Target Group
For the extremely overweight (female 30% body fat +, Male 20% body fat +)
Beginner weight trainer (under 2 years of proper training)
Goal
Fat loss
Health
The Plan
If you fall in this group and have this goal this blog is for you. Understand how you got where you are right now. It did not happen over night. It happened over years of having an unhealthy lifestyle. The good news is you can reverse this in less time than it took to create it. However YOUR LIFE MUST CHANGE! Look inside your self and ask your self "how bad do I want this." If this is your #1 focus then you are ready to succeed. Most people fail by taking on too much at one time. Most trainers do the same when training people. They lay out a detailed list of good foods and a stellar resistance training plan however the trainee is not ready for it. They have yet to create the habits that will allow them to succeed. Each week I will reveal a new habit to form to prime you for some real fat loss.
Week 1
The only thing nutrition wise I want you to do for the next 7 days is to eat a good breakfast with a good protein source in it.
Suggestions:
2-4 eggs with 1 piece of wheat toast topped with almond butter or omega 3 smart butter, greek yogart with granola, protein shake with fruit, bran cereal (measure the actual serving size) with a glass of low fat milk or a combination of any of the choices above for instance a protein shake and cereal, or greek yogart and toast.
your protein sources are the eggs, shake, milk, and greek yogart
No excuses wake up make your meal and at the end of the week you will have eaten 7 good meals and start the formation of the habit of eating a healthy breakfast. If this is too hard then you need to re-evaluate if you are ready to change.
Next training wise for week 1- 1 Hour of Exercise 3 times this week
Pick 3 days and a time each day. This is your time to workout and you need to create this habit. I dont care what you do at this point. Walk, run, or lift as long as its real exercise (babysitting kids, cleaning, doing yard work is not what I am talking about here). 3 days, 1 hour, No Excuse.
Thats it! Do these two things. I will not promise that you will lose weight week 1. This is not about that right now. Right now it is important that healthy meals get introduced on a daily basis and that you create a workout structure which has been lacking in the past. By the end of the month if you create the habits each week you have the structure to move forward and make some incredible progress without regressing. A healthy lifestyle is not a 12 week blitz. Its a lifestyle.
Read next week for week 2!
Thanks
Scott
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Why you fail in fitness: Sticking Points on the Big 3
Why you fail in fitness: Sticking Points on the Big 3: The Big 3 The Big 3 is your bench, squat, and deadlift. They are called the big 3 because they are the 3 best exercises you can perform to ...
Sticking Points on the Big 3
The Big 3
The Big 3 is your bench, squat, and deadlift. They are called the big 3 because they are the 3 best exercises you can perform to gain strength, performance, and muscle size. Basically the strength of these 3 movements can limit your development. If you can only bench 225lbs I can promise you that unless you have superior genetics you will never look like you bench 315. A lot of people say "I don't want to bench 400 I just want to look like I do." I can tell you that 90% of people who look like they bench 400, bench close to 400.
Bench Press
The most common sticking point on the bench is off of the chest. Usually because people bounce the bar or pick their ass 3 feet off the bench to get it past this point. This will lead to injury and ultimately no further gains on the bench because the bottom end is not being built.
The Fix
Paused bench- One second pause at the bottom. Do lower reps 2-5 and a fair amount of sets 4-10. You will have to suck up your pride and use a lighter weight for this
Dead bench- Set up a bench in the power rack and set the bar just above your chest. Then perform the bench from that bottom position. These work best using 1 rep. Do lots of sets!
Row-Do a bunch of versions of the row. Upper back strength helps the bottom end.
Overhead Press- shoulder strength also will give you power out the bottom of a bench press.
The second most common is at the top of the bench. This is primarily in very long armed lifters and more advanced benchers.
The Fix
Board Pressing- tape a bunch of 2x6's together (2-4) and sit them on your chest when you bench. This cuts the movement down and helps you work on the top end. The more boards obviously the more weight you can handle.
Extensions- Pick a tricep extension-lying triceps extension, rolling db triceps extension, JM Press, etc.. and murder your triceps! lots of sets and lots of reps. Tall lifters will live and die by the triceps trust me.
Squat
Once again the bottom end of this movement crushes people. Mostly because most trainees don't even squat to the bottom of the movement. To perform an actual squat your hip flexor should be at or lower than the top of your knee. That's parallel. If you quarter squat or "power curtsy" you look like an idiot and get no benefit from this exercise.
The Fix
Paused squats- pause your squat in the hole for a second and then explode up. You can do this with your normal squat stance or Olympic stance (close stance, high bar)
Dead Squats- Like the dead bench, set the bar in the power rack and from the bottom of the squat drive it up from a dead stop. A good variation is to use a safety bar doing these.
Work your Glutes/Hams- If you have access to a Glute Ham Raise do those. If not Stiff leg deadlifts, glute bridges, etc... will help out.
The Deadlift
The deadlifts trouble spot for most is off the floor. A lot of people can keep the bar moving if they can budge it. The cause of this is weak glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Most trainees can not flex these muscles in the mirror so they don't give a shit about developing them.
The Fix
Deficit Deadlifts- Stand on a plate or if you have 2-4 inch blocks and pull from a deficit. Try to maintain form.
Glutes and Hams- Do the glute ham raise or the exercises I have stated above for the squat. You can add in leg curls as well. If this is a weak point put some volume in these exercises. Also good morning kick ass overall for the deadlift. They should have a place in your program somewhere.
Good Luck and Kick Some Ass
The Big 3 is your bench, squat, and deadlift. They are called the big 3 because they are the 3 best exercises you can perform to gain strength, performance, and muscle size. Basically the strength of these 3 movements can limit your development. If you can only bench 225lbs I can promise you that unless you have superior genetics you will never look like you bench 315. A lot of people say "I don't want to bench 400 I just want to look like I do." I can tell you that 90% of people who look like they bench 400, bench close to 400.
Bench Press
The most common sticking point on the bench is off of the chest. Usually because people bounce the bar or pick their ass 3 feet off the bench to get it past this point. This will lead to injury and ultimately no further gains on the bench because the bottom end is not being built.
The Fix
Paused bench- One second pause at the bottom. Do lower reps 2-5 and a fair amount of sets 4-10. You will have to suck up your pride and use a lighter weight for this
Dead bench- Set up a bench in the power rack and set the bar just above your chest. Then perform the bench from that bottom position. These work best using 1 rep. Do lots of sets!
Row-Do a bunch of versions of the row. Upper back strength helps the bottom end.
Overhead Press- shoulder strength also will give you power out the bottom of a bench press.
The second most common is at the top of the bench. This is primarily in very long armed lifters and more advanced benchers.
The Fix
Board Pressing- tape a bunch of 2x6's together (2-4) and sit them on your chest when you bench. This cuts the movement down and helps you work on the top end. The more boards obviously the more weight you can handle.
