We have come a long, long way when answering the question of "Should Youth Athletes Strength Train", when it comes down to optimal sports performance…

There was a day when athletes were forbidden to lift weights because their coaches thought it would slow them down and make them slow.

So they had their athletes compete in their sport without doing any strength training…

I’m so glad as a society we’ve moved past that and realized the importance of strength training for all athletes…

Yet strength training for youth athletes needs to be specific to the growth and development of that particular athlete.

How Should a Youth Athlete Train?

A popular theory is that lifting too early will hurt the child or stunt the child's growth. The lifting itself will not stunt a child’s growth. What could affect the growth is if the child lifts incorrectly (this can be said for any age), with too much weight, and then hurts the growth plates.

A youth athlete should never train like a professional athlete. A youth athlete isn’t ready for the same types of exercises that a professional athlete uses. They should also not exercise like adults going for general fitness.

Instead, youth athletes need exercises and programming that fit their current stage of physical and emotional development... for long-term athletic development and to reduce burnout.

So what about elementary school, middle school and high school athletes… should they train differently from one another?

YES!

An elementary school athlete has needs that are uniquely different from their older middle school and high school athletes. In fact, middle school athletes and high school athletes are unique from each other and their programming should be different as well.

Back to the original question… should they lift weights?

YES!

But lifting weights vs. training for sports can be very different things. It makes no sense to have a bunch of youth athletes doing bench presses and barbell curls and few crunches and expect athletic results.

Different Developmental Stages Require Different Training

Elementary school aged athletes are still developing gross motor skills. The exercises that they do should help them improve not only strength but overall coordination. They should be put into several situations that makes their bodies move so that they develop control of their bodies. Speed and strength are an after thought at this age.

Middle school athletes are experiencing growth spurts and starting to hit puberty. This stage in life leaves them in a unique training position. Due to extreme growth spurts and long bone growth, they aren’t quite ready for the type of training that high school athletes should perform. Middle school athletes will need to focus on exercises that safely allow them to train their body while it continues growing.

High school athletes will take a shift towards strength training that will maximize lean muscle development as well as strength, speed and power. They also need to focus on range of motion. This can be lost in the developmental years. High school athletes can be more aggressive with strength training but must have a program that is well-rounded and hits all facets of sports development: strength, speed, power, balance, flexibility and range of motion.

For these reasons here at Strive Fitness and Performance, we like to have unique strength training programs for elementary, middle and high school athletes. The important thing to remember here is that we are developing the total athlete at each stage… not trying to get sport-specific in their training. The sport coach has the job of making the athlete a better player at that sport....It is our job to make them a better athlete; to be able to move better, stay on the court and be a dominate athlete.

No matter what level your youth athlete is in, if you train them for overall athleticism instead of sport-specific training like the pros, you will have a more successful overall athlete who incurs less injuries.

Committed to your success,

Derek

How Under-Eating Can Hurt Your Results

Most of clients I see at Strive Fitness and Performance come in looking to lose weight, become leaner, drop a few clothing sizes, have more energy, and feel better. Nutrition plays a huge role in these goals, obviously.

Now, the majority of my clients are over-eaters. Meaning, they consume more calories than they expend on a daily basis. For folks in this category, a caloric deficit is needed to create weight loss.

However, in my 5 years as a fitness coach, I have come across a handful of clients who want to lose weight but were under-eating their calories. By under-eating, I mean consuming below 1200 calories per day. This has become very common among younger women trying to lose weight. They try to lose weight by eating less and going crazy with the cardio....Sound familiar?

It’s easy to assume that a very low-calorie diet would provide enough of a deficit to achieve weight loss, but the opposite is actually true. Under-eating can prevent you from losing weight. Large reductions to your overall calorie count (like dropping from 2,000 calories to 1,000) changes your body’s metabolism. But this isn’t a good change.

But that doesn’t mean you can never lose weight. The simple fix is increasing your caloric intake to an appropriate level.

One of the easiest formulas I use to determine this is your bodyweight multiplied by 13-14. This will provide a maintenance level of calories for most individuals. Maintenance meaning, it’s enough calories to neither gain nor lose weight.

