TSpoon Talks

Another One Bites the Dust

2010-06-07T19:17:00.000-07:00

Today was our first full day of conditioning and it went better than expected. Especially for athletes DeSagana Diop and Jeremiah Cutts.(who was my pick to throw up first today). Things didn't fair that well for basketball player, Big Joe. After the AquaShock pool workout and then hills, he was teetering on the brink of puking. It looked like he had kicked it by time we got back indoors at Oakland University. I personally think he was using the chew and re-swallow method but it didn't matter. It eventually got the best of him.

Here Comes the Sun.....

2010-05-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been a while but life sometimes gets in the way of our hobbies. At the moment I am preparing for this summers Pro Basketball Training Camp at Oakland University. It starts June 2nd and runs through July 10th. Check out last years camp on youtube.
We had a blast and this year we have a newcomer DeSagana Diop from the Bobcats. Stay tuned for a fun, hard, wacky and successful summer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51QnWKBLJlY

The Tale of Two Spirits

2010-01-14T20:59:00.000-08:00

If you love what you do, there is a thrill in just waking up in the morning. Each day brings you one step closer to revealing the gift you have discovered about yourself. I have had the luxury of feeling that way about what I do for the last 24 years, and the things I have discovered amaze me.
The young men and women who are training with us this year are all on the same road of discovery and all possess that love for what they do, adding to the joy I experience each day.
We have every sports story you can image from the comeback to the best in the nation. And as usual there are some unbelievable characters here...
Welcome Joique Bell from Wayne State. Joique led the nation in rushing, averaging over 200 yards per game and 18 points. Quite a feat at any level. We have Pepasports alum Demetrius Crawford back and leading the way for the young Bell. Demetrius is preparing for his indoor season beginning in March in Washington.These two will push each other toward there goals. Joique is preparing for the Senior Bowl on the 30th of January and then the NFL Combine in February.
These two young men are a joy to train and watch.

We're Baaaaaccck!

2010-01-13T08:31:00.000-08:00

Well it's a new year, and according to all the doomsday fanatics, the beginning of the end, culminating in a planetary alignment that will end the world as we know it on 12/21/2012. How I look at it is, if it all ends, we won't be around to experience it so why worry about it, WE GOT WORK TO DO!
I have been busy as ever since my trip with Eddy to Jamaica. That was in September and now it's a whole new year.Eddy is back with the Knicks, and acclimating to the pro game again. The rest of the guys from this summer are all doing well. JR Smith, Nuggets...Jason Thompson, Kings...CDR, Nets...Rawle Marshall over in France, Cal Wooten in Germany and LeBron, Cavs.
Our consulting project with Oakland University Men Basketball program is going well as they are undefeated in their conference.
My work with Charles Rogers and his comeback has been put on hold. Charles is battling an addiction and our prayers go out to him. But while in Michigan we adopted another nephew in Joique Bell, Wayne States running back, who led the nation in rushing. He is such a bright lite, wait to you get a load of this joker. There is a lesson to be learned here athletes.."God is always making one better than you!" so work as hard as you can, as smart as you can, as right as you can and show the world your gifts.
I traveled to Freeport, Bahamas and adopted a track club called The Golden Eagles. Coach Dwayne Jennings invited me down to see the work he has been doing over the last 10 years and I was so impressed that I vowed to get him some help in the form of sponsorship. Plus we got another nephew by the name of Kenroy Woolery, 100m, 200m sprinter. He and Joiqure should probably never be in the same room together...lol
Well we are back in the Bay Area for another NFL Combine session. Man does time travel fast...that's why it's best you do what it is you love! "Otherwise the speed of time will breed regrets!"
So welcome back one and all and get ready for another unbelievable year of manifestation and magic!

Up Up And Away......

2009-09-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Well Jamaica was everything I expected and more. I never spent that much time in water in all my life. Eddy is a fish, and could spend all day in the water. He's dropped even more weight on this trip so he looks lean and ready. Ready for everything except Para Sailing....Check out Aqua Man

Last Days Of Camp.

2009-08-19T14:01:00.000-07:00

We are finishing up here in Ocean city. Everyone here has been awesome! Thank you John Porter and the staff at EAP(Elite Athletic Performance), Dr John Greenburg, Big Dr. Christopher Sepanski, Mark(Da Mayor)Grimes, Dats, Ann Manatt, for traveling back and forth to make sure we were all good. And last but not least World Wide Wes.
I like to thank everyone who came out to train or just to give there support.
We put on one serious camp this summer and though I missed everyone in Oakland and regret not being able to be there with you, this was an opportunity of a lifetime. Pepasports has a new home on the East Coast in EAP and John Porter and I are going to pursue other ventures together.
We will be packing up and moving camp to New York this week to add the final chapter to the Eddy Curry Project. Eddy is doing great and is exactly at the goal we set for this summer with about a month to go before camp officially begins. That's about 50lbs shed in three months, INCREDIBLE! But that's the way camp has been, take a look at Mustapha Farrakhans incredible dunk today at the end of practice.

Ocean City Camp

2009-08-06T06:42:00.000-07:00

OK guys we're back!. It's been two months since the last blog and so much has transpired since then I don't know where to begin. From Rochester MI, to Las Vegas, to Chicago and now Ocean City, NJ, which is right down the parkway from Atlantic City for those of you who didn't know. (I would have been one of those who didn't know.)Ocean City is a resort town and there are hundreds of thousands vacationing here. There's a boardwalk several miles long and miles of beach. We have been here for a couple of weeks now and camp is going wonderful. For those of you keeping up with the Eddy Curry project in the press, Eddy is now 319lbs. He lost over 40 lbs so far. The goal weight was 310 before Sept 1st so looks like no problem. And the new muscle should impress everyone.

Along with Eddy we have had JR Smith from the Denver Nuggets and Jason Thompson from the Sacramento Kings.

Former NBA player, Rawle Marshall now playing in Spain, had it rough after a month lay off. First day is always the worst.

The Eddy Curry Project 06.05.09

2009-06-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Eddy and I have been working together for the last month. Along with Eddy we have JR Smith from the Nuggets, Rawle Marshall, Cavaliers, Eric Easter,training for his wrokout with the Knicks on the 14th. Ronald Howard, with the Bucks last year. College players Manny Haris, Pedi Simms, both from Michigan and Ilija Milutinovic and Keith Benson, from Oakland University and Mustapha Farrakhan from University of Virgina. I will give you guys the whole story but I had to include this clip from todays pool workout. We made a bet with Eddy that if he could shoot a basketball in the poolside basket from 5 lanes out we would end practice for the day. Checkout what happened...I think there's a commercial in here somewhere.

Off to Mini Camp..Welcome DeMar!

2009-04-29T10:55:00.000-07:00

First let me say congratulations to the guys from the NFL camp.The players are all preparing to leave for their first mini camp.Rulon is on his way to Denver, Mika is on his way to Cleveland, Demetrius is on his way to Cincinnati, Burl is on his way to San Francisco across the Bay. Larry to St. Louis and we are still waiting to hear from Tashaka, Brandon and Sean. Next I just wanted to personally introduce you guys to another one of the guys from the NBA camp. The most athletic player in this year’s upcoming draft; DeMar DeRozan, 6-foot-7, 220-pound freshman forward, with tremendous athleticism.

NBA Pre-Draft Camp 04.16.09

2009-04-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well we are finally done with the NFL Pre-Draft camp. Rulon, Sean and Burl will be working out for the San Francisco 49er’s tomorrow and that is the last scheduled workout. Doesn't mean that they won't have to do more later but for now this is it.

Now it’s time for the NBA Pre-Draft camp. Our first camp attendee is Patrick (Patty) Mills. A point guard from St. Mary’s College, Patty, as he’s called, is from Australia and competed for the last two summers on the Australian National Team. Last summer he competed in Beijing; he lead his team to the quarterfinals where they faced the USA Team. Though they lost, Patty had the most productive and noteworthy summer of any college ball player. He was high scorer for his team in the loss to USA with 20 points, 3 steals and 2 assists and ended up as high scorer for his team, averaging 14 points in 24 minutes of play. He is hoping his great summer and this year's play will launch him in the NBA draft. He is declaring early today for the NBA after finishing his sophomore season.

