Ask just about any elite athlete from high school through
college and into the pros and they’ll tell you about the importance of having a
personal trainer. This person won’t help the athlete perfect a curveball nor
analyze the way they throw a football nor help find a flaw in their batting. In
most cases these trainers help the athlete simply get stronger, faster and more
agile.
Dave Von Ruden is one such trainer. Locally, he’s been
working with athletes for nine years, the last couple of those years out of his
western Elk Grove location near Elk Grove Blvd. and West Taron.
“I love the one-on-one interaction and to help people gain
results,” he said.
Von Ruden, through his business, Synergy Total Fitness, helps
young athletes, some as little at nine-years-old, right through the
professional ranks not only strengthen their “core”- the main body muscles –
but, also help them from getting hurt while playing their sport.
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| Synergy Fitness has a unique facility in West Elk Grove for personal training. |
“I want to see these young athletes get faster, strong and
prevent injury, as well,“ he said. “I see too many of these young people get
injured. It’s because they over use their muscles all the time.”
Von Ruden helps the athlete to work what he calls a
“pre-hab” program so that the chance of injury is minimized.
“We get them to build up their over-used muscles while
getting them bigger and stronger, helping them get their agility up,” he said.
Von Ruden isn’t a big fan of athletes playing their sport
year-round, either.
“They don’t take breaks,” he observed of many high school
and college-aged athletes. “You see the professionals now (take a break).
Professional baseball players, a handful may go to the winter leagues, but for
the most part those guys let their bodies heal up from a long season.”
“This is one thing I want to instill in the young athletes –
you won’t leave your skill. It will always be there, but if you can get your
body built up –bulletproof and injury-proof – for the upcoming season, your
performance is going to be so much better,” Von Ruden added. “I see too many
kids get injured and that hinders the opportunities for them in their sport.”
One reason he likes coaching athletes one-on-one and in
small groups is to help them build up the entire body. That’s why he also
consults each athlete on what sort of food they are eating.
“I tell them the number one thing is that what they put into
their mouth is going to result in the kind of performance they will have,” Von
Ruden said. “So, if you’re eating fast food, processed food and sugar, you’re
not putting the right type of nutrients in your mouth to build that muscle, to
repair that muscle tissue and to put the fuel in that ‘tank’ for your exercise.
I tell them you have to stay with whole foods.”
He doesn’t recommend supplements very often, either, but
occasionally a protein “shake” is helpful along with taking fish oil.
“Supplements are just that – something you are deficient
in,” Von Ruden explained. “If you are deficient in, say, protein then you need
to fix yourself a protein shake.”
His favorite student is his son Kyle, a former Franklin High
School and Cosumnes River College pitcher, who now is on his way to the
University of Hawaii on a full scholarship.
The younger Von Ruden is coming off an excellent season for
the Hawks. Last summer Kyle had several offers from summer teams to come play
for them. David didn’t allow it.
“I told him, ‘You’re going to work out this summer and get
bigger, stronger.’ And that translated into an excellent season and now he’s
off to (Hawaii) this year on a full ride,” he said.
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| Austin Friello (CRC), Cameron Keup (Franklin HS) and Jonathon Hallman (Chr. Bros.) warming up for their workout at Synergy Fitness in Elk Grove. |
Generally, Kyle is a part of a twice-a-week workout his
father schedules with a small group of local high school athletes. Included in
last Thursday morning’s session were another former Franklin hurler, Cameron
Keup, now enrolled at Cosumnes River College; another CRC player, Austin
Friello, who played his high school baseball at Pleasant Grove; and a recent
Christian Brothers’ graduate, Jonathan “Ditto” Hallman, who will play next
spring at Northwest Nazarene University.
Von Ruden and his assistant trainer, Devin Oliveira, had the
boys going through a series of quick warm-ups using aids such as large rubber
bands, giant vinyl balls, dumbbells and benches.
In a few moments, they had all worked up quite a sweat.
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| Devin Oliveira helps "Ditto" Hallman in a unique barbell lift. |
As Keup and Hallman were swinging heavy medal weights above
their heads and to their side, Von Ruden said, “See, they are working on
strengthening their core. That’s where all your speed, your ability, your
explosiveness comes from.”
Unlike many gyms locally, there are no machines. Just a
rubberized floor and walls lined with pull-up bars, weighted balls and
dumbbells.
“We go into functionality here,” Von Ruden explained. “We’re
more into flexibility here, into core, we do a lot of leg work, glute work,
because they are the biggest muscles in the body.”
Also noticeable is the lack of mirrors on the walls.
“We’re not into building the biceps, triceps. We’re into
building the back, the core of the body,” Von Ruden said.
Though there are several baseball players spending their
summer days at Synergy, Von Ruden says he also works out football players, too.
“When you’re putting together a program you have to look at
what sport they play and then look at the muscles they are going to use,” Von
Ruden explained. “Then we build up the muscles that surround that area to
stabilize those muscles and make certain they don’t break down.”
Though he charges the local athlete around $160 a month for
two weekly one hour sessions, he sends them home with directions to do some
exercising in their spare time.
“My goal is for these young people to be healthy,” Von Ruden
said. “I want to do what I can to make sure they remain healthy, teach them the
pre-hab exercises that are needed to prevent injury and at the same time work
on their strength, their speed, their agility, also about nutrition and how to
eat right.”
By mid-August, he’ll add an additional two thousand square
feet for a larger work-out area.
“We’ll have more room for the athletes to move around and
add a few other stations, as well,” Von Ruden said.
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