MN Sport Performance Training Scholarships | Dungeon Strength & Conditioning | Speed Strength & Conditioning Training for Athletes

That’s right: I’m offering a $3000 sport performance training/strength and conditioning scholarship to SIX Twin Cities athletes and taking MN sport performance training a whole new level… will YOU be one of them?

I know, my friends and colleagues think I’m crazy. I’m offering SIX $3000 scholarships to local athletes… and… well, I’d rather have you hear it from somebody else, so here’s the press release from when the media caught wind of it and some videos explaining what exactly is going on.

(Read to the bottom to find out how you can apply to this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity)

PRESS RELEASE

Dungeon Strength and Conditioning Offers $3,000 Scholarships to Twin Cities Middle School and High School Athletes

Former Texas All-State Quarterback Focuses on “Freakish Results” For Middle School and High School Athletes with High Aspirations

SHOREVIEW, Minnesota – High school and middle school athletes in the Twin Cities can apply for a unique $3,000 strength and conditioning scholarship being offered by a new strength and performance facility in Shoreview.

G.R. Hoff, a former high school all-state football quarterback from Texas who played college football and was an all-conference college track and field athlete, is bringing a unique brand of strength and conditioning training to the Twin Cities. It is an approach that Hoff expects will bring middle school and high school athletes in the area “freakish results.” And to prove his point, Hoff is providing a one-year strength and conditioning scholarship to a middle school or high school athlete in the Twin Cities area.

“I opened Dungeon Strength and Conditioning because I wanted to offer an option for serious athletes who were seeking a no gimmicks, hardcore, results-guaranteed strength and conditioning training program that will lead to measurable improvement,” says Hoff, who has a degree in neuroscience with honors from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas.

“I also wanted to give back to the Twin Cities community for their support of my new venture, Dungeon Strength and Conditioning,” explains Hoff.

Hoff says that Dungeon Strength and Conditioning’s ideal client is a highly driven, competitive, male or female athlete between the ages of 12 and 19, who participates in a competitive sport. They have extremely high aspirations and expectations of themselves and are driven to make those dreams become reality.

“We work with athletes in all sports, with an emphasis on football, basketball, baseball, hockey, lacrosse, volleyball and wrestling,” explains Hoff.

According to Hoff, Dungeon Strength and Conditioning is a unique sports training facility for middle school and high school athletes because “we actively work to make sure our athletes improve not only physically, but mentally and academically as well.”

Dungeon Strength and Conditioning focuses on training athletes in small groups of 4-6. Groups are small enough so that every athlete gets the individual attention they need while still being able to work in that highly competitive, motivating environment. “I’ve done training both ways in the past — one-on-one as well as small group — and there is simply no comparison,” says Hoff, noting that “something special happens when you put competitive, like-minded, highly-driven and motivated athletes together. Every athlete pushes themselves and their training partners to a level that just can’t be replicated by one-on-one training. And it costs less for the parents than individual training.”

“Every athlete that walks through the door will be assessed not only for their general athleticism (strength, speed, explosiveness, flexibility, agility) but also for their ability to excel in their particular sport. A football player has different needs than a volleyball player, and their training will reflect that.”

Hoff, who wasn’t a starter early in his football career, eventually earned all-state honors as a senior and ran for more than 2,000 yards while leading his high school team deep into the Texas state playoffs. He then played college football at Trinity University and earned all-conference honors as a sprinter and thrower in track and field.

“We do training that works,” emphasizes Hoff. “I tried everything under the sun for over 10 years in my career as an athlete, and this type of training is what elevated me from an average athlete to an all-state and all-conference athlete.”

Dungeon Strength and Conditioning is located in the Press Gym at 173 West County Road E in Shoreview (just off of I-694 near the north Rice Street exit). For more information about the strength and conditioning scholarship, including the application form, go to dungeonstrength.com. If you have any questions, call Hoff at (612) 807-1101. Scholarship applications are due by June 7, 2012.

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Well there ya go, if you want to take your sport performance training and strength & conditioning to a whole new level, enter your name and best e-mail below and you’ll receive information on how to apply immediately!

Good luck!

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Minnesota Lacrosse Training? Strength for Speed (and how to get it)

It’s lacrosse season in Minnesota, and since it’s my mission to help athletes be AWESOME and succeed, I thought I’d take a look at some basics on how train for the forgotten sport that never gets as much attention as the big 3: LAX!

