Contradicting Goals

After alot of thought and conversation with some fellow clients there is one thing that fails to be talked about enough and it is GOAL setting. Notice how I didn’t say GOALS setting; while I believe setting multiple goals is great but setting goals that contradict one another are a recipe for disaster. For example, how about the skinny bastards who want to get gain 30lbs but stay ripped at the same time? Or how about the athletes who want to become powerlifting strong – sprinter fast – and marathon level aerobic conditioning? It’s great to reach for the stars but we have to set guidelines in order to achieve the things we want so much. If your goal is to bench 405lbs then stop worrying about how GQ lean you look, how big your biceps get etc and start focusing on doing everything in your power to bench 405lbs. I suggest you sit down and think long and hard what you ultimate goal is. Then start planning backwards and draw out the plan it’s going to take to accomplish this goal. Try to make your this as simple and clutter free as you can, avoid all the BS and you’ll be rewarded with satisfaction in no time!

Problem with Grains?

This last week I was talking with some of the UCO Hockey guys about what they should eat. Most of them need to drop some body fat this off-season so what they eat is going to be crucial to their physical looks as well as performance. Talking about nutrition is almost impossible now days considering some of these guys are Kinesiology Majors and have been drilled to follow the "food pyramid" and that eating "whole grains" is healthy. Hopefully this post gives you an understanding of what grains really do to the body..


Bad!


Grains are in fact a large supply of starch, surrounded by a kernel. Starch decomposes (digests) into maltose and isomaltose in the intestines, which then decompose into glucose.You can look at it this way.When you take a slice of bread and crush it in your hand, you are virtually eating that amount of refined sugar. The problem is that that amount of sugar elevates the bloodsugar levels amazingly fast and causes your pancreas to produce lots and lots of insulin to metabolise it. Humans are not adapted to eat such amounts of concentrated carbohydrates and the pancreas (and adrenals) aren't fit to the job. Over time one will develop insulin resistance, hypoglycemia, diabetes II. Another problem is that the immune system crashes when your bloodsugar levels increases to high levels. It takes hours for the the immune system to recover fully. Another problem with refined grains is that it's void of minerals and vitamins, which are needed to properly digest and metabolise the huge amount of starch. So, each time you eat a slice of bread, your body needs to take minerals and vitamins from its limited stores to digest and metabolise it. Over time, you will develop deficincies of these vitamines and minerals. Further, many grains contain a lot of allergens which upset your immune system and causes the development of allergies. Imagine this: Humans have never in their evolution of millions of years eaten grains and now all of a sudden we are relying on this food. Our genes aren't adapted to these foods. Grains are in fact incompatible with humans.

So what should these guys eat instead of Grains???


GOOD!

Fibrous carbs such as: Broccoli, Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Mushrooms, Green beans, Asparagus, Cucumber, Spinach, peppers, Zucchini, Cauliflower etc..

Fruits: Remember the darker and thiner the skinner the better it is for you. This is because they have to produce more anti-oxidents to protect itself from the sun.

Bottom line is if you follow these recomendations you will emerge leaner, healthier, recover faster and have a hell of alot more energy!

Change your reps!

Our body has the ability to adapt to given rep ranges very quickly. In fact, according to Coach Poliquin "the average athlete adapts to a given number of reps in as little as six workouts!" The problem with this is that when our body adapts it becomes much harder to make gains and is pretty pointless to continue with the same program (or given rep range). One way to solve this problem is to vary your rep ranges of course!


















This man changes his reps!



Here is some examples..

Example 1
Week 1-2
4 sets / 6-8 reps

Week 3-4
5-6 sets / 4-6 reps

Week 5-6
7-8 sets / 2-4 reps

Example 2
Workouts 1-2
4 sets / 8-10 reps

Workouts 3-4
5 sets / 5-7 reps

Workout 5-6
5-6 sets / 4-6 reps

By simply changing our reps every couple of weeks we keep our body guessing and less likely to adapt which allows for greater progress in the gym. Although this isn't the newest fitness fad guaranteed to get you JACKED it sure as hell will keep you making progress in the gym both physically and mentally!

10 Reasons Why I Dont Do Aerobics!

This has always been a big topic of discussion in my gym so when I read this on Jason Ferruggia's blog I had to repost it so hopefully the word can be spread even greater. This was actually written by Steve Maxwell but Jason felt the need to post on his blog and so shall I.

Learn - Enjoy!






I spend my days at a corporate gym. It’s a sweet gig and a temporary livelihood.

One morning, while observing a female member endlessly running the treadmill-to-nowhere-fast, I realized I see the same people returning day after day, iPods silently blaring or, worse, mindlessly captivated by one of the ten wall-mounted television screens, while grinding away on those steppers and treadmills.

The drudgery of their Sisyphean tasks compels their attempts to lose self-awareness by inundating themselves with external stimuli. Often, their bodies reflect this lack of self-awareness in skewed gaits and other imbalances.

