October 2014

mid-month Issue

The Performance Training and

Conditioning E-Magazine of Athletes

and Fitness Enthusiasts

Train your eyes with

Swivel Vision

Power up with plyo box

jump/Clean Combo

Get athletic with

Jump Attack

See the Training

Mask Here!

Elevation Training Mask is a patent pending "Resistance Training Device" that helps condi-tion the lungs by creating pulmonary re-sistance and strengthening the diaphragm.

Elevation Training Mask will help you regulate your breathing, increase lung stamina, oxygen efficiency and increase overall mental focus. Training Mask can help your over all performance in all sports and daily living.

in this mid-month issue:

Editorial: The evolution of

sports performance training

Training Tech: Swivel Vision

Goggles

Book reviews: get motivated

flexible with The Supple

Leopard, get your body

explosive with Jump Attack,

and mentally psyched with

The Champions Mind.

Training on a single leg and DB Clean Box Jumps

Using Complex Training to get in fit and in shape

There is something invigoratingly special about starting a new project. Starting the

Pro Power Training e-mag last spring was a venture that was a long time in the

making. And to be honest, it was a kind of a "wait and see" moment. The thought

was l) launch a couple issues in the spring, 2) put up some stuff online during the

summer, 3) cross my fingers and begin the monthly publication process this Fall.

I am glad to say that I have had rave reviews and a good response from our initial

issues, so the finger crossing is over lol. Time to hit the monthly publication trail!

We are going to lead off with a mid-October "teaser issue". We'll throw a couple

of articles at you, some cool ads, then come back in a couple weeks with the

November issue. In a way, it's kind of like the trial and error of training. You dive

in head first, but all the while making adjustments as you go. Once you find your

personal performance formula in the way of exercises, drills, sets, reps, weight and

distances, you plot your course.

Our course is plotted in this way: for Pro Power e-mag to provide some of the best

training, fitness and conditioning info in a usable format via e-mag, and social

media.

Of course there will be adjustments along the way-----that's how good projects

become great endeavors. The formula for success often times has a myriad of

ingredients. But as we plot our course and dive in, we hope that you will follow

our lead and do the same in with your goals.

Let's get started!

Daimond Dixon

Plotting our Course From the Editor

The Mission

The Pro Power mission is to provide training

information to athletes and fitness enthusiasts

by sharing training and conditioning ideals

from various sources helping individuals to

reach their personal performance potential.

Publishing

Pro Power E-Magazine is published monthly

in an online viewing format along with an

accompanying online web site and blog.

Contact Information

Editor: Daimond Dixon

Web: ProPowerMag.com

Email: PerformanceSport21@gmail.com

Phone: (616) 633-1883

Tech that adds variety to sports performance and fitness training

Training Tech

Swivel Vision goggles allow athletes to utilize their optimal field of vision in order to achieve maximum focus and better hand-eye coordi-nation. Our goggles will help athletes train to increase reaction times and develop superior mechanics. With repetitive use, our goggles seek to strengthen the core muscle memory of the eyes and the mind to help athletes become more successful.

"TAKE YOUR GAME TO THE NEXT LEVEL"

SEE THE TWO VIDEOS BELOW

Book Reviews: Supple Leopard, Champions Mind & Jump Attack

From Amazon:

Improve your athletic performance, extend your athletic career, treat

body stiffness and achy joints, and rehabilitate injuries—all without

having to seek out a coach, doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, or

masseur. In Becoming a Supple Leopard, Kelly Starrett—founder

of MobilityWod.com—shares his revolutionary approach to mobility

and maintenance of the human body and teaches you how to hack

your own human movement, allowing you to live a healthy, happier,

more fulfilling life.

From Amazon: Sports participation—from the recreational to the collegiate Division I level—is at

an all-time high. While the caliber of their game may differ, athletes at every level

have one thing in common: they want to excel. In The Champion’s Mind, sports

psychologist Jim Afremow, PhD, LPC, now offers the same advice he uses with

Olympians, Heisman Trophy winners, and professional athletes, including:

Tips and techniques based on high-performance psychology research, such as

how to get in a "zone," thrive on a team, and stay humble

How to progress within a sport and sustain excellence long-term

Customizable pre-performance routines to hit full power when the gun goes off

or the puck is dropped

From Amazon:

In Jump Attack, Grover shares the revolutionary program he

uses to train the pros. A fitness bible for athletes around the

world, this three-phase, twelve-week program has been com-

pletely updated with new exercises and workouts as well as cut-

ting-edge information on training, nutrition, longevity, injury

prevention, and more. Devised for explosive power, quickness,

endurance, and agility, this intensely challenging workout push-

es athletes out of their comfort zones, tests their capacity to go

harder, and turns “I can’t” into “Just try and stop me.”