Welcome Patty Mills:

Back on the Block 04.09.09

2009-04-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well I’m back! Not much of a break but I got some really good rest intervals. So I guess I better catch you up on all the news since last I wrote. It’s been almost a month since the last entry and I don’t have a strong enough recollection to go day by day, so I will just give you the highlights.
The Cal pro testing date went well. Our guys did well but not their absolute best performances. Sean was very strong but disappointed in his 4.5 forty. He went to LA a week after to workout again for the CFL. Burl was back in the gym on Monday after having a very strong day at Cal and running the fastest time that day 4.40. Mika went back to Hawaii for a two week sabbatical. Demetrius worked out immediately after that test on Wednesday down in San Jose on Friday. He finally got a chance to run and he ran his slowest of all the workouts, 4.39! At Cal he was having a stellar day but obviously it was too much for Coach Tedford, so he stopped D from continuing. Demetrius weighed in at 183 and benched pressed 225lbs 27 times the only one to better him was a 300 pound lineman from Cal, he put up 28 reps.
Last word on Larry and Tashaka, they were both looking for pro testing days to try and run again because of poor conditions. Larry ran in 30 degree weather! (Ouch) Kenny took the last week off to go work on his routes. He was supposed to run at San Jose but when he got there was told it wouldn’t happen. We haven’t heard anything yet.
Mika, Burl, and Sean all returned and are working out for the San Francisco workout on April 17th. Rulon Davis, DE from CAL has also joined us. Rulon is an intriguing prospect at 6’5 285lbs. Very intelligent young man who spent his first three years after high school in the Marines and even did a six month tour of duty in Iraq. His nickname is “The Beast.” He is projected as a middle round guy but maybe moving up the charts. Check him out at Rulonthebeast.com

Mahalo 03.13.09

2009-03-13T23:38:00.001-07:00

I have to tell you that I am so very glad it’s Friday. (Lol) I’m tired!, this is hard stuff and we are getting closer to the end, Hawaii here I come. After this is over I am off to the East Coast to work with Eddie Curry of the New York Knicks. So there won’t be much rest in between.
Our day was light today, the guys will all lift after practice. We worked on hip girdle strength, starts and abs and flexibility. All the guys going off on Wednesday got thoroughly worked on by Ann and Karla. Karla got the easy job of working on Mika. I heard she was taking all weekend and the first part of next week off. (lol)
Burl tried to turned down the rub down. He was sure happy I didn’t let him. Demetrius returned from his protesting date in Montana to tell us the good news. He has been given permission to participate in Cal’s pro testing date on Wednesday. Seems Cal has no running backs coming out this year so they allowed him to run…..Can you say, “Track Meet?” I only wish Kenny could join them, that would be too fun! As it is this will be a very exciting day. It’s going to be hard to keep these horses corralled. The ACES Bowling event on Sunday at Albany Bowl should be a nice break for them. If you haven’t heard about it, it’s at 4pm and is for Lorenzo Alexander’s Foundation. If you need more information about the event go to: http://www.lorenzoalexander.org/events.html

Mahalo everyone!, hang loose this weekend.

Speed is King 03.12.09

2009-03-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

Today we used the pool as strictly a warm up for our drills and sprints. We immediately left the pool for the field to run through shuttle, three cone and 40 yard sprints. There were only five guys left for next weeks pro testing dates. Tashaka, Burl, Sean, Mika, and Kenny. We ironed out some kinks and cleaned up our technique. I have posted the 40yd films so that the guys and all of you may scrutinize them. The first one is the slowest time and the second one is the fastest. The best thing about them is there isn’t much of a difference in time from worst to best. The guys are really ready to test! What you should be looking for in the sprints is first the start. Their plant hand should stay connected to the ground till they are in motion. Scouts begin timing on hand movement. If you lift your plant hand before you begin your motion, the clocks will have started while you are still in your set position. Their lead arm should drive out and up giving them the proper body position for take off. Look for the back foot on the first stride, is the leg fully extended all the way through the hips. If so, they should be at a 45 degree angle to the ground and the lead thigh should be parallel to the ground. When they begin the drive phase, their arms should be very active and they should be pushing away from the start by pushing their feet down and back behind their hips. (I like to use the example of pushing a sled.) Each stride should have full extension getting every inch they can without over striding or reaching. Pushing down and back at this phase of the race determines how long their strides will be and how fast they will be able to turn them over. As they begin to accelerate they still should be in a slight lean forward in that 45 degree angle. The foot begins to travel higher from the ground, so the push is no longer down and back but just down. If you see the athlete standing straight up he is in very poor position and causing himself to decelerate early. Needing to lean back to drive your knees is a sign of weak hip flexors and abdominal muscles. At the end of the race the athletes stride tempo should increase. If you see them taking elongated strides to reach the finish line, once again they are in poor position and adding hundredths of a second on their time. Reaching for the finish line is a very common mistake. I have slowed down the sprints so you can see the differences from the worst sprint to their best sprint. It’s time for everyone to play coach. Post your observations on the comment board. I’m sure the guys would appreciate it. Every little bit helps and it’s getting close to crunch time. Guys you better all be studying yourselves cause there are valuable seconds you all could be shaving by cleaning up your technique.

Yes Sean, "We're done!" 03.11.09

2009-03-11T20:34:00.000-07:00

This morning we worked on the shuttle drill and the three cone drill. Two drills required in the pro testing workout. At the end of practice we did the broad jump and the bench press. Sean put up 18 reps at the end of practice…WOW. I guess he’s ready. He must be cause at the end of today’s workout he said, “I know we aren’t done yet!” There goes that OCD again…

San Ramon High 03.10.09

2009-03-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

San Ramon High was in full affect today. Welcome back Garrison and Kyle! And you came back even more flexible than last season. Combine guys are winding down. Practice from here on out will be short and to the point. That should screw with Sean’s OCD for a little bit.

The Zohan 03.09.09

2009-03-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today we need your help. We had a good day of practice but a very confusing question arose. Has anyone heard from Larry Beard? None of our calls have been answered. So if anyone knows where our missing athlete is please get in touch with us. Lol And Larry if you are reading this call the gym: (510) 769-7372.

We now know what it is that makes Adam so strong. We found out today that he really is the Zohan! After viewing the video you will see why he benches 225lbs more than 40 times.

Happy Birthdays 03.07.09

2009-03-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

We didn’t have practice this weekend. Some of the guys left for home and their Pro Testing Dates. Brandon Mosley test on the 10th so he left Saturday. Demetrius Crawford goes on the 9th so he left as well.
We also had birthday celebrations in Las Vegas this weekend. Happy 36th Jerome Bettis and Happy __ , Priya. (We won’t tell your age. Lol)

It was a time to see old clients who we haven’t seen in a while and new clients we are working with this year. Hope you guys all made it home safe and sound. It was good seeing the family, Trey, Derrick and Brian. See you guys in a couple of months.
Ann caught up with some of her kids, (as she calls all the athletes) and we got some great pics. Shout out to everyone in case you didn’t get a pic with Ann. Lol Derrick Stanley/Rams, Brian Calhoun/Lions, Keyaron Fox/Steelers. Takeo Spikes/49ers,

1-3-5-7-9........ 03.06.09

2009-03-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

In laymen terms today would be called a mind f____. Well if you are older than twelve you get my french. (Forgive me by the way.) But just when the guys think they are coming in for our normal day of flexibility and drills, we tell them it’s a beach day. Ouch! It’s a trip to see how well they adapt. Some do it better than others. When we got to the sand there were some very long faces. I told them it would be a day of technique so not to worry. We had some start drills and practice the first phase of the 40. It went well and quick. Afterward we had partner stretches and abs. Adam lead the ab workout with a pretty unique counting cadence, 1-3-5-7-9. At this rate we’ll have to do ten thousand abs to get our daily 2500 in.

Reversing The Aging Process 03.05.09

2009-03-09T20:20:00.000-07:00

Our pool day was very easy. We did our water work and then moved upstairs for start work and abs. We call these are superstar workouts. They are used for fine tuning and keeping the guys on point condition wise. And speaking of on point I have to mention Julian again. Each day this athlete amazes me at his change. I will put up some fresh photos but you have to see what this guy did in three weeks. Here are his before and after photos. Keep going Julian….proof that you can reverse the aging process. Especially if you are aging prematurely.

The Art Of The Finish 03.04.09

2009-03-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

Today we would try to master the art of the finish. IN anything we do at the end, if we pick up the pace we finish strong. This means far less mistakes that normally occur with a lazy finish. In the sprints in means being out of position and leaning at the tape at the wrong time or reaching with your feet at the end. We worked on creating stride frequency throughout the final phase of the 40 yard dash. I take cones and separate the last 10 to 12 yards into segments. The segments are at such a length that the runner has to put his feet down as quick as possible to step into each segment. When this is done properly it accelerates the stride frequency of the athlete and propels them through the finish line. We had a remarkable day and some very fast times. Kenny O’Neal in my opinion will be one of the top three fastest times in the country, if not the fastest. And we have three others that can legitimately run 4.3 or faster. It will be interesting in the next few weeks as they test. I have to say that though there were some incredible times out there today, I saw something that blew me away. Thomas, our marathoner, had the most improved stride of anyone in camp. I had to slow his video down for you cause he was such a blur. Keep your eye on him he looks fantastic. Don't blink you might miss him. Way to go Thomas, you've come a long way.

Steve leaves for spring baseball Friday so today was his last day. And Demetrius will leave tomorrow for Montana State for their pro testing date. They both are ready and anxious about leaving. Speaking of spring ball, I have to make another comment on Julian's transformation. Each day this kid gets younger and younger looking. He honestly looks as if he was 19 all over again. Great job Julian!

Full House 03.03.09

2009-03-03T23:23:00.000-08:00

Full house today, with Langston getting his work in earlier and then the high school guys returning. Welcome back Joey Southwick. (Quarterback from San Ramon High) With Langston we are working one area at a time until he get’s his wind back and can work more. Rina jumped in today and did some of the drills with him. It’s hard when you are working alone cause there is far less rest. Thanks Ri! I’m sure Langston appreciated it as well.

My NFL guys are getting really antsy. It’s getting close to their pro testing dates and their workouts are far less demanding so their energy levels are high. There is a lot of nervous energy in the house tonight.
In the beginning of practice it was hard to get them to focus. I introduced some drills that they had only done once before and it was hilarious the execution I got. I’ll let you see for yourself. Our camera woman tonight is the one laughing hysterically. The NFL guys are really ready to go…it will be hard keeping them reigned in.