These same people come in religiously to get the feel-good fix, believing somehow their mindless, movement addiction is in some way benefiting them. Interestingly, they stay fat, show no progress, and sometimes even get fatter, especially after holidays. Most of these people are loathe to touch a weight, much less engage in any kind of productive strength-training. You see this same phenomenon in gyms all over the country.

Some will say, “Well, some exercise is better than none,”

But I say, if you’re going to spend the time, why not produce something worthwhile?

Here are ten reasons why I don’t do aerobic exercise:

But first, what is aerobic exercise? Any steady state locomotion elevating the heart rate into the zone for twenty minutes or more. The zone is determined by formulas based on age and resting heart rate.

Now, ten reasons why it not only doesn’t work but is a poor use of exercise time:

Oxidative Stress
Which causes a breakdown of tissues. It also predisposes one to cancer and heart attack.


Elevated cortisol production
Which causes a breakdown of muscle tissue and increases fat storage or depot fat. People do aerobics to alleviate stress yet end up creating more stress.


Lowered testosterone and HGH levels
For men, aerobics are a form of chemical castration. Low T-levels are associated with lowered libido, depression, anxiety, increased body fat and decreased muscle tissue. This contributes to muscle-wasting and lowers the basal metabolic rate.


Increased appetite and a tendency toward binge eating patterns
Aerobic exercise makes people hungry!

Excessive Muscular Fatigue
Making it difficult to do other more productive forms of activity. Aerobics creates muscular weakness.


Conversion of fast-twitch muscle fibers to slow-twitch
The loss of fast-twitch muscle fibers contributes to aging and the loss of explosive power and speed. People become slower and slower.


Burns a relatively small amount of calories vs. the time spent
One large meal completely offsets the pitiful amount of calories burned in an hour aerobics session.


Overuse injuries to the feet, ankles, and knees from excessive, continual force transmitted throughout the body
This is exacerbated by over-engineered running shoes which cushion the feet in such a way to create a neural amnesia.

Shortening i.e., deformation, of the muscle tissue from repetitive mid-range (partial range) movements
This creates inflexibility, immobility, and muscle imbalances. Besides being tight, the bodies postural alignment becomes compromised. Aerobics create tight, inflexible bodies that are in chronic pain.


Adrenal burnout
A consequence of the “feel good” neurotransmitters which also stimulate the release of adrenaline. Adrenaline is the fight or flight hormone. Excessive adrenaline creates an addictive response and people going routinely for the so called “high” of running end up with adrenal burnout, e.g., chronic fatigue and depression.

Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the father of aerobic exercise (and the person who coined the term) completely recanted his assertions regarding aerobic exercise. After observing a disproportionate number of his aerobic-enthusiast friends die of cancer and heart disease, he reversed his ideas on the benefits of excessive aerobic exercise. He now claims anything in excess of 20 minutes has greatly diminishing returns. In fact, he’s now an advocate of scientific weight training.

In strength and health,

Steve Maxwell

Cardio machines bad for pre-lifting warm up?

We all know that static type stretches held for many seconds at time may decrease the ability of the muscles to produce maximal strength for many minutes afterwards. We also know controlled dynamic stretches imitating part of the sporting movements has minimal adverse effect on exercises or the lifts that are about to take place during our workout. One thing that fails to get talked about and you see it happen day in and day out at every health club is the use of a bike or treadmill at a low pace for a warm-up (pre-lifting/sporting). What's so bad about this your asking? This "action" as a warm-up tends to decrease the functional range of movement of the hip flexors in particular "got this from the great Mel SIff". Unless your counteracting this with some hip flexor stretches or funcional flexability movements you should be cautious about the overuse of cardiovascular machines pre-lifting. If all this dynamic mobility and overuse of cardio machine mumbo jumbo is to much for you then simply use a couple of bodyweight exercises or carry out your training exercises with very light loads on the bar and progressively take it from there. All in all an enhanced warm-up will lead to a better workout!

DO YOU DRINK YOUR WATER??

We have always been taught since we were born that water is a good thing and it is vital for our health and lives. But yet many still struggle to consume enought on a daily basis. We know that we HAVE to have water to live but there are many other qualities this tasty beverage can do for us. One of my favorites, FAT LOSS... Yes FAT LOSS.. Research supports the notion that H2O can help you burn more fat. For one, dehydrated individuals experience a drop in resting metabolic rate (the number of calories they burn in a day). So simply staying hydrated can help to keep metabolic rate, and fat burning optimal. There is other research that has shown that drinking two liters of water raised metabolism about 100 calories. If this doesn't make you want to consume more water I dont know what will. Next time your reaching for a beverage make it some water, your body will thank you!

"Layman's" Guide to a better body!

Here is 10 simple rules for an easy effective way towards a better body!

1- Drink Water - Shoot for 8 8oz glasses a day, this is a good start.

2- Consume Veggies - Load up these nutrient filled foods with every meal.

