Team Clark’s Tips for heading into the New Year and making health and nutrition a “lifestyle” versus a “fad”.  Get ahead of it and avoid gaining the extra holiday pounds (better yet,    keep them off!)  –  no matter what age or fitness level you are at, these tips are sure to help you meet your fitness goals! These tips tie in with Tiger Athletics overall philosophy of  sound mind,  sound body.

 1.) 11 Day Rule: Initially, it takes only 11 days to create a positive reinforced behavior (habit).  After you’ve established this, by then you should be able to gain enough knowledge  and experience to move to the next level.  No matter what age or fitness level, everyone jumps off the bandwagon time and time again.  Stay focused and  remember to implement a  stretching or yoga protocol in your program to elongate muscles, increase ROM (range of motion), improve breathing, helps injury prevention and promotes recovery.  Tip:  Just  get  started, stop procrastinating.

2.)  10% Rule: Use this guideline to improve training performance without risk and injury.  What do I mean by that?  Whether you are just beginning a new exercise program or  training for an event, it is essential to progress at the right pace to meet your goals and avoid injuries.  Increase your time or length of workout by 10% a week, gradually.  The 10% rule is an easy way to gauge your training increases to get the most from your workouts while reducing your risk of injury.  New to this?  Tip:  Same rules apply for everyone.

3.) Eat Regularly: Don’t skip meals.  We all get extra busy over the holiday season, which can cause a major disruption in our diets. We may go for hours without eating, only to overeat later in the day. Some also sometimes deliberately skip meals before holiday parties, hoping to offset any extra calories. The problem with skipping meals is that it only encourages you to eat unhealthy foods.  Tip:  Simply plan ahead.

4.)  Sleep: This is when your body recovers and changes the most!  Lack of sleep not only leads to stress, it can also lead to weight gain.  Tip:  Get your rest! 

5.)  Involve the family.  Families that train together, stay together.  Get the kids involved and set the example.  It’s a lifestyle.  Tip:  There are NO EXCUSES.

Stacie | Uncategorized | 12 1st, 2011 | No Comments »

This week, I thought we’d take a look at protein. There’s a lot of
nonsense pedaled about protein, particularly by companies trying to
flog supplements, so I thought I’d try to clear some of the murky
waters – at least in part.

What is protein?
Proteins form the major building blocks of muscle and other tissues
within the body, as well as hormones, enzymes and hemoglobin in the
blood. They are composed of subunits called amino acids. There are
about 20 amino acids that we know of. 12 of these are made by our
bodies; the rest we need to get through our diet and they’re what we
call essential amino acids. If we don’t get these through our diet,
the ability of our muscles to grow or recover from training is
compromised.

How much do we need?
“It’s important to remember that supplements don’t provide everything
a healthy balanced meal can and so they shouldn’t replace meals on a
long-term basis.”

This is an area of considerable debate. Strength athletes need between
1.6 – 2g per kg of body weight per day. For an 80kg athlete, this means
they may need around 130 – 160g of protein. Endurance athletes need
protein in their diets as well, to ensure muscle mass is not lost following
training, but they need less (around 1.2 – 1.6g).

Many bodybuilders maintain that they need considerably more than this
and I’ve seen reports of people taking 6g per kg of body weight. They cut
down on their carbohydrates to remain very lean and so it’s likely that the
extra protein they consume is utilized as a fuel source, albeit an
inefficient one.

Do we need supplements?
I advocate the use of supplements in my job. The reason is because I
want to provide nutritional support to the training athlete within
half an hour of them finishing a training session. Using a protein
shake is a convenient method to ensure that we hit our protein targets
within this crucial 30-minute window. Equally, though, a protein-rich
meal is just as good, if not better, than a shake; it’s just that this option
is not always feasible in our environment and not everyone feels like a
meal so soon after training.

