8% Really, 8%.

A recent NASO survey of sport officials listed the most effective way to improve your officiating. There were six answer possible. I had to laugh when I read that only 8% stated "getting into better shape" as the way they will improve their game. That should be near the top not second from the bottom [Study your mechanics more @ 7%].

I'll bet most officials took that question as 'loss weight' to improve your game. If you ask me why I'd say that conditioning and specific training is not about weight loss. Its about being a better athlete as an official. Now why do I believe that it should be near the top. Because if your behind a play or out of position it may be because you aren't strong enough to get into position. Some officials have lost a step, but if you ask an official over 30 years-old when is the last time they did any strength or sprint training and I'll bet they'd say 'years ago.'

I've been told by a lot of officials that they don't do anything but cardio training [treadmill is the most common answer]. Many have told me that they believe 'weight training' will hurt their game. Say what? Officials are athletes, whether you agree or not, they're athletes. They are required to sprint and decelerate, change direction quickly just like an athlete. Here is my question, do athletes strength train, answer YES. So why do most officials look at sprint [speed], strength, plyometric and agility [change of direction] training as only 8% way to improve their game.

Here is what I tell officials when I speak at referee camps. First I get into muscle physiology and teach them about Type IIB fibers [those fibers that you use when you sprint]. Want to sprint then DO NOT think that a 3-mile jog at and 8-minute mile pace will get you ready to run with some 20 year-old kid when he's sprinting, it won't. Why not because you're not training the fibers that use use when your sprinting fast, you remember when you had to run for time in college or high school. No player on the team wanted the worst 40 yard or 60 yard time. I can't remember one kid thinking after they ran an average time that it was the best they could do. That kind of sprinting.

So if you don't sprint prior to the season don't expect to be ready to sprint with those kids who have been training all year. Second, want to sprint faster then you have to be stronger. That means the weight room and overloading your body to breakdown and then rebuild the muscle fibers stronger. Once you have a strength base you can move on to develop power. That means you start to add olympic type movements in the weight room [get some coaching before you blow up your back with any olympic lift], plyometrics [jump training] and change of direction that requires you to sprint, decelerate and change direction. If you train this way you'll be in better shape for the season and will avoid those injuries you get from not being ready the first time a kids makes a play and you need to see it [all of it]. Train hard.

If you were wondering here is the result for the NASO survey in April 2010

Which of the following is the most effective way to improve your officiating?
NASO members said:

29% Go to camps/clinics.
28% Review video of your games
17% Work more games.
11% Study the rules more.
8%  Get in better shape.
7%  Study your mechanics more.

Tour of Long Beach

Kansas Athletics to Host Midwest Sports Performance Conference May 7-8, 2010

Kansas Athletics to Host Midwest Sports Performance Conference May 7-8, 2010

I couldn't help but post this link! Check out the speakers at one conference.

2010 Midwest Sports Performance Conference Presenters

William J. Kraemer, Ph.D., Ph.D., CSCS, FNSCA, FACSM

Andrew C. Fry, Ph.D., CSCS

Doug Edwards, ATC/L

Jeff Reinardy, MS, CSCS - 2009 NSCA Strength &

Mike Nitka, MS, CSCS, *D, FNSCA

Whitney Rodden, MS, CSCS, ATC, USAW, SCCC

G. Gregory Haff, Ph.D. C.S.C.S.*D, ASCC, FNSCA

Jay Hoffman, NSCA President

Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D., CSCS, FACSM, FNSCA

Gary Winckler

Scott Greenawalt

Andrea Hudy, MS, CSCS, USAW-1

Brady Holt, MS, CSCS, USAW-SP

Lance Hooton

Jerry Martin, MA, CSCS*D

Molly McKinnon, MS, CSCS, USAW-1

Darric Honnold, MS, CSCS, USAW-1, PICP

Meg Stone

Michael H. Stone

Randy Bird, MS, RD, CSSD, CSCS

Murphy Grant

Patrick Moodie

Jimmy Price, CSCS, SPN, NASE, NSCA, ISSA

Dr. Doug Stull, MD

Dan Lorenz, MS, PT, ATC/L, CSCS

Phillip Vardiman

Strength Training for Cyclists

I have heard many cyclists say that they only train on the bike.  Some make improvements in speed, climbing or power while training only on a bike, some don't.  Some of the improvements are so small that you wonder if were they really the result of being on the bike or training at all?  Consider nutritional improvements, weight loss, better equipment or age as factors in training.

I don't know any cyclist that after hiring a nutritionist doesn't improve without any other changes.  Losing some weight is simple regarding improved cycling, it's gravity. Name one cyclist that doesn't change equipment if he or she thinks it will improve their performance and age when you go from 20 years-old to 21 years-old expect an improvement.  If for no other reason, your more experienced as a rider (let alone the normal strength gains of youth).

So let's consider ways to get stronger as a cyclist.  The easy way is stop and starts.  While riding, slow to almost a complete stop then jump on the start and sprint for a short distance or time.  Do repeats of this drill for a short time.  Over time gradually increase the distance of the sprints.  Now here is a tip to remember.  When you jump on the start pull your femur (upper leg bone) down from the glute (buttocks).  The Gluteus maximus is a very large muscle and will generate a lot of power when you train it to do so.  If you're sore the next day, congrats you overloaded the muscle (movement) and improvement are on the way.

Now how about off the bike.  First I want my cyclists to think about developing strength and then power.  When I say develop strength I don't mean endurance strength.  You'll develop that riding the bike.  If you want to develop endurance strength just ride another mile at an incline or at a higher intensity.  That will accomplish the overload you need to develop endurance strength.  I want to develop strength that will improve performance.  A little tricky because some of you right now are worried about weight gain (and gravity).  I am not thinking about building muscle hypertrophy (increased muscle size) I am focused on strength gains.  The way we accomplish this is keep the reps at no more than 6 per set and ideally at 4 reps per set.  That range will put us in a strength gain mode.  I will also keep the sets at around 4 per exercise and the load at around 75-85% of 1-RM max for the lift.

The second area we want to develop is power.  That explosiveness needed at the end of a race or while climbing.  That's power, but you won't develop as much if you don't have a strength base.  People argue this all the time.  Lets look at to trucks trying to pull a yacht.  Truck one is a Nissan pick-up with a 4-cylinder engine, great for light hauls and easy on fuel.  But hook it up to the truck and it can't generate enough power to pull the yacht.  Now truck two is a Dodge Ram with an 8-cylinder Hemi engine, big and strong.  It's got a bigger engine! Naturally because the engine is bigger (stronger) it will generate more power and can pull the yacht.  That's why you increase strength first because the stronger you are the more power you will most likely generate.

So how do you develop power off the bike.  Number one, think speed of the bar or kettlebell when developing power.  That being the case use a lighter load (less weight).  We want to increase the speed of contraction, that's power.  That doesn't mean we don't overload the movement, we will.  However, we want proper technique through the range of movement [ROM] and for multi-joint movements technique is important.  Again we limit our reps to 4-6 depending on percent of 1-RM and limit our sets to 4 per lift.  We do not want to get to failure with any power lift.  Your body will stop developing power and your technique will go out the window, thus injury.  Let's recap the important points for power development.  First start from a strength base, think less weight (speed of the movement), use proper technique and less is more we don't want to get to failure.

Here is the big hang-up for cyclists.  You must, yes must reduce the time you spend on the bike and replace it with strength or power training.  If you don't you'll eventually break down and over train or injure yourself.  If you don't get off the bike the odds of serious power development is greatly reduced, you pick.