Great Blogs you should be reading!

There is so much information out there today that I get overwhelmed and wonder what is truth and what is not? Thankfully, I have begun to weed out the good from the bad and have found several trustworthy people who write important strength and fitness information backed by science.

Eric Cressey's Blog is a great resource that is kept up to date and is relevant to both athletes and the general population looking to get better. He mostly trains baseball athletes, but is always offering information in all aspects of training (mobility, nutrition, strength lifts, power lifts, marketing tips) that is useful for all types of athletes. He recently put up a great piece about the mechanics of the Front Squat.

Bret Contreras is another guy I trust who simply puts in the work. He is a genius when it comes to Glute training and has a passion for research and is good at it! Our entire industry is a science and Bret's training and knowledge definitely shows this. He also does strength and conditioning research reviews.

Charles Poliquin is also a leader in the strength and health industry and his blog is constantly feeding new information each week. This month alone he has wrote about lower body strength training, muscle gain, fat loss, the effects of coffee on the body and many more.

Of course there are many more great strength coaches out there who are writing about science-based nutrition and training, but these are just a few. It is important to remember that you cannot simply mimic what all these guys do to train. You have to do what is best with your situation and your coaching abilities. However, do not pass up the opportunity to learn from the top professionals in the industry when they are offering free information.

I'll leave you with this: I also subscribe to Mike Boyle's strength coach emails and enjoy reading through his stuff. A few months ago, he was talking about always seeking to get better and not being stuck with your own opinions. He asked, "Are you a know-it-all or a learn-it-all?" A know-it-all is set in the mindset that they have the end all answer and don't even think about getting better. But a learn-it- all is always seeking to get better each day, ask questions from peers and mentors, and not be afraid to fail from time to time. Which are you?

Muscles and Misconceptions

Recently I have had some of my female clients bring up another big misconception in the fitness industry. "If I do strength training, I will get huge muscles. I do not want to look like a female bodybuilder." Sadly, this perception of strength training keeps so many women out of the gym and stuck on the treadmill! However, the truth may surprise you and hopefully change your perspective.

HORMONES
In the case of testosterone, men are more hormonal than women. This is why we were fearfully and wonderfully designed differently. Even with heavy weight lifting, adequate protein requirements, proper recovery, etc; women will not bulk like a female bodybuilder. It simply will not occur and usually will be aided by some sort of steroid supplement. (This is not to take anything away from bodybuilders who are incredibly disciplined and reach amazing levels of strength).

Secondly, some women will not lift heavy weights in fear of bulking up, so they lift really tiny weights for a lot of reps. FACT: Muscle hypertrophy has a physiological response to high volume and when your repetitions are high (6-12), then your volume is high. (Volume-load = sets x repetitons x load lifted). For example, if you bench press 100 lbs, 5 times, for 3 sets, your volume-load = 1500. So even if the female human body could bulk up rapidly (which it cannot), you wouldn't want to isolate your muscles and lift in a high rep range anyways. The thought process behind this is to raise your heart rate and increase your metabolic rate.

Learning to safely and properly lift heavy weight can be very beneficial. There is a myogenic response our muscles experience in which the body recruits (or builds) more contractile proteins from heavy weight lifting. This will increase your metabolic burn and decrease your body fat, which will get you to that "toned" body composition. Of course with all heavy weight lifting, you should only perform a movement that you can maintain proper technique and form throughout the entire lift.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
According to the Nutrition Business Journal, in 2011 dietary supplement sales reached $30 billion. Why do men spend thousands of dollars a year on supplements? Because they have a hard enough time trying to get bigger muscles and achieve a "bulkier" physique themselves! If changing your muscular appearance was that easy, then more people would do it. Men have an advantage to be able to support larger muscle frames and yet they still have trouble reaching their goals.

DO NOT THINK THAT MEANS WOMEN CANNOT BE STRONG!

Women can achieve a firmer, more toned, and overall stronger body from weight lifting. Plus, strength training will increase a female's resistance to injury. Women will not lose flexibility or mobility because strength training can increase the two (which is a topic for another time). The NSCA's Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, by Baechle and Earle,  have shown that women can increase strength at the same rate as men if not faster. Wow!

CONCLUSION
Strength training will not bulk up or rapidly grow a woman's muscles in a natural setting. With educated programming backed by science women can successfully get stronger and reach their body composition goals in a safe manner. Even more, when women do lift weights, it is beneficial to lift heavy weights and not only for the compositional changes they will experience, but also to increase one's resistance to injuries. Deadlifts and barbell squats are appropriate lifts, with good coaching and justified reasoning for the client. It all comes back to specific training for each client. Simply put, Lift heavy for strong muscles.

The Value of an Internship

When I was 9 years old I tried an art class with my younger sister because I thought I could excel at it. (My main drive was to prove I was the best at it). However, 15 minutes into the class I had walked out and sat in the car with my mom. I was not artistically gifted nor did I posses the patience or focus for the class.

