Increase Vertical

Softball is a popular sport these days. Corporations, adult leagues and inner-city competitions are fueling the demand for skilled and competitive players. While softball may be experiencing a surge of interest, the basic techniques to improve your game and gain a competitive edge have remained the same.

Many do not realize that basic softball movements such as batting and throwing are not a directly related to arm strength. The movement begins in the legs. The power is then transferred into the hips, the torso, the upper back, the chest, the shoulders and then the arms.

A proper softball strength training routine will include an exercise for each muscle group. During the off-season, athletes will be able to strength train 2-3 times per week. Training should be reduced to 1-2 times per week during the season. Each exercise should be performed 8-12 times for 1-3 sets.

Quickness, speed, agility, balance, explosiveness, and power will be enhanced as the strength training program progresses. Below is a list of sample exercises for the commonly used muscles in softball. There are many other exercises you could perform, but this will provide a starting point.

Quadriceps- Squats, One-Legged Squats, Jump Squats

Hams & Glutes- Lunges, Explosive Lunges, Bridge on Ball

Hip Adductors/Abductors- Lying Side Leg Raises, Ball Squeeze

Obliques- Oblique Crunch on Ball

Rectus Abdominis- Ball Crunch, 180 Ball Crunch

Erector Spinae- Plank Pose

Deltoids- Shoulder Press, Military Press

Pectoralis Major- Chest Fly, Chest Press, Push ups

Latissimus Dorsi- Bent Over Row, Reverse Fly

Triceps- Overhead Extensions, Skull crushers

Biceps- Bicep Curl, Hammer Curl

A powerful softball strength training program will produce powerful players. Use a full ROM (range of motion) for each exercise. Generally free weights provide a better ROM than machines, but use which ever feels best to you. The ultimate goal is to create a solid program that will deliver a well-rounded athlete.

Lynn Vandyke
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/strength-training-develops-solid-softball-players-3934.html

Softball is a popular sport these days. Corporations, adult leagues and inner-city competitions are fueling the demand for skilled and competitive players. While softball may be experiencing a surge of interest, the basic techniques to improve your game and gain a competitive edge have remained the same.

Many do not realize that basic softball movements such as batting and throwing are not a directly related to arm strength. The movement begins in the legs. The power is then transferred into the hips, the torso, the upper back, the chest, the shoulders and then the arms.

A proper softball strength training routine will include an exercise for each muscle group. During the off-season, athletes will be able to strength train 2-3 times per week. Training should be reduced to 1-2 times per week during the season. Each exercise should be performed 8-12 times for 1-3 sets.

Quickness, speed, agility, balance, explosiveness, and power will be enhanced as the strength training program progresses. Below is a list of sample exercises for the commonly used muscles in softball. There are many other exercises you could perform, but this will provide a starting point.

Quadriceps- Squats, One-Legged Squats, Jump Squats

Hams & Glutes- Lunges, Explosive Lunges, Bridge on Ball

Hip Adductors/Abductors- Lying Side Leg Raises, Ball Squeeze

Obliques- Oblique Crunch on Ball

Rectus Abdominis- Ball Crunch, 180 Ball Crunch

Erector Spinae- Plank Pose

Deltoids- Shoulder Press, Military Press

Pectoralis Major- Chest Fly, Chest Press, Push ups

Latissimus Dorsi- Bent Over Row, Reverse Fly

Triceps- Overhead Extensions, Skull crushers

Biceps- Bicep Curl, Hammer Curl

A powerful softball strength training program will produce powerful players. Use a full ROM (range of motion) for each exercise. Generally free weights provide a better ROM than machines, but use which ever feels best to you. The ultimate goal is to create a solid program that will deliver a well-rounded athlete.

Lynn Vandyke
http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/strength-training-develops-solid-softball-players-3934.html

“Stay” needs considerable practice when training your puppy. You can teach him to stay either seated or lying down. By repeated practice, say “Stay,” walking away, and acting shocked if he rises and follows. Take him back and go through it again.

Always, of course, return to praise him mightily when he has “stayed” for even a few brief seconds. Gradually lengthen the time. You can perfect this obedience command while moving about at housework or in a cellar workshop; it needn’t take too much time after the idea has been implanted.

Your dog should also learn to walk on a leash without pulling; the command “Heel” is often used here. As with “Stay,” practice makes perfect. He should also be taught some signal to use when he wants to go out. The appropriate bark for speak means he will let you know, if you do not see him at the door, that he needs to go out.

He should learn not to jump on people, and having him “Sit” as a new friend approaches will control his enthusiasm. He also should not bark and dash forward at anyone, even a suspected interloper, until given a command. He should not be allowed on furniture, unless you permit him on one special chair; he also should not beg for food at the table, although here it is often the family that must be trained, not the dog!

