Progression

Theresa the deadlifting machine

One of the most common complaints that I hear about exercise is that it gets boring. If your exercise gets boring then you are not doing it properly. A proper exercise program should have a built in progression scheme. There are several ways to make changes in your workout routine that can trigger further progress. In our facility we will manipulate the number of repetitions, the tempo of the repetitions, rest periods, the amount of weight lifted, and the actual exercises on a constant basis. As you get in better and better shape it means that you adapt to workouts much faster and that is why it is important to constantly vary what you are doing. I run into many people that get into a routine and perform the same exact workout over and over and then wonder why they are not getting results. The simple answer is that your body has already adapted to the workout and it will not stimulate further change. It has often been said that the best workout routine is the one that you are not doing and that is because it is different. So if you want to make continued progress you need to make sure that you have a lot of variety in your workouts.

Workout of the Day

10 sets of 30 sec jumprope

1 min between sets

Gatorade

Chris deadlifting

It is amazing to see how many people drink gatorade, powerade, or some other sports drink. Most people do not really understand what these drinks are. They are basically just sugar. These drinks are made for high level athletes to replenish glycogen stores that have been completely depleted. If you are not a high level athlete then you probably have no business drinking gatorade and if you are trying to get leaner then you definitely should not be drinking gatorade. I see so many kids that drink gatorade as their main drink instead of water. If you go to high schools and middle schools you will see kids having gatorade with lunch. I really feel that these drinks are a big cause of the obesity problem that we see with kids. The other issue that I have with these drinks is that they contain high fructose corn syrup which is probably one of the most dangerous ingredients in all of our food supply. It is just as bad if not worse than trans fat in my opinion. High fructose corn syrup is a deadly combination of sugars that accelerate the aging process and cause metabolic derangements. So what should you be drinking? Water, and I I mean plain water not all of these flavored things that you see today. If somebody tells me that they can't drink regular water because they don't like the taste then I know that they are addicted to processed foods.

Workout of the Day

1 min wallball, db swing, squat jumps, deadlift, pullups

Move from one exercise to the next without resting

Perform 3 rounds with 1 min between rounds

Train Your Weakness

Lani doing some rowing

We all have weaknesses when it comes to the gym and it is human nature to try and avoid those weaknesses. When most people go to the gym they spend their time doing the exercises that are their strengths because they are good at these exercises. Nobody likes to do the things that they are not good at. If you can find your weak link and improve that weakness you will probably get more benefit from that then you ever would from training something you are already good at. So figure out what your weaknesses are and make them into your strengths.

Workout of the Day

5 reps thruster

5 reps sumo high pull

10 min as many rounds as possible

5 rep db snatch R hand

5 rep db snatch L hand

10 pushups

10 min as many rounds as possible

Women and Weight Lifting

Ashley doing push presses

Yesterday I talked about the importance of men using a full range of motion even if it means that they lower the amount of weight. Women tend to have the opposite problem. They tend to have great range of motion but underestimate the amount of weight that they can lift. The majority of the women that I have trained are very timid with the weights when they first start. There is a shift that must occur in their mentality towards the weights if they want to get great results. The other half of yesterday's quote from Alwyn Cosgrove is "if all women used 10% more weight they would get better results." I have definitely found this to be true. Most women that you will see in a commercial gym will be using the 3-5 lbs dumbbells, while most of the women in our facility will be using 20-30 lbs dumbbells.

Workout of the Day

15 sec mountain climber

15 sec rest

15 sec mt climber + 15 sec burpee

15 sec rest

15 sec mt climber + 15 sec burpee + 15 sec squat jumps

rest for 1 min

repeat for 30sec, 45sec, 1 min

Range of Motion

Bob doing some pressing

In the Crossfit method there is a big emphasis placed on getting a good time. Many times people will try to get a good time at the expense of cutting their range of motion on an exercise. Full range of motion is essential in every exercise. By using a full range of motion you will actually improve your flexibility and the health of your joints. If you only use partial ranges of motion during your workouts then you are putting yourself at a much higher chance of injury. Using a shortened range of motion is going to tighten your muscles up and cause imbalances in your body. These imbalance are what lead to things like hip, back, knee, and shoulder pain. The reason that people tend to shorten their range of motion is because it is obviously much easier. The goal of these workout is to change you body, and full range of motion movements are going to change your body faster because they provide a greater intensity. One of the things that always makes me laugh when I go into commercial gyms is guys who load up the bar with a tremendous amount of weight and then do a 1/4 squat. They obviously have more weight on the bar than they can handle in order to look macho. The thing that they don't realize is that they would get much better results if they simply backed off the weight and did the exercise properly. Alwyn Cosgrove who I will be spending a week with in August has said that "if all men would lower their weights by 10% and focus on better form that they would get better results."

Workout of the Day

30 reps of clean and jerk

Eating Out

Walker(a.k.a The Puff) after some heavy squats and deadlifts

In the years I have been training people I have never come across a person who eats out a lot and is successful with changing their body composition. I think there are a couple of reasons for this. When you eat out there are too many tempting choices. It takes a lot of will power to stick with your salad or meat and vegetables. Another factor is that the portion sizes at most restaurants are way too big. People that are having trouble losing weight often times eat portions that are more than they need and eating at restaurants all the time is not helping you achieve your goals any faster. The final reason that I feel that restaurants are not great for helping you lose body fat is that you never know if they add extra ingredients into your food. Often times extra oils and sugars are added into many dishes at restaurants without you knowing. So the take home message for today is PREPARE YOUR OWN FOOD because you can control your choices, the portion sizes, and the ingredients. I am not saying that you should never eat at restaurants, but I am saying that you should prepare the majority of your meals.

Workout of the Day

3 x 5 shoulder press

3 x 5 pullups

3 x 10 pullover

Warming Up vs Stretching

David doing some box jumps

I am always amazed at the number of people that still stretch before they workout. I think that youth league and high school sports teams are some of the worst culprits when it comes to poor warm up routines. There is a difference between warming up and stretching. Before you perform activity you need to warm up. The goal of a warm up should be to elevate your core temperature and activate your nervous system. This is not accomplished through traditional stretching. At Foley Performance, we use what is called a dynamic warm up. The goal of the dynamic warm up is to actively move the body through complete ranges of motion. When you finish your warm up you should be sweating or close to it. Traditional stretching programs when done as a warm up do not provide this benefit and they have actually been shown to increase your chances of pulling a muscle. Traditional stretching programs done as a warm up have also been shown to reduce your power output. For these reasons I am always amazed when I go watch a high school sporting event and they are static stretching before the game. If you want to stretch do it after your workout.

Workout of the Day

100 burpees for time