Downsides and Alternatives
It’s important to remember that supplements don’t provide everything
a healthy balanced meal can and so they shouldn’t replace meals on a
long-term basis. There is also the risk of a contaminated batch, which
can be problematic if you or your athlete is subject to drug testing.
You always need to make sure that your supplements come from a
reputable source, preferably one that has independent batch testing.
Finally, they can be expensive. Believe it or not, the same basic job
can be done by consuming a boiled egg and chocolate milk! It has the
carbohydrates necessary to get an insulin response (necessary for the
release of growth hormone) and the milk and egg also provide the
protein you need.

- Chris Clark

Stacie | Uncategorized | 05 6th, 2011 | No Comments »

We’ve known it all along, but we wanted to share with you just a few of the benefits to integrating resistance bands into your training regimen. “You don’t have to pump actual iron to build sexy lean muscle:  A study found resistance workouts using elastic tubing are just as effective as those using free weights.

“Everyone from beginners to conditioned athletes can benefit by adding resistance tubes/bands to their strength training programs.  Resistance  bands can add challenge and variety to any workout program.  The training possibilities of resistance bands are endless.  They allow you to move more freely and achieve a greater range of motion (as opposed to a machine which controls where you start and stop). Bands also allow you to mimic movements that you do in real life.”  If you want to improve your golf or tennis swing, you can perform that exact motion against resistance – no machine can do that. ”

This is called functional training.  This is an element of what we do at Tiger Athletics.  We do it the right way, giving you results.

Confounded by the rainbow array they come in?  Most tubing is color coded by resistance level, and the more the band is stretched, the higher the resistance.  While there’s no universal color system, here’s how most bands stack up weight-wise to dumbbells. Yellow = 2 to 5 lbs, Green = 3 to 5 lbs, Red 5 to 10 lbs, Blue = 7 to 16 lbs.

Sources:  Tiger Athletics, Women’s Health, Spark People, American College of Sports Medicine

Stacie | Uncategorized | 03 24th, 2011 | No Comments »

Proper nutrition is essential for everyone, including athletes – both as fuel for your body and to help prevent injuries.  Proper eating can also enhance performance in addition to preventing injuries.

Water
Adequate water consumption is critical to optimum health, performance and injury prevention. A dehydrated joint or tissue is more susceptible to tears and injury and puts additional stress on the body. Your goal should be to drink 8, 8 ounce glasses of  water daily, and avoid or limit the consumption of sugary beverages, coffee and alcohol.

Omega-3
This essential fatty acid is one of our defenses against inflammation, a primary culprit in injury and a hindrance in recovery. Omega-3 also helps to ensure well-lubricated joints and tissues and a healthy immune system. Most people are deficient in omega-3 and consume far too much omega-6, leading to an imbalance in the body’s system. Cold-water fish, ground flax seed and raw walnuts contain good levels of omega-3. Daily supplementation with a high-quality fish oil is recommended for most athletes.

Vitamin C
Vitamin C is important for tissue formation, especially collagen. Collagen provides the strength and flexibility for ligaments and tendons, and is necessary to hold bone together. Vitamin C can be obtained from foods such as citrus fruits, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cabbage and strawberries.

Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D
Calcium is required for strong bones, and thus for the prevention of fractures. Calcium is a mineral that is not well absorbed by the body and requires magnesium for proper utilization. Vitamin D is also required for proper calcium absorption. Eating a diet rich in whole grains, leafy green vegetables (i.e., Swiss chard, kale, spinach), raw nuts and sesame seeds, and cold-water fish (salmon, mackerel, cod) can help you meet your calcium, magnesium and vitamin D needs.

Zinc
Zinc is a mineral of great importance to our immune system, and essential for the healing of tissues and wounds if we get injured. Dietary sources of zinc include turkey, red meat, lentils, legumes and brown rice.

A Final Note
For athletes in a dedicated training program (exercising more than 10 hours per week), the recovery meal/post-workout meal is extremely important to maintaining energy levels and athletic performance, as well as injury prevention. If you don’t replace what you’ve lost/used during your training session, the body is unable to repair itself, leaving you susceptible to injury.

Stacie | Uncategorized | 02 24th, 2011 | No Comments »

There’s a lot of “doing” in our world, not only in our necessity to take action and keep ourselves busy, but also in the questions we direct at others.  For example, “How are you doing”, “What have you been up to?”, “What are you doing this weekend?”, and the one most people dread, “What will you be doing in five years?”  Do, do, do.  But we never seem to ask the “being” questions. So, my question to you is, “Who will you ‘be’?”

