The Econo Prowler, a Review

September 8, 2008

The Prowler is a strength and conditioning tool sold by Elitefts.com. Let me first say that I have ZERO financial interest with Elitefts.com or the Prowler. I will review various fitness tools and supplements from time to time, and if they receive a positive review, it’s simply because I like the product.

Ok, with that out of the way. On Christmas Night 2007, I opened a huge box from my rather generous girlfriend. Inside I saw a mass of metal tubes and pipes known as the Econo Prowler. I had been not so subtly hinting that I wanted this for several months, and I was so excited, I almost tried it out right then and there. However, I decided to be normal for once and wait until the next day.

Putting the unit together took all of five minutes. It’s simply a matter of fastening two heavy duty bolts and you’re ready to go. The first session I tried just about every movement I could think of. Pushing on the high bars, pushing on the low bars, attaching a chain to a handle and pulling it forward and backward, on grass and on the driveway. I quickly found that different areas had different effects. It was much easier to push/pull on pavement than on grass. The length and "wetness" of the grass also played a role. Pulling was easier than pushing and thus needed more weight.

Since then I’ve walked with fairly light loads (155lbs) for 20 minutes, sprinted with more moderate weight, and done all out push-pulls with heavy (300lb+) weights. All work and all have distinct possibilities. I like the light walking push/pull for general conditioning and losing body fat. It’s also great the day after a heavy training session for pushing the blood through the system and relieving stiffness.

The more moderate-weight sprints are excellent for conditioning and the heavy push/pulls are best saved for special occasions. The great thing about pushing the Econo Prowler, is that it causes almost no soreness. No matter how much my legs were screaming while pushing it, I’ve never encountered any real soreness the next day.

Any drawbacks? Only one that I’ve come across. The front of the sled is not weighted and has a single "foot" that can sometimes get caught or jammed into soft grass/ground. It’s not a huge deal, but when you are sprinting with it, hitting a soft patch and getting jammed can feel like you’ve run into a wall. The best remedy I’ve found for this is simply putting a few "standard" (weight plates with the small holes) plates on the low handles…a pair of 25’s seems to work best. This will keep the sled from jamming and also from coming off the ground when pulling.

A common complaint used to be the cost, but the new Econo version of the Prowler makes it extremely affordable and well worth every penny. I can’t recommend it highly enough! I've used it with clients ranging from football players to stay at home moms, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.
(Note: This blog entry also appears on my Fitness Site, http://www.uwafitness.com/)

In-season Training

September 9, 2008

Figuring out in-season training programs can be quite confusing. After all, you don’t want to lose all that you worked so hard for in the off-season. But, you know you are tired and beat up from games and practices. In the old-days, many coaches would simply have their players not train.

This really hurt the players’ strength and power. Why build up your strength for 9 months only to watch it dissappear by week 4 of the season?

There are many different approaches to in-season training that are effective, but I prefer a two day/week protocol. One upper body day, and a combo upper/lower day.

On Max effort upper day, work up to a triple, then use higher (8+ reps) for the rest of your upper body work. This is NOT a max triple, however. Go to a weight that feels heavy but not impossible. This could change week to week, but the focus is on "straining" for a few seconds and keeping your strength levels up.

On the combo day, I like to keep the upper body reps high (10 – 12) to pump blood through the system and to your sore muscles. Lower body training must be dictated by what you are doing/will do/have done that week. A few triples with a moderately heavy weight will keep the strength up without damaging muscle fibers too much.

I find Deadlifts better for this purpose because the bar is off your back. And, if the bar is dropped after each rep, the eccentric portion is eliminated, thus reducing soreness.

Whatever method you chose, please refrain from doing agility work during the season. You are being trained in a very sport-specific way in-season…by actually playing your sport! It’s a waste of energy and leg strength.

Attitude

September 12, 2008

This past week, I was lucky enough to watch the Philadelphia Eagles beat the St. Louis Rams live at the Linc. One thing that struck me almost immediately was the Rams lack of attitude. Simply, they were beaten before the coin-toss. They looked lazy and hapless in their pre-game efforts.
When they took the field, they were flat…not an ounce of fire! And, they caught a beat-down for their lack of focus.