Steve finally signed the Wall of Fame. Say cheese Steve!

Goodbye Ron, Hello Langston 03.02.09

2009-03-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

We say goodbye to Big Ron today and say hello to Langston Walker, OL, Buffalo Bills. We had another rain delay that kept us indoors. So we worked on the lateral movements for the upcoming drills. This is the final week for Demetrius before his first pro testing date and Brandon, who leaves for Indiana soon.
Langston’s first day was interesting. I don’t think I have seen him at this weight before. He’s a very big guy naturally at 6’8” So we have work to do to get him ready. Our first day went well.
Before Ron left we talked about the plan for him to go pro in the NFL. He told me his coach is of the same mind set, that it’s time for him to move to the next level from arena to the pros. Ron has developed into a great athlete but primarily a phenomenal young man. Take care Ron and Godspeed.

Thanks Tapia Family 03.01.09

2009-03-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Rain canceled being out doors but we had a very casual day planned already. We were going to have a celebration of sorts and say farewell to, Larry but he had to leave one day earlier, and Big Ron who leaves on Monday back to Omaha. We had a big Mexican meal planned by the Tapia family, Isaac and Jackie with their three sons, Isaac, Isaiah and Elijah.
The guys had some idea it was going to be an easy day, so when I came in and said let’s get to work, everyone was shocked, even the staff. When asked about the lunch we had planned I pleaded ignorance to the whole thing and said, “At least they will have worked up an appetite.”
I wanted to include drills and exercises that would require use of the entire body, so we would at least use the amount of muscle used while sprinting.
Afterward we ate like kings, thanks guys. Then we talked about the upcoming pro dates for each athlete.

Goodbye Larry

2009-02-27T19:01:00.000-08:00

I started this blog on January 5th as a way to track Larry Beard’s progress. It turned into a story about everyone in camp. I have been tremendously honored by have all the guys here in camp. The are a unique group of athletes that will all go far in life, whether it be in sports or not. But Larry reminds me of the beginning because he was the first one here. I was very impressed with his attitude, demeanor and work ethic. We had a lot of fun working together and I believe everyone was made better because of him being here. Thank you Larry! May your Pro testing date bring out of you all that you have in store. We will miss you and all our prayers and well wishes go with you. “Kick the damn doors down!’
We had lot’s of fun today working on hip girdle strengthening and flexibility. The funniest part was the warm up drills in preparation for the vertical testing and the standing broad jump. Almost lost a few today and before their testing dates. So I called the platform hops and went right into testing.

Easy Day 02.26.09

2009-02-27T02:10:00.001-08:00

Today we will use the pool training for flexibility and just the opportunity to open the guys up. Mike Robinson from the 49’ers stopped in to check us out. We trained a teammate of his a few years back, from Penn State. After the pool we went upstairs and got our abs in they stretched. We worked the treadmills but only a gentle 6 mph to 12 mph. Very easy day!
Especially for Larry Beard, who leaves for his Pro Testing date on Saturday. Great work Larry!

Fire & Speed 02.25.09

2009-02-27T02:05:00.000-08:00

Today was our sprinting day and Kenny was every bit of speed that we thought. This kid came in running 4.2, ouch! But I believe he inspired the rest of the group to step it up. Burl ran four forties and everyone was 4.3 and change. Sean went with Kenny and posted his fastest times ever, that’s 4.2. Finally, Demetrius dropped below 4.3 as well. The rest of the guys stayed in their range for last week. It was obvious who had been here throughout the entire training program and who had not. But it was all around a very good day. The guys with the longer foundations were easily ready to better there times. The other guys still have heavy legs and will take another week to get their bounce back. Larry ran so fast he tweaked his hamstring, but Ann took a look and says it was nothing serious. (Better not be!)

Better Late Than Never 02.24.09

2009-02-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

The saying goes better late than never. When it comes to our program, I think that is a very appropriate saying. Ask Mika what he thinks about it. He has stepped his game up and is really getting a benefit out of the program. I would have loved to had him here since the 5th of January. Same goes for Brandon, I think he would have been a phenom had he been here that early. Speaking of time here, we have a newcomer in our midst today. His name is Kenny O’Neal from San Jose State. Can you say built for speed? He comes to us fast so I can’t take much credit for his speed, but we will do great things for his agility and balance. If he runs faster than 4.20 I will take some credit.(lol) So meet Kenny O’Neal.....

Rainy Days 02.23.09

2009-02-26T22:56:00.000-08:00

Monday’s practice is in the sand though it has been raining for the last two days. We are going strong regardless of the weather. We had the day off Sunday so the guys should be well rested. Wouldn’t you know it the, the rain stopped as soon as practice began and started when it ended. After watching the films on Wednesday sprints, we will emphasize pushing our feet down and back on our starts. Burl understands and is giving me what I want every time. Big Ron is holding a clinic on endurance conditioning and Larry is right behind him. Brings a real smile to my face to see Larry’s change. This will be his last week with us. I believe he is ready to go and turn some heads. He is definitely not the same guy who showed up on our doorstep.

We had fun today even though the weather is bad. It has been gradual so I don't know if the guys are really aware of the fact that we have toned done the workouts alot, getting them ready to peak in the next week or two. Brandon gave us a great demonstration of the perfect three point stance for drills. I just had to point out his strengths.lol

Hop Scotch 02.20.09

2009-02-23T21:41:00.000-08:00

Today we will do explosive conditioning. We will hop until we can’t hop no more! (lol) We warmed up and then went right into the hip girdle strengthening, to quick resistance sprints and then to the hops. It got so comical at times I had to stop the drills all together. Some of the guys did well but it was a learning process for most. Afterward I let the guys bench and that was the most impressive part of the workout. Demetrius was very impressive looking today and his 25 reps at the end of practice was very strong! Adam was the best with a total 34 reps but scouts are going to eat up that short stroke. Lock out Adam!

Combine Time 02.19.09

2009-02-22T20:47:00.000-08:00

Pool day, including plyo’s and agility drills, then treadmill. The whole crew showed up, you can tell we are getting close to crunch time. The Combine starts this weekend, and for the kids who weren’t invited, this is a very motivating week. In the pool are workouts are more quickness and agility.

The leg work upstairs goes hand in hand, only we compete with each exercise. The treadmill work was awesome. The guys worked from 10 mph to 16 mph. Big Ron did the whole 30 second run at 16 mph. WOW!

Speed Kills 02.18.09

2009-02-22T12:25:00.000-08:00

Speed Kills Kings! I couldn’t be more impressed with the athletes today! Damn they all ran well and not only that, they got it! It is so rewarding as a trainer or coach to watch an athlete grasp a concept and then execute it properly. Even better when the athlete makes it his/her own concept. I saw some of that today and I loved it. If the kids run this well at their test they will do very well for themselves. We did abs and as they all finished I screamed, “steps!” You should have seen the looks on their faces, priceless. A job has to have some perks!
This will be Mika’s first day on the steps. I’m really looking forward to that.

Impressive Mika 02.17.09

2009-02-22T12:24:00.000-08:00

Love this kid Mika Kane, he is very quick for a big man but the real joy is how relax he does everything. When you are talking about speed, relaxed is very strong attribute. Most football players with no track background have a hard time grasping that concept because the sport itself is about brute strength as well.
Mika has really impressed me, and to think I was sure after the first day we had lost him.(lol)
I will make up for the sprints tomorrow on the indoor turf field. At the end of practice I will tell them all to bring their cleats tomorrow. That should get some surprised looks. ( ain’t that right Ron?)

Rain Again 02.16.09

2009-02-22T12:22:00.000-08:00

Still raining like cats and dogs. So we are indoors again. I will try to get as many drills in with resistance to duplicate the sand work.

Circus Indoors 02.15.09

2009-02-22T12:20:00.000-08:00

Raining like crazy outside so we won’t be able to do the sprint testing today. We will have to bring the circus indoors. Also the day after Valentines so this will be very interesting. We will see who went out last night and who didn’t. I will make up the sprints sometime this week but will not let the guys know until the last
minute.

New Kid on the Block 02.14.09

2009-02-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

I know, it’s Saturday and the day of rest for the combine guys. But it’s not a day of rest for me or Golden State Warrior, Marcus Williams. Marcus and I worked today for about two hours. He is working on shedding some weight, strengthening his hip flexors, adding to his foot speed and overall quickness.
I think he would have made a remarkable football player. His lower body is extremely strong and legs are solid, very large for the rest of his body.
We found some areas we need to adjust and I believe they will make a huge difference in his game. Marcus was acquired from the Nets, where he played for two years. He went to UConn for college and was selected to New Jersey Nets as the 22nd pick in the 2006 NBA draft as a junior.

Friday the 13th 02.13.09

2009-02-19T09:34:00.000-08:00

I didn’t even realize it was Friday the 13th today until I walked into practice. Today we worked on our starts and our quick feet agility drills. Brandon was impressive with the resistance agility drills. He is changing everyday, and I have to say faster than most. We didn’t go as hard or as long today which threw them all off. But we are going to sprint more often now and I need the guys to be able to compete.
So they can rest up for Sunday. It’s been raining heavy here so if it’s raining on Sunday we will have practice inside.

