I won't be here this summer. Can you give me a handout so I know what to do?

•  Yes. I'm working on a simple program design for you guys. They will be ready before the end of the semester. You should already have my Basic CORE Exercise handout--if you'll at least do those you'll keep most of what you've got.  I'll get the other stuff to you ASAP.

Can you help with my back? It was fine before we left for Spring Break but all I did was lift weights and now it is hurt again.

• I told you guys what to do over the break--heavy weight lifting was NOT one of them! Listen to me--all this heavy weight crap hasn't done jack to improve your body movements and function so why go right back to it as soon as I'm not there to make you do other stuff! The movements you do with me on the field have fixed the preexisting problems--NOT the heavy lifting! What you do with me helps you to get more out of your gym workouts in terms of general or foundational strength but the gym itself is not keeping all your compensations under control--the functional training with body weight is keeping you under control and healthy. Don't screw this up! Don't forget what fixed your problems! At this point Fred the trainer is the better one to help you now.  Note our specific stretches for problem areas, etc. that I have taught you already.  You should have done your movement prep and other body weight exercises over the break--you know it, the coaches know it, and Fred the trainer knows it. Don't make the same mistake this summer because there will be NO time when you guys come back this fall to do the intensive work we made time for during this spring.

Can you help me with my 40 starts?  I wasn't coming out right today and I need more speed.

• Yes we will be working on more technique next week. Note too that your core development will make you faster with sprinting and ALL movements. If technique on starts is holding you back we'll fix that stuff as we go along.  Remember to drive hard the first few yards while keeping a good forward lean (the best sprinters do NOT stand up right out of the blocks--they stay down at a forward angle until they get some velocity going!); hold breath first 10 yards or so to help with hip and core stabilization then quickly breath out, inhale, and hold until end without tightening face and neck excessively (this takes PRACTICE so work on it and be patient). Also, run through the friggin' cones!  You guys are pulling up before the cones too much on all of your drills and running. Do NOT condition yourself to pull up--condition your body AND MIND to go through and finish the drill (and eventually the play) before you back off.

The front of my shoulder hurt when I bench press--what should I do?

• Stop bench pressing and see Fred ASAP! You probably have some tightness in the front part of your shoulder called "impingement."  This is a condition from overdeveloping the front part of your shoulder. What we need to do is strengthen the back of your shoulders and back so you can pull yourself back into a neutral position while also stretching the front part of your shoulders out so they can pull back into position properly.  Fred will give you some prescriptive exercises for strengthening the back shoulder areas plus stretches to loosen the front shoulder tightness. My field exercises like: crab walk, T-Stab log roll, reach, roll, lift plus others will also help loosen you up. When you guys hit the gym on your off days do NOT do any more "front side" work. Our field exercises and weight room exercises are already too front-side dominated. What you need to work on more is upper back exercises like: dumbbell bent-over rows, the dumbbell shoulder matrix exercises, the stability ball shoulder matrix (Ys, T, Ws, & Ls) or anything else that makes you strengthen the back side while stretching out the front side. See me or Fred for details.

I need a good calf workout--what should I do? The stuff I've tried doesn't seem to work my calves and ankles enough.

• The best calf workout I know is a killer! Go into the dumbbell area in our weight room and slide that one bench press away from the wall.  Next to the wall you'll see a small ledge or step.  Step onto the ledge with one foot and hang your heel off--the balls of the planted foot will be on the step but the arch and heel will be hanging off.  Then loop your lifted foot behind the other one.  Now do heel lifts for 30 seconds.  Drop your heel down low below the level of the step then lift really high on the balls of your planted foot.  Emphasize a maximum range of motion.  Do one set on each side and you'll barely be able to walk away because of the depth of the calf work. It's also a great ankle stabilizer.  Note that your "calf" muscles also help stabilize your knees because they originate way up high around the knee.  Good calves also help with speed because they are the last muscle groups to fire as you leave the ground running to your next stride.

I must not be doing the push-ups right because they aren't hard anymore.

• Correction! Because you have been doing all the push ups and core development you have become more fit; therefore, what was once hard is now easy. Now you must continue to increase intensity and progressions to keep seeing improvements. If I don't add reps or sets then you need to add some quality on your own so they are more challenging.  For example, you can add more depth or increase the speed and reps yourself. Many of the push ups now have a "plyo" option. If the regular push ups aren't cutting it then add the plyo transitions with more depth and quality--this should do the trick.  Remember, as you get more fit the same workout or exercise will get easier.  To keep getting the training benefits and improvements you'll have to make it harder somehow. I try to do this for you as I monitor the team each day and design the next day's workout schedule but there is always going to be individual differences. It's no problem to tweak things a bit on your own as long as you can handle it and maintain quality. Just don't sacrifice quality so you can get more reps or do more than the next guy if you're doing the extra stuff poorly.