Lacrosse training, like too many other sports, tends to be severely misdirected. Athletes (and their coaches) don’t know what the heck they’re doing in the weight room or in the offseason… 99% use the spaghetti on the wall method: throw as much as you can up and see what sticks…

No one likes spaghetti on the wall... Don't program your training this way, for YOUR sake.

So, how do you train for lacrosse?

Check out the video below and get some tips that’ll keep you and your team on top by the time tournament season comes around…

So, big takeaway?

Focus on the training that’s right for YOUR position…

#1: Strength in the posterior chain. Get brutally strong focusing on deadlifts, squats, and do single leg movements like lunges and bulgarian split squats for your assistance work.

#2: Med ball throws for explosiveness… Overhead slams, backward throws, chest throws, etc. etc. etc. Be EXPLOSIVE.

#3: For conditioning, do the stuff that’s specific to your position.

-So for defensivemen and attackers: short tempo runs, 40 to 60 yards at 75% of your max sprint (so if your 40 is 4.6-4.7, then add about a second (approx 25%) to that; and you should be running between 5.7-5.8 and 6.0 seconds. Do 10-12 reps on with around 20-40 seconds rest your conditioning days. You can also do 15-20 moderately heavy sled or prowler sprints with between 30-40 seconds between reps.

-For middies, hit longer tempo runs, about 100 yards, at 75% of your max sprint (again, if your max 100 is about 12 seconds, add 25% or 3 seconds, so you’ll hit your runs at 15-16 seconds). Again, go 10-12 reps with 20-40 seconds rest on your conditioning days.

If you stick to those guidelines, train with a purpose for your SPECIFIC position, and work your tail off, you’ll be successful this season. If you want to get SERIOUS about your lacrosse training call 612-807-1101 TODAY to schedule your free consultation and trial. (Serious athletes only please, crybabies and whiners will NOT be accepted)

Dungeon Strength & Conditioning is the ONLY choice for SERIOUS, results-driven athletic performance coaching and personal training in the Twin Cities. Operating out of The Press Gym in Shoreview, Minneapolis St. Paul’s #1 hardcore gym, SERIOUS Minnesota athletes finally have a REAL option to improve their speed, strength, power, explosiveness, jumping ability, and mental and physical toughness: Dungeon Strength & Conditioning. To schedule your free consultation and trial call 612-807-1101 TODAY (WARNING: SPOTS ARE EXTREMELY LIMITED!)

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Skinny Sprinters: You’re Slow Because YOU’RE Weak

Want to know how to run faster?

One of the most popular questions I’m asked by athletes and their parents (and go figure it get’s a more popular during NFL combine season) is “how can I (or my kid) get faster/run a faster 40/not get my butt kicked again during track season?”

This one’s gonna be a quick and easy one…

Did anyone take the time to watch the Track & Field championships on today on ESPN? Did you notice all those bone-thin, skinny, starved-looking sprinters?

Me neither.

Because there weren’t any. The championship sprinters were muscular, powerfully built, and STRONG.

Did they have very low levels of bodyfat? Of course, you can’t win the sprints or be as fast as you possibly be with a bunch of dead weight.

But you ALSO can’t run as fast as humanly possible without being STRONG in your legs (particularly the muscles of the posterior chain), your back and your core/trunk.

Without STRENGTH, pure, muscular, gritty, grip-and-rip, squats-and-deadlifts strength, you’ll NEVER reach your potential in regards in to maximal speed, explosiveness, and athletic ability.

I don’t care if the athlete is male or female, old or young, short or tall, etc., you simply cannot be truly FAST… like RGIII fast… without sufficient levels of strenght. Period.

Those of you following our Vertical Jump for the Vertically Challenged series stay tuned, training footage coming this week!

Dungeon Strength & Conditioning is the ONLY choice for SERIOUS, results-driven athletic performance coaching and personal training in the Twin Cities. Operating out of The Press Gym in Little Canada, Minneapolis St. Paul’s #1 hardcore gym, SERIOUS Minnesota athletes finally have a REAL option to improve their speed, strength, power, explosiveness, jumping ability, and mental and physical toughness: Dungeon Strength & Conditioning.

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How to jump higher for the vertically challenged: Part 2

Tired of life below rim? Want to find out how to jump higher? Read below…

If you’re a basketball player, whether as a weekend warrior in pickup games or on your high school or college team, you want a few things: you want to dunk, jump higher play above the rim, and block your buddy’s and opponent’s shots with authority. In the last article we went over your first two basic tips on how to jump higher, and I gave you some tips on fat loss and cutting some of your “dead weight” (check out part 1 here). In this article I’m going to give you a little more direction in regards to WHERE you should focus on getting stronger… Watch the video below for more…

So, what do we need to focus on strengthening to jump higher?

