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.

6am class today is as scheduled

We will be having class this morning at 6am.

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.

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.

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.

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.