Is Arnold Schwarzenegger's Diet Encyclopedia any good?

• I don't know because I haven't read it but I will tell you this--it's not going to be good for football.  Note that body building is a whole different world that football.  Body builders go after maximum muscle mass with no attention to "functional movements."  They actually move very poorly and typically have poor balance.  All this is fine if your thing is body building, but we are playing football!  We need muscle we can use explosively not useless "pretty boy" mass.  We also do different workouts and because of these different needs we also need to fuel and eat differently.  Body builders do some absolutely crazy stuff to "cut up" and muscle gain and most of it is horrible for their health--but that's what their sport demands.  Know this--a high protein diet that some body builder sticks you on is NOT going to allow you to perform even close to your maximum potential during our workouts.  See the link on your homepage on protein diets and why they are not good for athletic training. Can we learn a few tricks from body builders? Sure! Some of you actually do need to add muscle mass in certain areas during the early pre-season. Some of the multiple set body builder workouts can really add this mass--but just remember to always keep your strength functional strength that you can use in your sport of football.  Excessive mass that you move slow won't do anything to improve your football performance. 

I heard that those new strength/jump shoes work really well to increase vertical jump--should I get some?

• I checked into these and based upon what I have learned I don't recommend them.  Here is why--most of you guys are already having problems just landing a body weight plyo jump without force leaks.  This means you lack functional stability in your core and joints and therefore you can't maintain proper alignment and posture.  By adding the plyo shoes, you amplify all of your compensations and weaknesses big time.  So what is the point?  There isn't one--remember--body weight comes first!  When you can master your own body weight THEN you can safely and efficiently start adding progressions (but not the strength/plyo shoes).

• Another reason I don't recommend these shoes is that they force you to land in an unnatural position on the balls of your feet.  Good plyometrics require that you land softly on your whole foot so you can more efficiently absorb the shock forces.  By landing on your toes all time you put an extremely high amount of stress on your Achilles heel areas.  Also, because you are on your toes all the time, your knees move too far forward over your toes which then puts way too much stress on your knees.

• Do they work? In the short-term yes.  Reports of 6"+ for vertical jump gain have been reported; however, you are going to sacrifice your long-term health by doing too much short-term tissue damage.  We are also seeing athletes come up later in the season with knee ACL injuries from the repeated jumps in that knee forward position from being on your toes all the time when you workout with the shoes.  Think about it--most of you have lateral force leaks already.  Add extreme amplitude with the plyo shoes and your knees are going to move out of position even more--which is NOT good!

• Let's keep it simple and smart--stick with mastery of body weight movements including plyos and you'll get the improvements you want.  There are NO fast tracks to success and optimal performance.  Optimal performance is a discipline--which means it takes time with careful and smart training.  You want vertical jump?  You can jump as high as you want next time we do BODY WEIGHT squat jumps--and you don't even need fancy shoes!  Keep up with our program and you'll improve your jump but safely a little bit at a time.

My back hurts.  What should I do?

• Continue with our program because it is designed to strengthen not just your back--but your whole core which then adds more support for your back so it doesn't get overworked.  Weak abdominals create an imbalance that puts more strain on your back.  Weak obliques make it harder for the front abdominals and back to do their job.  Stick with it and keep doing what you can safely do each day.

Can't I just not eat and drink water to lose my fat weight?

• NO! That's a good way to end up in the hospital plus it violates the First Rule of War: "Don't shoot yourself in the foot!" When you don't eat a lot of bad things happen.  Your blood sugar gets too low and you don't have energy.  Your brain doesn't have enough glucose (form of carbohydrate that it uses for fuel--brains can only use this and they can't use fat or protein).  When your brain is low on glucose you can't think right or clearly.  Your body also senses it is starving, so it slows down your metabolism and will try to store fat.  The best way to lose fat is to: eat a good breakfast, drink plenty of water, eat a balanced diet of carbs, protein, and the healthy fats, and exercise daily.  The exercise part you guys are doing--the food and water part you need to work on. 

• Regarding water and hydration, even 1% dehydration will DECREASE physical performance including immediate strength!  How do you know you're hydrated?  Drink water until your urine is clear or very light yellow.  If your urine is bright or dark yellow--you are dehydrated.  If you are actually thirsty--you are already dehydrated by at least 1%.  Tip--drink "before" you are thirsty.  As it warms up and conditioning gets harder, you MUST stay hydrated for optimal workout efficiency!

I want to work more on explosive speed--how do I do that?

