API's Training Philosophy
OurMission:
To encourage and motivate athletes of all ages and skill levels to achieve their athletic potential through participation in a comprehensive, scientifically-based performance training program.
Injury Reduction:
Often a player’s success during a season is directly linked to how well they stay injury-free. Our job as a sports performance coach is to reduce the incidence of injury and to enhance performance. All training must be utilized with the thought of injury reduction.
Attitude & Mental Toughness:
Mentally tough athletes are those who have a natural or developed psychological edge that enables them to cope with the mental demands of sport (competition, training, pressure), while being more consistent in their determination, confidence, focus, and self-control (Jones et al., 2002). Mentally tough athletes constantly strive to maximize their potential everyday, rather than leaving their success up to chance. Mentally tough athletes are able to perform to their potential more often, and ultimately function more optimally in the classroom, their relationships, and future career areas as well.
Ground-Based Movements:
Almost all sports skills are initiated by applying force into the ground. The more force an athlete can apply against the ground, with proper mechanics, the higher they will jump, the faster they will accelerate and the more effective they will be in their sport. Ground based exercises will also engage stabilizing muscles and improve proprioception which can lower the risk of injury.
Multi-Joint Movements:
There are no body parts that work in isolation during movement. The body uses a collaboration of muscles/joints to produce complex movements. From running to jumping, all athletic movements require multi-joint actions. Effective training will integrate multi-joint movements by utilizing Olympic lifting, plyometrics, and various free weight exercises.
Rate of Force Production:
Power can be defined as Force*Distance/Time. In other words, the athlete who can produce the maximum amount of force in the shortest amount of time will be the most successful in their sport. By training the athletes Central Nervous System (CNS) through various methods, the athlete will be able to recruit motor units at higher rates of speed, which will ultimately improve their performance potential.
Train The Chain:
The posterior chain is comprised of the hamstring group (Semimembranosis, Semitendonosis, Biceps Femoris), the gluteus complex (Maximus, Medius, and Minimus), spinal erectors (Ilicostalis, Longissimus, Spinalis) and Quadratus Lumborum. The posterior chain enables the athlete to extend their hip and flex their knee. By placing emphasis on increasing cross-sectional area and strength in the posterior chain, we will increase the athlete’s performance.
Movements Not Muscle:
“If we train muscles we will forget Movements, but if we train Movements we will never forget muscles.” Athletes must train movement patterns instead of training individual muscles. By athletes training motor patterns and movements instead of individual muscles, the athletes will learn to use their bodies more efficiently. Movements are broken down into the following categories:
(1) Upper Body Push (Vertical –Horizontal)
(2) Upper Body Pull (Vertical-Horizontal)
(3) Lower Body Push (1Leg – 2Leg)
(4) Lower body Pull (Hip-Knee Dominant)
Lifestyle:
Athletic success is not solely dependent upon talent. Becoming the best athlete possible requires consistent training and commitment to nutrition. Athletes must build the foundation of Character, which includes Discipline, Courage, Perseverance, and Selflessness. Athletes must always ask themselves, “Is what I’m about to do going to make me a better athlete?”
Our Train to Win philosophy is more than just the latest research and training principles. We dedicate ourselves to motivating your athletes to not only excel as athletes, but to realize their personal potential and develop the skills they'll need to succeed in life; skills such as discipline, confidence, preparation, self-motivation and leadership