Extensions- Pick a tricep extension-lying triceps extension, rolling db triceps extension, JM Press, etc.. and murder your triceps! lots of sets and lots of reps. Tall lifters will live and die by the triceps trust me.
Squat
Once again the bottom end of this movement crushes people. Mostly because most trainees don't even squat to the bottom of the movement. To perform an actual squat your hip flexor should be at or lower than the top of your knee. That's parallel. If you quarter squat or "power curtsy" you look like an idiot and get no benefit from this exercise.
The Fix
Paused squats- pause your squat in the hole for a second and then explode up. You can do this with your normal squat stance or Olympic stance (close stance, high bar)
Dead Squats- Like the dead bench, set the bar in the power rack and from the bottom of the squat drive it up from a dead stop. A good variation is to use a safety bar doing these.
Work your Glutes/Hams- If you have access to a Glute Ham Raise do those. If not Stiff leg deadlifts, glute bridges, etc... will help out.
The Deadlift
The deadlifts trouble spot for most is off the floor. A lot of people can keep the bar moving if they can budge it. The cause of this is weak glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. Most trainees can not flex these muscles in the mirror so they don't give a shit about developing them.
The Fix
Deficit Deadlifts- Stand on a plate or if you have 2-4 inch blocks and pull from a deficit. Try to maintain form.
Glutes and Hams- Do the glute ham raise or the exercises I have stated above for the squat. You can add in leg curls as well. If this is a weak point put some volume in these exercises. Also good morning kick ass overall for the deadlift. They should have a place in your program somewhere.
Good Luck and Kick Some Ass
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Internet Guru's
I love getting new information on fitness and lifting. The internet is full of free information and forums to where you can ask questions and get answers from experienced lifters in what ever field you want. The bad news is that this is where garbage information is passed on by inexperienced internet gurus.
Exception to the Rule
Everyone wants to find a new way to reach their goals with putting in the least amount of work possible. The problem is that most people have to put in work and are not the exception to the rule. 1-2% of the population could eat pop tarts and still be ripped and strong. Odds are you know if your this person already and you probably are not reading a fitness blog. So when someone who has gifted genetics promotes something that does not make sense, odds are it works for just that one person and not the general population.
The Forum Troll and How to Identify Him/Her
The workout forum troll loves to give beginners advice however is a beginner himself. Here are a few ways to identify who this person is and ignore their advice.
*always seems to be showing videos of himself performing a week lift after "a xxx month layoff"
*always seems to be commenting on competition lifters or physique competitors videos "oh anyone can look like that on Juice" or "Their arching during the bench and its cheating if you do that" or "who wants to be fat and lift that much" or "I could squat that much at parallel but I only squat ASS TO GRASS!"
*Has a back double biceps pose as his picture and does not look impressive
*Has an excuse of why they don't compete
*uses terms like ATG squats, Clean Bulk, and Body Recomposition
The forum troll has never competed because he/she is too weak and has not achieved a good enough physique to do so. They offer excuses like being super ultra drug free and figure that anyone better than them must be on drugs. The reason not to listed to this guy is because why listen to someone who has not accomplished himself what you want to accomplish. If you want to bulk up why would take advice from someone who is 6-0 tall and 190lbs. He obviously has not bulked up...If you want a bigger bench press why would you listen to someone who can only bench 225. Thats not a big bench press.
Who to Listen To
If you go on to fitness forums listen to the competitors. They will not steer you wrong. Odds are if someone is giving you advice and you look at their profile and see nothing impressive, you should steer clear. These assholes are usually the ones bouncing bench press bars off of their sternums, curling in the squat rack, doing skull crushers on a bench press, and other various clown shit that if you follow their lead you will get yourself hurt or laughed at by anyone with sense. There is a lot of "broscience" out there try to steer clear and you will get results.
Thanks Scott,
Helping identify gym assholes since 2001!
Exception to the Rule
Everyone wants to find a new way to reach their goals with putting in the least amount of work possible. The problem is that most people have to put in work and are not the exception to the rule. 1-2% of the population could eat pop tarts and still be ripped and strong. Odds are you know if your this person already and you probably are not reading a fitness blog. So when someone who has gifted genetics promotes something that does not make sense, odds are it works for just that one person and not the general population.
The Forum Troll and How to Identify Him/Her
The workout forum troll loves to give beginners advice however is a beginner himself. Here are a few ways to identify who this person is and ignore their advice.
*always seems to be showing videos of himself performing a week lift after "a xxx month layoff"
*always seems to be commenting on competition lifters or physique competitors videos "oh anyone can look like that on Juice" or "Their arching during the bench and its cheating if you do that" or "who wants to be fat and lift that much" or "I could squat that much at parallel but I only squat ASS TO GRASS!"
*Has a back double biceps pose as his picture and does not look impressive
*Has an excuse of why they don't compete
*uses terms like ATG squats, Clean Bulk, and Body Recomposition
The forum troll has never competed because he/she is too weak and has not achieved a good enough physique to do so. They offer excuses like being super ultra drug free and figure that anyone better than them must be on drugs. The reason not to listed to this guy is because why listen to someone who has not accomplished himself what you want to accomplish. If you want to bulk up why would take advice from someone who is 6-0 tall and 190lbs. He obviously has not bulked up...If you want a bigger bench press why would you listen to someone who can only bench 225. Thats not a big bench press.
Who to Listen To
If you go on to fitness forums listen to the competitors. They will not steer you wrong. Odds are if someone is giving you advice and you look at their profile and see nothing impressive, you should steer clear. These assholes are usually the ones bouncing bench press bars off of their sternums, curling in the squat rack, doing skull crushers on a bench press, and other various clown shit that if you follow their lead you will get yourself hurt or laughed at by anyone with sense. There is a lot of "broscience" out there try to steer clear and you will get results.
Thanks Scott,
Helping identify gym assholes since 2001!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Functional Strength
What Is Functional Strength Training
Functional strength training is the new buzz work for fitness trainers to show their clients their "expertise" and not get them results. Usually a trainer will put an overweight, non-trained individual on a wobble board or stability ball and have them do light dumbbell exercises. The idea of this is that you stimulate the core...but are you really making a difference?
Real Life Function
In real life your body works as a system to accomplish tasks that we require. Most commonly in every day life we sit and stand (the squat). We pick things up and put them down (the deadlift). We push things away from us (the bench press). We lift things over our head (the barbell overhead press). And we also pull things (the barbell row). This is why nothing is more functional than barbell training. Barbell training adds a load to the basic movement we perform all the time. For instance sit on the toilet. You just did a squat. I am sure you can see how adding weight to this function will increase quality of life. Especially in the older population who find it tough to complete these simple tasks. Using the barbell also trains the body as it is meant to be trained...as a system. Isolation exercises are good to train just a single muscle but does not do much of anything to get stronger. Isolation exercises are made popular by bodybuilders who have developed massive physiques through weight training. These leak into regular folks training and often over take basic barbell training which ultimately develops muscular strength and size the best. The reason is usually A) its easier B) people associate a "pump" or "burn" to be a good workout or C) They are not comfortable with barbell movements.