The books above are available in both print and

tablet versions. See these great books here

Power up with plyo box jump/Clean Combo

One legged training

Two legs are better then one—

except when it comes to training!

Unilateral training refers to train-

ing that is performed on one leg.

Any training that can be done

with only one foot in contact with

the ground helps to increase over-

all balance, proprioception, stabil-

ity and strength.

With one leg doing all of the

work, the body quickly learns to

adapt to this type of training,

making training and performing

on to legs seam like child's play.

Combination exercises is the act of combining two different exercis-

es to elicit a great training effect. Combining two push, or two pull

exercises has been common place, but lets take it up a notch--- com-

bining two explosive exercises.

DB clean + Box jumps. This fantastic combo provides the right kind

of explosive training due to the fact that you have to recruit so many

muscle fibers. Some prefer the "all at once method” where you per-

form DB hang clean and simultaneously explode to box. Others pre-

fer performing the DB hang clean, catch the weight, then explode to

the top of the because.

Try out both methods and see which is bet for you!

Complex Training

Complex Training

Complexes are a fantastic way to combine exercises together for a great training

effect. One way to do this is by putting together a few exercises using the DB’s.

The burn is fantastic, it cuts down training time, and elicits a great cardio

strength training effect.

In the video below check out the following exercises complexed together for a

great effect using the exercises below:

DB Clean + Push Press

DB Reverse Lunge + Pull

DB Plank Push Up + Row

Excel Training sell’s excel tem-

plates—-the #1 design program

for personal trainers, strength

coaches, weight loss specialists, as well as functional

movement specialists. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

10 Tips to Increase Mental Toughness by Brad McLeod SealGrinderPT.com

A question we get weekly is “Coach, how do I improve my mental toughness, my mental strength?”. The answer can be found in elite athletes. Want to

know the #1 difference between the rest of the world and athletes like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Aaron Rodgers and Herschel Walker?

It is not completely their athletic gifts. It is their mental toughness that caps it off. When the game is on the line all of these athletes seem to rise above the norm and perform at an extraordinary level. Mental toughness is their secret. Check out these tips to condition your mental muscle and improve your game like a champion.

1. Focus on the Present

It is hard for us to focus on the present. With so much chaos going on around us it is easy to see how we could forget our own names. Cell phones,

texting, traffic, earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear disasters. You name it – there is crazy stuff happening all around us and it is tough to stay centered

and focused. So how can we stay focused? By only focusing on taking the next step. Then take the next step and the next. Dont think about what is

going to happen in 20 minutes. Or what happened in your past. Only focus on the present and taking that next step (or next putt or next free throw or

next hand off with the football).

2. Have a Short Memory

The number one job of a quarterback is not to pass the ball – it is to protect the ball. So what happens when a quarterback fumbles the ball in a big

time game like the Super Bowl and the opposing team goes up by 6 points? A great quarterback that has made a mistake needs to have a short

memory. Meaning they need to learn from the mistake and forget the past and move on. A great quarterback like Peyton Manning or Tom Brady will

not dwell on the past mistake or let it shadow them. They move on. You must do the same. Learn to let go and move on quickly so that you can

achieve your goal.

3. Stay Positive

It is easy to become negative when a tough situation arises. If left to our own devices our brains will seek the easy way out and sometimes that means

flight – instead of fight. A warrior who has command of their mind will take control of the situation. Mentally practicing the ability to drive out the nega-

tive and reinforce with the positive is an acquired skill. You can work on every day with tough physical workouts or being exposed to arduous condi-

tions (swimming in cold water, running in heat). The easiest and best method is to control your thoughts. It takes 21 days to form a habit so start now

and write down all negative thoughts you have in the day. On the next day begin to get rid of those negative thoughts and one by one replace them

with positive ones. This is a great start to a new mind set.

