Rylie Miller | Athlete of the Week

Rylie joined the TCBB family last fall and is the youngest female athlete in the gym. Although she is a multi-sport, multi-talented young lady, softball is her passion. Working with Rylie is a joy and she stretches our coaching skills by asking no less than 20 questions in a 60 minute session. Every week Rylie works toward strengthening her mental competiveness along with gaining more physical strength and power. Rylie looks at softball not only as a means to her college and competitive dreams, but also as a platform to inspire younger female athletes in the future.

School: Wichita Collegiate School
Grade: 5th
Favorite Subject: Math
Club Team: Cure Softball
Achievements: 5x MVP during 2015-2016 season
Hobbies: Playing softball with her "softball sisters"
Future Goals: Play softball for the USSSA All American Team and compete at the Division I Level

Since starting her journey at Top Crop Barbell, Rylie says she's learned a lot about herself. "I have to tell myself that I have to do this no matter how hard it is and remember when I'm done that I'll be proud of myself." "Hard work pays off and it's worth it in the end," she says.

Cammie Davis | Athlete of the Week

If you're unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end of Cammie's competitiveness, sorry we're not sorry. Last outdoor season, she scored 29 goals and had 12 assists. Cammie is an absolute powerhouse and will push her skills, strength, and mind to ensure success on the soccer field and classroom. She empowers and pushes others on her team and does so with grace and a smile. Since starting her training with Top Crop Barbell trainers 1 year ago, Cammie says, "I have learned so much, but the biggest thing I learned is the importance of having good form when exercising. Also I have learned a ton about nutrition and how I should fuel my body."

School: Maize High School
Grade: 9th
GPA: 4.125
Club Team: SC Cosmos
Hobbies:

• Photography
• Cooking
• Running

Future Goals: Play soccer at the intercollegiate level.

We are so proud to hear that she is doing an amazing job contributing to her high school soccer team, and we can't wait to see what the next 4 years (and beyond) hold for her.

Road to the Record | 6 & 5 Weeks Out

I've been thinking about competing in a powerlifting meet for the past year. The last 6 months was used to gain strength and get back into a consistent workout routine (after my college graduation and founding Top Crop Barbell). The past 6 weeks were used to hone in my technique and start cutting a little weight by massively increasing my protein intake and making sure I'm getting enough sleep.

Week 6 was the halfway point of my focused meet prep and was a deload week in my programming. A deload week isn't a complete week off from training. I trained 3 days that week but with a huge decrease in training volume. All I did was build up to 70% of my max in each lift (squat, bench, deadlift) and repped it for 2. Then I dropped the weight down to 30% of my max and did it for a quick set of 10. I warmly welcomed this deload week because a few of my joints were aching during and after training sessions.

Now I'm 5 weeks out from the AAU Oklahoma Women's Powerlifting Championships and I can't believe the time has almost come for me to attempt to break the squat, bench, deadlift, and 3 lift total in my weight class. My confidence is growing, but I'm training as the underdog. My programming has gotten a lot more powerlifting specific and I'm not straying too much away from the primary lifts. I can't complain, I love pushing heavy weight. I'm excited for the next 3 weeks of training and playing with heavy ass weight!!!

My goals for this next phase of training are:

1. Stay confident under the bar.
2. Stay consistent with my eating and hydrating plan.
3. Get enough sleep.
4. Gain confidence in every other area of my life.

Skylar Goering | Athlete of the Week

Skylar is a dedicated player for her school's varsity and club volleyball teams. Over the past several months, she has made incredible progress toward jumping higher, blocking quicker, and hitting harder. Skylar works hard on the court, in the gym, and in the classroom and one of the most coachable athletes we work with at Top Crop Barbell. Since she began training with Top Crop Barbell trainers, Skylar says, "I've learned good form and now I'm jumping higher!" When she isn't at a volleyball tournament or training in the gym, you can find her hanging out with her friends.

