For golfers in Virginia we are starting to come into the off-season and I usually begin to get a lot of questions about what can be done in the off-season to improve your game. Here are some of my best tips for improving your golf game. If these tips are followed you can usually expect about 30 additional yards in 6-12 weeks.
Improve coordination and body position - Golf is a game of coordination which involves having your body in the correct position at the right time. For this reason I like to perform a warmup of isometric exercises that focus on body position. These isometric exercises usually involve holding the bottom position of exercises such as lunges, pushups, and wallsquats. As a general rule you want all of your joints stacked one on top of another. For example, in the bottom of the lunge position you want your front knee stacked over the top of the ankle and your hips, shoulders, and head all stacked on top of each other. Once you have mastered holding perfect body position you can then progress onto more dynamic movements emphasizing body position during the movements.
Flexibility - Improving flexibility will also be very helpful because it will allow you to get into a deeper position in your turn which will allow you to create more torque in the swing. At the end of your backswing think of yourself as a rubber band that if stretched further will produce more force on the way back. Important areas to stretch are the hamstrings, hips, lats, pecs, and rotator cuff.
Train the Lats - The lats are the large muscles of the upper back and they are crucial in the golf swing because they decelerate the club after contact. Your body will not let you swing any faster than it is able to slow down. For this reason getting the lats stronger almost always results in improved club head speed. The best way to train the lats is with pullups, lat pulldowns, rowing variations, and deadlifts.
Increase your speed and power - Improving your speed and power should be done after you have mastered being in the correct body position during your exercises. By working on moving quickly you are going to improve your ability to tap into the muscle mass that you have. Most people are not very good at using the potential they have and by training for speed and power you are making your body more efficient at tapping into more of your bodies resources. Some of the best ways to train for speed and power are jumps, medicine ball throws and faster lifts with moderate weight.
Train your body to be able to transfer energy and train your weakest links - One thing that you must be able to do to hit a golf ball well is be able to transfer force throughout your whole body. A golf swing is a total body activity that starts in the legs and moves its way up the body. Your swing speed will be limited by your weakest link as energy moves up the body. Because of this you should figure out where your weaknesses are and try to turn them into your strengths. The other important thing to consider is that the ability to transfer energy throughout the body can be trained with things like jumps, medicine ball throws, and olympic weight lifting exercises.
Putting it all together
Train to be in better body position.
You cannot create club head speed without body position
Make sure you are flexible enough to get ito good positions
Train your lats
Train to get faster and more explosive
Fix your weakest links
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Contrast Training for Speed and Power
If you are an athlete and you are looking to improve your speed, power, and explosiveness then contrast training is one of the best methods to help you reach your goals. Contrast training involves performing a heavy lift followed by an explosive movement. Here are a few tips to get the most out of this training program.
1) Choose a large compound movement that requires you to turn on a large amount of muscle mass. Good choices would be things like squats, deadlifts, or bench presses. Once you have chosen which lift you are going to use then begin to do warmup sets by working your way up in weight. The ideal weight to use for this type of training is going to be around 85-90% of your max for 2-3 reps.
2) Choose a speed or power based movement. Good choices would be things like jumps, sprints, medicine ball throws, punches, or prowler sprints. After completing your heavy lift go immediately to the explosive exercise and do 1-3 reps as explosively as possible. The goal of the program is to activate the nervous system with the heavy lift so that you can move more explosively on your high speed movements. This is similar to a baseball player swinging a weighted bat. When you pick up your regular bat it feels lighter and like you are able to swing it faster.
3) Since the goal of this type of training is to get faster or more powerful you should make sure to take adequate rest between sets. This type of training targets the nervous system which takes much longer to recover than the muscular system. The typical rest period would be about 3 minutes between sets. You must make sure that you take enough rest to move as explosively as possibly. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make when using this type of program is that they try to turn it into a circuit.
4) Here are some sample programs
Backsquat 8 sets of 3 followed by 3 vertical jumps
Deadlift 8 sets of 3 followed by 2-3 10 yard sprints
Bench press 8 sets of 3 followed by 3 medicine ball chest passes
If you are looking to improve your speed and power contrast training is a great tool. Just make sure that you are matching your training program to your goals for your sport.
