Nutrition

Most of the knowledge that I have gained over the years has come from two people: my eighth grade health teacher and the trainer at my school, Coach Poulin. I never realized how important nutrition is when it comes to working out or getting on the field. I always knew that food was a fuel source for the body, but I never thought it really mattered what I ate before a game as long as I had something in me. In my mind it’s like getting gas where the cheapest, most convenient gas station is; they could dilute it with water for all I car as long it runs my car for that price. Now I know that I was very wrong.

 Have you ever felt lethargic before a game like you just don’t have it in you? I can tell you right now that’s a result of malnutrition. For the first time in my life, I felt the effects of malnutrition. Maybe I’m getting old and my body is showing me it’s about time I start watching what I stuff down my pie hole.

It was a warm Saturday afternoon at baker field, we were playing Roxbury Latin and all I had for breakfast was an ice coffee, the usual dark roast with cream and sugar. No matter now hard I tried to zone in on hitting a ball, I couldn’t make solid contact. After that one game, where I went 0-2 with a walk and we lost one of the biggest games of the season, I never want feel like that ever again.

My trainer, Coach Poulin, put nutrition into perspective for me this winter, which really allowed me to understand it. Our stomachs are like a lines graph; let the X and Y coordinates represent how much we eat and when we eat it. If you’re one of those people who think it’s smart to skip breakfast and eat a big lunch, well I can tell you that is not healthy what so ever. Huge spikes in your line graph are bad and result in two things, one is muscle loss and two is weight gain. The best way to keep an even lines graph is to eat 6 smaller meals that way there is no point in time where you are over-loading your stomach. I have been experimenting with this over the past weeks, and I can tell you my energy level has spiked, my weight is falling, and I’m keeping my strength in season.

A great example is my father. My mother and I can’t fathom how my father stays so skinny and with this knowledge, it all makes sense now. My father will snack almost all day and it seems like he never stops eating when in reality he is keeping a steady line on his line graph with very few spikes along with regular daily exercise. 

White Vs. Red Muscle

Balance and moderation are a few characteristics required in effective strength and conditioning. The over working of one muscle group is the biggest misunderstanding. Individuals who attend the gym once a day and focus on one muscle group are wasting their time and money. A proper program consisting of a wide range of muscle groups strategically organized to counteract one another is the best way to get an efficient work out.

Attacking the white and red muscle fibers with the proper rest to allow the muscle fibers to rebuild before breaking them down again is the most efficient way to build lean muscle. White muscle tissue holds little oxygen and is responsible for explosive movements such as moving a lot of weight for a short period of time. Red muscle fibers on the other hand is filled with oxygen and is responsible for endurance, such as moving small amounts of weight for a long period of time.

When only focusing on one of these types of fibers, athletes are known to hit a wall, also known as plateauing. This is where the muscle group is not breaking down much anymore; nor is it rebuilding. A simple solution to this problem is to mix and match heavy weight lifting with cross fit. Naturally, humans are born with a greater amount of either white or red muscle tissue; so once you can figure out what your weaknesses are, (whether it’s running a 5k or putting up 135 on the bench) they can be attacked and with simple adjustments and can be transformed into strengths. The well-rounded athlete will prevail.

Fun fact: In the Soviet Union around the early 50’s, to prepare for future Olympic events, muscle biopsies were preformed on children. This is where muscle samples were taken to determine whether the children were dominant in red or white muscle tissue. Tests indicating more white fibers resulted in the introduction of steroids. If one showed a high number of red fibers, you were trained in endurance.

Shoulder Stability and Rehabilitation

With the proper preparation and determination, anyone can prevent shoulder injuries. The focus needs to be in the small muscles, which stabilize the shoulder within the socket. The rotator cuff is the most important group of muscle that helps stabilize the shoulder. The supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, and the teres minor are the three muscles that make up the rotator cuff; strengthening these muscle will improve stability of the shoulder to prevent injury such as shoulder dislocation, rotator cuff tears and slap tears.

Free weights, dumbbells, cables, and bands are the most effective ways to improve the stability of any muscle group. Barbells put a lot of stress on the particular muscle group and restrict one’s range of motion, so they are not as effective. Substituting dumbbells for a barbell is always a good solution for improved stability and less stress on joints.

For example, try using dumbbells instead of a barbell when benching, and alternate the bench angle as well as grip face (palms facing) to target upper or lower chest muscles.

Internal and external rotation with either bands or a dumbbell combined with posterior capsular stretch is the easiest way to maintain a healthy shoulder and to rehab an injured shoulder. These exercises are also very effective in young baseball players to strengthen their arms and prevent injury. 

External Rotation

3x10

Internal Rotation (opposite of external)

3x10

Posterior Capsular Stretch

2x30sec.

SLAP Tears (Superior Labrum Anterior-Posterior Tears)

What is the Labrum?

The labrum is located on the anterior and posterior part of the inner shoulder. The labrum acts like a washer, which is wrapped tightly around the humorous glenoid, which then fits nice and snug within the shoulder socket. The labrum keeps the ball of the humorous from grinding up against the socket itself.