So What About Stability Training?
This training can be a good supplemental or finishing exercise to someone who performs a sport or activity that needs stability. This should not substitute basic barbell training. My best results in strength and size came from barbell training. When I trained like a pro bodybuilder I go too wrapped up into feeling a pump and training each muscle and forgot to get strong. Strength develops the muscle along with other factors. But if you do not increase strength you will not build muscle for very long.
Trainers
Remember a trainer should not be judged by the bull shit they say to you but their expertise in exercise science. You would think a certification or degree would make every trainer credible but it doesn't. Most of the fitness industry is driven by wanting to be different and selling you something. It does not mean it is right. Our anatomy functions as a system and genetics determine the insertions of muscles which gives each muscle its appearance. "Shaping" a muscle does not exist. You can either make it bigger or smaller. Do your self a favor and learn basic barbell lifts and improve your life. If you don't know how to do perform these lifts correctly I highly suggest you buy the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. It is the best book on fitness ever written in my opinion.
Kick some ass for a change!
Thanks for reading
Functional strength training is the new buzz work for fitness trainers to show their clients their "expertise" and not get them results. Usually a trainer will put an overweight, non-trained individual on a wobble board or stability ball and have them do light dumbbell exercises. The idea of this is that you stimulate the core...but are you really making a difference?
Real Life Function
In real life your body works as a system to accomplish tasks that we require. Most commonly in every day life we sit and stand (the squat). We pick things up and put them down (the deadlift). We push things away from us (the bench press). We lift things over our head (the barbell overhead press). And we also pull things (the barbell row). This is why nothing is more functional than barbell training. Barbell training adds a load to the basic movement we perform all the time. For instance sit on the toilet. You just did a squat. I am sure you can see how adding weight to this function will increase quality of life. Especially in the older population who find it tough to complete these simple tasks. Using the barbell also trains the body as it is meant to be trained...as a system. Isolation exercises are good to train just a single muscle but does not do much of anything to get stronger. Isolation exercises are made popular by bodybuilders who have developed massive physiques through weight training. These leak into regular folks training and often over take basic barbell training which ultimately develops muscular strength and size the best. The reason is usually A) its easier B) people associate a "pump" or "burn" to be a good workout or C) They are not comfortable with barbell movements.
So What About Stability Training?
This training can be a good supplemental or finishing exercise to someone who performs a sport or activity that needs stability. This should not substitute basic barbell training. My best results in strength and size came from barbell training. When I trained like a pro bodybuilder I go too wrapped up into feeling a pump and training each muscle and forgot to get strong. Strength develops the muscle along with other factors. But if you do not increase strength you will not build muscle for very long.
Trainers
Remember a trainer should not be judged by the bull shit they say to you but their expertise in exercise science. You would think a certification or degree would make every trainer credible but it doesn't. Most of the fitness industry is driven by wanting to be different and selling you something. It does not mean it is right. Our anatomy functions as a system and genetics determine the insertions of muscles which gives each muscle its appearance. "Shaping" a muscle does not exist. You can either make it bigger or smaller. Do your self a favor and learn basic barbell lifts and improve your life. If you don't know how to do perform these lifts correctly I highly suggest you buy the book Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe. It is the best book on fitness ever written in my opinion.
Kick some ass for a change!
Thanks for reading
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Lose fat and Gain Muscle at the Same Time!
This is the goal of damn near every 175lb guy in the gym. I should know I was one of them for a long time. All you have to do is flip through a fitness magazine and you will see these promises of "gain 20lbs of muscle while losing fat." This claim is ridiculous sans Trenbolone.
Reality
Once I came to the realization that 200lbs on a 6 foot 2 guy is just not big I decided to just suck it up and put on weight. This taught me an important lesson, Have 1 Goal! Before I always wanted to see at least an ab or 2 when I was "Bulking." What would happen is that I would gain no weight and stare at the mirror making up places where I thought extra muscle had grown. So this time I ditched the mirror and told myself I was going to get fat! 65 pounds and a year and a half later I actually fill out a T-shirt and only have a bit of a gut. Why strategy #1 failed is pretty basic. In order to gain you need a calorie surplus. Just like to lose you need a calorie deficit. So what made me think I could do both at once?
Over-thinking
Every beginner has a theory about how to work out through what they think will make sense. In my case I thought just eating more of good foods would help me gain a lot while being lean. Reality is you cant do both well. I gained a little and didn't put on much fat. But nothing noticeable. Bottom line is I wanted 2 opposite goals and that never turns out good.
What to do
If you are a skinny bastard (160-190 depending on height) it is in your best interest to gain some weight first. Put on a good 40-50lbs...yes I said 40-50. Do it in the winter where you will not be walking around shirtless (God made winter for us to bulk). Then come spring time drop the excess body fat. Out of 40lbs if you put on a solid 15-20lbs of muscle you will be noticeably bigger when you cut down. This will trump the 5-10lbs you may put on while trying to stay lean. And if you are a fat bastard work on getting lean first. Keep your protein high to keep muscle that you have. Then hit a bulk after you have leaned down to the point where nothing hangs over your belt.
And if your a guy and don't wanna look "jacked" I cant help you. All I can say is enjoy your skinny jeans and Hipster music and stay out of the gym.
Reality
Once I came to the realization that 200lbs on a 6 foot 2 guy is just not big I decided to just suck it up and put on weight. This taught me an important lesson, Have 1 Goal! Before I always wanted to see at least an ab or 2 when I was "Bulking." What would happen is that I would gain no weight and stare at the mirror making up places where I thought extra muscle had grown. So this time I ditched the mirror and told myself I was going to get fat! 65 pounds and a year and a half later I actually fill out a T-shirt and only have a bit of a gut. Why strategy #1 failed is pretty basic. In order to gain you need a calorie surplus. Just like to lose you need a calorie deficit. So what made me think I could do both at once?
Over-thinking
Every beginner has a theory about how to work out through what they think will make sense. In my case I thought just eating more of good foods would help me gain a lot while being lean. Reality is you cant do both well. I gained a little and didn't put on much fat. But nothing noticeable. Bottom line is I wanted 2 opposite goals and that never turns out good.
What to do
If you are a skinny bastard (160-190 depending on height) it is in your best interest to gain some weight first. Put on a good 40-50lbs...yes I said 40-50. Do it in the winter where you will not be walking around shirtless (God made winter for us to bulk). Then come spring time drop the excess body fat. Out of 40lbs if you put on a solid 15-20lbs of muscle you will be noticeably bigger when you cut down. This will trump the 5-10lbs you may put on while trying to stay lean. And if you are a fat bastard work on getting lean first. Keep your protein high to keep muscle that you have. Then hit a bulk after you have leaned down to the point where nothing hangs over your belt.
