Upgraded and more features.  Check out the new site at www.thorathletics.com.

Look forward to seeing you there.

Be Better
Brooks

“Usually on the way to school I stop and get a sausage egg biscuit and then I eat a big supper when I get home because I’m starving.”

I asked for further clarification on what he eats between the biscuit at 8 am and supper at 7 pm and he responded “Usually nothing”. Instantly I realized that I might as well have been talking nuclear physics to a 2nd grader. In theory eating so little would cause you to lose weight but he is depraving his body of vital nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required to perform at an elite level. His body has entered starvation mode and is holding onto everything it can.

Now this isn’t a sedentary individual by any means. He is practicing in 90 degree weather for a minimal of 3 hours a day 5 – 6 days a week, lifting hard in the gym 3 days a week, and running a variety of sprints. Within his daily 10 hours without nutrients he is attempting to pay attention in class, study, take exams, and perform at an elite level. Attempting to perform at an elite level while going 10 hours without food day after day is causing a great amount of stress and wreaking havoc on his body.

The directions I gave him are very simple and easy to follow.
1. Eat breakfast
2. Eat 4-5 times a day
3. Drink a lot of water – a minimal of half your bodyweight in ounces

If you are “too busy” to eat and want to build some muscle, it matters how much you eat as well as what you eat. If you want to change your body you must provide the proper nutrition to re-build your body. While the type of food you eat plays a vital role, if you want to build muscle, you must be getting enough food!

Eat real food. Eat often. Drink water. I’m going to eat now

Be Better,
Brooks

First off is an insightful blog from Dr. Mike Scott, a fellow Physical Therapist.  Every so often Mike will pose a question to some of the top therapist, coaches, and trainers around including some Tiller guy. http://mikescottdpt.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/one-question-many-answers-5/

On the way home from Alaska I stopped in the Boston area to visit Cressey Performance.  These guys are some of the brightest in the fitness industry and I learned a lot during my short stay. I was also honored to be invited to the staff training sessions. It was great seeing that they practice what they preach. After some heavy deadlift, Pete informed me that we would be pushing the sled. I pushed until I reached the verge of seeing my breakfast again.  I really thoroughly enjoyed my visit and brought home a lot of knowledge.

A special treat for parents, teachers, coaches, and especially future physical education teacher read this article by my friend Chase Karnes. He highlights another friend of mine, Sam Luker. Sam is a brilliant middle school Physical Education teacher that is using some unconventional but effective methods in his teaching. Check out the article http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/not-your-typical-physical-education-teacher/

With all the time flying I did a lot of reading. One book that I really enjoyed was “Beyond Belief” by Josh Hamilton. Josh Hamilton has a very compelling story in and out of baseball. He recounts his past failures and demons with brutal honestly.  I highly recommend this book especially to young athletes and those that work with athletes.

Be better,
Brooks

The view was well worth the hike

A few weeks ago, some of my college friends and I took the opportunity to spend the week in Alaska with one of our best friends who is serving in the Army.  Throughout the week we spent time catching up, reminisced about old times, and shared countless laughs while enjoying God’s amazing creation.  The pictures that we took do no justice to the beauty that surrounded us.   

The health aficionado (a much better connotation than “nut” or “freak”) that I am, I did have some concern about how I would get my exercise and eat healthy food while traveling around Alaska.  We arrived Saturday afternoon and by Monday my thoughts of needing to exercise quickly vanished.  Within the first 48 hours we had hiked a mile to fish all night then hiked a mile back to the campsite where we laid down to rest as the sun came up.  The next day our Captain decided to take us on a “small hike up a nearby hill” after serving us our fill of local fresh fish.  This “small hike up a hill” turned out to be a steep labored struggle up a mountain.  The hike was difficult but was well worth it!  

The rest of the week did not disappoint.  We spent our time walking to the river, and fishing most of the day.  Then we would walk back to camp where that days catch was cooked over an open fire.  There was no lack of activity and I never went hungry.  I ate some things that I normally wouldn’t, such as reindeer sausage, and although I did not have my normal exercise, my body got plenty of activity.  

