Small Beginnings Lead to Large Results

The best of ideas started  as a simple notion of how to do something better or more efficiently.

When two individuals join their ideas collectively, sometimes it can  result in something Big.

If those ideas come to fruition it can be paradigm shifting.

The NEW HEAD AND NECK MACHINE WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT CONCUSSION REDUCTION FOREVER.

www.concussionpreventionprotocol.com 

Looking Back.

 Looking Back.

Clinical Research Takes Time to Complete.   This Blog was Written Three Years Ago. The research process is complicated and must be approved by several organizations, The National Institute of Health and may need to be approved by at least One Institutional Review Board. 
If this type of rigor and validity is not incorporated into a True Research Study. It is not a study at all. It is opinion, conjecture or just a good guess. There is only One Evidence Based Head and Neck Training Protocol.
concussionpreventionprotocol.com 

Ralph Cornwell
 
Undergrad From University of Maryland/Radford University Va
Masters of Science from Virginia Tech
Doctor of Philosophy -Science Virginia Tech Completion Date 12/10

Former Strength Coach
Radford University
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
United States Military Academy at West Point
North Carolina Agriculture and Technology State University
West Montgomery High School, NC

Served as Sport Performance Director and Owner of 2 Sports Performance Facilities 1 in Blacksburg, Va, the other in Greensboro, NC.


I have been training on Pendulum 5-way neck for about a month and have had remarkable results. The weight has steadily gone up on the exercises, but the amazing thing is my neck circumference has increased by an inch and a half.

Never gotten those types of results from any neck machine and I have tryed them all. I am currently preparing for my Ph.D. case study which involves the question: If you increase the circumference of the neck through resistance training and increase the stiffness ratio,as soft tissue becomes stronger, along with trapezius strength increases thus reducing the deformation rate during contact(impact) would you not decrease impact forces to the head, neck area and transfer or dissipate the forces throughout the trapezius,upper back muscles and ultimately have those forces absorbed through the stronger back muscles, hip/glute area transferring those forces finally to the much stronger lower body muscles.
Also, would this not help to reduce or lessen the rate of concussion or more importantly would it not lower the subconcussive forces of small impacts that seem to cause as much or more long term damage to the athlete. Would a bigger stronger neck not raise the tipping point in which we start to see real long-term brain damage, Well, that's what I intend to find out. I will be setting up my lab at the Virginia Tech campus where I am completing my Ph.D..
The pendulum neck machine will be an intricate part of the case study and I want to share the data with all the coaches out their so we can better protect our athletes from harm. We cant' forget it all starts with the neck. The vulnerable part of the human anatomy with respect to contact sports or life in general is our cervical spine which supports the skull which incases our most important component with regards to life -our brain.

Get The Knowledge! Protect your Athlete!

YOU AS A Coach, Athletic Trainer, Strength Coach, Military Trainer, 


Physical Therapist, Parent Need To Have The Knowledge To Protect Your Athlete.

Strengthening of the head, neck and surrounding cervical structures  is
the ONLY organic contingency within our control to prepare individuals to
withstand potentially injurious forces. The only one!

The Concussion Rate in this Country continues to increase each Year!   The reactive approach simply DOES NOT WORK.  WE Must be Proactive. Through Evidence Based Research we Know We can Prepare our Athletes for the Rigors of Their Sport. 

THERE IS SIMPLY NO GOOD
REASON FOR NOT TRAINING THE MUSCLES SURROUNDING THE CERVICAL
SPINE. PERIOD!

Before you can Protect Your Athlete YOU need the skills to do so. You need to be Certified to train the musculature of the Head and Neck.

Through Concussion Prevention Protocol. com you can become a CERTIFIED HEAD AND NECK TRAINING SPECIALIST.  The Only certification that gives you the skill set to safely train the musculature of the head and neck. Go to www.coachaprotraining.com or concussionpreventionprotocol.com to find out more about becoming a Certified Head and Neck Training Specialist.

Building A Weight Room

Preventative Sports Medicine Is The First Step                                                              

                                                                                                        

When You Build A Weight Room Start With The  4 or 5 Way Neck To Protect The Athlete

Preventative Sports Medicine Is The First Step In Getting Strong

Tags: Success

Project Neck- The Female Study

Project Neck- The Female Study
According to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2007, female high school athletes suffered almost 40 percent more concussions than males did. It estimated that female players suffer about 29,000 concussions annually with boys suffering 21,000.

A new study to be published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that in high school soccer, girls sustained this type of head trauma 68 percent more often than boys. Female concussion rates in high school basketball were almost three times higher then boys and the girls took longer to return to play.

When there is an Epidemic in The United States we don’t just inoculate one section of the population we give the antidote to all that need it. In light of research and just common sense our female athletes need to be protected.

Because of physiological differences, women do not have to worry about getting ‘huge’ necks, but they can become very strong. The physics of kinetic energy dissipation applies to females as well as men. The female athlete can protect herself by strengthening the musculature around the cervical spine.







