JV's blog
Back and shoulder pain can mean a lot of things. However, one of the most common culprits is overuse or strain of the rotator cuff.
The rotator cuff is a ring of muscles surrounding each shoulder joint. They’re responsible for giving the shoulders their impressive multi-directional range-of-motion. However, they are also very delicate.
Many people who have overuse injuries of the rotator cuff are athletes who often make arm motions above their heads, like pitchers and quarterbacks. However, people with physically demanding jobs like stockers and construction workers can also have these problems. Further, acute issues like sprains and strains can also impact these muscles.
A recurring theme throughout this article - and our website - is that overuse and damage can be prevented through careful strengthening and toning of the muscle groups. The muscles of the rotator cuff are no different, and strengthening your shoulders can help reduce pain.
The bad news is that they can be difficult to target effectively. The good news is that the muscles of the chest and back do most of the heavy lifting. As a result, familiarizing yourself with exercises to develop the back and chest can help to make these injuries less likely.
Written by Leo Ochoa
Date: January 14, 2021
There are many misconceptions in youth sports and society when it comes to training. One of the most detrimental is that “female athletes shouldn’t lift heavy weights because it will make them ‘bulky’”. This is far from the truth. Female athletes need to lift light, moderate and heavy weights. They should begin as early as 12 years old to help speed up athletic performance development. This will also keep them from experiencing a career-altering injury. According to studies, between 2010 and 2020 ACL tears were at an all-time high for ages 12-15, especially amongst female athletes. Most of these ACL tears happen during non-contact, athletic movement. This means a lack of stability and strength in the ankles, knees, hips, trunk and shoulders are to blame.
We have a solution for this – by improving stability through training the bio-mechanical efficiency needed for slow and explosive movement. The SFX Athletes training philosophy is: as soon as athletes are able to play sports, they need to start performance training. Effective performance training begins with developing a foundation of ankle, knee, hip, trunk and shoulder stability. We teach athletes how to crawl, walk and run efficiently and in a safe manner. We love to do this from day one.
The first step in development is incorporating stability in the warm ups and cool downs every single day. Step two, build strength from the ground up and the inside out. This means we add in weight training that compliments the stability work. Step three is adding in plyometric exercises to compliment the strength development. This means we begin speeding things up and increase the ability of producing and absorbing force – the main factors in keeping the athlete healthy and strong while competing.
Female athletes at the professional and collegiate level have access to elite strength and conditioning coaching. At the high school level and below, this kind of training is rare. High school athletes need strength and conditioning more than college-age athletes, because they spend the majority of these years growing and developing. Injuries can impact their growth and development. There is a possibility that it can even be stunted. This may prevent them from reaching that next level. SFX Athletes is designed to provide younger athletes a training system comparable to what college and professional athletes receive. We hope that athletes, especially female athletes, will train explosive with us using the SFX Athletes mobile app. Together we can help reduce incidences of injury nationwide!
Date: 02.03.2021
“Nothing will work unless you do.” – Maya Angelou
Consistent actions and practices have many benefits. We will discuss consistency as it pertains to training for improved athletic performance. One of the best ways to separate from others is to do what they are not willing to do and most are not willing to put in even the smallest amount of extra work whether it be during lifting, sprinting, practicing the sport or working on yoga, mobility and mindfulness. The greatest athletes understand this concept – the 1% rule. There are less than 1% of athletes that become professionals because there are less than 1% of athletes willing to go the extra 1% every single day in every single way.
The 1% rule applies to all athletes. There is a saying about showing up being the hardest part, that’s not necessarily true. Showing up is bare minimum. If athletes have a hard time finding the motivation to simply show up, they should consider the idea that they may not be cut out for competitive sports and find another hobby. For athletes that show up consistently, they have proven they’re interested, which is good. Athletes that want to be good will show up and do the work, typically take shortcuts whenever possible, and enjoy the experience of competing and time with friends. This will work well for most and may even lead to some marginal success.
We’re interested in the ‘extra 1% every day type of athlete’ mindset, which is rare. Tapping into this mindset is not easy and most would say “it’s too HARD.” To build a hard mindset requires doing what’s hard – constantly reminding yourself of why the effort will pay off. Doing what it takes to go the extra 1% on everything no matter what is the 1% rule.
Date: 05.26.2021
“What I’ve learned is you just got to stay focused and believe in yourself and trust you own ability and judgement.” – Mark Cuban.
To place an image in our minds of what focus is we should think of a race horse with blinders on during the Kentucky Derby. They’re really only able to see what’s ahead. Not able to see the other horses next to them, their jockey that’s on their back, or what time it is. Only on the road ahead. During training, the jockey usually rewards the horse for moving in the right direction at the correct speed.
As athletes we are the race horse. Of course there are others next to us competing with us and we usually have people in our corner or behind us pushing us in the ‘right’ directions. The only thing that matters is our level of focus on what we need to do to run our own race. Only we control our effort and our attention to what we need to work on to get better.
Date: 06.15.2021
These days, middle school and high school athletes sound busier then professional athletes. Practices, skill sessions, specialty training camps, trainers, coaches, games, travel teams, club teams, school teams, playing multiple sports at a time, all while trying to go to school… Then there are the pressures that come along with maintaining their instwittergrambookchats… In 2021, young athletes are at risk of overtraining and exhaustion more than ever before. Why? It mostly has to do with the youth sports culture of ‘more being better’. The reality is, more is not better, better is better.
How do we help high school athletes become the best athletes they can be? By remembering that they’re young humans in need of balance, support rather than excessive pressure to perform, and time off.
We support them while providing a consistent routine with built-in rest. It’s as simple as that. We do not overtrain them (going from practice to training session back to practice, then school and another training session after that). We do not have them competing all week and then all weekend – with no days off.
Kids need a life outside of sports. Parents and coaches need to understand this. As a coach, I have met many parents who have a solid understanding of what their child needs (days off, healthy food, support and balance). I have also met some that think the more their child is competing, the more exposure they’ll get and the more scholarship offers they’ll receive.
Reality is, to receive a college scholarship young athletes need to have a college-ready body and mind. Where does that begin? School work, physical training, nutrition, and skills. Focusing on these four pillars of performance will do wonders for figuring out a solid routine.
Professional athletes take months off from their sport’s competitive season to recover, recharge, and train.
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Date: 03.03.2021
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