Drop, Pop, and Lock 02.13.09

2009-02-15T07:48:00.000-08:00

Today we had a newcomer join us, Tashaka Merriweather . Let’s just call him Big T for now. Seeing it was his first day and all, we might want to wait to see if he returns on Sunday. (lol) No, just kidding, he did fantastic for a 280 lb Defensive End. “T” came out of school last year from Arizona State and did not catch on anywhere at the Pro Level, he was very close with Oakland but they signed a kid by the name of Greyson Gunheim.You may have heard that name before, we prepared him for last years draft. (oops) Anyway, we started our “drop, pop, and lock” series of drills today. That was fun and demanding, working first on stabilizing the hip girdle and then explosive pop off the ground, and finally fast twitch training. Keep your eyes out for the film, cause some of it is too funny.

Ascension 02.12.09

2009-02-13T16:08:00.000-08:00

Pool today was ginormous! (lol) well compared to other weeks. Almost everyone attended, and that made for a good workout. Welcome back George and Mika. Today is the first day of the “ascension” this is the gradual up hill climb to peak weak! That’s the day that each athlete has to perform.
After pool we have plyo’s and abs, and after that the dreaded treadmill workout. We got a lot accomplished today and even managed to have some fun during the competitive drills upstairs.
We took tons of video but used a new recorder so now I have to figure out the process for downloading them. But stay tune, it will be worth the weight. Until then please sit back and relaxe and enjoy the smooth sounds of Brandon and the fellas doing 200 of the required 2500 ab crunches a day!

Weathered the Storm 02.11.09

2009-02-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

So today was supposed to be a hill day at Strawberry canyon in Berkeley but the weather was so bad there we would have to wear galoshes. So we met at Cascade, the steps we do spider mans on instead. Behind the steps are three streets with great hills all different grades. So we choose one with a grade of about 12 percent. Our workout consisted of three 7 minute intervals in which we would run as many hills as we could in that time, with a four minute break in between. The hill was about 150 meters long.
I was so caught up in the guys doing so well I never got a chance to take video.
Thomas stepped into a level of comfort with his long stride that he never has. Ron corrected an imbalance in his stride by focusing on planting his left leg and driving his right. Never has he had that much thigh separation while running hills. Burl tried to stay with Thomas the entire time, though Thomas has marathon endurance. Demetrius ran through his back spasms and was third every time. Adam got 4 hills in seven minutes all three times. Brandon though it was his first time got through all three intervals with no problem. Well maybe just a little problem, we’re not sure if that was a bathroom break or a vomit break. Lol Larry hates hills and he did fantastic! Very impressive for the guys who weathered the storm and came to practice anyway. The rain didn’t effect us at all and it cleared up beautifully by time we got to steps for push ups. 5 sets today for those of you who didn’t make it and it will be six next time.
On the steps the sun eventually came out and warmed up everything. Even though we had more circuits than ever it went easy and smooth. The guys laughed and joked through all of them. We had fun and there was a true sense of peace.

Peace ~authentic self~
It's the ebb of the cause
It's the flow of the effect
It's the state of enlightenment
When in rhythm with God's breath

I think we are ready to start really training now! The next three weeks will be like space mountain!..lol

Puke and Rally 02.10.09

2009-02-10T22:40:00.000-08:00

We had a few new visitors today, some I’m sure will be back others I can’t call. Practice was intense but there was nothing new added. Those who have been here training got through it with no problems. Except for Brandon Mosley, who had to “puke and rally.” He did a fine job after returning.

To do that you have to have tremendous courage and a tremendous love for what you are doing. Today’s practice will most definitely show the difference between the love for what you do and the desire to just be in a sport. Most kids that come to us have that kind of love or they just don’t last. Mika Kane, DT from Cal came to visit and George Fa’avae, DL from UNLV. They did very well in a class that was very intense and long. I’m sure something they were just not use to.

Mika had a bit of stiffness in his hips and being 6’3” AND 310 lbs, he had trouble with cramping. So we had him work with our body workers on some very intense muscle realignment and flexibility.

Sean Young was fantastic again today. He put up great numbers in the box test with some very sweet technique. Now there is a real demonstration of Love for what you do. Go Sean!

Love ~vibration~
The living force behind the universe
Keeps the celestial in place
The omnipresence of omnipotence
And truth to the human race

After abs we allowed the children and the high school athletes to leave and then the combine guys finished their training. We finished up with the cleans onto boxes and then the shoulder exercises.

Wisdom 02.09.09

2009-02-09T17:24:00.000-08:00

Practice was on the beach today and we had a lot of guys show. That’s saying something after the week we had. As soon as the warm ups were over it was like triage for Ann. The guys were cramping and coming down with muscle spasms all over the place. Sign of the work load all last week. We kept it to short drills for speed, made it a competition, and got whatever was left of the players.

I was really impressed with Sean, he was the fastest in every drill. He and Burl are pushing each other all the time. Sean has been through a great deal of adversity in his college career and I believe he has grown through all of it and come out on the other end with a great deal of Wisdom. He applies himself in every drill but not without thinking the drill through first. I watch him envision the drill in his mind before each turn. He is impressive.

Wisdom ~intuition~
By applying what you’ve learned
It becomes and integral part
It’s the life to every principle
And a matter of the heart

Brandon had another rough day but he worked through it. I love his attitude. “No where to from here but up!” If I was a betting man I would definitely drop major paper on Julian! He’s quite about everything but his times are dropping like crazy and he’s getting that swagger back. (and all with NO STEROIDS!) Big Ron is my idol, I’m sure the rest of the guys would agree. He is going into Sports Management after his career is over. I think I’m going to go to work for him. (lol)

Freight Train 02.08.09

2009-02-08T15:46:00.000-08:00

It was rainy and a little cold today but all in all the times were good on the field. We worked the flying forties and sixty yard sprints. The guys had to warm up a little longer today to compensate for the cold. We ran through start drills before actually running.

I think our new nickname for Big Daniel is going to have to be Freight Train! Wait till you get a load of this forty. Lol He really did quite well today, the best yet. Big Ron you got some stiff competition there.

Brandon is behind and that is very obvious after watching his sprints but in two weeks he will be a brand new Brandon. He will just have to devote himself to his potential. So today will be our day of Devotion.

Devotion ~sacredness~
Making sacred the path
That your dreams lie upon
Every step becomes a ritual
For the prayer you’ve become

Presence 02.06.09

2009-02-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

If the cause is responsibility then the effect would be your presence, however and whenever you showed up in a given situation. Today we will see how the athletes show up today. Today we will recognize their Presence.

Presence ~effect~
The product of your choices
That determines what you feel
Whether it adds or takes away from you
If it’s false or if it’s real

Brandon Mosley, Safety, from Indiana University arrived today. Reminds me a lot of Eric Coleman, safety for the Atlanta Falcons that I prepared for the draft a few years ago. I love working with safeties because of their intensity. He is a little on the heavy side so I suggested we lose around 5 to 8 pounds.
We have to stretch a little more today because we are not where I’d like us to be in that category. This should be good cause the guys hate working their flexibility. Everyone except Julian, the yoga king. Lol

We worked bands today and poor Brandon, it’s always tough to jump right in on exercises that call for muscle endurance and lateral movement.

The Cause 02.05.09

2009-02-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had a young man try something he probably shouldn’t have while we were on the hill. What I didn’t tell you is how well he accepted the ramifications of his actions. He took full responsibility for his mistake and eventually we all had a good laugh over it. So before we left the hill I stressed the importance of our next principle, Responsibility. I hoped they all would take some and make sure to show up at the pool.

Responsibility ~cause~
The things that happen to you
Do so cause your there
But either way the choice is yours
To stand or move elsewhere

It must have worked because instead of three athletes in the water, we had six today and Demetrius and Sean had responsibilities outside of workouts.
The pool workouts have shifted a bit, to more plyometrics, shoulders and arm work. We move from pool to aerobic room today, skipping the treadmill. We will work a little more on the explosive movement needed at the start of the sprints.

We had a very good competition at jump starts and Big Ron finally got up off his knees.

Lol Thomas had the same problem last week but he was awesome today. That Steve is pressing everyone in practice. Burl responded beautifully to the challenge. During one of the races, Steve yelled across the room at Burl as if they were the only two in the room. I made a point of letting Larry know just how disrespectful that was, shouting over his head as if he wasn’t even competing. Needless to say he won the next race.I reminded them all that, "You" are the "cause" for every effect in your life!