School: Maize South High School
Grade: 9th
GPA: 4.0
Club Team: Wichita Volleyball Academy 15-1
Future Goals: Play volleyball in college

Sydni Hawkins | Athlete of the Week

Sydni has been training hard this offseason and has built greater power, speed, and strength.  Last season she hit a .545, had 36 hits in 22 games, and had 38 runs scored. Did we mention she's only a sophomore?! If you've never seen Sydni run the bases, it's hardly running...she's lightening fast, especially in the first 5 steps.We're excited to see how much she grows and improves during her first year of sport performance training and we feel confident she'll be even more difficult to catch when stealing 2nd base. Sydni says that since starting her journey with Top Crop Barbell, she's learned "I'm capable of a lot more than I thought."

School: Southeast High School
Grade: 10th
GPA: 3.6
Club Team: Renegades 16U Gold
Hobbies: Hanging out with friends and family
Future Goals: Play softball in college

Road to the Record | 7 Weeks Out

snapchat: samschaefer.now

I came into week 7 with fire and determination in my eyes, but by the end of the week all I could do was try my best to not eat every Reece's Easter egg and all the strawberry shortcake. I didn't eat all of them, but I did my share of damage. The past couple days have been spent eating a ton of protein and limiting my carbs to help eliminate some water weight I accumulated over the weekend. So far, I'm back down to where I was before, but still need to lose 7lbs in the next 7 weeks to make weight on May 15th.

Admittedly, I haven't been doing my mobility work like I should, and soreness has been creeping into my muscles and joints. I'm pushing more weight than ever, but I absolutely have to get my act together in this department. Its imperative. My stress level rises when I'm sore too. Coincidence? I don't think so. When I'm sore, I'm tense. When I'm tense, I feel stressed. There is a reason people do yoga and meditation, and I would love to make the time to do yoga on a regular basis. Until that happens, I have to commit to the lacrosse ball and foam roller daily.

On a high note, I box squatted 265lb for 8 and this is now the most weight I've ever had on my back. I also did my banded bench press max for reps, and can (for the first time in my life) do pull ups unassisted. I also saw this amazingly awkward "crazy cat lady" singlet that is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen! I've had several requests by friends and clients to wear this to the meet.

Oh, and I had a birthday! I'm 28 years old now and excited about my journey to 30!

Joe Prichard | Athlete of the Week

If the last time you saw Joe Prichard was last summer, he will be unrecognizable to you this baseball season. Joe has been training with Top Crop Barbell trainers since late last summer and his results have been undeniable in the gym, on the pitching mound, catching, and at the plate. Joe thinks the biggest thing he's learned since starting his sport performance training is "hard work pays off." We are so proud of his journey and can't wait to watch him sprint around the bases this baseball season.

Favorite Subjects:
--History
--Math

Club Team:
--Derby Twins Baseball
--Wichita Grizzlies Football

Hobbies:
--Making war models
--Collecting NERF guns

Congrats to Joe and the Derby Twins in the latest tournament championship win!

Halle Wilson | Athlete of the Week

Halle is the "Silent Assassin" during training never showing pain or elation, but her love of volleyball is clear for everyone to see. Over the course of the last 6 months, we've watched Halle grow inches taller, but also more confident in the gym. Since training at Top Crop Barbell, Halle says her biggest take-away has been "always make sure you give full effort in everything you do."

School: Andover Middle School
GPA: 3.8
Club Team: Shockwave Volleyball Academy
Hobbies:

• Hanging out with friends.
• Reading

Future Goals: Playing volleyball in college.

The past weekend ended with good news from Halle when she informed us that her team is going to compete at the national tournament! Go get 'em Halle!

Road to the Record | 8 Weeks Out

This past week was a total gut check. My newest training phase left me sore and tired, but luckily I was able to sleep more than usual because of the Spring Break lull at work. The new increase in volume (overall sets, reps, and weight used) sent my body into shock and survival mode and my bodyweight didn't budge. Not to fret, I still have two months to make weight. I downed my calories another 200 calories a day, nothing drastic, and we'll see what happens this week. I'm starting to get close to my body's natural set point and I feel like these last few pounds are going to be a bit of a challenge to lose. I haven't been under 150lb in 5 years.

This past week I also received two packages in the mail...one was my AAU member shirt (who doesn't like t-shirts?) and the other was my new weightlifting belt. This is the nicest belt I've ever owned and was put to the test last leg day when I did 3x3 heavy pause squats and 4x8 high box squats. Its kind of comical to see me get in and out of this new belt because I can't buckle it (or unbuckle it) without help. Hopefully this will change as it gets more broken in.