“Big money” exercises that strengthen the muscles of the posterior chain:

-Deadlifts, deadlifts, deadlifts: stay in good positions and lift in a range of motion that allows you to maintain a neutral spine

-Squats and squat variations: front squats, back squats, box squats

-Exercises that promote explosive hip extension

+RDL’s (weight on heels, focus on pushing the HIPS back… do NOT squat)

+Kettlebell swings or dumbbell swings

+Back hyperextensions

+Reverse hyperextensions

+Pull throughs, hip thrusts, etc. etc. etc.

Focus on getting stronger at the movements above, and, if you’re REALLY weak, forget about jumping for awhile. You’ll thank me when you’ve added a few inches to that vertical without even jumping

Next time we’ll go over the actual exercises and even get into a few “ninja tactics” to get you closer to that elusive dunk. Subscribe in the box at right to make sure you don’t miss it!

Dungeon Strength & Conditioning is the ONLY choice for SERIOUS, results-driven athletic performance coaching and personal training in the Twin Cities. Operating out of The Press Gym in Little Canada, Minneapolis St. Paul’s #1 hardcore gym, SERIOUS Minnesota athletes finally have a REAL option to improve their speed, strength, power, explosiveness, jumping ability, and mental and physical toughness: Dungeon Strength & Conditioning.

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How to jump higher for the vertically challenged: Part 1

Tired of life below rim? Want to find out how to jump higher? Read below…

If you’re a basketball player, whether as a weekend warrior in pickup games or on your high school or college team, you want a few things: you want to dunk, play above the rim, and block your buddy’s and opponent’s shots with authority.

You want to be the guy that shocks the taller dude you’re guarding as you soar above him for the rebound, have an unblockable jumper, and just flat out some impressive hops.

We’ve all been forced to watch in awe of the guys who seemingly effortlessly float above the rim for the dunk or over us for rebounds, and it sucks.

Or, just as bad, getting “Mossed” on the football field because you didn’t have the hops to go get the ball at it’s highest point.

It’s time that comes to an end.

It’s time to get YOU into that next stratosphere of jumping ability.

No more “You’re just taller than me”, “you just have longer legs”, “it’s because I’m white”, “I ate fast food”, “I’m not wearing my good jumping shoes”, “it’s a Monday and I can’t jump on monday”, and whatever other excuses you’ve come up with over the years. You just suck at jumping.

For now.

Over the course of the next few weeks we’re gonna fix that with the “How to jump higher for the vertically challenged” series. This is for the guys that WEREN’T the naturally highest jumpers. The guys that couldn’t dunk without any training (let alone grab the rim), and the guys that have been on the bad side of blocked shots for years.

I’ve been there, too.

As a former posterboy for the “un-athletic” and “overachievers”, I could barely flick the rim on the run at a height of 6’1″/6’2″. My vertical jump was a measely 22 inches. But I eventually worked my way into a 36 inch vertical jump in college…

Here’s a hint: don’t take jumping advice from Michael Jordan. MJ had a GREAT work ethic and is one of my favorite athletes of all time, but he could have jumped out of the gym without ever touching a weight.

If you’re like MJ, congratulations. I’m not, and I’m going to help those that DON’T have that natural ability compete, train, and SOAR above the rim

Check out the videos below for Tips #1 and 2 on how to jump higher:

Part 1/Intro

Fat loss tips

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Youth Sports and Strength Training: Part 3 of 3

Problems with youth sports training part 3: Early Specialization…

DON’T specialize your kiddos early! It RUINS their foundation and limits their future potential in ALL sports and athletic activities.

DO let your kiddos have FUN, play a variety of games and sports, and take part in a PROPER training program (like we have here in Minneapolis/St. Paul at the Press Gym… Shameless plug, I know )

DON’T get worked up on your child being a superstar at a sport as a youngster, you give them the best chance for success by avoiding burnout and building a mastery of a greater variety of movements.

DO (worth saying again… and again) let your kids have FUN!

As always, drop a comment below and let me know if you think I’m on the money or DEAD wrong

Until next time…

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Monday Motivation: What’s YOUR Excuse?

Today we’re checking out two truly INSPIRING videos… One from a real life WARRIOR who truly understands the concept of never giving up and another from one of my favorite movies (and messages) The Pursuit of Happiness. Enjoy:

I LOVE videos/stories with a message like this, if you’ve got one worth sharing, share it in the comments. Oh, and don’t let ANYONE hold you back from what you WANT and BELIEVE you can accomplish… BOOM!

