What Would You Do for a 50-Cent Trophy?

In her first article for Cygen Labs, sponsored athlete and National Level Figure Competitor Angela Doucette shares her feelings on the motives of many up and coming physique competitors, and the lengths that many people will go to in order to succeed in the sport that she's so passionate about.

By: Angela Doucette

It has been a long time since I’ve heard a new bodybuilder or figure competitor say they compete for themselves, their health, or just because they love it. It seems these days everyone thinks they deserve to be a “pro” and some will do just about anything to get there.

When I started competing in 2004 I had been following the sport of bodybuilding for 5 or 6 years. I knew all the big names in the business and loved reading about them, and their training/diet methods as presented in magazines. The first time I was in the audience of a local OPA show in 2002, I knew I would one day grace that stage. Two years later I did just that. I never expected to win or even really knew what turning “pro” meant. I did that show for myself and fell in love with the process. Watching my body transform day to day amazed me. I felt so in control of my body and my mind.

I am often approached by girls who have competed once at a local show or by girls looking to get into the competitive scene for guidance. I truly love to help people and I have a passion for this lifestyle but sometimes people are competing for all the wrong reasons. Some come right out and ask what drugs they need to take or ask if getting plastic surgery is essential to win. Really??? It amazes me how far people will go for one night in the spotlight and a 50 cent trophy.



This sport can be healthy for the mind and soul but if taken too far or too seriously it can take over your life and cloud your judgment. I can’t tell you how much it saddens me to read stories of divorce, financial problems, family issues, body image issues, depression, and irreversible drug use related side effects due to taking this sport too seriously and too far. Some days I want to disassociate myself from this sport but I know there is still good out there. When I compete at local or national level events and reacquaint with veteran competitors I am reminded there are many athletes out there just like me. Competitors who are teachers, lawyers, engineers, mothers, police officers, students…and we all talk about our careers and families and I realize this is a passion and lifestyle I share with many confident, successful and beautiful strong women.

This sport is a hobby for most. Only a handful of athletes make a living directly from this sport. So, please be realistic and careful. It can be easy to get caught up in the vain madness this sport can evoke. Personally I am a wife and mother first and foremost and before making any decision I ask myself “would I want my daughter to do that”?

Blasting the Back

In the second installment in the series, Scott discusses one of the best exercises to hit the upper back, the seated cable row.

By Scott Milne:

For most beginners in the gym, the muscles they love to train most are sometimes referred to as "mirror muscles" - because to state the obvious, they're the muscles you can admire easily in the mirror. However, only training the muscles you can see can lead to muscle imbalances, postural issues, and an eventual plateau.

Equally as important though, (and some might argue even MORE importantly) are the muscles you can't see. While the chest gets all the love from beginners, without paying the propper attention to the back, you'll soon find yourself running into some huge problems. For starters, building a wider, thicker back gives you a more solid base to bench from, which in turn helps you get stronger. A large back makes you less prone to injury, by providing you with extra "armour" as well as stabilizing your posture. And suprisingly, while you might not think the ladies appreciate a large back, from an evolutionary perspective, a wide, strong back signifies your ability to be a good protector (be it from falling rocks, or when you find yourself on one of those "When Animals Attack" shows). So what are we waiting for? Let's help you build that barn door back.

Here are the keys to focus on when performing the seated cable row:

• Start with your arms fully extended. The most difficult part about any pulling movement is initiating the pull from a fully extended position, so many people are tempted to stop the range of motion short, in exchange for added weight, or more reps. Don’t make this mistake, this extended range of motion is where most muscle is built.

• Begin the pull by retracting the scapulae (pulling your shoulder blades together), followed by activating the lats and rhomboids. Try to minimize bicep activation as much as possible. Again, the common mistake is to pull with the arms in exchange for heavier weights. This might do wonders for your biceps, but it won’t do a heck of a lot for your back. Use wrist straps if you have to – this can help take emphasis off the arms.