Their  training is not dissimilar then the men who train theirs. They train  the flexor, extensors and trapezius muscles that allow for increased neck stiffness and high performance moves on the playing field.




Project Neck- The female Study examines the changes both anatomically and morphologically, when resistance training is introduced.








The female subjects will follow the same protocol of their male counterparts used in Project Neck earlier this year.










Females Can Get Strong

Weight Room Charts Send The Wrong Message To Athletes

5 pounds x 10= 75 pounds
225 pounds + 75 pounds = 300 pound max
Once a value is assigned to the repetition based upon the study, in this case 0.0333,  a ‘Weight Lifting Percentage Chart’ is constructed for the general population.

To use the chart a weightlifter simply finds his or her maximum along the left side.  The weight to workout with is taken from the chart based on the percentage and repetitions they are asked to utilize in their workout plan.
Sample of an athletes instructions from the Coach…
Today we are going to use 75% of our maximum for 10 reps, then 85% of our maximum for 6 reps and 90% for 4 on the bench press.  The above chart tells you the weight you should be working out with based on your individual max to Get Strong.
The athlete with a 270 max chooses…
75% – 205 x 10
85% – 230 x 6
90% – 245 x 4
Exactly what these percentages really mean to the muscle tissue is a huge question.  Weight Charts can be used as guides, yet to be accurate and take into account individual differences you need to make a chart for every exercise and every individual.
Try this to explore the reasoning of many charts…
Find your one repetition maximum in a multi-joint exercise such as a free weight barbell squat or bench press.  Select a percentage such as 65%, 75% or 85% of that maximum and do as many repetitions as possible with that percentage and record your repetitions.

Now select a ‘single-joint‘ exercise such as barbell curl and repeat the test.  Whether trained or untrained you will find you achieve fewer repetitions at the same percentage of 1RM with a single-joint movement and more repetitions with a multi-joint movement.   In other-words multi -joint and single-joint exercises have different values of a repetition.  The amount of muscle mass involved in a multi-joint exercise and the neural system alter the outcome.
If this same test is done with a large group of athletes, say a team, you will get a similar result.  You will also find a great deal of variability from athlete to athlete in the data.

Try this also……
Take all your athletes who’s maximum is the same in a particular exercise.  Let’s say their maximum is 270 pounds on the bench press.  Using 75% of their max in the above chart (205), test the maximum amount of repetitions they can do.
In general, most may achieve 10 reps as indicated on the chart, but you may find an athlete who can only do 6 reps or another who can do 15.  Very normal stuff, as we all have different neurological efficiencies.
Charts are charts, they set a course.  They give direction. Understand that they are not based on the scientific method and each athlete will be effected differently with the recommended weights and repetitions.
The best chart to hang in your weight room is the ‘Effort Chart’.  When you go to it, it says…. give a 100%  effort to any weight you choose to….. Get Strong.



Pendulum 3 Way Row

Tags: Strength Training, Muscular Growth

Project Neck Research Study

Week 5 Begins Monday.

Strength Train for Performance and Injury Protection

Strength Train for Performance and Injury Protection
By Dan Riley, M.S.
As the science of strength training has evolved over the past 20 years, unfortunately weight room equipment has not kept pace. Most available machines are great for training a weight lifting team, or to improve athletic performance – but sports athletes need more.
Strong muscles are good shock absorbers. A strength regimen that strategically builds muscle strength in key areas of the body can provide an extra measure of injury protection on the field.
Strong neck muscles protect against concussion
Injury protection should be a priority, especially at the high school level. The place to start is adding a neck strengthening program into the exercise regimen.
When I was an NFL strength coach, neck machines and shoulder shrugging stations were available, and players were required to train these muscles at the beginning of their workout. Over time, neck “stingers” were nearly eliminated when neck development became the priority.
And with recent news of the dangers of concussion and its long-term cognitive effects, athletes should be encouraged to do all they can to protect themselves from injury.
Strong, shock-absorbing neck muscles help to minimize concussive forces, especially on the football field. Neck strength also protects soccer and baseball athletes from cumulative concussion problems, such as the repetitive impact force of heading the ball.
Thinking long term, machines should be purchased to develop total body strength in all five major body sections:

1. Neck and traps (trapezius)
2. Hips and legs
3. Midsection
4. Torso and shoulder capsule
5. Arms

Strong shoulder muscles protect joints, tendons and ligaments
In a five-year study with Colorado Rockies baseball pitchers, the strength of the smaller muscles surrounding the shoulder capsule was tested at the beginning of each season. It was determined that if the external rotators of the rotator cuff were weak, or if there was a significant imbalance between the internal and external rotators, the incidence of a shoulder injury was extremely high during the season.
The smaller muscles surrounding the shoulder capsule are designed to protect joint integrity. These muscles include:

