Frequently Asked Questions
If you have a question that isn't answered here try the glossary or the forums
- Where's a good place to do my workout?
- What if I don't have all of the recommended equipment?
- Can I skip the challenging exercises?
- Do I have to do 3 sets of ten 10 reps of each exercise?
- How many days a week should I do the SSL workout?
- Will this replace my weight training?
- How long will a normal workout last?
- How long should I rest between exercises?
- Should I workout if I'm feeling fatigued?
- What's the proper form when doing squats on the discs?
- How does conventional weight training destroy your athleticism?
- What are plyometrics?
- What is the one thing that makes a great athlete?
- I want to be a faster pitcher, what should I work on, my arms or back muscles?
- I'm not a big fan of running, what are other good cardio exercises?
- I keep seeing the term 'proprioception.' What does it mean?
- When you talk about your core, do you mean abs?
- Why is training the nervous system such a big deal?
- Why do you train in your bare feet?
- What is Rate of Force Production?
- What are some healthy proteins you suggest eating?
- How do I upload a video?
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Where's a good place to do my workout?
Any place that has space is fine. You can workout in your living room, just be sure to push any furniture out. In the beginning you'll want to work out on carpet. The thicker the carpet is, the easier the workout will be. As you begin to improve try moving to a thinner carpet or invest in some type of rubber flooring.
You may also want to workout in front of a mirror so that you can check your form. It's always better if you do the workout with a friend. Not only will you have motivation, but you'll also have someone to check your form. If you're using the DVD, make sure you're in front of a TV or bring portable DVD player with you to where you are working out.
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What if I don't have all of the recommended equipment?
When I first started the program I used a painters pole and a mop for balance during the footwork exercises. If you're very careful, you can make your own slant board with bricks, and plywood. Lay a thick piece of plywood across a few bricks. This is not ideal, but it may serve in a pinch.
If you don't have Training Bells you can do the exercises without them, but you will be missing the reversing element and the element of resistance.
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Can I skip the challenging exercises?
Of course, but it's not recommended. Skipping around and certain exercises are not in your best interest. The program is challenging, but it has been designed to awaken all of the muscles in your body in the proper order.
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Do I have to do 3 sets of ten 10 reps of each exercise?
One of the great things about the SSL workout is that you only do each exercise once. You do each exercise once until you lose form. Some days you may do 7 Side Lifts on your left side and 9 on your right side. You now know that your left side needs more work. To make the workout more challenging you can do each exercise faster and adjust the width of your feet. Moving them closer together makes keeping your balance more challenging.
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How many days a week should I do the SSL workout?
Start by doing the workout 3 days a week. Add an additional day per week once you feel comfortable. You don't want to exceed doing the workout 6 days per week.
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Will this replace my weight training?
Yes! Conventional weight training does not build athleticism, it destroys your athleticism. Some of you may be on sports team that demand that you participate in a weight training program. This is too bad, but you need to do the Footwork and Ball Work program in addition to weight training. It will help keep your nervous system trained and your musculoskeletal system balanced.
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How long will a normal workout last?
That's tough to say. Your first few workouts are going to take time because everything is so new. Once you get the hang of it, you can probably get through the Footwork and Ball Work in 45 minutes.
There are some days when you're pressed for time. On those days do each exercise, just do fewer reps. It's better to get an abbreviated workout instead of no workout.
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How long should I rest between exercises?
Rest between 30 - 60 seconds between exercises.
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Should I workout if I'm feeling fatigued?
It's important to listen to your body. If your feeling fatigued then you should listen your body, it's telling you that it needs a break.
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What's the proper form when doing squats on the discs?
When doing your squat, do not go below 90 degrees. Keep your back arched and your chest out. NEVER put your weight on your heels, focus on keeping it on the balls of your feet. Athletic movements are on the balls of your feet so let's train them properly.
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How does conventional weight training destroy your athleticism?
There are many reasons. Here are a few:
- When your lifting conventional weights the blood flow to the muscle stops, blood pressure rises, and less blood flows back to the heart. It could be dangerous if you have heart problems.
- Laceration of the muscle tissue from maximal weight lifting which produces the larger mass also damages the nerve endings which is why you feel that deadening feeling after completing heavy work loads. The most detrimental thing that conventional squats do is imprint the wrong neural frequency on which muscles are supposed to fire, which are to support and which are to relax. This is also known as which muscles are acting as the agonist, synergist and antagonist muscle in a working movement.
- Because of the focus on max loading the joint angle can't support this maximum weight. This is leading to tears in labrums and ACLs. Meanwhile the joints are failing.
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What are plyometrics?
Plyometrics is a type of exercise training designed to produce fast, powerful movements, and improve the functions of the nervous system, generally for the purpose of improving performance in a specific sport.
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What is the one thing that makes a great athlete?
Speed of muscular contraction. The ability to switch muscles from eccentric to concentric contraction the fastest is always your best athlete.
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I want to be a faster pitcher, what should I work on, my arms or back muscles?
Start with your feet, yes your feet. Baseball players need rotational power which generates from your feet.
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I'm not a big fan of running, what are other good cardio exercises?
The rowing machine is a fantastic, low impact, full body workout.
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I keep seeing the term 'proprioception.' What does it mean?
Proprioception is a sensory modality that provides feedback solely of the body internally. It provides sensory information as to whether the body is moving with the required effort it needs to achieve any given task. Even more importantly it provides vital information as to where the various parts of the body are located in relation to each other. This information is how athlete's achieve maximal efficiency of movement. This awareness of movement is derived from muscular, tendon, and articular nerve endings that transmit data.
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When you talk about your core, do you mean abs?
Your core includes all the muscles of your abdominal cavity, oblique muscles, all the muscles in your back and your hips.
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Why is training the nervous system such a big deal?
The nervous system controls the muscular system and the entire musculoskeletal system is controlled by the motor abilities of the body. Training the proper neural frequency is essential to achieving muscular speed of contraction and efficiency. The faster nerve impulses can fire, the faster muscles can be recruited to stretch and fire. The slower the nerve impulses travel, the slower the muscles are recruited to stretch and fire.
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Why do you train in your bare feet?
Your feet are essential in maintaining good balance and in providing proprioceptive information to the central nervous system to determine muscular movement and force production. One of the key elements in many sports such as football and baseball is rotational power. That starts with the feet. Your feet are also one of your best shock absorbers. Your feet are the key foundational aspect in all human movement but especially in sports movements.
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What is Rate of Force Production?
It is the speed and amount of time with which your muscles are able to produce force. The best athlete's have tremendous rate of force production.
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What are some healthy proteins you suggest eating?
Da Vinci is the one that coined the phrase, " you are what you eat". He noticed that humans were physically made up of what they were eating from nature. Organic eggs, grass fed beef, organic chicken, and almonds are good sources of natural protein. Yogurt and spirulina are also good.
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How do I upload a video?
As an Elite Member, you have the ability to share videos
with the community. In a Forum Topic, Comment or Exercise, simply expand the "media" section and select the video file to upload. On comments and forum topics you also have the option to embed a YouTube video, also under the "Media" section.