And if your a guy and don't wanna look "jacked" I cant help you. All I can say is enjoy your skinny jeans and Hipster music and stay out of the gym.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Athletic Training Failures and Fixes
Training Athletes is awesome, they rarely complain and are driven in ways most people can not understand. However over the years many people train athletes the wrong way. I was a pitcher back in the day at a semi high level. My weight training consisted of squatting and leg work. Bench pressing and overhead pressing was a sin in most trainers books for pitchers. Also they made me run long distance for my conditioning which is also all wrong. For purposes of this blog I will use baseball as an example but explain how to train for other sports.
Energy Systems
When you train an athlete you need to train them to excel in the energy system they use. Baseball is an explosive sport. Throwing a ball takes less than a second. Swinging a bat takes less than a second. So basically it is a power sport (using the ATP-CP system). This is why steroids kicked ass for baseball. It makes no sense for a baseball player to run long distance. They should be sprinting and doing explosive conditioning. Same goes with soccer. How many coaches make their players jog 5-10 miles. Soccer is a sprint sport and should be trained as such with intervals.
No Defined Seasons
Sport needs to be trained with an off season for growth and strength, pre-season for more skill specific exercises, and in season for maintaining and rehabbing from the rigors of the sport. In most sports it is impossible to gain strength and size during the season. This is why the off season is very important. Off season training should include heavy compound movements to get stronger and bigger. Pre-season should include more skill specific exercises (swinging a heavy bat against a tire, plyometrics, sprinting, what ever exercises benefit the sport). Pre-season should also concentrate on injury proofing the body with ankle, rotator cuff, shoulder, elbow, and other joint strengthening exercises. In season should be whatever the athlete needs to keep their strength and prevent injury.
Common Weaknesses
There are 2 or 3 weaknesses that most athletes posses and I think it can be linked to training what you see in the mirror vs. training the functional muscles. Hamstring weakness is very common. The hamstring is what accelerates you forward when you run and perform explosive movements. A lying leg curl just wont develop this muscle. A Glute Ham Raise is the perfect choice for developing this muscle. Stiff leg deadlift, Romainian deadlift and Box squats will also develop this muscle. Next is hips / hip mobility. Squatting to correct depth will cure this as well as deadlifting. Also learn hip mobility exercises to keep your mobility in the hips which helps an athlete change directions and rotate quicker. The final weakness is the upper back. Rowing, face pulls, scarecrows, scap retractions, etc.. will cure this. A strong upper back will protect against a lot of upper body injury during a season. Especially baseball where the upper back decelerates the arm during throwing.
Putting it Together
If I were training a pitcher in the off season I would concentrate on a powerlifting type program with extra shoulder rehab work. Abdominal work is a must to transfer power. Grappler, sledge hammer work, and med ball work is a staple to build rotational strength.
Pre Season I would limit the volume with the weights and pull the percentage down to 60-80% of max for weight work. A concentration on Plyos and Mobility is important. Sprinting and Throwing during this period is a must.
In season I would have the athlete lift based on weather or not they were a starter or every other day pitcher. Mostly training muscle groups and getting blood into the muscle so recovery can speed up.
This is just a sample and athletic training is complicated. If I knew the what I know now I may still be playing. I had major upper back weakness causing injury in my sub scap which put me out of the game. Had I known how important attacking these specific weaknesses were I could have prevented injury.
Thanks for reading!
Energy Systems
When you train an athlete you need to train them to excel in the energy system they use. Baseball is an explosive sport. Throwing a ball takes less than a second. Swinging a bat takes less than a second. So basically it is a power sport (using the ATP-CP system). This is why steroids kicked ass for baseball. It makes no sense for a baseball player to run long distance. They should be sprinting and doing explosive conditioning. Same goes with soccer. How many coaches make their players jog 5-10 miles. Soccer is a sprint sport and should be trained as such with intervals.
No Defined Seasons
Sport needs to be trained with an off season for growth and strength, pre-season for more skill specific exercises, and in season for maintaining and rehabbing from the rigors of the sport. In most sports it is impossible to gain strength and size during the season. This is why the off season is very important. Off season training should include heavy compound movements to get stronger and bigger. Pre-season should include more skill specific exercises (swinging a heavy bat against a tire, plyometrics, sprinting, what ever exercises benefit the sport). Pre-season should also concentrate on injury proofing the body with ankle, rotator cuff, shoulder, elbow, and other joint strengthening exercises. In season should be whatever the athlete needs to keep their strength and prevent injury.
Common Weaknesses
There are 2 or 3 weaknesses that most athletes posses and I think it can be linked to training what you see in the mirror vs. training the functional muscles. Hamstring weakness is very common. The hamstring is what accelerates you forward when you run and perform explosive movements. A lying leg curl just wont develop this muscle. A Glute Ham Raise is the perfect choice for developing this muscle. Stiff leg deadlift, Romainian deadlift and Box squats will also develop this muscle. Next is hips / hip mobility. Squatting to correct depth will cure this as well as deadlifting. Also learn hip mobility exercises to keep your mobility in the hips which helps an athlete change directions and rotate quicker. The final weakness is the upper back. Rowing, face pulls, scarecrows, scap retractions, etc.. will cure this. A strong upper back will protect against a lot of upper body injury during a season. Especially baseball where the upper back decelerates the arm during throwing.
Putting it Together
If I were training a pitcher in the off season I would concentrate on a powerlifting type program with extra shoulder rehab work. Abdominal work is a must to transfer power. Grappler, sledge hammer work, and med ball work is a staple to build rotational strength.
Pre Season I would limit the volume with the weights and pull the percentage down to 60-80% of max for weight work. A concentration on Plyos and Mobility is important. Sprinting and Throwing during this period is a must.
In season I would have the athlete lift based on weather or not they were a starter or every other day pitcher. Mostly training muscle groups and getting blood into the muscle so recovery can speed up.
This is just a sample and athletic training is complicated. If I knew the what I know now I may still be playing. I had major upper back weakness causing injury in my sub scap which put me out of the game. Had I known how important attacking these specific weaknesses were I could have prevented injury.
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Sets, Reps, and Intensity (An Understanding)
Wasting Time with Easy Gym Days
So you are motivate and ready to start training or have been training for a decent amount of time and are stuck with no gains. Look no further to the intensity of your workout. First off is this your workout?
Chest and Triceps day- where you bench 3 sets of 10, incline bench 3 sets of 10, cable crossover 3 sets of 10, triceps push down 3 sets of 10
Back and biceps- (all done 3 sets of 10) pull downs, rows variations, curls, hammer curls
Legs-(all done 3 sets of 10) leg press, leg curl, leg extension, calf raise
shoulders-(all done 3 sets of 10) military press, laterals, reverse fly
This is a generic workout that many beginners use and make some gains then flat line. The big issue is that sets of 10 suck in general. Everyone thinks that sets of 1-3 are for power, 4-8 are for strength and size, and 8-15 are for cutting.
This is wrong and trainees end up with a stale non intense program.
