NIFS Healthy Living Blog

Creatine is one of the most popular sports supplements, but is it right for you? Creatine, or creatine monohydrate, is a compound created by amino acids (methionine, glycine, and arginine) that is used for energy by the skeletal muscles, which are responsible for movement and maintaining posture. Creatine is important for maintaining a steady supply of energy to your muscles during exercise, especially short-burst, high-intensity activities (such as weight lifting, sprinting, or jumping). It can also help increase muscle growth, speed up recovery, and temporarily increase water retention in muscles, which may reduce dehydration and cramping. 

Your body produces about half of its creatine supply naturally in the liver. The other half comes from your diet, particularly protein-rich, animal-based foods such as red meat (beef and pork), fish, and seafood (tuna, salmon, herring, cod). 

You can also obtain creatine through supplements. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most researched supplements available, specifically for its impact on sports and exercise performance. The general recommendation for creatine supplementation is 3–5 grams per day, or 0.1 g per kilogram of body weight (1 kg = 2.2 pounds). Exact dosing will depend on your individual goals. Alcohol and/or caffeine use may interact with creatine, lessening its effectiveness or leading to side effects, such as dehydration.

Who Benefits Most? 

• Athletes and active individuals: Those involved in strength training, sprinting, or high-intensity exercise often see improvements in performance and recovery. 

• Older adults: Research suggests creatine can help maintain muscle mass and strength, which supports mobility, balance, and independence as we age. 

• Vegetarians and vegans: Since they consume little or no dietary creatine, supplementation may be especially beneficial for performance and energy. 
  

Best Time to Take It 

The most important factor with creatine is consistency. Whether you take it before or after exercise—or even with a meal on rest days—the benefits come from daily use. Some evidence suggests pairing creatine with a post-workout meal that includes protein and carbohydrates may enhance absorption, but the key is regular intake. 

Creatine can be a safe and effective tool for improving strength, recovery, and overall muscle health when paired with consistent exercise—but it’s not a magic pill. Always check with a healthcare professional or dietitian before starting any supplement, especially if you take prescription medications or have a chronic health condition. 

Finally, remember that in the United States, supplements are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. This means it is not guaranteed that what’s on the label is actually in the product. To protect yourself, always choose supplements that have been third-party tested by organizations such as NSF or USP. 

The benefits of strength training apply to individuals of all fitness levels, whether you're a professional athlete, a working adult, or an older adult looking to improve daily function and quality of life. Anyone can benefit from full-body strength training 2-3 days a week at moderate to high intensity for about 30 to 60 minutes. Here are several reasons why you should consider incorporating strength training into your weekly routine.

 Preventing Injury

Strength training can limit or get rid of muscular imbalances between muscles in the front and back of your body, as well as between the left and right sides. According to Steve Yoon, the Chief of Sports Medicine at Cedars Sinai, these imbalances can cause injury because when one muscle is weak, the other muscles around it must compensate for that weakness, which can put increased strain or load on them and increase your risk of injuring them. However, when you strength train, you are strengthening these weak muscles as well as the surrounding muscles which decreases the likelihood of injury. In addition, strengthening muscles around joints to keep them functioning properly and prevent injuries like sprains, strains, dislocations, and tears in your joints.

Boosting Metabolism

Having a higher metabolism can make it easier to maintain or lose weight, as your body burns more calories both at rest and during physical activity. Strength training, particularly weightlifting, helps build muscle. Increasing muscle mass boosts your metabolism because muscles require more energy to function and enable movement. As a result, having larger muscles forces your body to produce more energy, which in turn increases your metabolism. This makes it easier to achieve your goals without having to work as hard.

Improving Quality of Life

The effects of strength training can improve your mental health in addition to your physical health. The reason for this is when you exercise it releases chemicals in your brain called endorphins. These are referred to as the “feel good” chemicals because they are known to reduce pain, boost your mood, and can help decrease stress and anxiety. In addition, as stated by campuslivingvillages.com, strength training has been shown to release more endorphins than doing cardio. Working out also keeps your body feeling, working, and looking its best, which can improve your day-to-day mood.

