Top 10 articles of the week for 11/27

Your mental attitude...the one thing you CAN control in the moment.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/if-i-knew-then-what-i-know-now-your-day-in-an-instant/

20 ways to burn 500 calories.

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/20-ways-to-burn-500-calories

Passion trumps everything.

http://articles.elitefts.com/features/iron-brothers/uncompromising-passion/

How to become gluten-free and stay that way.

http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/10-ways-to-go-gluten-free-get-lean-and-stay-that-way

How to get a great night's sleep.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/how-to-manufacture-the-best-night-of-sleep-in-your-life/#axzz2joRl2Ea2

This article relays how self-talk can affect training performance.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/06/keep-repeating-this-workout-feels-good/?_r=0

The need for water before you need it.

http://articles.elitefts.com/nutrition/joshstrength-hydration/

For the parents - how fit is your child?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/11/20/246316731/kids-are-less-fit-today-than-you-were-back-then

What are the natural anti-inflammatories?

http://breakingmuscle.com/nutrition/anti-inflammatories-green-tea-ginger-and-the-athlete

How to substract or remove things from your life.

http://zenhabits.net/minus/

Seven Tips to Survive Thanksgiving

It’s that time of year. It’s the holidays. Family, friends and awesome food. But most of you will freak out about the holiday weight gain. Just google Thanksgiving and weight gain and you’ll come up with a ton of articles on how to stay thin for the holidays. They say the average thanksgiving meal is 3,500 calories. Sounds like a solid bulking session if you ask me. But in all seriousness unless you are dieting down for a bodybuilding show enjoy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the food. Enjoy the company. You won’t gain any weight from one day of cheat meals. It’s not going to sabotage your gains bro, I promise. Stop worrying about cutting 100 calories if you don’t eat the crust with your pie. You’ve been training extremely hard all year, well most of us have and you should be able to enjoy the holidays with your friends and family instead of being miserable over thinking you can’t eat all the good food because you’ll instantly get fat. Sorry the body doesn’t get fat in one day nor in one meal. It’s science so that means it’s true. Now I’m not saying stuff your face till you are so uncomfortable that you can’t move, I mean thats what my training partners and I will do but I don’t suggest that to any of you. So here are

Seven Tips to Survive Thanksgiving

1: Portion control. Select your favorite foods that you can’t live without and select reasonable-sized protions. I suggest you don’t waste your calories on foods you can have all year though, eat the foods that only come out once a year. But here is a secret if you keep your portions small, you can enjoy whatever you like.

2: Workout Thanksgiving morning on an empty stomach. Have it be a serious weight session or just a walk. Get some exercise in and do it on an empty stomach. Your gains will be alright. I’m a big fan of training in a fasted state because it works.

3: Your best bets if you are concerned are white meat, plain veggies, sweet potatoes (not the sweet potato casserole with marshmallows, maple syurp and all that), mashed potatoes, defatted gravy and that delicious pumpkin pie. Those tend to be lower in fat and calories.

4: Don’t inhale your food. Eat slow. Enjoy the conversation at the table. Actually taste and enjoy the food.

5: Eat in the afternoon. Spread the fest out all day. After dinner go outside. Go for a walk. Play football. Enjoy the cool weather. After that come in and have dessert. Watch a movie. Don’t try and cram 4,000 calories into one sitting.

6: Relax on the sugary drinks and alcohol. A lot of calories in drinks and they add up quick.

7: Don’t focus on food. Don’t focus on weight gain (unless you are bulking) or weight loss. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy your family. Celebrate and be thankful for your friends and family. That’s what this holiday is all about.

Happy Thanksgiving

Coach B

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 11/17-11/24

It's getting cold, but our clients are still sweating hard and seeing results!  Check out all the hard work they're putting in.  Make sure you share and go like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/TheSpotAthletics

Sport Specific Training

Sport Specific Training

This is a term that I hear thrown around all the time.  Most parents want to be ensured that the training their athletes are going to get will help them in their sport but most don't understand what they are asking for.   The fact of the matter is that every athlete is better at their sport if they are faster, quicker, stronger, and more durable.  There is no sport where being weaker and slower makes you better.  So if all sports have the same requirements to make the athlete better then what is sport specific training?