• As the weight begins to move, it’s okay to use your lower back a little bit to get yourself to a fully retracted position. While some people view this as cheating, it’s critical to put yourself in the optimal position to really squeeze the lats and rhomboids at the end of the movement. Much like the starting position, the finishing position of this movement is difficult, but vital to get the size you’re looking for.

• Once you’ve reached the finished position, really focus on squeezing the lats and rhomboids, and hold this position for a second or two. This will help you develop what is called the “mind-muscle connection.” When doing exercises for a muscle we can’t see, it’s important to really visualize the proper muscles working in order to properly activate them.

Here’s a video example:



I hope these tips serve you well on your quest to building the back alllll the ladies will want the seek safety behind.

Fit or Fat?

For those of you who haven't heard, one of the newest Members to the Cygen Labs Team, National Level, Natural Bodybuilder Steve Doucette will contributing to the Cygen Labs blog. This week Steve throws in his two cents about the benefits (or lack thereof) to bulking in the offseason.

By: Steve Doucette

On a sunny weekend morning, I approach the gym parking lot ready to battle out another grueling leg workout. I am beginning to feel the intensity of my pre-workout supplement working its way through my bloodstream. The excitement of whether I will set another PR on a heavy squat is fueling my desire to get into the gym as quick as possible. Then as I ring in and head upstairs to the weight room, I get stuck. I am stuck behind a 280 pound monster. The man looks as though he can bench press a bulldozer, and as he takes another step up the stairs, he blocks the sunlight beaming through the window and casts a shadow that nearly blocks all the light from the main level cardio floor. But then I begin to question, is this guy going to make it up the stairs? Half way up the long flight of stairs he is already out of breath, and clearly putting out a big effort to make it up. As he rounds the bend of the staircase, this is when I notice he is larger sideways than head on. His face looks rounder than a full moon on a clear night and the pot belly protruding underneath his tank top is approaching his knees. I pause, and turn to the other wall and notice his face on the wall in a picture with an overall trophy, no more than 4 months prior winning the local bodybuilding championships. Yes, another example of taking the bodybuilding staple ‘you have to eat to grow’ too far.



Do I personally think one needs to stay lean year round? Not necessarily. Calories are essential to produce energy, maintain life and finally to stimulate growth. This is why you often hear people say we ‘grow’ in the offseason, and during contest prep season we can reveal just how effective the offseason was at stimulating growth. But often times what happens is individuals will gain a massive amount of weight in the pursuit of growth and yes – they grow – but why is it that the next year they look the same as they always did? In a best case scenario, they may have put on 3-5 pounds (which is an EXCELLENT achievement in a year – more on that later). Was it worth it? The answer to many of us reading this and trying to put on muscle is: YES, of course it was worth it. However, ignoring the fact that becoming morbidly obese in the offseason has countless other health drawbacks, ask yourself this…Would you have still gained those same 3-5 pounds of lean tissue this offseason if instead of packing on 50-60 pounds post contest, you were to have stayed within say 20-30? 99% of the time the answer is yes. No one argues the fact that you have to eat to grow, but I draw the line at gorging on fast foods because eating clean seems to have caused a plateau on the weight scale. Or getting to the point where working out becomes a chore since you are ready to vomit after each hard set.

Many people will have different answers to this question, but consider this. Let’s assume that getting fat in the offseason actually does provide a slight benefit above and beyond eating a clean but substantial amount of food in the ‘growing months’. Would you rather look good all year round, feel good all year round and make slow and steady gains of 3 pounds per year…OR is getting that 4th pound really worth the devastation to your cardiovascular health? In an obsessive sport, I do realize there are many that would agree that getting fat is actually worth the additional pound. But one thing people must realize is that you can still make, in my opinion, ALL the gains necessary and still look good year round. This applies to not only the competitive physique competitors, but to the average gym enthusiast as well. The notion of ‘bulking and cutting’ seems to be popular among anyone trying to gain muscle.