Hiking over a mile in waders is definitely not a leisurely walk in the park but was worth every step no matter how the fish were biting.  I often found myself not even fishing but gazing at the scenic views.  The clean fresh air seemed to lift my spirits and refresh me while the cool rushing water seemed to wash all my stress downstream.  Not only did my time in the wilderness make me feel better mentally, but my body also felt better with less aches and pains. 

Studies have shown that exercise helps to decrease stress hormones related to numerous health debilitating diseases.  Getting outside and away from our normal stuffy confined spaces can also help to increase mental clarity and improve relaxation.  As the summer heat begins to fade and fall approaches, it is the perfect time to get active outdoors.  If you are an early riser, take a walk around the neighborhood to enjoy the fresh early morning air before you head to work.  If you prefer to exercise after work, stop by a park on the way home and take a stroll to unwind from a busy day.  Parents have a great opportunity to spend quality uninterrupted time playing in the backyard with the kids. 

The key is to get outside and get active!  

How does being outside make you feel?  What outdoor activities do you enjoy?  Please share your ideas and favorite places in the comment section below. 

Be Better, 

Brooks

The Freed-Hardeman University Baseball team put in quite a few long hours on the field, in the weight room, and in the class room.  There were many accomplishments, both team and individual throughout the year. 

The Freed-Hardeman University Baseball team finished the season with a record of 33-24.

During the year, Derek Williford was named Pitcher of the Week.  Derek threw a seven-inning shutout in a conference win over Trevecca.

Brian Bullard and Leamond Arthur were named to the All-TranSouth 2nd team.

Garrett Ammons, Adam Blackburn, Brian Bullard, Evan Mansell, Hunter Newby, Charlie Overturf, and Zack Smith were named as TSAC Scholar Athletes.  TranSouth Scholar Athletes are made up of sophomores, juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA. With Adam Blackburn also being named NAIA Scholar Athlete.  NAIA Scholar Athletes are juniors, seniors and graduate students with at least a 3.5 GPA.

Thanks for all the hard work.

Be Better,
Brooks

The year is half over. And from the look of my blog I am not on track to meet my goal of 30 blog post this year. So by now I should have at least 15 blogs posted. But this is only the 12th for the year. I could try to justify or give reasons as to why I have come up short, but that does no good. Instead, I reset my goals and strive to do better.

This happens with goals of all types, but especially our fitness goals. We often make resolutions in January but they fall by the way side quickly. What goals did you set for yourself this year? If you are halfway there, then you are on target. If you are not, then its time to push the reset button and set some new goals.

You’ve got less than half of 2010 left. Set some goals to reach before 2011 gets here. Start some healthy habits and make yourself better for 2011!

As a Physical Therapist, assessing posture is a vital part of the initial evaluation.  I look at everyone sitting in the waiting room, walking back to the treatment room, and then throughout the evaluation.  Even when at the airport, I often sit and do a little people watching and find myself assessing posture and movements.  It also comes in handy as a party trick (gotta impress the ladies somehow!)  

Physically our posture has a direct correlation to our movement patterns.  The body knows how much to move but if put in a bad position our body will try to get there no matter what.  But if we have poor posture and improper body alignment, a simple normal movement could result in an injury.  And the injury doesn’t always occur at the site of poor posture.  

YOUR PROBLEM MAY NOT BE THE PROBLEM 

Low back pain is one of the major complaints that I see in the clinic.  There are numerous postural problems that can manifest in low back pain.  Some include poor movement at the hips, decreased mobility of the thoracic spine, lack of range of motion of the ankle, and poor stability of the shoulder complex.  All of these are often associated with muscle imbalances.  There is a possibility of weakness, shortness, stiffness, and elongated muscles depending upon the musculature involved.  The low back pain is often a result of excessive movement of the lumbar spine due to poor posture not allowing the body to move with the proper mobility.  

THE WEAKEST LINK 

View the body as a chain made up of several links.  Each link has a set strength.  As the chain is being used to pull a load, an equal force is applied to each link.  If a few links are knotted up and not moving then the links on either side often have more pressure and force on them.  If the immovable links are not fixed the chain may break due to the excess pressure on a few of the links.  The human body is the same way.  If one area is not moving properly or if there is a weakness it may result in a breakdown above or below the problematic area. 

