Coach Rod Cole » Easter - The Greatest Comeback Story

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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

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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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Easter - The Greatest Comeback Story

İMarch 21, 2008

As Easter approached last weekend, I spent some time thinking about all that this great Christian holiday means to me.İ WhenİI think of Easter, I think of coming from behind, of being down and out, but making a comeback that can only be labeled "miracle."

We've been treated to some amazing comebacks during the last couple of weeks of March Madness in college basketball.

Over my many years of involvement in sports, I have been part of some absolutely fantasic comeback football games.İ During the first game of my senior season of high school in Kensington, Kansas, the opponent scored on us twice early and led 14-0. We remained calm and we came back to tie it up by halftime, and we went on to win 42-20 on our way to a state championship.İ

In my senior year of college, my beloved Bethany Swedes were down to Sterling College 30-7 after three quarters when the flurry started. We pulled out a 35-30 win after one of the most amazing quarters of football you will ever see.İ

In 1999, our Kansas State team was behind Iowa State 28-0 at the half and then turned things around to win 35-28.İ In 2003, our K-State squad was 4-3 after three disappointing losses to Marshall, Texas, and Oklahoma State; we then went on a 7-0 run that reached a zenith with a 35-7 win in the Big 12 Championship over an Oklahoma team that was touted as the best college team ever.İ

During my one year at Texas A&M, the 2007 season, we were behind Oklahoma State 17-0 at the half before turning it on in the second half to win 24-23.İ

Aren't combacks great?İ Well, Easter is all about the greatest comeback ever.

On that day over 2000 years ago that we now call Good Friday, things were pretty down and out for the followers of this man Jesus Christ. After taking a beating almost beyond recognition, captors took him to a hill outside Jerusalem called Golgatha and Jesus suffered one of the worst deaths imaginable -- nailed to a cross between two thieves.İ

Reflecting on this brought to mind one of the best sermons I have ever heard, entitled "It's Friday, but Sunday's Coming!" The name of the preacher escapes me, but the point remains obvious: Good Friday was the lowest point that a proclaimed Messiah and His followers could ever imagine, but the story wasn't over yet.

After death on a cross and burial in a tomb sealed with a huge boulder, guarded by a unit of Roman soldiers -- it doesn't get any more bleak than that. But, waitİ In a comeback that could only be performed by an Almighty God who has control over life and death,İJesus arose from the dead, conquering sin and proving his divinity.İ Aren't comebacks great?

As we celebrated the greatest comeback of all time this Easter, I proposed one question. Are you on Jesus' team?İ It's the greatest team you could ever join, and I would love to help you put your name on His roster.İ If you seek to join Jesus' team, please contact me. I'll help welcome you onto the club. Give it some thought.İ

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!