Girls today are taught that they should be tough and stand up for themselves. As the father of a daughter I think that this is great and want her to have the tools to be successful in life. But as a father with a son it boggles my mind why the media and society in general have made it a horrible thing for boys to be tough. In school you can get expelled or even arrested for fighting, but young boys fighting is exactly where the term boys will be boys came from. So I see a generation of boys coming up that haven't been in a fight, have never came home with a black eye and had to explain what happened. When I was a young boy fights were dealt with by adults, who apparently had a much better mastery and sense of responsibility than our leadership today. They would make you shake hands with the boy you got in a fight with, you would get a note sent home and that was the end of it. What this taught me was to accept responsibility for my actions, that there is a pecking order in life, how to deal with adversity, how to respect an adversary and also how to forgive and move on. None of these lessons are being taught today. Administrators make fighting such a taboo thing and punish it so severely that parents are forced to either tell our boys to not fight, or deal with extreme consequences. Consequently, instead of young boys fighting with each other and coming home with a shiner, they are bottling up the aggression, going to school and shooting their classmates. Then the media glorifies these horrific crimes. But if a boy punches another boy they are demonized on the news and by our society. God gave boys testosterone so that they could be strong, tough, defend their families from insurgents, and provide shelter from the elements. Now in the evolutionary chain we no longer have to defend our families from wild animals, invading hoards or build make shift shelters from trees. But none the less we still have the same amount of testosterone and animalistic instinct to dominate our environment. Conflict will arise in young boys lives and sometimes violence and being tough is the answer. Anyone who says violence is never the answer needs to be reminded of two things: World War I and II. Tell me why "The Greatest Generation" was so named? Was it for their toughness during the great depression and being able to win world wars with a tough, gritty attitude that even the Nazi power war machine could not overcome. Or was it for their skinny jeans, unwillingness to fight, boy band pop music and gender blurring? The answer is obvious, but for some reason our society has forgotten this. Yet still, the heroes in our society are the tough ones, the ones that stand up for themselves, the ones that fight through the pain, the ones that keep going against all odds and this attitude is being stomped out by popular culture, the media, administrators, lawmakers and other leadership of the day. I believe that hard weight training teaches a lot of these lessons that kids are not getting from society today. They must learn to strain through a tough weight, push through conditioning and never give up. They learn that sometimes other people are better than you and you can either complain about it or train harder and beat them. The things I have learned in the gym have made me who I am today and I try to pass some of that on to the athletes that we train. We hold them accountable, never let them quit and teach them how to push past what they ever thought was possible. Now I know that society says we should coddle them, not let anyone feel like they aren't as good as someone else, and tell them it's okay to quit. Well society may have banned being tough but at The Spot Athletics it is a mental state that we not only encourage but try to cultivate. If you live long enough you learn that life isn't fair, you don't always win and if you aren't tough you'll never end up on top. If you're not tough you will end up a victim, complaining about how life isn't fair instead of doing something about it. For some reason our society is trying to create a generation of victims. As a parent, I feel it's my job to stop this from happening so that my kids can be successful in life. At The Spot Athletics we want all of our athletes to be successful in athletics as well as in life. We try to accomplish this by making our young athletes into champions, and you'll never meet a champion who claims to be a victim. To become a champion you need a tough mindset. One that makes you hold your ground, stand up for yourself, be confident in your abilities and fight for what you want. These are qualities that we instill in both our boy and girl athletes. But I feel it is of utmost importance that our male athletes know that being tough is not just OK, it's what turns them from a boy into a man. We obviously deal with a large number of young female athletes and the greatest pride I get from working with them is seeing the confidence that they build from training at our facility. Most of our young female athletes that come in are tougher than the male athletes but they lack the confidence. It's just the opposite with the young male athletes. I see them come in with tons of confidence but none of the toughness that is needed to be a champion. We instill that championship attitude and cultivate that tough mentality that is unfortunately being stomped out of the male youth of today. So while society, and the media is stomping this attitude out, we will keep cranking out tough champions that will be successful in athletics and in life.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Being tough has been banned!