MOVE AND STAND UP TALL 

If you have a job that requires you to sit a majority of the time, move more.  Most folks sit in the car on the way to work, walk in and sit at a desk all day, then get back in the car for the drive home, then sit down and eat, followed by sitting down on the couch to rest.  I think I see a pattern here.  When you are seated, sit up nice and tall, don’t slouch over. 

Stand up and move around every 15-20 minutes.  It takes approximately 20 minutes for a muscle to adapt length.  So standing up and moving every 15 minutes will decrease the risk of shortening and weakening muscles.  The break doesn’t have to be a jog around the office but can be just a minute.  Just stand up from your desk, take a few deep breaths and stand up tall.  

Think of a super hero standing up proud after saving the world.  A super hero does not slouch, they stand up tall with their shoulders back.  Looking like a super hero is easier than you think.  Now I don’t advise you to try to leap a building or stop a bullet, but you can apply these simple steps to at least stand like one.  Imagine about having a string tied from top of your head pulling you up towards the ceiling.  Now that your standing up tall the second step is to put your shoulder blades down and back into your back pockets.  That is DOWN AND BACK.  Watch yourself in a mirror and your shoulders should not get closer to your ears.  This simple move will help decrease your risk of losing mobility and in turn help keep you healthy. 

Stand up like a SUPER HERO!

Sit up – don’t slouch. 

Stand up tall like a super hero! 

Put shoulder blades in your back pocket.

MOVE!!!

Be Better, 

Brooks

As far as the flood, my family and home is ok. But there are a lot of people who suffered some serious damage. The Red Cross is accepting donations just text “REDCROSS” to 90999 and $10 will be added to your cellphone bill. Special thanks to Sincere Hogan for his efforts in Houston.

I have a post ready but will attempt to film a video this weekend to accompany the post. If all goes as planned it will be up early next week.

This week is Food Allergy Awareness Week from the Food Allergy Initiative. If you or someone close to you suffer from allergies, you know how detrimental they can be. One way to combat allergies is through local honey. Honey is a great natural sweetener that contains small amounts of pollen which help to boost the immune system. This boost will help you fight off allergies. I travel a lot and one of my favorite things to do is try the local honey. Honey will take on the flavor of the plant that the bees visited to make their precious honey. If you are in middle Tennessee I highly recommended the honey from Amishables in Brentwood. Stop by and get some local honey. Its good and will help boost your immune system.

Be Better,
Brooks Tiller

St X Strength and Conditioning Clinic

Coach Carlo Alvarez is one of the top strength coaches in the country.  His philosophy and methods are effective and proven.  As the head Strength Coach at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, OH, St. X has become one of the top high school athletic programs in the country.  Sports Illustrated has ranked St. X in the top 25 high schools for athletics due to their dominance in numerous sports. St. Xavier is known for producing great athletes and championship teams.    

The St. Xavier High School Football Strength and Conditioning Clinic in Cincinnati is going to be a great experience.  If you want to optimize your players talents you should be there.  It will help you be a better coach and in turn your team will benefit.  

Below is a link to the site for the clinic along with the speakers and their topics.  It is going to be a great clinic.  

http://www.carloalvarez.com/stxfootballclinic     

• Mike Gordon and Chris Giordullo, athletic trainers and performance rehab specialists will teach you how to maximize the relationship between sports medicine, therapy, reconditioning, strength and conditioning and the head football coach. This has become an integral part of successful programs around the country at the high school, college and professional level.  

• Coach Joe Kenn, will help you implement the freshmen athletes into your system, without taking away from the development of your upper classmen. 

• Coach Michael Szerszen, will cover how to start your program on the right foot from day one of summer. 

• Dawn Weatherwax, will speak on what is important in regards to nutrition for high school athletes and how that maximizes performance 

• Coach Lee Taft will talk about what’s the best way to handle large number of athletes as you implement your team speed training sessions 

• Coach Mike Shibinski is a motivated speaker, who brings great passion into his talk- Summer Readiness Program- and how that affects your mindset prior to the season

• Dr. Ken is back as our MC and resident expert on all things strength and conditioning. He will moderate the clinic and share his own thoughts as it relates to integrating what you hear and your own unique situations

Be Better, 

Brooks