1) Choose a large compound movement that requires you to turn on a large amount of muscle mass. Good choices would be things like squats, deadlifts, or bench presses. Once you have chosen which lift you are going to use then begin to do warmup sets by working your way up in weight. The ideal weight to use for this type of training is going to be around 85-90% of your max for 2-3 reps.
2) Choose a speed or power based movement. Good choices would be things like jumps, sprints, medicine ball throws, punches, or prowler sprints. After completing your heavy lift go immediately to the explosive exercise and do 1-3 reps as explosively as possible. The goal of the program is to activate the nervous system with the heavy lift so that you can move more explosively on your high speed movements. This is similar to a baseball player swinging a weighted bat. When you pick up your regular bat it feels lighter and like you are able to swing it faster.
3) Since the goal of this type of training is to get faster or more powerful you should make sure to take adequate rest between sets. This type of training targets the nervous system which takes much longer to recover than the muscular system. The typical rest period would be about 3 minutes between sets. You must make sure that you take enough rest to move as explosively as possibly. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make when using this type of program is that they try to turn it into a circuit.
4) Here are some sample programs
Backsquat 8 sets of 3 followed by 3 vertical jumps
Deadlift 8 sets of 3 followed by 2-3 10 yard sprints
Bench press 8 sets of 3 followed by 3 medicine ball chest passes
If you are looking to improve your speed and power contrast training is a great tool. Just make sure that you are matching your training program to your goals for your sport.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Mastering the Pullup Pt 2
In the last article I went over ways to start getting a few pullups. This article will go over ways to get your max pullup numbers up into the 20's or higher.
Reps 8-15 are about muscle mass and body composition - When you are in this rep range the most important factor is to keep getting stronger and leaner. As you do this your pullup numbers should go up. A good approach when you are in this rep range is to try to accumulate a higher volume of total reps in each workout. For example, if in your last workout you were able to do a set of 10,8,and 7 then that is a total of 25 pullups. In your next workout try to increase that number.
Reps 15+ become a strength endurance event - When you start to get into the 15-20 rep range and higher, increasing your max becomes a strength endurance event and you should train it accordingly by doing more sets to failure. When doing these sets make sure to take full rest and try to increase your total reps in one set.
Do weighted pullups with a backoff set of bodyweight pullups
One of my favorite ways to increase the max number of pullups one you can get 10 or more pullups is to do 6-8 sets of 3 weighted reps. The goal is the gradually increase the weight each set so that you work up to one top set by the 8th set. Following the 8th set you take a 3-5 minute rest and then perform a bodyweight only max rep set. This program works well for increasing max pullups because after doing the weighted pullups bodyweight only feels easy and most people are able to increase their pullups. A great way to make this workout even better is to do the weighted pullup on a fat grip pullup bar and then do your backoff set on a regular bar. The change in grip also gives a boost.
This program got Bill to 20 pullups. He worked up to a set of 3 with 75lbs of additional weight on the fat grip bar and then was able to do a set of 20 on the regular bar.
Make sure to change your grips - If you are doing pullups often make sure to change your grip frequently to keep your elbows healthy. Manny people who do a lot of pullups report elbow pain but this is often resolved by changing grips frequently and using a fat bar if you have access to one.
Reps 8-15 are about muscle mass and body composition - When you are in this rep range the most important factor is to keep getting stronger and leaner. As you do this your pullup numbers should go up. A good approach when you are in this rep range is to try to accumulate a higher volume of total reps in each workout. For example, if in your last workout you were able to do a set of 10,8,and 7 then that is a total of 25 pullups. In your next workout try to increase that number.
Reps 15+ become a strength endurance event - When you start to get into the 15-20 rep range and higher, increasing your max becomes a strength endurance event and you should train it accordingly by doing more sets to failure. When doing these sets make sure to take full rest and try to increase your total reps in one set.
Do weighted pullups with a backoff set of bodyweight pullups
One of my favorite ways to increase the max number of pullups one you can get 10 or more pullups is to do 6-8 sets of 3 weighted reps. The goal is the gradually increase the weight each set so that you work up to one top set by the 8th set. Following the 8th set you take a 3-5 minute rest and then perform a bodyweight only max rep set. This program works well for increasing max pullups because after doing the weighted pullups bodyweight only feels easy and most people are able to increase their pullups. A great way to make this workout even better is to do the weighted pullup on a fat grip pullup bar and then do your backoff set on a regular bar. The change in grip also gives a boost.