This term comes from the ideas that each sport has it's own movement patterns and set of energy demands.  Understanding of the sporting movements and needs of the sport must first be mastered to provide any kind of specific training for a sport.  The fact is that 80% of training is the same for all sports because their is a finite amount of movement patterns and energy demands.  One of the things that makes The Spot Athletics so good at building champions is how we manipulate the other 20% that needs to change from sport to sport.

With that being said you must understand that an athlete should have a mastery of their sport before they start any kind of specific training for that sport.  An 8 year old athlete should not be doing specific training for a sport but rather focusing on building more efficient movement patterns and as many of them as possible.  An 8 year old who is excelling in basketball may end up being short and wrestling in high school.   So our philosophy with young athletes is to develop them to be the strongest and most complete athlete possible, no matter what sport they eventually choose to focus on.  If you want sport specific training for your 10 year old athlete then you are limiting their overall athletic potential and possibly setting them up for injury as they go through their sporting career.  Not only do I suggest against it, but we will not do it here at The Spot Athletics because we care about building champions and this is in direct contrast to that mission.

Now that my rant about young athletes being thrust into sport specific training is over let's focus on how we do it for older athletes.  These older athletes have chosen a sport to focus on and since their motor patterns are mostly already formed we focus on refining these patterns so the athlete can get more out of their body.  This is done through specific exercises that may not even look like they belong in the training for a certain sport.  Yet the part of the body that we are strengthening will transfer over to better performance for a given sport.   A great example of this is the crawling that we have our baseball and volleyball players do.  Although these athletes will never crawl in their sport, they do need to have extremely durable shoulders and rotator cuffs and crawling is one of the best ways to develop this.  Not only this, but it builds great spacial awareness which they will need when they are playing with their team mates next to them.

We manipulate the strengthening component for sport specific training and also the  conditioning component  to help the athlete excel at their sport.  One of the dumbest things that coaches do is run explosive sports for long distances.  I have seen football coaches test 1 or 2 mile runs to see if their players are in shape to play football.  This is a total lack of understanding of the energy demands of their sport.  In football a play lasts for 4-7 seconds and almost none of it is in a straight line.  So how does it make sense to run an athlete for 5-15 minutes and in a straight line?   It doesn't and understanding the energy systems of each sport allows us to develop conditioning that will directly translate into better performance for the given sport.  We don't just condition every athlete the same way, we change the parameters based on the sport.  In combat sports for example the athlete will never run, so we conduct our conditioning through other means that will more directly correlate to performance on the mat or in the ring.

Although the changes that I am talking about may only account for 20% of the overall training, that 20% is the difference between being a champion and wishing you were one.   The fact that we don't just put every athlete through the same workout is just another reason why The Spot Athletics is one of the best strength & conditioning facilities in the world.

In Strength,

JL Holdsworth, The Spot Athletics

JL's weekly technique video- upright rows

This week, JL explains how to properly perform an upright row. Upright rows help develop the traps and upper back. Unfortunately, many fitness "professionals" shy away from upright rows because they think that they are bad for the shoulders.  JL explains why they're wrong.

Controlling the Crowd

When coaching groups, whether it be 10 year olds or adults in a MetCon class, the most important thing that a strength and conditioning coach has to realize is that YOU are in charge, not them.

Admittedly, this is one of my biggest faults as a coach, and I am working on improving myself by learning to project my voice, bring energy to the situation, and have the attitude that "I am here to make you better not to be your friend." It's the easiest thing in the world to tell a group of 20 young girls to squat, but what do you think the probability is that a) they will squat correctly or b) they were actually listening when you told them what to do? You MUST have a commanding presence when speaking and you MUST keep everything a simple as possible. Don't let the group run itself. You must run the group!

So far, during my time at The Spot, we have started training club volleyball teams consisting of groups of up to 12-15 per coach! For the older kids it isn't too much to handle most of the time, but sometimes the younger kids can be a bit more tricky. This is where I, as a coach, have to make my explanations easy to understand and force the athletes to pay attention. If I need benches moved, direct which kids I want to move them rather than just saying "these benches need moved" and having everyone stare aimlessly at me. If they have three stations to work at, make them rotate as groups rather than just wandering around and creating traffic jams at every exercise station.

It isn't hard to control large groups as long as they respect you as their coach and you don't allow them to run rampant and do whatever they want. Just remember that you're the coach. If they don't listen, make them do burpees. If they talk back, make them do burpees. If they are goofing around, make them do burpees. They may think you're mean and a dictator, but it is your job to make them better and you must take that job seriously.