A few small victories for this past week is that I had the most weight on my back than I ever have before, 255lb, and didn't feel like breaking in half! Also, my bench press set up (staying tight and using good leg drive) is getting better and better, and my wrists have been holding up despite the increase in overall pressing movements. So far, I haven't felt the need to have to wear wrist wraps.

Time is ticking and May will be here before I know it!

5 Things You MUST Do Before Starting Your Diet

You've already fallen off the New Years Resolution bandwagon. Now you're really ready to make lasting change toward your health, fitness, and aesthetic goals by changing your eating habits. Before googling "best nutrition plans of 2016," follow these 5 steps to ensure you get started on the right foot.

1. Don't change anything, yet.
There is no need to start exercising and changing your eating habits all at once. (Seems kind of weird for personal trainers to say this, right? Trust us.) Trying to workout 4x a week and cutting carbs both in the beginning of your new lifestyle change will drive you crazy. Change one thing at a time. If you want to keep up with your social eating and drinking, then try to make it to the gym more often. If you find it more difficult to make it to the gym, then be more diligent with your eating habits. Don't change your entire lifestyle all at once.

2. Track your current diet.
You can't manipulate your eating habits safely and effectively unless you know how crappy you currently eat. Many people eat too much, but just as many eat too little. Yes, it is possible to eat too few of carbs, calories, fat, protein, and overall calories. Use a diet tracking app (myfitnesspal or mynetdiary) to track everything you eat and drink for at least 2 weeks...don't lie to yourself and don't change anything. Seriously, track everything. This will give you an accurate representation of how you eat and will guide you to deciding the best way to manipulate your diet.

3. Buy a food scale.
Having trouble figuring out exactly how much you're eating? Use a food/kitchen scale to learn how much a serving of almonds really looks like. Over time, you'll be able to "eye ball" how much a serving size is of your favorite snacks and foods.

4. Don't follow trends.
Trendy diet plans do work, but they aren't meant for lasting change. Sure, you might know people who lost a ton of weight doing the Adkins or South Beach diets, but there are exponentially more people who have lost and gained back even more weight. These types of diets can absolutely ruin your metabolism and hinder the effectiveness of your weekly workouts.

5. Ask a professional.
NEWS FLASH! Most doctors are not trained in nutrition, and the honest ones will tell you that. Also, anyone can call themselves a "nutritionist" and prescribe you a generic diet plan. However, take your health into your own hands and do your research (or reach out to us for more insight) and check the credentials of several nutritionists and dieticians in your area. Forewarning, if anyone tells you to cut 1,000 calories out of your diet the first month of your new plan...RUN AWAY! This is an unhealthy and unrealistic approach to nutrition and should be avoided at all costs.

Please reach out to us in the comments below if you would like for us to expand on any of these issues.

Reebok is coming to TCBB!

Click here to browse the newest spring collection.

We are excited to announce that Top Crop Barbell has been invited to be Reebok affiliate!
Now our clients, members, friends, and family will be the first to know about any of Reebok's new arrivals, clearance items, and can use Top Crop Barbell's exclusive coupon codes and links to get your favorite shoes and workout gear at a discount!

Here are the first coupons that were sent to us today. Enjoy!

BOGO 50% Off All Footwear In Reebok Outlet (use code KIDS40)

40% Off All Kids Outlet Apparel & Footwear (use code FRESHKICKS)
(expires 3/20)

25% Off Custom Shoes
(FYI...custom shoes NEVER go on sale)

We are excited to be a part of the Reebok family and are proud that we're able to provide this service to you. Thank you for your continued support.

Samantha Vaughn | Athlete of the Week

Samantha is one of the fastest athletes training at TCBB and has an incredible competitiveness that can't be taught. Once she gets her wheels turning, few people will catch her...you could try, but we guarantee she'll give 100% every time. She has been playing soccer for 7 years and we're excited to continue seeing her grow and become an unstoppable force. She likes to push herself and says "Top Crop has helped me become an overall better athlete."

School: Wichita South High School

Grade: Freshman

GPA: 4.0

Club Team: SC Cosmos

Hobbies:

---Playing Sports

---Drawing

In the future, Samantha aims to play soccer in college and is thinking about studying to be a veterinarian. Since training with Top Crop Barbell, Samantha says "I've learned how to stay motivated," even through the most intense workouts.