Girls today are taught that they should be tough and stand up for themselves. As the father of a daughter I think that this is great and want her to have the tools to be successful in life. But as a father with a son it boggles my mind why the media and society in general have made it a horrible thing for boys to be tough. In school you can get expelled or even arrested for fighting, but young boys fighting is exactly where the term boys will be boys came from. So I see a generation of boys coming up that haven't been in a fight, have never came home with a black eye and had to explain what happened. When I was a young boy fights were dealt with by adults, who apparently had a much better mastery and sense of responsibility than our leadership today. They would make you shake hands with the boy you got in a fight with, you would get a note sent home and that was the end of it. What this taught me was to accept responsibility for my actions, that there is a pecking order in life, how to deal with adversity, how to respect an adversary and also how to forgive and move on. None of these lessons are being taught today. Administrators make fighting such a taboo thing and punish it so severely that parents are forced to either tell our boys to not fight, or deal with extreme consequences. Consequently, instead of young boys fighting with each other and coming home with a shiner, they are bottling up the aggression, going to school and shooting their classmates. Then the media glorifies these horrific crimes. But if a boy punches another boy they are demonized on the news and by our society. God gave boys testosterone so that they could be strong, tough, defend their families from insurgents, and provide shelter from the elements. Now in the evolutionary chain we no longer have to defend our families from wild animals, invading hoards or build make shift shelters from trees. But none the less we still have the same amount of testosterone and animalistic instinct to dominate our environment. Conflict will arise in young boys lives and sometimes violence and being tough is the answer. Anyone who says violence is never the answer needs to be reminded of two things: World War I and II. Tell me why "The Greatest Generation" was so named? Was it for their toughness during the great depression and being able to win world wars with a tough, gritty attitude that even the Nazi power war machine could not overcome. Or was it for their skinny jeans, unwillingness to fight, boy band pop music and gender blurring? The answer is obvious, but for some reason our society has forgotten this. Yet still, the heroes in our society are the tough ones, the ones that stand up for themselves, the ones that fight through the pain, the ones that keep going against all odds and this attitude is being stomped out by popular culture, the media, administrators, lawmakers and other leadership of the day. I believe that hard weight training teaches a lot of these lessons that kids are not getting from society today. They must learn to strain through a tough weight, push through conditioning and never give up. They learn that sometimes other people are better than you and you can either complain about it or train harder and beat them. The things I have learned in the gym have made me who I am today and I try to pass some of that on to the athletes that we train. We hold them accountable, never let them quit and teach them how to push past what they ever thought was possible. Now I know that society says we should coddle them, not let anyone feel like they aren't as good as someone else, and tell them it's okay to quit. Well society may have banned being tough but at The Spot Athletics it is a mental state that we not only encourage but try to cultivate. If you live long enough you learn that life isn't fair, you don't always win and if you aren't tough you'll never end up on top. If you're not tough you will end up a victim, complaining about how life isn't fair instead of doing something about it. For some reason our society is trying to create a generation of victims. As a parent, I feel it's my job to stop this from happening so that my kids can be successful in life. At The Spot Athletics we want all of our athletes to be successful in athletics as well as in life. We try to accomplish this by making our young athletes into champions, and you'll never meet a champion who claims to be a victim. To become a champion you need a tough mindset. One that makes you hold your ground, stand up for yourself, be confident in your abilities and fight for what you want. These are qualities that we instill in both our boy and girl athletes. But I feel it is of utmost importance that our male athletes know that being tough is not just OK, it's what turns them from a boy into a man. We obviously deal with a large number of young female athletes and the greatest pride I get from working with them is seeing the confidence that they build from training at our facility. Most of our young female athletes that come in are tougher than the male athletes but they lack the confidence. It's just the opposite with the young male athletes. I see them come in with tons of confidence but none of the toughness that is needed to be a champion. We instill that championship attitude and cultivate that tough mentality that is unfortunately being stomped out of the male youth of today. So while society, and the media is stomping this attitude out, we will keep cranking out tough champions that will be successful in athletics and in life.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Articles to Read
There are only two articles this week. The reason being is that they are both lengthy. But everybody should take the time to read both of them.
The first one was an article published in Time magazine. It is about the health care industry and how it is eating away at our economy and treasury.
Bitter Pill
The second article was an article published in the New York Times. It discusses how overindulging our children with the intention of giving them everything and being loving is actually detrimental to the child. It talks about how kids need a little hardship, some challenges, some deprivation that they can overcome.
What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?
Thats it for this week. If there is anything you would like to see in future articles leave a comment below. Enjoy
The first one was an article published in Time magazine. It is about the health care industry and how it is eating away at our economy and treasury.
