Bill Hartman

Author: Bill

  • Effective sports training programs and injuries

    If you’ve read through some of the blog posts here, you’re probably aware that I believe the impact of fatigue to be a large component of sports-related injuries.

    Fatigue has been shown to alter proprioception, muscle activation patterns, stability, etc.  This only reinforces the importance of effective training programs for athletes based on their specific needs.

    I came across this article at mmajunkie.com today that discusses the same subject and thought you’d like to take a peek at it.

    Rant warning…

    Back in the days before big screen TV’s and internet when I played football in high school, we were allowed to have supervised summer conditioning programs but no organized practice until two weeks before the season started. 

    Now the programs have absorbed the entire summer of our fall sport athletes by having organized practices and conditioning sessions.  Sure, the programs may be offered as voluntary, but you and I both know that “voluntary” means “manditory if you want to play this year.”  Now you have to make the 7-on-7 team just to get noticed by the coach.

    Two things are really bugging me…

    One, from this day forward football players, your summers will never be as fun and relaxing as they should be.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I loved playing football.  I love preparing to play football.  But I also loved having down time from school and formal schedules. (note to parents who think your kids need to be in school year round…you’re all idiots.  It won’t make your kid any more intelligent.  The guys that sent other guys to the Moon and back got their summers off when they were in high school.)

    Two, having seen some of the conditioning programs from the local high schools, it’s clear that most sports team coaches know very little about preparing their athletes to perform when they need to perform.  Nothing like getting beaten up and exhausted before the season even starts.

    I predict a record injury rate this season.

    I hope I’m wrong.

    Bill

  • New Project and New Faster Fat Loss Zone!

    What at weekend!

    I’m still a little tired.  I was almost in a constant state of activity.

    First, we had the big launch of the new Faster Fat Loss Zone.  It’s now part of the Naked Nutrition Network.  To celebrate we’re giving away a ton of free stuff including presentation, workouts, interviews and more.  You can check it out Here.

    Saturday morning was a full house at Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training.  By mid afternoon I was deep into shooting video for a brand new project from Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, and myself.  This is going to be huge.  I can’t give much away at this point, but if you thought Inside-Out was an essential element in your program, this next project will blow you away.

    Saturday ended with a visti to Fogo de Chao.  It’s truly a meat eater’s dream.  Apparently they do have a salad bar, but I don’t think I even looked at it.  If you ever get a chance to try this place, I recommend you wear pants with an elastic waist.

    Personal note…

    My own training has sucked for the last couple months due to speaking engagements (Thanks again to Sean Armstead/NSCA and Perform Better) and preparing for this past weekends video shoot.  I will be making a monster comeback starting this week and will be working on reestablishing my foundational fitness.

    I’m thinking I may post my workouts to gain some accountability.  Thoughts?

    Have a great week.

    Bill

  • Lift Strong

    My friend Alwyn Cosgrove is a stage IV cancer survivor….twice.

    He is alive today because of donations made by people like you and me long before he was ever diagnosed.

    Because of the research made possible by donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, treatments have been developed that save lives that not too long ago would have never had a fighting chance.

    I’d like you to make a donation today.

    I realize that there are many causes out there deserving of assistance.  I also realize that money is tight these days.  So I’ll make it worth your while.

    In return for your donation today, You’ll receive the entire Lift Strong collection on CD.  That’s 800 pages from the top minds in the fitness, rehab, and strength and conditioning fields.

    If you ask me, it’s a win-win.  You save lives AND you get information you can’t get anywhere else that will impact your life.

    Go to www.liftstrong.com now and donate.

    Thanks

    Bill

  • Stability Training Reduces Hamstring Stiffness

    Mike Robertson and I were discussing this study that showed how training the trunk muscles for improved stability resulted in a reduction in hamstring stiffness.  In other words, flexibility improved without stretching the muscles.

    To bring you up to speed, here’s the study in a nutshell:

    The hypothesis is that increased hamstring stiffness compensates for the insufficient performance of the deep stabilizing muscular subsystem (does anyone smell the TVA bias in the room?).

    To test their hypothesis they measure the hamstring stiffness of 30 people using a PKES test (Supine, hip flexed 90 degrees, extend the knee and measure the knee angle).  The subjects spend 2 days learning to perform “isolated, conscious activation of the deep stabilizing muscle subsystem”.  They then perform a variation of a plank with feet elevated in slings (body is horizontal) and a variation of supine hip extension twice a week for 4 weeks.  At the end of four weeks, the hamstring stiffness had decreased (flexibility improved).

    Their conclusion:  The results of this study support our hypothesis.