You should see that he is not allowed to wander the neighborhood, making a nuisance of himself, and that he never runs loose in the street. The dog should not go off your premises without being on a leash.

Everything you teach him to do or not to do will help at some time, If the leash breaks or he gets outdoors without a collar, obeying your call may save his life. An owner of obedience-trained spaniels once failed to close her house door when she went to cross the street to her car.

Looking back, she saw to her horror two eager little fellows loping down the front steps – and an automobile coming down the street. She called “Down!” raising her arm in the obedience-taught gesture. Instantly, the little things dropped flat, and the car whizzed past between them and their mistress.

Not till she called “Come!” did they rise and trot happily to her. Obedience training won’t “make a robot” of your dog. It certainly will make a better citizen of him – and who knows? – of you. That’s all we could ask, isn’t it?

Daniel Millions
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/need-to-know-puppy-training-techniques-124070.html

I want to know so i can start working towards their distance. I already run about 1.5 km everyday. Is that good enough?

Dude If you want to be in the airborne you got to be very fit. I suggest you workout for at least 3 months or so everyday before your Basics if you want to qualify. You’ll need to run at least 6 miles a day and be able to do 60 continues push ups and 85 continues sit ups. Canadian airborne is very tough. Im not sure what the real requirements are for the airborne but these are for the British Royal Marine Commandos and if you can pass their potential course you’ll easily make it as an airborne. Good Luck in the Canadian army.

Whilst boxing training is primarily used by competitive and novice boxers as a form of conditioning, it is quite often not realised that there are added benefits to a boxing workout, such as assistance in strength and conditioning performance.

The nature of boxing relies on a fast explosive movement as you throw punches. These fast punches are activated by fast twitch muscle fibres. As you train more and more, and develop your punching speed you will train your body to activate more fast twitch muscle fibres. Whoever can recruit the most fast twitch muscle fibres will have the quickest punch!

When we weight train, say for example a bench press, we rely on fast twitch muscle fibres to process the movement. We can train these fast twitch muscle fibres by completing explosive weight training, as is often done my most trainers.

But from experience, I have found that utilising boxing training to create explosive muscle contraction is a more effective way of increasing fast twitch muscle fibre recruitment.

Try adding two to three boxing sessions per week into your training schedule to assist gains in strength and conditioning exercises. Most weight trainers will not like this as they will have concerns regarding muscle loss; however our purpose is to build strength, which will in turn create muscle. If you have never boxed before then seek the assist of your local boxing club, which will give you are grounding in areas of technique and attitude.

An ideal sample workout aimed towards assisting strength and conditioning through explosive movements would be as follows:

Warm Up-
Jump rope, Dynamic stretches

Skills-
Mirror shadow boxing 1 x 5.00

Conditioning-
Dynamic push up 5 x 10

2.00 rounds, 0.30 break
Heavy bag x 5 rounds
Jump rope x 3 rounds

Dynamic push up 4 x 10

Jab-jab-cross 3 x 5
Cross-jab-cross 3 x 5

Dynamic push up 4 x 10

Cool Down-
Static stretching

Dynamic push up
Dynamic push ups involve an explosive movement on the concentric muscle contraction (when you are pushing your body upwards). This can be achieved in various types of exercises, such as a clap push up, or bounding from one side of medicine ball to the other.

Heavy bag
We are looking for explosive movements, so when working the heavy bag have a focus on quality punching rather than quantity. Work on the outside with lateral movements and coming in for punches like a sniper, as well as on the inside and controlling the bag with solid, fast and powerful punching.

Combinations
Completed in sets of five have a strong focus on an explosive three punch combinations. Think fast, and move fast. Maintain a focus on technique with an even distribution of weight (never let your body move over your feet) and keep punches long.

Gavin Stone
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/boxing-training-to-assist-weight-training-276658.html

Im trying to add like 5 ft or so to my triple jump. I jump like a 39′ now, and i want to try and make it to state (hopefully : ) )

Work on your plant foot, also, do leg exercises, each leg individually, lots of stretching, and when you jump, the first jump, look up.

Training older dog issues require some adaptability. When you’re considering training older dog techniques, you have to keep in mind what senior dog problems your older dog has.

Here are some of the training older dog considerations you need to think about:

1. Older dogs may have joint problems. There are some things your older dog isn’t going to be able to do. If, for example, you are trying to teach your senior dog to jump up, if your dog isn’t doing what you want, it may be because the jump is physically difficult for him because he has older dog joint problems. Even simple tasks like sitting and lying down can be hard for dogs.

Be aware that your older dog might not be responding because of pain or stiffness. Don’t get impatient with a slow-to-respond older dog who could have joint problems.

