Getting Lean or Losing Weight?

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: I have lost 15 lbs by eating better.... I have another 15 to go. What is the best workout to do that?

Answer: Congrats on losing 15 lbs by improving your eating habits!  If you are looking to add in workouts it's important to get specific about your goal.  Would you like to lose body fat?  Or are you looking to weigh 15 lbs. less?  By adding a training program into your plan you may actually increase lean muscle and stay the same weight while losing a large percentage of your body fat.  Remember muscle weighs more than fat so get really specific about exactly what you want.  I would recommend the lean fit plan on the NTC App to continue on the path to reach your goals. 

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Heart Rate Training Zones for Soccer Recovery Days

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: Sport specific: soccer - Running on recovery days, what heart rate should I achieve to stay at and for how long?

Answer: Heart rate training zones vary from person to person based on a variety of factors.  On a recovery day you would want to stay between 60-70 % of your maximum heart rate.  In order for you to get your specific heart rate zones I would recommend getting a sub-maximal VO2 test to get all three of your training zones (recovery, moderate intensity, interval).  You could also go "low tech" by way of perceived exertion.  On a scale of 1-10 (10 being at failure), what is your heart rate when you feel you are at a 4, 5, or 6?  That could represent your recovery zone.  A typical recovery day training session should be between 30-60 minutes.

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Hip Health

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: I'm a 17 year old footballer and I want to know how can I improve mobility of my hip as I have a history of hip injury. 

Answer: With a history of hip injury it is important that you approach the post rehab training with precision.  You may need more mobility but I would also be careful not to create a lot of mobility without keeping up with your motor control.  The hips need a predominance of mobility but they also need stabilization, durability, and motor control to play the game of football.  As long as your hip is pain free you should focus on the quality of movement as a whole.  This will require an element of mobility but also the other attributes that the hip is responsible for.  Some specific things you can do would be to foam roll on a regular basis, quad and hip flexor stretching, groin stretching, piriformis stretching, hamstring stretching, glute activation exercises, core activation exercise, and leg strength.  It can also be a great option to find a professional in your area to screen your movement patterns who is certified in the Functional Movement Screen.

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

More information on the Functional Movement Screen: https://www.functionalmovement.com/

Cone Drills and Agility

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: Hey Guys, I'm having problems with agility during my soccer practice/games. Can u guys give me some 'cone' Drills that will improve my agility. Thanks you

Answer: Sometimes the simplest drills can actually yield the best results.  It all depends on how you execute them.  Execution includes proper body position and movement mechanics.  It can include if the athlete even has the ability to get into the right position or have the mobility and motor control to perform the drill (this can be worked on through corrective exercise not by forcing the athlete to do more of the drill).  Getting the most out of the drill can also mean doing them in a random nature instead of pre-programmed.  A pre-programmed drill can look great in practice but can have no carry over to the pitch if you do not utilize audio or visual cues to simulate taking in a stimulus and having the body react.  Some simple drills to start with can include a 3-cone lateral reaction drill, ladder drills, fast feet drills into sprints, crossovers, and drop-steps.

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Checking Mobility

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: How often do you check you mobility? I am 31 trying to go back in time with some movement. Out of shape and over weight. Any suggesting for goals or routines?

Answer: Each time you "work on" mobility and movement you are actually "checking" mobility.  As we age it is important to work on mobility daily especially to counter the effects of sitting and forward head postures from our now tech saturated lifestyles.  If you are talking about "checking" mobility as in a formal and systematized test like the Functional Movement Screen, then I would say you should check in weekly if you have a problematic movement dysfunction to make sure what you are doing is getting you moving better.  Once you start to move more efficiently and have no serious movement dysfunctions, I would move to every three weeks to a monthly cadence.

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Learn More about the Functional Movement Screen: https://www.functionalmovement.com/

5-day In-season Soccer Program

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: Can you please help me make a 5-day a week physical training program for the soccer season? It's going to be in the gym before school every morning so it should be around an hour long. Can you try to make it focused around speed, agility, balance, strength, and explosiveness? Thank you!

Answer: During the soccer season it is important that you take the volume of work and player adaptability into consideration.  You can manipulate the type, duration, and intensity based on how much work they do on field in games and practices as well as check in with players daily to monitor their soreness level, energy level, mood, and amount of hours slept.  This can get very complex but if you follow the principle of slowly adapting players to work over the entire season you can insure that you do not overtrain them and get the most out of them on the pitch.  As for the workouts, you can keep them all an hour long but I would change the ratios of how much time you spend on things based on overall volume.  For example, on a day you need to back off the intensity you could go with a lot of foam rolling, mobility, movement training, balance work, team building exercises, and possibly some "chalk talk" or strategy sessions.  On days you can push them you could incorporate more intense speed training in all directions, a balanced total body strength training session, and power work.  

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Experienced Guidance

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: I'm 20 year old I'm lean but I want muscles tell me some foods that can help me and workout also.

Answer: Assuming that you are doing the basics (like getting a mixture of carbohydrate, fats, and high quality protein in each meal), I would consult with an experienced nutritionist or dietician in your area to make sure you are getting enough of what you need to reach your goals.  This recommendation should be specific to your body type and activity level as well as be monitored by a professional in the field of nutrition.

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

Muscle Building and Getting Lean

The following post is a question answered by Frank Dolan from the Nike Training Network on the Nike Training Club App.

Question: Hi, I’m 17 and I’m 183cm 74 kg. I need a muscle building/getting lean upper body workout plan. Whats the best plan for me?

Answer: Although you mentioned a focus on upper body I would still incorporate a total body strength program.  It will create a more balanced program and actually get you to your goal of "getting lean" faster.  When you strength train your entire body you will increase your body's fat burning efficiency.  The more lean mass you create from training the quicker you get results.  The lower body has some of the largest muscles in the body so to leave them out would slow your results.  If you are looking at using the plans in the App I think the Get Lean would be a good start before moving into either one of the strength plans (depending on if you have access to a gym).

See NTC App: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nike-training-club/id301521403

High Performance Baseball and Softball Workout