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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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Ever Stronger Consulting Blogs

The 'Ever Stronger' Consulting Program

After 24 years in coaching, six years at the high school level and the last 18 as a collegiate head strength coach, I have directed my energy, skills and expertise in a new initiative: "Ever Stronger!" Consulting: Consulting in strength and conditioning, with individuals or groups; Staging or participating in clinics for colleges and school districts who don't have the advantage of having a certified strength coach on staff. I will present clinics for coaches and/or athletes and I will as ...

Strength, Endurance and Winning

September 6, 2008 - Physical dominance in first two six-man games During my college coaching career, I have been blessed to be a part of a lot of victories. Let's face it, we all love to win. Especially against biggies like Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, or Southern Cal -- a Power Four that teams I worked with have an edge against (18-17). When you're playing those cats, if you are above .500 you are doing pretty well. As I think back on those big wins, a favorite phrase in football circles comes ...

Olympics Observations

It has been a pleasure to watch the Beijing Olympics, both on television and over the Internet. My entire family has enjoyed everything from gymnastics and trampoline to rowing and, of course swimming, with the amazing Michael Phelps. As I've watched the weightlifting, I can't help but remember a study tour of Bulgaria and the former Soviet Union that I took right before the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. The Bulgarians were amazing in their training, but they contributed one of the most bizarre cha ...

Low budget, high energy workout for kids behind a church

Check out the low-cost, resourceful and inventive equipment and the details of the workout that I promised you in my previous blog. Remember, these kids are ages 11-18, and we're on a combination football/soccer field. Our budget for football preseason strength and conditioning is limited by the bank accounts of participating families. Therefore, our equipment at the Steep Hollow Baptist Church athletic field is limited: 2 barbellsAbout 350 pounds of weightsSix dumbbellsTwo old ...

You Don't Need Fancy

Recently, I have been putting 12 young men between ages 11-18 through rigorous workouts. We don't have a fancy workout facility. We don't have one that isn't fancy, either. We don't have one. Neither do we have typical equipment. We're not even indoors. These aren't complaints. These are good-news points for you, wherever you are, especially if budget is a problem. The message here is simple: you don't have to have fancy to have great workouts. You just need two ingredie ...

Texas Coaches Convention in San Antonio

Hello, from San Antonio. I'm surrounded by one of the beauties of being in Texas, professionally speaking: more than 10,000 secondary school coaches. High school, junior high, middle school, public school, parochial school, private school, and home school coaches, men and women. More, really. There are athletic directors here, too. Plus, associate members like college college students who intend to become secondary school coaches, and former secondary school coaches now employed ...

Coaches Convention WrapUp

As I look back on my first Texas High School Coaches Association Convention and Coaching School in San Antonio last week, many highlights come to mind.The main one is seeing many of the best High School Football Coaches in the country all in one location. I read somewhere that more than 12,000 registered to attend, and sometimes it seemed like they were all packed into one aisle.Seriously, there is no doubt that Texas high school football prides itself on being the best, and much of the credit g ...

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!