Exercise economy

Donna and Nick doing some rowing

When you go to the gym one of your goals should be to pick the exercises that provide the most bang for your buck so to speak. You should be picking the exercises that produce the best results in the shortest amount of time. This is referred to as training economy. Compound free weight movements provide the most return for your time in the gym. Moves like squats, deadlifts, cleans, snatches, presses, rows, and pullups all allow you to move heavy weights over long distances. These exercises are going to burn more calories and drive the release of more hormones because they involve more muscle groups and place a greater demand on the body. So if you want to get the greatest return for your time in the gym step away from the bicep curls and machines and start to throw in some sets of squats and deadlifts.

Workout of the Day

15 sec db snatch

15 sec rest

15 sec db snatch + 15 sec pushups

15 sec rest

15 sec db snatch + 15 sec pushups + 15 sec db swing

rest 1 min

repeat for 30 sec, 45 sec, and 1 min

Protein Bars

Theresa getting warmed up

Many people rely on protein bars to get through the day. Protein bars are nothing more than candy bars with extra protein. They are fake processed food. If you look at the ingredient list of your protein bar I would be willing to bet that it has some type of syrup as one of the main ingredients. These syrups are just a tricky way to add sugar. Instead of reaching for a protein bar have some real food.

Workout of the Day

5 min sets of walking lunge, power clean, pushpress, pullups

3 min rest between sets

100 Calorie Packs

Tricia finishing her triatholon in the rain

Happy Birthday Tricia!

100 calorie packs are everywhere these days. As I was walking through Wal-mart this weekend I noticed that they are all over the place. Nabisco has obviously done a great job of marketing these things to people who think that they are healthy. The truth is that just because they are only 100 calories, they are still processed junk. It is still a package of oreos or muffins or whatever. People often times ask if it is ok to eat these 100 calorie packs and my answer is that when the day comes that you can pick a 100 calorie pack off of a tree then it will be ok to eat them. The first problem I have with the 100 calorie pack is that most people who are trying to lose weight are not going to stop with only one pack. These foods are full of artificial ingredients that tell your body that it needs more food. Obviously people realize that portion control is important, and that is what Nabisco is counting on, but you have to remember that there is more to nutrition than just calories. Hormones are what really control your body composition and these 100 calorie packs destroy your hormonal levels.

Remember we are having a nutrition class at 7pm on Tues night. You will learn more about how hormones change you body.

Workout of the Day

5 min sets of burpee, wallball, double unders, and situps

3 min rest between exercises

Bulking Up

Brooke practicing her OHS

One of the most common questions I get comes from women. It seems that all women have the misconception that they are going to get bulky from lifting weights. Women very rarely get bulky from lifting weights. First of all it takes a lot of hard work to build muscle. Many men have a hard time bulking up. The result of weight lifting for women is that they get leaner. Women just do not have the hormonal profile that men have for adding muscle. Adding some muscle is going to increase your metabolism which will help you burn more fat. Weight lifting is a much more efficient method of burning fat than slaving away on one of those elliptical machines. So the result of your weight lifting is going to be that you are leaner.

Workout of the Day

Bear Complex 5 sets of 5

2 min rest between sets

Are You Getting Enough Sleep

Chris and Carol getting in some rowing

Sleep is an important factor in transforming your body. While you sleep your body recharges and many hormones are released that help to repair your body. One of those hormones is growth hormone. Growth hormone is a very efficient fat burner and it is released while you are in deep sleep. If you do not sleep well then you are limiting your growth hormone and your fat burning. So make sure to get to bed a little earlier tonight.

Workout of the Day

3 x 5 back squat

3 x 5 deadlift

3 x 10 walking lunges

Pullups

Tyler went from 0 pullups in his fall school fitness test to

8 in his spring test yesterday.

Nice job Ty!

Pullups are one of the best exercises for the upper body. Men and women should strive to be able to do 12 full range pullups. The pullup is probably the one exercise that women can perform rep for rep with men if they are strong enough. If you can do 12 full range pullups then you probably do not have much extra weight on your body. Pullups are a great indicator of overall fitness.