 Maintaining Long-Term Health

Doing any weight bearing activities such as running or strength training improves your bone density and slows the decline of bone density over time, putting you at lower risks of fractures and osteoporosis into older age. Strength training specifically may also slow decline of muscle wasting as you get older, contributing to an improved quality of life so you can play with grandkids, be able to get in and out of bed easily and do all other activities of daily living easier and for longer.

Strength training provides numerous benefits, including injury prevention, boosted metabolism, and improved mental health, making it essential for individuals of all ages and fitness levels, which is why you should consider adding to your weekly fitness plan.

Figure out where to get started: Get a Free 30-min. Fitness Assessment with a Trainer

As we get into the season of gratitude, it’s the perfect time to think about how we can strengthen our bodies and minds. This November, we’re super excited to kick off the holiday season with a Planksgiving Challenge! Whether you’re a fitness pro or just starting out, planks are a fantastic way to build your core strength, improve posture, and up your overall fitness game.

Let’s chat about the benefits of adding planks to your routine and tips to make the most of your Planksgiving efforts. Get ready to boost your fitness while appreciating the strength and resilience of your body by committing to a stronger you—one plank at a time!

Why Planks?

1. Posture and Low Back Pain Prevention: Planks are a great way to help maintain good posture and can prevent lower back pain by strengthening the core muscles.
2. Balance and Coordination: They engage multiple muscle groups at once, which helps improve your balance and coordination, making everyday activities easier.
3. Convenient, Total Body Exercise: Planks are super versatile! Whether you are doing a workout in a gym, at a park, or at home, planks activate multiple muscle groups at once to allow a bigger bang for your buck.

How to Work Planks into Your Routine

There are several ways to incorporate planks into your routine. For example, you can add them at the beginning of your workout as a full-body warm-up before you start. Performing three to four sets of planks before you start your workout is a great way to warm up those tiny stabilizer muscles and help you build a mind-muscle connection before performing your workout. Planks can also be added to the end of your workout as a finisher. Adding in planks at the end of a workout is a great way to strengthen your core and help build endurance in the muscle groups activated.

Sample Plank Circuit

• Standard plank hold: 2 sets, 30 seconds each
• Side plank hold: 2 sets, 30 seconds each side

If you’re new to planks, they can also be easily modified by dropping the knees to the ground, coming up to the hands in a high plank position or by being performed on an elevated surface such as a weight bench or box.

Make November a time to celebrate fitness, resilience, and gratitude by joining us for the Planksgiving Challenge! Whether you’re looking to strengthen your core, improve your balance, or just try something new, this challenge is for everyone. See a NIFS staff member to get started!

The Pain-Free Three workout was created years ago for NIFS Mini Marathon runners and walkers, the moves are effective for a quick and easy way to boost your leg and core strength. You will develop the supporting muscles to balance out the weakness you may have. Strengthen your glutes, and hamstrings with the Deadlift. The quads and core get work with Lunge variations and the upper body and core get work with the Inchworm. As with any program consistence is the key. There is a training plan below but a few reps of each of these before and after your running or walking will keep your body strong as you increase your mileage in the coming weeks. Running the Mini Marathon is a wonderful way to test your fitness, but the last thing you want is to be hurting at the starting line.

 Three moves to assist you in being your best!

These exercises can serve as a warm-up and/or cool-down. While they initially may be difficult to perform, keep working at them and ultimately they will serve as a perfect complement to your running or walking routine.

Weeks 1 – 8: Perform exercises 3 times per week.
Weeks 9 – 14: Perform exercises 2 times per week.
Weeks 15 – 16: Perform exercises once per week.

