Well I think I proved that you don't have to put in long useless training miles to endure a long distance event. The past 12 weeks I have been working on speed and efficient training. I have not ran 10+ miles since my 1/2 Ironman in October. My goal this off season was to train efficiently and smart. I feel I am on the path of accomplishing my off season goals. I am not exactly where I want to be yet but I am happy with my performance.
This past weekend was the Woodside 1/2 Marathon. For those of you that do not know about this event, I will give you a few details. This is a single track trail run. The first 6.5 miles is a climb of 1900 feet. When you turnaround it is an all out time trial to the finish. For most the weather was dark and gloomy but for us running the event the weather was perfect for a run.
I started out fast, maybe too fast because about 15 minutes into this race my legs were burning. As we started the climb up the mountain my heart rate was high and my legs were pumping. I was able to stay positive throughout the tough section of the course. I just told myself, "Get to the turnaround and then the race is almost over." I kept saying that in my head. I would zone out and before you knew it another 10, 15 and 20 minutes were gone. I checked my watch and I knew the turnaround would be here shortly. The final climb was a tough one but then I turned around and started the "time trial". I got to the top in 52 minutes so roughly 8 min./mile. Running downhill is tougher than most think. Especially on a descent that involves a wet and muddy trail and approximately 15 switch backs to deal with. My heart rate was steady and controlled and my stability felt great. This is where all the training in the gym pays off and being strong and stable are advantages. By time I reached the 10 mile point of the race, my legs were fatigued but I needed to push through the last 3 miles. I zoned out, kept my pace and pushed to the end. Once I knew there was only 1 mile to go, I gave it all I had and finished strong. The 2nd 6.5 miles took 42 minutes so roughly 6:25 min./mile. My overall time was 1 hour 34 minutes and 16 seconds, 7:14 min./mile, which was 50 seconds faster than last year. I was 22nd out of 156 participants.
Good things: speed and strength were great; aerobically I felt good till about 11 mile marker
Things I need to work on: endurance; pushing through the tough spots of the course; digging a little deeper to keep up with a racer infront of me
Goals: 1) Keep training smart. 2) Continue building the endurance to prepare for Wildflower 3) Challenge the body a bit more when racing
Monday, March 1, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Do you remember your first blog??
My first blog.
Life is such a precious and awesome thing we were given. We are able to make people happy, take care of our bodies and enjoy every single day to the fullest. Make sure to take advantage of every single day. We need to use what we were blessed with and change people's lives. Every day is an opportunity to live a better life. Whether you help a family member, a friend, or a plain stranger, do those things that make you feel good. Life is what we put in, each and everyday. If you wake up each morning with a negative aspect and do not believe in yourself, then you are not doing your part to live a positive life. Really try, every morning when you wake up, to live a positive and motivating life. One day at a time. If a barrier approaches you, then take it head on and find a way to get past it. You will be such a stronger person. Mentally, we all need to start thinking a bit more positively. This world is full of negative people and negative vibes, but we can change that. By being unique and different, we can make a change. Let's start doing good things, spread motivating thoughts, and see how much change we can make. We can either look at our lives empty or full. You need to make that choice. It doesn't matter about the size of your bank account, the prestige of your job, or how many people you know. What does matter is how many lives you can touch, and what kind of legacy you will leave behind. Remember, when we are no longer here, we do not take our money, clothes, shoes, and the rest of our materialistic objects with us. What we do take is our soul, our character, and our self of well being. Remember, everyday is a brand new day. Do not get frustrated with what happened yesterday or the day before or the week before. Go forward! Take one day at a time. Be positive. Motivate others. Inspire the people around you. Surround yourself with positivity and inspiration and watch your LIFE soar. You have more power than you think. Use those powers for good and it will come back twice fold. This is a test for myself and you. See what kind of person you are and what you will become. You can do so much with the right mindset. Just go for it and do not MAKE EXCUSES. MAKE IT HAPPEN! ENJOY!Monday, January 25, 2010
Perform Better 1-day Seminar
Another great experience in Los Angeles listening to the dawgs of the fitness industry. Each seminar I go to I learn at least 10 valuable lessons. Lucky for you I am going to give you these 10 lessons so you can learn from them to:
1. You better be reading. Did you know Alwyn Cosgrove read something like 55+ books last year? That is alot of reading. This is mandatory if you want to succeed at anything you do. Here are 5 five books these guys recommended: 1) Today Matters by John Maxwell, 2) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, 3) Goals by Brian Tracy, 4) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and 5) The Pursuit of Positive Thinking by Norman Peale. As you can see these are not fitness books. These books will help you live your day to day more efficient and with more direction. If you are writing down your goals and being productive with your day you will accompolish more. Accomplishing a little more each day can add up to masses amounts of material in a year.