At first this may not strike a cord with you, and may be difficult for you to answer. However, I urge you to give it some thought. Will you be loving? Generous? Grateful? Energized? Driven? Demanding? In the moment?

It’s important that you actually decide what qualities or emotions you’ll allow yourself to have in your life. It is through this choice that you’ll then able to really define what type of year you’ll have.  Is this the year you’ll create space for honesty and integrity? Or will it be a year of adventure and exploration? Again, think less about “what you’ll do”, and try thinking about “who you’ll be.”

Over the last few years, living “in the moment” and “being present” have become buzzwords and phrases. But what do they really mean?  Eckhart Tolle has written several great books on this subject, including “The Power of Now” and “A New Earth: Awakening to your Life’s Purpose”.  If you haven’t read either, I recommend heading to your local bookstore and grabbing one. Regardless, the message I want to convey is how crucial it is to stop yourself from being the person who continually runs on the treadmill of life, going nowhere fast.  That’s the funny part about a treadmill. You can be running at any pace, but afterward, you’ll always be standing right where you started. Rather, step into the person who lies down after a hard run and takes the time to properly stretch. Give yourself the space to “be” more in your life, rather than “do, do, do”.

As Tolle and many other spiritual leaders would say, focus on where you are now. And now. And now. You only have this moment. And this moment. And this moment. The first time I heard the phrase, “This, too, shall pass”, it seemed quite negative to me. “Everything ends, everything passes, so why bother?”, I asked myself. And then I looked again. Every moment passes in the blink of an eye, which means it’s our duty to acknowledge and cherish each one before they’re gone forever.

So, as I asked earlier, “Who will you be?”

Chris | Uncategorized | 02 22nd, 2011 | 1 Comment »

Christina Holm-Sandok

Stacie Clark

There is nothing better than an entrepreneur, someone following their passion in life.  And even better?  Local women!  Friend and fitness enthusiast, Christina Holm-Sandok, founded Minneapolis based company Style-Architects to help lifestyle companies create authentic brands through design and communication.  And she definitely has a knack for it!  Stacie and Christina not only crossed paths in the fashion world years ago, but also sweating at the gym.  Check out her blog, www.christinaholmsandok.com/blog/, headlining Stacie Clark, Co-Founder of Tiger Athletics – Health and Fitness Tips for 2011.

Here’s to a Happy and Healthy 2011!

Thanks Christina!

Stacie | Uncategorized | 12 28th, 2010 | No Comments »

It all started with a little girl wanting to help others. Her name is Addison Clark, our 10 year old daughter,  and she sold her brother, Caden (7), on the idea as  well.  The goal?  To give back to those in need in Akumal, Mexico.  A town that is very special to our hearts, as well as to many Tiger Athletes, who have been lucky enough to come along on training trips to experience what is known as “paradise” – to us. Addison wanted to adopt a specific  family who had 8 children (9 actually – the oldest is 18  and has a job), ranging from ages 3-16.  Louis Pablo is  a chef at our favorite local restaurant, Pescadora’s.  He works 12-14 hour days like many of us, but can not afford to have his wife and children live nearby.  We learned his family lives 2.5-3 hours inland, while he lives on the pueblo side of the Akumal town, and he sees them one or two times a month on weekends.   Addison began to think of ways she could make some wishes come true, and asked for our help.  She marched into the back of the restaurant kitchen with her pen, paper and translator, confidently introduced herself and shook Louis’s hand.  He proudly smiled and in broken english told her, “I remember you from when you were just a baby. You kept trying to run into my kitchen:)”  A friendship and bond were made.  An hour later, she had collected all the children’s names, ages and sizes.  As we departed, she said, “I will see you and your family on December 24th and we will celebrate Christmas together.”