How to Find the Right "Diet"

New diets seem to be popping up every day, that claim to be the most perfect diet to end all diets forever. How do you know which one is right for you? Let’s take a look at some fad (and no so fad) diets and see what they’re made of.

Clean eating- good old fashioned meat and vegetables. This one shouldn’t need a lot of explanation. The rationale is that if you eat well and avoid processed foods, your caloric intake won’t be ridiculously high, you won’t binge out on simple carbs, and your body will get all the nutrients and macronutrients it needs and it will run like a well oiled machine. Sounds pretty solid so no one needs to invent anymore diets, right? Wrong.

If It Fits Your Macros- aka “#IIFYM”. You probably see IIFYM-ers hashtagging pictures of their ice cream to death on instagram followed by an unnecessarily long caption about their life shattering journey from clean eating to IIFYM. IIFYM just means that you have a certain allotment of macronutrients you have to eat a day (no more, no less), and you can meet the criteria however you want. That means you can eat donuts and steak all day as long as your macro requirements are met.

Paleo- clean to the extreme. Hypothetically only eating what cavemen ate. Meat, vegetables, fish. No potatoes, sugar, grains, etc.There is some skepticism regarding the science this diet is based on.

Carb back loading- Very low carb the vast majority of the time and then consuming a larger quantity of carbs post-workout.

As you can see, all of these diets take vastly different approaches. However, here are two things every diet has in common- they regulate your caloric intake and macronutrient consumption.

So how do you know which is right for you? Here’s the answer (that is applicable to 1000% of things in life)- there is not ons solution for everyone. The keys to a good “diet” are twofold

1. Something you can commit to

The most important part of a diet is being able to stick with it. Heck, make your own diet or take bits and pieces of some until you find something you can tolerate for the long run. If you follow something for a few weeks, it works, then you binge uncontrollably, that’s not very sustainable.
  

        2. Something that works for your body type
Everyone reacts differently to different foods, eating habits, and macronutrients. If you don’t tolerate sugar and dairy well, avoid them. If you do and they don’t negatively impact your body then go ahead.

As long as you regulate your calories and are not in a large caloric surplus, are regulating your macronutrients based on your individual needs, and can sustain your habits long term, then you will be successful in your “diet”. 

 

-Coach Lily

Top 10 articles of the week for 11/20/2013

How to stay sharp and on point with your deadlifts.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/tips-to-help-five-common-deadlift-mistakes/

These 2 articles are together and direct specific change in your life.

http://the-strength.com/5-changes-to-make-this-week/

http://the-strength.com/5-changes-to-make-this-week-part-2/

Is it discipline or is it passion?

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/just-sayin-who-defines-discipline/

How to get CLEAR on your intentions and what you want out of your life.

http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/2013/11/13/what-will-you-do-with-your-one-precious-life/

Health is not a given...stay thankful for what you have.

http://experiencelife.com/unedited/

How to be spontaneous.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/11/07/when-was-the-last-time-you-did-something-spontaneous/#more-20711

Some great items to put on your daily training "to do" list.

http://bretcontreras.com/5-things-you-should-do-everyday/

Which is better? Fresh or frozen food?

http://lifehacker.com/the-science-of-nutritional-differences-between-fresh-an-1460202541

How to get rid of jealousy. Poor emotional/mental habits keep you from being healthy mentally and physically.

http://zenhabits.net

Best Supplement For Young Athletes

All the time I get asked by parents, “What supplements should my kid take?” “What do you think of this supplement?” Or my favorite, “The skinny guy at GNC told me to take this what do you think?” And the parents and athlete can’t wait to hear my response. Thinking I am going to name the magic pill to get them to the next level. My response is always the same well what does their diet and training program look like? The problem is, is that supplements aren’t regulated by the FDA. Supplement companies can say that their product contains something but it doesn’t mean that it’s in there or the amount that it says is. It’s not worth the unknown risk. “In general, the risks of using supplements far outweigh the perceived benefits,” states Dr. Steven Cuff, a sports medicine physician at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Supplements are often expensive, are unregulated, and in many cases have side effects that can actually inhibit athletic performance.” I bet you that less than 5% of young athletes eat like they should but they spend a lot of money on that garbage supplement. There is nothing more anabolic then quality whole food! That right there is the best supplement. Quality proteins, carbs, fruits, veggies and fats. Combine that with a solid training program no supplement can top that. The number one thing standing between your athlete and their goals is their diet and being on a consistent program. But kids say all the time “I eat so much” or “I’m a picky eater.” Well you’re not eating enough and stop being picky. If you’re an athlete and aren’t getting enough quality calories you won’t get bigger, stronger or faster. Parents spend your money on good quality food and a strength coach who knows what they are doing. You’ll do your young athlete the biggest favor by doing so.
 