Since an extreme caloric deficit can wreck havoc on your body’s hormones and metabolism, the goal with increasing your calories to a maintenance level is to create hormonal and metabolic balance. Once you have done this, then you can begin to experiment with small reductions in calories (100-300 calories i.e.) to create long-term weight loss.

*On a side note, once have established maintenance, that may be enough calories to start seeing reductions in body weight. You may not even need to worry about creating another deficit. Something to be aware of as you do this.

So, let’s say you weigh 130 pounds and are only consuming 800 calories per day. If we use the formula from above, we’d get this equation: 130 x 13= 1690.

You’d essentially be doubling your total calories. Now, this may seem hard at first but there’s one easy trick I like to have my clients start with when attempting this caloric increase. And that’s increase the protein intake.

If you look at the amount of calories per gram in protein, carbohydrates, and fat it would look like this:

1 gram of protein = 4 calories
1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories
1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Protein is very hard to store as fat and as an added bonus it is a major factor in healthy nutrition. It helps build muscle, which helps our metabolism go into high gear. Most people do not eat enough protein (main reason, this is usually our first step in our habit based nutritional guidance). Adding more protein will not only increase calories, but it will also get our protein numbers up.

When attempting this caloric overhaul, slow and steady is the key. Using our example from above, it may be hard to take in 800 extra calories right off the bat. Instead, try increasing by a few hundred (200-300 i.e.) to start.

Remember, no matter if your goal is to lose weight, gain weight, or anything in between calories are very important. They provide your body with vital nutrients to function properly and keep you healthy. And your body must function correctly to create weight loss.

So, if it seems like you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try, track your calories for a few days. You can do this with an app like Myfitnesspal. You might be surprised to learn that you aren’t taking in enough. This simple change could be all it takes to get you back on track to your weight loss goal.

Committed to your success,

Derek

References:

1. Tomiyana, AJ. et al. Low calorie dieting increases cortisol. Psychosom Med. 2010 May; 72(4): 357–364.

INTRODUCING MIRA HEUMAN

One of the main reasons I love to teach, coach and personal train is because I have seen people do some amazing things they could not do before.

One of these amazing people is Mira Heuman. Mira started with me December 2015 and has been with us here at Strive Fitness and Performance in Macomb, MI for a year now. She has been through so many things in this past year. Saying that, I decided to not put it into my own words, but instead, ask her to write about it herself.

Without further ado...Here is the Mira Heuman story

MY JOURNEY TO FITNESS AND A NEW LIFE

" Growing up as a first generation immigrant with old world parents wasn’t always easy. I came to the United States in 1977 as a 6 year old skinny kid. I think that’s the last time I could describe myself as skinny. Through out my childhood and adolescence I could be described as a chunky girl. I wasn’t fat and I wasn’t thin. I don’t think I ever participated in any sports because my parents always thought it was a waste of time and there was more important things to do. We weren’t allowed fast food so when we had opportunities with friends it was like a shark feeding frenzy. It wasn’t very good by any means.

Puberty brought on a new thinner body but I was still overweight because I never exercised. After high school graduation came college and my first attempt to life away from home at Ferris State University. I thought it was great; staying up late, ordering pizza and subs whenever we wanted on top of having a meal plan already paid for. The freshman 15 turned into 30 and for a brief time I took action against the weight gain by taking classes in physical fitness. It worked!!! I lost a whole lot of weight and I thought I was all set. Wrong!! A knee surgery later caused all the weight to return and then some. Not long after that and a failed relationship I returned home for good. I didn’t feel good about myself and the depression from feeling like a failure set in.

What am I going to do with myself?

Travel school…I became a travel agent and I had a job that had me sitting for 5-8 hours a day. I again had no physical activity other than putting a sandwich in my mouth or a burger. The 90’s were the years of the stretchy pants. You never knew when you were gaining weight because the pants always fit. Fast forward to a marriage and 2 kids and I was at my highest weight of 260lbs.

In 2000 I started a new job working for Chrysler that had me working long hours and was very physically demanding. In a matter of months without really even trying I had shed almost 30 pounds. The demands of the job also brought on a lot of joint pain and many visits to doctors. 2007 surgery on both wrists for carpal tunnel, 2009 surgery on left foot for a neuroma, 2010 planta fasciitis surgery and 2015 tarsal tunnel surgery and repair of a torn tendon. I was always in pain one way or another from the extra weight I was carrying around.