Road to the Record | 9 Weeks Out

As much as I'd like to be perfect, I'm just like everyone else and this past week was a prime example. I didn't get enough sleep, I skipped meals, didn't do my mobility work, and had copious amounts of caffeine...not my proudest moments. On a brighter note, my training went really well and my strength is still climbing!

This week I start a new training phase.
Last phase focused on less volume and perfecting my form in the squat and bench press. Follow the link to see exactly what my training entailed and the weight I used for each set. (Fun fact, we put this much detail when we train our clients too.) I am by no means saying this is the perfect training plan for everyone...it isn't. My training program is set up specifically for me and my weaknesses.

Road to the Record | Phase I



Click the link or picture to see the entire Phase I training cycle.

This newest phase is kicking it up a bit and is much higher in volume and intensity, and actually has some cardio exercises. The cardio is to help maintain GPP (General Physical Preparedness), and might help me shave off some extra pounds to make weigh-ins a little easier. I already did the first leg day of the phase, and it was a gut-check. If you follow me on SnapChat, I snapped about this day. Someone may have puked on the first day of this phase.

If you don't follow me, look me up (samschaefer.now).

 

Meet prep goals for this week:

1. Get at least 7 hours of sleep every night...no exceptions.
2. Drink water constantly.
3. Mobilize
4. Be prepared for unexpected things in the day (bring protein shakes everywhere)!
5. Order a new weightlifting belt.
6. Order my singlet.

 

Wish me luck and thank you for being my teammates. 

Kenzie Sweet | Athlete of the Week

Kenzie Sweet started working with TCBB trainers almost 1 year ago, and we couldn't imagine the gym without her. She truly is a part of the Top Crop Barbell family, and is this week's Athlete of the Week. She works every week toward becoming a more dynamic catcher and leader of her softball team. Since training at TCBB, Kenzie says she's learned "how to motivate and believe in [herself]" and that training should be fun too!

School: Eisenhower Middle School
GPA: 3.571
Club Team: Impact
Hobbies:

• Hanging out with her sister and fellow TCBB athlete, Kiley Sweet (read her story here).
• Baking and decorating cupcakes.

Kenzie plans on putting her softball skills to good use by landing a college athletic scholarship, and later, share love and happiness through cupcakes when she owns her own bakery. Cheat day anyone?!? Sign us up!

Road to the Record | 10 Weeks Out

(myfitnesspal tracker)

The week flew by with business expansion projects (which aren't completely done yet), an achy knee due to being on my feet waaaaaay more than usual, and a few days with little sleep. Basically, LIFE wasn't picture perfect and firmly planted me back into the reality that my road to beating the Oklahoma Women's Powerlifting Record will be a winding one. My motivation never waned, I kept my eyes on the prize, and my week of training and cutting weight ended much better than it began.

I think my "cut" is going really well and I am definitely getting leaner every week. Before this meet prep officially started (Feb. 20th), I was almost exactly smack dab between 2 weight classes. Instead of being the lightest woman in the 168lb weight class, Ben (my coach) and I decided it would be in my best interest to cut down to the 148lb class and be one of the biggest girls in the group (giving me a slight advantage). In the beginning I needed to lose about 10-12 pounds to comfortably be where I need to be come weight-in night (May 13th.). Easy day!!! Over the past 2 years we've been reverse engineering my diet so that when the time came for me to shed extra body fat, I could do so easily. Now's the time and the weight is melting off.

(myfitnesspal tracker)

Let me just clear something up right away...
No, the weight isn't coming off easily because I'm younger than 30, do a ton of cardio (which I don't), only eat healthy foods (which I don't), or did some weird trendy cleanse (which I definitely didn't).

Here's the reality...
1. I trained my body to tolerate as many calories as possible over the course of 2 years in order for my basal metabolic rate to be as high as possible.

2. I tracked my eating habits for 2 months straight before changing any of my macros (carbs, fats, proteins).

3. I am aware and understand that the scale doesn't go down incrementally and don't make huge changes when the scale might go up (and it does all the time).