Coach B

 

 

http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/supplements-to-use-or-not-to-use

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 11/10-11/17

Check out this week's video training recap!  Another great week at The Spot Athletics.  Keep up the good work!

Friday technique video for 11/15/13

Setting up for the bench press incorrectly will create a less efficient movement and lower numbers.  JL goes over how to properly set up for the bench press by working with your personal body levers and mechanics

The Importance of Mobility

The basic movements that every gym goer learns within the first few weeks of training are the squat, deadlift, and bench press. Coincidentally, these movements also require the most mobility and flexibility to perform properly.

Most people will get to the gym, do a quick warmup consisting of talking to friends and checking their phones, then expect to jump right into sets of heavy compound movements. Now it doesn't take a genius to figure out that this is a recipe to get hurt, but you'd be surprised to find out how many people do just that. Stretching and mobility work isn't sexy. Putting up big weights will get the heads in the gym to turn, but not doing a proper warmup puts you in a position to injure yourself and be set back months if not years.

We all know the guys that show off to their friends saying "my chest is so big I can't touch my elbows together!" or "my arms are to big to touch my shoulders with my fingertips!" Now I can admit, I have been that guy before. Everyone "oohs" and "ahhs" at your parlor trick, but unless you're 250+ pounds, you should not have these issues.

Having poor mobility WILL lead to injuries eventually. Just because you haven't have any serious problems yet doesn't mean it won't come back to bite you in the future. Over years of lifting it has become apparent to me that mobility problems lead to more muscle tears and strains than lifting with poor technique will. So take at least 15 minutes before every workout to foam roll muscles to break up scar tissue and then STRETCH! Don't mess around and BS it. Really make the stretch uncomfortable, and it will pay off in the long run.

Why Your Kid Needs Strength Training

Parents seem hesitant to allow their kids to participate in a structured strength training program. They want their kids to run around, play sports, and be active but think that strength training is dangerous and/or unnecessary. Not only is strength training safe and beneficial for kids of every age but it’s benefits extend beyond just making your kid a better athlete- it’s integral to preventing injuries and creating good patterns in kids for life

Children/young adults have incredibly malleable nervous systems. That means that whatever motor patterns they learn at that age will stick with them or life. The kids that don’t learn how to properly use their bodies and muscles at a young age are the ones who will develop problems as adults and hurt themselves not just with poor form in the weight room but from every day activities such as picking up a box from the ground.

Aside from the obvious benefits of making your kid a better athlete, strength training actually prevents injury. Stronger muscles, bones, joints and tendons all help the body withstand the toll that sports takes on it. Kids spend most of the day sitting around at school or home being sedentary and don’t build up the necessary strength in their daily activities which puts them in a position to get injured once they participate in sports and other physical activity. Even if your kid doesn’t play contact sports, the body needs to withstand the major compressive forces of running, jumping, stopping, and turning- which everyone does. The children that know how to use the right muscles in their bodies and who have the right patterns are the ones who will not only excel at sports, but will also avoid injury.

Your kid will only be as good at their sport as their body allows them to be. If they aren’t strong and can’t utilize their bodies properly, not only will they fail to reach their potential but they will also be at a much higher risk for minor to season-ending injuries. So build up their strength- and their confidence- and get them in the weight room.

-Coach Lily

Top 10 articles of the week for 11/13/13

Ten tips for training success.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/ten-training-principles-from-the-art-of-war/

How to avoid getting ill while still pushing the body's systems during training.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/a-strong-immune-system/

Seal tactical training? People are always looking for something different. Maybe it's better to have a base first.

