This was the first week of the internship at Northeastern University. It mainly was about knowing what the athletes go through on a weekly basis. Each week, the athletes go through a set of tests ranging from vertical jumps, core stability, hamstring flexibility, and even subjective tests based off of number of hours slept, meals ate per week, and overally wellness. This gives the coaches a way to measure their progress or lack of based off of their performance as well as their general health. This way, the athletes can see how well or poorly they are doing and can see what attributed to it.
One test in particular is the Side Bridge Test. The proper protocol for this is to have the athlete lay on one side with their forearm under their shoulder and their feet staggered. The hips should be off the floor and everything should be in a straight line. This is a timed test, so when the hips come down and are not in line with the rest of the body, the test is terminated. Again, the athlete will perform this test on both sides and is recorded in seconds. An athlete’s side should be similar to the other side. If there is a considerable difference, then there is a muscle imbalance and that’s the side that the athlete should focus on strengthening.