The debate has existed for years, and I see it come up time and time again on bodybuilding forums all over the net. One criticism of staying relatively lean year round is that how is one supposed to ‘move up in weight classes’ if they only gain 15 pounds in the offseason? For example: person “A” weighs 176 pounds on stage, and the goal is to be the top of the next weight class (187) the year after to stay competitive. So how is one going to achieve this by ‘only’ gaining 15-20 pounds in an offseason? My answer is, they probably won’t…! BUT gaining 40-50 is not going to change that fact! Seasoned competitors do not gain 10+ pounds per year of lean muscle…They may gain 10 pounds from 1 show to the next, but most often, those aren’t 10 good pounds. Perhaps the theory is that for every 1 pound of fat gained, an additional pound of muscle (for example) would come along with it. Realistically that only works for the first few pounds. Gaining muscle doesn’t come easy, and the reality of it is, jumping weight classes within a year is extremely rare. Remember the old adage, ‘slow and steady wins the race’…this isn’t exclusive to rabbits and turtles guys…If you can gain 3 pounds of muscle from the time you are 20 years old until you are 35, that is 45 pounds of pure muscle…That is taking a lightweight bodybuilder into the heavyweight class! Besides, judges don’t care how much you weigh – they care what that weight looks like. I know many people, myself included that have competed in back to back years in the same weight class, but the detail, maturity, and shape, all improved to the point where they could compete with guys 2-3 classes higher.

So as I take another step up the stairs, “Mr. Offseason” insists I go ahead. Too bad for him, it was also his squat day, and there is only 1 rack in our gym…But I’ll probably be done with it by the time he makes it up to the gym floor.

Bench Press Essentials

By Scott Milne

Long time no see Cygen Nation. In the coming weeks, IFBB Pro Bodybuilding, and Cygen Athlete Scott Milne will be posting blog entries here, giving you tips on how to properly perform certain essential exercises in the gym, to get the best muscle building bang for your buck. So sit back and enjoy the ride as Scott Milne turns you into a full fledged beast!

Without ever meeting you, I can guarantee that the bench press was either the first or second exercise you ever performed in the gym (you did curls 4 days a week didn’t you?). It’s the exercise that everyone likes to brag about to their friends (how much ya’ bench?). But in building a well developed chest, bigger weights don’t always translate into better results. What’s more important in the grand scheme are things like form, time under tension, which angle(s) you hit the muscle from, and adhering to specific cues that are going to make the muscle grow bigger, and not just stronger. Here’s a list of some tips I like to use to make sure I’m able to stimulate the most growth possible when hitting the bench press.

We’ll start with the Flat Barbell Bench Press:

• When grabbing the bar, you want to put your hands at a width that allows your elbows to be at a 90 degree angle when you are at the bottom portion of the movement. Grab it too wide, and the tension is shifted to the shoulders, grab it too narrow and the tension is shifted to the triceps. The wider your upper body, the wider grip you’ll need.

• I like to use a false grip (thumb open, under the bar), which helps keep my wrists locked, but for safety reasons, I recommend that beginners use a full grip (thumb wrapped around the bar).

• Before unracking the bar, ensure that your scapula (shoulder blades) are retracted and pulled back into the bench. This will engage your lats, and allow you to have a more stable base when lying on the bench.

• Once you’ve unracked the weight, make sure to move it out over your chest where you intend to bring it down. Too many beginners bring the bar straight down from the rack, and this results in moving the bar on a diagonal plane, which makes the subsequent reps more difficult.

• Bring the bar down to the mid chest at a slow, controlled tempo (about 2-3 seconds down). Many people bring the bar down to the lower pec, or upper abdominals and “bounce” the bar. This is great for inflating your ego, but it takes tension off the pecs.

• To bring the bar back up, initiate the movement by squeezing the pecs, and contract hard at the top of the movement.

• Lastly, don’t lock the elbows out at the top. By stopping the movement just before lock-out, this keeps the tension on the pecs, and better stimulates growth to the muscle, which is what we’re shooting for.

Here are some videos to demonstrate:



The second video is a different angle of me performing the Incline Bench Press. Most of the cues are the same, but there are a few variations:

• Bring the bar down closer to the top of your chest. This will better isolate the upper portion of the pec, which is the purpose of pressing from an incline in the first place.