1. One Leg Deadlift with Touch (Hamstring, Glute, Back, Core, Shoulder)

Stand tall on one leg (knee slightly bent); stay stiff from the top of your head to the opposite heel.

Place a target in front of you and one on each side. Hinge at your hips, and lean forward, until your body is in a T shape. Using the opposite hand of the leg you are standing on, reach in front of you as far as possible. Slowly return to the start position. Adjust targets if needed.

Next, hinge at the hips and reach out to the opposite side of the leg you are standing on. Slowly come back to start. 

If you need help staying balanced, hold onto a chair, brace against a wall, etc. with a non-reaching hand. Each week you will notice your balance improving and your flexibility allowing you to reach further! 

2. Lunge progression (Total Body)

Standing tall, bring your knee and toe up as high as possible without tilting back.

Stride out into a lunge with your front ankle directly under your knee, back knee flexed (knee may touch the floor to decrease difficulty), and shoulders over hips (not tilted forward).

Targeting the IT Band: At the bottom of the lunge, extend the arm opposite of the stride leg up and lean over to the opposite side. Feel the stretch along your side, down to the hip. Come back to the center and push off the back leg to start the next step. Proceed with high knee/ toes on that leg (squeezing the glute of the standing leg will help with stability). Perform 2 lunges and stretches per leg.

Targeting the Total Body: At the bottom of the lunge, bring your arms up and bend your elbows to 90 degrees. Turn your shoulders toward the side of the front leg, looking as far to that side as you can. Turn back and stride into the opposite side. Perform 2 lunges and stretches per leg.

3. Inchworm

Begin with your hands and feet touching the floor (bend knees, if necessary). Walk your hands out to the push-up position. Perform 2-5 pushups, keeping your body in a straight line. Drop to your knees if you cannot keep your hips from sagging (quality over quantity). 

After the last push-up, keep your hands planted, and drive your hips up, then take small steps forward (driving your heels into the floor) until your knees are slightly bent. Walk out with your hands again and perform 2-5 push-ups.

After the second set of push-ups, bend your knees and walk your feet to your hands. Shift your weight to your feet and slowly rise. Perform 4-6 repetitions.

This blog was written by Kris Simpson, BS, ACSM-PT, HFS, personal trainer, and USTA at NIFS. To read more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Conjugate training is a term coined and expanded upon by the late, great Louie Simmons, a well-known strength coach at Westside Barbell. Conjugate means to bring together, so conjugate training is literally joining together different training styles into one micro or meso training cycle. Conjugate training is bringing together training styles such as power, strength, agility, and hypertrophy into one training cycle.

Balancing Across Different Days

The key to conjugate training is to balance the volume across the different days. It’s common to have a setup as follows (but this is only an example):

• Day 1: Upper-body pull—hypertrophy
• Day 2: lower-body push—strength
• Day 3: Upper-body push—power
• Day 4: lower-body pull—speed

With these days an athlete or coach will need to make sure to balance out the loads and not have too much volume across the days. So if the hypertrophy day has a high level of volume, the power day needs to be lower to not apply too much load to the upper body, which can increase the risk of injury. The athlete or coach will also need to know the recommended rep ranges, set ranges, and percentages of max for each of the different training styles in order to find that necessary balance to push the body but not hurt it.

Pushing the Body to Adapt to Change

This approach is a great way to keep the body guessing what your next move is and pushing the body to adapt and change to reach your goals. So, if you find yourself plateauing and your maxes are not moving, maybe the conjugate method is for you.

This blog was written by Grant Lamkin, Health Fitness Specialist. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Thousands of sports nutrition supplements are touted to improve strength, endurance, and a variety of other athletic factors. But do they work and are they necessary? Below are some of the most common supplements advertised for athletes, as well as what they do, how well they work, and how much is safe to supplement. It’s important to note that you should always consult your physician or a registered dietitian specializing in sports medicine before starting any new supplement.

