StricklyJumpin

The Struggle w/ Lame Sayings

2010-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

No matter how cliché it may sound I must say: What doesn't kill me, makes me better; Can't appreciate the sun if you ain't sat through the rain; Whats joy without having felt pain??

The struggle is what makes the success so much sweeter when you reach it. We go to college racking our brains, day in and day out. I sit there thinking "This Shi!z is for the birds" about 8x a day. But in the end when you hold that degree, its like "Who's got the juice now!". I can now go back to my old grounds and take a squat on everybody who didn't think I could make it half as far as I did. I also can thank everyone who made it just that much harder for me to reach where I am today.

Enjoy the Fruits of your Labor. The harder the labor the sweeter the juice.

Success Talk

2010-10-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

Find a passion. Its easy if you slow down and think about it. What gets you excited? What makes you want more? What do you think about on a consistant basis?

Find it yet?

If so, develop a plan. A Long-Term plan. Then break it down to short term goals in between stages. Its the easiest way to get successful.

Although an important key to this success is the people you surround yourself with and the networking aspect. Not one person has become successful by themselves. They have all had the help with contacts of people they have met along the way up.

Tough Beginning of the Week

2009-11-11T11:10:00.000-08:00

My practice schedule is as follows each week:

MONDAY: WARMUP, DRILLS, RUNNING(ie. 3x300 and 3x150) followed by WEIGHTROOM and Core Exercises

TUESDAY: WARMUP, Extended DRILLS, Jumping Approaches, 3-Step and 6-Step Jumps, Stadium Stairs, Plyos and Core

WEDNESDAY: Similar to Monday

THURSDAY: Similar to Tuesday w/ more jumping at the bar

FRIDAY: Hills or Stadium Stairs with extreme ab workouts

SATURDAY: Sleep unless required to do 20-30min jogs.

Even though Monday and Tuesday are similar to Wednesday and Thursday, No matter how I look at it... I feel like I'm punishing myself during the workout. But when you're done, you know u've done what you needed for the day. Lately I've been having heavy classes and labs overlapping practice on Mondays.. so I've been doing alot of those workouts on Friday to keep the consistancy.

I JUST WANA BE SUCCESSFUL

Been a while.. But I'm Still Here

2009-11-10T11:29:00.000-08:00

First off, I'de just like to say Purdue is bustin my bizalls. Ive had projects on top of papers on top of more projects. But Im still here, in the flesh.

Take a look at the piece of hell on wheels if you want....
ROBOT ON WHEELS PHASE I

All I can be glad about is that it moves...

This is the pre-prototype so Ill show you the final version by next week.

But yea, on another note training!
Body feels stronger than I ever have. Ive been cleaning an squatting about 2x the weight I was doing as a freshman. Running pretty well even though i still hate it.

But Im just taking it a day at a time till January kicks off.
Hollerrrrrrrr (Bark)

The Mind.. It's Critical

2009-08-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Its ridiculous what the mind can do to the body.

For instance take 3 jumps at the backboard as high as you can. Then, close your eyes and imagine that your Torch from the Fantastic Four and 'Flame-On'...
I am 90% sure you are going to jump higher then the 3 times before.

In high jump the mind plays a monsterous role in performance. If you feel off, chances are your going to be off... Even if you really wasn't.

It comes down to positive thinking. I know it sounds elementary but its true. If you put the concept in your mind that you can fly over this bar at this height, your chances of clearing that height is guaranteed to be better.

Supplements: Message from my sport's nutritionist

2009-08-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

Whey protein powder –

Whey is the thin watery part of milk. Whey proteins are very high quality proteins and are often used in various sports bars and drinks. Whey protein provide high levels of essential amino acids and branched chain amino acids. It supports the immune system and is digested/absorbed fast. There are various forms of whey protein: powder, concentrate, and isolate. Isolate has the highest concentration of protein and can usually be consumed by lactose-intolerant individuals. Most often, the best use of whey protein is post-exercise.

Creatine –

It definitely works, in terms of strength and mass gains. I would advise you to carefully consider how a gain in weight may affect your performance. For example, I once knew a baseball pitcher who took creatine, gained lean upper body mass, and it totally changed (for the worse) his pitching form. It makes the most sense to take this during a time in your training cycle when your lifting program is focused on building strength/power, and also when you have no major competitions in the near future. There are a couple well-accepted protocols to taking creatine, and I can help you determine which would be best for you.

L-glutamine –

Glutamine is an amino acid used to maintain or boost immune function and/or to maintain muscle protein levels during periods of intensive training. It is an important fuel source for immune cells and, in theory, additional supplementation may prevent or lessen the severity of illness. Currently, there is insufficient evidence demonstrating that glutamine alters immune function and prevents illness in healthy athletes who consume adequate levels of protein. In short-term studies so far there have been minimal side effects. But we have little knowledge of side effects following long-use longer than several weeks. I would not recommend glutamine as a good use of your resources (it’s also quite expensive).