• Unlike the flat bench, there is no need to bring the bar all the way down to touch the chest, especially if you have shoulder issues. Because of the angle of the bench, bringing the bar all the way down can put the shoulder into a compromising position.

• Press the feet firmly into the floor, and try to limit the amount of arch in your lower back. Many people will end up with a severe arch during an incline press to try and muscle up more weight, which makes the movement more like a flat bench press.



I hope these tips have been helpful for you, and I encourage you to give them a try the next time you plan to hit the bench press.

If you've got any questions on the tips or the videos, post them here, or on our Cygen Facebook page.

Till Next Time,

Scott Milne

What Does Success Mean to You?

In his latest contribution to the Cygen blog, Christopher Reed discusses his definition of what it means to be successful.



What does success mean to you? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Like what you hear? Then visit the Empire Fitness website to learn more about Toronto's #1 Garage Gym!

Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 2)

In Part 1 of her article, Dawn shared her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room. In Part 2, Dawn gets into more detail as to how you can use weights to effectively cut fat, and build a lean, sexy, feminine physique.

The idea behind using weights to burn fat is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine! How do you do this? First, you must pay close attention to your diet. In order to build muscle, you need to eat enough protein to build and repair your muscles, and enough carbs, at the right times, to fuel your workouts. You must challenge your muscles to do more than they are normally used to. By this I mean not doing the same old bicep curls, and abdominal work, with a few new things thrown in. I mean keeping a chart, and using a progressive overload technique. Lifting 2-3 times a week, and adding more weight to each set. Using enough weight to get 8-10 reps, with about 1-2 minutes of rest, between sets, to be able to do 1 warm up set, and 3-4 working sets. The ONLY way a muscle will grow, is by being challenged. If all you keep doing is light weights, and lots of reps, you will create muscular endurance, not larger muscles. Now remember, bigger muscles, burn more fat even at rest!

1. It is physiologically impossible for women to bulk up quickly from weight training. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for muscle mass. Women simply do not have enough of it in their systems to build that much muscle. I have lifted weights for 25 plus years, and much heavier than any woman in my gym, and I by no means am huge!

2. By lifting weights correctly, you will take your muscles through their full range of motion. This will create over time lean, flexible muscles. Soon, you will appear leaner, will stand up straighter, and be stronger.

3. Weight and strength training is extremely important as women age. It has been shown that women gain strength at the same rate as men do. By taking charge of your strength, and flexibility, you will reduce your chances of falling, or having back problems later in life. You will learn how to lift objects without assistance. By getting stronger, you will prevent injuries. You will increase your grip strength, which is a marker now used in the anti-aging community that correlates to your mortality. Lifting weights will also strengthen your connective tissues, giving you a better sense of balance, and stability.

4. By strengthening your connective tissue, you increase your mineral density, decreasing your chance of developing osteoporosis.

What will you look and feel like? You will feel strong and energized. You will have less body fat, and your hard work will be "showcased" by your sexy, sculpted muscles. You will be less stressed, because you will have created the body you always wished you had.

Now go into the gym with a plan. Buy a weight lifting guide, or hire a trainer. Plan your new body, like you would plan any other future engagement. Get rid of old thoughts of getting too bulky. The only thing that will be to big are the pants you used to wear!

Like what you read? Check out Dawn's blog, Constant Energy Fitness for more of her awesome advice on health and fitness.

Do You Like What You See?

In his latest video log, Christopher Reed invites us all to take a look at ourselves in the mirror and think about how we react when confronted with controversy. So sit back, have a listen, and let Toronto’s #1 Underground Strength Coach hit you up with some truth:

Burn Body Fat with Weights, NOT Cardio - Getting Rid of the Myth (Part 1)

Dawn Sylvester is a figure competitor, personal trainer and kettlebell competitor who has dedicated more than 30 years of her life to living a healthy lifestyle. Inspired by her passion for fitness and helping others, she started Constant Energy Fitness, a fitness blog focused on providing women with cutting edge tips to get them stronger, leaner, and healthier.