Beta-alanine

During intense exercise, your muscles produce lactic acid, which can reduce muscular force and cause fatigue. Beta-alanine, an amino acid, produces carnosine, a molecule that can help reduce the buildup of lactic acid, which has shown to produce small performance improvements in sports that require high-intensity, intermittent effort over short periods, such as swimming, hockey, and football in some studies; however, its efficacy for endurance activities such as cycling and running isn’t clear.

In healthy adults, beta-alanine supplementation is generally safe. The most common side effect reported is paresthesia, a tingling or burning sensation in the upper body, typically lasting 60–90 minutes after consumption. If you’re interested in supplementing with beta-alanine supplements, the International Society of Sports Nutrition recommends taking 4 to 6 grams each day (1 to 2 grams at meals) for at least 4 weeks.

BCAAs

Leucine, isoleucine, and valine make up the branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are used to provide energy to the body during exercise and might also stimulate protein synthesis in exercised muscle. Short-term studies have shown that BCAA supplementation might enhance overall muscle mass and strength during training, but it is unclear if BCAAs are more effective than any other high-quality protein supplement. While supplementation of up to 20 grams/day in divided doses is generally safe according to the NIH, it is not always necessary because most individuals can take in adequate amounts by consuming plenty of complete proteins that provide all of the essential amino acids together, like meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

Carnitine

Carnitine is a compound thought to help preserve muscle glycogen and spare the use of amino acids during exercise so that they are available for new protein synthesis. The research available to support the effectiveness of supplementation is limited, however, and available evidence is mixed. Additionally, healthy individuals do not need to consume carnitine from food or supplements because it is synthesized sufficiently by the body itself.

Creatine

Creatine is a compound produced naturally in the body (about 1 gram/day), and obtained nutritionally by consuming animal-based foods or supplements, that is stored in the muscles and used for energy. Most sports experts agree that supplementing with creatine is generally safe and can improve certain types of performance, specifically those that involve repeated short bursts of intense intermittent activity (like sprinting or weightlifting), but tend to have little value for endurance exercises, such as cycling, swimming, or long-distance running. For optimal results, experts recommend taking in at least 20 grams of creatine per day (4 doses of 5 grams) for between 5–7 days, before decreasing to a maintenance level of around 3 to 5 grams total daily. Creatine monohydrate is the form most commonly used, recommended, and studied.

The Bottom Line

The supplements discussed above are generally safe when used in the recommended amounts. Many of them are unnecessary for healthy people who consume the correct nutrients. Again, always consult your physician or a dietitian specializing in sports medicine before starting any new supplement.

This blog was written by Lindsey Recker, MS, Registered Dietitian. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

With the world now instantly accessible through technology, it’s easy to understand why a growing number of people expect things to be done in a shorter amount of time. Like many others, I’m a big fan of things that are fast and effective, and that includes my workouts. High-intensity circuit training does just that by providing an effective and convenient way to increase exercise results in less time.

Whether you’re a career-driven adult or hardworking student, you’re probably a time-conscious person, so it may not be realistic to devote half of your week to aerobic and strength training separately. To really hammer this home, let’s do the math:

ACSM’s standard guidelines for aerobic training recommend 75–150 minutes a week of exercise, depending on the intensity. Let’s say you do 30 minutes of moderately intense cardio 4 days per week. That’s 120 minutes. Now let’s add strength training. Typically done 2–3 days each week, strength training should hit each major muscle group in 2–4 sets with 8–12 repetitions per set. Depending on the muscle group, this could take you 45–90 minutes. Average that out to about 60 minutes, 3 days a week. That’s 180 minutes. 180 + 120 = 300 minutes of time spent in the gym. 300! That’s as impractical as it is exhausting. Honestly, I’m tired just from doing the math on that.

With HICT, you’re combining both traditional training methods into one complete, high-energy workout that you’ll leave with a muscle and endorphin pump. Plus, you’ll be in and out of the door in less than an hour. What more could you ask for?