2. Gray Cook again made us think. Fitness is not just exercise and sweat. Fitness is good movement and good movement can not be produced with just generic exercise. In fact some forms of exercise can make you move inefficient. Did you know that 2/3 of the population do not move enough to maximize movement? This was a profound statement because it makes you think about what you do on a daily basis with your clients. As a "fitness coach" you sometimes think you just need to get your clients a good workout. But Gray gets you thinking as to "what is a good workout?" He feels that obesity is not the epidemic it is poor movement. When people stop moving they slow metabolism, gain weight and become obese. If they regain proper movement and activity, obesity rates would drop. He also said that we concentrate too much on "more movement" instead of "good movement". Focus on corrective exercise which is fitness, not on bad exercise which is not fitness. Remember when you enhance an individual's dynamic stability, you will enhance their overal strength. Strengthen the stabilizers to enhance the movement of the prive movers. IF you are not stable, injury will happen.
3. I sat down and had lunch with Mike Boyle. It's funny, most of our discussion was about business. In this industry, remember, it is not all about the training intricacies , you have to know business. And when you are at one of these seminars talk business to each other not just training. It is ok to go up to a presenter and ask them questions about their business. These guys are so willing to give you answers and direction. You never know, one conversation with a presenter might change your whole outlook on how you do things. Don't be afraid to come up to these guys and introduce yourself. They are humble and great people.
4. I did notice how a majority of these "trainers" were kind of out of shape. And not saying in shape is completing a metabolic circuit, there were trainers that couldn't move efficiently. I was watching Mike's hands on and saw many tight and immobile fitness professionals. To me, this is so crucial to be practicing what you preach. If you tell your clients to stretch - STRETCH, IF you tell your clients to Foam Roll - ROLL, If you tell your clients to run through a circuit - RUN THROUGH A CIRCUIT! Don't be the out of shape trainer hounding your clients to do things you aren't doing. Be a good role model and show them the way.
5. Todd Durkin always fires me up. I did not necassarily learn the new cutting edge fitness concepts but he talks about real life, "in the trenches" situations. As a fitness professional we have to treat our clients with the best customer service available. Do not just train them to train them...train them to enhance their life. You can tell Todd practices everything he teaches because he has passion. He talked to us about being innovative and creative. Do not just do things how everyone else is doing them. Think outside the box and expect, not success, but SIGNIFICANCE. We need to take care of our clients and working out at our facilities should be "the best part of their day." Do not take for granted the relationships you have with these individuals. Show them the respect they deserve and give them a hug every once in awhile.
6. Alwyn Cosgrove discussed the importance of having "semi-private" training in your facility. I was lucky enough to visit his facility on my way home. He has a system. And this system is pretty effecient. Everyone that signs up gets an individualized functional movement screen. From there they are designed an individual workout depending on their assessement. They are then placed in a group depending on their workout availability. It is not the clients' responsibility to find a group it is the trainers'. For example, "I have 2 spots open at 9:00 am and 3 spots open at 11:00 am. Which one do you want?" The goals of each person can be different and even the exercises will be different based upon the movement screen but they will workout together in a group. Group training has been proven to increase results, give a better workout experience and give a support group to each individual. A trainer at "Results Fitness" is not responsible to bring in clients because "the clients belong to the gym, not one trainer." When a person walks into Results Fitness to train, they will expect to work with all the trainers not just one. I like this approach as it gives flexibility to the client and another trainers' point of view.
