The Slam Dunk Crisis

Winter in North Dakota, for me, has always been one of the most exciting times of the year. In the Midwest, it seems like everyone and their cousin plays hockey or basketball. I attribute this mostly to them being the only two sports up here you can play in their natural habitat all year around. As a coach, it’s exciting because I get an opportunity to not only wind down a bit as far as the number of hours I train, but to get out and watch a large number of my athletes compete. I personally am a huge fan of basketball. I play every opportunity I get and love to watch it at any level. It’s really developed into an avenue for my competitive fix and a place for me to do my best thinking. I am truly in love with the game and the competitiveness it brings out of me.

As an avid lover of the game, there is a real September trend coming about and I don’t like it. September, October and November have become notorious for the youth basketball player’s failed dunk attempt posts all over social media.

At the beginning of every one of my programs my athletes take a short questionnaire to help me understand what exactly their goals and expectations are from my program. You know what my number one request from my basketball players is? “I want to increase my vertical by 3 – 6 inches” ends up on at least 70% of my surveys. Increasing your vertical jump by 3 – 6 inches in 10 weeks being fairly unrealistic is beside the point. The point is, WHY do most of these kids want the increase? If you think it’s because they want to become the best paint defender in town, you’re delirious. Everyone wants to dunk.

Let me first say that I think the dunk is indeed an impressive feat of athleticism. I probably wouldn’t be nearly as bitter if I could do it myself. And sure, it’s cool to be able to show your friends and that girl you’ve been trying to get a date with since junior high. It’s a great achievement around here because it’s something we don’t see all that often. My problem with it is that it’s become the most sought after skill in the game. It’s hard to watch. A lot of athletes I work with dream of getting to play their favorite sport at the next level. If it’s a realistic expectation, it’s my job to help them get there. So my inspiration for this post comes not from the bitterness of being a 5’ 9” sub par jumper, but from being an outsider looking in on a large number of young athletes wasting their time trying to attain a non transferrable skill set. Here are my 4 reasons we need to drop our infatuation with the dunk:

1.    Cultural Reproduction Patterns

Look, if nobody else is going to say it, I will. If you haven’t figured out yet that in North Dakota we produce 6’ 0” Caucasians, you’re living under a rock. It’s extremely rare to see a 6 ’6” or 6’ 8” athlete of darker skin complexion compete at the Class A or Class B level around this state. I don’t think I need to explain myself to anyone who understands which one of those demographics has dominated the college basketball and professional basketball ranks. If you think next level coaches give a damn that you can dunk, you don’t have a clue. How many 6’ 0” Caucasians do you see competing at the next level because they can drive the lane and cram over a post defender? NOT VERY MANY. They’re there because they either have a keen understanding of the game, can handle the basketball on a string, distribute the basketball unselfishly, stretch the floor with long range precision jump shooting, or play great team defense. (Or a combination of these) Look, if you’re 6’ 6” or taller, you can stop reading after this bullet point, keep on keeping on. You’re one of the lucky few. Just keep jumping over people and putting your elbow in the rim, you’ll be fine. If you haven’t been blessed with above average height and a large make up of fast twitch muscle fibers like myself, keep reading.

2.    Wasted Time

Progress in strength and conditioning and skill development is all about getting out of your comfort zone. The biggest problem with dunking isn’t that kids spend time learning how to do it. It’s that once they learn how to do it, they just keep doing it, over and over and over again. Until they’ve showed it off so often that they waste precious time that could have been used developing a more transferrable skill. Once dunking becomes easy for you, it’s time to identify another skill you haven’t yet acquired, and work on that. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: Correcting weaknesses will yield more benefit in the long term than the development of strengths.

3.    At the end of the day, it’s only worth 2 points!

I don’t think I need to elaborate much on this bullet point. I’ll take the guy that can shoot from 30 feet away every single time over the guy who can 360 dunk but breaks the backboard every time he chunks a mid range jump shot. Dunks are rare; you don’t often get an opportunity to attempt one. This holds especially true at the high school level because it almost always requires a defender to leak out on a break. If you can shoot it from deep, handle the basketball, create opportunities for others, and distribute you’re always going to get a chance to effect the outcome of the game. And your FGs are often worth 150% more than that goon who keeps posting those rim stuffs all over Instagram.