You can fake your way through a baseball game…maybe you strike out. You can pretend to be into your golf game…maybe you slice a few times.

But, try and fake emotion and passion for a football game and you will get eaten alive.

In football, and in training for football, one MUST have a proper, positive, unrelenting attitude.

Each day you must strive to be better than you were the previous day. Your game day attitude is cultivated throughout the year. It’s not about listening to loud music, or cursing and screaming or slapping yourself in the face.

• It’s about that training session you didn’t miss way back in February, even though you felt like crap….it’s about the time you sprinted up the hill even though it was pouring rain…it’s about how you found the time to train when all your friends were out having fun.
  
• It’s in those times and countless others that you game day attitude is built. Having the confidence of knowing you put in all the work, struggle, sweat and blood in the months prior to the game gives you a HUGE advantage.
  

You WILL be prepared to battle. Remember all the guys who decided to go out drinking while you were doing Deadlifts? Now’s the time for your revenge.

But, forget those jokers. They’re easy prey. No, you must think about the guy across town who’s playing across from you. He’s been lifting and running and training too. He’s been Squatting and getting 9 hrs of sleep. He’s been on the perfect football diet. And, guess what? He’s a naturally better athlete than you.

Do you roll over and play dead? Unfortunately, many do. No, not if you are a reader of this site. What you guys do is work even harder. Run one more sprint, get one more rep, sleep more, eat more, be mindful of the tasks at hand…and then you go out and Own that guy. He’s worked hard, but you’ve worked harder. And you know it. You now know that you have the skill and determination to destroy this guy. Now your attitude is complete. Now you can be a champion.

Questions, Comments? http://www.explosivefootballtraining.com

Hell's Bells...

Kettlebells and Football Training

September 15, 2008

Kettlebells are one of the most controversial strength training tools in the world today. It seems they are either loved or despised. I think they are an excellent tool, especially for football conditioning and explosive training.

I believe their popularity is due to their simplicity. Simply pick the weight up and get to work….

Done for high reps, Kettlebells provide a unique fat loss and conditioning tool.

Done for more moderate reps and heavier weight, they can be an effective strength builder.

Throwing K-bells is another great way to use them in a program. The simple but extremely effective Behind-the-Head Toss is one of the best movements to teach the transfer of power from the ground up.


These can be done prior to your heavy upper body work or as a finisher. It won’t take much, maybe 5 or 6 strong tosses and call it a day.

Questions, Comments? http://www.explosivefootballtraining.com

To Clean or Not to Clean...

To Clean or Not to Clean…

September 15, 2008

There’s been some argument over the last few years in the athletic training field over how, if at all, the Olympic Lifts should be placed into the strength training programs for athletes. The Power Clean has long been a staple of football training programs. The clean is said to build explosive power in the hips and legs. It also builds considerable muscle in the back and traps.

The use of Dynamic (or speed) training has delivered a considerable blow to the Power Clean’s popularity. So, are they necessary or is Dynamic effort training better?

The answer is yes and yes. Let me explain. The Clean is a powerful TOOL in your strength training arsenal. But, it is just a tool and should not be the focus of the program, as some have stated. Cleans do build explosive strength and help build up the back, traps and legs.

However, Dynamic effort lifting is probably better at becoming explosive and powerful. But, both should be used.

The clean can easily be plugged in to a Max Effort day when you just don’t have it in you to do a huge Squat or Deadlift. It will indeed build big traps! It will also improve explosiveness…but I think there’s an aspect to the power clean that is often overlooked…Conditioning.

Using the power clean, with dumbbells, a barbell, or kettlebells, for high reps is a killer conditioning exercise. It will help you melt fat off your body and provide real-world conditioning.
Just grab two moderately heavy dumbbells and start cleaning them. Either go for high reps or, better yet, time the movement….go as high as 2 minutes if you dare.

Remember, all of these exercises are tools, all have their unique applications, so please don’t rely on any one to be a magic bullet.

Questions Comments? http://www.explosivefootballtraining.com