This program got Bill to 20 pullups. He worked up to a set of 3 with 75lbs of additional weight on the fat grip bar and then was able to do a set of 20 on the regular bar.
Make sure to change your grips - If you are doing pullups often make sure to change your grip frequently to keep your elbows healthy. Manny people who do a lot of pullups report elbow pain but this is often resolved by changing grips frequently and using a fat bar if you have access to one.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Mastering the Pullup
Recently I was asked by a new client about the best way to get good at pullups. The pullup is something that through the years we have gotten good at teaching. After watching one of our trainers Ashley improve her pullups from 0 to 45 in about a year and a half we were able to learn quite a bit about improving pullups.
Ashley working on her pullups between clients
Here are some tips for improving your pullups from 0 reps to 5 reps. In the next article we will post some ways to get your rep total to higher numbers.
1) Get leaner - Most people that struggle with pullups need to get leaner. The math behind pullups is easy. You need to be able to pullup more weight than you weigh. For most people this involves getting stronger and losing weight. Ashley will tell you that one the biggest keys to her success was getting leaner.
2) Get stronger - The other half of the formula is about strength and having the ability to pull hard enough to get over the bar. Going from 0 pullups to 5 pullups is purely a strength event relative to bodyweight. Remember that strength is a skill and needs to be practiced a lot. For those that can't do 1 pullup yet then the more you can practice the faster you will get there. Putting a pullup bar in at home and practicing often is a good strategy.
3) Do eccentrics - Eccentrics are the lowering part of the pullup. To do eccentrics find a way to start over the bar by using a chair or bench to step up or have a partner lift you over the bar. Once over the bar try to lower yourself as slowly as possible. The goal is to be able to lower yourself for 30 seconds on a smooth even tempo. This is a trick that I learned from Charles Poliquin and once you can lower yourself perfectly for 30 seconds you should be able to do 1 pullup. Once you can lower for 30 seconds with a 25lbs weight between your legs you should be able to do about 5 reps. Eccentrics work great because you are stronger on the eccentric than the concentric which allows you to train your nervous system more effectively to produce strength.
4) Try bands - One of the arguments that I have seen people make against eccentrics is that they do not carry over into actually doing pullups because eccentric contractions require different firing patterns than concentric contractions. For this reason we usually incorporate bands as well. Bands are attached to the bar and the other end is looped around your knee or foot. The band gives you some assistance in getting up over the bar. The bands provide a lot of tension at the bottom which gives a spring like effect at the bottom. The one drawback of bands is that they do change the strength curve of the exercise making it very easy at the bottom and harder at the top which is the opposite of the way it usually is. With the bands we usually do try to work up to a sets of 10 reps. Once you can complete 10 with the band then you will go to a lighter band.
5) Focus on structural balance - One often overlooked area when trying to improve your pullups is structural balance. Structural balance is a concept that was introduced to me by Charles Poliquin and it involves making sure that your muscles are all balanced from a strength perspective. You are only as strong as your weakest link so if you have a glaring weakness it could be limiting your pullup performance. One easy thing to watch for is on your eccentric reps. If you have trouble being able to hold the top portion then you are weak in the muscles of the upper back. Specifically the rhomboids and lower traps. To remedy this you should do more rows to the neck, trap 3 raises, and rowing movements. If you have trouble holding the bottom portion of the pullup then you are probably too weak in the bicep. To remedy this focus on different forms of curls. Many people are weak in biceps movements with a hammer or reverse grip so make sure to add these in as well.
6) Don't cheat - When attempting to get a first pullup many people cheat and try to jump their way over the bar. The best advice I can give you is to do them properly without cheating because you will build strength much faster this way. The more you cheat the longer it is going to take.
In the next article we will go over some ways to increase pullups for those who can already do several reps.
Ashley working on her pullups between clients
Here are some tips for improving your pullups from 0 reps to 5 reps. In the next article we will post some ways to get your rep total to higher numbers.
1) Get leaner - Most people that struggle with pullups need to get leaner. The math behind pullups is easy. You need to be able to pullup more weight than you weigh. For most people this involves getting stronger and losing weight. Ashley will tell you that one the biggest keys to her success was getting leaner.