4.    If you’re 20 pounds underweight and can't dribble, nobody cares.

As a strength and conditioning coach this is probably the biggest issue I see with the dunk infatuation. Most of the kids that are dunking all over the Internet are usually exactly the type I eluded to earlier: blessed. They have a large make up of Type II muscle fibers that have probably allowed them to create vertical explosiveness much greater than their competitors their entire lives. This always catches up to you. The athletes at the next level, who likely have been blessed with the same attributes, separate themselves from the pack by dedicating themselves to the weight room or honing other valuable skills. There is much more contact to be absorbed at the college and professional levels. If you don’t have the strength and/or mass to handle that, or the ball handling and shooting skills to avoid it, I hope you appreciate how comfortable your warm up suit is. You’ll be wearing it a lot. And I know what kids are going to say, “Kevin Durant couldn’t even bench press 185 pounds at the combine and he’s an MVP!” First off, the bench press is the most overrated exercise in the industry. Second, Kevin Durant is 6’ 11”, handles like a 1, shoots like a 2, and defends like a 3. He is a STATISTICAL ANOMALY. YOU ARE NOT HIM.

This is something I’ve wanted to get off my chest for quite some time. I can’t stand to see our youth athletes waste time in the gym any longer and miss out on great opportunities. We as coaches need to a do a better job of equipping these athletes with the right tools necessary for improvement. Teaching them a large variety of ball handling, shooting, and attacking drills is a great place to start. Asking them to dunk during their attacking drills is fine, but praising them because they can do so is where we’re going wrong. I see too many young, smart, talented and more importantly passionate basketball players missing out on an opportunity to experience competition at the college level because they have never been taught how to improve the right way. That being said, there are a select few that have it figured out, and when it comes together for them, it’s a thing of beauty. There is nothing better than an athlete recognizing where he/she needs to improve and how he/she can help their team win, and going to work. Thanks for reading.

Caleb Heilman

“The only thing I know is I’ll never know everything.” – Jason Green

Complexes: the Who, the What, the Why, the When, and the Where.

COMPLEXES: the Who, the What, the Why, the When, and the Where

Complexes are great, if they're used properly. Complexes are an absolute mess, if they're used improperly. Most people who have spent considerable time around strength and conditioning have probably seen them applied or used them themselves without ever really pinning them with a label. Some people don’t use them at all and others use them entirely too often. Today I’d like to talk a little bit about what complexes are, when they can be best utilized, who they may/may not be best for, why they can be a great addition to your programming, and why I think some coaches in our industry have let their use get out of hand.

What the hell is a complex?

First things first. The shortest definition I could give for a complex goes something like this: A complex is a series of exercises performed with a single piece of equipment (usually dumbbells, a barbell, or a kettle bell) seamlessly without changing out the resistance or allowing the resistance to leave your hands until the given sets and reps for every exercise is completed.

What are the pros of complexes?

There are a few things that can make complexes an awesome addition to your strength and conditioning programs. First and foremost, they are a great way to extend time under tension (TUT) and build mental toughness in your athletes. I try not to get too nit picky with my strength programs, and I think when coaches try to manipulate TUT in every single set, they’re flirting with micromanagement. That being said, if you would like an athlete/client to “grind out” sets that take a significant amount of time, complexes could be the way to go. As long as an athlete/client is able to achieve acceptable technique, a complex forces them to maintain voluntary muscle contractions and mental focus for an extended time frame. Because of the amount of oxygen deprivation experienced within each set, there are few applications that not only condition, but also strengthen your athletes.

What are the cons of complexes?

Complexes are not for everyone. There are a lot of variables to think about before you just apply them for anybody and everybody. Some of these variables include:

• Complexes are different and cool.

I know this sounds like it should be a pro, but one of the biggest issues we run into in the industry with complexes is that they are “really cool.” Because of that, I see them being applied entirely too often and they usually include movements that are completely contraindicated for certain athletes. If you’re working with a repetitious overhead athlete (baseball/softball player, quarterback, swimmer, volleyball player), any complexes that include a large amount of snatches, push presses, split jerks, or other overhead press variations should probably be modified. If the athlete you're working with has not been exposed to all the movements separately, expecting them to string them together safely is unrealistic. It's also important to note that towards the end of a set, an athlete is probably exhausted, so picking a weight light enough that proper technique is attainable through the entire set is imperative.

