With the NCAA basketball tournament going on this could have easily been a post about sports. In actuality, it is about life and death as three important people in my life have passed away this year already. Some people say that deaths "come in threes" and I guess at this point I hope it is true.
My Uncle Francis died in January, just a few weeks shy of his 86th birthday. He was a man who never complained and never spoke bad about anybody. When his kids got in trouble he would simply ask them "What were you thinking?" and let them explain it. He was an excellent mechanic and helped my dad on many projects. He will be deeply missed as a card partner for my mom & other Uncle Bob. What a great guy - I sure will miss his laugh and quick wit!
Uncle Walter died at the age of 94 and was a WW2 vet and 20 year veteran of the armed forces. He earned many stripes, bars, ribbons and stars. I remember hearing how he was cooking and had a bullet ricochet off his pan! To his great sadness, his fiancee died of scarlet fever before he returned home from the war. I don't know if he ever really got over it and never married. My wife always commented he would have been a great dad! Just like Uncle Francis, I never heard the guy really complain other than when the Twins were losing. He was a gentle soul and lived in the same house he grew up in. His favorite quote was "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Couldn't agree more Uncle Walt!
On February 22nd my father in law Jim Ewers passed away after a brief two week stay in the hospital. He had a bad fall about a dozen years ago and it was tough for him to battle back. He fell from a stacker while taking a shed down and shattered his ankle and compressed his back real bad. He had trouble getting along after that but my wonderful mother in law Jean did a great job taking care of him. Thanks to him I learned to love and respect farming. He was also responsible for getting me interested in College Football, which is my favorite sport by far! Jim even got to see the Gophers in the Rose Bowl in 1960. When you realize he drove over 200 miles every Saturday to see the Gophers play (he had season tickets) you can understand what kind of a hard core fan he was. He pretty much was for anything to do with the U of M. Don't be surprised if one of my kids go D-1 and play there! And of course he raised two great daughters who are second to NONE:)
This blog does have a happy ending though as my nephew John Patrick DeMatteis was born today! At just over 7 pounds he is doing great. Congrats to Lori and Monte and welcome to our family John!!!
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Grip Strength in Football
How important is grip strength to athletes? Unmistakably HUGE. Just look at the AFC and NFC championships last weekend. A lack of securing the ball cost both the 49ers and the Ravens a chance to play in the Super Bowl. Return man Williams of the 49ers got stripped of the ball in overtime and the Giants recovered and ultimatley won. The Raven's reciever Evans inability to secure the game winning touchdown cost them the AFC title. A perfect throw from Flacco hit him right in the chest but he allowed the cornerback to knock it out of his hands. Two plays later the Ravens kicker missed the game tying field goal and their season was over.
I really feel that both plays could have been avoided with improved grip strength. I really do! Have you ever notice how some players never seem to give up the ball, no matter how hard the hits? Granted, a perfect helmet to the ball will jar it loose the majority of the time but most often it is simply whisked away by a hard swat from a defender. The secret weapon is to have a world class grip.
Working your grip and hand strength doesn't have to be difficult. It just has to be progressive and it should work all components. MILO magazine had a great snyopsis in a recent article:
Two types of grip strength 1.Crushing (four fingers) 2. Pinching (thumb)
Two types of hand position: 1. open 2. closed
Two types of effort: 1. Max effort 2. Sustained effort
To ensure a complete grip program that encompasses all these parameters, I would include these:
1. Crushing closed hand (grippers)
2. Crushing open hand (thick bar work)
3. Pinching closed hand (Europinch & plate pinches)
4. Pinching open hand (blob)
Using the Gym Movement protocols of increasing either intensity, volume, or density will ensure progress. 1 rep maximum efforts will obviously boost strength (if they test well!) and I would definity add in some bar holds for time to boost grip endurance. Adam T Glass always has fantastic medleys at his grip contests and they always encompass all possible components of grip work (& then some!)
Do not be confused into thinking there are magical sets and reps to use. Frequency of training depends on your goals. I usually ended my workouts with grip work but this week I am allocating two specific days for it. I'm starting with only a half hour each time, so we'll see how it goes. This will also allow me to give more attention to other aspects of my lifting during my training sessions. A pleasant return on investment in grip is increased arm size...I will keep you posted on my progress!