PUT IN THE WORK!
As you are looking at possible jobs or careers it is very important to experience how you perform in the field. I am not just talking about the fitness and performance realm, but in any industry. Is it too physically demanding, is it too intellectually demanding, do you have to multi-task or can you put all your focus on one project at a time? These are much more important questions to consider rather than the payment you will receive or the benefits you may get. Trust me there is nothing worse than working a job that you absolutely hate no matter what you are getting paid.

An internship is my simple solution to discovering if "said" job is a good place for you. Researching skill requirements and the demands of the job is great, but the benefits of actively working in that area outweigh the latter. An internship provides you with 3 valuable results.

First, you receive the understanding of what the job actually is. Before I started my internship at Prevail Conditioning (where I currently work now), I thought I could train people purely based off my motivational skills without any rhyme or reason to my training. If you are doing this now, your clients will soon realize they are not getting the results they want! Thankfully I have a great mentor, Chris Ecklund, who took the time to teach Prevails' training philosophy, movement education, and his experience in the field thus far. It was invaluable for me to learn the reasons they train their clients the way they do, as well as gain experience working in their atmosphere.

Second, you are able to self-evaluate how you do in the job. In high school I job shadowed my friend's mom for a semester, who worked in commercial real estate. I was really excited and thought I could see myself working in real estate when I was older. However, by the end of the semester I realized a desk job was not for me. I did not do well the days I went to work with her because of how much sitting and computer reading I was doing. In comparison to my internship with Prevail, I always enjoyed the theory sessions, any training I was observing and the interaction with clients.

Third, internships can lead to jobs! It is not just about figuring out how you do, but in many ways it is like a try-out. You show up each day proving yourself to the company that you are hardworking, dedicated, teachable, etc... Even if you are not offered a job at the company you intern at, the recommendation you receive from them could give you an advantage at the next place you apply. Or better yet, they might set you up with another company they know is looking for employees. You have to always be on your game and live the way you want others to perceive you. For me, this is with an honest heart, a hard working mentality, and serving others before myself.

SUMMARY

Do not underestimate the value of an internship. You will get first hand experience of what working in a certain field is like. Also, you will get raw feedback showing how you succeed and fail in "said" industry. Are the failures something you can work on to make yourself better for the job or is the job not what you expected it to be? Lastly, working an internships gets your foot in the door. Especially in a struggling economy, where it can be tough to get any job, a foot in the door is one of the biggest advantages a person can get. Art was not my thing, but thankfully I found an internship run by a person who was passionate about teaching others who were willing to work. Now I have the privilege to work  with Chris (and others who share his desire to teach and continue to learn) each day.

Keeping the Weight Off!

A close friend of mine recently moved across the country to the East Coast and told me she had been getting in better shape and lost a good amount of weight. Even more important she is keeping the weight off! There is just 1 problem, and I know you are thinking how could there be a problem? She does not know what it is specifically she is doing to maintain her new weight.

Many people who have endured a long weight loss journey or just shed a few pounds will tell you that keeping the weight off is tougher than losing the weight. So true! And here is the reason. A person will work so hard changing their nutrition plan, organizing their schedule for more training time, managing the normal stresses of life and it all adds up to this goal weight. However, the goal goes much beyond losing the weight. The true goal is to adopt this new lifestyle that you have been training yourself for, which is really a life long journey.

Not knowing what her new lifestyle is like or the old habits that have become new ones, here is my attempt to answer why she is doing so great at maintaing her new weight.

1) Nutrition. I believe nutrition accounts for the majority of one's weight loss plan. Simply understanding if the food you are eating is a carbohydrate, protein or fat. How much of each food group are you eating? Precision Nutrition wrote a great article about calorie control and how to make it easier. (http://www.precisionnutrition.com/calorie-control-guide). If you have trouble measuring your food, check this out.

2) Of course you need to be exercising, that is a must. However, there are plenty of times we are exercising without knowing it. With gas prices sky rocketing, people have been commuting to work through trains, bicycles or walking. All of which require energy expenditure even if it is at a lower intensity. (If you have ever been on a train you know there is a lot of walking that takes place between your destination and the train stop). Do not rely on walking alone to burn your calories, but take note of the healthy ways you are getting around your town.

3) Sleep is a no brainer for me because your body has to recover. People tell me that as you get older you won't have time to sleep as much and I understand that. But I am talking more about sleep quality  vs. sleep quantity. I believe if you are getting quality sleep each night and being able to reach those deeper levels of sleep that it helps in the recovery process for your body.

CONCLUSION
I am very proud for my friend and her fitness accomplishment. If you are in the same position or are working on getting to your goal weight assess these 3 things in your life. What do you feed your body? Where is your exercise coming from? And are you getting quality sleep each night? Be confident that if you are eating healthy and exercising safely then you are doing most things right. As always seeking help from a certified trainer or a registered dietician is a smart choice. I am happy to answer any questions or comments you may have.

The Road to a Stronger Chest!

