Sports Performance

Bands are nothing new to most coaches and trainers. They have quickly become one of the most versatile and effective training tools in a coach’s toolbox. Initially, many thought of them only as rehabilitation tools. However, Westside Barbell changed the perception of bands with its innovative techniques for using them for accommodating resistance.

Bodybuilding is here to stay. As long as there is a desire to get stronger, grow bigger, or look better, bodybuilding will remain an invariable foundation in the world of physique improvement.

The latest installment in our “How We Use The Prowler” series comes from Elliott Hulse of St. Petersburg, Florida.

Imagine—you’re a broke kid living in a small town in the middle of nowhere. The closest fitness center is miles away and you don’t have a car to get there anyway. None of your friends know what a weight is. You’ve asked them to give it a try, but they just gave you the middle finger as they sped off to the mall or plopped down in front of the television to play video games.

A few weeks ago, we decided to put together a roundtable-style article about the use of the Prowler...

The title of this article is a little misleading. It’s not about the balance that most trainers think about such as standing on one foot on a Bosu ball. It’s about building a physically and structurally balanced athlete. These ideas and qualities are what form the exercise selection of our strength program. Our staff has five major goals in mind for our strength program—increasing power/explosiveness, increasing speed, increasing strength, increasing lean muscle tissue (size), and preventing injury.

For as long as I have been involved in sports and training, I have seen more cookie cutter training programs than you can shake a stick at (and that’s a lot).

In keeping with Canadian tradition, our athletes have started counting down the days to next year’s NHL camp. That’s right—the Stanley Cup has just found a home in Hockey Town. (That’s the Super Bowl of professional hockey for everyone in the Southern States. You know, the NHL. It gets its airtime following basketball, bowling, Will and Grace reruns, and the infomercials for erectile dysfunction.)

If you watch runners before a race or if you watch baseball, football, or other athletes warming up before a game, you will see that most of them do the butt kick (quadriceps) stretch.

When it comes to strength and sports—and how to increase strength for those sports—most of the information out there is about sports such as football, powerlifting, basketball, and hockey. But what about the lesser known sports such as cheerleading, figure skating, and dance?

The elite NBA players of today includes Steve Nash, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki and their athletic ability.

I understand that not every 8-year-old knows exactly what a glute ham is or how to perform the movement. Few adults know.