In just two short weeks, Addison raised over $500 and collected many gently used and new gifts specific to the family in need.  Checking in at the airport with fourteen bags (yes, not kidding!), we knew we still had a lot of work ahead of us in terms of organizing.  Our first night back in Akumal, we met up with Louis to confirm the December 24th details and to make sure he knew this was real.  He was so excited and explained to Addison and Caden that his children were making a pinata in honor of them and this miracle of an event, and requested they be the first to swing at it.  They accepted with glee, needless to say.  We still had work to do.

That evening, we learned from a good friend that about four other families (6 additional children) that also were in need.  Desperate need. Parents couldn’t pay rent.  No money, no gifts.  Maybe candy.  These families were not planning on celebrating, it was just going to be another day to them.  But not for long…..Team Tiger wanted to make a difference and with so many donations we were able to pull from the pile to ensure each child felt special.   Not only that, each family received necessary items for their home and health such as (not pictured):  cleaning supplies, soap bars to wash their clothes on washboards, body soap, deodorant, razors, toothpaste, toothbrushes, antibiotics, hot cake mix & syrup for Christmas morning breakfast and a box of Christmas cookies for the evening!  The children received new/used items such as:  clothes, backpacks, soccer balls, footballs, shoes, hats, underwear, t-shirts, socks, barbie dolls, bratz dolls, crayons, markers, paint, school supplies, coloring books, many games, books, frisbees, and additional toys such as cars, trains, helicopters. Louis’s family also received blankets, towels and personalized stockings – all very grateful.

This is just an example of children today showing the way and changing many lives. Click here to view all the photos of this memorable event.

Thank you to all that donated:  J. Neuman, Queen B, L. Zeman, A. O’Toole, H. Humphrey, C. Jansen, S. Friedman, Feinberg Family, Kauch Family, Gonyea Family, Turkbas Family, Storyk Family, Hyman Family, N. Stillman, J. Gainsley, L. Anderson, Oden Family, S. Bird-Kaitz, J. Kalis,  Stokes Family, Johnson Family, Hanson Family, Dunkley Family, Bowlby Family, Watkins Family, J. Jesse, Tiger Athletics & Team.

Stacie | Uncategorized | 12 25th, 2010 | No Comments »

PARADISE in the Riviera Maya.   Our 4th bi-annual trip was a success in mid-November.  All levels, beginners to advanced.  All thresholds, both mental and physical.  Game was on, everyone came to play.  Each day the athletes got prepared and became that much closer to knowing what to expect on race day.

There were two groups, multiple trainers:  beginner/intermediate and advanced.  Day 1-4 consisted of kicking off the morning at 7:30am to warm-up, then 75  minutes of cardio (from building base, adding tempo runs, sprints, builds…then introducing mixed terrain – yes, thick beaches!), and  followed up with a water-based training – kayak or athletic h2o training in the pool.  Each morning session ended with a breakfast training  table:   huge buffet of fruit, fresh juices, eggs, protein, yogurt, granola, french toast/pancakes and more……perfect!

Day 5:  Adventure Race Day.  Yep.  There were two legs.

Leg One was based on TEAM.  Run 400 meters on beach, swim 1/2 mile in the ocean, run 400 on beach, kayak with partner 1.0 mile to next bay….park kayak, run 800 meters on beach to point and grab ORANGE TIGER WRISTBAND, run 800 meters back to kayak, kayak back to port of entry….then run 800 meters to finish line.  Congratulations to Andrea and Tom Oden for winning this leg!  Note:  Jen Neuman was the 1st athlete out of the ocean on the swim!!  Way to go you guys!

Leg Two was INDIVIDUAL and everyone’s time was handicapped, giving all athletes the chance to win.  The course:  Run 2.0 miles to “the 2nd beach”, run 1.0 miles of thick sand, and back to start line – total of 5 miles.  Grab a beach chair (in the sand) and drag from point A to B…..run through the garden, hurdle chairs, swim through the pool, 10 push ups, REPEAT.  Congratulations to Tom Oden!

Overall, the athlete’s realized they could do more than they thought, and achieved the unknown.  Were they scared?  Some were.  Were they intimidated?  In the beginning, maybe.  Believe, train, trust, triumph.  Mission accomplished.

