Early Preparation for the Lacrosse Season
“The specific training aims of a preseason in team sports include injury prevention, strength and power development, conditioning development and tactical training.” (Burgess, 2014) It is important to establish a general preparatory phase at the beginning of the preseason in order to ensure athletes have the requisite movement patterns, proper techniques, and strength to begin an intensive preseason strength and hypertrophy program. The goal in the preseason is to build “body armor.” This body armor enables the body to better withstand the loads and demands about to be placed on the muscles
Why Our NAKOA Warriors are Freakin’ Dope
There are quite a few gyms, clubs and recreational centers scattered around San Diego. Their members shuttle in and out exchanging glances or the occasional wave or hello and then quickly put their headphones on and commence to run through the latest workout that they saw in their men’s or women’s health magazine. For most gym goers who identify with this experience, performance training is considered more of a chore or a due diligence requirement than it is a time to go about achieving goals, preparing for competition or developing
Habits of a Healthy Heart
True story. One day, a good-looking young man walked into his doctor’s office. While he was getting his checkup, the doctor explained how his cholesterol numbers were starting to reflect an unhealthy body. The doctor could see the man was not getting it, so the doctor got in his face and said, “Listen, I don’t want you to be the guy who looks real fit on the outside, but then one day falls over while running from a heart attack.” Did you know that you can be blocked on the inside
5 Mobility Exercises for Injury Prevention in Runners
To understand what joints/areas need the most mobility, you must first understand the different planes of motion: sagittal, frontal (coronal), and horizontal (transverse). Sagittal is the movement of a limb forward or backward (i.e. shoulder flexion, hip extension), the horizontal plane is the rotational movement of a limb (i.e. shoulder external rotation, lumbar rotation), and the frontal plane is the movement of a limb side to side (i.e. hip abduction, side bending). When it comes to running, the most prominent plane of motion is sagittal because the overall translation of your
NAKOA System vs Methods
Famous 19th century essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The men who grasp principles can successfully select their own methods. The man, who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” The fitness industry has been built on a foundation of methods. We have witnessed most of these methods disappear into obscurity while others have stood the test of time. It is a time of evolution in our industry. We have enough science and
A Letter to a Skinny Long Jumper
Since Track & Field holds a very nostalgic, special place in my heart, I am going to be educating through a series of excerpts from an imaginary letter to my high school self (I know that sounds weird, bare with me). Yo buddy, It’s YOU from the future. Since you weren't good enough to actually BECOME a pro athlete, you are doing the next best thing and TRAINING them. That means you NOW know how AWESOME Coach Herzog and Coach Barry were for our Track team, but how many individual things YOU
8 Killer Foods You Need for a Healthy Diet
How is everyone doing on their New Years transformations? Eating clean? Working out on a regular basis? January is coming to an end and whether you have been going on strong or have had a couple slip ups here and there, don't stress! Keep the good momentum going by fueling your body with the whole foods it needs. If you are that person who feels as though you have been slipping up on your diet or decided to skip out on workout or two
Why Resolutions are Bullsh*t and Community Matters
So…it’s getting towards the end of January…how are those resolutions coming along? Are you smashing it? Are you in the hole already? Or are you floating somewhere in between? Trust me, I know it’s tough, most of us start out with grand plans of being on point with our body, strong, fast, functional and at a fighting weight with a six pack and a rock hard butt (maybe that last part is just me hehe) but then work, family, pure laziness and who knows what else creeps in to complicate
Recipe: Green Protein Smoothie
Whether it's in place of a meal or used as a protein-rich snack, this green smoothie recipe is aimed at keeping you healthy and satisfied. Ingredients ½ a banana chopped 1 cup frozen greens (spinach and/or kale) ¼ cup pineapple 8 oz almond milk 1 scoop veggie protein powder Instructions Add 8 oz of almond milk into blender followed by your greens, banana, and pineapple. Blend until smooth and well combined. Then add your protein powder and blend for another 3-5 seconds. Let us know how you enjoy your green smoothie on @NAKOAlife and
Recipe: Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Need a quick blast of protein as a snack or after a workout? We've got you covered. Check out this easy recipe for protein-packed balls with all the goodness of peanut (or almond) butter. Ingredients 1/2 cup peanut or almond butter 1 cups gluten free oats 2/3 cup coconut flakes 1/3 cup honey 1 tablespoon hemp seeds 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup ground flaxseed Instructions Mix all ingredients together in a medium size bowl (your hands are the best tool for this) once well-combined grab handfuls and form into small/medium sized balls
Recipe: Breakfast Muffins with Asparagus
Looking for a good breakfast recipe for your busy schedule? We've got a simple recipe for delicious breakfast muffins that are packed with protein and easy to make during your meal prep! Ingredients 12 eggs 12 pieces of cooked bacon 8 asparagus spears (raw, chopped into pieces) cooking spray salt and pepper to taste Instructions Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease 12 cups of a regular muffin pan. Lay a strip of bacon in each muffin cup, pushing down. It will overhang outside. Crack an egg in every cup. Distribute the asparagus
What to Include and Avoid in a 7 Day Cleanse
What will your New Year's resolution be this year? If you're anything like my two older brothers it will be that you want to have a six pack this summer, lose 10 pounds, look good in your bathing suit, or get a girlfriend (sorry Lee but you know it’s true). This is the time of year that we tend to jump in full force set very high goals and expectations. Why do we do this to ourselves? It is because we feel guilty for eating too much stuffing? Drinking too