Fish oils –

Fish oils contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are fats found in fatty fish like salmon and some nuts like walnuts and other foods too. Omega-3 fatty acids decrease inflammation, and that is why they have been connected to many different conditions. Unfortunately, there is not much evidence indicating that muscle soreness/pain/swelling/inflammation is decreased with supplementation. On the other hand, we do know they can be used for treating hypertriglyceridemia and various other health conditions. Taking high doses of fish oil is possibly unsafe. Taking more than 3 grams per day might keep blood from clotting and can increase the chance of bleeding. High doses of fish oil might also reduce the immune system’s activity, reducing the body’s ability to fight infection. My first recommendation is that you eat fish 1-2 times per week, which will provide you with omega-3 fatty acids. This supplement may have a positive influence on your general health, but the effect on your athletic performance is questionable.

Multi-vitamin/mineral –

Absolutely! Please make sure you take one every day or every other day with food. Just like all types of supplements, there are some MV/M’s that are better than others.

From Rachel Clark
Purdue University

Soreness

2009-08-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm feeling real tender right about now but it comes with the territory from lifting well. At this point if your ever feeling the same, I recommend you drink plenty of water and stretch a couple more times a day instead of only stretching at your workout. I guess an occasional massage from a lady friend wouldn't hurt like my comrade depicted here but its not totally necessary.

No Pain, No Gain...

2009-08-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

Its about that time, Yes Fall Training. Im not quite ready for the first couple days of initial pain, but we all know it has to come. No matter how long I put it off, it will hurt the same.

At this point of the season I plan to start with light running and lengthy sets in the weightroom. The focus will be on having alot of good technical reps. As the season comes closer, Ill bump up the weight and lower the reps.

Another thing thats going to help me at this point is hills and water resistance training... Ill keep you informed on what specifically in the near future.

Nigerian National Championships 2009

2009-08-09T17:23:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a much needed cross-hemisphere experience.
ABUJA, NIGERIA.

My parents both were born in Nigeria which equipped me the rights to have dual citizenship. I am now able to rightfully compete for Nigeria in international related competitions World Championships, Games, ect. I went to compete at the National Mobil Championships which is something equivalent to the US Championships that determines the team they take to Worlds in Berlin, Germany this August.

I competed with a mediocre winning jump of 2.15m. This was alright to me considering the fact that I had 48hours to compete after a 24 hour long trip to Nigeria. I also didn't realize until later that I defeated the previous 6-time repeat champion Obiora Arinze(2.05m) to kill his hopes of tying the record for most repeated championships at the Mobil National Meet. (Sorry).
http://www.completesportsnigeria.com/details.php?category=news&id=9161
http://www.234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/Sport/5438866-147/Mobil_Championship_ends_in_grand_style.csp

I spent the rest of my time enjoying Niaja(Nigerian) life and learning more about my very own culture. Although, Ide like to add Im very happy to be home eating Chinese Food and CheeseSteaks!!

NCAA Nationals 2009

2009-08-09T17:21:00.000-07:00

Keyword: Perseverance.

I started the meet w/ the jitters. I knew I had a lot riding on this meet since it happened to be the Biggest Meet of the Year, Showcasing the Best Jumpers From Washington to Maryland. There was a good 3 hr rain delay before prelims and I was starving. So I had my 3 piece from popeyes and started warming up. Doesnt sound like a good idea but I needed something in my belly as fuel.

For some strange reason I couldnt jump over not one bar in warmups before the prelims or finals. I was struggling terribly both times. But i was able to bounce back and didnt really miss a bar through until 2.20 (7ft2.5in).

I feel pretty good with my performance but after realizing that Worlds Qualifying mark is 2.28 (7ft5.75) minimum, its back to the drawing board because I dont feel no where near ready. Thats a whole nother league I might try and dabbling in the future.

FYI: Im claiming Nigerian Citizenship for World Athletics

P.S. ~~Congrats~~ to the BIG 10 and NCAA Television crew especially for making thousands of people watch 3000m steeplechases and 5,000m cross country races on the track but air 5 seconds of the winner but non-winning jump of some of jumping events.

The Top of the World

2009-08-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

First Blog, First Post.
I'm here to squeeze out the juices I have sweated out of my own body. I am one of you. Started out a high school athlete competing in whatever I could to get an excuse from doing homework or being bored at home. I started playing basketball, football and track. As I continued I dropped football and figured I had enough skills to play basketball and/or track at a collegiate level.

Didn't have a proper father figure growing up, so i had no idea how heavy a roll AAU basketball an other non-school related activities played a role in selection for college coaches at a Div 1 level. Nonetheless with my options in mind, I chose track. High jumping to me seem all natural and easy at the time.

Now after years of the struggle to be on top of the world, I've halfway made it. With everything I've accomplished so far: Big Ten Championship, NCAA All-America Honors and some medals and trophies stacked in a corner... I'm still hungry and have no problem telling you what I'm doing in my conquest to get there. The Top of the World.