Workout of the Day

50, 40, 30, 20, 10 Double unders + situps

Women and Protein

Mary showing her OHS form

I have never had a woman start training with me who eats enough protein. It seems like women are scared to eat meat. If you are female eating more protein might be the thing that triggers your weight loss. When it comes to your protein sources I typically do not let you count dairy, nuts, or beans. Every woman I have ever trained tries to get all of their protein from yogurt, cottage cheese, beans, and cheese. EAT MEAT AND EGGS and eat them at every meal. The first question I always get is Should I eat one egg? EAT THREE EGGS and yes eat the whole egg. Protein is the nutrient that keeps you fullest and it also has the highest thermic effect of any food. Thermic effect means that it takes more energy to digest, which means increased metabolism. So if you are female replace some of those carbs with more protein and you will be surprised at what happens. You will get leaner.





Workout of the Day


10 min db snatch


+


A little something extra

The One Question Everybody Asks

Derek getting 2x bodyweight deadlift @ 365lbs

Tricia and I gave a presentation on nutrition and exercise for diabetes this weekend. We arrived at the facility early in order to get things set up and when we entered the classroom there was a lady inside who was trying to exercise, and I emphasize trying. She was sitting on a stability ball and bouncing up and down, which I wouldn't call exercise. Of course as soon as she finds out that we are giving a presentation she beings to ask us questions. Right away she wants to know how she can get rid of the fat on her stomach. We probably get asked this question more than any other question. Tricia and I both know that a lady who gets her exercise by bouncing up and down on a stability ball is not going to want to hear what we have to tell her. So we just tell her that she needs to eat right and focus on getting stronger. She then proceeds to ask us more questions such as, What if I do crunches? What if I do weighted crunches, How much cardio should I do? Keep in mind this is a lady who is bouncing up and down on a stability ball. Every time I go into a commercial gym these days it is humorous. Everyone in the gym is on the machines and nobody is focused on getting stronger. There is so much misinformation in the world of fitness and nutrition that it can be frustrating for the average person trying to sort through all of the information out there.

Workout of the Day
Tabata squats, pullups, sumo high pull, pushups
Tabata means perform 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Perform 8 sets like this for a total of 4 min. Rest for 1 min between exercises.

Group Training

Yesterday, I talked about the importance of having a vision of what you want to accomplish and then taking action towards your goals every day. Another key that Napolean Hill touches on in Think and Grow Rich is the idea of the Mastermind. The Mastermind, is a group of like minded individuals that come together to help each other reach their goals. This is the reason why group training can be so effective. When you surround yourself with people who are all taking action towards their goals it can become contagious. When one person in a group is successful it spreads to others and soon the whole group is successful. So one of the keys to success is to surround yourself with people who want the same thing and to continually push and encourage each other. This is the type of atmosphere that we are trying to build in our group classes. Just remember that every time you hit a new best in our gym you are going to spur someone else on to reach a new best.

"Teamwork is the ability to work together toward a common vision. The ability to direct individual accomplishments toward organizational objectives. It is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results." Andrew Carnegie

Workout of the Day
Run 400m + 15 overhead squats + 15 good mornings
Max rounds in 20 min

The Power of Your Mind

Bill W doing our Memorial Workout Yesterday

There is a book written by Napolean Hill called Think and Grow Rich, that I think everyone who wants to change their body should read. Napolean Hill was hand picked by Andrew Carnegie to write the book. In order to write the book Napolean spent several years interviewing the most successful people in the world. He interviewed and spent time with people like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Andrew Carnegie.. Think and Grow Rich is the book that resulted from him trying to find out what all of these successful people have in common. The take home message of the book is that successful people have a vision of what they want to accomplish and they take action towards their vision everyday. As a trainer I come across people all the time who have a vision for what they would like their body to look like, but they never take any action. For example, how many of you have said to yourself that you will start eating better next week or tomorrow. Take action and start today. If you haven't read Think and Grow Rich then I would suggest getting a copy and if you have read it then I think it is a good idea to go back and read it again with the idea that you are going to change your body



Workout of the Day

1 min walking lunge

1 min pushpress

1 min deadlift

1 min pullup

1 min between exercises

Repeat for 3 rounds

What to Eat

Yesterday, I talked about how many of the top strength coaches in the world actually forbid their clients from doing cardio. Today, I would like to talk about what these coaches recommend you eat. Charles Poliquin is famous for his first rule of nutrition " If it doesn't run, fly, swim, and it's not a green vegetable then you don't eat it." Sorry, bagels and granola bars are not on the list. Coach Poliquin's approach fits right in with Crossfits nutritional motto to "eat vegetables, meat, nuts, seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar." If you stick with this approach you will experience changes in your body composition, the way you feel, and your overall health.

