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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

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Piano hands and helping hands

İApril 22, 2008

Most people think of the piano as an instrument for one individual, or for accompaniment as others sing. Last week I got a whole new insight into piano playing while watching and listening to 20 individuals, 200 fingers, playing piano at one time. The "Grand Concert" it was called.

A back story: My wife Stacey has instructed our five oldest children to play piano. As a person non-musically inclined, I don't have a lot to do with this process. Our oldest daughter Aubrey has graduated to more advanced piano instructors the last couple of years, and competed well in a few contests.

She was part of that most interesting "Grand Concert." Ten pianos, two pianists at each, in several groups, on stage. Group after group went up and played, with 40 hands playing as directed (for the most part) by a piano teacher-conductor. It was amazing.

I had never thought of having that many pianists playing together at the same time.İ Maybe this is just another case of everything, even piano concerts, being bigger in Texas. The "Grand Concert" was something even a non-musically inclined, old strength coach could really appreciate. Probably what I appreciate most is the commitment of 100-some young people, their parents, and the piano teachers to invest the work to provide a great music opportunity.İ

Whether it's pounding out base hits or pounding on the ivories, young people need adults willing to provide them means to explore their talents. Thanks to everyone who helps young people have great opportunities!

* * *
I recently spoke with an old friend I hardly know. He is an assistant strength coach at an NCAA Division I university. In his 10-plus years of college coaching, he has only had two jobs, and I helped him get them both. About 12 years ago, he sent me a resume when he was looking for a job. I didn't have a position available. But his resume was impressive and we had engaged in an excellent exchange of ideas over the phone, so I forwarded it to a former assistant of mine who was a head strength coach and had an assistant's position open.İ

My acquaintance got the job, did well, and even trained a national champion baseball team. Then, as so often happens in the profession, a coaching change caused my friends to lose their jobs. Although we had only met a few times, this assistant strength coach and I considered one another good friends.İ Another head strength coach was looking for an assistant, and guess who I recommended?İ

He got the job a year ago and is, of course, doing outstanding work. He has asked me many times how he can repay me for helping him. My answer is that I was helped along the way by others, and I thanked them by helping him. He can show his thanks to me by helping the next generation of coaches. We're all in this together, even if we hardly know our old friends.

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!