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Youth Sports and Strength Training: Part 2 of 3

Youth sports are a great, great thing. They get kids involved in athletics, can teach some valuable skills, AND build character. That said, I’ve been around a LOT of youth programs and teams in my team, and many end up doing more harm than good by not knowing what’s good for their young athletes in regards to training.

Last time we talked about young athletes getting too much distance and endurance work (check out part 1 here), and today we’re going to tackle another issue that’s… frankly… a little more annoying to me.

See, the fact that this issue exists is just more evidence for a complete lack of common sense in regards to working with/training/preparing young athletes for success AND injury prevention “now”, as well as in the future.

Problem 2: “Scared of Strength.” Putting young athletes through a PROPERLY organized strength training program WILL NOT stunt their growth, get them injured, or make them grow wings and a mustache and fly away to join the circus…

I still don’t understand why so many people are truly afraid of strength training young athletes. There are myths out there, but frankly, they just don’t make sense… here’s why:

MYTH BUSTING 1: “If a young athlete strength trains it will stunt their growth!”

I’ll use myself as a quick example and then will get into a little more of why this just doesn’t make sense…

I started lifting weights in a cheap, sand-weight multi-use bench press set on the back porch when I was 10 or 11 years old. I was probably between 5 feet even and 5 foot 3 inches tall during that period when I first started lifting, (I’m estimating, but I DO remember vividly being 5’4″ on our football physical for 7th grade, so a couple years of growth before that I started lifting).

I lifted my little butt off and still remember heading to the high school weight room with another 6 grade buddy of mine (we were dedicated little turds ), and showing up when a couple of the strongest linemen in the history of the school were lifting.

They helped us max out and test our lifts and I remember thinking I was cool because I could almost bench press my bodyweight (I think I lifted 95 pounds… likely with a generous spot, haha) and squatted like 115 or 135 (heck I had already been doing bleachers till I passed out for a couple of years).

Anyway, the point of that little trip down memory lane is to make the point that I basically did the most “unsafe” lifting possible according to the “stunt-your-growth” dummies (maxing out on a movement with a loaded spine: i.e. squatting) when I was about 5 foot 3.

10 years later and I’m 6’2″… over a foot taller than when I started lifting and the tallest person in my family. Still think it stunts your growth?

That’s me, #3, with my brother, mom, and dad. FYI dad’s about 6’1/6’0.5 and before me was the tallest guy in our “gene pool,” so it’s unlikely I was supposed to be 6’6″ and in the NBA

Rest assured that I wouldn’t be telling you this so confidently without further research, and that countries that are lightyears ahead of us train their young athletes young in order to allow them to fully develop and be as tall as they possibly can. Bottom line, proper strength training DOES NOT stunt your growth!

I seriously think this myth had to be perpetuated by a little 5’3″ guy who had dreams of professional basketball and lifted weights as a kid… Instead of chalking it up to being in a family with no one over 5 feet tall, he blamed lifting as a kid instead… ha!

MYTH BUSTING 2: “Strength training isn’t safe for young athletes!”

Oh, and about the whole grow wings and a mustache thing, you’re on your own

Check back later this week for part 3, and be sure to drop a comment and let me know what YOU think about youth sports!

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Youth Sports and Strength Training: Part 1 of 3

Youth sports are a great, great thing. They get kids involved in athletics, can teach some valuable skills, AND build character. That said, I’ve been around a LOT of youth programs and teams in my team, and many end up doing more harm than good by not knowing what’s good for their young athletes in regards to training.

I’ve been doing some research after moving to the cold of Minnesota a few months ago, and it looks like the state has some pretty solid youth sports organizations and teams that have everything from the typical baseball and softball to track and field, hockey, and even skiing!

While I think these are all great things, and great for the kids, in my experience a lot of (read: most) youth sport programs and coaches that I’ve been around miss the boat on a few VERY important things.

The first problem is something that I see often with youth football and track and field teams/programs. And it’s a BIG no-no:

Problem 1: Too much distance running/too many long-duration activities that get kids into a lactic environment

Like I said, this one is HUGE, and for more reasons that can be covered in one post. First things first, younger athletes have nervous/neuro-muscular systems that are much more plastic (less resistant to change) than older athletes.

An over-reliance on distance activities (aside from being more likely to result in overuse injuries) ALSO “programs” the athlete’s neuromuscular “computer”, if you will, to fire more slowly. This is a big no-no! The top athletes in the game are almost ALWAYS those that possess greater “fast-twitch” qualities (yes, even Olympic marathon runners) than athletes that aren’t “programmed” as fast.

