I pulled this video out of my archives.  With summer right around the corner, we want to look the best we can in our bathing suites.  Here are four abdominal exercises you can perform no matter your fitness level.

1) Side Plank

2) Stability Ball Rollout

3) Birddog

4) Full Body Mountain climbers

If you are a beginner, perform 1 set of this circuit 2-3 times per week.  Intermediate or Advanced perform  2 to 3 sets of this circuit 2-3 times per week.  Rest 1 minute after you complete the circuit and repeat.  REMEMBER: You cannot out exercise poor nutrtition. Check out my last blog on, "Why all the Cardio".  A great video demonstration!

You can add more reps and sets each week as you perform each movement with good form

and as you get stronger.  Good Luck and have fun!  If you have any questions, please comment below, and I will be more than happy to respond.

Here's a great Quote I received the other day, that I thought you would enjoy.  I'm sure many of us can relate to this at one point in time in our lives.  Just keep working hard and believe in yourself and your dreams.  Don't give up.

AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY in FIVE SHORT CHAPTERS

Chapter One

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost . . . I can't get my bearings

But it's not my fault!!!!!!

It takes forever to find a way out.

Chapter Two

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I pretend I don't see it.

I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

But, it's still not my fault!!

And it still takes a long time to get out.

Chapter Three

I walk down the same street

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I see it is there.

I fall in anyway . . . it's a habit.

However, now my eyes are open and

I know where I am.

I take 100% responsibility for where I am and

I get out immediately.

Chapter Four

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I walk around the hole.

Chapter Five

I walk down a different street!

"The difference between being in a rut and being in a grave is the depth of the hole and you can still pull yourself out of a rut."

Unknown

Here is an article I wrote a few months ago regarding basic movement skills being taught to kids and why it is important:

Well it’s that time of year again; the start of the school year and another summer has come and gone.  Isn’t it amazing how fast summers go?  With the kids going back to school, that means hitting the books again and lots of homework sandwiched in-between all of their other after school activities.  This also means kids all over will be participating in P.E. class.  I just read an eye opening report from the US News and World Report entitled; “Gym Class Injuries Up 150 Percent”.  In fact, the article stated; “that between 1997 and 2007, the annual number of injuries related to physical education increased 150% from 24,000 in 1997 to about 62,000 in 2007, the scientists said”.  What’s going on here? What is causing this sharp increase in injuries? 

     We’ve all could share our stories of bumps, bruises and breaks growing up playing sports, being active and playing, but are kids today playing as much?  Are they being taught basic movement skills and body awareness at a younger age before middle school?  Kids as young as 2 to 4 years old can be taught basic movement patterns; of course it will be in more exploratory and self discovery environment.  If kids aren’t moving and playing before the 4^th or 5^th grade, they are going to have a more challenging time in developing the motor skills they will need when they get older.  In the report, almost 70% of the injuries happened during running, basketball, football, volleyball, soccer or gymnastics.  Boys were more likely to be injured on the head, during collisions with other kids and during group activities, while girls were more apt to suffer strains and sprains to the legs and be injured during individual activities.  Most of these injuries occurred among kids in middle school. 

     As I’ve stated before, I believe sports are important and teach many wonderful life skills as well, but I believe proper movement skills should be taught first before sports.  Many kids in P.E. all across the country are being taught how to play sports rather than being given any type of basic training in movement and body awareness in elementary schools.  How many kids in P.E. are even doing any type of proper warm-up before the activity?  Most injuries with girls occur due to non-contact injuries to the knee especially as they start to play organized sports.  Many of these injuries with our boys and girls can be avoided if they are taught at a young age.  Things like balance, rhythm, spatial awareness, movement adequacy, etc, all through game play.  Once kids get a better understanding of these things, then they can progress into more advanced and challenging activities and sports.  Let the kids learn as many sports as possible, let them make up different games that challenge their balance, strength and reactivity. 

     I write a parent challenge every month for Today’s Teen magazine, a parent resource magazine.  I would like to challenge all parents with kids in elementary school to ask them or the school administrators what types of activities they are going to be doing in their P.E. class throughout the year.  Become more vigilant about what’s being taught and what’s not; the more global based movement patterns, the better.  Let’s make this a safe and great active school year for all the kids out there!

Why having a system for Youth Athletic Development is impoortant. Below is an article I wrote this past month.

Shedding some light on LTAD

Why the Long Term Athletic Development model (LTAD)?

Most people in our country do not know about this system and fewer coaches and parents understand it.

In my last article I touched upon the hazards of trying to specialize kids at an early age. It is our job as leaders in youth athletic development to keep chipping away at parents, coaches and the community at large about the best ways to develop our young.

This will not happen overnight, and will take patience, just like in developing our youth. I have my Gmail account alert set for LTAD, so when anyone writes something on it, I will be notified of the article. I came across a short interesting article titled, "The Long Term Effects of Higher Level Thinking." The author made an interesting point on students learning and correlating it to athletics:

"Developmental learning is a marathon; not a sprint. The fact that it does not happen overnight is NOT a rationale for why we should stop caring about the level of rigor that students experience in our classrooms. It simply means we must be cognizant of the fact that a lack of rapid development might not impede future development and simply emphasizes a need for more support."

How true! Just because a child may not display athletic skills early on doesn't mean he or she cannot develop if given the right kind of support. How many of our young kids slip through the cracks because they were not labeled great athletes or did not exhibit superior athletic skills at an early age? Could some of the many "average kids" have gone on to become elite athletes if given more attention and support or to have a system that allows for their development?

It basically focuses and recognizes the different growth and maturation stages of development for athletic development for all stages of life.

If I were to draw a LTAD pyramid of performance, it would have at the base or foundation, Fundamental Movement Patterns, such as running, skipping, sliding (lateral shuffle), hopping, throwing, catching, kicking, striking, etc... The second tier would be Functional Movement, which is our power base of movement; how far can someone jump, throw, or how fast they can move and the third tier at the top (the small part) of the pyramid would be Skills, which are sport-specific skills.

The challenge in our country is that we have that pyramid turned upside down, where we focus on mostly sport-specific skills with our kids at the foundation and the fundamental skills are not being developed as much. Why is this important?

It's due to muscle plasticity. Muscles are adaptable and pliable throughout life, more so in children. When kids are young, their central nervous system is like "Silly Putty." Children's muscles respond to all different types of stimulus and their bodies are sensitive to most stresses placed upon it. That's why it is so important that kids, especially pre-teens, are exposed to as much global athletic stimulus as possible. As a person ages, the muscle fibers and other factors begin to lose it plasticity. When he or she reaches full maturity, muscle fiber types are not as easily manipulated and our movement patterns become set, so to speak, or ingrained.

We live in a results-based society; we want results now! Athletic development, like our health, is much like farming. You will not see results immediately, but if you plant the seeds, cultivate and nurture them over time, it will reap benefits.

Give the kids the support they need, have them play more, involve them in as many activities or sports they want to participate in. Eventually they will naturally gravitate towards the sport(s) as they enter their teens. Just try not to rush the process, and enjoy the ride!


Contact Anthony Scire, Athlete's Performance Zone, at 88 Sugar Hollow Road (Rte 7) Ridgefield, Ct., 06877. 203-790-4653.