    Huh?  How do you figure?

    Now certainly the training performed resulted in a reduction in hamstring stiffness which is very interesting (we’ll get to that in a minute), but how did they determine it was the result of an improved deep stabilizing whatever, whatever?

    There was no pre-test of the deep stabilizing whatever, whatever.  Sure they spent 2 days learning to consciously activate it, but that doesn’t mean that its function was improved nor dysfunctional in the first place.  They used an integrated exercise that involved all of the abdominal muscles, hip muscles, and other trunk and shoulder muscles.  And there was no post-test of deep stabilizing…well, you get the point.

    I’m not saying that they are wrong or right, only that you can’t conclude much more than that the training performed for improved stability reduced hamstring stiffness.  To their credit, they do mention in the second to last sentence that “it is still possible that stability training influenced stiffness of the hamstrings in some other way than by improving action of the deep musculature.”  Well done.  It could have also been improved hip stability or even shoulder stability (yes, there’s a connection)

    The interesting stuff…

    The point to take away from this is that mobility restrictions aren’t always mechanical tissue related issues.  In other words, stretching isn’t always the answer.

    In situations where an individual is faced with a task that exceeds his ability to adequately control posture, balance, or range of motion, it’s not uncommon to see what appears to be a lack of mobility or some form of movement compensation.

    This compensation is often a “locking up” of joints, frequently by two joint muscles like the hamstrings, to create stability with a comprise to mobility.  The movement will frequently appear to be uncoordinated or the athlete may seem slow or weak in reacting.  This is not a dysfunction that you can fix with the correct stretching protocol.

    The fix requires restoration of stability utilizing a lower level activity that the athlete can control effectively and progressing toward more complex tasks that lead to higher force, higher speed, and higher skill movements.

    This also reinforces the importance of observing your athletes in action where they experience and participate in the specific conditions and demands of their chosen sport.

    Everything is an assessment.

    Bill

  • Preventing Injuries…Fatigue Changes Everything

    I’m an assessment guy.  I do a pretty extensive assessment on everyone we train at IFAST.  I do a very broad spectrum of testing because I know that there are few if any definitive tests. I also realize that when it comes to predicting potential injury, anything I do during my controlled assessment will have limited validity in certain situations.

    Why?  Because fatigue changes everything.

    Fatigue will alter trunk muscle function and therefore balance. (1)

    Fatigue alters technique. (2,3)

    Fatigue changes landing mechanics and motor control that can result in ACL injuries. (4,5,6)

    Fatigue measured as low aerobic power increased risk of injury for rugby players. (7)

    Fatigue altered the coordination (acuity) of the entire arm of overhead throwers. (8)

    It’s obvious that injuries are the result of multiple factors.  We can never rely on one test or even a battery of tests if they don’t take into consider fatigue and forces similar to those that are experienced in a play situation.

    So should we just ignore the whole concept of injury prevention.

    No, I don’t think so.  Not by a long shot.

    I think the first key concept to address is to train your athletes effectively in the first place by addressing their specific needs and those of their sport. 

    Do they have a foundation of general physical preparation to allow them to train at an intensity that will support their performance in game situations?

    Do they demonstrate sufficient mobility to perform the required activities without compensation? (Can you identify compensation?)

    Do they demonstrate appropriate energy system development for their desired sport?

    The next key concept to understand is that everything is an assessment.  It just doesn’t stop when game starts or when the training session begins.

    Watch for obvious signs of fatigue (open mouth, heavy breathing, distressed appearance, etc.) and the not so obvious (changes in technique, ability to change direction, signs of instability, etc.).

    Give rest when needed (even if it’s not programmed or it’s a crucial point in a game).

    Change the training program to adapt to the athletes current reserves.  Nothing is written in stone and your “perfect” program may not be so for every athlete on every day.

    We all want our athletes to be successful, and yes, there are times that you must push them harder than they want to be pushed to assure that they are prepared.  However, you must focus on the quality of your athletes’ performance in training or in a game if you’re serious about preventing injuries.
    1.  J Sport Rehabil. 2008 Nov;17(4):380-6. 
    2.  IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2008 Nov;55(11):2666-74.
    3.  J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2009 Mar;39(3):210-20.
    4.  Am J Sports Med. 2008 Mar;36(3):554-65
    5.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Oct;38(10):1836-42
    6.  Am J Sports Med. 2005 Jul;33(7):1022-9
    7.  Am J Sports Med. 2005 Mar;33(3):428-34 
    8.  J Athl Train. 2007 Jan-Mar;42(1):90-8

    If you want to learn more check out www.indyperformanceseminars.com

    Bill