• Anterior head (frontal deltoid) – front raise
• Medial head (middle deltoid) – lateral raise
• Posterior head (rear deltoid) – bent-over raise
• Rotator cuff - internal rotation
• Rotator cuff - external rotation

The rear deltoid muscle is designed to decelerate the arm in any throwing motion. Quarterbacks, softball and baseball players, javelin throwers, etc., often complain of soreness or injury in this area.
A well-designed strength program should target each of these muscle groups. Multi-joint movement will not generate maximum strength gains in each of these muscles. An isolation exercise for each of these muscles must be performed if maximum strength and protection of the shoulder capsule is the goal.
When I worked with NFL athletes, I found many who had ignored these areas of the body. Some had already been injured and many were extremely deficient in strength in the muscles surrounding the shoulder. Once these muscles groups were targeted, players responded almost immediately.
There is great value in balancing your strength program between protection and performance, but keep in mind:  The dangers aren’t just from a catastrophic injury or sudden episode. They may also be the accumulative affect of the repetitive impact forces over time.
Dan Riley, M.S., is a strength and conditioning educator for the Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute with 27 years experience as a strength trainer in the National Football League.

Sports Medicine Institute Medical Staff

Train Year-around

Get Strong

Train Year-round

Train Year-round

The Pendulum Chest Press is an all weather year-round training machine to Get Strong.

Tags: Pendulum

Every Weight Room Needs a Great Row

Row Row Row Your Back Muscles
Every weight room needs a great row machine. Tyler Hobson explains, the function of the upper back is complex, so I decided to make a row machine that could be done with 3 preferred grips, underhand, overhand and neutral.

The primary function of the upper back musculature is to pull the arms from an extended position either down or in. By keeping the 3 handles on the machine in fixed positions, I felt the strength coach could easily dictate which measurable protocol he felt would be key to the athletes development.

Mississippi State University Weight Room

When you use the underhand grip you bring in the biceps to assist the row and also augment the lower trapezius and latissimus. The overhand grip not only targets the upper back, but fires up the rear delts. The neutral grip is a tremendously powerful position, which you need to be in to affect this large group of back muscles.

Northwood University Weight Room

I set the seat height so that in the fully contracted position the hands land just below the pecs. Normally, in a row you sit with your feet forward, which allows you to push with your legs as your arms extend, but there is an ideal place for your feet and that is behind you as you lean forward. With your chest firmly on the pad you have limited leverage and you  stimulate the lats directly with less weight.

West Virginia University Weight Room

On the front of the machine I placed S.E.T. (set extension technology), S.E.T. allows you to change the range of motion for varying limb lengths, and  perform extremely intense 'drop sets' by running the rails.

If you are ever in Conroe,Texas or want to stop by the Pendulum factory in Clare, Michigan...........S.E.T. on one of our machines to Get Strong.

Tags: Pendulum

The Ralph Cornwell Files-- Female Neck Training

The Ralph Cornwell Files-- Female Neck Training

Ralph Cornwell is a Ph.D. candidate in health promotion/human performance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Prior to pursuing his Doctoral Degree he was a collegiate strength coach. 

According to a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training in 2007, female high school athletes suffered almost 40 percent more concussions than males did. It estimated that female players suffer about 29,000 concussions annually with boys suffering 21,000.

A new study to be published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that in high school soccer, girls sustained this type of head trauma 68 percent more often than boys. Female concussion rates in high school basketball were almost three times higher then boys and the girls took longer to return to play.

When there is an Epidemic in The United States we don’t just inoculate one section of the population we give the antidote to all that need it. In light of research and just common sense our female athletes need to be protected.

 
There are women athletes that do train their necks.

Their  training is not dissimilar then the men who train theirs. They train  the flexor, extensors and trapezius muscles that allow for increased neck stiffness and high performance moves on the playing field.

Meagan is a ballerina and is very strong from head to toe.
I asked Meagan why she trained her neck. She simply said, “Ballerinas get put in awkward positions as they perform.  If your dance partner drops you while you are being pressed over his head, I want a strong neck.”

Have We Missed Training Our Hands In Athletics?

Have We Missed Training Our Hands In Athletics?

Association Of Oldtime Barbell And Strongmen

Attending the AOBS dinner in New Jersey is quite interesting. At the hotel and throughout the evening you have a chance to visit with some of the greatest strength performers throughout the world.

In casual conversations you can learn tips about training. It is fun to listen to the avenues that these athletes take to enhance their enormous strength.

After the dinner ends strongmen bend steel in the lobby of the Marriott until the wee hours of the morning.

This year about 300 people attended to honor the great Dennis Rogers, the Grandmaster of Strongman. Following the reception the young strongmen of America put on quite a show.

They ripped up New York City phone books

They busted baseball bats across their heads

They bent steel while held in their mouths

They rolled up steel

They snapped chains

They drove spikes through 3 inch planks with their hands

What you learn is that we have a long way to go in developing the hand strength of our athletes that play sport. Those that attend to hand strength will change the game. Get Strong!