April 16th Workout of the Day - Wear your Hokie colors today
In honor of those who lost their lives at VT
4 exercises, 16 sets, 32 seconds each set
32 second sprint
rest 32 seconds
32 second db swing
rest 32 sec
32 sec row
rest 32
32 sec box jumps
Rest for 1 min and repeat for 4 rounds

Cardio

Everybody is always worried about cardio. I probably get asked more questions about what we do for cardio than anything else. The truth is that we don't really do any traditional cardio. Steady state cardio is not really that great for you. In fact Charles Poliquin and Paul Check who are two of the most well known strength and conditioning coaches in the world actually forbid their weight loss clients from doing steady state cardio. Steady state cardio causes the body to release excess cortisol which is a stress hormone, and cortisol is related to abdominal fat. Diana Schwarzbein is another well respected doctor who has studied the hormonal affects of exercise and she also forbids her weight loss clients from doing cardio. But what about the heart health benefits? According to Charles Poliquin those who lift weights have healthier hearts and better circulation than those who do cardio.

Workout of the Day
3 min max reps of db burpee squat clean thruster
Rest 2 min
Repeat for 4 sets

What Food Do You Buy?

I have gotten into the habit of looking into other peoples carts when I am in the grocery store. I like to look and see what people are buying these days. Often times, people are buying things that they think are healthy but are really just processed junk. This weekend I was in Wal-mart doing some shopping and I actually decided to go into one of the aisles ( I know a big shock to all of those who have trained with me). I went into the baking aisle to pick up some raw almonds because the canned almonds contain added oils. While I was in the aisle there was a lady on one of those little power scooter shopping carts who was taking up most of the aisle and blocking everybody. The lady was probably in her 50's and overweight. As you can guess I took a look in her cart. What do do you think I saw in there? Let's just say that there wasn't anything that you could hunt or pick in her cart. Her cart was full of processed food, ice cream, cookies, crackers, white bread, soda, candy, and other baked goods. Here is a lady who is probably in her fifties who has to ride a scooter while she grocery shops, while we have plenty of women in their 50's and 60's who are doing pullups, sprints, deadlifts, and squats. If you use proper exercise and eat the right foods you can actually slow down the ageing process. However, a lack of proper exercise and eating the wrong foods can actually speed up the ageing process. Which path are you on?

Workout of the Day
Back squat work up to 1 rep max
Deadlift work up to 1 rep max
Shoulder press work up to 1 rep max

Your Body is One Piece

Your body is one piece and it should be trained that we. Isolation movements such as a leg extension have their place in a rehab setting but the majority of us should be using compound free weight movements that utilize the entire body. To make the most of your exercise program and the results that it produces you should choose compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, lunges, and upper body pressing and pulling movements. These movements will teach your body how to move as one piece.

Workout of the Day
Run 800m for time
Rest for 5 min
8 sets of 30 sec jump rope
1 min rest between sets

The Squat

There is a lot of talk in the fitness world about whether or not squats are a safe movement. If you have ever watched a baby play then you should know that squats are a perfectly safe natural movement. Babies are always sitting in a rock bottom squat with perfect form. The squat is one of the main movements that we use in our program. Just by watching someone squat you can tell whether or not they have imbalances in their body. According to Mark Rippletoe, "the squat, when performed correctly is not only the safest leg exercise for the knees, it produces a more stable knee than any other leg exercise." We have also found in our facility that squating properly can help people overcome back and hip problems. Injuries result from squatting when you do not use a complete range of motion. When you are performing your squats through complete range of motion in every workout you will actually improve your hip mobility. Squats are not only great for keeping your knees and back injury free, but they are also a very powerful movement for changing your physique.