4. Become a Ritual-aholic

Everyone has a ritual. We get up in the morning on the same side of the bed and brush our teeth. We get a cup of coffee and read the news on our

ipad (or newspaper). We go to the gym and workout and then go to work. We all have a ritual. Some rituals are good – some are bad. Top champion-

ship athletes also have rituals. Michael Jordan goes to the basketball court every day and shoots 1000 free throws. Tiger Woods putts for hours and

hits 1000’s of golf balls. Herschel Walker does 1000 pushups every morning. They all have a ritual that has conditioning them to be tougher than the

average athlete. Yes; there is athleticism involved in shooting 1000 free throws but Michael’s mind has made him perform this task daily to condition

himself for future success.

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

5. Enjoy the Battle

Currently I compete in the Masters division of CrossFit competitions. It may be one of the hardest things I have ever done. At my age I could go sit on the couch on a Saturday and know one would give me crap. But I want to progress and become a better athlete and warrior. So I go to battle on Sat-urdays. It is hard to keep your chin up in such awful conditions of heat and hardship while dragging tires on 100 degree Georgia asphalt. But I love to compete. I tell myself I love to compete – and I have grown to learn to love and enjoy the middle of the battle as much as the finish. Telling yourself that you love the battle is a start. Over time as you grow accustomed to this thinking you can embrace it on a more wholistic manner. But start out by telling yourself you are enjoying this tough competition and force yourself to “smile” inwardly. You can feel the paradigm shift right in that moment. It works. I dare you to try it.

6. Visualize your Future Self

That’s right — get a mental picture of how you want to be in your future self. In order to get through this current tough workout or hardship you have to

not only survive – but thrive. Think of your future self and how it will feel to stand on the podium with a medal draped around your neck. Think about

the cool breeze flowing against your skin and you hearing the crowd cheering in the background. Use details to create a positively charged emotion

that your mind will connect with. Mental visualization is key. Before the Championship game – athletes like Michael Jordan rehearse the winning shot,

playing it over and over in their mind as they practice and shoot baskets. Michael Jordan pictures himself cutting down the basket from the winning

game. Tiger Woods see’s himself putting on the green jacket at Augusta Nationals. What do you visualize that you will put in your mind to help carry

you through the rough and bumpy road?

7. Hang Around Winners

If your wanting to get great at basketball do you go down to the local playground and go for a pick up game with some first graders? Or do you go

downtown to the courts where the big boys hang out and jump in the game? Do you head to the gym on a Friday afternoon or do you head out to the

local bar for Miller Time with Joe and the boys? To get better – you have to workout with (and hang around) those that are at or above a level you

want to be at. To get mentally tough you have to do the same. Get in an environment where only the tough survive and you will see your mental con-

ditioning rise after the first day. Metal sharpens metal. So get tough by getting next to those athletes at the next level.

8. Repeating Affirmations

Mental affirmations are a great method. Repeating words in your mind to help you focus on a task is an excellent way to cast off the extra chaos. It is

harder for negative thoughts to enter your mind while you are chanting “I am a winner”, “I’m an overcomer”. Come up with a few affirmations. Write

them down and use them when your out on your next 5k run or weight workout. You will be surprised how well they keep you on track, focused and

keeping negative thoughts in the far back of your mind.

9. Reading Good Books

You can create discipline by reading every night. Reading a good book is a form of ritual but it also helps to put great things into your mind. Most

people go to sleep watching all of the violence and no good on the evening news at 11. Try reading 10 pages of a good book every night. A good

book to help build your mind is “Lone Survivor” by Marcus Luttrell. Reading every night will build consistency and ritual in your life. It will also help to

build mental muscle that you can use in your next tough workout.

10. Calm Yourself Have you noticed that the top championships are calm during the toughest of situations? They have learned to calm themselves through conditioning to be ready for the unexpected. Yoga and meditation are excellent methods to calm your mind and body. Stretching and long distance running are also great exercises. The key is to find the method that works for you and begin to incorporate that activity into your weekly routine (remember ritu-al?). For me – it is trail running, so I make sure to add this in to my weekly schedule to help me cruise at a higher level and to remain tough when the situation turns south.

"When I step onto the court, I don't have to think about anything.

If I have a problem off the court, I find that after I play, my mind

is clearer and I can come up with a better solution. It's like thera-

py. It relaxes me and allows me to solve problems."

-Michael Jordan

"Nothing will work unless you do."

- John Wooden