The number #1 goal in America is to lose weight and "tone." Toning is a terrible goal because most think they can get by with 3 sets of 10-12 using light weights because I want to (cut). People are afraid that 1-3 reps will make them look "huge."
This is FALSE! 1-3 reps do take power to perform however building power is all about building speed+strength. So 3 sets of 3 alone does not build power. Just like 3 sets of 6 alone does not build strength and size. Sets of 12-15 reps certainly does not help "cut."
Understanding Your Goal
"Tone"
What this really means is you want to lose fat and not look skinny fat. This take a combination of weight training/resistance training, diet, and conditioning. You must grow/maintain muscle to give you that "tight" look and lose the body fat. More muscle = higher metabolism at rest. A more intense work out will also trigger a hormonal response which also will aid in this goal.
Where you mess up toning-
* I am going to get too bulky and look like a bodybuilder
This is an insult to bodybuilders who eat and train for years to look the way they do. If for one second you think that you are going to gain 30lbs of muscle in 6 months of intense training, while on a caloric deficit, you have delusions of what the human body is capable of.
*Higher reps with light weight will help me cut.
Not at all, higher reps with light weight is basically like walking. It does not do too much. Now higher reps at a high intensity will build quality muscle.This is better known as the repetition method and I suggest 20-30 reps for this on weak body parts.
"Strength"
What this means is getting stronger in the main lifts. This type of training requires lower repetitions with heavy weights for main lifts (squat, bench, dead, military press). This will also require a trainee to train explosively as well (speed bench, box jumps, box squat, plyo push ups, etc...) You should also use higher reps on your assistance lifts to build quality muscle especially in lagging body parts most commonly the hamstrings, triceps, and upper back.
Where you mess up training for Strength
*I max out every week
Maxing out is for testing not building. Some of the strongest lifters in the world will not do more that 4 reps over 90% of their one rep max. They found that any more would just cause injury and not build.
*My program does not have any progression or periodization.
Most solid programs have a progression each week in weight, for example bench press- week 1-225lbs for 3 reps, week 2-230lbs for 3 reps, and week 3- 235lbs for 3 reps. Programs like this should be started light and have a light week every 4th week. You start light to keep progressing.
Periodizing will set your workouts up in 4 week blocks. Usually the first 4 weeks involve high volume, second 4 weeks decrease the volume but increase intensity (weight), and the last for weeks peak!
"Building"
Building muscle can be done a few different ways and good programming will address each way. First get stronger (see above). Next time under tension which means either higher reps with a moderate weight or timed sets (example dumbbell flys for 1 minute). Another way is volume (number of sets/total amount of weight lifted). 10 sets of 3 reps using 200lbs gives you 6000lbs total lifted. This compared to 3 sets of 10 using 150lbs which would = 4500lbs lifted.
Where you mess up Building
*I have to do forced reps and go to failure
Going to absolute failure will crush your central nervous system especially on main lifts. This usually causes a person to do less weight than the week before and not understand why.
*I don't deload ever
You have to rest to build muscle because thats when muscle grows. Every 4th week I suggest a light week.
Put it Together
Now that you got an idea of how sets and reps really work you can cater your program toward your goal. Keep in mind exercises should be done all at a high intensity. A good gage would be 1-2 reps shy of failure.
So if you want to get bigger arms a 4 week program would look as such for your arm days
Week 1-
Close grip bench press- 5 sets of 4 reps
Laying Triceps extension- 3 sets of 15 reps
Push downs- 1 set of 1 1/2 minutes
Barbell curls- 5 sets of 6 reps
Preacher curls- 1 set 1 1/2 minutes
Week 2
Close grip bench press- 7 sets of 4 reps
Laying Triceps extension- 3 sets of 18 reps
Push downs- 1 set of 1 1/2 minutes
Barbell curls- 7 sets of 6 reps
Preacher curls- 1 set 1 1/2 minutes
Week 3
Close grip bench press- 9 sets of 4 reps
Laying Triceps extension- 3 sets of 20 reps
Push downs- 1 set of 1 1/2 minutes
Barbell curls- 9 sets of 6 reps
Preacher curls- 1 set 1 1/2 minutes
Week 4
Deload with 2 sets of 5 on main lifts and 2 sets of 12 on assistance.
Obviously I just came up with this off the top of my head so given extra thought I may tweak it a little but you get the idea.
Hopefully this made some sense I know its a bit technical but just remember that just do something intensely on a consistent basis and you will get results.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Where to start, From where you are at...
Where Do You Start
This is a huge mistake I see most make as a former trainer. The question is where should you start? The answer is that it depends on where you are at. I want my trainees to change their lives for good, not just get a 12 week cure. Everyone gets motivated when they throw 200-500 dollars at a trainer for quick results. For most trainees, they want to start out on a strict diet, and high intensity workout. This lasts for about 2 weeks then reality sets in. The trainee loses interest in the bland diet and is too sore to push hard in the workouts. Plus usually these trainees watch TV and believe that 12lbs a week losses should be a normal thing. This is only true if you are at a ranch working out as your sole job and dieting. Truth is most of us have a 40 hour job. So where do you fall?
Category 1 (very overweight and sedentary)
Most Americans fit this category. This would be a 200+ pound female or a 250+ pound male with little to no muscle mass. This is a person who doesn't work out on a consistent basis. Food habits are awful and has tried many fad diets to lose quick weight. If you fall into this category take my 2 month challenge and see where your at.
Your Plan: (food) Identify your pit falls. Major ones being fast food, caloric beverages (soda, punch, juice, alcohol), sugar/starches (in excess), and high saturated/trans fatty foods (processed foods). Find your biggest offender and limit these to 2 meals a week for one month. This will be hard enough but hold yourself to that standard. For the meals you usually eat these foods, choose decent foods to eat instead. Month 2 you want to identify your second pitfall and do the same thing. For most if its soda and fast food your cutting out thousands of calories just off of these two things.
(exercise) Do something for 1 hour 3 times a week. If you have a gym membership go there. Use the machines, do what you know. Just get there and do something. Walk outside, do exercise tapes, just something 3 times a week.
Category 2 (overweight, active)
This is a group of people who usually have one or two big road blocks they just cant get passed. This is usually females 180-210 depending on height, and males 225-265 depending on height. These people frequent the gym and can usually tell you more about fitness than I can. They study fitness but just cant seem to get it together to look the part. This person tends to neglect the difficult exercises and routinely program jump anytime a new article in shape or muscle and fitness comes out. This person eats good but then eats horrible when things don't go their way.
Your Plan: (food) Write down a weeks worth of food and drink and then take an honest look at it. Look at the calories, carbs, protein, and fat intake. Carbs and Protein should be close to equal and fats only 10-20%. Also be honest about your bad habits. If you drink 2-3 times a week and drink a lot when you do, your not going to lose what you want. If your percentage of fast food is close to your cooked food, you are going to have problems losing weight. If you put 2 good weeks and then fall off the third week, you are going to get frustrated. So your challenge is to find where you having issues by writing it down. Then fix it. It could be simple it could be adjusting your macro-nutrients.