I really feel that both plays could have been avoided with improved grip strength. I really do! Have you ever notice how some players never seem to give up the ball, no matter how hard the hits? Granted, a perfect helmet to the ball will jar it loose the majority of the time but most often it is simply whisked away by a hard swat from a defender. The secret weapon is to have a world class grip.
Working your grip and hand strength doesn't have to be difficult. It just has to be progressive and it should work all components. MILO magazine had a great snyopsis in a recent article:
Two types of grip strength 1.Crushing (four fingers) 2. Pinching (thumb)
Two types of hand position: 1. open 2. closed
Two types of effort: 1. Max effort 2. Sustained effort
To ensure a complete grip program that encompasses all these parameters, I would include these:
1. Crushing closed hand (grippers)
2. Crushing open hand (thick bar work)
3. Pinching closed hand (Europinch & plate pinches)
4. Pinching open hand (blob)
Using the Gym Movement protocols of increasing either intensity, volume, or density will ensure progress. 1 rep maximum efforts will obviously boost strength (if they test well!) and I would definity add in some bar holds for time to boost grip endurance. Adam T Glass always has fantastic medleys at his grip contests and they always encompass all possible components of grip work (& then some!)
Do not be confused into thinking there are magical sets and reps to use. Frequency of training depends on your goals. I usually ended my workouts with grip work but this week I am allocating two specific days for it. I'm starting with only a half hour each time, so we'll see how it goes. This will also allow me to give more attention to other aspects of my lifting during my training sessions. A pleasant return on investment in grip is increased arm size...I will keep you posted on my progress!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
New Year Resolution Do's and Don'ts
Happy New Year!
I think everyone is aware that a new year tends to bring out goal setting in many people. This is especially true in the fitness area. My buddies who train at Lifetime said the parking lot was so packed on the 1st they could barely get in. And of course the lines to use the machines and free weights were horrific. I told them just wait a month, it will simmer down!
The percentage of people who drop their exercise/diet resolutions by the end of January is staggering. I'm all for goal setting, but it has to be the RIGHT goals for you. They cannot be too broad, the more specific the better. It always makes me think of a quote by executive consultant Isaac Cheifetz. When asked "Do workaholics win"? He simply said "Only if they are doing the right work!"
To me, the key component in any properly designed goal is sustainability. Fads do not work. Do you really think a Grapefruit Diet is something you can sustain indefinitely? I hope not! Neither are these "Insanity workouts" or Crossfit challenges where you train until you puke. If you do get sick you are told to "man up" and keep going. Even if your will is strong, these type of workouts are unsustainable because the individual will find themselves injured. And no doubt burned out.
While I encourage you to make up a "To Do" list for the New Year, I sincerely hope you consider a "Not to Do" list as well. It is always important to know what you don't like to know what you do like. Diets that are realistic and unrestricted are the ones that work. Exercise programs (like Gym Movement) where it is based on feedback from your body will always be more effective than ones that are standardized. Be sure to track everything so you know when progress is being made. This will keep the momentum and stave off boredom.
Best of luck in 2012!!!
I think everyone is aware that a new year tends to bring out goal setting in many people. This is especially true in the fitness area. My buddies who train at Lifetime said the parking lot was so packed on the 1st they could barely get in. And of course the lines to use the machines and free weights were horrific. I told them just wait a month, it will simmer down!
The percentage of people who drop their exercise/diet resolutions by the end of January is staggering. I'm all for goal setting, but it has to be the RIGHT goals for you. They cannot be too broad, the more specific the better. It always makes me think of a quote by executive consultant Isaac Cheifetz. When asked "Do workaholics win"? He simply said "Only if they are doing the right work!"
To me, the key component in any properly designed goal is sustainability. Fads do not work. Do you really think a Grapefruit Diet is something you can sustain indefinitely? I hope not! Neither are these "Insanity workouts" or Crossfit challenges where you train until you puke. If you do get sick you are told to "man up" and keep going. Even if your will is strong, these type of workouts are unsustainable because the individual will find themselves injured. And no doubt burned out.
While I encourage you to make up a "To Do" list for the New Year, I sincerely hope you consider a "Not to Do" list as well. It is always important to know what you don't like to know what you do like. Diets that are realistic and unrestricted are the ones that work. Exercise programs (like Gym Movement) where it is based on feedback from your body will always be more effective than ones that are standardized. Be sure to track everything so you know when progress is being made. This will keep the momentum and stave off boredom.
Best of luck in 2012!!!
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