• They are complex/difficult.

This again, could be listed as a pro, but because of the complexity and difficulty of them… You guessed it, they’re used entirely too often. Some coaches love the fact that they can make their athletes completely exhausted in a short period of time while using some of the most advanced exercises in the industry. The problem with that, other than a lot of their athletes have no idea how to do most of the movements, is that this methodology is not sustainable. Running your athlete into the dirt every single day with complex movements might be fun for you and might even put a smile on their coaches face (for the one session per month they watch). Unfortunately, that coach probably hasn’t the slightest clue how to design a S & C program, and will probably wonder why their players are all either dragging ass or on the injured reserve by the middle of their competitive season. This is my best explanation as to why one of the largest advocates of complexes, CrossFit, has gained popularity, but is NOT a quality choice for the long-term training stimulus for athletes.

• Complexes rarely leave the sagittal plane.

Training athletes requires training in different planes of movement. The sagittal plane, for those who don’t know, is best described as “straight ahead.” I think we’ve all played with that guy. The straight line runner who can blow anyone away in a race, but when it comes time to cut, rotate, or display fluent athleticism, things break down quickly. For rotational athletes (baseball players, hockey players, golfers) who spend a large amount of time in and require power development in the frontal plane, a coach who relies solely on barbell complexes, Olympic lifts, and powerlifts, (cleans, snatches, deadlift, squat, bench press) may not be the best coach for them.

• How do we use complexes?

I know a lot of you are thinking, If there are so many more cons than pros to complexes, why do you use them? Well, my logic is this: If used in moderation with proper modifications for certain individuals, we can manipulate the pros to outweigh the cons. As a matter of fact, if you spend enough time thinking critically about them, you can almost completely eliminate all the cons I listed.

I personally use complexes in weeks that would be referred to most as “deload” weeks. I train my athletes in four week periodized training blocks. Because I run my structured programs in 10-week blocks, that allows me to apply at least two deload weeks and two periodized training blocks. The only issue that arises with that schedule is sometimes my athletes perceive a deload week as an “off week.” Unfortunately, in the privatized sector, off weeks don’t exist. It’s hard to explain to a parent or athlete that they paid good money for them or their athlete to stretch and foam roll an entire session. It’s just not applicable. So what’s most important is that we take some time to deload the spinal column. Because complexes are so long in duration, they force an athlete to use a much lighter resistance, and as a result reduce the stress on the spinal column while still giving us a good training stimulus.

What are some examples?

Here is an example of a barbell complex I like to use with my athletes during a deload week. It’s a great combination of explosive development and lower body and upper body strength stimuli. The string goes Traditional Deadlift/Hang Clean/Front Squat/Split Jerk/Back Squat with a rep count of 10/5/10/5/10. This is a series of highly complex barbell movements. It is imperative that your athlete has been exposed to ALL OF THESE MOVEMENTS SEPERATELY BEFORE APPLYING THIS COMPLEX TO THEIR TRAINING. I performed mine with 135 lbs. If it’s your first time attempting it, 95 lbs. might be a good place to start. Most of my junior high athletes use between 65 and 95 lbs. 3 – 5 sets of this complex should suffice.

Here is an example of a dumbbell complex I use with my athletes. It’s also a great combination of explosiveness, upper extremity and lower extremity stimuli. The string of exercises goes DB Triple Extensions/Biceps Curls/Single Leg Deadlifts/Bent Over Rows/Reverse Lunges/Push Ups. The set and rep count was 8/10/16/8/16/10. I used 50 lb. dumbbells. I think 30 lb. dumbbells are a good starting weight. If you are working with non-repetitious overhead athletes, feel free to substitute the push-ups for an overhead pressing variation. Just be aware, the most difficult part of this complex is the ability to grip the dumbbells, so ending with an overhead press could be sketchy. A spotter might be a good idea. You can see me add a little drama about half way through. Trust me, give it a try and you’ll understand why. My forearms felt like they were going to explode. 4 – 6 sets of this complex should be adequate. 