4. I have laser beam focus and determination.

It's definitely been a team effort between me and Ben. I have to stay focused, push hard in the gym, get enough sleep, stay hydrated, and stay true to my macros. He writes the programming and buys the groceries. I feel confident that we're on the easiest and healthiest path to success.

4 Easy Ways to Start Eating Clean | Family Edition

Choosing to eat "clean" is easy to understand logically, but can be extremely difficult to execute, especially if you have picky eaters (kids or adults).

We should start by giving a brief explanation as to what clean eating is and why it is beneficial for everyone of any age and activity level. Clean eating is choosing foods that are whole foods (little to no processing or ingredients added) and preparing them in a way that keeps them "clean." For example, if you decide to cook fish, breading it and bathing it in Crisco makes it no longer a "clean" food. Sorry.

Here are 4 ways to start eating clean and make the transition as easy as possible.

1. Don't start fresh.
Great! You've decided to eat clean. But hold up, don't go through your pantry and throw everything away all at once. You paid good money for that food and it shouldn't be thrown away. Instead, eat what you have (or donate it), and then choose a "clean" option the next time you go shopping. Its a gradual progression to a healthier lifestyle and the transition won't be as shocking.

2. Make the same recipes your family is used to eating.
Again, its great that you have decided to change your eating habits, but no need to go experimenting with new exotic hippie cuisine. If your family loves spaghetti, make spaghetti with "cleaner" ingredients and they might not even know the difference. In fact, they might think it tastes better.

3. Plan ahead...The 5 Ps

• Prior
• Planning
• Prevents
• Poor
• Performance

Pack foods and a water bottle to help you continue your clean eating lifestyle while at work or school. Temptations will be hard to avoid if you don't have a plan of attack.

4. Don't complain.

Will it be hard to make this change? Yes. Will it be worth it? Yes. In all honesty, if you don't want to eat clean, then don't. No one is holding your feet to the fire and making you do it. If you want to feel more alert and focused throughout the day while your waistline is whittling and your student athletes are getting stronger while their acne is clearing...then do it, but don't complain about it. It only makes it harder to succeed.



Want more fitness inspiration, advice, and recipes? Follow Sam's TCBB Pinterest Board: Click Here

Brynn Wilson | Athlete of the Week

Liberos are supposed to be fearless, quick, focused, and have laser beam passing accuracy...and that's exactly what Brynn is for her teams. It's rare to see Brynn outside of volleyball practice or training. She loves volleyball and wants to be the best libero she can be for her school, club, and sand volleyball teams. Since training at Top Crop Barbell, Brynn says, "I have learned that you have to keep working and trying hard to see any change [in your performance]." She goes on to say, "Don't cheat yourself or your teammates!"

School: Andover High School
Grade: 9th
GPA: 3.7
Club Team: Wichita Volleyball Academy (15-1)
Hobbies:
  -Baking
  -Hanging out with friends
Future Goals:
  -Play volleyball for Alabama University or Kansas University

Follow Brynn and her journey on Twitter @brynnwilson4

Road to the Record | 11 Weeks Out

I'm excited! This past week of meet prep went better than I expected and I have good mental and physical momentum going into week 11. Before the week started I was really geared up for my new training program, but I was worried that I was going to have some initial problems acclimating to my new "cutting phase" (changing my eating habits to make my weight class) and that I was going to be frustrated if I didn't lift big numbers in the gym. Neither of those things happened, so it was a total win! I also made sure to sleep at least 7 hours every single day (don't remember the last time that happened) and I feel really good physically and proud of myself for making this a priority.

Weeks 12-10 are focused toward working on a few of my weakest areas in my squat and bench press.

To train up my squat I'm doing low box squats for 4 sets of heavy doubles with absolutely perfect form. If I can't do it with perfect form, I don't increase weight for the next set. How low? Really low...my hips are well below my knees. This has really been helping me feel what its like to hold a tight core under a really heavy load and have the confidence to move it quickly and efficiently. Between weeks 12 and 11 I was able to move 35lb more volume and I'm really happy about that. I've also been doing front squats with bands (which I loathe entirely) because my quads aren't very strong...actually, they're kind of pathetic.

As for my bench press, I've moved back to working on my bar speed by doing banded bench press 1x a week and narrow grip bench press 1x a week (on separate days). I hate both of these exercises because they're difficult for me, but last time I spent time working on my triceps my bench press max went up significantly. For me, if I can floor press it, I can bench press it...i.e. my triceps are my Achilles heel and will determine if I can break the bench press record in May.