Bitter Pill
The second article was an article published in the New York Times. It discusses how overindulging our children with the intention of giving them everything and being loving is actually detrimental to the child. It talks about how kids need a little hardship, some challenges, some deprivation that they can overcome.
What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?
Thats it for this week. If there is anything you would like to see in future articles leave a comment below. Enjoy
Monday, February 25, 2013
Week In Review 2/17-2/23
Another busy week here at The Spot. From Metcon to athletes training hard to personal training clients killing it to your very own trainers crushing it in the gym. If you aren't getting the results that you feel you should be then you need to be here training amongst the best. Sweat hard See results. Stop wasting time and contact us today.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Here it is The Spot Athletics and Zenith Volleyball doing the Harlem Shake.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Jump Higher and Run Faster
In this weeks discussion, JL discusses the methods used at The Spot to help athletes jump higher and run faster. Any questions comments or concerns share below!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Improve your golf game without golfing!
Of coarse I don't look like a golfer, and I'm not. I've spent 20 years building my body to be one of the best strength athletes in the world and that doesn't work well with golf. What I am though is a strength & conditioning coach with an unbelievable knowledge of physics, biomechanics, motor learning and just overall building better athletes. I also have a TPI Golf Fitness certification but I leave the golf swing instruction to great Golf Pro's, like Elton Sargent up at Performance Golf Academies of America. But just as I'm not qualified to teach someone to swing a club, golf pros are not qualified to build stronger hips so players can hit the ball further. This is where the Titleist Performance Institute(TPI) team concept really comes into play. If you go to the TPI facility you will work with 1. A swing coach 2. a Golf fitness coach and if their is a major issue, you will also see 3. A doctor or physical therapist. That's why Elton and I work together hand in hand to not only work on your physical limitations but also on your swing mechanics as well. A lot of golfers tell me that their pro has told them that they need them to get in this position or that position but no matter how much they practice they can't seem to do it. Well what I find after taking them through a TPI physical golf screen is that they can't get in the position due to a physical limitation. They could swing the club all day, every day, but unless they address the physical limitation their swing will never get better and their handicap won't go down. If you would like to come in and do a TPI physical golf screen then email me, jl@thespotathletics.com and I'll be happy to help you work on any physical limitations that are hurting your game. If you are only seeing a swing coach then you are limiting your improvements by not addressing your physical limitations. So if you truly want your handicap to go down this year, then come in and see me for a TPI physical golf screen and finally get your handicap where you want it.
Articles to Read Week of Feb 18
Hope everybody is starting the week of right and getting after it. Here are a few articles I feel are worth your time and that you should take some time each day to read. So grab your morning beverage and educate yourself!
The first article is by the NPR and talks about a common pre-workout supplement called DMAA short for dimethylamylamine. It talks about the safety concerns of this supplement and how it may not be safe. It also contains a link to the companines that got a warning letter with products containing DMAA
Link to article
Popular Workout Booster Draws Safety Scrutiny
Link to FDA press announcement
FDA Challenges Marketing of DMAA Products For Lack of Safety Evidence
The second article is a short one but an important one. It talks about finding time for yourself and how it is easy to do such a thing in such a hectic, fast paced world.
Finding Time For "Me"...Is it Possible?
The third article is by Eric Cressey and is an awesome article about stretching. It talks about the 15 static stretching mistakes he encounters.
15 Static Stretching Mistakes
The next article is a little longer but if you like the science of training then read it. Pretty simple right? It is a sports science roundtable with a few doctors talking about specificity.
Sports Science Rountable Volume 1 Training Specificity
Any questions comments or concerns leave them below!
The first article is by the NPR and talks about a common pre-workout supplement called DMAA short for dimethylamylamine. It talks about the safety concerns of this supplement and how it may not be safe. It also contains a link to the companines that got a warning letter with products containing DMAA
Link to article
Popular Workout Booster Draws Safety Scrutiny
Link to FDA press announcement
FDA Challenges Marketing of DMAA Products For Lack of Safety Evidence
The second article is a short one but an important one. It talks about finding time for yourself and how it is easy to do such a thing in such a hectic, fast paced world.
Finding Time For "Me"...Is it Possible?
The third article is by Eric Cressey and is an awesome article about stretching. It talks about the 15 static stretching mistakes he encounters.
15 Static Stretching Mistakes
The next article is a little longer but if you like the science of training then read it. Pretty simple right? It is a sports science roundtable with a few doctors talking about specificity.