Benefits of High-Intensity Circuit Training

The concept of high-intensity circuit training is simple. By increasing the intensity of exercises that elevate the heart rate and limiting rest time, HICT can prompt greater gains in a shorter amount of time. In several studies, it’s been proven that the benefits of this type of training surpass those of the traditional protocols of aerobic and strength training. Let’s start with fat loss.

If you’re looking to lose excess body fat, tone up, or lean out, this type of training is the ticket. The strength training component accelerates the amount of fat burned during the workout. When this is paired with little rest between sets, the aerobic and metabolic benefits skyrocket, with results lasting up to 72 hours after the session. Even more interesting, the combination of high-intensity aerobic activity and resistance training may have a greater impact on subcutaneous fat loss. This is the type of fat that is troublesome for some people around their waistline, hips, and other areas.

Another significant benefit is the fact that HICT elicits the same if not greater gains in VO2 max, or peak oxygen uptake, when compared to traditional steady-state cardiovascular exercise. With the exercise volume substantially lower, high-intensity circuit training easily stands up to its traditional counterpart in improving cardiopulmonary health.

Other benefits of HICT include

• Improved strength across all major muscle groups
• Increased stability and movement efficiency
• Lowered stress levels
• Improved mental health
• Increased adaptability to regressions and progressions of exercises
• Saving time during the week that would have otherwise been spent on traditional programs

Sample HICT Program

Strength exercises for this type of program should be in an order of opposing muscle groups. For example, an upper-body station would be followed by a lower-body station. This allows the individual to have alternating rest and work throughout the circuit. On the same note, a highly intense aerobic exercise should be followed by an exercise with a low to moderate intensity. An example of this would be burpees followed by a stationary plank. If this is executed correctly, you should successfully complete these exercises at fast and intense pace with minimal rest. A typical format for a HICT session is as follows:

• 9–12 exercise stations
• 15–20 repetitions or 30 seconds of work
• 30 seconds or less of rest time
• 2–3 sets/rounds

What’s Next?

Not all programs are created equal, and traditional workouts are still the most effective methods if you want to specifically improve your strength and power or aerobic endurance. However, if you are looking for a new and exciting type of workout that helps you burn fat and build muscle in a short amount of time, HICT is worth a try! Our newest class at NIFS, Triple Threat, uses this type of format across three different areas of fitness: cardio, strength, and power. Join in on the class and start your journey to better health!

This blog was written by Jessica Phelps, BS, ACE CPT, Health Coach. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Sources: https://www.acsm.org/docs/default-source/files-for-resource-library/high-intensity-interval-training.pdf
https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2013/05000/high_intensity_circuit_training_using_body_weight_.5.aspx

The first thought that comes into most people’s heads when they hear the word weightlifting is, more times than not, “bulky.” The perception is that heavy weightlifting will cause an undesired large gain of muscle mass. This is true; weightlifting will cause you to put on muscle mass, but it will take a lot more than just lifting weights to be “bulky.” Please do not let your goals steer you away from certain exercises.

What Is Olympic Weightlifting?

The sport of Olympic weightlifting is comprised of the snatch, and clean and jerk. The snatch is a lift in which you take the bar from the floor to overhead in one swift movement. The clean and jerk is a lift in which you take the bar from the bar to the shoulder in one swift movement, and then take it from the shoulder to overhead in a second movement. The Olympic lifts are full-body, explosive movements that require the use of every muscle group in the body.

Take a look at any high-level athlete who competes in events such as track or wrestling. They have to get as strong as they can without putting on extra weight. They achieve this by lifting heavy loads for lower rep schemes as fast as they can. This is one reason why you will see athletes in these sports utilizing the Olympic lifts in the weight room. In the off season if they need to put on size, they will move to the higher rep ranges.