In her first contribution to the Cygen Labs blog, Dawn shares with us her feelings on the myths and stereotypes surrounding women in the weight room, and how you can REALLY kick up your fat loss efforts in the gym.

Are you afraid to lift weights because you don’t want to get too big or bulky? Do you think you will lose your flexibility? Will you look like those "women" in bodybuilding magazines? Are you too "old" to begin a weight training program? NO WAY!! Let me get rid of some beliefs that women find hard to shake, and why weight training is something you need to start today.

Cardio is NOT the answer. It is now being studied that it is much more beneficial for women to lift weights, than to do cardio alone. I know, we have been told for so long, that the way to lose weight is to do endless hours of cardio, and the weight room is for the guys. If I was to tell you that you could cut your workout time in half, and within months, lose bodyfat, and inches, while gaining strength, would I have your attention?

I am 51 years old. I have lifted weights for more than 20 years, and have a bodyfat range of around 19%. It is due to clean eating, and intense weight lifting. I am 5'1", at 108 lbs, and have squatted up to 185 lbs, and done sets of leg presses using 360 lbs. I ask you, do I look bulky or too muscular to you? In my 20's I lived for cardio, was 15 lbs heavier, and chubby! A substitute instructor in my aerobics class one day had a body I would die for, so I stayed after to ask for tips. What she told me, was amazing! She said she NEVER did cardio! I didn't believe her then, but decided that what I had been doing, obviously wasn't working, so I started to lift weights. Within 6 months, I lost a total of 15 lbs of fat, felt great, and had never been leaner! Years later, I went on to become a certified personal trainer. I wanted to spread the word to women….stop doing cardio only, and stop cutting calories! A woman's place is in the weight room! Now when I do cardio, it is in the form of intervals, and only 2 x weekly.

As a 50th birthday present to myself, I entered a figure competition, and received 2 trophies. I was competing with girls 25 years younger than me! I also recently did my first Kettlebell competition, and received a medal. So, open your mind and erase your old misconceptions about women and weights, because the weight room is where we belong!

The most important thing you can do to lose body fat is eat a clean diet, and do anaerobic exercise. What we used to think, based on studies done in the 80's was to do cardio for as long as possible. Right?...Not anymore! Current studies done by exercise physiologists tells us that it is proven that you can burn up to 25% more calories from fat, AFTER an intense session of weight training, than DURING cardio. The afterburn is what is most significant, and can last for up to 36 hours! Since our ultimate goal is to burn calories from fat stores, this is the most efficient way to change the composition of your body. Nothing is more appealing, to men and women alike, than a curvy, lean physique on a woman.

The idea is to raise your resting metabolism. Metabolism is determined by how much muscle you have on your body, incorporated with a few other factors. Researchers have shown that we have the ability, to "trick" our genes into behaving differently, mainly, by lifting weights, and building muscle. By increasing your fat to muscle ratio, you can change your body from flabby and weak, to a lean, strong, fat burning machine!

Stay tuned for part 2 of Dawn’s blog entry where she takes us through a 4 step process of how you too can change your views on the weight room forever, and take your feminine physique to the next level.

Toronto's #1 Underground Strength Coach Gets Philosophical

Hey Cygen Fans,

This week, Christopher Reed has submitted a video log to the Cygen space, and the big fella has gotten a little philosophical on us.

Have a listen, and see how you can apply his advice to your own goals and life.

Not Feelin' the Love

What’s Up Cygen-Cyber Spacers? This posting is going to PI$$ A LOT OF YOU OFF, haters hate, that’s why there is a comment section below; AGREE/DISAGREE – let your opinion be seen. THE FITNESS INDUSTRY IN CANADA IS A JOKE! Can anyone of you reading this article name a top tier Canadian bred Strength and Conditioning Coach? Who is the first person that pops into your head when you think Top level Trainer in Canada – Jonathan Chaimberg, Tom Europe, Paul Plakas, Matt Nichol, Brian Grasso, Craig Ballantyne, Harley Pasternak, Ian Walling, Marc Lebert, Peter Twist, Maureen Hagan, Lyzabeth Lopez, Tosca Reno? Maybe you recognize these names, maybe you don’t – I’m going to side with the likelihood that you might, and I stress might, recognize one possibly two names on that list. Why is that?

