TRAIN TO PERFORM!!!

Movement Preparation (Preparing the athlete to move) During Movement Prep the goal is to increase core body temperature, address key mobility and stability demands, and activate the nervous system. It should be done so using movements and speeds specific to the program for the day. Moving from an isolation focus to an movement integration focus, movements will begin simple and slowly move towards more complex patterns at a higher rate of speed. This  safely prepares the body physically and mentally for the training followed.  1.( GLUTE Activation)  I start by activating the glutes using mini-bands around the knees and/or the ankles. The client will perform one round of movements with the legs completely extended and one round of movements in an athletic base where they are flexed at the hip, knee and ankle. Movements will be linearly and/or laterally focused based on the training session that follows 2. (Dynamic Stretches)  Glute activation will be followed by...

We had an unbelievable summer!  My fitness and PERFORMANCE groups really progressed well; most of the credit goes to them for putting in all of the hard work and being dedicated. They really made my position easy each day.  I also did a few things to better myself and my craft... Over this summer, I gained my Performance Enhancement Specialist Certification from The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Studying for this certification helped me better understand the body and how/why it reacts and moves in certain situations. Now I asses, critique and cue movements in a totally different fashion. Many of my athletes came to me with tight hamstrings and that was primarily due to improper running mechanics and the under use of the gluteus maximus or the overuse of the Quadriceps or vice versa. This was an interesting group for me; this was my first summer group and the majority of them were Junior College athletes. Not knowing what the future would hold for ...

 One year ago I was interning at Athletes Performance in Frisco, Texas. At that point I knew nothing about how systematically programming workouts could yield optimum performance gains or how those underlying bodily components work together to improve your bodies performance. Not just athletic performance but how the body performs in response to the rigorous demands of daily movements.  I spend a lot of time working to perfect and improve my trade, whether it's reading books to understand the anatomy of the body or watching videos and podcast from the top specialist, coaches and therapists in my field. Even though they all have a degree of some sort they never stop learning and teaching themselves  This past SUNDAY I listened to a very informative podcast from Nick Winkleman, Director of training systems and Education at Athletes Performance in Phoenix, Arizona and the first tip he gave was to Self educate and Apply what you learn. A year consists of 12 months and th...

I began writing this post on March 19, 2011 and at that time my passion/purpose hadn't been revealed to me. Every day I wrestled with life wondering what I could make of mine and how I should occupy my time. One thing I  didn't  want was to be mistaken for something I wasn't but I couldn't figure out what drove me. The few things that seemed to make me happy were merely temporary fixes. Although I was filled with mounds and mounds of JOY    I had not reached my peak, the place where I could take a deep sigh and say "YES I DID IT" That place where I could feel like i wasn't going to a job everyday but doing what i loved, living out my passion. Steve Jobs said:                     "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied                       is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do g...

Eating clean may not be so easy but i'm going to share three simple tips that i think will make your transition a fairly easy one. Many people struggle with eating properly, enough meals throughout the day and others just simply do not know what to eat; no direction whatsoever. The first tip would be " The less legs the better" , this is referring to your protein intake. The least legs on the animal the better the protein is for you, From most to least, Pork, Beef, Turkey, Chicken and Fish having none of course. The second tip is to "E at a rainbow" , many people over load on protein and carbohydrates but lack any type of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables come in all different shapes and colors so therefore add vegetables to your plate and eat a rainbow daily. Last tip is " Brown close to the ground" this mean eat more grains and oats, substitute whole brown grains with white rice, white bread and other artificial food. These food play many ...

Have you ever looked at a house and thought about what's holding it up and keeping it from falling? The solid foundation is what holds it all together. Without a solid bodily foundation your house (BODY) will eventually begin to crumble and break down if you do not start by strengthening and stabilizing the 3 most pivotal areas of our bodies first ;Hips, Core, Shoulders. Before anything we focus on strengthening the most vulnerable areas of the body that gets stressed in everyday movements.. A lot of time we use these muscles indirectly not even knowing that we are because it has become common movements. These 3 areas of our body are known as your pillar of strength, adding strength, stability and mobility to these areas will improve your posture and alignment, allowing your joints to move more efficiently. Darelle Noel Fitness Specialist/ Performance Coach Fresh Start Fitness Group (713) 909-4373