2. Many senior dogs have trouble hearing. Training older dog techniques must take into account the possibility that the dog may have dog hearing loss and not be able to hear commands.

If you’re not sure if your older dog has dog hearing loss, do a little experiment. Wait until your senior dog has his or her back to you and then say the dog’s name. If your dog doesn’t respond, he likely can’t hear you.

To compensate for the dog hearing loss, incorporate hand signals into your training. For example, use a come here motion when teaching the dog to come. Use a flat hand, palm facing away from you to teach a dog to stay. Point to the floor when you want the dog to sit. Make a motion with your hands like an umpire calling a batter safe when you’re telling your dog, no.

You may need to use your hands to give praise too. Most training uses treats AND verbal praise for the best effect. If your dog can’t hear the praise you give, it could slow down your training older dog efforts. Choose a hand or body movement that tells your dog you’re happy with him.

3. Senior dogs can have bladder control issues. When you’re considering potty training older dog techniques, keep in mind that your older dog may have problems with his bladder. The potty training efforts will go more smoothly if you take your dog outside frequently. The fewer accidents you allow, the easier it will be to potty train your older dog.

4. Older dogs can have attention-span issues. You know how people tend to get more child-like when they get older? Dogs do too. They can revert back to some puppy-like qualities. One of those qualities can be a shortened attention span. Good training older dog efforts take this into account.

Teach your senior dog in small chunks of time. A few minutes several times a day is better than one longer block of time.

When you keep these special senior dog considerations in mind, you’ll have far better results when you set out to succeed at training older dog.

Ande Waggener
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/training-older-dog-requires-adaptability-55387.html

i play basketball and i don’t jump very high. i can only reach about 9’8” or so. i wanna improve a lot, i need to. what kind of training and routine do you suggest i do to improve in the least amount of time possible?

Eat Donuts

i play basketball and i don’t jump very high. i can only reach about 9’8” or so. i wanna improve a lot, i need to. what kind of training and routine do you suggest i do to improve in the least amount of time possible?

Eat Donuts

Adopting a Pomeranian puppy can be a great time of joy and fun, but if you want a housebroken adult dog and your work begins the minute you bring your puppy home. Many people don’t know the right way to go about housebreaking their dog so below are some Pomeranian puppy house training tips that might come in handy for your new Pom.

The first thing to remember when house training any dog, but in particular your Pomeranian puppy, is that positive reinforcement is best. Never hit your dog or yell at him or rub his nose in his “accident”. This will not get you the results you want and isn’t fun for either you or the dog.

Your Pomeranian puppy’s training should start the day you bring them home. This is usually the most difficult part since you want to just relax and have fun with your cute little ball of fluff, but if you let them run all over the house being every corner it set a precedence, as well as an inviting odor, for him to continue this behavior. So the best thing to do is to start off training right away.

House training your puppy is largely a matter of, observance and persistence. When you see your dog acting like he has to “go”, then you should immediately bring them outside to the area that you want him to do his business and. This means that you left keep a keen eye on him and learn to recognize the signs. Obviously, if you see him squatting this is a sure indication – don’t yell but just sharply say no or distract him in some way so he doesn’t actually begin to do his business and then pick them up and bring them right outside setting him down gently. When he does finally go outside, pet him and praise him so that he knows that this is the desired behavior.

You can’t always be home with your Pomeranian puppy, so in these instances it’s good to confine him to an area that has a sleeping section, food and water bowls and section for him to go to the bathroom. This can be a large crate or you can do like my husband did and build a little removable fenced in section that extended off the face of the crate. We would leave the crate open and my Poms bed was in the crate, then out in the fenced in section she had her puppy pee-pad and a section for her food and water. The fence was only about 2 feet high but she couldn’t jump over at so to do good job of keeping her contained but still giving her some room to move about.

Now the only thing with this Is that you’re puppy may become little bit confused because on one hand you’re saying it’s okay to go on the newspaper or keypad but what you really want is your dog to go outside. The problem is is when they are young puppies they can hold it very long and if you work you just simply cannot be there to let them out every time they need to go. one way to work with this is as the dog gets older move the pad closer and closer to the door bringing him outside as often as you can. Finally you will hopefully be able to remove the pad altogether and have a Pomeranian that runs over the door to indicate to you that he needs to go out.

The key to Pomeranian puppy house training is patience and persistence. You simply can’t give up after a few days if your dog isn’t behaving the way you want. You must keep at it, rewarding your dog when he does his business outside. Like many toy dogs, Pomeranians can be a bit difficult to house train and you’ll have to be patient in order to get the results you want.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/pomeranian-puppy-house-training-tips-89411.html