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/3-training-lessons-learned-while-chatting-with-dan-john

What do you do after you reach your goal?

http://breakingmuscle.com/sports-psychology/and-then-what-what-happens-after-we-reach-our-goals

On your way to being healthy…news regarding the health benefits of meditation.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-11612/why-meditation-is-powerful-medication-a-cardiologist-explains.html

A great article for moms who train OR in some ways applicable to dads as well.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/wattles-quick-flip-for-moms-who-train-and-compete/

Ladies who diet…listen up.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/education-of-a-lost-woman/

Just how good are goblet squat for you?

http://bretcontreras.com/a-set-of-goblet-squats-per-day-keeps-the-doctor-away/

An article on having resentment and how to change it to love.

http://zenhabits.net/serve/

For the parents: Facts re the best and worst fast food kid’s meals.

http://www.fastfoodmarketing.org/media/fastfoodfacts_rankingtable_bestworstkidsmeals.pdf

20 Ways To Get Big and Strong Part 2

Last week we gave you the first part of this list. If you missed it, you can find it here. Here is the rest of the list in your quest in becoming awesome

11. Incorparte bodyweight exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, L-Sits, crawling, hand stand work.

12. Drink lots of water

13. Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night

14. Eat fruits and veggies. Don't give me that well fruit has sugar. Show me somebody who got fat eating fruit.

15. Eat! Eat quality calories and eat enough quality calories! Don't ever go on a low calorie diet if your goal is to be big, awesome and strong.

16. Get your quality calories from oats, fish, sweet potatoes, red meat, chicken, eggs, nuts and a quality whey protein.

17. Don't do what everyone else at your gym is doing.

18. Surround yourself with stronger and smarter lifters.

19. Don't let your ego get in the way

20. Train at The Spot Athletics

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 11/4-11/10

Check out this week's video montage!  Lots of stuff going on around the gym.  Thanksgripping is  coming up on Nov. 16th, which will help raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project!  Also, all the volleyball clubs are about to be in full swing.  We are getting busy building champions!  Enjoy the video and share!

Consistency in training for athletes

Are you consistent?

You trained so hard over the summer, didn't miss a workout and yet, when season comes you just stop?  Studies show that training effects start to fade after two weeks of the cessation of training; so, how long do you want to go without training?  Hopefully not any longer than two weeks or your performance will start to suffer.  It is not by accident that in college, athletes are required to train year round... yes, even during in-season.  This is required because it is what is needed to get the most out of the athletes.  I realize that in high school and middle school there are a lot of other demands besides training, but that is true of college and life in general.  The bottom line is that you have time for what you make time for.  We train several athletes that not only play 3 sports but train with us year round.  It is by no accident that the athletes we see year round will all be going to play for college teams eventually.  They have made training a priority and no matter the season, they get their training in.  The training during season will not be as hard as off-season to adjust for the increased demand of competition, but the intensity of the workouts are still high.  Most of our off-season programs are 3-4 days and the in-season programs are usually 2 days per week.  This change in programming allows for the athletes to perform at their best all season long because they are maintaining their strength the entire season.  Without this training, we have seen girls that have lost 5 inches off their approach touch height by not training for 4 months during their high school season.

The issue of consistency is very close to home for me, because when I was in high school I never trained in-season.   This was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made in training and wish I could go back and change it.  When I look back I remember being really strong going into football season, but then I wouldn't train during football or wrestling season and I would come out of wrestling season much weaker than when I entered football season.  Then, I would start to train hard again for the next 6 months and start the cycle all over again.  Please don't make the same  mistake that I made.  I was a good DII football player but I believe that if I had only trained year round then I could have been a good DI player.  I am proud of my playing experience at Ferris State & Wayne State but I still think that if I had only trained in-season I might have been able to play at one of the big schools.  Don't make the same mistake I did and you won't have to speculate on how good you could have been "if you only".  Yes, it can sometimes be difficult to find the time, but the rewards far outweigh the time and commitment you have to put in to be at your best.

Movement of the week: bench press grip

This week, JL goes over how to properly and effectively grip the bar for a better bench press

Push Yourself Harder

When you get to the gym, are you thinking about your training or is your mind elsewhere?

For most people, your jobs are something other than lifting weights, so there is always going to be a level of stress that follows your wherever you go, even to the gym. It takes time and practice to really allow the weights to take you to a peaceful place where stress doesn't exist. However, there will still be days where energy levels are low, motivation just isn't there, and you could really use a 24 hour nap. The thing with excuses though is...nobody wants to hear them! You know the guy that is always training quietly, keeping to himself while pushing the heaviest weight in the gym? Well he's probably got excuses to why he can't train hard too, but the difference is he sucks it up and keeps on pushing.