In 2013 I joined a gym to try and shed this weight and all was going well until a death in the family caused me to spiral out of control and quit the gym and all the progress I had made was lost again. I never had any real direction so it was easy to make excuses and not do what I was supposed to do. I joined a new gym in 2015 after my ankle surgery in hopes of using their pool as a form of rehabilitation but again I had no direction. I would walk in and not know what to do and just do on the elliptical and go ham on it for an hour. Once I was done I would leave and not do any kind of strength training or use their pool. I felt like I was spinning my wheels. I had the face of a thin person but the body of an extremely overweight 40 something year old woman.

I looked at myself in the mirror one day close to the holidays and vowed that 2016 was going to be different. I was on my phone one evening and an ad appeared in my Facebook newsfeed. These ads I would usually scroll right by but this one in particular caught my eye. 30 DAY KICK START CHALLENGE it said…without thinking twice I filled out the application and waited to hear back from the trainer. Derek and I talked at length about why I wanted to lose weight and what I have done in the past and what I was looking for in the future. I told him, “I want to finally have my body match my face!” After the last surgery I had put on so much weight that when I finally did go back to work I looked like a stuffed sausage or a balloon animal in my work coveralls. I went to the first workout to check it out and to see how things were going to go. What I saw when I arrived was men and women that were just like me. The environment was pleasant and inviting. From the first workout I felt like I found my place. I found my people. The workouts were not easy, we were sweating and panting and it was wonderful. I finally felt alive. After 21 days I had lost 12 inches overall and about 11 pounds. My clothes fit better, I was happier, I looked forward to every Monday and Wednesday night. I felt myself get stronger and more agile but I also knew I was a long way from being done. Derek taught me about nutrition and exercise and how the one can not be without the other.

The ladies I worked out with are some of the best people I have ever met. I have never seen such comradely and everyone being so supportive.

This now brings us to the last few months. At the end of May I had suffered a major injury to my back outside of the gym, that caused severe pain and nothing seemed to work. I stopped working out because it was too painful and Derek and the gang never left me to think I was all alone. After the injury I was also dealt with another blow to my health in the form of a double pulmonary embolism that left me hospitalized for four days. My depression hit and all time low and I thought I was never going to be able return to working out again. After several visits to a chiropractor and physical therapy the pain went away and I knew I had to try and return.

I’m so glad I did because I am now back to where I started and there’s no stopping me. I ran my first real 5K race at Thanksgiving and beat my time by almost half from the previous year when I didn’t train at all. I am running 3 days a week on my own and 2 days a week training with Derek. The positive energy and support I get now is unbelievable. I feel like a new person and I am able to do things I couldn’t even do when I was in my 20’s. I’m 45 years old now and feel better than ever thanks to Derek Ledwidge and the FitFam. I feel blessed beyond belief because for me Derek saved my life in more ways than one.

Such an amazing story from an amazing person.

Learn about some other amazing members that make up our fitness family by clicking HERE

So you spent the winter working hard. You exercised consistently, you were careful to eat more healthy foods and you watched your portion sizes. Why? So you would look great at the lake and have plenty of energy to enjoy summer. You greeted summer with a healthy, toned body.

But summer, in spite of all the fun and relaxation it brings, can be tricky and deal us a cruel blow when it comes to our fitness.
Have you noticed the scale creeping up a little over the last couple of months? If so, you are not alone. Summer is a very easy time to overindulge and pick up those pounds that you shed during the winter months.

Is that what you want though? Are you willing to undo all that you worked so hard to accomplish?

Remember that bad habits creep in slowly. Perhaps you are skipping your workouts a couple days each week, because ‘You have so much to do.’ Or maybe you have been indulging in unhealthy food or drinks a little more frequently when you are with friends. It happens-little by little. It happens one small choice at a time. But those choices add up fast.

If you realize that you have been slipping up, it’s not too late to turn around and get back on track. Really! There is still plenty of summer left for you to regain whatever ground you might have lost and get back to awesome.

Here are a few common reasons that people gain weight in the summer and how to remedy them.

