Adding Muscle

 “How do I get bigger?” is one of the biggest questions that athletes, especially football players, ask.  The answer that is most given by coaches and parents (dads) is “You have to hit the weight room in order to get bigger”.  This is only half of the answer.  If an athlete were to just lift weights, he/she would definitely get stronger.  However, the secret to increased lean body mass (size) is not in the weights, but in the diet.

 It is generally recommended that athletes intake 1 gram of protein per his/her desired weight.  For example, if an athlete wanted to be 200 lbs. he would need to intake 200 g of protein per day.  Most young athletes have varying (poor) diets.  They eat a lot of carbohydrates, but not enough protein.  Below, I have listed some good sources of protein and when to add them to your diet to achieve maximum strength AND size gains.

Protein	Time of Day	Comments
4 egg white sandwich	Any time	Great source of protein and inexpensive
Whey Isolate Protein Powder	No more than 30 min after workout	Must feed muscles with food after lifting workout
Lean poultry (chicken/turkey)	Anytime	Great source of protein and easily digestible
Lean beef (Ground Bison, Steak)	Anytime	Great source of protein
Fish (Salmon, Tilapia)	Anytime	Great source of protein
Legumes (beans)	Lunh/Dinner	Great source of protein and inexpensive
Cottage Cheese	Before Bed Snack	Great source of casein (slow burning) protein

 When I was playing football and actively training I made sure to eat 4-5 meals a day and add lean protein to each meal.  This ensured me that protein was in my system all day and feeding my muscles while they repaired themselves.  Remember, protein is the building block of muscle.

Prepare to Perform,

Leonard Stephens,
Performance Enhancement Coach
Perfect Performance, LLC
www.perfect-performance.com
703-539-2385

The Highest Level

Do not take the easy way out; there is no easy road to success.  Train, practice and compete at the highest level possible. The competitive environment will force you to raise your level of play.  Of course you will dominate youth league as a 9th grader.  Good coaches elevate some of their 9^th and 10^th graders up to Varsity in order to prepare them to perform.  This will force them to raise their level of play amongst peers.  Challenge yourself.  How many people have been awarded scholarship from junior varsity?

“It is easy to be ordinary.  It takes courage to excel.  And excel, we must.”

To view our website, visit http://www.perfect-performance.com

Leonard Stephens, Performance Enhancement Coach
Perfect Performance, LLC
www.perfect-performance.com
lstephens@perfect-performance.com

Playing at The Next Level: High School Edition

Most high school athletes assume that if they excel on the field they will be recruited and play college football.  Every kid who takes his high school football career seriously wants to play at a major school like Ohio State, Notre Dame, USC, Texas, or Florida.  When it’s time to plan for the next stage, the successful athletes conduct a self-assessment of their scholastic careers and deem their tenure starting, captain’s status, or statistical success as enough evidence to support their decision to pursue football at the collegiate level. Although they may have all of these attributes and accolades, one obstacle prohibits them from playing at the next level:  the NCAA’s rules surrounding academic eligibility for college athletes.

All too often athletes and their parents place their athletic careers in the hands of academic professionals including principals, guidance counselors teachers, coaches and others who advise students as they navigate through high school. While students are encouraged to rely on the knowledge of these academic professionals, there are some athletes who focus too much on athletics and not enough on their education.

How many times have we seen great athletes denied access to play collegiate athletics because they did not take care of business off the field?  Most times it’s related to poor academic performance and low standardized test scores (SAT, ACT). However, there are also times when misinformation has caused a good athlete to miss out on a great opportunity.

For athletes interested in playing football in college, the eligibility process begins freshman year.  Each individual must be responsible for their own progress and the requirements necessary to be eligible to graduate and play football in college. In addition to performance in the classroom, it is imperative to keep up with dates for all standardized tests and file all necessary applications. 

Do not leave your future in the hands of someone else.  Click the link below for a timeline that prospective collegiate athletes should follow to ensure eligibility for college athletics.  https://web1.ncaa.org/eligibilitycenter/student/index_student.html

I’ll close with a great example of a player who took his academic career just as serious as his football career.  Not only did Jelani Jenkins of Good Counsel High School have a stellar four years on the field where he played on both sides of the ball and delivered punishing blows on offense and defense, he had a stellar career in the classroom.  He maintained a 3.9GPA and was honored as a national scholar athlete.  I’m sure Jelani made it a priority to understand the requirements to play college football in his freshman year.  Jelani understood early on that without academic success, athletics do not exist at the next level.

Are you going to let someone else determine your success?  I hope not.