Of that list, several have moved to the United States and become recognizable names in the fitness industry south of the border. Is it due to a bigger population? Are there greater opportunities for recognition? Better pay? What drives professionals such as these to pursue their passion in the United States – why not stay here in Canada?


Why is Strength and Conditioning a topic that is rarely discussed if discussed at all here? It’s no secret that in order to improve performance you need to get stronger. If that is the case why are trainers/coaches such a scarcity to come across in this country? The problem exists because we allow it to – we have allowed ourselves to be modest, tamed and demure; we’ve become domesticated kittens when we were born to be LIONS!

Sport and fitness have by extension become options when the hard fact is they should be woven into the tapestry of our society as should strength training for sport. So many positive lessons are to be gained from sport and in the weight room that the values learned and reinforced through these avenues last a lifetime!


Now I know that our pastime is hockey (our national game is actually lacrosse – by the way) and that a lot more attention is being garnered toward the value of “dry-land” training at grassroots levels but what about other sports? Women’s under – 18 soccer is one of the fastest growing sport populations in Canada – yet how much attention does this sport get from local cable stations? Why are there not strength and conditioning coaches associated with more grassroots teams, regardless of what sport, across the country – and by extension why is there not funding to pay for these positions?


There are not enough recognized professionals in the field of strength and conditioning in Canada and what professionals we do manage to produce leave for the United States or elsewhere. Let me qualify what a professional is; a professional is more than an individual that spent a weekend getting their accreditation; a professional is the perfect blend of academia (theory), experience (practical) and teaching (technical) skill. This breadth of knowledge and fusion of competency is not something that one can accrue in a weekend and to think so is what makes a mockery of the profession in Canada.

Governing bodies that fail to have a gatekeeper at the door are the source of the problem – these bodies are nothing more than a quick cash grab and place members of the general public at risk. There is no standard to be upheld – or held accountable to for that matter. More publicity, better salaried positions from the grassroots levels up (for all sports) and higher required qualifications for entry into the field are only the start of solving the problem and keeping our most skilled coaches on Canadian soil.


I encourage a full out revolution at the source – amidst the people; bring fitness back into the grade schools, playgrounds and parks! Make “fitness” play and use any means at your disposal to get in shape and stay in shape – for LIFE! WAKE UP PEEPS and demand more of yourself and the profession that you are so passionate about; continue learning, continue growing, and continue to challenge those individuals who would seek to conform you and cage you in their mold. Be the LION you were breed to be!

Tests of Athleticism Part 2

What’s up Cygen Cyber-Spacers!? This posting is going to be an answer to the post from 2 weeks ago about Football Combine Testing and which tests in particular are the best measures of overall athleticism and best predictors for success on the field – where it counts most. Our comments section below lists the box jump and 40 yard dash as the best overall predictors for athleticism and these two comments aren’t that far off the mark.

As testing relates specifically to football I am going to say that the Vertical Jump Test and 20 yard Shuttle Run are the best overall indicators for performance – through this post I will explain why and in the comments section below you can give your feedback and say whether you agree or disagree with my view.


At first glance The Vertical Jump Test may not seem as relevant to football as it would be for our beach volleyball playing friend to the right here but; the reality is, that it is a great test for football because it does an outstanding job of measuring power through triple extension – that is extension around the joints of the ankle, knee and hip.

Extension around these joints is important to a sport like football because football is dominantly a game of speed (acceleration) and power (mass x acceleration); it is through extension around these joints and recruitment of the musculature of the ‘posterior chain’ (calves, hamstrings, glutes and low back extensors) that we create the force required for acceleration.

When you are crouched at the starting line of the 40 yard dash you are in a flexed position around the ankle, knee and hip. This flexion or bend creates “power angles” which allow your body to store ‘kinetic energy’. Kinetic energy is the tension you feel when you stretch a rubber band to its limit – on the one hand; if you were to stretch the band too far it snaps, on the other hand if you do not stretch it far enough there is absolutely no elastic tension what-so-ever. There is a sweet spot in this force curve that will optimize the distance traveled by the band if you were to let it fly.

