People ask me all the time, “ Why am I not improving?” I hear this time and again with workouts and weight loss programs. I usually start with simple questions to see where the breakdown in either type of program lies.  Most people will say, “I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, I’m not seeing results anymore.” If this is true for you, you may want to go back and examine your progress in your workouts or your diets.  Throughout this series, I will examine each of the keys to your success:

1. Set a realistic obtainable goal
2. Profess your goal to somebody other than yourself
3. Join a group with similar goals
4. Keep a journal (be honest)
5. Make it fun

Stay with us, success is right around the corner.

Supplements and Their Place in a Training  Regimen

We are frequently asked what supplements our athletes should take in conjunction with their training. This is not an easy question to answer.  It is true  that heavy training increases an athletes’ caloric needs, and it is true training creates stressful demands on both the musculoskeletal  system and the cardiovascular system. A good diet, balancing protein and carbohydrates, is very important to assist recovery and performance. Heavy training on a consistent basis makes it difficult for the athlete to eat enough to meet his or her needs. This is where supplementation can play a key role in an athletes’ performance.

When speaking about supplements, the first thing that pops into everyone’s head is steroids. Steroids are illegal, destructive, and have no place in sports. Supplements by definition are dietary aids taken to fill a need in one’s diet. The most common example is a daily multivitamin. When examining athletic performance, the most common and effective supplements are protein, creatine, and caffeine. Creatine and protein directly affect muscle building and muscle performance. Caffeine directly affects muscle performance in endurance athletes. All three supplements have been studied exhaustively, and all have been found to be safe and effective. The NCAA has put limitations on the amount of caffeine an athlete can consume before competition.

The question we are examining here is:  What supplements should an athlete take?  Protein and creatine are a must when it comes to building strength. Both can be found in red meat, and there are several powder forms of protein and creatine. Why take supplements? Why not? In conjunction with good training habits, results can be seen within minutes, days and weeks. Results from a good training program alone or just diet alone take weeks to months.

The best strategy is to clean up your diet first. Set your goals of training to include your diet. After you have good discipline with your diet, then slowly add supplementation to complement your goals. You may consider consulting a dietitian to guide you through a proper diet plan. When it comes to supplements, we at Kinetic Connections have found Advocare products and Pro-Grade products to be the best and most pure products to use. It is important to know if any of the products your athletes are taking have banned substances in their ingredients. Neither of these product lines do. Both offer a contact number if you have any questions regarding their products. If you are interested in purchasing either of these products, you may do so by clicking here.  If you have any questions regarding this topic feel free to e-mail your question or call us.Continue reading »

There are several known benefits to strong flexible hips.     Some of those benefits include:

• Decreased knee, ankle, and foot pain
• Decreased low back, hip pain
• Increased general mobility
• Improved core stability
• Increased potential power, agility, and speed
• Improved posture
• Improved balance
• Decreased incidence of overuse lower extremity running injuries
• Decreased incidence of ankle sprains

A forethought…

Before we begin, it is important that you realize that your body is a series of muscles, tendons, ligaments (cables and levers) and joints (links) working together in a coordinated fashion. This mechanical system is known as the kinetic chain.  When the system is working well, the forces generated at one joint can be efficiently transferred to successive joints resulting in injury free movement.  When there is a deficiency (weakness, tightness, instability, injury, etc) at any segment, compensatory reactions throughout the kinetic chain may occur resulting in injury, chronic pain, weakness, instability, etc. anywhere along the chain.  Of course, other systems (neural, fascia, endocrine, etc) play a major role in all bodily functions but their role is beyond the scope of this article.  Also, it is important to note that the body is a 3 dimensional entity and the body must be stable, strong and mobile in all 3 planes.  All muscle forces must be generated from a stable foundation (in the lower extremity it is usually the foot or hip).  The forces generated act on and through the kinetic chain resulting in injury free movement.  Over the next few weeks, I will explain in greater detail each of these benefits and offer you suggestions on how you can improve both your hip flexibility and strength.  Interested?

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