(exercise) Put down the magazine and get to work. Choose one reputable program to go on for 12 weeks time. Examples: starting strength, 5/3/1, circuit training, p90x, insanity...just something you can do for about 12 weeks. Do the programs as the author has written it! Do not play trainer and change the program. Stick to the program and watch your results!
Category 3 (Healthy Weight just have a little more until a perfect body)
This is a group of people who are 15lbs away from their ultimate body goal. This is usually guys who want a 6 pack or girls who want nothing to jiggle anywhere. The problem lies in what it takes to get there. You are already eating good and killing it in the gym, so what gives?
Your Plan (food) do yourself a favor and open your wallet to a reputable diet program. Carb Backloading, Carb cycling, intermittent fasting, etc... These will usually cost 70-150 bucks but they work. Realize that unless you are a machine or blessed with good genetics, you will not keep the perfect body year round. Find a time 12 weeks away from bikini season, beach season, competition or whatever it is and just follow the program as written!
(exercise) The biggest pit falls for this group is intensity. 3-4 days of intense weight and cardio training is in order! Males and Females should lift heavy and do at least 2 days of intense cardio. This once again would be a time to open up the wallet to a trainer. Find someone reputable.
If you follow these tips at your category you will make it to the next level. Try it for 12 weeks and see how it works. Do look at the scale and expect miracles. If you lose 12 permanent pounds in 12 weeks and continue to do so after then you are going to be satisfied. Strict diets only work for a little bit. Lifestyle changes can put you at the next level comfortably and permanently.
if you like what you read feel free to donate it takes about an hour to write these so every little bit will keep me writing these
This is a huge mistake I see most make as a former trainer. The question is where should you start? The answer is that it depends on where you are at. I want my trainees to change their lives for good, not just get a 12 week cure. Everyone gets motivated when they throw 200-500 dollars at a trainer for quick results. For most trainees, they want to start out on a strict diet, and high intensity workout. This lasts for about 2 weeks then reality sets in. The trainee loses interest in the bland diet and is too sore to push hard in the workouts. Plus usually these trainees watch TV and believe that 12lbs a week losses should be a normal thing. This is only true if you are at a ranch working out as your sole job and dieting. Truth is most of us have a 40 hour job. So where do you fall?
Category 1 (very overweight and sedentary)
Most Americans fit this category. This would be a 200+ pound female or a 250+ pound male with little to no muscle mass. This is a person who doesn't work out on a consistent basis. Food habits are awful and has tried many fad diets to lose quick weight. If you fall into this category take my 2 month challenge and see where your at.
Your Plan: (food) Identify your pit falls. Major ones being fast food, caloric beverages (soda, punch, juice, alcohol), sugar/starches (in excess), and high saturated/trans fatty foods (processed foods). Find your biggest offender and limit these to 2 meals a week for one month. This will be hard enough but hold yourself to that standard. For the meals you usually eat these foods, choose decent foods to eat instead. Month 2 you want to identify your second pitfall and do the same thing. For most if its soda and fast food your cutting out thousands of calories just off of these two things.
(exercise) Do something for 1 hour 3 times a week. If you have a gym membership go there. Use the machines, do what you know. Just get there and do something. Walk outside, do exercise tapes, just something 3 times a week.
Category 2 (overweight, active)
This is a group of people who usually have one or two big road blocks they just cant get passed. This is usually females 180-210 depending on height, and males 225-265 depending on height. These people frequent the gym and can usually tell you more about fitness than I can. They study fitness but just cant seem to get it together to look the part. This person tends to neglect the difficult exercises and routinely program jump anytime a new article in shape or muscle and fitness comes out. This person eats good but then eats horrible when things don't go their way.
Your Plan: (food) Write down a weeks worth of food and drink and then take an honest look at it. Look at the calories, carbs, protein, and fat intake. Carbs and Protein should be close to equal and fats only 10-20%. Also be honest about your bad habits. If you drink 2-3 times a week and drink a lot when you do, your not going to lose what you want. If your percentage of fast food is close to your cooked food, you are going to have problems losing weight. If you put 2 good weeks and then fall off the third week, you are going to get frustrated. So your challenge is to find where you having issues by writing it down. Then fix it. It could be simple it could be adjusting your macro-nutrients.
(exercise) Put down the magazine and get to work. Choose one reputable program to go on for 12 weeks time. Examples: starting strength, 5/3/1, circuit training, p90x, insanity...just something you can do for about 12 weeks. Do the programs as the author has written it! Do not play trainer and change the program. Stick to the program and watch your results!
Category 3 (Healthy Weight just have a little more until a perfect body)
This is a group of people who are 15lbs away from their ultimate body goal. This is usually guys who want a 6 pack or girls who want nothing to jiggle anywhere. The problem lies in what it takes to get there. You are already eating good and killing it in the gym, so what gives?
Your Plan (food) do yourself a favor and open your wallet to a reputable diet program. Carb Backloading, Carb cycling, intermittent fasting, etc... These will usually cost 70-150 bucks but they work. Realize that unless you are a machine or blessed with good genetics, you will not keep the perfect body year round. Find a time 12 weeks away from bikini season, beach season, competition or whatever it is and just follow the program as written!
(exercise) The biggest pit falls for this group is intensity. 3-4 days of intense weight and cardio training is in order! Males and Females should lift heavy and do at least 2 days of intense cardio. This once again would be a time to open up the wallet to a trainer. Find someone reputable.
If you follow these tips at your category you will make it to the next level. Try it for 12 weeks and see how it works. Do look at the scale and expect miracles. If you lose 12 permanent pounds in 12 weeks and continue to do so after then you are going to be satisfied. Strict diets only work for a little bit. Lifestyle changes can put you at the next level comfortably and permanently.
if you like what you read feel free to donate it takes about an hour to write these so every little bit will keep me writing these
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Plans and Goals
You Must Have a Goal and A Plan
The #1 reason people don't reach their fitness goals is because they have generic goals and haphazard plans of reaching this goal. This is a blog for the average not advanced trainee. Advanced trainees understand the value of these 2 very important aspects of training already.
Goals
The #1 goal I heard as a trainer is "I want to just tone." This was usually code for work a miracle because I don't want to work too hard but want the results of someone who does. What the hell does "I want to tone" even mean??? Its as generic a goal as "I want to lose weight." Goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. So a better goal would be "I want to lose 4 inches from my waist and midsection by summer time." Because really if you lose 4 inches from your waits and midsection does it really matter what the scale says? Even lost in this is a performance goal. "I want to be able to run a 5k, triathlon, bench 315, jump higher, etc... You would be surprised how your body will change without you trying to work on your looks. I am a perfect example. I always wanted to be big. I read magazine article and trained like a bodybuilder even though I was still a beginner. I gained a few pounds putting me over 200lbs but never over 215. I then ditched the "looks" goal and began powerlifting. Now I am 260lbs a year and a half later and actually not much fatter. I reached my early on goal by following a specific performance goal. I hope some of this is making sense.
