We started with 28 guys when our Two-a-Days started.  After the first week, we were down to 18 and yesterday there were only 14 due to injuries.  At this point I don’t know if we will be able to field a team in the next couple weeks.  I think some of the boys don’t know the difference between an ache ‘n pain versus an injury.  Of course, I want all the boys to stay healthy but Football is a really really hard sport.  It’s not for everybody.

We have a name for the “injured” players: Cupcakes.  When they go to the training room, they get “frosted.” 

One of the boys came out to the field with his nice watch on.  The other coach says to him, “Hey Sunny, for the next two hours I don’t think you are going to need to worry about what time it is out here on the field.”

Overall, my experience during the last two weeks has been amazing.  I’ve noticed a phenomenon which baffles me: an intelligent freshman boy can put on a helment and instantly turn dumb.  I don’t know why this happens, but as I remember back to my days in highschool, college, and even in the NFL, there were players who came from Stanford, Northwestern, and Ivy League schools who turned dumb as soon as they put their helmets on.  I attribute atleast part of this phenomenon to the overwhelming situation of playing defensive football: lining up, thinking about your responsibility in the play, reading whether its a run or a pass, trying to make a tackle, taking on blocks . . . all the different scenarios that can play out.

My goals for these young players are, by the end of the year, for them to truly understand hard work, dedication, and true commitment.  LIke I said before, Football is really really hard.  It’s not for everybody.  But sometimes just knowing that you have 27 other boys counting on you to make it out to practice is enough to get you out there to be tough and work through the pain and.  I know at the end of the year, how ever many guys we have standing on the field, will have learned what it takes to be a good, if not a great, defense.  I hope they will know who they can count on and who they can’t, and how important it is to, even if you make a mistake, make that mistake at 100% effort.  It takes zero talent to make effort so I expect balls to the wall at all times.

Hopefully we will have very few Cupcakes come game time.

We have about a month until the high school and college seasons start, which means its really crunch time now to sharpen your speed, fitness, and strength.  Here is my running program to develop the speed and power you need to be a Linebacker:

Monday - Acceleration Day 
30 x 20 meter sprint at FULL SPEED, with 1 minute of recovery  between repetitions

Tuesday - Speed  Day
20 x 40 meter sprint at FULL SPEED, with 2 minutes of recovery between repetitions

Wednesday - Speed Endurance Day
15 x 60 yards sprint at FULL SPEED, with 3 minutes of recovery between repetitions

Thursday - Recovery Day
Easy spin on exercise bike, or easy walk, swim, or yoga.  The goal of the day is to recover from the week’s training, increase circulation to the muscles you are repairing, and stretch. 

Friday - Acceleration Day
30 x 20 meter sprint at FULL SPEED, with 1 minute of recovery between repetitions 

Saturday - Endurance Run Day
12 x 150 meter “strides” at 90% effort.  Run one direction, then walk back the other direction for your recovery.  Your recovery should be about 3 minutes in between these repetitions.

Be sure to warm up for at least 15 minutes and cool down for at least 15 minutes before and after every workout.

There are some things to keep in mind when  executing or preparing for these workouts.  First off, how often do you see an professional football player “jogging” in a game?  If he did, he sure wouldn’t make my football team.  When I say “sprint”, I mean FULL SPEED, all-out, as fast as you can get down the field! 

Secondly, always be prepared for your workout.  That means getting a good night of sleep, being well fueled, and mentally focused.  For my mental focus, I know Neuro1 gets me in the zone.  You also need to eat a solid meal one to two hours before your workout.

Finally, remember that your fitness and strength gains happen during your recovery, not during your workout.  So make these workouts as hard and fast as you can, but never forget to focus on your recovery after your workout.  That means eating a meal or shake with lean proteins, carbohydrates, and healthy fats very soon after your workout.  I will always recommend Lean1 as the best recovery formula out there. 

Keep up your weight training program and be prepared to start this speed program on Monday.  When you do this, you will be faster than your competition this fall.

After a very busy summer in the offices and a whirlwind of media, I have been lucky to spend a few days on in Hawaii with my family.  The rest and relaxation has been very rejuvenating, but I have also had time to see some special Hawaii sites, surf, and get in some training.