Push ups will forever be in my training regimens. It is one of those exercises that can easily be overlooked for how beneficial it is to your training program. A push up demands total body control and stability along with strength and endurance.

What do we look for in a push up?
Neutral spine and a straight body line from head to toes (of course this is done with glute activation, engaged core and many little features learned from training). There may be more cues, but these are the fundamentals I look for.

Now for some people successfully performing 1 push up is an accomplishment, but for those of you who can rep out 50+, I think it is time to step it up a little. Just like any other exercise one option to increase the intensity is by adding resistance. Band resistance push ups are great option to stay in a horizontal plan rather than elevating your feet to more of an overhead movement (another great option for a different goal).

The following video is an example using a 2 inch band. The band is wrapped from both of my hands across my upper back.

I like using a band because it is easy to use when I am training solo and there are many different thicknesses. I have used metal and olympic plates in the past, but it is more challenging to keep them on your back.

If you have tried these I would love to hear your feedback and the results you have found from them.

Tricks and Treats

Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate! You may think you are treating yourself to some well earned Halloween candy, but it is one of the biggest tricks you may encounter this holiday.

We all know that without a good nutritional game plan, our performance and results will be hindered. Here are some not so tasty facts for the popular candy in town.

In one Snickers bar: 271 Calories, 5.2 Sat Fats, 28.8 grams of sugar
In one Reeses pack: 210 Calories, 4.5 Sat Fats, 21 grams of sugar
In one Starburst pack: 240 Calories, 4.5 Sat Fats, 33 grams of sugar

On average it might take a person 1 hour to burn 500 calories. On the flip side it could only take a person 5 minutes to eat 500 calories. Do not be tricked by the "fun size" candy bars because they will add up very quickly.

On the bright side there are a few treats you can give yourself during the Halloween holiday. For starter  have some good snacks on hand like almonds, carrot sticks, or dried fruit. Whenever you get the desire to eat out of the candy cauldron, choose your pocket snack instead.

Secondly, get in your routine workout early in the day. You know you will be enjoying the night later on by walking your kids around the neighborhood or going to a party. Just because it is a holiday does not mean your body has to take a holiday.

Conclusion:

Find the healthy snack that you will enjoy in place of candy and have it on you for easy access. Also, get your exercise in just as you would on any other day. The later the day goes on the busier the night will get, and the excuses add up. Make this Halloween an accomplishment in your training journal rather than a setback. Will you treat yourself or trick yourself?

The Biggest Reason You Waste Gym Time

When people are ready to achieve a goal such as gaining muscle, losing weight, or increasing some degree of performance they head to the gym. Great start, but just showing up will not get you the results you want.


HERE IS THE PROBLEM!
The biggest mistake I have made and have seen hinder others is not going into the gym with a plan. They go into the gym, look in the mirror for a few minutes and make their decision on the spot of which muscle groups they will work. Sometimes this will lead to the same exercise routine they learned from their high school sport. Other times they are attempting to mimic an exercise they saw on the internet. The lack of intentionality in your exercise program will continue to slow down the time it takes to achieve your goal. This leads to a social adventure with old friends, new friends and complete strangers, which only wastes your time in the gym!

AND NOW THE SOLUTIONS...
What you need is a plan. Start by either creating your own program or seeking a trainer who can create a program tailored towards your goal. This plan or program should be set for at least 4 weeks, maybe longer. This will allow your body to learn the movement patterns and begin to load those movement patterns. Some may argue that you need variety in order to have muscle confusion and rapidly increase muscle growth! Wait, what? No, you will get your variety from your repetition changes and increases in range of motion. Also, you can get variety from your recovery in between exercises, sets and training days. Even if you are not 100% sure your program will work, trust in what you created and stick to it. At the end of the 4 weeks, alter a few things and try it again. If you are completely lost, seek out professional help from a certified trainer or strength coach.

When you create your program be specific. Set out your repetitions, sets, and recovery time. Organize your exercises in an appropriate order (olympic, power, strength, auxiliary, push-pull, muscle groups). Answer the questions of supersets? Trisets? Quadsets? How much load are you lifting during each set of each exercise? Is this specific? Yes, but it will give you the greatest chance to achieve your goals. Write it down on a piece of paper, put it on your phone, memorize it, just do what you need to do so you can follow your program for the entire month.

Of course nutrition will play a role in any type of training. Even if you are just looking to stay in shape! Do not be so naive to think that you can put fast food, fried food or foods high in saturated fats into your body. Treat yourself and take in an adequate amount of carbs, proteins and fats. This can come from vegetables, nuts, fish, lean meats, etc.

CONCLUSION
Create a program before you enter the gym. Don't be embarrassed to bring in a piece of paper with all your exercises, sets and repetitions on it. If you do not know where to start, seek professional help. And do not overlook the role nutrition plays. Being prepared before you train will increase the amount of training you get done while you are in the gym. This will lead you to the results you are looking for.

(If you have any questions leave them in the comment box below.)