Random Training Thoughts...

I feel sorry for the people running down the sidewalk of my neighborhood looking miserable.  A well structured resistance training program would help them lose more weight, improve their functional strength, reduce their time investment and in most cases be a whole lot more fun.  Oh…and make them much less likely to get injured.

I want to puke when I see personal trainers having overweight and out-of-shape people doing tricep press downs, dumbbell curls, leg extensions and other stupid isolated movements.  This incompetency should be grounds for Federal incarceration.

Your primary movements should be some form of overhead / horizontal press, lunge, squat, deadlift, step-up and pull-up.  Doesn’t matter what tool you use…bodyweight, Olympic bar, kettlebell, sandbag, dumbbell, TRX Suspension System or cinder block.  After you do these movements justice and want to add some other cute movements, go for it. 

Let’s face it, you have to work hard to get results.  Intensity separates progress from stagnation.  It’s better to push hard through a marginal program v. loaf through a well designed program.

If fitness or athletic performance is truly a priority, don’t let minor obstacles (traveling, poor sleep, work / school stress, runny nose, sore throat, etc.) get in the way of you sticking to your plan.

If you are an athlete or someone wanting to improve your athletic performance focus on the "non-mirror" muscles.  These are the muscles visible when running away from someone. 

If you really want to make dramatic strides in your bodyweight management plan you have to control your eating.  Plan your meals and rarely deviate.  Eat 5 – 6 small meals each day, write down what you eat and invest in Tupperware.  Eating clean requires planning.  You can’t wing this. 

Being competitive is a good thing.  Being stupid is a bad thing.  Stupid lifters are usually trying to lift more than they are capable of using with correct form and a full range of movement.  Examples are the ¼ squat dudes claiming they squat 450, but can’t do 275 parallel; or the 315 bouncing, hip thrusting bencher who can’t do 225 strict.  Do yourself a favor.  Lift the weight under control using the full range of motion and tell your stupid lifting mates to do the same.  

Do not jump on the latest fitness trend or gadget.  Pick a program you like and stick to it for at least 90 days.  Reading Men’s Health or Muscle & Fitness can be a real detriment to sustained progress.

If you are serious about getting stronger and considering joing a gym, ask if they allow chalk.  If the answer in NO, search for another gym.  This gym will be full of people sitting on machines watching ESPN between sets, doing endless variations of bicep curls and standing on Bosu balls. 

Sled Training - Safe, Effective & Humbling

Want to punish someone just for fun?  Know someone who is really cocky and thinks they forgot more about training intensely than you will ever know?  Better yet, if they have heard about sled training and think it a joke.  Please send them to me, they will be calling for their mommy to save them in less than 15 minutes.

As a personal trainer and strength coach, I'm always looking for effective ways to train individuals and groups safely.  If everyone who trains with me had great flexibility, joint mobility, no muscle imbalances, symmetrical hips, equal leg lengths, no previous injuries, and the ability to grasp technical movements quickly, I could spend more time on Olympic and Power lifts.

When I train people 1:1 for an extended period of time, I can assess their individual needs and work through a systematic progression until they master even the most difficult movements.  Fact is, I am frequently presented with training groups of people.  These groups typically have a huge range of experience and athleticism.  So, how can I structure the workouts so they are safe, yet very EFFECTIVE?

I use sandbags, kettlebells, battling ropes, hex bars, etc., but one of my favorite new tools is sleds.  Sled training will work the heck out of your hips and legs.  It will also provide incredible metabolic conditioning.  Sleds are appropriate for everyone.  If you train with me be prepared to push, pull and drag sleds in the cul-de-sac across from my gym (aka garage). 

Check out my Sled Fleet below...

Strength Training For Athletes

If you train with me you can expect to become proficient at the following movements.

ACE Study - Benefits of Kettlebell Training

Recent study conducted by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) regarding the benefits of Kettlebell training.

Below are some comments from the article. I have also included a link to the entire article. This was a very scientific study and a huge testimony regarding the incredible benefits of Kettlebell training.

To analyze the energy cost and exercise intensity of kettlebell workouts, ACE enlisted the help of the research experts at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse Exercise and Health Program. The team, led by John Porcari, Ph.D., and Chad Schnettler, M.S., recruited 10 volunteers, male and female, ages 29 to 46 years, all of whom were experienced in kettlebell training. “They [kettlebell enthusiasts] make these all-encompassing claims about increasing your muscular strength, endurance and aerobic capacity with kettlebells, like, if you do this, that’s all you need to do,” says Porcari. “So we wanted to look and see how much of an aerobic workout you really do get and how many calories you really burn.”

During the 20-minute workout, the average calorie burn was 272 calories, not counting additional calorie burn due to the substantial anaerobic effort. “We estimated oxygen consumption and how many calories they were burning aerobically, and it was 13.6 calories per minute. But we also measured the blood lactate, so anaerobically they were burning another 6.6 calories per minute,” explains Porcari. “So they were burning at least 20.2 calories per minute, which is off the charts. That’s equivalent to running a 6-minute mile pace. The only other thing I could find that burns that many calories is crosscountry skiing up hill at a fast pace.”

As our ACE-sponsored research demonstrates, kettlebells can offer a highly effective workout. In addition to boosting your strength and cardiovascular fitness, it is likely you’ll also increase your balance and flexibility, too. And since kettlebell training is so efficient, you may be able to get better results while spending less time in the gym.

The Bottom Line

Kettlebells can provide one heck of a workout. Based on comparisons with data from previous research on standard weight training, the HR and V•O2 responses during the kettlebell snatch routine suggest it provides a much higher-intensity workout than standard weight-training routines. Furthermore, the kettlebell snatch workout easily meets industry recommendations for improving aerobic capacity. “This is good news for people who are looking for a very good resistance-training workout that will also help them lose weight,” says Schnettler. “For people who might not have a lot of time, and need to get in a good workout as quickly as possible, kettlebells definitely provide that.”

Link to the entire ACE http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/research.aspx