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Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published October 1st 2023 Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for human health and have been shown to have a number of benefits for athletic performance. Omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce inflammation, improve blood flow, and increase endurance. Studies have shown that omega-3 fatty acid supplementation can improve performance in a variety of athletic activities, including endurance training, strength training, and aiding in better mobility an

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published September 4th 2023 Discover the power of Vitamin D and its impact on performance in our latest blog! We delve into its metabolic wonders for both adults and athletes. Plus, find out which Vitamin D supplements reign supreme, all while staying budget-conscious with our ranking of the best and most affordable options. Don't miss out on this valuable information – unlock your potential with Vitamin D! Welcome to the first installment of our

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Aug 27th 2023 Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in training and performance for athletes. It helps to regulate motivation, focus, and effort, and can also help to reduce pain and enhance recovery. When athletes train, they experience a release of dopamine. This release of dopamine is associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. These feelings can help to motivate athletes to continue training and to pu

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Aug 20th 2023 Cold water immersion (CWI) is a popular recovery method used by athletes. It involves immersing the body in cold water, typically between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit, for a period of time. CWI has been shown to have a number of benefits for athletes, including: * Reduced muscle soreness * Improved joint and tendon health * Enhanced immune system recovery * Improved sleep * Increased dopamine The Benefits of Cold Water Imme

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published June 18th 2023 You asked, and we listened! The response to our previous post about the importance of protein was overwhelming. We couldn't resist the opportunity to expand our knowledge and explore the ins and outs of "Fueling Athletic Success." Our newest blog installment is here to provide you with an in-depth understanding of each macronutrient's incredible impact on your body. Not only that, but we've gone the extra mile by crafting

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published June 4th 2023 Protein is the key to building and strengthening your muscles. While the recommended protein intake may be sufficient for sedentary individuals, those seeking to gain muscle mass require more. Studies suggest aiming for around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle growth and repair. Discover the optimal protein sources, timing, and distribution of intake to unleash your full muscle-building potential.

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published May 29th 2023 Learning proper sprint mechanics early on builds the groundwork for athletic success. Children and teenagers are better able to learn and adapt movement patterns because they have stronger neuroplasticity. Athletes can improve their technique and reach their greatest potential by breaking down sprint mechanics joint by joint, starting with the foot, ankle, knee, and hip. Each joint plays an important part in producing effec

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published May 21st 2023 When it comes to speed training, athletes are always looking for that extra edge to improve their performance. While intensive training and appropriate technique are essential, the strategic use of certain substances can provide a considerable edge. In this blog post, we'll look at the benefits of three major supplements: creatine, beta-alanine, and vitamin D, and how they can help with speed training. Introduction: Athlete

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published June 12th 2022 What FAST Stands For: Part 2 The second two letters of FAST stand for Sport Transfer. As we discussed in part 1, applying different specified tempos, or speeds, to training is a great way to benefit the athlete’s skill set in nervous system function. But now we have to make sure the athlete is using that nervous system in the right position for sport. This is where we start moving away from just improving force application

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published June 12th 2022 What FAST Stands For (The FAST Method): Part 1   The first two letters of FAST stand for Force Application. Force Application in training can range from plyometrics to band training, or weights to quickly changing directions. All these movements demand force against the ground and therefore muscles, tendons, bones, and tissue in the athlete has to respond and in turn, affected into some change.    Force is the language of

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published May 29th 2022 In our last blog post, we talked about how it’s important for one-sport athletes to appropriately train to round out the “tools” in their toolbox so they have a solid athletic foundation to build off in order to reach their full potential. “Sport-specific” training that merely focuses on repeating the same movements used in an athlete’s sport does not reach this goal. Instead, sport-specific training should occur at the fue

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published May 22nd 2022 This is a question I am asked a lot and think about myself as a parent of young athletes. From the perspective of an athletic performance coach, specializing in one sport is not ideal because each sport has different characteristics and one sport alone does not fulfill all of the characteristics needed to make well-rounded athletes. Furthermore, doing sport-specific movements repetitively (think lateral skating movements in

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published March 12th 2022 Why You Should Train Your FeetAn ideal strength training program is designed with as many aspects of your sport in mind as possible. One training need that is incredibly important but often overlooked is the need to strengthen foot muscles. Why is it so important to strengthen foot muscles? In this post, we’ll look at what makes your feet such important parts of your athletic performance, and why you should strengthen you

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Feb 26th 2022 How long does it take to improve your athletic speed? The amount of time it takes to get faster is a question I get asked all the time. Typically, this question is followed up with a question about genetics. Can I get faster, or am I just born with the speed I was given? While there are some genetic constraints to athletic speed, I’ve been working with athletes for more than two decades and have consistently seen them impro

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Feb 13 2022 As athletes, we grow up learning that stretching is important for our health and performance. But information about stretching is often mixed. It seems that in some cases, stretching is good, and in some cases, it can be bad. In this post, we’ll discuss the two types of stretching that exist, and break down a method of stretching that will better help athletes optimize joint and muscle health—and ultimately their performance.

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Jan 31st 2022 Many of us grow up in athletics, but once we’re done competing in our sports, we change the way we treat our bodies. As we get older, we lose a little spring in our step, minor aches turn into major ones, and our injuries tend to sideline us for longer than they did when we were in our 20s or 30s. Those little setbacks ultimately slow us down, convince us to skip training days, drastically change our training routines, and

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Dec 8th 2021 Core strength training is one of the most misunderstood systems in athletics. Most people would tend to specifically call it a muscle group—abs. They also tend to think of core strength training as isolating that muscle group. While they are not wrong, they are missing a big objective: how your core relates to movement in sports. Most Core Strength Training Misses the MarkWhile playing a sport, athletes depend on their core

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Nov 13th 2021 The goal of strength and speed training for athletes is to get better at their sport—that’s the bottom line. For this reason, any strength training or strength athletes build need to apply and translate to their sport. There are many strategies that parents and coaches take to get to that goal of strength transfer to sport. And as it relates to modern training, not all strategies are created equal. A strategy that made kids

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Nov 7th 2021 Plyometrics have been around since the beginning of well-organized and well-studied athletic performance training, but the differences between plyometrics vs. strength training are still somewhat lost on most athletes. As an athlete, it’s important that you understand the types of training that exist and how they relate to your body and preparing for your sport. Specifically when it comes to plyometrics vs. strength training

Written By Jayme Pantekoek | Published Oct 31st 2021 A question that many parents have is whether strength training is safe for kids. As a parent, I completely understand the concern. But as a veteran strength coach, I also understand that the concern is unfounded. As an article by New York Times health columnist Gretchen Reynolds explains, the misunderstanding can likely be traced back to the 1970s when researchers studied child laborers in Japan and concluded that the child