Sports Science Rountable Volume 1 Training Specificity
Any questions comments or concerns leave them below!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Week In Review 2/10-2/16
Another busy week here at The Spot. From Metcon to athletes training hard to teams killing it to your very own trainers crushing it in the gym. If you aren't getting the results that you feel you should be then you need to be here training amongst the best. Sweat hard See results. Stop wasting time and contact us today.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Start The Day Off Right
Everyday I hear people complain about how they hate getting up and that they rather sleep all day and stay in bed. They hate the sound of their alarm clock, all they can think about is how they don’t want to do whatever it is that they have to do today and then head out the door to do the things they don’t want to do. These are the same people that complain about the things they don’t have and how life isn’t fair and nothing ever falls their way. Once these people drag themselves out of bed and are already mad at the world they take a quick miserable shower hating the world, throw on some clothes, make a few bad eating decisions then proceed to go on their miserable life and be a plague to everybody around them. I am going to touch on a few ways to start your day off right and not be that plague that ruins everybody’s day. And it all starts the night before.
- Get into a routine of going to bed at the same time every night and getting 7-8 hours of sleep. There is plenty of time during the day to get things done its all about prioritizing.
- An hour before bed make your to-do list for the next day. That way you can clear your mind and will not have to worry about what you have to get accomplished. Its written down and will be there waiting for you when you wake up.
- Once your alarm goes off get out of bed. Do not look at your phone for texts or emails. They will be there later. This is your time to focus on you and nobody else. Your blackberry or iphone or whatever can wait. Get up and get going. Life waits for nobody and staying in bed is just allowing life to pass you by. Remember life has something to offer everybody so staying in bed is not the answer to getting the most out of life.
- Once you’re out of bed decide what type of day you will have. When you wake up you need to decide right then and there that it will be a bad ass day that will lead you closer to accomplishing your goals.
- Head outside. Trust me you will wake up. If it’s to cold I understand but throw on some sweats and once outside take a few deep breaths. In through your nose and out through your mouth. Take a minute to really take in your surroundings and appreciate what’s in front of you. And what is in front of you is a new day, a new start, a new chapter.
- Drink a glass of water 16-20oz and if you’re a coffee or tea drinker start the water or the brewing
- Stretch. Go to a quit area in your house and do a quick stretching routine from head to toe hitting the major joints and muscles. It takes 5 minutes. There are 1440 minutes in a day you can spare 5 to stretch and start it out right.
- Pour yourself your morning caffeine and sit down for a minute and take the first sip. Enjoy the first sip and take a few seconds to thoroughly enjoy it. As the saying goes it’s the little things in life. Learn this skill, the skill of being able to focus all your energy into something and thoroughly enjoy it. Not a lot of people can do this so learn how to and watch how much happier you become by being able to enjoy the little things in life.
- Eat breakfast. This bugs me when people say “I hate breakfast” or “I can’t get up and eat” or “I don’t have time to cook”. Whatever it’s an excuse and your just making it. Everybody seems to have time though to eat a bowl of cereal or eat a pop tart or some other garbage his or her body doesn’t need. Crack some eggs cut up some veggies and cook. Depending on your diet have some oatmeal or Ezekiel bread to get your carbs in. Or if you are backloading have your coffee and heavy cream or if you are IF don't eat. It’s simple and easy. If you don’t know how to cook eggs youtube it. And don’t throw away the yolk that’s where all the nutrients are.
- Eat breakfast, finish your cup of caffeine then go check your phone and start to hit the list you made the night before.
- This takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Your health depends on it. So stop making excuses you owe it to yourself and your body.
What’s your current morning ritual? What’s your excuse for not starting the day off right? Do you have any tips you could add to this? Let me know by leaving a comment below.
NB
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Body Fat Percentage
This weeks discussion with JL talks about body fat percentage and why it is more important then your actual body weight. Any questions comments or jokes share below.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Articles You Should Read This week 2/11
Here you go folks I did all the looking around on the interwebs for you and here are the articles I feel you should read this week. You don't need to read them all in one sitting you have a whole week so here you go. Grab your favorite morning beverage and enjoy.
The first isn't an article it is a short video about trying something new for 30 days. It's monday morning. There is so much potential greatness in the week ahead. So make it happen, starting today. Start by watching this video.
[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc&feature=player_embedded']
And now to the articles. This first article is written by Jennifer Senior for the New York Times and is titled "Why You Truly Never Leave High School." It talks about why till this day our most vividly retained memories from the ages of 15-25. It is extremely well written and worth your time.