You Gotta Have Faith 02.04.09

2009-02-05T18:19:00.000-08:00

When I got to the top of the hill today, the group was already there and waiting. With lot’s of laughter they began telling me of a kind of wager that took place right before I arrived. Seems a relative of Demetrius came with him today but only as transportation. He was dressed in jeans and a shirt and clean kicks so, training was obviously the last thing on his mind. When he saw the connector, after driving up, he made the comment that he could run it easily. Most of the guys tried to talk him out of it. Though I am sure that secretly they all wanted to see him try. Well try he did and from what I hear, looked pretty good in the attempt. He didn’t make it all the way up but the guys seemed to be impressed.
As I walked up he had just finished so he was walking around trying to get his bearings. He dropped to the ground and buried his face in his hands. I was so shocked that anyone would allow him to just run up without any preparation, so when I questioned why, they all began to give me a different answer. It really didn’t matter why, for that young man the damage was already done. I went to see if he was alright and he replied he was fine but, I saw something completely different. He was spinning and nothing he did could stop the inevitable. Needless to say he was the comic relief for the day and the perfect metaphor for today’s principle, Faith.
This young man had complete faith in himself and his ability. So though the group told him it couldn’t be done, he knew it could. Sometimes we catch a little hell for our faith but it should never stop us from believing. Lol

Faith ~belief~
Assures you that you're right
When the whole world thinks you’re wrong
Gives the blind their sight
And the weak it makes them strong

After seeing all that I decided to issue a challenge to the group. One hill sprint and one only, if you make it in less than 50 seconds. Big men have 70 seconds to get it done. If they make the time they will be finished with the hill today. The only one who understood me was Julian. While everyone else got happy he mumbled , “You got to read the fine print, he said if we “ALL” make it!”
And make it they did! “Too easy drill sergeant!” Afterwards I let the guys work on their flying 30 yard sprints with a slight downhill grade. Fast and Fun!

Courage 02.03.09

2009-02-04T05:30:00.000-08:00

The workout was full today. Funny how that is - when we are indoors everybody shows up. We had some surprise guests show up today, former Cal Bear Burl Toler. With the full house, we began immediately and didn’t stop for almost three hours. The kids came today as well, and I’m so glad they did. Especially when we worked the ladder. Isaac was remarkable and put a lot of the older guys to shame. He’s featured in one of the videos, so you should be able to see why.

With the size of the group we had, in order to get all of our work done we had to work in circuits. This would take some Courage because each exercise would tax a certain muscle group.

Oh yeah, let me give a shout out to Carolyn for coming back after her first visit last Tuesday. That girl is a glutton for punishment. lol

After the first hour and a half the kids were allowed to go home. After two hours, the high school kids, and then after another 40 minutes, we were done.

Steve Singleton had another impressive day and Demetrius Crawford is really starting to shine. I told Big Ron that after the change in Big Daniel, we are going to have to create his own Big Man Camp. These are two very impressive big men. Daniel has shown tremendous courage in the past weeks and it has paid off.

Courage is the principle today because it’s only through the strength and determination to move past our fears that we overcome.

COURAGE ~ strength
The hero that’s in all of us
Who dares to stand alone
Fights our toughest battle
Returns us safely home

Conviction 02.02.09

2009-02-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

CONVICTION ~ will
The strength of your belief
Man could never break
Measured by your work
And the footsteps that you take

At this point in the training we need to recommit ourselves to the endeavor by strengthening our Conviction. If we have done our jobs correctly, then the athletes have seen the possibilities and are on the road to manifesting them. They are closer to realizing their dreams and they absolutely know it. The recommitment will be theirs - not something we ask of them, but a natural process in their growth.

Well, that is what I expect to see, but the old adage is, “Man plans, and God laughs.” We will see what shows up today in the sand.

Big Ron was missing due to car trouble, and Sean had to practice routes this morning with his quarterback. But he did text me and say that he was running routes better than he ever had before, and could see how the work was bringing him to his best. I told him I was a f-g genius, and what did he expect? lol

I won’t say much about the work I saw out there today. I will just give you a glimpse in today's video.

I will say this: their Conviction is intact.

Truth 02.01.09

2009-02-02T19:34:00.000-08:00

One month under our belt; well almost... since we started on the 5th of January. This was a very hard week of work. Today we will incorporate bungee cords into our sprinting routine. I will only allow the big guys to pull for now. It was no surprise that Larry pulling Demetrius resulted in a flying 40 time of 3.69! Wow that’s fast. Let me see if I can describe the exercise for you since I didn’t have time to take video.

The two athletes are attached to a 15-foot bungee cord. The cord is attached to the back of a belt around the waist of the man who is pulling, and the front of the man being pulled.

They start at the beginning of the 40 with the second man 15 feet behind the starting line, where he will wait for the front man to take threes steps before sprinting to catch him.

When the front man takes off he stretches the bungee and the rest is like a roadrunner cartoon, with the coyote being snatched across the field by the speed of the roadrunner.

The clock starts when the back man hits the starting line and ends as he crosses the finish of the 40-yard sprint - Flying Forties with bungee!

Most ran forties afterward to work on technique, because that’s all you can do after bungees and this week of work. So needless to say, the times were slower than normal.

For most of the guys, it was an eye opener to the Truth: That they are not sprinters just because they have produced fast times, but that technique is most important.

Sean and Demetrius both went under 4.4, and still neither was excited. How’s that for great expectations?

TRUTH ~ power
No matter what we try
It always comes to light
Like daybreak ends the darkness
And replaces wrong with right

Knowledge 01.30.09

2009-02-02T19:30:00.000-08:00

First let me say Happy Birthday to my Dad! One of the strongest influences in my life. Today we will celebrate his birth. Today will be both hard and fun!… I promise, because today we will learn new drills and new things about ourselves as we get through this day.

Everyone must have gotten the message about the celebration early because they were all smiles as they came in. Maybe it was the fact that they have tomorrow off. (lol)

We spent most of the day on explosive agility, with the emphasis on lateral movement. It was a very productive day, 'cause all the drills are timed and we move quickly from one group to the next. In fact at one point, Sean came up to me and said, “This is the hardest day yet!” To which Big Ron replied with a laugh, “Not quite!"

Steve Singleton, baseball player with the Twins organization, was my shock of the day. He is in phenomenal shape and works through the drills with such enthusiasm it’s inspiring. He believes that the last piece he needs to add to his game is speed. So he’s here to learn just how to do that.

When we are trying to transform ourselves, we will need to acquire new Knowledge to do that. Our principle for the day.

KNOWLEDGE ~ understanding
The key to life’s struggles
Infinite source of empowerment
Without it there’s no freedom
From the cage of ignorance

Be Like Water 01.29.09

2009-01-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Pool day, and I have to say I’m kind of thrown off by how many kids skip this day. Pool has always been everyone’s favorite day. Well, I won’t harp on it, or get all nostalgic about what used to be. I talked to my best friend Dats today and he made me feel better about you guys being afraid of water… lol

So Thomas, Adam, Larry, Demetrius and Sean, (yeah, Sean, he bounced back miraculously from that debilitating calf injury that kept him from running the hill yesterday… way to come back, Sean!)

You know, guys, practice is just the Discipline that helps unveil the talent it takes to bring your dreams into fruition. But you need that Discipline!

Once we got into the water, I noticed the same old trait. Everyone trying to muscle their way through water. It’s amazing how this generation of athlete believes so strongly in weight lifting that they attack every exercise like a bench press. As if somehow tightening up their muscles and making a straining face is going to accomplish the drill. So no sooner had we started, I stopped the workout and asked if we could try to let go of the external effort and just “Be Like Water!” I love that line; it’s my famous Bruce Lee quote. It got a chuckle from the guys and they understood. After that they were fluid, relaxed and efficient through the rest of the water work.

We went to treadmill next and ran “strikers” from 7mph to 14mph and back. Sean only went to 12 and I believe that was enough… lol I was really impressed at the way Thomas was able to hold stride at 14mph. It was impressive until he broke the treadmill and almost went flying across the room. (I’m not laughing at you, Thomas!... You handled that mishap like a pro!)

What was even more awe inspiring was to see Larry striding with Demetrius at 14mph and holding his stride stronger than D. Larry of all people, can you believe it? He is not at all the same southern kid that walked through our doors three weeks ago, and even better, he knows it.

It was funny how after treadmill everyone started walking back to the locker room as if practice was over. I let them get to the door before I told them otherwise. I love those priceless scowls I get when I do that. Mind readers would blush at the thoughts running through their minds.

Adam left after pool because he has practice tomorrow with the semi-pro team he is on. (Did I just say Semi-Pro?)

Sean was the most baffled, but he remembers what that is like. I heard him say to one of the other guys, “That means we got about an hour left!” About right since we had been going for about two hours already.

We went upstairs into the aerobic room and knocked off abs and lunges, then the fun began. After the lunge routine, (I know the guys are all laughing 'cause I said that like it was part of a Jane Fonda workout, “Lunge Routine”…lol) anyway, after that the guys are just done. So if I introduce another exercise then it would probably cause a mutiny. So at this time you have to introduce something that makes them go, “Hmmmm?” Introducing Jack Rabbit starts. I won’t go into them at this point because not all the guys were there and I plan on doing them again soon. But just know we had fun and got a lot accomplished. All part of the discipline.

DISCIPLINE ~ application
To master what is taught
Practice what is learned
Application of this art
Brings rewards that are well earned

Blinders On! 01.28.09

2009-01-28T18:39:00.000-08:00

Well, it’s hill day again, or should I say mountain? It should be a piece of cake for the group who are on their third week, but for the rest it should be interesting.

Got to the hill, and it turns out Sean is feeling his calf a bit, so we will not have him run. Instead he will get the Norwegian spa treatment and get worked on in the foothills of Berkeley. Also, Cecil is working out for a team on Saturday so he will do the jog and the warm up and then get oiled up as well... lol

Today we are sprinting the hill as best we can but we will be working off a time limit. The big guys get 90 seconds while the smaller guys get 60. We have 5 hills today, but four if everyone makes the time. I will take some video on the last one for you guys to look at. That way you will see the difference in their development.