Join us for our next adventure:  Feb 17-21, 2011 (4 days/5 nights).  Packages as low as $999 – includes villa, training, breakfast table, rentals, local transportation, t-shirt and taxes.  Contact us directly for details at info@tigerathletics.com.  Click here to view more photos.

Stacie | Special Events, Uncategorized | 12 12th, 2010 | No Comments »

We found this article in Women’s Health Magazine recently and wanted to share it with you as it is 100% applicable to what we believe in and in how we coach our athletes, both kids and adults, from life sports to professional level.

The techniques sports coaches & psychologists teach athletes can help you stay cool under pressure – and excel in any area of life. Golf, like all sports, is a head game. One practices mental conditioning as much as hitting chip shots.  Sports psychologist, Joseph Parent, Ph.D., and author of the popular book Zen Golf: Mastering the Mental Game, regularly works with athletes to keep them focused.  He notes, “just as important as all the physical training is the training that nobody really sees – the kind that happens inside an athlete’s mind.”

In recent years, sports psychology has exploded  - in fact, many of today’s top athlete’s have a sports psychologist on their payroll.  And while most of us will never land a back handspring, make it to the pro’s or set a record, we can still prevail on the playing fields that matter to us (school, life sports, peer groups, the office, the gym, outdoors) by employing these simple strategies.

1.  Do a Mental Dress Rehearsal: Ever notice how top athletes never seem to be overwhelmed by the big moment?  Usually, it’s because they have been there before – either in real life or in their mind.  ”Studies show that the parts of the brain that are used when thinking about a task are the same ones used when actually doing it,” says sports psychologist Shane Murphy, Ph.D., editor of The Sport Psych Handbook. So visualizing a good performance can give you the same confidence that comes from having performed well in the past.

2.  Know When to Let Go: During training sessions, athletes are hyperaware of every move they make.  But under the pressure of competition, overanalyzing what they’re doing (say, making a goal or tennis swing) can lead to indecision and tightening up.  The result?  Costly mistakes.  One way to calm an overactive mind is by using diversionary tactics, says Sian Beilock, Ph.D., a psychologist at the University of Chicago and author or Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To. For example, before making a free throw, some basketball players will distract themselves by concentrating on the logo written on the ball.  When you’re swallowed up by a wave of performance anxiety, try using a technique that is applicable to you.

3.  Find the Words: Sports psychologists often tell their athletes to find a few words or phrases that can automatically bring their performance into focus.  Key words help you get connected with the way you want to feel.  Ask yourself, What do I want to achieve? Remember those key words and replay them in the moment.

4.  Ignore the Haters: Athletes are always trying to psych one another out (maybe your co-workers too?), and sometimes your detractors can be just as intimidating and cutthroat.  Letting negative thoughts sink in can rattle your nerves, so when rivals try to play mind games, Nicole Detling Miller, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Utah, tells her athletes to consider it a compliment.  ”If they’re targeting you, it’s probably out of jealousy,” she says.  ”Own that.  Tell yourself, If they’re gunning for me, I must be doing something right!” Amen.

Stacie | Uncategorized | 12 2nd, 2010 | No Comments »

Are charley horses cramping your workout style?  You could swill some pickle juice:  it eases muscle spasms, says a new study in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Or, follow  these four tips:
1.  DRINK UP:  Dehydration messes with your electrolyte balance, causing cramps.  Down 20 ounces of water three hours before working out (if possible), and drink up to eight ounces every 15 minutes during exercise.
2.  STRETCH:  Stop and gently stretch the sore spot for 20 to 45 seconds or until the pain goes away.  A cramp is a muscle spasm, so stretching the muscle counters its tightening.
3.  ADD TENSION:  Flexing a cramping muscle may make it release.  This action triggers a safety switch (called the Golgi tendon organ) that relaxes a muscle when it’s too strained.
4.  MASSAGE:  Rube the muscle vigorously, as if you’re kneading dough.  This combines the previous two methods by stretching and compressing the muscle, helping to release the cramp.

Sources:  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Women’s Health, Men’s Health

Stacie | Uncategorized | 11 1st, 2010 | No Comments »