3- Eat every 2-3 hours - never go longer than 3 hours without something.

4- Every meal revolves around protein.

5- Consume Med/Low GI Carbs only during insulin sensitive times (Morning & Post workout)

6- Eat FAT - Avacados, Nuts, Cook with oils, Flax Seed ect..

7- Use heavier compound movements - Always look to break PR's whether that be for reps or weight.

8- Do High Intinsity Cardio - Throw the steady state crap out and start doing hill sprints, jumping rope, swinging kettlebells for time ect..

9- Take Fish Oil Daily

10- Sleep & Nap - Get a good nights sleep and jump all over those daily power-naps when you get a chance!

These are all very easy to follow and will lead you to a better body in no-time!

Tempo???

Here is a blog post (posted awhile back) by a friend/mentor/strength coach Ben Knapp. Ben's work is built on his "time in the trenches" and is someone I really respect, so when he writes things I tend to listen! ENJOY...

Add tempo to change a routine
Most are familiar with the purpose of a bench press...to build a chest. A biceps curl is excellent for building bigger biceps. What exactly determines the ultimate result of the lift..e.g., size, speed, strength, endurance? Do all get an equal stimulus? Doubt it. Adding a tempo to a repetition will highlight the desired training effect.




Tempo can be described as the time it takes to complete the different phases of a strength training repetition. A four digit system was designed to highlight the four parts of a rep.




First number is the eccentric, or lowering, of the weight (e.g., the time it takes going down on a squat or bringing the bar to your chest in a bench press).




The second number represents the time you remain in the stretched position (e.g., the bottom position of a squat) before the concentric (lifting) phase.


The third number or concentric portion, is the actual pushing or pulling of a movement by the athlete.


The fourth number is the amount of time in the "locked out" position or for example the top of a flat bench press.


So a 4010 tempo in the bench press would indicate 4 seconds as the amount of time it takes to lower the weight to the chest, no rest at the chest and 1 second press (typically indicates as fast as possible) and zero rest at the lockout meaning move into the next repetition immediately.


From here we determine that one repetition using a 4010 tempo would take approximately 6 seconds to complete. Here is where I fill in the blanks. Let's use the 4 main strength qualities relative, functional, hypertrophy and strength endurance. Relative is described as the maximum force an athlete can generate per unit of bodyweight regardless of time of force development. The time under tension per set to achieve relative strength is 0-20 seconds. Sports like gymnastics and wrestling are considered relative strength sports. Functional strength training is defined as the amount of strength it takes for a particular sport. Tension time per set for functional strength is 20-40 seconds. Hypertrophy are tension times that cause the largest return for building bigger muscles. The tension time for this strength quality is 40-70 seconds. Strength endurance is defined as an athlete's tolerance to fatigue in strength performances of longer durations. Time under tension that would best support this quality would be 50-120 seconds.


I think an important side note is necessary. Regardless of the strength quality you train, I believe in primarily using the 1RM continuum. This indicates the relationship between reps and the 1 repetition maximum. So using the most weight possible with the prescribed repetitions and tempo, will determine the training effect. So now, are all bench presses created equally?

My "Toolbox"

Just as there are very few people who really wanna train and are dedicatted to achieving their goals there are very few trainers who further educate themselves properly to improve their craft. And come on folks, simply hitting up an NASM or NSCA local seminar for the sole purpose of attaining CEU's is NOT further educating your craft. Can you learn something? Sure, but I believe further educating yourself is far more than attending seminars 3 times a year. I dont believe I have done everything right as a trainer throughout my early years in fact I think alot of what I did minus the last 8 months have been a diservice to my clients. What im trying to say is I have learned more in 8 months than I have my whole life through kinesiology classes at UCO to studying the NSCA handbooks ect.. I found a niche of trainers who were busy getting results instead of writing articles, speaking at seminars, repping their certification behind their name. I studied them, watched the route they take with their clients, saw the results firsthand and then simply applied it to my own practice. I have became friends with strength coaches across the country, each one bringing something new to the table. It's like a "toolbox" so to say, I may not know all the answers to every question or problem that faces me in my gym but I am confident someone in my "toolbox" knows the solution. So I ask you to take a look at what minds your trainer attaches himself to?? Take a look at what he does daily to further his knowledge. What does his "toolbox" look like??

-LT

What the iron has done for me..

The iron has a special meaning to many of us. To me it's like a gift from god. A way to define myself, push myself, challenge myself. A true antidepressant in every sense of the word. Over these last couple of weeks throughout my birthday, christmas and new years I really took thought to what "The Iron" has meant to me an and done for me. It has brought me life, business, friends, health, challenges and a way to express myself. Throughout the deepest and hardest times in life "the iron" has never failed me. I realize to many of you the iron has done nothing, in fact many hate working out period. Everyone however has something in their life that brings them hope, joy, a sense of well-being. I strongly urge everyone to find that and embrace it to the fullest in 2010!

-LT