Progress is not a straight and smooth road. To get to your goals, you have to suffer some. You will hurt and you will be sore. There will be days where you will want to give up. It's always easier to say no than yes, and trust me, the gym is no place for the mentally weak. It's easier to do a comfortable set and convince yourself that your working hard, but who are you fooling? Absolutely nobody and your only holding yourself back. Load up the bar and strain! Training shouldn't be easy and you shouldn't be able to walk out of the gym with energy left in the tank.

Progress isn't easy and anyone who says it is is just blowing smoke. Remember, this is a marathon not a sprint. Things take time to culminate themselves into where you want to be. All those heavy sets of squats may have you feeling beat up and sore now and questioning why you're doing this to yourself, but stay focused. The best driving force and motivation is to actually experiencing and seeing improvements. Push yourself every time you're in the gym and good things will come.

Great trainers vs. Mediocre trainers

As someone who has spent years at different gyms interacting with different trainers, it’s easy for me to spot a talented, educated trainer from a run-of-the-mill bro science... bro. Or just a less educated trainer. But what about for those of you who are just starting on your fitness journey? Well here are some tips to help you differentiate between the mediocre and those who you can trust to get you results. 

 

Has your trainer put you through a thorough assessment?

If the answer is “no” or “kind of”, run away. The point of personal training is to tailor something to your specific goals, needs, and problems. Hence the word ‘personal’. You may have poor hip mobility, trouble activating your glutes, and a weak core. If the trainer fails to identify your problem areas, how are they going to build a program specific to you?  We put our clients through a very thorough assessment to gauge their abilities and find any mobility, strength, patterning, and conditioning issues in order to put together the best program for each individual.

 

Do they take a one size fits all approach?

To piggyback on the previous paragraph, how individualized are your trainer’s programs? Is everyone doing close to the same program? Do athletes of different sports have different programs? Are programs tailored to each person’s strengths and weaknesses? Does your program change as your body and goals change? Be cautious of trainers who say that one specific way is the right way to do something. In reality, the best coaches know that different techniques, exercises, and programs work for different people.

 

Has your trainer ever competed in anything in their lives?

Does your trainer walk the walk or just talk the talk? Have they just read everything in a textbook or have they applied it to their own lives? I’m not saying they have to be a world class athlete (not all great athletes make great coaches) but a good part of their knowledge should come from practical experience. Whether they’re an athlete, powerlifter, or marathon runner, they should be able to apply their own knowledge of executing lifts and programming workouts. At The Spot, all of our coaches train to compete in a number of different areas. Not only do we walk the walk, but we do so with jacked quads and hamstrings.

 

Continuing education?

What is your coach or trainer doing to get better at their job? Have they not opened a textbook since college? Or are they constantly reading, going to seminars, and exchanging ideas with their peers? New information and research is constantly being done in this field and it’s imperative that trainers who want to stay at the top of their game stay on top of new developments and ideas. Our trainers are always reading, attending seminars, and discussing new ideas in order to provide our clients with the most knowledgeable service we can provide.

 

-Coach Lily

Top 10 articles of the week for 11/6/13

A "must read" for our 'over 40' clients so you train smart.

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/three-more-reasons-why-getting-old-sucks/

A great article on training and one's desire and motivation for doing it. So why do you train? Is it a ritual or a habit?

http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/a-lion-in-iron-training-ritual-or-habit/

Why cardio may be sabotaging your strength gains.

http://www.stack.com/2013/11/05/cardio-exercise/

3 obvious fat loss tips you are ignoring.

http://www.romanfitnesssystems.com/blog/free-fat-loss-tips/

What is the big deal with dead bugs?

http://www.tonygentilcore.com/blog/deadbugs-the-what-why-and-how/

Interesting article on music and training.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/23/how-music-can-boost-our-workouts/?_r&_r=1&

How to find an extra hour of the day.

http://www.gretchenrubin.com/happiness_project/2013/11/want-an-extra-hour-in-your-day-heres-a-painless-way-to-get-it/

So when is the best time to train?

http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/when-you-train-and-what-it-might-mean-about-you-and-your-exercise

How to manage your priorities and your efficiency.

http://mashable.com/2013/10/31/entrepreneur-productivity-tips/

Solutions to 3 common training mistakes.

http://www.stack.com/2013/11/04/workout-mistakes/

20 Ways To Get Big and Strong Part 1.

Sick of being small and weak? Understandable. Here are things you need to be doing in your quest for being awesome.