Yesterday, Julie and I hiked the Koko Head Stairs, along the side of the Koko Crater.  The Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes erupting from the sea floor.  Consequently, the islands have impressive geological features and high peaks, such as Koko Head, just west of Honolulu. 

1200 steps later, we reached the very top.  A tough workout, but the view of O’ahu and Hanauma Bay was well worth every step. 

My response is this: Brett Favre should ABSOLUTELY keep playing football. 

As for as any issues between Favre and Green Bay’s new young gun, Aaron Rodgers, I suggest that Green Bay let the two compete for the starting Quarter Back position.  At this point, it’s pretty hard to say that Brett Farve is going to be holding a clipboard on the sidelines for the Packers when Favre took them to the NFC Championship game the year before.  They were beat by the Giants, who went on to win the Super Bowl XLII.

Favre absolutely ought to return.  He ought to play until he can’t take the field anymore.  Brett Favre plays the game of football like a Line Backer.  He is an inspiration to not only the Quarter Back position, but to the entire NFL and to anyone who is passionate and loves what they do.  I wish Brett Farve the best of luck in his decision, and if the Green Bay Packers in anyway make a bad decision and let him go somewhere else, good luck to them because Brett is the type of player that will come back to haunt you. 

I hope that gives you a little insight into how I see the situation.

Brett Favre was one of my first sacks when I got to the Eagles.  He is one tough player and he doens’t let stuff get to his head. The harder I’d hit him, the faster he would get up and tell me to hit him harder next time.  You couldn’t affect him with mental games, and that makes him a great player - he never loses his cool.  It was always a great challenge to play against a guy like him.  You always knew the Green Bay Packers would be in the position to win the game with him in Quarter Back.  The game with him was inspirational, challenging, and really what playing in the NFL was all about.  I wish him all the best in his return.

The letter was accompanied by this game card from 1992:

With email, blogs, Facebook, and text messages, it’s personal to receive a handwritten note every once in a while.  So thank you Howie for this letter.

Also, this game card gave me a good reminder of how quickly time passes.  I have posted recently on summer training for aspiring ball players, and I want to remind you that now really is the time to work hard for this fall’s football season.  I will be posting some of my favorite specific football drills and workouts in a few days here - check back soon.

1. Its Not About How Much Weight You Lift

One major misconception for most young athletes in the weight room is they have to lift alot of weight to gain strength. That type of thinking is completely FALSE in today’s game. 

The key principle here is that you need to push yourself as hard as your potential allows you. Be as strong physically as you can. Don’t worry about the other guy, or how much they are lifting. Your body is different than anybody else on this planet. Workout so you are maximizing your abilities. If you try to lift too much during a set or workout, you will do more to make yourself less strong than you would thinking it will make you stronger. Always remember this tip: Only workout with an amount of weight that makes it difficult but not impossible to do every rep of a set!

2. Focus On the Quality Of Your Movements

Another common mistake young athletes make when they lift weights, is they forget to focus on the quality of their movements.  It’s not about speed, it’s about moving in a controlled and powerful motion.

The first thing you should do is feel that the bar and weight, is make sure you are lifting the right amount of weight. Sometimes, you may need to put more weight on the bar. However, be careful you don’t put so much weight on the bar you cannot do all the repetitions the set is requiring you to do.

Next, count the downward movement of every repetition for three seconds, for example, “ONE one thousand, TWO one thousand, THREE one thousand”. Between the 2nd and 3rd second you can begin to move the bar upwards. This counting method will give your muscles the necessary amount of time to get its maximum output in order to increase strength. Be careful, if you can do every repetition of each set while using this counting method, and not even break a sweat, you need to increase the weight amount. However, if you can only do a portion of the repetitions, obviously you will need to take off some weight.

If you are confused as to the method of a particular weight lift, ask your coach or weight training expert exactly how to perform that exercise.

3. Don’t Sit Between Sets

Many strength and conditioning coaches call this the “Active Rest”. Really it is a simple principle, it is a way to train your body to rest and catch your breathe without sitting down. For example, think about during the course of long offensive drive, or a defensive stand during a game, the trainers or coaching staff does not bring out benches and chairs to rest on in between plays. You do that in the huddle while the play is being called in.

In essence, this technique is a way to prepare your body during the course of a game. It is simple but you will notice greater endurance and faster recovery while walking around and standing in between sets.