7. Taking notes. I remember Martin Rooney saying 2 years ago at a seminar, "If you just listen and not take notes you will retain only 5%." This has stuck with me since. I now bring my laptop to every seminar and take massive amounts of notes. I seem to type faster than I can write is the reason for the laptop. Also, bringing a laptop gives you the option to already make a "to do list" on a seperate page while you are listening to the speakers. So when you hear an idea you write it down so you can start that task on Monday. Taking notes also gives you a direction to take on Monday. Monday morning I review my notes and think about the important topics discussed. How can I implement? What do I need to change? What steps should I take to get started? Now, don't get me wrong, I am not coming back on Monday with an entirely different program for my clients. Not at all. I have my system and program that works. I just come back with little techniques to integrate to make my program more efficient. If this was your first seminar, I know how you feel....so many ideas, brain is loaded with new material and now how to use all of the new information. After a seminar, come back and do what I am doing, write 10 things you learned and go into detail with some of them. Implement those ideas right away on Monday. Those should be the most important.
8. Bring food. Again another "practice what you preach" rule. When a client tells you that he or she has a business trip over the weekend, what is the first thing you tell them? "Make sure to prepare a few snacks and choose healthy food for lunch." Also, by keeping the body fueled and energized you will stay alert and ready to learn all day. With so much information being loaded into your brains, you must stay hydrated and fueled with some healthy carbohydrates (berries and bananas) and some good fats (trail mix or avocado). And when it comes to lunch time, don't go to the nearest pub and rock down 3 beers and some wings. This is not how we learn and retain information...well maybe for them "Scottish folks". Either bring your lunch or choose wisely and understand that you are there to learn not gain 5 pounds.
9. Sit up front. It is like back in high school when the "geeky" kids sat upfront. Well guess what, when it comes to the fitness industry I am a geek. I want to be upfront so I can pay attention at all times. I want the presenter looking at me in my eyes when he or she is talking. If I am all the way in the back, I will be more likely to check my cell phone or send a text real quick. Sitting upfront shows you want to get the most out of what the presenter as to say. Plus when it comes to question time you could be the first one to get his or her attention.
10. Lastly, Tell your story. Instead of going to these with a close minded approach and not expressing your personality, try and open up to as many people as you can. Be genuine, be respectful and be honest. Interacting with like minded individuals is important to be successful. Tell people who you are and what you are trying to do. Give a business card out, get a phone number or email address and make a connection. Personally I would not be in the position I am today without connections. I have great people to look up to and learn from on a daily basis and I am even getting to know them on a friendship basis, which is even better. Don't be afraid to interact and talk to other trainers and these seminars. Be a go getter and understand that you can learn at least 1 thing from everyone there.
1. You better be reading. Did you know Alwyn Cosgrove read something like 55+ books last year? That is alot of reading. This is mandatory if you want to succeed at anything you do. Here are 5 five books these guys recommended: 1) Today Matters by John Maxwell, 2) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, 3) Goals by Brian Tracy, 4) How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie and 5) The Pursuit of Positive Thinking by Norman Peale. As you can see these are not fitness books. These books will help you live your day to day more efficient and with more direction. If you are writing down your goals and being productive with your day you will accompolish more. Accomplishing a little more each day can add up to masses amounts of material in a year.
2. Gray Cook again made us think. Fitness is not just exercise and sweat. Fitness is good movement and good movement can not be produced with just generic exercise. In fact some forms of exercise can make you move inefficient. Did you know that 2/3 of the population do not move enough to maximize movement? This was a profound statement because it makes you think about what you do on a daily basis with your clients. As a "fitness coach" you sometimes think you just need to get your clients a good workout. But Gray gets you thinking as to "what is a good workout?" He feels that obesity is not the epidemic it is poor movement. When people stop moving they slow metabolism, gain weight and become obese. If they regain proper movement and activity, obesity rates would drop. He also said that we concentrate too much on "more movement" instead of "good movement". Focus on corrective exercise which is fitness, not on bad exercise which is not fitness. Remember when you enhance an individual's dynamic stability, you will enhance their overal strength. Strengthen the stabilizers to enhance the movement of the prive movers. IF you are not stable, injury will happen.
3. I sat down and had lunch with Mike Boyle. It's funny, most of our discussion was about business. In this industry, remember, it is not all about the training intricacies , you have to know business. And when you are at one of these seminars talk business to each other not just training. It is ok to go up to a presenter and ask them questions about their business. These guys are so willing to give you answers and direction. You never know, one conversation with a presenter might change your whole outlook on how you do things. Don't be afraid to come up to these guys and introduce yourself. They are humble and great people.