2) Get stronger - The other half of the formula is about strength and having the ability to pull hard enough to get over the bar. Going from 0 pullups to 5 pullups is purely a strength event relative to bodyweight. Remember that strength is a skill and needs to be practiced a lot. For those that can't do 1 pullup yet then the more you can practice the faster you will get there. Putting a pullup bar in at home and practicing often is a good strategy.
3) Do eccentrics - Eccentrics are the lowering part of the pullup. To do eccentrics find a way to start over the bar by using a chair or bench to step up or have a partner lift you over the bar. Once over the bar try to lower yourself as slowly as possible. The goal is to be able to lower yourself for 30 seconds on a smooth even tempo. This is a trick that I learned from Charles Poliquin and once you can lower yourself perfectly for 30 seconds you should be able to do 1 pullup. Once you can lower for 30 seconds with a 25lbs weight between your legs you should be able to do about 5 reps. Eccentrics work great because you are stronger on the eccentric than the concentric which allows you to train your nervous system more effectively to produce strength.
4) Try bands - One of the arguments that I have seen people make against eccentrics is that they do not carry over into actually doing pullups because eccentric contractions require different firing patterns than concentric contractions. For this reason we usually incorporate bands as well. Bands are attached to the bar and the other end is looped around your knee or foot. The band gives you some assistance in getting up over the bar. The bands provide a lot of tension at the bottom which gives a spring like effect at the bottom. The one drawback of bands is that they do change the strength curve of the exercise making it very easy at the bottom and harder at the top which is the opposite of the way it usually is. With the bands we usually do try to work up to a sets of 10 reps. Once you can complete 10 with the band then you will go to a lighter band.
5) Focus on structural balance - One often overlooked area when trying to improve your pullups is structural balance. Structural balance is a concept that was introduced to me by Charles Poliquin and it involves making sure that your muscles are all balanced from a strength perspective. You are only as strong as your weakest link so if you have a glaring weakness it could be limiting your pullup performance. One easy thing to watch for is on your eccentric reps. If you have trouble being able to hold the top portion then you are weak in the muscles of the upper back. Specifically the rhomboids and lower traps. To remedy this you should do more rows to the neck, trap 3 raises, and rowing movements. If you have trouble holding the bottom portion of the pullup then you are probably too weak in the bicep. To remedy this focus on different forms of curls. Many people are weak in biceps movements with a hammer or reverse grip so make sure to add these in as well.
6) Don't cheat - When attempting to get a first pullup many people cheat and try to jump their way over the bar. The best advice I can give you is to do them properly without cheating because you will build strength much faster this way. The more you cheat the longer it is going to take.
In the next article we will go over some ways to increase pullups for those who can already do several reps.
Friday, February 4, 2011
The Benefits of Strong Man Training
When I talk about strongman training I am basically referring to pushing, dragging, and carrying heavy things. We do this with sleds, prowlers, farmers walks, and sandbags. Strongman training can be used for many things and has many benefits including fat loss, muscle gain, rehab, and recovery.
Fat loss - Strongman training is great for fat loss because it creates an enormous amount of lactic acid in the muscles which leads to a higher output of growth hormone. Growth hormone is one of your most potent fat burners. Anyone who has done prowler pushes or sled drags will tell you how much it makes your legs burn. The high levels of lactic acid are great for fat loss.
Muscle Gain - Adding strongman training is a great way to increase hypertrophy because it allows you to add more volume to your routines without compromising your ability to lift heavy again the next day. Strongman training has almost no eccentric component and the eccentric component is usually what makes you sore. The eccentric component also takes longer to recover from. Since strongman training consists mostly of concentric contractions it allows you to perform a higher volume of work on a daily basis without inhibiting your ability to recover. Actually we use strongman training many times as a recovery method because it enhances blood flow.
Rehab - Often times many people do not have the ability to do squats or deadlifts because of injuries. In these cases the best way I have found to work the legs is with the sled and the prowler. These methods allow you to build up a signifigant amount of work and conditioning while improving the way that your muscles function. Also, since their is no eccentric component it can be done often and is less stressful on the body.
Recovery - Using the sled or prowler is a great way to enhance recovery because it enhances blood flow without stressing the body. The increased blood fow and core temperature allows you to recover faster from your workouts. Often times we will have clients perform 20-30 minutes of sled work later in the day after their weight lifting or on off days in order to enhance recovery.