Focusing on sprints, lower-impact jumping, and explosive throws with light medicine balls can help “program” young athletes in such a way that they are set up for greater success in ALL of their future athletic endeavors.

As for those that argue that you still need to get your kiddos in shape–it’s easy! Aerobic endurance is arguably the most plastic of “fitness qualities”, or the easiest to change. At a young age, focus on training and “conditioning” that focuses on high-quality, low volume speed and “power” work (as described above), PRE-hab work (keep those arms healthy baseballers!) and let the kids HAVE FUN playing the game, getting in shape will take care of itself! Whether it’s youth hockey in Minnesota or pee-wee football in the great state of Texas

Let the kids have FUN! That's what it's all about!!!

Check back later this week for part 2, and be sure to drop a comment and let me know what YOU think about youth sports!

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Sledding in Minnesota? Want to do something awesome?

Want to do something awesome? What if  I told you sledding in Minnesota was one of the top things you could do to be more awesome? The answer may surprise you…

You may be asking yourself “What the heck is this guy talking about? There’s NO snow right now… we can’t sled… stupid Texan.”

Well, the “sledding” I’m talking about isn’t exactly you’re grandma’s idea of sledding. No, the “sledding” I’m talking about is using sleds as a training tool to get you stronger, faster, leaner, and more awesome.

Dan John, one of my "strength heroes" shows how awesome sled dragging can be.

Sled dragging is one of the most versatile strength practices in existence: pushing, pulling, walking, sprinting, forward, backward, laterally, heck, even upper body work can be done with a sled.

It’s one of my FAVORITE tools for high-economy (i.e. large overall performance return per movement, think squats versus leg extensions) “energy system” work.

For years it was the famous method used by “the strongest gym in the world”, Westside Barbell (home of multiple 1000 pound squats and 8-900 pound bench presses), to increase general conditioning, or GPP (general physical preparedness). It’s one of the favorites of Joe DeFranco (“The ProMaker”, running one of the beastliest gyms around) who, every year, has athletes on the “top performers” list at the NFL Combine, and even Christian Thibadeux who helps develop some of the biggest bodybuilders in the world.

What is it about sled dragging that makes it such a great a tool?

#1: It’s awesome. Throwing something heavy onto something you can drag and pulling it is awesome. Why do “cardio” on a treadmill when you can get stronger, faster, more explosive AND get ripped by dragging heavy sh#$?

#2: Eccentric-less volume (get work in without getting sore). You know that lovely feeling you get the day after heavy, high-rep squats? That DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) really hits the spot sometimes, but it can also leave you unable to perform to your potential for a few days. This is because of the eccentric, or lowering/stretching portion of the movement. Sled dragging allows you to PUT IN WORK without a loaded eccentric component, essentially allowing you to get A TON of high quality strength work WITHOUT excessive soreness (and without effective the training sessions of the next few days). Now THAT is AWESOME!

#3: Versatility. It’s probably beyond the scope of the blog other than a few scientific muscle-heads out there like me but sled dragging allows you to develop EVERY ONE of the body’s energy systems highly effectively depending on how you set up the training. I tend to use sled work for two main purposes: alactic capacity development (developing the ability to perform more high-intensity work without getting into that lactic acid/”dead legs” environment), and for aerobic development (dragging at a lower intensity for a longer period of time), essentially as a form as a cardio.

Sled work can also be HUGE for speed development through training proper acceleration mechanics. Many so-called “strength coaches” bastardize this practice and completely miss the boat on this, but pushing a sled like the Elite FTS Prowler or dragging a sled attached by a belt as fast as you possibly can over shorter distances (10-15 yards is what I use with my athletes) with AMPLE RECOVERY TIME is by far one of the best ways to improve an athletes acceleration mechanics and strength/explosiveness in the “go” muscles.

#4: Challenges and competition. There’s nothing that get’s athletes going more than a good competition, and sleds are a great way to facilitate that. Every once in awhile, it IS good to try to put yourself through something a little crazy, do prowler suicides, go until you can’t walk, etc. I wouldn’t make the mistake of doing it every workout, but a challenge just to make sure you’ve still got the guts is GREAT every once in awhile, and you can feel AWESOME for having done something that you know 99% of the rest of the population doesn’t have the balls to do.

So, sledding in Minnesota? Take advantage of there NOT being any snow on the ground and sled the DUNGEON way–to improve yourself mentally and physically. Oh, and FYI, you’ll find all of your sledding needs can be satisfied at The Press Gym–just click location and directions for more info!

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