4. I did notice how a majority of these "trainers" were kind of out of shape. And not saying in shape is completing a metabolic circuit, there were trainers that couldn't move efficiently. I was watching Mike's hands on and saw many tight and immobile fitness professionals. To me, this is so crucial to be practicing what you preach. If you tell your clients to stretch - STRETCH, IF you tell your clients to Foam Roll - ROLL, If you tell your clients to run through a circuit - RUN THROUGH A CIRCUIT! Don't be the out of shape trainer hounding your clients to do things you aren't doing. Be a good role model and show them the way.
5. Todd Durkin always fires me up. I did not necassarily learn the new cutting edge fitness concepts but he talks about real life, "in the trenches" situations. As a fitness professional we have to treat our clients with the best customer service available. Do not just train them to train them...train them to enhance their life. You can tell Todd practices everything he teaches because he has passion. He talked to us about being innovative and creative. Do not just do things how everyone else is doing them. Think outside the box and expect, not success, but SIGNIFICANCE. We need to take care of our clients and working out at our facilities should be "the best part of their day." Do not take for granted the relationships you have with these individuals. Show them the respect they deserve and give them a hug every once in awhile.
6. Alwyn Cosgrove discussed the importance of having "semi-private" training in your facility. I was lucky enough to visit his facility on my way home. He has a system. And this system is pretty effecient. Everyone that signs up gets an individualized functional movement screen. From there they are designed an individual workout depending on their assessement. They are then placed in a group depending on their workout availability. It is not the clients' responsibility to find a group it is the trainers'. For example, "I have 2 spots open at 9:00 am and 3 spots open at 11:00 am. Which one do you want?" The goals of each person can be different and even the exercises will be different based upon the movement screen but they will workout together in a group. Group training has been proven to increase results, give a better workout experience and give a support group to each individual. A trainer at "Results Fitness" is not responsible to bring in clients because "the clients belong to the gym, not one trainer." When a person walks into Results Fitness to train, they will expect to work with all the trainers not just one. I like this approach as it gives flexibility to the client and another trainers' point of view.
7. Taking notes. I remember Martin Rooney saying 2 years ago at a seminar, "If you just listen and not take notes you will retain only 5%." This has stuck with me since. I now bring my laptop to every seminar and take massive amounts of notes. I seem to type faster than I can write is the reason for the laptop. Also, bringing a laptop gives you the option to already make a "to do list" on a seperate page while you are listening to the speakers. So when you hear an idea you write it down so you can start that task on Monday. Taking notes also gives you a direction to take on Monday. Monday morning I review my notes and think about the important topics discussed. How can I implement? What do I need to change? What steps should I take to get started? Now, don't get me wrong, I am not coming back on Monday with an entirely different program for my clients. Not at all. I have my system and program that works. I just come back with little techniques to integrate to make my program more efficient. If this was your first seminar, I know how you feel....so many ideas, brain is loaded with new material and now how to use all of the new information. After a seminar, come back and do what I am doing, write 10 things you learned and go into detail with some of them. Implement those ideas right away on Monday. Those should be the most important.
8. Bring food. Again another "practice what you preach" rule. When a client tells you that he or she has a business trip over the weekend, what is the first thing you tell them? "Make sure to prepare a few snacks and choose healthy food for lunch." Also, by keeping the body fueled and energized you will stay alert and ready to learn all day. With so much information being loaded into your brains, you must stay hydrated and fueled with some healthy carbohydrates (berries and bananas) and some good fats (trail mix or avocado). And when it comes to lunch time, don't go to the nearest pub and rock down 3 beers and some wings. This is not how we learn and retain information...well maybe for them "Scottish folks". Either bring your lunch or choose wisely and understand that you are there to learn not gain 5 pounds.
9. Sit up front. It is like back in high school when the "geeky" kids sat upfront. Well guess what, when it comes to the fitness industry I am a geek. I want to be upfront so I can pay attention at all times. I want the presenter looking at me in my eyes when he or she is talking. If I am all the way in the back, I will be more likely to check my cell phone or send a text real quick. Sitting upfront shows you want to get the most out of what the presenter as to say. Plus when it comes to question time you could be the first one to get his or her attention.