4. Be Patient. Results take Time.

I am sure many of you at some point have worked out and looked in the mirror or hoped on the scale, expecting to see a change. Unfortunately, after looking into the mirror, you immediately notice really no change has occurred and you get discouraged and quit. Believe me, only through strict dedication and persistence will you see results.

For most lifting programs, to notice increase strength and muscle mass, you must be completely dedicated to that program for at least 6 weeks without missing workouts. For example, if you look at Olympic weight lifters they start preparing months in advance to achieve personal bests in certain lifts. They know they cannot get stronger by just lifting for a week then maxing out. It can only happen through strict obedience of a work out plan and dedication through the end.

5. The Gains Are In Your Recovery

While it is important to work hard and remain dedicated, it is even more important to focus on your recovery.  I have learned this the hard way. 

By ”recovery”, I am referring to two parts.  The first being your immediate recovery after your workout.  Push yourself hard during your training, but be sure to give yourself the rest and fuels you need to actually gain strength and fitness from your workout.  To do this, you need to get a well balanced meal or large snack after your workout, with lean proteins, high glycemic carbohydrates, and healthy, unsaturated fats.  I have recommended Lean1 several times on this site, because I really think it is the best and most complete recovery formula available.  A real, full, meal is awesome as well but sometimes its easier and best to do a recovery shake followed by your next meal, especially after a really hard workout.

The second form of recovery is the periodic sense.  Weight lifting has many forms: strength building, maintenance, and recovery.  It is important to have a series of hard lifting days, followed by a day of recovery within the week.  Also, it is important to have a series of hard training weeks, followed by several days of recovery.  During these recovery days, you need to focus on conserving your energy, resting, and preparing both physically and mentally for your next day of hard work.

1. Start Running - Ok, this is very important for your aerobic fitness, your body composition, and your overall athleticism.  Running may be the fastest, most time-efficient, activity to boost your fitness.  I recommend starting your day with a small breakfast such as a Lean1 shake, or fruit and yogurt, or oatmeal, followed with 20 to 30 minutes of running in the morning.   If you can, do most of your running on a soft surface such as dirt trails, grass, or a track to prevent injuries.  You can mix up your running program by incorporating different speeds, such as jogging for 10 minutes, followed by intervals of 30 second sprint/30 second recovery for another 10 minutes, and then another 10 minutes of jogging.  When you finish your running, your muscles are warmed up and limber so use this as an opportunity to stretch very thoroughly.  This will help you feel fresh every day and prevent injuries.  Be sure to immediately follow your daily run with another breakfast, or recovery meal, to refuel your muscle glycogen (the carbohydrate stores in your muscles) and prepare for your next workout.  This time of year, your running program is about your aerobic fitness but soon we will turn to speed and power which is more important for football.  When do you ever see a great player jogging through a play?  Never.  If he did, he sure wouldn’t make my football team.

2. Focus on Your Core - I was 14 when I read an article by Herschel Walker about how he started his strength routines with push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups.  I started doing the same, and I believe several of Walker’s tips in this article were the foundation of my success in high school.  You can do the same by committing to a core routine on a daily basis.  Be sure to work your abs with sit-ups, side-crunches, bicycle crunches, leg raises, and any other ab exercise you know.  Also, strengthen your opposite muscle group with back extensions.  I recommend 50 reps of each of these core exercises.  Then move on to pull-ups, both forwards and backwards.   I recommend 2 sets of 10 for each of these exercises.  As for push-ups, I recommend 3 x 10 for both forwards push-ups and backwards push-ups.  Finally, I also recommend taking an extra few minutes for lunges and squats.  Try 2 x 10 lunges for each leg, and another 2 x 10 squats.  You do not need to use weights and you can do these anywhere.  For all these core-related exercises, remember to focus on your form and technique.  It is more important to execute the exercises in a strong and controlled manner rather than doing a thousand sloppy exercises!

I recommend doing your running and core workouts back to back in the morning and then taking a break for some fun, rest, or work, during the middle the day when its hot.  You can do the next two exercises in the early evening.  If you don’t have a time schedule that lets you split workouts, then go ahead and finish your training straight through. 