1. Disrupted sleep cycle. Summer brings with it more daylight and longer days. This extra sunshine can cause our circadian rhythms to change which causes us to sleep less. But if we don’t get enough sleep, our bodies will respond by packing on a few extra pounds! The solution? Be diligent to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.

2. Baby, it’s hot out there! When it’s hot and humid, we tend to move around less. Our energy is lower and besides, who wants to sweat even more, right? But the less you move, the slower your metabolism is and the fewer calories you will burn. Be intentional about keeping up with your exercise. Find indoor exercise alternatives like boot camp classes or maybe even take up swimming. Just keep moving.

3. On the road again. Summer meals travel and travel means healthy eating just got harder. Eating on the road presents big challenges if you are trying to eat clean. Before your summer trips, brainstorm some ways to reduce the amount of fast food that you will consume while you are away. Consider packing a cooler with hummus, nuts, lean proteins sources like chicken, fresh fruit and raw veggies.

4. Caution: Cookouts! Ahhh…summer cookouts, parties, family reunions. All this spells danger because the food at these festivities is usually about as unhealthy as you can get! Make sure you pass on the hotdogs, potato salad, oily salad dressings and rich cakes. Look for grilled vegetables, fresh fruit and lean cuts of meat prepared without greasy marinades.

Don’t let the summer creep undo all the hard work you’ve done to get you where you are right now. Decide to fight back. Make up your mind to finish well this summer. Your future self will thank you!

If you would like some help with the fight back, contact us HERE to learn about our 30 day trial period of unlimited workouts

Committed to your success,

Derek Ledwidge

With injuries at a more higher rate than ever among Macomb County athletes, it is crucial that athletes train to get stronger and more resilient. Unfortunately, it is also becoming more confusing for athletes and parents of athletes to select the proper training regimen. Let’s look at some of the reasons why a solid strength program is needed for athletes.

Injury Reduction

Injury rates for young athletes are at a higher rate than ever.

Over 70% of ACL tears in the United States come from athletes between the ages of 13-18 years old

This increase in injury rates is due, in part, by less physical activity outside of their sport. Other factors include: thinking that a sport itself will get you into shape, and specialize in one sport too soon. Lack of implementation of proper strength and conditioning programs and cross-training methods also contributes to the injury rates.

Therefore, we need to teach young athletes how to implement an effective strength and conditioning program.

Improving Athletic Performance

Athletics at the junior high and high school level are becoming more competitive every year. There are more opportunities for young athletes to participate in sports than ever. With that comes much more demand on the athlete to succeed. I believe that every child should have the opportunity to participate in a sport. Children should NEVER be discouraged to play a sport.

There is a point where the best players will move on and play at a higher level. For some, it is trying to make the JV basketball team, or earning a scholarship to a college. Talent is usually a large determining factor, but hard work always pays off! A solid strength and conditioning program will help you become stronger, faster, powerful. You will be a better-conditioned athlete for your chosen sport. Sometimes these factors can be the difference between more playing time and continuing to the next level. If an athlete is looking to improve his or her ability to earn playing time or move up to the next level, the difference is usually hard work and a solid strength and conditioning program.

Correct Exercise Technique and Program Design

With so much information available about exercise, it can become quite overwhelming and confusing when deciding which exercise program is best for an athlete. That is where a qualified and educated strength and conditioning coach comes in.

•An athletic trainer is there to take care of injuries.
•Basketball or soccer coach is there to help improve the team and athlete’s basketball and soccer skills.
•The strength and conditioning coach is there to help the athlete become stronger, faster, powerful, and more resilient to injury.

A strength coaches’ first goal should always be to teach a young athlete proper exercise technique. There should always be a safe environment to train in.

A well-rounded program should consist of:

•Foam rolling
•Stretching
•Dynamic warm-up
•Power drills such as plyometrics, Olympic lifts, strength training, core training, and conditioning should round out a proper training program.

In summary, a good strength and conditioning program is the best form of injury prevention and improving athletic performance. Teaching our youth that there are other types of exercise outside of sports is the key to helping them stay active and lead a healthier lifestyle. This way they stay healthy enough to dominate the court or field in Macomb County.