The same is true of your muscles in regard to producing the power necessary for explosive acceleration – you gotta find the sweet spot where the muscles around your hips, knees and ankles are primed to explode into extension. Joe DeFranco and Zach Even-Esh both discuss the principles of risk versus reward when training athletes in their Lost Secrets of Strength Training DVD and how to incorporate jump training (plyometrics) in combination with deadlifts to maximize the cross over to performance in 10 yard acceleration and vertical jump testing as opposed to the convention of using Olympic Lifts that require more time to teach and expose the athlete to great degree of risk and incidence for an injury due to training. Essentially the theory boils down to being able to practice and strengthen the muscles involved in triple extension by jumping rather than an exercise that is weight loaded such as power cleans.


The second test that I believe translates very well onto the football field is the 20 yard shuttle run – and its contemporary the L-test. Both of these tests gauge the ability of an athlete to change direction and accelerate out of those changes of direction – kind like this guy to our left.

Power and speed are great abilities to possess however if neither can be applied in a game situation then they are both useless. The above tests measure one of the most important abilities to football which is the ability to react, change direction, accelerate and make a play by being in the best possible position.


You can see it all over the field regardless of position – even offensive linemen have to be able to change direction and accelerate; think of a toss play and the pulling guard (one of my personal favorites). The element that varies from one position to the next however is the distance over which these changes of direction must occur and the speed at which acceleration and deceleration happen. This is why football is called a collision sport – the change of direction when coupled with the mass of the players and their ability to accelerate leads to some pretty big hits when combined with technique that has been practiced and practiced again from the age of 6 in some cases.

Now it’s your turn to weigh in, do you agree or disagree with the above tests being the best measures of performance and athleticism for football. Drop your comments below and let your voice be heard!

Combine Preparation and Other Tests of Athleticism

Happy New Year Cygen Cyber-spacers! This truly is the most wonderful time of the year; that is if you are a serious football fan! For college (NCAA Div I - III) it’s Bowl Season. For the Pro’s (NFL) its playoff’s – speaking of which, did anyone see that Colt’s game!? Who could have predicted the J-E-T-S winning with a field goal!? That’s some pretty awesome action – which brings us to our topic for this posting – COMBINE PREPARATION. The Combine is where these teams are built; those teams whose respective recruiting staff does their homework the best will tip the scales in favor of a Superbowl Trophy at the end of the 2012 season.

For those of you who may not be familiar with the NFL combine, it is a little under 4 months away and facilities like Joe Defranco’s in Wycoff, New Jersey and Athlete’s Performance in Tempe, Arizona are already buzzing with bodies getting prepped to be at their physical best come April. April is the month when the top college athlete’s of today become the potential Pro Bowler’s of tomorrow and face the biggest job interview of their athletic lives at the Draft which is held each year in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Here in Canada, that deadline is even closer with the CFL Evaluation Camp taking place in March. The Evaluation Camp is an opportunity for top level Canadian born talent to showcase their skills in much a similar stage as the NFL Combine. Facilities like Twist Conditioning Centers in British Columbia (home base), Sport Specific Training Centers (S.S.T.) and Dynamic Conditioning Centers both in Ontario are hubs where athletes will flock to prepare for the challenge that will face them North of the border come March.


Regardless of whether you are North or South come Combine time (March / April) one thing remains consistent and that is the barrage of athletic tests that these hopeful potential Professional Athletes will face. Here is your opportunity my Cygen Cyber-spacers - rather than go on a tirade about the tests: Vertical Jump, Bench Press, 40 yard dash, T-test, Standing broad jump, Body composition testing, the Wonderlic test and positional specific testing that participant’s face I pose these 2 questions to you:

“What one test do you feel is the best measure of athleticism?”
&
“Which test would you like to improve your performance in?”

Yours in Health & Strength,
~ Christopher