Here is my third and final example (I honestly didn’t have any energy left to demonstrate anymore this morning) of a landmine complex I will use with some of my athletes. The string of exercises goes Squat Thrusts/Split Stance Landmine Press/Reverse Lunges/Bent Over Single Arm Rows/Single Deadlifts. The rep scheme went 10/16/16/16/16. This complex can get a little goofy because the path of the resistance is much different than what most are used to. You can see me lose and regain my balance a couple of times. 3 – 5 sets of this complex would be plenty.

As a young strength coach I am not expecting those who use complexes on a daily basis to take my word to heart. Some people love them, some people hate them, and others use them every single day because they just don't know anything else. I hope this gives a little more insight into how to better utilize complexes in future programs.

Thanks for reading.

Caleb Heilman

"The only thing I know is i'll never know everything." - Jason Green

What I've learned thus far. First installment.

I knew when I decided to open up my performance center, I would have to give a few of my hobbies considerably less attention than I have in the past. My jump shot has taken a bit of a hit lately and my writing has unfortunately taken a back seat as well. I wanted to be sure that other than my friends and family, the gym took first priority. It being successful and growing steadily is something that’s extremely important to me. Right now there is a means to an end product that I am in the heart of and I don’t feel comfortable resting until that product is achieved. That burning desire makes for a real predicament when you’re trying to decide to either play a pick up game or clean the bathrooms.

That being said, things have gone well so far. Since I opened I’ve managed to design programs for and train just under one hundred individual athletes in the privatized sector. I’ve also picked up a couple of contracts from the local university to design and coach two teams through their Strength and Conditioning for the year. It’s turned into a nice little mix of challenges so far. One aspect includes a multitude of different sports and athletes needing individual attention while the other requires a rock solid team program filled with regressions and progressions readily available to ensure all are accountable for their work but can still progress at their own pace. Since May 5^th, things have gone as well as I could hope, but finding a balance between most efficiently using the hours you’re given in a day and taking on so much that you damage your product is something I’m gaining a better understanding of every single day.

Now that I think I’m in a bit of a rhythm with my fall schedule I’d like to try and revitalize my blog… The jump shot will just have to be what it is for now. Instead of searching for some deep-rooted controversial topic, I think it’s more appropriate to just keep it simple and write about the things I’ve learned so far. Hopefully I can give some insight into what other hopeful young entrepreneurs can expect in their first half year of _pursuing their dream career.

1. There will never be a replacement for sweat equity.

I know I’ve said this in my past blogs, but I refuse to believe there is a more important aspect to success in any walk of life. Work ethic is something that my mother and father made me aware of early in life and I wish I could thank them every day for it. There will always be people smarter, more talented, and flashier than you in everything you do. But the one thing you can always control is your work output. I’m still young, and I don’t know everything, but I know this: There is no one more important aspect to continued growth and improvement than work ethic. Start today, I dare you. Do everything you say you’re going to, follow through, outwork every single individual around you, and watch your life change.

            2. You have to have a plan.

Ok. I’m sure there are a lot of you reading this that are thinking, “You’ve gotta be shittin’ me.” Seems blatantly obvious right? Not to everyone. You have no idea how many people in this business have absolutely no plan for their athletes until the minute they walk into the weight room. Some just mindlessly announce 4 or 5 exercises to the group while others stand in front of a white board for 5 or 6 minutes trying to remember what the athletes did the days prior and what they haven’t worked on for a while. I’m not saying that my programs are some kind of revolution to the strength and conditioning realm, but at least they exist. Sitting down and laying out a road map for the continued progress of an athlete or team is what we get paid to do, not show up and throw random exercises at them that may or may not produce results.

