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THE COLE HARD TRUTH

Launching "Ever Stronger"

After 24 years in coaching, 18 as a collegiate head strength coach, I have launched my twofold "Ever Stronger!" consulting - personal workout programs, and clinics for school S&C programs. MORE

A football high: out-physical the opponent

Our six-man team, in its first two games, brought back memories of dominating wins over big powers in college football by demonstrating how an off-season strength and conditioning program pays off. Never mind it wasn't Nebraska or Texas; satisfaction still runs high over a job well done Feb-to-Aug leading to success in the fall. HERE'S HOW

Scant Equipment, Big-Time Workout for Kids

Details of the makeshift equipment and big-time football workout regimen, out behind a church....TUGGING STARTS HERE

You don't need fancy

A dozen youngsters, 11-18, a football/soccer field behind Steep Hollow Baptist Church, rigorous workouts. Not impressive. But the workouts are.....READ WHY

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BB, summertime, and career items

May 31, 2008

I haven't mentioned the Rockies lately. The 10- and 11-year old boys baseball team I managed this spring just finished the season. Our final record was 11-8 and we didn't win the championship as we'd hoped, but it was still an outstanding year. The world of athletics flows up and down, and our season definitely provided a good example. The beauty of sports is that you learn to give your best, always expecting to win, but you learn how to live with the result no matter what.

Twenty-some years ago, when I was a young coach, a great man who just happened to be a high school football coach taught me a great lesson. In a conversation among coaches at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp, he encouraged us all to prepare to win, to expect to win, but to sit down the night before the game and think through how to react in defeat.

Young people will look immediately and closely at how you respond to a loss. You can't be crushed, you can't be broken-hearted. As a coach it is up to you to handle it in stride, pick up the pieces and move forward with a positive attitude. The Rockies learned some baseball and some life lessons about handling ups and downs, which is important because ups and downs aren't reserved just for the ballfield.

I thank the Rockies players, parents, and families for letting me coach their team, and for supporting the life experience that Litttle League baseball provides young people.

* * *

The school year ended May 30. As homeschoolers, that doesn't effect us as much as it does most people, but it still has an impact. Alice Cooper recorded the classic song "School's Out" in 1972. Before the hit song came out he had said in an interview that if he could capture the emotion of the last three minutes of the last day of school in a song that it would be huge. Though I am not an Alice Cooper fan, I must agree with the sentiment of that lyric. The song was, and still is, a big hit. And the emotion of getting out of school is still dynamic.

So, all of you youngsters and teachers who are out of school for the summer, have a memorable summer vacation, yet remember to continue to grow and learn during your break. The lessons of life appear whenever and wherever you look for them and find them.

* * *

Speaking of lessons in life, I learned, or re-learned actually, a big one recently. A career opportunity arose that could have led me in a new direction. However, it was not a good fit for our family. Just when I was knee deep in decision-making about it, my former college football coach called and reminded me that the top priorities in life are (1) God, (2) Family, and (3) Work.

The Lord used my college coach to help me make the decision I knew I had to make, but was struggling with. Family concerns have stay ahead of job concerns. I turned down the offered position and I have peace about the decision. We have to trust that the Lord has something even better in store.

That something might mean staying right where we are and entering into public speaking engagements, consulting, and clinics (along with blogs) full-time.

For now, enjoy the blogs and follow along with me to see how the rest falls in place.

THE TURKISH GET UP IS AN ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR FITNESS & WORKOUTS.

To add a new wrinkle for your workouts, I'd like to give you a quick and easy self- assessment. You don't need a workout gym for this, or a weight room. Just a little corner of any room, a book, and a few minutes of your time. You don't even have to put on workout clothes.

First position to start the Get Up exercise

Standing up to complete the Get Up drill

The photos with this article show my son Kade, who is 15, performing a Turkish Get Up with a 30-pound dumbbell. He has three years left to prepare for college, where he wants to play football or baseball, or possibly both. He did this demonstration when I consulted with a small college recently. (By the way, photo credits go Kade's sister, Kressyn, who is 13 Head shot of Kressyn the photographer and loves photography. This is Kressyn.)

Just follow these instructions carefully. A few minutes later you'll know all you need to know about your balance, coordination, flexibility, shoulder strength, and even your core strength.

Grab your Webster's Dictionary from the bookshelf, or any hardback book about that size.
Go to an open space in your house.
Hold the dictionary in one hand at arm's length while lying flat on your back on the floor.
Now, get up! And get up this way:

Keep the arm with the dictionary locked out.
Hold the book overhead as you work your way to a standing position.

Do this, then come back and read the rest....

* * *

OK, how'd you do? You've just performed an exercise called the "Get Up," or, more specifically, the "Turkish Get Up."

Many strength coaches or personal trainers would have given you significantly more instructions on how to get up. I refrained, because I like the problem-solving dimension of the drill. I feel it is important for you figure it out.

Had I been coaching you, I would have helped you along with tips whenever you struggled. For the most part, though, this drill can be figured out with a little persistence and practice.

I have used this drill many years as an assessment. It works not only for the average person, but for athletes. Big athletes, not so big athletes; elite athletes, average to middlin' athletes; all athletes. It's especially effective when they are just coming into a program, as a freshman or a transfer.

After administering five minutes of Turkish Get Ups, I can look at a group of newbies and tell who is the most flexible and coordinated, who has the best core strength, and who has the best shoulder strength and flexibility.

All from lifting a book with one hand. (Well, not quite. College athletes would perform Turkish Get Ups with a dumbbell, something between 30 and 60 pounds, not a dictionary.)

The mental side of the equation is always interesting, too. Some individuals take to new things and catch on quickly, while others fight it, complain, and are quick to give up. It's amazing what a few minutes of work can tell a coach.

If the Turkish Get Up with Noah Webster's masterpiece seemed fairly easy with your dominant hand:

Try it again with your other hand.

And then again with two hands on the book.

After that you are ready to try it again one-handed with the opposite hand not touching the floor as you get up! (That's the way my wife, Stacey, did it the first time she tried it.)

After all that, graduate upward. Make all the lifts all again with a 10-pound dumbbell or weight plate, and then continue working up in weight.

Special note to young athletes: If you are a scholastic athlete and aspire to compete in college, when you can do the Turkish Get Up with a 50- or 60-pound dumbbell, you might be ready. Keep practicing just in case.

In working with college athletes, our staff would revisit the Turkish Get Up every so often in workouts. That way we could measure the overall improvement that our program was giving us in functional movements.

I recommend this exercise once a week or so, just to see if it is getting easier as time goes on. If it's not getting easier, you may want to rethink your program.

At that point, I'd be pleased to help you do that.

The Turkish Get Up is just one minute tool in my kit of various methods as I work with athletic programs, and I thought you might enjoy giving it a try.

If you'd like some consulting for your personal workouts, just send me an email, webatt@coachrodcole.com and we'll set something up. Consulting can take place by telephone, by email, or in person.

My workout tool kit has a lot more tools to help you reach your goals, too. Let's work together on the central theme: Ever Stronger!