Twice a week I have 2 active rest days and 1 off day. During my active rest day I hop on the rower, treadmill, or pull the sled to get warm, then mobilize for a good hour. Doing this is needed for my muscle recovery, join health, and is 2 more days of staying focused toward my goal of breaking the Oklahoma Women's Powerlifting Record.

I'm still playing with my macros and my eating habits a little to see how my body responds, but I'm not making any huge changes besides ensuring I hit certain protein and hydration goals. Stay tuned for that.

Thanks for supporting me and following my road to the record. Make sure to follow Top Crop Barbell on social media and find me on SnapChat 👻 samschaefer.now

Spencer Goering | Athlete of the Week

 

 

Spencer Goering has been a great addition to the Top Crop Barbell team and makes the most out of every training session. He shows up early, regularly holds the Fish Game high score, and has already started doing barbell exercises with fantastic technique. What more could we ask for? If he wasn't tough already, Spencer says he's learned that he can push hard even when it seems impossible to get the last couple reps.

 

School: Maize South Middle School

Grade: 6th

Favorite School Subject: Math

Club Teams: Shox, Hawks, Wildcats

Notable Achievements:

• MVP on baseball team
• Baseball State Champions

Future Goals: Work on Wall Street

 

Spencer enjoys playing sports, solving Rubik's Cubes, and spending time with family and friends. He trains twice a week and is looking to a few training buddies to join him on his journey toward awesomeness.



Road to the Record | 12 Weeks Out



Hello everyone,
It's Sam Schaefer and I'm exactly 12 weeks away from competing at the 2016 Oklahoma AAU State Powerlifting Championships in Tulsa, OK on May 14th. Well, that's not exactly true. I'm not plainly setting out to compete at the meet...anyone can do that. I want to break the current women's raw powerlifting record at the 148.4lb weight class.

For those of you don't know, powerlifting is a sport where lifters compete in 1, 2, or 3 categories...squat, bench, and dead lift. Lifters are also divided by weight class, gender, and raw vs. equipped. Equipped lifters use knee wraps, bench shirts, and squat suits to assist them in their lifts. Raw lifters are allowed to use only knee sleeves, wrist wraps, and weightlifting belts.

Not all powerlifting organizations are the same. I chose AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) because all adults participating in any of their sporting events must be tested for illegal and performance-enhancing drugs. I feel like this gives me the best chance to an even playing field and less frustration during my journey knowing that everyone will be tested.

Here are my current stats:

• Squat 225lb
• Bench Press 140lb (pause bench)
• Dead Lift 280lb
• Total 645lb

I'm coming for you Erin Nally!

How I plan on reaching my goal:

1. Training hard and being focused on my technique.
2. Consistently hitting my macro (carbs, fats, proteins, calories) goals and water intake.
3. Staying on top of my mobility...this is a must!
4. Sleeping 7-8 hours consistently for maximum recovery.

I want to document my journey over the next 3 months in order to give some insight as to how I eat, sleep, and train and also stay honest and committed to my goal. I hope you all will hold me accountable and be my team as I work my butt off for the next 12 weeks.

Working with all of our athletes at TCBB has inspired me to train for something other than general fitness and strength. Thank you all for inspiring me.

The 4 Phases of Sport Performance | The 12 Month Plan

The term "strength and conditioning" sends shivers up and spines of any current and former athlete. Regardless of sport, age, or physical preparedness, coaches from middle school through college have their student athletes doing max power cleans and running miles a day. Why? Most of the time its to see who "really wants it," and if someone gets injured its because their bodies were weak and they "couldn't hang." Sound familiar?

At Top Crop Barbell we aren't strength and conditioning coaches, we're sport performance trainers...there is a difference. Our trainers build a customized training program based on our athletes' movement patterns, sport, and competition season. We don't get our programs from a simple Google search, and this is what coaches aren't willing to give up...simplicity (aka "the easy way out"). We also encourage our athletes to train year-round. We'd rather have an athlete train year-round 1-2 times a week, rather than binge train 3-4 days a week for 2 months. The results are vastly different and the athletes are healthier and stronger as a result.