The Plan
You MUST have a plan. You have your good goal now, so how are you going to get there? Do you know what it takes to get there? What resources are available and what can you afford? If you have a lofty goal you need to know how hard it is going to be to get there. So many people start from a true beginner and want to look like a magazine model in 6 months time. The problem with this is that magazine model has fantastic genetics, looks good as their 40 hour a week job, and has been working at their body for years...Do you have fantastic genetics? Do you have unlimited time to work toward this goal? Can you stay dedicated for years? I will never bullshit someone and tell them you can look however you want to look. Its not being mean just realistic. I will never look like Jay Cutler. I will never look like Ashton Kutcher. I just don't have either of those genetic abilities. It doesn't mean that I can get look somewhat similar with the proper training and dedication however. So know what it takes to get you to your goal so you can plan accordingly. The plan must address your available time also. If you only have 1 hour 3 days a week you must plan for that. Also what resources do you have. Do you have a dietitian, trainer, or friend who can help you. Can you afford that? If not what program are you going to choose that is available for less money out there.
Putting it Together
Lets use an example of how to put this in action...
Trainee goal: Drop 6 pants sizes by summer
Performance goal: Run one of those 5k mud races by summer
Plan: I have 4 days a week to dedicate 1 hour each day. I will split my weight workouts upper and lower body twice a week. The other 2 days I will dedicate to sprinting, jumping, and plyometrics for the first day and distance running on the final day. I will use compound movements for my weights and lift heavy to get stronger. I will eat better food to include getting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight in. I will cut out fast food and soda with the exception of 1 or 2 times a week.
This is a rough outline without getting into detailed planning but you get the idea. This could be very attainable in a 3-6 month period of time as long as the trainee is consistant with the plan.
Lofty goal plan
Here is an example of my lofty goal and what it has taken me to get where I am at. You can see how much more work and involvement is put into a lofty goal. You got to ask yourself can you dedicate yourself to doing something like this.
Goal: National qualifying total in the USAPL for powerlifting 275lb category (1600 total qualifies) by the end of 2013.
Performance goals short term: 500lb squat by June, 330 bench by June, 540 deadlift by june
End of 2012 goal: 550 squat, 360 bench, 600 deadlift.
Plan: spend money to get trained by Josh Bryant (highly sought out trainer), train 4x a week never missing a weight training session. These sessions last about 1 1/2 hours with a very high volume of weight lifted. Eat 300g protein a day and roughly 4000 calories a day. 20 minutes a day dedicated to mobility and rehabilitative stretching. Video tape lifts to make sure form is good.
Where I started: bodyweight 200lbs, bench 185, squat 235, deadlift 275. Spent 16 months never missing a workout. Used basic 5/3/1 program plan. Ate in excess of 5000 calories a day. Video taped lifts to get better form. Did 20 min a day of rehab/mobility work.
So as you can see the higher the goal is the more you have to dedicate yourself. I have a 2 year plan of not missing a workout. Everyday I am doing something to reach my goal. I spent 20 bucks for the 5/3/1 program and educated myself to make the improvements I made to reach my 1223 total. Now I spent much more money to hire a top level trainer to write me a program.
Now you got to look at these examples and see where you fall. Are you a new trainee looking to look better and feel better. Are you a competitor? Are you an athlete (inter mural or otherwise)? What goal do you have and whats your plan?
These two things are critical to success. I believe everyone puts too much into a "looks" goal. You don't have to look perfect. Looks are individual to a person which makes this world have variety. You should be happy with yourself and not feel like you have to look like a supermodel to be happy. Plan to better yourself and look and feel better. Its about health, confidence, and feeling better. I believe everyone can get their weight in the healthy range, look great, and still have a life if they plan properly. Isn't that what life is all about???
As I said this article is not for advanced trainees or competitive athletes or fitness models. These people revolve their lives around fitness. This is for the average person who wants to improve their looks and fitness. The 40+ hour a week worker who has limited time to dedicate and wants to have more confidence and live a longer healthier life.
Hope this made some sense.
The #1 reason people don't reach their fitness goals is because they have generic goals and haphazard plans of reaching this goal. This is a blog for the average not advanced trainee. Advanced trainees understand the value of these 2 very important aspects of training already.
Goals
The #1 goal I heard as a trainer is "I want to just tone." This was usually code for work a miracle because I don't want to work too hard but want the results of someone who does. What the hell does "I want to tone" even mean??? Its as generic a goal as "I want to lose weight." Goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. So a better goal would be "I want to lose 4 inches from my waist and midsection by summer time." Because really if you lose 4 inches from your waits and midsection does it really matter what the scale says? Even lost in this is a performance goal. "I want to be able to run a 5k, triathlon, bench 315, jump higher, etc... You would be surprised how your body will change without you trying to work on your looks. I am a perfect example. I always wanted to be big. I read magazine article and trained like a bodybuilder even though I was still a beginner. I gained a few pounds putting me over 200lbs but never over 215. I then ditched the "looks" goal and began powerlifting. Now I am 260lbs a year and a half later and actually not much fatter. I reached my early on goal by following a specific performance goal. I hope some of this is making sense.
The Plan
You MUST have a plan. You have your good goal now, so how are you going to get there? Do you know what it takes to get there? What resources are available and what can you afford? If you have a lofty goal you need to know how hard it is going to be to get there. So many people start from a true beginner and want to look like a magazine model in 6 months time. The problem with this is that magazine model has fantastic genetics, looks good as their 40 hour a week job, and has been working at their body for years...Do you have fantastic genetics? Do you have unlimited time to work toward this goal? Can you stay dedicated for years? I will never bullshit someone and tell them you can look however you want to look. Its not being mean just realistic. I will never look like Jay Cutler. I will never look like Ashton Kutcher. I just don't have either of those genetic abilities. It doesn't mean that I can get look somewhat similar with the proper training and dedication however. So know what it takes to get you to your goal so you can plan accordingly. The plan must address your available time also. If you only have 1 hour 3 days a week you must plan for that. Also what resources do you have. Do you have a dietitian, trainer, or friend who can help you. Can you afford that? If not what program are you going to choose that is available for less money out there.
Putting it Together
Lets use an example of how to put this in action...
Trainee goal: Drop 6 pants sizes by summer
Performance goal: Run one of those 5k mud races by summer
Plan: I have 4 days a week to dedicate 1 hour each day. I will split my weight workouts upper and lower body twice a week. The other 2 days I will dedicate to sprinting, jumping, and plyometrics for the first day and distance running on the final day. I will use compound movements for my weights and lift heavy to get stronger. I will eat better food to include getting 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight in. I will cut out fast food and soda with the exception of 1 or 2 times a week.