Strongman training can be a great addition to your training or it can serve as the bulk of your training. It is not easy but the results are worth it.
Fat loss - Strongman training is great for fat loss because it creates an enormous amount of lactic acid in the muscles which leads to a higher output of growth hormone. Growth hormone is one of your most potent fat burners. Anyone who has done prowler pushes or sled drags will tell you how much it makes your legs burn. The high levels of lactic acid are great for fat loss.
Muscle Gain - Adding strongman training is a great way to increase hypertrophy because it allows you to add more volume to your routines without compromising your ability to lift heavy again the next day. Strongman training has almost no eccentric component and the eccentric component is usually what makes you sore. The eccentric component also takes longer to recover from. Since strongman training consists mostly of concentric contractions it allows you to perform a higher volume of work on a daily basis without inhibiting your ability to recover. Actually we use strongman training many times as a recovery method because it enhances blood flow.
Rehab - Often times many people do not have the ability to do squats or deadlifts because of injuries. In these cases the best way I have found to work the legs is with the sled and the prowler. These methods allow you to build up a signifigant amount of work and conditioning while improving the way that your muscles function. Also, since their is no eccentric component it can be done often and is less stressful on the body.
Recovery - Using the sled or prowler is a great way to enhance recovery because it enhances blood flow without stressing the body. The increased blood fow and core temperature allows you to recover faster from your workouts. Often times we will have clients perform 20-30 minutes of sled work later in the day after their weight lifting or on off days in order to enhance recovery.
Strongman training can be a great addition to your training or it can serve as the bulk of your training. It is not easy but the results are worth it.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Technique and Position
I would say the most common mistake that I see these days when it comes to training is that most people use horrible technique and constantly have their bodies out of position. When you use poor technique and are out of position you are just reinforcing bad habits and sending poor information to your nervous system. Just remember that your nervous system is your master computer and that your muscles are the outward expression of your nervous system. If you want strong healthy muscles then you need a well functioning nervous system. If you keep sending bad information to your nervous system through poor movement patterns you are just going to short circuit your results in the long run. One of the keys to getting great results is to improve your movement patterns and and your technique. For most people this involves a higher level of focus and attention to detail in their workouts than they are used to.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
One Nutrition Principle Everyone Agrees On
In the world of nutrition there is controversy over almost everything we eat. If you put all of the top nutrition experts together in a room what would be the one thing that everyone agrees on?
Eat more green veggies
There are debates today about how much meat, grains, fruit, fat, protein, carbs etc we eat but the one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that we should eat more veggies. Try to incorporate at least 4 servings of veggies every day. If you can get more than 4 that is great but make sure to get at least 4 servings per day.
Eat more green veggies
There are debates today about how much meat, grains, fruit, fat, protein, carbs etc we eat but the one thing that everyone seems to agree on is that we should eat more veggies. Try to incorporate at least 4 servings of veggies every day. If you can get more than 4 that is great but make sure to get at least 4 servings per day.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Move Fast
One thing that most people never do today is move fast. When I say move fast I am talking about sprinting, jumping, throwing things, etc. When most people who never move fast start to incorporte more explosive activities they tend to get leaner. Moving fast allows you to tap into your nervous system and having a properly working nervous system is one of the keys to building the body you desire.
If it has been a while since you moved fast make sure to start slowly and gradually build up the intensity of your movements. Once you are used to moving fast you can start to incorporate the fast movements into your workouts on a regular basis.
There are a couple of ways that we typically incorporate fast movements into our clients training. The first way is to use the fast movements as an extended warmup. This serves to get the body temperature up and activate the nervous system. When your nervous system is activated it allows you to express higher levels of strength. The other way that we incorporate fast movements into our clients training is through the use of contrast sets. Contrast sets involve alternating between a heavy strength exercise and a fast movement such as a sprint or a jump. Contrast training is great for athletes and more advanced clients. A typical example of a contrast training type of workout would be backsquats for sets of 3 alternated with 3 vertical jumps. This method is very effective for increasing strength and speed/power. The heavy lift will activate the nervous system which will cause you to jump higher or run faster. The higher jump or faster sprint will then activate the nervous system even more allowing you to lift heavier weight.
