN 2 Move encourages our athletes to start on the lower end (of grams per day) to make sure they can tolerate the uptick in protein/calories and slowly build up to an overall caloric intake (including all macro and micro nutrients) to insure consistent quality (muscle) weight gain.