            3. You have to be willing to deviate from your plan.

I know this may sound slightly contradictory, but hear me out. One of my favorite coach quotes comes from Herm Edwards. He says, “You have to have a plan, but if the plan can’t be changed, it’s not a good plan.” This couldn’t be truer in the strength and conditioning realm. Sometimes when you sit down to plan out macro and micro cycles for a given or athlete or team, your ideas seem like gold. You can come out of a program design session feeling like you just put together something the Yankees would pay for. When you get into the real world, however, you realize that your idea wasn’t the most realistic, or applicable. It happens, and you can’t be too stubborn to adapt. Be aware of what’s working and what’s not, and don’t be afraid to add/drop something from your program. Just remember, like a fantasy football roster, if something is to be added, something also should be dropped. Be sure to choose exercises that give you the most bang for your buck.

            4. You have to create an atmosphere everyone can benefit from.

Every day at Heilman’s Performance there is a mix of different clients, with different goals, different programs, and different levels of fitness. Some want to be the best basketball player in the city. (Adult and Youth), some want to look great for their significant other and some just want to not feel guilty hammering pizza while they watch football on Sunday afternoon. Everyone that walks into my gym knows that they are there to train and are expected to take their training seriously. However, I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who is uncomfortable making progress while they’re there. And even more so, someone who is afraid to have a little bit of fun while they’re there. Allowing your athletes to feel comfortable with their training is one of the most important aspects to handle early on.

            5. You can't let the "business stuff" scare you off.

I think a lot of people would like to chase their dream career, but never get the ball rolling because of the fear of the unknown. When I started out I had no idea what I was doing from a behind the scenes business standpoint. I had taken two accounting courses in college, one human resource management course, and read countless blogs from the most successful performance center owners in the nation. As far as “formal education” is concerned, I had more experience teaching pickle ball than I did running a small business. There are still a lot of things that I have to learn but trust me, If I can figure it out, you can figure it out. You can't be afraid to ask for help. Just keep things as simple as possible. You’ll learn as you go.

Apparently I’ve learned even more than I thought, because this is starting to get pretty lengthy and I feel like there are numerous topics I still haven’t covered. I may have to turn it into a series. I sure would hate for any readers to get bored reading about the fine intricacies of a heart-pounding topic like Strength and Conditioning. That being said, I’ll sign off for now. Thanks for reading.

Caleb Heilman

“The only thing I know is I’ll never know everything.” – Jason Green

MSU Vball Weeks 5 -8 Progression

Ladies,

Sorry this is a late post, as you all will be starting your second 4 week training blocks tomorrow! I have been unbelievably busy as of late trying to get all of my individualized programs finished for the first 4 week block of my summer program. Hopefully this helps you out in time. This first video is an explanation of your new Day One in Weeks 5 - 8.

As I explained in the video, the only real progressions we made were to your anti extension exercise, your hip dominant lift (Deadlifts), and your calf raises. Your Day Two will not change. I explain a couple of times in my videos why. I am only comfortable using so many upper extremity exercises with over head athletes without me being in the gym with you. Therefore, we won't be getting too crazy on your upper body days. Simple presses and rows coupled with your shoulder care program is all we really need to get into for now. That being said, here is the video explaining your progressions for your Day Three. I had to move the camera after explaining the core exercises and front squats so it is split into two different videos.

Your Day Four (Second upper body day) does not change either. These are really the only changes that I was comfortable making to your programs after 4 weeks. You can see how slowly some this stuff progresses. Trust me, it's a good thing. I want you to master the basics before we move ahead too quickly. Hopefully it is enough to keep your interest sparked. Once we get into the weight room together we will be able to get into a few more complex movements. I hope the first four weeks went well for everyone and I hope everyone is looking forward to another four weeks of hard work. Please let me know if you have any questions about anything. I am more than willing to answer phone calls, emails, or texts almost any time of the day. 

Good Luck!

Caleb Heilman

"The only thing I know is I'll never know everything." - Jason Green

Tips for Bigger, Faster, Stronger: Installment #1

I’ve wanted to start this series for quite some time now. Little thoughts and ideas run through my head all day as I train and program for clients. Most often it’s about what I can do better and what I can recommend the athlete do better in order to achieve the results we both desire. Sometimes it’s a matter of changing exercise selection, tweaking a set and rep scheme, progressing or regressing certain exercises, or simply just giving them an extrinsic “kick in the ass.”