Why You Truly Never Leave High School
Here is an article for the fellas. It is written by Audrey Carlsen and talks about the importance of exercise for men trying to have kids. It explains that exercise may keep sperm healthy and happy. Its short and quick.
Exercise Can Be Good For the Heart, And Maybe For Sperm, Too.
This article was written back in December and I stubbled upon it. It is written by Dean Somerset and talks about how stretching may not actually work. It gives you alternatives to stretching that actually work. Here at The Spot Athletics we practice many of these things with our clients and implement them to.
Stretching Doesn't Work
This article is written by Steve Kamb and discusses the importance of free weight training and why using machines isn't really the way to go in pursuit of your fitness goals.
Rage Against The Machine: How To Switch From Exercise Machines To Free Weights
The article gives us 14 ways to cultivate kindness. It was written by Dr. Frank Lipman and gives us a few small things to do each day to share kindness with others.
14 Ways to Cultivate Kindness
Any questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, limricks or oneliners feel free to leave them in the comments below.
NB
The first isn't an article it is a short video about trying something new for 30 days. It's monday morning. There is so much potential greatness in the week ahead. So make it happen, starting today. Start by watching this video.
[youtuber youtube='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnfBXjWm7hc&feature=player_embedded']
And now to the articles. This first article is written by Jennifer Senior for the New York Times and is titled "Why You Truly Never Leave High School." It talks about why till this day our most vividly retained memories from the ages of 15-25. It is extremely well written and worth your time.
Why You Truly Never Leave High School
Here is an article for the fellas. It is written by Audrey Carlsen and talks about the importance of exercise for men trying to have kids. It explains that exercise may keep sperm healthy and happy. Its short and quick.
Exercise Can Be Good For the Heart, And Maybe For Sperm, Too.
This article was written back in December and I stubbled upon it. It is written by Dean Somerset and talks about how stretching may not actually work. It gives you alternatives to stretching that actually work. Here at The Spot Athletics we practice many of these things with our clients and implement them to.
Stretching Doesn't Work
This article is written by Steve Kamb and discusses the importance of free weight training and why using machines isn't really the way to go in pursuit of your fitness goals.
Rage Against The Machine: How To Switch From Exercise Machines To Free Weights
The article gives us 14 ways to cultivate kindness. It was written by Dr. Frank Lipman and gives us a few small things to do each day to share kindness with others.
14 Ways to Cultivate Kindness
Any questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, limricks or oneliners feel free to leave them in the comments below.
NB
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Week In Review 2/3-2/9
Here is the recap from this past week. From Metcon to CAAT to SAQ to athletes training hard to your very own trainers crushing it in the gym. If you aren't getting the results that you feel you should be then you need to be here training amongst the best. Sweat hard See results. Stop wasting time and contact us today.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Females and Lifting
With the likes of Julia Ladewski, Jen Comas Keck, Nia Shanks, Molly Galbraith (if you are a female and don’t know who these girls are do yourself a favor and go look them up) and other females making a push for girls to become strong both mentally and physically, I still on a daily basis get a handful of females saying they don’t want to train with weights because they don’t want to “get big.” This statement is common and understandable. If I were a female I would be confused and have a similar mindset. Lifting weights is typically associated with well getting big. But have no fear ladies because I am here to ease your mind.
You may open a magazine and see these buff women amongst the pages. Or maybe you have attended a women’s bodybuilding competition and you see these women who just don’t look like women. But ladies guess what you cannot put on muscle size like this without the help of anabolic steroids. Anabolic simply means to build or make bigger and a steroid is merely an organic compound that contains four cycloalkane rings. Steroids include cholesterol, estrogen, testosterone, progestogen, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. So as you can see that the word steroid refers to many different types of hormones and not all of them are anabolic. People generally use the word “steroid” and associate it with only muscle building but now we know that isn’t the case so feel free to correct the next person that uses the word incorrectly.
I’m sorry if I just burst your bubble ladies but its true. You can’t get “big” and “bulky” because you don’t have testicles! You are in fact testicle free and being that way means you do not produce enough natural testosterone. Talk to any man who has tried putting on muscle without the use of anabolic steroids and they will attest to how difficult this task is. So now imagine how difficult it is for YOU to do the same. Testosterone is the primary androgen hormone (simply means primary male sex hormone KEYWORD IS MALE) that interacts with skeletal muscle tissue. So here comes a bit of research done by some scientists; women have about 15 to 20 fold lower concentrations of testosterone than men. There has not been a study to show any kind of increase in testosterone following weight training in women and if there is any type of increase it is most likely extremely small.
