This is the second week of a new program called Athletic Power Training.
It was designed by Steve Komanecky, the YMCA's fitness director. The session lasts for three weeks and emphasizes high intensity training for the offseason or preseason athlete. It is designed to improve speed, agility and power through various drill runs and plyometrics. Komanecky leads these sessions and puts the participants through a rigorous work out.
Right now, there are three girls enrolled who want to get ready for softball this spring. Each day they start with 15-minute warmup. This usually involves using one of the cardio machines.
From there, it is on to the B-gym and directions from Komanecky. The first thing they do involves agility. All their sprints involve running the length of the B-gym.
Komanecky said they have all improved their sprint times by at least .2 seconds, including one participant who cut her time by .6 seconds.
Agility work also involves the shuttle run, grape vine and side steps with both the right-foot lead and the left-foot lead. This all takes place in 10 minutes so each person is moving at a very fast pace with very little rest time in between.
Heavy ball exercises are the next step, which utilizes the 25-pound medicine ball.
The girls get in a small circle, back to back and pass the ball around the circle from right to left. It becomes more difficult because they can't see each other and have to rely on the previous person to twist enough to get the ball to them. There are also overhead throws using both hands and trying to throw as far as possible. The chest presses involve one participant lying on the floor and pressing a ball up to the person directly over them who then returns the ball back down to them. Again, this entire exercise lasts for 10 minutes which may not sound like a long time but feels like forever to those who are doing it.
Plyometrics start with skipping the length of the gym, making sure the knee is lifted high and the skips are good in length. After that, they go on to hopping, jumping and galloping, again in the10-minute time frame.
Box jumping involves the use of steps that are set up four high and five high. Each activity requires a set of seven and is done at least three times. They start out with the one leg jump on the step and then a soft landing onto the floor. Each time it is done it is started with the opposite foot. The two leg jump goes from jumping from the floor with both feet to the shorter step and then jumping back down onto the floor with both feet and then jumping back onto the higher step with both feet and then back down to the floor and then reaching up. This is done in sequential order seven times continuously. Needless to say, by the end, the participants are fairly worn out.
The final 10 minutes involve stretching.
The participants for this session are Meghan Coe, Kaleigh Reilly and Brittney Babcock, and they said the program was beneficial in preparing for the season.
This program runs again starting Feb. 20 and goes through March 10. The session after that runs March 20 through April 7. Class size is limited to 10 participants. The class is also ideal for adults who wish to run faster or jump higher.
Hansinger is the assistant fitness director at the Auburn YMCA
Right now, there are three girls enrolled who want to get ready for softball this spring. Each day they start with 15-minute warmup. This usually involves using one of the cardio machines.
From there, it is on to the B-gym and directions from Komanecky. The first thing they do involves agility. All their sprints involve running the length of the B-gym.
Komanecky said they have all improved their sprint times by at least .2 seconds, including one participant who cut her time by .6 seconds.
Agility work also involves the shuttle run, grape vine and side steps with both the right-foot lead and the left-foot lead. This all takes place in 10 minutes so each person is moving at a very fast pace with very little rest time in between.
Heavy ball exercises are the next step, which utilizes the 25-pound medicine ball.
The girls get in a small circle, back to back and pass the ball around the circle from right to left. It becomes more difficult because they can't see each other and have to rely on the previous person to twist enough to get the ball to them. There are also overhead throws using both hands and trying to throw as far as possible. The chest presses involve one participant lying on the floor and pressing a ball up to the person directly over them who then returns the ball back down to them. Again, this entire exercise lasts for 10 minutes which may not sound like a long time but feels like forever to those who are doing it.
Plyometrics start with skipping the length of the gym, making sure the knee is lifted high and the skips are good in length. After that, they go on to hopping, jumping and galloping, again in the10-minute time frame.
Box jumping involves the use of steps that are set up four high and five high. Each activity requires a set of seven and is done at least three times. They start out with the one leg jump on the step and then a soft landing onto the floor. Each time it is done it is started with the opposite foot. The two leg jump goes from jumping from the floor with both feet to the shorter step and then jumping back down onto the floor with both feet and then jumping back onto the higher step with both feet and then back down to the floor and then reaching up. This is done in sequential order seven times continuously. Needless to say, by the end, the participants are fairly worn out.
The final 10 minutes involve stretching.
The participants for this session are Meghan Coe, Kaleigh Reilly and Brittney Babcock, and they said the program was beneficial in preparing for the season.
This program runs again starting Feb. 20 and goes through March 10. The session after that runs March 20 through April 7. Class size is limited to 10 participants. The class is also ideal for adults who wish to run faster or jump higher.
Hansinger is the assistant fitness director at the Auburn YMCA