Type 1

A type one-slap tear is very common; it’s basically a degeneration of the labrum over time. When the labrum is starts to fray, it looks very similar to a piece of yarn that is frayed. Most of the time there is no pain that occurs. Some inflammation may occur which can be cured with a simple cortisone shot. Most of the time the individual does not suffer from any particular symptoms.

Type 2

In the world of baseball, a type two-slap tear is one of the most common injuries, which occur mostly in pitchers. This kind of slap tear can come from a dislocation or even overuse. A type two-slap tear is when a part of the labrum is slightly torn from the glenoid. There is often clear space between the labrum and the glenoid, which on an MRI will show up as blue where the dye has settled. Type two-slap tear can characterized as posterior or anterior. Most of the pain occurs from the glenoid grinding up against bones in the shoulder socket. This injury can be cured with simple physical therapy to strengthen the posterior shoulder but often results in surgery.

Type 3

A bucket Handle also known as a type three-slap tear of the labrum is where the top portion of the labrum is torn off the gleniod and hangs down in the socket; this often causes the should to pop out as well as a chunky feeling within the shoulder when rotating. Orthoscopic surgery is required where the torn labrum is actually removed and sutures are used to lock down the loose ends of the labrum.

Type 4

A type four-slap tear is the worst kind of labrum injury. This severe injury is similar to a type three-slap tear and also involves the tearing of the upper half of the bicep tendon as well.  Orthoscopic surgery is used to anchor the loose tendons down to the glenoid.

Protein and Creatine

Everyone wants a kick start, something to get them ahead of someone else, anything to make them look a little bit bigger, more toned, or even faster. Maybe you need to gain weight or even lose weight.  Some people like where their weight is at and just want to tone up. With the proper knowledge supplements can give you this head start. You need to understand that companies that manufacture these products are looking for the best way to get your money. So the first step in finding the right kind of supplement for you is to do your homework.

Protein is the most common and underrated supplement on the market today. Although there are a ton of different kinds and brands out there, whey, soy and egg are just a few common ones. Whey protein is fast absorbing and is also very diverse. Whey can be taken as a meal replacement shake, a pre-work-out snack or even post-work-out for rebuilding and gaining lean muscle.

 Now on the market there is a whey protein that can be absorbed at a slower rate for taking before bed to help recover. Casein protein is more effective before bed or as a meal replacement because it slows down the rebuilding time; this makes it perfect for long lasting hunger relief. Protein can often be overused; unused protein often turns into fat. The general rule of thumb is one gram of protein per one pound of body fat per day.

Body Fat in lbs. = (Total Bodyweight) (Body Fat Percentage (in decimal form))

Lean Body Mass = Total Bodyweight - Body Fat in lbs.

So someone who weighs 173 pounds with a body fat percentage of 17.5% would calculate as follows:

(173)(.175) =	30.3 lbs. of body fat
173 - 30.3 =	142.7 LBM

There are many misunderstandings when it comes to protein. Most people think why buy something that you can obtain by eating the right foods? Well, here is the answer to that: sure, egg protein is great for you and there is absolutely nothing wrong with using eggs as a source of protein, what if you could have a substance so pure and so advanced, that is extracted from milk at its most potent form. Whey is actually extracted as a by-product of cheese. Whey protein highlights the essential muscle rebuilding substances and amino acids.

 Creatine is another natural supplement that can be taken. This substance can also be a huge waste of money if the proper precautions are not taken. Creatine is naturally produced in the human body; it’s made up of three essential amino acids that are responsible for short powerful movements in the body. Creatine is not something that should be taken before a game or a cardio work out. Extensive saturation of creatine in the muscle tissue results in the hydration of muscle and the increase in muscle size and stamina. It is very important to work out a proper dose schedule because creatine is something that will not be effective once in a while. It takes about a week before one’s body can adapt and the creatine is fully saturated in the tissue. A huge side effect of creatine is dehydration, because creatine absorbs water to provide for muscles, this makes it essential to consume large amounts of water daily.

Introduction

My name is Kevin Wnukowski, and I am a senior at Lawrence Academy. This blog is a project that I have constructed to discuss my personal thoughts and stories about weight lifting along with injury prevention. I would like to pursue athletic training, kinesiology, or even physical therapy in my future because it is a passion that I have had since the summer of eighth grade when I started seriously lifting. I spent four days a week for two months of my precious summer with the strength and conditioning coaches at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts, participating in the Be Athletic sports performance program.

This is where it all started for me-BeAthletic

This particular blog will be slightly geared towards baseball because I am a high school baseball player and will be going off to play at the colligate level in the fall. Over the course of my baseball career I have encountered many injuries, two of which resulted in surgery. My sophomore year I tore my labrum and my senior year I suffered a TFCC tear in my wrist, which I am still recovering from. These two particular injuries could have been avoided with the proper knowledge.

Throughout this blog I would also like to discuss my personal opinions about lifting theories and classic mistakes that take away from your workout. With my desire to pursue strength and conditioning in my future, I can’t help but want to learn and adapt to every new idea that is put forth. Over the years I have gained a lot with talking to trainers and coaches at all levels, high school, college, and even the pro level. I have tried to take a little bit from every one of them and have created my own melting pot of thoughts, opinions, and theories.

Stay tuned for my first post coming soon.