Science + Perspective When Training Action Sports Athletes
I'm not a huge fan of terms like "skate specific work out" or "strength and conditioning for surfers." At the end of the day, action sports athletes require improvement of the same physical qualities that conventional athletes require. Qualities such as strength, power, flexibility, and energy system development. For example, a skateboarder may not need a 400-pound deadlift, but he can absolutely benefit from improvements in strength. It's not just his or her muscles that get stronger. The integrity of ligaments, tendons, and bone density improve. This means when high impact landings occur,
Grind….what you all know about GRIND???
Two Saturdays ago I found myself arriving home around midnight, after more than a couple celebratory IPAs and an ill-advised whiskey nightcap. Sleep was in major need but not gonna happen, as I was still buzzing from my friend Keanu Asing’s requalification on the Championship Tour. So I decided to throw on one of my favorite movies of all time, Platoon. One of the great scenes in the movie is when Tom Berenger’s vicious Sgt. Barnes walks in on a group of soldiers plotting to kill him. The scene ends
Why Our NAKOA Warriors are Freakin’ Dope
There are quite a few gyms, clubs and recreational centers scattered around San Diego. Their members shuttle in and out exchanging glances or the occasional wave or hello and then quickly put their headphones on and commence to run through the latest workout that they saw in their men’s or women’s health magazine. For most gym goers who identify with this experience, performance training is considered more of a chore or a due diligence requirement than it is a time to go about achieving goals, preparing for competition or developing
NAKOA System vs Methods
Famous 19th century essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The men who grasp principles can successfully select their own methods. The man, who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” The fitness industry has been built on a foundation of methods. We have witnessed most of these methods disappear into obscurity while others have stood the test of time. It is a time of evolution in our industry. We have enough science and
A Letter to a Skinny Long Jumper
Since Track & Field holds a very nostalgic, special place in my heart, I am going to be educating through a series of excerpts from an imaginary letter to my high school self (I know that sounds weird, bare with me). Yo buddy, It’s YOU from the future. Since you weren't good enough to actually BECOME a pro athlete, you are doing the next best thing and TRAINING them. That means you NOW know how AWESOME Coach Herzog and Coach Barry were for our Track team, but how many individual things YOU