This is a rough outline without getting into detailed planning but you get the idea. This could be very attainable in a 3-6 month period of time as long as the trainee is consistant with the plan.
Lofty goal plan
Here is an example of my lofty goal and what it has taken me to get where I am at. You can see how much more work and involvement is put into a lofty goal. You got to ask yourself can you dedicate yourself to doing something like this.
Goal: National qualifying total in the USAPL for powerlifting 275lb category (1600 total qualifies) by the end of 2013.
Performance goals short term: 500lb squat by June, 330 bench by June, 540 deadlift by june
End of 2012 goal: 550 squat, 360 bench, 600 deadlift.
Plan: spend money to get trained by Josh Bryant (highly sought out trainer), train 4x a week never missing a weight training session. These sessions last about 1 1/2 hours with a very high volume of weight lifted. Eat 300g protein a day and roughly 4000 calories a day. 20 minutes a day dedicated to mobility and rehabilitative stretching. Video tape lifts to make sure form is good.
Where I started: bodyweight 200lbs, bench 185, squat 235, deadlift 275. Spent 16 months never missing a workout. Used basic 5/3/1 program plan. Ate in excess of 5000 calories a day. Video taped lifts to get better form. Did 20 min a day of rehab/mobility work.
So as you can see the higher the goal is the more you have to dedicate yourself. I have a 2 year plan of not missing a workout. Everyday I am doing something to reach my goal. I spent 20 bucks for the 5/3/1 program and educated myself to make the improvements I made to reach my 1223 total. Now I spent much more money to hire a top level trainer to write me a program.
Now you got to look at these examples and see where you fall. Are you a new trainee looking to look better and feel better. Are you a competitor? Are you an athlete (inter mural or otherwise)? What goal do you have and whats your plan?
These two things are critical to success. I believe everyone puts too much into a "looks" goal. You don't have to look perfect. Looks are individual to a person which makes this world have variety. You should be happy with yourself and not feel like you have to look like a supermodel to be happy. Plan to better yourself and look and feel better. Its about health, confidence, and feeling better. I believe everyone can get their weight in the healthy range, look great, and still have a life if they plan properly. Isn't that what life is all about???
As I said this article is not for advanced trainees or competitive athletes or fitness models. These people revolve their lives around fitness. This is for the average person who wants to improve their looks and fitness. The 40+ hour a week worker who has limited time to dedicate and wants to have more confidence and live a longer healthier life.
Hope this made some sense.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Take the first step!
I am creating this blog because my life long passion was to be in the fitness industry. Life has happened to me and I had to get a real "career." I still feel as though I can help people with their fitness goals and I plan to start personal training once again.
Why you fail
The #1 goal everyone told me they had when I was a trainer was "lose weight." Seldom did anyone have a timeline for this weight loss, A number goal in mind, or any plan to lose weight. I will write more about goals and plans in the future. First off I hate the term "lose weight." I prefer losing fat because that is what everyone ultimately wants. What typically happens is that an untrained individual embarks into the fitness world to ultimately change their body. They pay money to join a gym and sometimes get a personal trainer. The only problem is that this individual is in way over their head to begin with. They get frustrated and ultimately quit thus wasting hard earned money for no result.
How should you start?
At first you need to set small goals. For 1 month make it a habit to exercise at least 3 times a week. No excuses. Just do it. If its running, run. If its walking, walk. Just do something. Creating this habit will make you put aside time for working out. Next goal for this month is to stop eating like crap. If you eat fast food, stop. If you drink soda, stop. So many clients would worry about the glycemic index of corn or some other vegetable, the fat content in Mayo, Or white breads vs. wheat bread. Now keep in mind I am talking about an untrained person who usually falls in the very overweight category. If you fall in this category I am sure you didn't wind up in this predicament over just eating a sandwich with white bread. So for this first month make it a habit to eat better foods for you. This means packing your lunch and making your dinner because all fast food is pretty much awful for weight loss. Most everyone knows what good food and bad food is so I wont go into it at this point.
Take the one month challenge
So for one month if you fall into the category of untrained and want to lose weight, try these two simple goals. You may not see Biggest Loser style weight loss but I can tell you that if you are able to form these 2 easy habits you will lose weight and keep it off. So give it a shot.
I hope you guys will enjoy my blog and find some stuff useful. I was a trainer for 3 years and I am still active in the fitness community. I am currently studying to get re-certified as a fitness trainer. I writing this because many people still ask me about training and hopefully this will provide some motivation and direction for you guys.
Good Luck!
Scott Koscielniak
Former ACE certified trainer / Former Golds Gym Trainer
Current USAPL powerlifter
Always consult a doctor before entering into a fitness program for in any fitness en devour there is inherent risk.
I am creating this blog because my life long passion was to be in the fitness industry. Life has happened to me and I had to get a real "career." I still feel as though I can help people with their fitness goals and I plan to start personal training once again.
Why you fail
The #1 goal everyone told me they had when I was a trainer was "lose weight." Seldom did anyone have a timeline for this weight loss, A number goal in mind, or any plan to lose weight. I will write more about goals and plans in the future. First off I hate the term "lose weight." I prefer losing fat because that is what everyone ultimately wants. What typically happens is that an untrained individual embarks into the fitness world to ultimately change their body. They pay money to join a gym and sometimes get a personal trainer. The only problem is that this individual is in way over their head to begin with. They get frustrated and ultimately quit thus wasting hard earned money for no result.
How should you start?
At first you need to set small goals. For 1 month make it a habit to exercise at least 3 times a week. No excuses. Just do it. If its running, run. If its walking, walk. Just do something. Creating this habit will make you put aside time for working out. Next goal for this month is to stop eating like crap. If you eat fast food, stop. If you drink soda, stop. So many clients would worry about the glycemic index of corn or some other vegetable, the fat content in Mayo, Or white breads vs. wheat bread. Now keep in mind I am talking about an untrained person who usually falls in the very overweight category. If you fall in this category I am sure you didn't wind up in this predicament over just eating a sandwich with white bread. So for this first month make it a habit to eat better foods for you. This means packing your lunch and making your dinner because all fast food is pretty much awful for weight loss. Most everyone knows what good food and bad food is so I wont go into it at this point.
Take the one month challenge
So for one month if you fall into the category of untrained and want to lose weight, try these two simple goals. You may not see Biggest Loser style weight loss but I can tell you that if you are able to form these 2 easy habits you will lose weight and keep it off. So give it a shot.
I hope you guys will enjoy my blog and find some stuff useful. I was a trainer for 3 years and I am still active in the fitness community. I am currently studying to get re-certified as a fitness trainer. I writing this because many people still ask me about training and hopefully this will provide some motivation and direction for you guys.
Good Luck!
Scott Koscielniak
Former ACE certified trainer / Former Golds Gym Trainer
Current USAPL powerlifter
Always consult a doctor before entering into a fitness program for in any fitness en devour there is inherent risk.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)