Most women come to us here at The Spot Athletics saying, “I want to tone up” which is great! We love to hear that but what exactly does it mean to “tone up”? When we strength train we are stressing the muscle fibers which in turn will increase the muscle fiber size and as this fiber increases in thickness the shape of the muscle slowly starts to change, getting thicker in the belly of the muscle. This will then result in a change in the shape of the muscle. Without a sufficient amount of weight the muscle will not change nor grow so sorry ladies using those pink five pounders aren’t the ticket. In order to “tone” you need to stress the muscle enough by lifting some heavy weight.
Ladies there is no reason you should not be strength training. As mentioned in the video we posted earlier in the week muscle is much more dense then fat meaning that a pound of muscle takes up less room then a pound of fat. Which is why muscle looks better then fat. But what happens when some women train is that they may go up in weight on the scale yet look thinner! Well the reason for this is because your lean body mass has increased but your body fat has decreased. The scale may not change but if you were to look in the mirror after a 12 weeks of consistent solid training you will see some of changes you are seeking. Muscle accounts for almost a third of the average woman’s weight, which in turn has an effect on your metabolism. Muscle actually burns more calories because muscle is metabolically active or it requires calories to maintain itself. Meaning you will burn more calories throughout the day if you have more muscle.
Some of the benefits you may see from strength training include:
Less fat
More muscle
Decreased body fat at the same body weight
Increased bone density
Better blood circulation, which helps to combat cellulite
Stronger mentally and physically
Boost your stamina
Sharpen your foucs
Decreased risk of osteoporosis
Improved athletic performance
Increase feel good hormones
Fight depression
Improved metabolism
Resistance to injury
You’ll look awesome
Gaining strength will have an empowering effect on you. The process of setting and achieving goals will give a boost to your self-esteem and confidence. So the choice is yours ladies. Strength training is not complex nor is it time consuming. It will easily fit into your schedule. You can spend days on those silly cardio machines or you can actually see the results you are looking for. So when you’re ready to increase muscle mass, decrease body fat and increase strength come in and talk with one of our trainers and see how we can help you reach your goals. Lets us help you.
Any questions comments jokes or one liners leave them in the comment section below.
NB
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00423247?LI=true
http://jap.physiology.org/content/75/2/594.short
http://www.stumptuous.com/ebben.html
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/strength-training-during-menopause-offers-multiple-benefits
http://www.girlsgonestrong.com
http://www.negharfonooni.com
http://mollygalbraith.com
http://allimckee.com
You may open a magazine and see these buff women amongst the pages. Or maybe you have attended a women’s bodybuilding competition and you see these women who just don’t look like women. But ladies guess what you cannot put on muscle size like this without the help of anabolic steroids. Anabolic simply means to build or make bigger and a steroid is merely an organic compound that contains four cycloalkane rings. Steroids include cholesterol, estrogen, testosterone, progestogen, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids. So as you can see that the word steroid refers to many different types of hormones and not all of them are anabolic. People generally use the word “steroid” and associate it with only muscle building but now we know that isn’t the case so feel free to correct the next person that uses the word incorrectly.
I’m sorry if I just burst your bubble ladies but its true. You can’t get “big” and “bulky” because you don’t have testicles! You are in fact testicle free and being that way means you do not produce enough natural testosterone. Talk to any man who has tried putting on muscle without the use of anabolic steroids and they will attest to how difficult this task is. So now imagine how difficult it is for YOU to do the same. Testosterone is the primary androgen hormone (simply means primary male sex hormone KEYWORD IS MALE) that interacts with skeletal muscle tissue. So here comes a bit of research done by some scientists; women have about 15 to 20 fold lower concentrations of testosterone than men. There has not been a study to show any kind of increase in testosterone following weight training in women and if there is any type of increase it is most likely extremely small.
Most women come to us here at The Spot Athletics saying, “I want to tone up” which is great! We love to hear that but what exactly does it mean to “tone up”? When we strength train we are stressing the muscle fibers which in turn will increase the muscle fiber size and as this fiber increases in thickness the shape of the muscle slowly starts to change, getting thicker in the belly of the muscle. This will then result in a change in the shape of the muscle. Without a sufficient amount of weight the muscle will not change nor grow so sorry ladies using those pink five pounders aren’t the ticket. In order to “tone” you need to stress the muscle enough by lifting some heavy weight.