Benefits of Olympic Weightlifting

There are many benefits to learning and performing the Olympic lifts within your exercise routine. The lifts can be programmed in many different ways depending on your specific goals. These are my top five benefits of learning the lifts from a certified coach:

1. Body composition: The snatch and clean and jerk are full-body lifts that use the legs, glutes, back, abs, shoulders, and arms. Performing the lifts burns more calories in a shorter period of time compared to performing isolation/single-joint movements. The lifts and accessory lifts can be used to put on lean tissue, increase strength, and ultimately decrease body fat.
2. Muscular power and strength: Muscular power is how fast you can move a load. Decrease in muscular power over time is the main cause of falls in older adults. In Olympic weightlifting, nothing is done slowly. All loads are moved at max velocity, therefore increasing power. If your goal is to run faster and jump higher, power is the key ingredient.
3. Coordination: The Olympic lifts require precise coordination, rhythm, and timing. Improving body awareness and coordination is great for the activities of daily living. Learning new things also increases cognitive abilities in old age.
4. Range of motion: Most people associate heavy lifting with being stiff and bulky. The Olympic lifts, however, require the lifter to control a load through a full range of motion in the knees, ankles, hips, and shoulders. If the range of motion is not there now, or at the start of your lifting journey, over time training through a full range of motion will increase flexibility more effectively than static stretching one time per week.
5. Work capacity: Depending on how the lifts are programmed, they can be used to cause a range of positive changes to your body. One way to increase work capacity is by limiting the amount of rest time in between sets. Over time you will be able to recover faster from higher-intensity training.

The Olympic lifts should be performed under the eyes of a certified, experienced coach. Learning the lifts on your own can be done, but will take much longer and will not produce the results you are seeking. If you are interested in learning the Olympic lifts, visit our Master Class here at NIFS, which is free to members. If you are looking for one-on-one or more personal coaching, you can visit us at the track desk and one of our staff will get you going in the right direction.

This blog was written by Evan James, NIFS Exercise Physiologist EP-C, Health Fitness Instructor, and Personal Trainer. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

I enjoy all forms of exercise, but like many, I want the most bang for my buck when I’m exercising. Sure, I am always on the lookout for the new and best exercises that would not only kick my behind, but also have benefits all around. However, I always trend back to the “king of the gym”: an exercise that I do without fail—SQUAT

The Squat Reigns Supreme

Squats are often referred to as the “king of the gym” exercise, and for a good reason. When done correctly, squats utilize essentially every muscle in the body. If you want to get stronger, get bigger, or lose weight, squats will help. Although they aren’t a must in order to build your lower body, they are probably the most efficient exercise. Whether it’s building a stronger core, back, and legs; increasing bone density; or burning fat, squats are the best bang for your buck due to the engagement of many muscle groups activated at once.

But this post isn’t about just about squatting. In fact, in this four-part series, I want to show you that there are plenty of different alternatives to the “king of the gym.” We don’t always have the luxury of a barbell and rack or endless equipment resources from the gym. Perhaps you train from home or are on the road at a hotel. Either way, No worries!

Squat Alternatives Using Other Gym Equipment

First up are five effective squat alternatives you can do with access to gym equipment other than the traditional barbell back squat. Are there more than five? Yes, but these are my favorites. When I have an injury, or I’m bored, or all the racks in the gym are being used, I like to substitute these five exercises in place of squats. These five moves show alternatives to squatting that you can do efficiently in the gym when a barbell and rack aren’t available and still achieve similar or better gains.

As you can see, an effective squatting workout doesn’t have to be limited to the “king of the gym.” If you don’t have a squat rack available, there are a variety of different squatting alternatives you can use instead.

More in the Series

In part 2 of this series, learn how to use bodyweight and light equipment like resistance bands to functionally train your lower body. In part 3 of the series, I focus on body weight only, and in part 4 I set up some different routines you can do in a hotel when you’re on the road. Regardless of your fitness goals, some form or fashion of squats can and should be added to your fitness routines.