During one of the sprints, Demetrius and Julian (did I get it right this time?) were neck and neck for about a quarter of the way up and then D began to pull off. Julian reached out to try and grab him to slow him down, but the reach itself was enough to take him out of his stride and completely remind him of the hill he still had left. In other words, it broke him! Crazy thing about the distraction is it took Demetrius out of his stride and almost broke him as well… he ran his slowest mountain, 66 seconds.

When all the guys got back down, we talked about Commitment. In this case, commitment to your stride - the power of totally blocking out everything else and focusing only on your stride. I told them how I used to keep a beat in my head and try and stay on tempo all the way up. I would refuse to even look up to see how much I had left until I knew I was at the end.

Everyone agreed that losing your focus for any reason kills your momentum, and how on the hill the momentum is everything.
Me, being the wise old sage of the group, said the same holds true in life. We must commit ourselves to our endeavors if we are to realize them. This means blinders on.

In a gym once, I was asked why I was so rude to everyone. As I took off my ear phones to hear what the person was asking, I just laughed. “Focused to the point of being rude!” It became my mantra for life. The person was simply asking why didn’t I engage like everyone else. Well unlike everyone else, I was training for the Olympic Trials and didn’t see how talking to anyone while doing that could get me closer to my goal.

So today, the hill became our metaphor for committing ourselves to our dreams. Blinders On, Boys and Girls!

COMMITMENT ~ dedication
The glue to the patchwork
That binds you to your dreams
Keeps you on your program
Repairs the broken seams

Yeah, they thought that was the end as well….lol No, off to the steps, we have four sets today.

By the way, I have to say how proud I was of all the guys' efforts today. They killed that hill and smashed the steps. We are ready to step it up!… That’s if they get past pool work tomorrow!…lol

Newcomers 01.27.09

2009-01-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

So Steve showed up for his first day. I have to say I was impressed. He looked quick and crisp and his mechanics were very clean. He has obviously been training.

I had some other guests attend tonight’s practice. Carolyn and Tamara joined our combine group. Tam was pretty impressive through the warm ups, but then they took their toll. Carolyn made it through the entire workout, and though she might be sore tomorrow, she deserves a lot of credit for being able to finish! Nice job, you two.

As far as practice went, we moved at a very rapid pace and worked legs. We pushed to make the kids focus harder. We shortened the breaks to see how well they held their Concentration. The newcomers, Steve and Sean, were taxed a bit, but everyone else came through well. Big Ron returned today and it looks as if the rest he got served him well.

CONCENTRATION ~ focus
Directed sight, guided light
That illuminates your goal
Eliminates distractions
'Til you sense your very soul

The kids joined us again today and they had a blast. Plus they are making great improvements, and it showed when they went up against the older guys on the ladder.

Nutrition & Forgiveness 01.26.09

2009-01-27T17:18:00.000-08:00

Back in sand today, and I have to say it was quite telling. The guys ran very fast yesterday and all of them were out of sorts today. So right off the bat I addressed two things: Nutrition and Forgiveness.

First I stressed the need to eat the right foods after burning that kind of fuel yesterday, and the fact that complete recovery the next day is only physically possible with a steroid... So I stressed that they shouldn’t beat themselves up about their performance - that it is completely natural. So we focused on the two agility drills they must learn and kept the drills short and quick. Still the work was hard, and everyone was sluggish. Especially newcomer Sean Young. But the effort he gives is tremendous, and it is easy to see his gifts.

FORGIVENESS ~ clarity of mind
No reason to hold on
To mistakes we cannot change
Every wrong done
Can be forgiven in His name

Joy Right on Schedule 01.25.09

2009-01-27T17:10:00.001-08:00

I thought we were going to have to scrap the 40s today because of rain but it stopped and we got outside anyway. It was a little colder than usual so we didn’t pull out the bungee cords, our normal move at this time. Today we are going to stress the art of letting go. Most of the guys, because they have no real sprint training, are trying so hard to run fast. They apply the mechanics of lifting to sprinting, as if it is a weight-lifting exercise. So today is the day we work the technique in the quickest, most relaxed state possible. It’s also the day where the kids learn volumes about themselves.

My philosophy is that I create nothing, just help each athlete uncover what is already within. But to do this, we must relax - don’t struggle, just allow, and have fun. Joy is the principle for today.

JOY ~ emotion
The fuel that propels you
Toward your dream's end
The key is to release it
As soon as you begin

We had a new kid arrive from San Ramon today - a wide receiver by the name of Danny. From what I hear, he has fantastic hands, but is very slow, evident by the 5.34 forty-yard dash he ran on his first try. But right off the bat I loved the kid's build and stride. More long and lanky, but stride had no control. He was working against himself as he tried to run hard. I corrected one aspect of his run and he dropped to 5.00 in the forty. I worked with him on his start and then asked him to only work two of the three sections of the race and he dropped to 4.91.

His whole demeanor changed. After his last run he came to me, and before I could tell him his time, he said, “I know I can run a 4.8!” That you will, Danny, that you will.

Sean came out today, but was late, and nervous, I might add. I made him immediately warm up and then run. He was so scared of running a poor time he jetted out of the blocks, even though I asked him to run three-quarter speed. He ran a blazing time and was shocked by his own performance. This kid is golden. The trick will be getting him to KNOW it.

Our athletes were amazing today and all of them ran exceptionally well. We are right on schedule.

Vision 01.23.09

2009-01-27T17:04:00.000-08:00

We start to really bridge the work we have done today. More strength and explosive work for our initial movement in each drill. We also included more strength work around our core development. It’s time to begin to sculpt the physiques more, as well. We had a great day today. Lots of smiles and laughs. Today is the last day for Big Ron - he leaves for Omaha tonight. Not sure if he will be able to return anytime soon. I hope so, 'cause he brings so much light to each workout.

Talked to Steve Singleton today of the Minnesota Twins organization. He will be returning to train next week. Also Sean Young, wide receiver for Cal. Both we worked with as a children through high school. Sean will start his first day on Sunday. I’m looking forward to it 'cause these guys bring more speed to camp.

My conversations inspired me to preach the Vision in practice today, so we stressed the ability to see the dream - to envision what you believe. Whether it’s a drill, or your dream, you must be able to see it clearly in your head before you set out to accomplish it.

VISION ~ imagination
Allows you sight when times are dark
And reason when they’re bad
Creates the path by which you walk
When there’s no map to be had

Three in the Pool 01.22.09

2009-01-22T18:12:00.000-08:00

Thursday the pool day is becoming very unpopular. Only three athletes showed up so it was a very quick day. Larry, Thomas, and Adam. For Adam, it was pool only because he is now at practice on Saturday and needs a day of rest.

For the others it was a day of remembering the Goal. Thomas, who is a marathoner, wants to move to 7:30 miles. He’s running a 5k Sunday to test his new speed work. Larry wants to return to his school for his protesting date, a completely different athlete, then make the impact necessary to get drafted.

We talked in great detail today about the goals and what that clearly looks like to each athlete. Adam has a concrete date for his regional workout in his quest to make the June NFL Combine. Little do sports fans know there are two Combines held each year, so the NFL doesn’t overlook anyone. Adam has his sights set on the second one. Having a specific goal is the next step in bringing it closer to you. It’s the principle that lays the foundation for the dream.

GOAL ~ constructive thought
The first thing that you own
The form your desire was given
Yours and yours alone
The quest that keeps you driven

We took some more photos of Larry so he can see his own progress. Oh hell, so everyone can see his progress... lol

Desire 01.21.09

2009-01-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

So what we are going to do today is to recall the initial desire that brought us all to this place at this time. Why are we training and what are we training for? We are going to remind ourselves of the impulse that started it all, our Desire, the very first principle in manifesting our dreams.

DESIRE ~ thought
Infinite source of the driving force
Direction from the spiritual being
Reminds you of your steady course
And guides you toward your dream

I can’t think of a better place to do that than on the hill. So it’s off to Strawberry Canyon and we are going to start sprinting, straight up with no stops. I will make it easy on them in that regard by partnering them up.

Only six athletes showed today; very interesting. Well at least we are getting to the ones with the real desire - that’s perfect. The run up went well and it seems easy, great improvement. I decided to partner up Cecil and Ron in the first group. Ron has the best wind I believe of everyone here besides Cecil. Cecil is the strongest athlete all around.

The next group will be Demetrius and Larry. Demetrius has really kicked in after two weeks and he is beginning to feel himself. He is going to be a force to be reckoned with after this week and that will be perfect because I will be bringing in other athletes with incredible speed. Larry has improved greatly, but this work still gives him a hard time; still his recovery is fantastic.

The last group will be Julian and Adam. Adam still has the most difficulty with the hill because of all his muscle mass. His legs burnout quickly. He is improving, but I think the willingness to travel through this kind of pain is still not there. The guys did very well and I am proud of the effort and the recovery. We will travel to the steps next and see how well we get through those.

Adam came up to me and said, “You know, when you first told me you could make me stronger by taking me off weights I didn’t believe you. But yesterday I went to bench and hit my max, 460 lbs, twice, easily. I am a real believer now!"

I thought that was very interesting, that he went into the gym and didn't just try to get in a bench workout, but tried to reach his max. (Damn weightlifters….lol) Don’t get me wrong - I believe in weights... I just think that functional strength is just as important, if not more, for sport.