If it has been a while since you have done anything fast gradually start to incorporate more of this type of work into your training and you will notice the results.
If it has been a while since you moved fast make sure to start slowly and gradually build up the intensity of your movements. Once you are used to moving fast you can start to incorporate the fast movements into your workouts on a regular basis.
There are a couple of ways that we typically incorporate fast movements into our clients training. The first way is to use the fast movements as an extended warmup. This serves to get the body temperature up and activate the nervous system. When your nervous system is activated it allows you to express higher levels of strength. The other way that we incorporate fast movements into our clients training is through the use of contrast sets. Contrast sets involve alternating between a heavy strength exercise and a fast movement such as a sprint or a jump. Contrast training is great for athletes and more advanced clients. A typical example of a contrast training type of workout would be backsquats for sets of 3 alternated with 3 vertical jumps. This method is very effective for increasing strength and speed/power. The heavy lift will activate the nervous system which will cause you to jump higher or run faster. The higher jump or faster sprint will then activate the nervous system even more allowing you to lift heavier weight.
If it has been a while since you have done anything fast gradually start to incorporate more of this type of work into your training and you will notice the results.
Friday, January 7, 2011
What are the Chains for?
Recently many people have asked me why they have seen commercials with athletes bench pressing with chains attached to the bar. Chains are used for what is called accomodating resistance. Accomodating resistance is used because in many exercises such as bench press and squats the movement gets easier as you get closer to locking out the bar at the top. When you add the chains the bar gets lighter as you lower it because more of the chain will rest on the floor. Then as you push the bar up it gets heavier because links of the chain come off the floor as the bar rises. This allows the exercise to be equally challenging through the whole range of motion because the top of the movement now has extra weight.
Chains are a great way for advanced athletes to improve their pressing or extension movements by adding extra resistance to the top of the movement. Chains however should only be used by people who are more advanced because they are much more challenging to the nervous system. If you can barely bench press half of your bodyweight you should not be using chains. Get stronger first by training properly and then consider adding chains later when you are stronger and looking for ways to improve. The other thing to consider is that chains are very taxing on the nervous system. For this reason chains should only be used in every other workout.
Chains are a great way for advanced athletes to improve their pressing or extension movements by adding extra resistance to the top of the movement. Chains however should only be used by people who are more advanced because they are much more challenging to the nervous system. If you can barely bench press half of your bodyweight you should not be using chains. Get stronger first by training properly and then consider adding chains later when you are stronger and looking for ways to improve. The other thing to consider is that chains are very taxing on the nervous system. For this reason chains should only be used in every other workout.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
New Years Resolutions
I came across a stat recently that only 8% of people keep their resolutions for the whole year and that the majority of people never make it to the end of January. I am convinced that the reason most people never reach their goals is because they lack consistency. Everyone has goals and dreams but very few people have the dedication and willingess to put in the work it takes to reach their goals.
If your goal is to lose weight or get in shape this year the best advice I could give you would be to get strong and increase your relative strength(how strong are you compared to your bodyweight). For example, if right now you can bench press 150lbsx5 reps and deadlift 250lbsx 5 reps at a bodyweight of 200lbs then think how different you will look when you can bench press 250lbs x 5 reps and dealift 350lbs x 5 reps at a bodyweight of 180lbs. This will take some time but it is very attainable. The best way to track this is to break your training into 8-12 week blocks with a test for relative strength every 8-12 weeks. If you are constantly improving your relative strenght you are probably getting leaner. The best resolution I can think of this year if you want to get in better shape is to improve your relative strength. Make an effort to be stronger at a lower bodyweight at the end of the year.
If your goal is to lose weight or get in shape this year the best advice I could give you would be to get strong and increase your relative strength(how strong are you compared to your bodyweight). For example, if right now you can bench press 150lbsx5 reps and deadlift 250lbsx 5 reps at a bodyweight of 200lbs then think how different you will look when you can bench press 250lbs x 5 reps and dealift 350lbs x 5 reps at a bodyweight of 180lbs. This will take some time but it is very attainable. The best way to track this is to break your training into 8-12 week blocks with a test for relative strength every 8-12 weeks. If you are constantly improving your relative strenght you are probably getting leaner. The best resolution I can think of this year if you want to get in better shape is to improve your relative strength. Make an effort to be stronger at a lower bodyweight at the end of the year.
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