Sport performance training should be composed of 4 phases.

1. Corrective Exercise
Anyone who sits for 8 hours a day (which is every student in America) develops terrible sitting and standing postures. This directly is translated to their sport and can have lifelong consequences such as irreversible postures and athletic career ending injuries. You must start sitting, standing, and moving properly before you get biggest, faster, and stronger. This phase has no end and should be continued regardless of the time of year.
Frequency: Every Day
Duration: 15 min-1 hour

2. Offseason Training
This is where the magic happens. The offseason is where an athlete can fill gaps in their athletic and sport-specific performance. As my high school basketball coach says, "Just because you're a year older doesn't mean you're a year better." For example, if you never pick up a basketball after the last game of the season in February, you won't walk in to practice in November a better basketball player. Same goes for building strength, quickness, and power. Notice I didn't say run for miles and Olympic lifts are your ticket to building explosiveness. Remember, all training should be tailored to fill the gaps between an athlete's strengths and weaknesses, not to crush their souls with crazy amounts of cardio and leave them injured and frustrated due to haphazard instruction from their (uncertified and unqualified) coaches.
Frequency: 3-4 days a week
Duration: 1-2 hours

3. Pre-Season Training
Pre-season is the few weeks before the season starts and the time to start fine-tuning your training to be even more sport-specific. Now athletes should start doing their speed-agility-quickness (SAQ) training with a basketball (going back to our last example), and increasing their cardio base for the season ahead. This doesn't mean avoid weight training. On the contrary. Keep up with the weights (still keeping it customized to their abilities, age, sport, etc.), but it should start transitioning to workouts integrating more multi-planar movements.
Frequency: 3-4 days a week
Duration: 1-1.5 hours

4. In-Season Training
What?! Athletes should train during the season?! Yes! Especially if they are "specialists," only participating in one sport all year round, or are in a power-driven sport such as baseball/softball, volleyball, and track and field. Power sports are those requiring short bursts of high intensity, followed by slower game play and/or long rest. The goal of in-season training is "add to maintain." In other words, keep up the strength training in order to maintain as much strength as possible. Don't worry about getting crazy strong during the season, its just not going to happen. The goal is to keep your muscles, tendons, and ligaments as healthy as possible while maintaining speed developed during the offseason and pre-season.
Frequency 1-2 days a week
Duration: 1-1.5 hours

Not all sports are the same, and neither should your training.

Julia Graves | Athlete of the Week

Julia is on a mission to be the best libero she can be and adds great value to her volleyball teams and training group. For those of you who don't know, the libero (the player wearing the opposite colored jersey) is the team's defensive specialist. Basically, they do their best to crush the dreams of the opposing attackers by preventing the ball from hitting the ground at all costs. You'd see Julia diving into the bleachers if it was the difference between her team winning or losing the set and she always pushes herself in the gym.

School: Andover High School
Grade: 10th
GPA: 4.0
Club Team: Wichita Volleyball Academy (16-1)
Notable Stats:

• Most Digs on Varsity Team (454)
• Most Aces on Varsity Team (55)
• All League Honorable Mention

Hobbies: Netflix, and hanging out with friends.

Julia's future is bound to be bright and she is working toward landing an athletic scholarship to play volleyball in college. "The biggest thing I've learned while training at TCBB is that if you don't train the right way you're doing no good. It's all about good form, and no 'duck-butting,'" she says with a smile.

We are proud of how far Julia has developed in the gym and can clearly see how her speed and agility has increased during gameplay. She is a joy to work with and is growing into a leader in the gym.

Kiley Sweet | Athlete of the Week

Where do we start with Sweet? Well, she's one of the hardest working athletes in the gym and this week's athlete of the week. She's small, but she's mighty!

School: Eisenhower High School
Grade: 9th
GPA: 4.0
Club Soccer Team: SC Cosmos
Notables:

• Highest GPA out of 230 freshman students
• 10 years soccer experience

Lifting Stats (105lb BW):

• 195lb box squat (no belt, no sleeves)
• 90lb bench press (no wraps)

Sweet has set her sights high and wants to go to college and medical school after graduation. When she isn't playing soccer, she enjoys running and reading good books. When asked what she's learned since training at TCBB, Sweet says she's learned "the ability to push myself" to new athletic and mental levels.