3. Sharpen Your Skills - This will vary quite a bit depending on what sport you are playing and what position you play.  For football, it important for everyone to do some passing and ball handling.  Also, you should all be focusing on your agility with fast feet drills, jumping, and backpedaling.  Here is one of my favorite drills: mark off or envision a Line of Scrimmage and a 20 yard line.  Drop back off the Line of Scrimmage into a back pedal as fast as you can for 20 yards.  As soon as you reach the 20 yard line, break as fast as you can and sprint back to the Line of Scrimmage.  Give yourself 25 seconds rest between each set and do atleast 10 sets.  It’s great to sharpen your skills by training with your friends or teammates.  You can help push each other together. 

4. Weight Training - Again, this will vary depending on what sport and position you play.  However, I am confident that most high-school aged athletes can really benefit from hard work in the weight room.  If you have never lifted weights before, please find someone who can show you how to lift properly to prevent injuries and maximize your strength gains.  You need to do lifting exercises to work both your legs and upper bodies.  Squats, leg press, hamstring curls, and calf-raises are incredibly important for your power and speed.  For upper body, you need to do bench-press, a row exercise for your back, and medicine ball lift and throws.  Be sure to follow your lifting with a solid protein recovery shake or meal.  I like Lean1 the best, since it is based on all my favorite aspects of a recovery or meal replacement. 

Use this workout program as a guideline to get your summer training started .  You will build the strength, fitness, and agility you need as a foundation and then soon I will give you some very specific exercises for football season.  I want you to focus on quality over quantity, on speed over distance, and raw power over weight lifting numbers.  You may need to make changes to this program to work with your schedule or other training you already do.  Depending on your current fitness and strength, this training program may not be easy for you.  To really make the strength and fitness gains required to take your sport to the next level, you need to take care of your body by getting atleast 8 hours of sleep a night, taking your vitamins and minerals, and eating a well-balanced diet with lots of protein, fruits, and vegetables.  Drinking, smoking, partying, and neglecting your body will hold you back from reaching your goals - so don’t do these things.  Good luck and please write in if you have any questions and I will do my best to get them answered.

I finished your book about a week ago. I’ve been debating whether I should write this or not but I think you should know how you impact people’s lives.

I have four small children and I find myself accepting that I will never reach all the personal dreams I have set for myself before I started having children. I’ve always wanted to finish my degree and never have had the time or money. After I read your book I felt inspired, inspired to tackle each obstacle in my life, like you have done throughout your life. I felt like I was on the field breaking fingers after I closed your book. I’ve picked up a second job to afford the tuition and I’m enrolling for online classes so I don’t have to be away from my babies. You helped me realize that my dreams are only out of reach if I decide not to reach for them! You never let anything get in your way and while climbing to the top you helped everyone around you be his or her best. That is a rare quality to have and you should be proud of what a giving and talented man you are. Your book is incredible and I have passed it on to my father to read. I’ve recommended it to everyone in the company. Thank you for inspiring me. You have made me a better person through your words!!!!”

-Jamie, Senior Marketing Analyst

Thank you for the very complimentary letter.  I am happy my own experiences could help someone like you so much. Wishing you and your family all the best, Jamie!  I know you can get reach your dream of finishing your degree!

Those guys are absolutely crazy.
 

Here’s Greg showing off some Super Bowl rings. Both the rings and the 53 jersey are baggie on Greg, I think he needs to hit the gym this summer!

Which reminds me, I can tell its summer break from school right now because I’ve been getting quite a few comments regarding summer training for developing football players.  Awesome guys - this is the time to make the strength and fitness gains that will help you have a better season this fall.  Its those extra steps, like doing core-workouts everyday and hard work in the gym during the summer that put you in front of your competition. 

So my next entry will be in regards to a summer training advice for developing football players.  Nothing fancy, just the basics that helped me and others get stronger and prepare for the season. 

Until then, take care of yourselves and get ready for some hard work!

Otherwise, I have been incredibly busy working on some new projects, including our new Ready-To-Drink (which I must say tastes awesome!).  This has been a difficult but rewarding task and it gives me new perspective on how much work goes into every aspect of producing something of the highest quality. 

Today I am off to Boston for some meetings, and then back home to spend some quality time with my family.  I am also hoping to get some summer training tips for you up here soon!