TopCat Youth Fitness

Coach Clement "featured" on WVEC Channel 13

Participants of the TopCat Youth Fitness Program will learn about being physically active and making healthy food choices as well as improved body awareness and self esteem.

TopCat Youth Nutrition Counseling

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TopCat Fitness Lifestyle is defined as a lifestyle that maintains (safe) health and wellness while reflecting the attitudes and values of a balanced individual.

Introduction to Coordination Skills

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Balance, rhythm, spatial orientation and the ability to react to both auditory and visual stimulus have all been identified as elements of coordination.  In fact, the development of good coordination is a multi-tiered sequence that progresses from skills performed with good spatial awareness but without speed to skills performed at increased speeds and in a constantly changing environment.  As Joseph Drabik points out, coordination is best developed between the ages of 7 – 14, with the most crucial period being between 10 – 13 years of age. 

Younger athletes who learn to master the elements associated with good coordination (balance, rhythm, spatial awareness, reaction etc), are far better off then athletes who are not exposed to this kind of exercise stimulation until advanced ages.  The ability to optimally develop coordination ends at around the age of 16.  This validates the claim that global, early exposure is the key from an athletic development standpoint.

Here are three basic principals of coordination training :

1. Start young – coordination improves as a result of learning and mastering new movements.  Start young athletes off early with coordination-based exercises that challenge their abilities (within reason).  The more coordination a young athlete has, the more ability he or she will display at any perspective sport.
    
2. Challenge young athletes on an individual and appropriate level – Some youngsters have good balance while others display good rhythm.  The key to successful coaching is to undercover what elements of coordination each athlete requires and develop drills/exercises that most suitably target the weaknesses.
3. Change exercises frequently – young athletes learn quickly in most cases.  Be sure to challenge them physically and intellectually with new exercises often.

The following list provides some basic exercises that help develop elements of coordination :

·         Single leg balancing games

·         Mirror games (mirroring each other’s movements)

·         Known exercises starting or finishing in new positions (start sprints from belly or one    knee; end with hands up or on all fours)

·         Opposite arm circles (right hand circles forward, left backwards)

·         Simultaneous arm and leg circles

·         Jump in place with 180 or 360 turns while in flight

·         Balance exercises on a low balance beam

·         Cross step-over running or carioca

·         Somersault to balance (somersault to standing one legged balance)

·         Skipping A, B and C’s

·         Flexibility

When should young athletes train Flexibility?

 Have athletes start to work with flexibility around 14 years of age for males, 12-13 for females. Use dynamic movements and warm-up periods are ideal for flexibility.

Are there different kinds of Flexibility, or is ‘bending over to touch my toes and stretch my hammy’ what all young athletes should be doing?

There are seven stretches:

TopCat Youth Strength and Toning

TopCat: The age old debate is 'How old should an athlete > be before they begin lifting weights'. What's your view on that controversial topic?

Dr. Lowe: I never give a specific age because it varies tremendously on the kid. One overlooked component is the emotional maturity of the athlete. You can have a 16 year old who doesn't follow directions but is physically ready to life, and I still wouldn't let them lift weights. However you can have a 10 year old who can handle strength training, but obviously the weights would have to be at a very low intensity (at least 12 RM)

TopCat:: Using your ideals, could you define 'functional conditioning' for us?

Dr. Lowe: It's a word getting thrown out there a lot in the fitness industry, but I feel it's used incorrectly. Really, all exercise is functional. If a bodybuilder wants to bulk up, then bench press would be functional for them.

TopCat: If you were training a healthy ten-year-old athlete, what would a session with you look like? Length? Exercises?

Dr. Lowe: I'd go 30 minutes tops. Start with dynamic warm-ups and flexibility. Then we'd go to movement training (agility drills, pattern running, mechanics, etc.) Next, I'd use strength training (most likely body weight such as pushup variations, lunges, etc.). Finally, we'd do some conditioning (sprints, etc.) and finish with a game of nerf ball and cool down. I'd never make them do the same workout twice.

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Sample Youth Boot Camp workout:

1. Begin by walking for five to 10 minutes to warm up--walk briskly or slow jog.

2. Stop and do push-ups.

3. Resume walking or jogging for five minutes.

4. Stop and squat or squat thrust.

5. Resume walking or jogging for five minutes.

6. Stop and do jumping jacks.

7. Resume walking or jogging for five minutes.

8. Stop and do chin-ups, as many as you can. If you're outdoors, utilize, for example, playground equipment such as a jungle gym or sturdy bars to execute chin-ups.

9. Resume walking or jogging for five minutes.

10. Stop and do one set of push-ups.

11. Do one set of squats.

12. Do one set of jumping jacks.

13. Do one set of chin-ups.

14. Cool down with a five-minute walk or jog.

15. Finish up with a set of sit-ups.