We're excited to follow Kiley as she continues to develop into an unstoppable powerhouse.

You're either in, or you're in the way | Crabs in a Bucket Theory

Picture this. Crabs in a bucket.
One crab decides he doesn't want to be in the bucket anymore and starts climbing out toward freedom. The other crabs notice and start to pull their fellow crab back down into the bucket. They hold on with their pinchers until he finally gives up and settles back down into the bucket.

No, this isn't a depressing story I made up. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.

 

 

Be honest...which crab are you?

We'd all like to think of ourselves as the brave crab trying to escape mediocrity, but maybe instead you're a part of the chick clique or group of bros that tries to hold back the one trying to leave the cast? (Knowledge bomb. A group of crabs is called a cast.)

 

The Escapee: Do what you need to do to be successful.

Is someone mocking your determined demeanor and laser beam focus? Who cares? You'll be smiling from ear to ear when you land that college athletic scholarship and become an academic all-American student athlete. Do your teammates joke around or flaunt an uncontrollable ego in the weight room? Everyone is trying to race through sports as if its a sprint. Its not. Its a marathon of honing your tactical skill and athleticism while staying free from major injuries. Look at how many were labeled "amazing athletes" their freshmen year, and after four years left school slower and weaker. A lot. Don't let that be you. If they're not in, they're in the way.

 

The Crabs: Man/Woman Up

You think you're too tired for extra practice. Your parents have told you you're too good for that team, and you think you're above hard work. Talent only gets you so far in sports, and when that runs out, hard work has to step in. Its fine if you don't want to do the extra work, I get it, its...well...work. Admit defeat, or man/woman up and work your ass off too. Don't drag down your friends who are genuinely trying to better themselves. If you have a problem with it, its simple, don't be friends with them anymore. Warning: That will backfire because it will be the extra motivation they need to get to the next level. So, you in? If you're out, you're in the way.

 



Ashley Thorne | Athlete of the Week

This is Ashley Thorne, one of our newest TCBB athletes and this week's Athlete of the Week. In the gym she always pushes toward building her strength, power, and quickness, but let's get to know her a little better.

What is the biggest thing you've learned about yourself or about training since you've been coming to TCBB? "I've learned that it's the little details in each lift that will determine whether you get stronger, or hurt yourself."

School: Valley Center High School
Grade: 10th
GPA: 4.0
Sports: Renegade Softball
Hobbies: "I like to go to sporting events with friends.
Goals: "I'm aiming to play softball in college" and study to be a physical therapist.
Follow her on Twitter @ashley_thorne3

Ashley is always focused and determined in the gym and has a "no excuses" attitude. Thank you for being a part of the Top Crop Barbell family.

What's in a name? Our logo explained.

Our logo exemplifies who we are, where we come from, and where we want to go.

Colors: Blue and Gold
As many of your know, we used to be a military family while Ben served as a U.S. Navy Diver. Navy Divers proudly wear their "blue and golds" everywhere as a reminder that they are a brotherhood and elite group of highly trained men braving some of life's most dangerous situations. The military diving community will always be near and dear to our hearts, and we wear our TCBB colors in support of the diving families we met and in remembrance lives lost along the way.

Mascot: Eagle and Wheat Stalks
All of our equipment is make in the USA, and we try our best to support local businesses here in Kansas. We're Americans, we're Kansans, so the eagle and wheat stalks are fitting.

Name/Slogan: Top Crop Barbell-Rise to the Top
Our family comes from a long line of hard working farmers and entrepreneurs and we hold the belief that anyone can change their stars through hard work, determination, and education. We don't believe people who are predisposed to a certain outcome must lead the life set by their circumstances.We have a "no excuses" attitude toward rising above status quo for our clients and the way we do business. We aim to be the best. The top pick for those looking to improve their athletic performance and overall fitness. We might not be where we want to be yet, but we're working toward rising to the top, much like our athletes in the gym.

Thank you to everyone who has supported our mission of creating the best scientific-based sport performance and fitness training serving Wichita and the surrounding area. Without you, these last 6 months would not have been possible. We hope you understand how thankful we are that you trust us with your athletic, fitness, and wellness goals. Also, thank you to those you have doubted us and our clients...your negativity just fuels us even more.