10. Lastly, Tell your story. Instead of going to these with a close minded approach and not expressing your personality, try and open up to as many people as you can. Be genuine, be respectful and be honest. Interacting with like minded individuals is important to be successful. Tell people who you are and what you are trying to do. Give a business card out, get a phone number or email address and make a connection. Personally I would not be in the position I am today without connections. I have great people to look up to and learn from on a daily basis and I am even getting to know them on a friendship basis, which is even better. Don't be afraid to interact and talk to other trainers and these seminars. Be a go getter and understand that you can learn at least 1 thing from everyone there.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
7 things you can do today
7 Things You Can Do Today
Workout: Being active will relieve stress, increase your strength and endurance, increase your energy and increase your confidence. Do not put it off another week. Just get outside or get to a local gym and start now!
Eat Healthy: Another one that can be done immediately. Decide to make the change. A healthy nutrition plan will fuel your body for your workouts and your busy days. It will also give you more energy, get your metabolism revved up and improve your mental edge. The majority of your foods should come from fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.
Drink more water. The average person should be drinking at least ½ of their bodyweight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, the minimum water you should be drinking is 75 ounces. If you are active or an athlete you need more. Being hydrated can speed the recovery process after workouts, keep you hydrated and feeling good and assist in maintaining a normal body temperature.
Foam Roll and Stretch: We have talked about this before. Foam rolling and stretching will assist in increased flexibility and blood flow. For good movement these protocols are mandatory. Rolling will help improve the tissue quality of the muscle and will flatten the muscle out. Stretching will lengthen the muscle and improve blood flow.
Focus on the Positives: We need to re-teach ourselves to believe in ourselves. Doubt is a trained thought that can be removed from your thought process with constant self talk and motivation. Set your goals high, work hard and believe in yourself at all times. You can and you will achieve your goals with the right positive mindset.
Motivate someone to be Active: A healthy and active community is a strong and positive community. Next time you decide to go on a run or a bike ride or go to the gym, invite a friend to join you. Working out with a friend can make the experience much more enjoyable. Plus you will have a crew around you supporting your active lifestyle.
Take Advantage of your Life: If you do not have your health, you will not be able to take full advantage of everything around you. Focus on being active six days a week, eating healthy foods and living life to the fullest. You will see the benefit and enjoy life that much more.
Workout: Being active will relieve stress, increase your strength and endurance, increase your energy and increase your confidence. Do not put it off another week. Just get outside or get to a local gym and start now!
Eat Healthy: Another one that can be done immediately. Decide to make the change. A healthy nutrition plan will fuel your body for your workouts and your busy days. It will also give you more energy, get your metabolism revved up and improve your mental edge. The majority of your foods should come from fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats.
Drink more water. The average person should be drinking at least ½ of their bodyweight in ounces of water. So if you weigh 150 pounds, the minimum water you should be drinking is 75 ounces. If you are active or an athlete you need more. Being hydrated can speed the recovery process after workouts, keep you hydrated and feeling good and assist in maintaining a normal body temperature.
Foam Roll and Stretch: We have talked about this before. Foam rolling and stretching will assist in increased flexibility and blood flow. For good movement these protocols are mandatory. Rolling will help improve the tissue quality of the muscle and will flatten the muscle out. Stretching will lengthen the muscle and improve blood flow.
Focus on the Positives: We need to re-teach ourselves to believe in ourselves. Doubt is a trained thought that can be removed from your thought process with constant self talk and motivation. Set your goals high, work hard and believe in yourself at all times. You can and you will achieve your goals with the right positive mindset.
Motivate someone to be Active: A healthy and active community is a strong and positive community. Next time you decide to go on a run or a bike ride or go to the gym, invite a friend to join you. Working out with a friend can make the experience much more enjoyable. Plus you will have a crew around you supporting your active lifestyle.
Take Advantage of your Life: If you do not have your health, you will not be able to take full advantage of everything around you. Focus on being active six days a week, eating healthy foods and living life to the fullest. You will see the benefit and enjoy life that much more.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A great article by Mike Boyle
Please take the time to read this article by world renown strength coach, Mike Boyle....
Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing Ask yourself how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to. Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case. After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part. Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan? No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs? How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money. Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back ( Strength Training- The Fountain of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training. Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money. Mike Boylehttp://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com
Imagine you are sixteen years old and your parents give you your first car. They also give you simple instructions. There is one small hitch, you only get one car, you can never get another. Never. No trade-ins, no trade-ups. Nothing Ask yourself how would you maintain that car? My guess is you would be meticulous. Frequent oil changes, proper fuel, etc. Now imagine if your parents also told you that none of the replacement parts for this car would ever work as well as the original parts. Not only that, the replacement parts would be expensive to install and cause you to have decreased use of your car for the rest of the cars useful life? In other words, the car would continue to run but, not at the same speed and with the efficiency you were used to. Wow, now would we ever put a lot of time and effort into maintenance if that were the case. After reading the above example ask yourself another question. Why is the human body different? Why do we act as if we don’t care about the one body we were given. Same deal. You only get one body. No returns or trade-ins. Sure, we can replace parts but boy it’s a lot of work and it hurts. Besides, the stuff they put in never works as well as the original “factory” parts. The replacement knee or hip doesn’t give you the same feel and performance as the original part. Think about it. One body. You determine the mileage? You set the maintenance plan? No refunds, no warranties, no do-overs? How about this perspective? One of my clients is a very successful businessman. He often is asked to speak to various groups. One thing he tells every group is that you are going to spend time and money on your health. The truth is the process can be a proactive one or a reactive one. Money spent on your health can take the form of a personal trainer, massage therapist and a gym membership or, it can be money spent on cardiologists, anesthesiologists, and plastic surgeons. Either way, you will spend money. Same goes for time. You can go to the gym or, to the doctors office. It’s up to you. Either way, you will spend time. Some people say things like “I hate to work out”. Try sitting in the emergency room for a few hours and then get back to me. Working out may not seem so bad. Much like a car, a little preventative maintenance can go a long way. However, in so many ways the body is better than a car. With some good hard work you can turn back the odometer on the body. I wrote an article a while back ( Strength Training- The Fountain of Youth) that discussed a study done by McMaster University which showed that muscle tissue of older subjects actually changed at the cellular level and looked more like the younger control subjects after strength training. Do me a favor, spend some time on preventative maintenance, it beats the heck out of the alternative. Just remember, you will spend both time and money. Mike Boylehttp://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com
Friday, December 11, 2009
Dynamic Warm-up
The Importance of a Dynamic Warm-up
I always see the average gym goers walk into the gym and do one of the following: 1) perform some quick arm circles, walk over to the bench press and then start struggling through their sets. Then they stand up and rub their shoulders because they are hurting or 2) Go to the treadmill, walk at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes and then go start their workout. These are not correct ways of warming-up. In fact it is pretty much a waste of 10 minutes. A consistent dynamic warm-up is very important for injury prevention, increasing blood flow throughout the body, increasing joint mobility, increasing muscle flexibility, increasing range of motion, and activating specific muscle structures for the upcoming workout. Without a proper dynamic warm-up, you will get injured. You should never just jump into your first set of working out. You must work on your weaknesses in a dynamic warm-up in order for you to increase performance and fitness. During a dynamic warm-up you should address the following: Glute activation, hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility, knee, scapular and core stability, active flexibility, coordination movement patterns, agility and quick feet drills, heart rate elevation and body weight strength movements.
There are many variations of a dynamic warm-up. If you are consistent and understand why you are doing certain movements, then you are on the right path. It is important to be progressive during this warm-up. Do not start with the most intense exercises. Slowly progress your way from low intensity to higher intensity movements. Remember, technique is number 1. Learn to master each exercise. Be precise and strict with your movements and you will improve your posture, flexibility and move better. Start implementing a dynamic warm-up into your daily workout routine and you will see the huge benefits in your workouts. Go to www.justintrain.com for an example of a proper dynamic warm-up.