Workout of the Day
1 min wallball
1 min db swing
1 min jump squats
1 min deadlift
1 min pullups
Rest for 1 min
Repeat for 3 rounds

The Power of Your Mind

I was watching The Biggest Loser last night and one of the contestants caught my eye. A couple of weeks earlier in the show she told everyone that she was going to be the biggest loser. From that point on she made up her mind that she was going to win. To this point in the contest she has lost more weight than any other female contestant in the history of the show. The biggest thing that we can learn from her is that she made up her mind to do something and then she went after it with everything she had. If you are trying to change you cannot do it half way. You must make changing your body a priority, and that starts with your mind. I am a big believer that our bodies are always in a state of constant change. They are either getting better or they are getting worse. Without getting too technical, we either create an environment in our bodies that is conducive to burning fat or one that is conducive to creating fat. So if you want to get leaner then set your mind to it and get it done.

Workout of the Day
5 rep thruster
5 rep sumo high pull
Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 min
Rest for 5 min
5 rep db snatch R hand
5 rep db snatch L hand
10 push-ups
Complete as many rounds as possible in 10 min

Why Do You Need to Get Strong

People are always asking me what they should do to get leaner. The first thing that I would tell you to do if you want to get leaner is to lift heavy weights. The amount of muscle that you have is the biggest factor in your metabolism. If you get stronger your metabolism is going to increase. By having more muscle mass you will burn more calories all day long and who doesn't want that. For more tips on how to get leaner and build muscle check out the article just posted
http://http://www.foleyperformance.com/articles.aspx

Workout of the Day
15 sec mountain climbers
15 sec rest
15 sec mountain climbers + 15 sec burpees
15 sec rest
15 sec mountain climbers + 15 sec burpees + 15 sec Come to Find Out???
Rest for 1 min
Repeat for 30 sec, 45 sec, 1 min

Posture

Posture is the key to living pain free. If you have imbalances in your body your posture will reflect those imbalances. For example, kyphosis is a problem that nags many people these days. Kyphosis is excessive curvature of the upper spine. This is often evident in people when their shoulders are rounded forward. In our society today we tend to spend a lot of time with our shoulders rounded forward. Things like working on computers and driving can contribute to kyphosis. Kyphosis is often related to pain in the shoulders and neck. In most cases, this condition is reversible with some simple corrective exercises. Many of those exercises are the ones that we incorporate into our daily warm ups at Foley Performance.



Workout of the Day

30 reps of clean and jerk for time

Processed Food

In today's society most people are fed a diet of processed food. These are not the foods that we have adapted to eat. If you want to lose weight and improve your health then stop eating processed food. A simple rule to follow is "if you can't hunt it or pick it then you probably shouldn't eat it." Aim to eat whole natural foods. You would be surprised what this one little rule can do for you.

Workout of the Day
3 x 5 db chest press superset w/ 3 x 5 db row
3 x 5 shoulder press superset w / 3 x 5 weighted pullups

Take Action

It seems like almost everybody is going to get in shape tomorrow or next week. Procrastination is a terrible thing. If you want to get fit then start today. Do something, anything, to get yourself started. You don't have to overdo it. Just start easy and make progress towards getting fitter everyday.

Workout of the Day
Warmup thoroughly
Run 3 400m sprints
Rest 3 min between sprints

Priorities

I have people come to me all the time and tell me that they want to change their body but that they don't want to work that hard or change their nutrition that much because they like what they eat. Unfortunately, that is not the way things work. If you want to change your body you must make your training and nutrition a priority in your life. Nobody ever got leaner or stronger just by accident. There are always excuses such as I was out at a social event, it is too hard, I didn't have time, or anything else you can think of, but the truth is that if your training and nutrition are priorities for you, then you will find a way to fit them in.

Workout of the Day
5 min set of walking lunge, deadlift, pullups, pushpress
Rest 3 min between sets

Bad Information

There are so many myths in fitness and nutrition today. Achieving the body of your dreams takes hard work and proper nutrition. Everyone is always looking for the easy path to better fitness but the truth is that there is no easy path. Walking and lifting light weights are not the way to achieve optimal body composition and health, because if it was then everybody would be lean. Consistent hard work is the way to be successful with whatever you want to accomplish. Check out the April fools video from Crossfit Catalyst at http://www.crossfit.com/cf-affiliates/
The sad thing is that in most gyms in American this is what you will find.

Workout of the Day
Light jog for 5 min
Sprint for 30 sec
Rest for 1:30
Repeat for 5 sets
Light jog for 5 min