There are a lot of reasons people don’t achieve desired results in their strength and conditioning programs. It can most often be attributed to a lack of work ethic and consistency. There are a few cases, however, where people get to the gym on a regular basis, work hard, and just can’t seem to achieve continued progress. Just as it does in economics, the law of diminishing returns exists in human performance. The stronger you get, the harder it becomes to get stronger. The faster you get, the harder it becomes to get faster. That’s why it’s so nice to work with detrained individuals. 7^th and 8^th graders can get results so fast they think you’re a wizard!

But on a serious note, if you’re struggling to progress, this might be a good read for you. There are so many theories and modalities out there that you may not be taking advantage of. Just applying one or two of them may be exactly what you need to get over the hump. Here’s my first installment to Tips for Getting Bigger, Faster and Stronger.

1.    Surprise Yourself More Often

This one seems simple, but you’d be amazed how little people who are running their own strength and conditioning programs come out of a set with this look on their face:

Photo from: Cute Daily.http://www.cutedaily.com/baby-surprise/.2014

It should happen more often. Most people just enter a set with a weight and a rep scheme that they know might challenge them, but also that they’ll easily be able to easily finish with. I’m not recommending that you take your core lifts to the limit every day. In fact, in that respect I think a strict set and repetition scheme is always best. But I always tell my athletes; the best way to get strong is to get curious. Picking out a weight that you’re not absolutely positive will have a “sunshine and rainbows” ending can be a good thing. If you don’t challenge yourself with curiosity, you may never figure out what you’re capable of. If you do, you might find yourself finishing sets like this more often:

Photo from: http://www.wallpaperhi.com/Sports/Football/soccer_celebration_fc_barcelona_el_clasico 

2.    Train to the Effect More Often

This again is subjective. You shouldn’t be taking your Olympic lifts and power lifting exercises to the limit without a plan in order to do so. Very rarely do I hover over a heavy deadlift or power clean unless I’ve planned it. And the plan is NEVER “I’ll just go until I feel like dying.” I usually schedule what I call hypertrophy weeks every 4 weeks. That means I have a coordinated set and rep scheme that I follow for my deadlifts, power cleans, squats, presses, etc. 3 weeks prior. This usually gives me a good baseline to come in and move heavy shit on the fourth week. On that same token, however, you’ll rarely set yourself back by pushing yourself through some accessory exercises. I recommend you pick one exercise per day. It could be pull-ups, push-ups, rows, bicep curls, triceps extensions, etc. Just pick one, and train only to effect. By that I mean don’t count your reps, just work hard and train until you achieve a desired stimulus.

            3. Take Your Warm Up Seriously

Even though this is #3 on my list, this may be the one thing that is holding people back the most. At my gym I have 8 foam rollers, 8 tennis balls, dowels, and a 60-foot strip of turf. All of which would allow for a very thorough and effective warm up. I also have a foam roll routine and a dynamic warm up written on a white board that would be applicable to everyone. And guess what I still see out of about 90% of my members? This:

 A warm up should reinforce proper movement mechanics prior to entering the weight room, help work out kinks from workouts earlier in the week, and help establish an intensity to take with you to the weight room. Find a few movements that work for you, make you feel better, and get you sweaty.

4.    Use Single Leg Exercises

Single leg exercises are the bee’s knees, cat’s pajamas, and the bag of potato chips. During a bilateral (two legged) exercise, it’s easy to compensate for one side with the other. Put yourself in a single leg exercise and you don’t have a choice but to use your weaker side. You’ll almost always notice a difference from one side to the other. In this sense, they can help iron out muscle imbalances and are generally much more applicable to athletic performance. When competing athletically we’re rarely doing anything important with both of our feet in contact with the ground. Take my word for it and add some single leg lifts to your program. You’ll learn to love them. Here are a few of my favorites.

 That concludes my first installment of Tips to Bigger, Faster, and Stronger. I hope it gives you a few ideas as to what you can do to achieve big results with your training. I look forward to making more installments to the series in the future. I would love to hear some feedback as to what you might want to hear more about. As I grow and learn more and more each day, I’d love to share and help as much as I can. Please feel free to hit me with any questions. I’ll do my best to give you an answer, or find the best possible answer for you. Thanks for reading.

Caleb Heilman

“The only thing I know is I’ll never know everything.” – Jason Green