The pushups were easy for everyone except Julian, who is nursing a weak shoulder. All of this made me very happy. So instead of abs at the end of the workout, the kids got a lecture.

I talked about pain and the willingness to travel through it. Not just that, but to expect it. To see it as your daily challenge and to be able to transcend it. I hope it got through.

Day of Truth 01.20.09

2009-01-21T21:21:00.000-08:00

Being the day of the Inauguration, the principle we will use today is Truth, because starting today, America is going to have to face some very harsh ones. We can no longer keep our heads buried in the sands of consumerism. We as human beings have a greater responsibility than to acquire stuff. We have a responsibility to one another. We all will need help in the future, help getting through, dealing with, and overcoming some of these harsh truths. Today we will deal with Truth, and we will offer our hands in help.

TRUTH ~ power
No matter what we try
It always comes to light
Like the daybreak ends the darkness
And replaces wrong with right

Though a lot of people would believe we had the day off because of this special day, we honor today by getting to work. Every year we allow special groups to come and train alongside the college and professional athletes. Today we had a small group of youngsters join us. The key is they have to try and do as much as the older guys. Some of the young kids can go as hard and as long as the older guys. Some of them have better technique. All in all, it’s a lot of fun and it gives the guys a chance to make a friend and give a helping hand by being an inspiration to a young hopeful.

It’s more of a core strength day for the combine athletes. I call it my Jane Fonda day, and as Larry Beard said, “This Jane Fonda stuff can kick your ass!” Though it is a lighter day, there are still some very intense drills we have to get through. The youngsters were the real champs. They performed beautifully and handled themselves like professionals. Very proud of you guys! Plus Isaac, Isaiah, and Daniel already have "star" written on them.

I noticed Demetrius sweating up a storm today and congratulated him on the work. But someone let me know the sweat was coming from the FlexPower he rubbed over his entire body before practice... lol Boy you are crazy! He was sweating like he had jalepeno juice in his water bottle. That’s one way to warm up!

Another Beach Day 01.19.09

2009-01-19T23:16:00.000-08:00

Twelfth day of workouts and we have transitioned into a more explosive, quick routine, except for the opening warm up jog - 15 minutes out, then return. By time the players returned, you would think that they had already worked out for three hours. Larry was soaking wet when he returned. Maybe the weekend got to him. Congratulations, by the way, Larry, on being named team captain and Honorable Mention All-American.

Though we were in sand today, our drills were shorter, quicker and to the point. The plan was to begin directly increasing the explosive endurance of each athlete. Amazing enough the times for each drill were very close, though our athletes ranged from about light to very heavy in weight. Good sign at least for the big men….lol. No, each drill has an optimal time limit, so we know if the kids are competing at a high speed.

Demetrius and Cecil showed it’s going to be an interesting battle for fastest man this year. Their times in the drills were excellent. Every time Cecil dropped a fast time, Demetrius followed up with something close or better.

At the end of practice, veteran Big Ron lost his keys. Turns out he had been training with them in his pocket all morning. After having us all down on our hands and knees looking for them. Julianne kicked the sand and said, "It’s a wrap!"

When he walked away, I noticed the keys in a pile of sand. Thank goodness!

Playoff Sunday 01.18.09

2009-01-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

Today’s practice was almost perfect. Demetrius, Cecil, Chris, Thomas, Daniel and Big Ron all improved in their forty times. Kaylea came to practice today, and her intensity ended up bumping heads with some of the guys. She's fiesty, that’s for sure! (But that much attitude needs some serious kung fu behind it!…lol)

Adam, couldn’t do much because he sprained his ankle in practice yesterday. He’s playing semi pro this season for the film and the practice. He negated his last year of eligibility and decided to make a run at the pros this way.

It’s such a beautiful thing when the kids start to physically change and begin to adopt the new technique. Big Ron was most impressive to me 'cause for the first time in years, I actually saw knee drive and incredible stride length.

Tomorrow will be two weeks…right on track!

9th Principle 01.16.09

2009-01-16T19:15:00.000-08:00

Well we had a better showing today and everyone had an excuse, which I told them to tell me while on the trampolines... but grab a pair of dumbbells first! Those who have trained with me before just silently mumbled under their breath. We did a fifteen minute warm up with the weights in hand. Before walking stretches, we did a 30-minute chest circuit.

Demetrius and I stretched before practice and it went well. Probably the stiffest athlete to come through these doors. Just go back to the day on the turf field and look at the picture of the three guys doing walking stretches. It will be easy to find the stiff guy. I’m proud of him cause he is making great progress and I know it ain’t easy!

We worked different techniques for the start today. One was about incorporating the back foot for power as well as the front. It was harder than I thought. So we spent a great deal of time trying to get the guys to experience the Knowledge. For my female reader in Berkeley, this would be the principle we worked on today. The principle comes from my book the Path to Magic, The 19 Principles of Transformation. These 19 principles are written on the wall around the entire gym.

KNOWLEDGE ~ understanding

The key to life’s struggles
Infinite source of empowerment
Without it there’s no freedom
From the cage of Ignorance

We introduced a few new drills to get them to really feel the movement. I’m sure we overdid it a bit, but I was not getting the desired result. The knowledge to change something is only good when it is “insperienced,” meaning you feel the difference within your body, which then, if applied properly, becomes wisdom.

Julianne, being a baseball player, had to be strapped to a vertimax to simulate his start. Jermaine didn’t make practice because he is leaving on Saturday for Miami. He has a workout with the Dolphins. Good luck, Tito! (our nickname for him)

Demetrius Owens came in to visit today. He is a previous client who moved here from Ohio. He now plays football and basketball for San Leandro High. He’s almost 3 inches taller than when we trained, so it was a shock. They are playing San Lorenzo tonight - good luck D! And we sent Larry off for the weekend - he's going back to school for their football banquet. Have fun...we'll be waiting when you get back...lol.

No Shows... 01.15.09

2009-01-15T21:56:00.000-08:00

Well, I spoke too soon. Only three guys showed up for practice today. Ouch! Major setback for such a good beginning. Thomas, Daniel and Larry - good job!

Larry is really starting to cut up. He’s never been a muscularly ripped kid, meaning low body fat, so this is going to be a whole new physique for him. But I’m a little too disappointed to write.

Back to the Hill 01.14.09

2009-01-15T21:51:00.000-08:00

We are working Strawberry Mountain again today. The hill will be broken up into 7 intervals of about 30 meters or so. We will attempt three sets and then one full sprint the entire way up. Afterwards, we will try 40- and 20-yard sprints. I went by the gym on the way to the hill to pick up kids who needed to travel with me or follow me.

Larry was a no show, but by the time I got to the hill, he called to inform me he was in front of the gym waiting on me….oops. Ann went to pick him up. He arrived at the connector as we were beginning to start the intervals. No stretching for Larry. He jumped right in and attacked the hill. Lasted for about four cones…then the monkey jumped on his back again….lol... You have to watch the video… Sorry Larry, but I had to.

All in all, this was a tremendous day - everyone did fantastic! I was very happy about the performances. They all got through the entire day…and so much stronger. It brought smiles to everyone. They are starting to get in shape!

Box Jumps 01.13.09

2009-01-15T21:45:00.000-08:00

Back in the gym today and everyone is a little broke off. My first question as I walked through the door was, “Whose hamstrings are sore?” Everyone raised their hands.

“Trampolines!” I shouted. “Let’s work it out!”

Today after the warm ups we will begin the explosive drills, but only after our box jumps test. I use the box jumps as a way to thoroughly warm up the body for the explosive movements later. I have three large sturdy boxes that are 13 inches high and 29 inches wide. I had them enforced at each corner to handle 400 pound linemen easily. The tops are layered with rubber matting so no one slips. I will give each group 90 seconds to do lateral jumps onto and then off the box, back and forth. Before we start I tell them that 80 jumps in 90 seconds tells me you are in great shape. Then I tell them of a high school kid preparing for college at Cal by the name of Kyle Kirst, who did 108 jumps in 90 seconds….then I blow the whistle.

No one went over 70 jumps. After the first time through, we reduce the time to 60 seconds. I then tell them Kyle’s record…88 jumps, and blow the whistle. Demetrius pulls off 62. After that set, we go to 30 seconds and this is where I make it mandatory that everyone get at least 30! My lowest was 28. I think we are ready to jump.

Three Hours of Sand 01.12.09

2009-01-15T20:40:00.000-08:00

I tell all the players that the most difficult part of the training will always be the first two weeks. There will be mental adjustments around the new drills and exercises we do. Then there will be the physical discomfort from the amount of training required. But if you get through the first two weeks, you will be golden.

Well, today was the beginning of the second week and it is in sand, three hours worth. So this will definitely let me know where we stand. The drills are shorter and more intense (more about speed). But at the same time, the practice will be longer.

Jermaine McGee returned today. He spent last season with the Chiefs on the practice squad. He’s a linebacker who loves to lift weights, so I’m always teasing him about being a body builder. He's 6’3” and 251 lbs, with a huge chest. I tease him every year about trying to cover his insecurities by lifting so much. Really, I just want him to match the weights with the speed and endurance work that would make him a better player. It’s nice to have him back because he will add a little more fire to the practice, 'though I seriously doubt he will bring much fire today.