Ladies there is no reason you should not be strength training. As mentioned in the video we posted earlier in the week muscle is much more dense then fat meaning that a pound of muscle takes up less room then a pound of fat. Which is why muscle looks better then fat. But what happens when some women train is that they may go up in weight on the scale yet look thinner! Well the reason for this is because your lean body mass has increased but your body fat has decreased. The scale may not change but if you were to look in the mirror after a 12 weeks of consistent solid training you will see some of changes you are seeking. Muscle accounts for almost a third of the average woman’s weight, which in turn has an effect on your metabolism. Muscle actually burns more calories because muscle is metabolically active or it requires calories to maintain itself. Meaning you will burn more calories throughout the day if you have more muscle.
Some of the benefits you may see from strength training include:
Less fat
More muscle
Decreased body fat at the same body weight
Increased bone density
Better blood circulation, which helps to combat cellulite
Stronger mentally and physically
Boost your stamina
Sharpen your foucs
Decreased risk of osteoporosis
Improved athletic performance
Increase feel good hormones
Fight depression
Improved metabolism
Resistance to injury
You’ll look awesome
Gaining strength will have an empowering effect on you. The process of setting and achieving goals will give a boost to your self-esteem and confidence. So the choice is yours ladies. Strength training is not complex nor is it time consuming. It will easily fit into your schedule. You can spend days on those silly cardio machines or you can actually see the results you are looking for. So when you’re ready to increase muscle mass, decrease body fat and increase strength come in and talk with one of our trainers and see how we can help you reach your goals. Lets us help you.
Any questions comments jokes or one liners leave them in the comment section below.
NB
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00423247?LI=true
http://jap.physiology.org/content/75/2/594.short
http://www.stumptuous.com/ebben.html
http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/strength-training-during-menopause-offers-multiple-benefits
http://www.girlsgonestrong.com
http://www.negharfonooni.com
http://mollygalbraith.com
http://allimckee.com
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Articles to read - Week of 2/5
I know this is a day late BUT we had to post the video yesterday on JL's training at The Compound and how you can win a free year of training at The Spot. So everything will be a day off this week but hey a little change never hurt anybody! So here are the articles for the week I feel you should read if you had to just pick a few.
The first one is an article written by Leo Babauta and it is a guide on how you can build habits and stick to them. It touches on why people do not stick to habits and then provides rules and how to learn new the habit skill
Sticking to a Habit
The second article is an article written by Sarah Zielinski and it discusses on what actually makes us feel fear. Its short and sweet. Read it before you go to work it is all sciency and stuff and it'll provide for some intelligent conversation.
What Makes You Feel Fear?
The next articles are a two part series that was posted on Diesel Strength and Conditioning by James Smith. He got some of the top female writers to write a letter to their younger self. Take the time to read these esepcially if you are a parent. Continue to instill strength, self-confidence, love and kindness into your children. Your children are a direct reflection of you.
Letters to All the Beautiful Little Girls - Part One
Letters to All the Beautiful Little Girls - Part Two
Any questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, limricks or oneliners feel free to leave them in the comments below.
NB
The first one is an article written by Leo Babauta and it is a guide on how you can build habits and stick to them. It touches on why people do not stick to habits and then provides rules and how to learn new the habit skill
Sticking to a Habit
The second article is an article written by Sarah Zielinski and it discusses on what actually makes us feel fear. Its short and sweet. Read it before you go to work it is all sciency and stuff and it'll provide for some intelligent conversation.
What Makes You Feel Fear?
The next articles are a two part series that was posted on Diesel Strength and Conditioning by James Smith. He got some of the top female writers to write a letter to their younger self. Take the time to read these esepcially if you are a parent. Continue to instill strength, self-confidence, love and kindness into your children. Your children are a direct reflection of you.
Letters to All the Beautiful Little Girls - Part One
Letters to All the Beautiful Little Girls - Part Two
Any questions, suggestions, comments, concerns, limricks or oneliners feel free to leave them in the comments below.
NB
Monday, February 4, 2013
Mighty Mitts training and EliteFTS
This past weekend JL was at The Compound in London Ohio doing some training. Watch the video for an update on his training and also how you can win a FREE year of training!
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