This blog was written by Michael Blume, MS, SCCC; Athletic Performance Coach. To learn more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

In a world where people want results in an instant and take drastic measures to achieve those results as fast as possible, developing strength, power and athleticism in a long-term aspect is often overlooked. For any fitness-related result or outcome, improvements take time. Fat loss, overall strength and/or power in any particular lift, speed, and agility are all seeds that needed to be watered for a while before noticeable and permanent changes are evident.

In an athletic realm, this leads to the importance of the “testing” process and the use of that process over the course of months, semesters, and years. As a young athlete or athlete fresh out of high school entering the college world of sports and strength and conditioning, this is how you monitor your success and validate that the training and improvements you are making are the things that are actually working. Numbers do not lie. If your times in specific agility drills or weights have increased in certain lifts, obviously you have made improvements. If those numbers have not changed or have decreased, you need to address methods of training or overall compliance/intensity with the program.

Below are five performance tests that measure multiple aspects of your overall athletic profile.

40-Yard Dash

The 40-yard dash, or “40,” is one of the most common drills we use to measure straight-line speed. Sure, many sports are played in a multidirectional way, but overall top speed is an important puzzle piece. Setting up and performing this drill is relatively simple; however, you may need two people to help with the timing.

First, set up two cones exactly 40 yards apart. From here, go to the starting line and sprint from start to finish. The clock or stopwatch should start on your very first movement from the starting line and stop when your body crosses the finish line.

5-10-5 Shuttle

The shuttle run is one of my personal favorites. It allows you to see an athlete’s explosiveness and change-of-direction skills. With lateral movements being so important in many sports, this gives you a good idea of where an athlete stands. To set up the 5-10-5 Shuttle, you need three cones spaced out evenly at 5 yards apart. The athlete starts at the middle cone with their hand on the ground. They run to the right or left cone and touch the ground (5 yards), across the whole setup and touch the ground (10 yards), and sprint through the middle cone (5 yards). Timing of this test starts when the athlete’s hand raises up from the ground and finishes when they cross the middle cone.

Vertical/Broad Jump

Jumping ability is another “power” aspect that translates very well into success on the field or court. The vertical jump test is generally performed with a Vertec, or a piece of equipment where you stand underneath and jump to touch as many of the rings overhead as you can. Other than obtaining the Vertec, the test is fairly simple. First, you want to measure your standing reach, or simply the height that you can reach with your arm outstretched overhead. As I mentioned before, you jump and hit as many of the rings on the Vertec as you can. When the maximal height has been reached, you subtract the standing reach number to get the vertical jump height.

Another great way to measure power would be with the standing broad jump. For this, all you need is a tape measure that is on the floor with a starting line for the athlete. To perform, the athlete starts behind the starting line and jumps out as far as possible and lands under control. The length of the broad jump is measured wherever the back of the athlete’s shoe lands.

Bench/Squat/Trap Bar Deadlift

In the preceding sections we looked at sprint and jump measurements, but we can’t leave out our strength numbers. Like the great Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell said, “Weak things break.” Truer words have never been spoken. Because of this, we want to measure those strength gains with every opportunity that we have. For me, my main three strength lifts that I measure are the bench press, the squat (front squat or back squat, depending on the athlete), and trap bar deadlift. These are three main staples in my programming and I always want to see if the way that I’m implementing them in workouts is yielding the best results.

These may look a little different for you. You may choose DB Bench Press, Pull-Ups, Farmer’s Carries, or something similar. My recommendation is to be sure that whatever you are testing are things that you are continually working on. It’s tough to test a back squat if you haven’t back squatted in 8–10 weeks.

Overall, the moral of the story is testing to see whether what you are doing is helping you achieve your goals is vital. Without testing you are just guessing. Remember, numbers do not lie!

his blog was written by Alex Soller, Athletic Performance Coach and NIFS trainer. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.