After yesterday's practice, we will use a couple of drills to emphasize the push phase at the start of the forty. After that we will begin working both the 20-yard shuttle and the 3-cone drill. Each is required at the NFL Combine and the individual workouts. We will make the kids do a succession of 5 drills each, and five reps through.

At the very end, we will complete the ab workout and our push-up drills in the sand, and at the end of practice we have 21 forty-yard sprints, 30 seconds from start to finish and return to starting line.

Oops, only three guys finished the forty drill… Jermaine was not one of them...lol. But neither was Larry. This is going to be an interesting week.

The Field 01.11.09

2009-01-14T00:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday is our only day off, and I’m sure the guys welcomed it with open arms and epsom salt baths…lol

Today we are out on the turf field and working on our 40 yard sprints primarily. It is also the first time I will let the players run all out. I like to give them a week of training under their belt before they do, so I’m more comfortable doing it. Years ago I let Takeo Spikes sprint on the first day he arrived, and he strained his hamstring. Since then, I don’t take it for granted that the kids are prepared to run.

The guys all ran well, but it was very clear that none of them except the athletes who have trained with us before really knew the technique of the forty. What I usually do is divide the forty into three parts so that they have three phases to perform in. Then we give them a specific technique to perform in each phase. On the first 40 we count the strides to understand better the stride length compared to the height of the athlete. Turns out that the player taking the most strides to complete a 40 was Larry…oops that is not the way it’s supposed to work, seeing that he is one of the taller guys.

The first day 40s are great 'cause we get the greatest single day improvements. Most football players will just get up and start running. So today we worked on “pushing” out the blocks for the first phase. This way the guys create the most momentum and are in the correct position for the second phase. I won’t post the guys times today, but I will say they were very good for the first day, and pretty much dead on with what the kids' junior day times were.

Lorenzo Alexander made a cameo visit today and checked out the new young talent. His prodigy, offensive linemen, Ron Jackson, is an arena league baller who Zo has high hopes for. They have been working together for the past two years in the off season. By the way Ron is the best conditioned athlete in the group. Surprise, surprise. ZO didn’t come alone - he came with beautiful wife Manjanique and new baby girl Zoie.

Stretch 01.09.09

2009-01-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Today is the day we spend on our core and flexibility. The guys hate this day, though it’s the most relaxed of all the practice days, mainly because of the deep flexibility work that we do with each of them. We have some serious issues with limited flexibility with some of the guys. Demetrius can’t touch his toes, and Larry is battling a severe cramp syndrome. Ann Manatt and I do individualized stretching on all of them. Each stretch is done in conjunction with Ann realigning the muscle group. It is a lot more painful than it sounds.

We lost Francesca - she is due for surgery this week. Good luck with that, Cesca - we wish you the best!

Pool Day 01.08.09

2009-01-10T07:14:00.000-08:00

This is probably the players' favorite part of the training program - pool training. The water training is tough, but being in water always adds a bit of playfulness to the endeavor. Julianne Benivedes, independent baseball player, who spent the last six years with the Giants organization, joined today for the next 8 weeks. I trained Julianne before the draft in 2003 and he was selected in the third round by the Giants. From the players' point of view, this is the best day to start training.

The pool allows me the chance to get another explosive conditioning day without the negative tear on the muscles. With some of the muscular frames in this group, this is exactly what they need to open up a little more. After the pool work was done, we met in the cardio room. We did what I call “strikers” on the treadmill. It’s a series of interval sprints, to help integrate the pool work.
After the strikers, which everyone did very well, we headed to the plyometric room for abdominal work and a routine of lunges and a view plyo drills. All in all I was very impressed with everyone. Julianne especially, being his first day back in six years….lol

The Hill 01.07.09

2009-01-08T20:51:00.000-08:00

We traveled to the mountain by caravan, and surprisingly didn’t lose one participant. When we got to the bottom of Strawberry Canyon in Berkeley, the kids left their water and keys with me. I would drive to the top while they made the three quarter mile jog to what is called, “The Connector," a pretty tame name for a 200 meter hill at about 22% grade. Because it is also in the wooded hills of Berkeley, it makes it seem a lot longer than it is.

This is really one of the greatest mental challenges of the program. Regardless of how many times you do it, it still gives you butterflies when you run up on it. The first one to the top was a female soccer player from Boise State, Kaylea Perenon. Kaylea and I have been working together since she was about 13 or 14 years old. She’s now 21 and a senior in college.

To my surprise the second one to reach the top was Demetrius. After they all arrived, Daniel Stoops, an offensive lineman, said, "You were right, I used the bathroom before I left and soon as I saw that hill I had to go again."

Larry walked over to me and asked, "Is there a bathroom up here?"

"Yes!" I replied, "there are lots of them," and I pointed toward the woods.

We warmed up with walking stretches as usual and then prepared for interval hill work. I have cones every 20 meters or so on the hill. On the whistle, an athlete will sprint to the first cone. Each athlete will repeat the process on the whistle until they have all reached the top. The whistle doesn’t blow until they have all arrived at their prospective cones. This is a painful process if there is a slacker in the group. The football players have to greet each cone in a three point stance. It only took one hill for the vomiting to begin. By the third repetition of the drill almost everyone had thrown up at least once.

This was a very difficult drill for Larry. There wasn’t much tiger in his tank after the first set. It was painful to watch at times.

Tramps 01.06.09

2009-01-08T20:36:00.000-08:00

We were indoors today at the Training Ground facility. The entire crew was feeling the beach work in the sand. Larry was all smiles and just a little sore. We made sure he had a good supply of FlexPower, the anti-inflammatory sports cream we use with all our athletes. As we got started, James Sims, a sports agent from Oakland, brought a young man by the name of Demetrius Crawford. He was a running back from Montana State. As I talked to the young man and his father, the others began their warm up. They started on trampolines. I use the tramps for cardio and to teach the proper sprinting techniques without tearing down the body. Afterwards we had walking stretches and I could see the joy experienced from being far more graceful than on sand.

Demetrius and I talked about his goals, his situation and his chances of reaching the NFL. I repeated the strength of our program, but also the difficulty of it. We talked about other programs and bells and whistles that are being offered rather than the transforming work we are doing here. He and his father were impressed and have agreed to return tomorrow for practice. Maybe I should have warned him that tomorrow is our day on the mountain! For anyone who has been through our program and understands the significance of that earthly obstacle, I’ll give you a minute to run to the bathroom and we’ll continue when you get back….lol

Our goal for today was foot speed and hip flexor flexibility and strength. The drills aren’t super demanding, but they are continual and give the athlete very little chance for rest. It’s more explosive endurance, but on a smaller scale.

One of the athletes, Adam, a very muscular fullback, walked by me with a big grin and said, "Thank you! Compared to yesterday, this is just a walk in the park."

I replied, "You aren’t ready to die two days in a row…..yet!"

First day of Combine Training 01.05.09

2009-01-06T22:04:00.000-08:00

First day of Combine training is always fun. The guys know it’s going to be difficult 'cause the first day is always in sand. They just aren’t quite sure what that entails, so the looks are precious when they arrive at the beach. It was raining this morning so I got a text from Ann asking if we were meeting indoors. I text back, “Beach!” which made her laugh 'cause she was at the gym and I know the guys were hoping I would be nice about it.

I got to Alameda shoreline beach early and set up a 20 yard by 20 yard perimeter in sand for the guys' warm up. As they began arriving, it looked like there would only be one or two who weren’t familiar with the sand work. Ann brought with her Larry Beard, a defensive end from Georgia Southern. It was his first day, so I hadn’t even met him yet. He stands 6’3" at 260 lbs. with a smile that’s a mile wide. I liked Larry immediately.

After all of the introductions and a brief pep talk from me about what all of them had embarked on, I pointed off to the end of the beach and yelled, "Ten minutes!" My veterans took off jogging, and as the rest began to look around, I screamed, “Follow them!” The warm up starts with a ten minute jog out, then the return as fast as you like.

Each year we invite special clients to participate with the athletes preparing for the NFL Combine. Some are athletes themselves, others are actors, musicians or celebrities trying to get in shape for one reason or another. This year we invited Thomas, a marathon runner, to participate with us. In the couple of years he’s been running marathons, he has dropped his time by more than an hour and is now on a quest to qualify for the Boston Marathon. What makes Thomas so unique is he is a cancer survivor. Last year he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, like Lance Armstrong. And like Lance, Thomas is a powerfully magical presence.

Needless to say, it was Thomas who returned first. We both got a nice laugh out of that one. The last guy to return was Mr. Beard. Not a good sign.

After they were all back we began our walking stretches. Twenty yards of forward movements to stretch the body out and prepare it for more explosive movements. The stretch is followed by a high-knee run back. After the stretches, we move to sprint drills and then transition drills to time them all together. As soon as we are done, the veterans take off and the rest turn to read my expression. I smile and give directions, “Follow them!”

After each drill, I make the players jog in the sand about 600 yards to prepare them to catch their breath while moving. When they return, they will get something to drink and then the first drill will commence.

After about 90 minutes into the workout, Larry goes down with severe cramps in his calf. He had been slowly falling further and further behind, so I have the trainers take him back to the facility so he can be worked on. Not bad for the first day.

Funny thing, the strongest finisher was not Thomas the marathoner. Guess this is another kind of endurance training...