• Remember that ALL movement starts in your core.  Core training is speed oriented in that the better your core, the faster your brain will release your arms and legs to move.  If you really want to be explosive (which is the essence of good football) then you FIRST have to establish a stable and strong core along with good joint mobility.  We are working on these so you can get fast but you are not ready for speed yet.  Be patient.  Develop your core--then you'll be ready for the speed work later.

I want to get bigger and add muscle.  Should I take creatine?

• I have interviewed NFL players and read many articles regarding creatine.  Players and reports say that some NFL teams and other pro teams have banned creatine because it leads to tissue injury from water retention.  We also do not know the long-term effects of loading an abnormal amount of a natural substance like creatine in the body month after month and year after year.  Personally I cannot recommend creatine or any other "quick fix" for performance enhancement.  If you want to improve, follow our training plan and you will get there.  Remember--it's not always how "big and strong" you are--it's how you use what you've got with speed, control, and efficiency.  Getting better as an athlete also relates to other stuff like eating properly, staying hydrated, not staying out all night at parties, etc.

I can't squat because my knees cave in--what should I do?

• Two things: One is that some of you have never learned how to properly squat so don't really know where to put your legs.  We can just correct this by teaching technique and by you practicing.  Secondly, and probably the biggest reason for many people, is that your gluteus medius (deeper muscle in butt that acts as a hip stabilizer) is weak.  When the glut medius is weak, it allows your upper leg to rotate internally (your legs cave in when you squat or run).  The lateral band walks that I showed you this week and that some of you are doing in the training room with Fred will help to strengthen and stabilize the glut medius/hip areas thus giving you better control squatting, running, etc.

• Any time you have an instability, like in your hips with the above example, you have what we call a "force leak" which prevents you from efficiently transferring force from your core down through you hips and legs to the ground then back up through your body.  What does all that mean?  Force leaks slow you down.  Instead of putting the rubber to the road you are spinning out not going any where "leaking force" out through instable hips, knees, ankles, or core.  Get stable first, then get mobility, then you'll get fast.

I'm weak!  I can't brace on top of the stability ball!

• It's not that you guys are "weak" in general; most of you are actually strong.  So why can I brace on the ball when you guys cannot even though you bench press 2-3x what I bench press with an Olympic bar?  Because I use what strength I have more efficiently.  I have worked to make my shoulders not only strong--but STABLE which means I can control motion instead of the ball's motion controlling me.  I am also able to brace on top of the ball because I have good core development so can brace my spine and stop unwanted movements.  How can you get your shoulders stronger and more stable so you can also brace on top of the ball with one arm?  Keep working with me and practicing what I tell you at home--especially pay attention to the one-arm exercises we are doing.  Be patient but also consistent.  It will happen.

I want to lose fat.  Should I take some weight loss supplements?

• NO!  Eat well and eat right and you'll lose extra fat weight.  Train right and eat well and you'll gain muscle.  Your coaches will be providing you more help on nutrition soon.  For additional help, print my handouts on Fast Food Survival! and Performance Nutrition for sports and athletics.

Should I go on a high-protein diet to put on muscle?

• NO! "Diets" are not good for you. Sensible eating with balance, variety, and moderation is good for you. You guys need a balance of carbs, protein, and fat for optimal performance. Hard efforts use more carbs than protein. If you don't have enough carbs you end up burning muscle for fuel. Why go into the weight room to add muscle and then not eat right and burn your own muscle for fuel?! This is not smart. Again, eat well and train smart.  You will go far.  If you want details on protein requirements see me personally.

Are we going to do plyometric training?

• Yes, but you guys aren't ready yet.  Plyos put a lot of stress on your muscles, tendons, and ligaments.  You guys need some strength plus a whole lot of STABILITY.  Without strength plus stability you just compensate and have force leaks all over the place and the plyos end up being sloppy and counterproductive. We'll start initiating a little more speed next week and give you a sample of explosive plyos plus more explanation on why and how to do them properly.

Should I wear wrist wraps during lifts like Power Cleans?

• I don't wear any braces, belts, or wraps anymore when I lift or do any other kind of training.  Supports are just cover ups for a weakness or imbalance and thus you are compensating for your weakness.  "If" you only use wrist guards for doing cleans this is probably not that bad, but again, the more you use artificial supports, the more your body weakens and relies on the supports instead of strengthening and stabilizing on its own.  If your wrists are the weak links on the chain maybe you don't need to be lifting any more weight but need to be stabilizing your wrists and forearms before exceeding their capacity.  Some will disagree with me, but plenty of other fitness professionals will support my views too.  Your call.  Personally--I use my own body for support and nothing else.

ron@ronjones.org (Send me your questions!)

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(Updated 9-26-05)