I always see the average gym goers walk into the gym and do one of the following: 1) perform some quick arm circles, walk over to the bench press and then start struggling through their sets. Then they stand up and rub their shoulders because they are hurting or 2) Go to the treadmill, walk at an easy pace for 5-10 minutes and then go start their workout. These are not correct ways of warming-up. In fact it is pretty much a waste of 10 minutes. A consistent dynamic warm-up is very important for injury prevention, increasing blood flow throughout the body, increasing joint mobility, increasing muscle flexibility, increasing range of motion, and activating specific muscle structures for the upcoming workout. Without a proper dynamic warm-up, you will get injured. You should never just jump into your first set of working out. You must work on your weaknesses in a dynamic warm-up in order for you to increase performance and fitness. During a dynamic warm-up you should address the following: Glute activation, hip, ankle, and shoulder mobility, knee, scapular and core stability, active flexibility, coordination movement patterns, agility and quick feet drills, heart rate elevation and body weight strength movements.
There are many variations of a dynamic warm-up. If you are consistent and understand why you are doing certain movements, then you are on the right path. It is important to be progressive during this warm-up. Do not start with the most intense exercises. Slowly progress your way from low intensity to higher intensity movements. Remember, technique is number 1. Learn to master each exercise. Be precise and strict with your movements and you will improve your posture, flexibility and move better. Start implementing a dynamic warm-up into your daily workout routine and you will see the huge benefits in your workouts. Go to www.justintrain.com for an example of a proper dynamic warm-up.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
No excuses - Make your workouts short and intense
No excuses! Short High Intensity
Workouts for the Holiday Season
One of the top excuses I get during this time of the year is “I don’t have time to workout.” You have to make time in your schedule to stay active. Learn to plan your day around the time you want to workout. If you have kids then get your workouts in when they are at school or when they are taking a nap. You do not need a lot of time. You just need the right positive mindset. Below are three quick but high intensity workouts for you to do during these busy times. These workouts should be no more than 30 minutes.
Always perform a dynamic warm-up before starting these routines. A proper dynamic warm-up can consist of knee raise pulls, straight leg kicks and lunging variations. You can go to www.justintrain.com to see an example of a dynamic warm-up.
Workout #1 – perform each exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10-30 seconds depending on your level; perform 3-6 sets depending on your time
1a) Jumping Jacks
1b) Front Plank
1c) Speed Squats – repetitive bodyweight squats
1d) Push-ups
1e) Jump Squats – focus on landing soft and balanced
Workout #2 – Treadmill Blaster (you can actually use any piece of cardio machine)
5 minute warm-up at easy jog pace
8 x 30 seconds on 30 seconds off gradually increasing to a medium speed
8 x 15 seconds on 45 seconds off gradually building to a fast speed
2 minute cool down walk
Workout #3 – perform this circuit 3-6 times through, depending on your time
10 Push-ups
10 Split Squats per leg
10 Hip Lifts
10 Inverted Rows
20 second front plank
10 Squat Jumps
Workouts for the Holiday Season
One of the top excuses I get during this time of the year is “I don’t have time to workout.” You have to make time in your schedule to stay active. Learn to plan your day around the time you want to workout. If you have kids then get your workouts in when they are at school or when they are taking a nap. You do not need a lot of time. You just need the right positive mindset. Below are three quick but high intensity workouts for you to do during these busy times. These workouts should be no more than 30 minutes.
Always perform a dynamic warm-up before starting these routines. A proper dynamic warm-up can consist of knee raise pulls, straight leg kicks and lunging variations. You can go to www.justintrain.com to see an example of a dynamic warm-up.
Workout #1 – perform each exercise for 20 seconds and rest for 10-30 seconds depending on your level; perform 3-6 sets depending on your time
1a) Jumping Jacks
1b) Front Plank
1c) Speed Squats – repetitive bodyweight squats
1d) Push-ups
1e) Jump Squats – focus on landing soft and balanced
Workout #2 – Treadmill Blaster (you can actually use any piece of cardio machine)
5 minute warm-up at easy jog pace
8 x 30 seconds on 30 seconds off gradually increasing to a medium speed
8 x 15 seconds on 45 seconds off gradually building to a fast speed
2 minute cool down walk
Workout #3 – perform this circuit 3-6 times through, depending on your time
10 Push-ups
10 Split Squats per leg
10 Hip Lifts
10 Inverted Rows
20 second front plank
10 Squat Jumps
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