1. Have a plan! Create a 12 week program and stick to it. All of our programs here at The Spot are based on a minimum of 3 months before you see some type of results.

2. Incorporate bird dogs and dead bugs into your warm-ups

3. Keep it simple. You don't need to do 10 exercises a session. Pick 4 including your main lift and hit those four hard.

4. Train hard 3-4 days a week.

5. Incorporate some type of dynamic work in the beginning of the workout to help fire up the CNS. Have it be jumps, throws or some variation of the olympic lift.

6. Train your grip!

7. Make sure you have good training songs. I know some people like to lift in silence but don't do that. That isn't strong nor awesome.

8. Do mobility work on your off days.

9.  Make sure your technique is dialed in especially on warm-ups. Treat the warm-ups like a 1RM

10. Incorporate odd objects into your training.

 

What are some tips you have to get big and strong?! Leave them in the comments below.

 

Coach B

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 10/29-11/3

Check this week's video montage.  With volleyball club season starting soon, we are getting busy and in full swing! We also have started our Ultimate sand training (http://thespotathletics.com/sand/), and have more and more athletes coming in to get the best training in central Ohio! Make sure to check in every week and see what we're doing at The Spot! Don't be shy,  share with your friends!

The best coaches & lifters in the world, in one place

Being part of the EliteFTS.com team for over 10 years has been a great experience.  Not only is it the world's leading resource for strength & conditioning, powerlifting and any other fitness related information, it is a company with impeccable values.  When Dave Tate started EliteFTS.com in 1998 the company had a different direction and focus, but the values that the company started with have not changed.

This weekend I volunteered my time, along with other EliteFTS.com team members, so that we could put on a Seminar that we do semi-annually called the Learn To Train Seminar.  The reason we all volunteer our time is that all the proceeds go to the Make-A-Wish foundation.  This seminar brings in some of the top coaches and lifters from all around the world to teach athletes, coaches and lifters from all around the world how to train.  The attendees range from young lifters to coaches who have been in the business for over 20 years.  At the last seminar there was a person from Ireland and at this seminar someone flew from India.  They all come to London, Ohio to learn from the best in the world, so that they can become better lifters and coaches.   In a society of greed and selfishness, I choose to align myself with a company that holds it's values above all else and only has team members that do the same themselves.  The motto at EliteFTS.com is Live, Learn and Pass On.  We spent this weekend doing all those things and in the process raised $18,000 for the Make-A-Wish foundation.  In the last 4 years EliteFTS.com has given around $200,000 to the Make-A-Wish foundation and this is all from the coaches, lifters and staff volunteering there time and knowledge so that we can raise money for a great cause.  It hasn't been the best economic times for anyone and EliteFTS.com is not a large company, yet nothing gets in the way of the values of the company showing through and that is something that we also  strive for here at The Spot Athletics.

In two weeks we will be holding our first ever charity event, ThanksGripping, to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.  I have gotten many Pro Grip, Strongmen, Highland games and powerlifters to come in for the day and put on a great show for the spectators.  Everyone who comes to the event will also have a chance to compete in our open division which means lots of fun besides just watching great grip strength feats.  We don't expect to raise $18,000 for Wounded Warrior but we do expect is that we continue to hold our values above all else and keep doing events like this as we grow.  We hope that you can come out and support this great cause on Saturday, November 16th from 10-3pm.  You can come by at anytime and there is only a $10 door fee which gets you registered for the open class as well.  If you can't make it to the event, please go to our Wounded Warrior Project donation page and help us reach our goal of $2500.

This weekend I witnessed NFL, NHL, & DI strength coaches, along with the strongest powerlifters in the world donate their time , knowledge and energy to raise money for a great cause.  They all took time from their families, their businesses, and their teams to come support and promote the values that Dave Tate has built in to not only his business but the team of people that make up EliteFTS.com.  I can only aspire to build a culture of values as strong as this for the team at The Spot Athletics and with our first ever charity event I feel that we are furthering our commitment to these values.  Being known around the world as one of the best strength and conditioning facilities means nothing to me if The Spot Athletics isn't equally as known for having impeccable values and a team that exemplifies those values.  I use EliteFTS.com as my model for this and the motto Live, Learn and Pass On is something we here at The Spot Athletics take very serious.  We spend a lot of time Living what we preach, which we express as our dedication to our training.  We go to conferences, read studies and surround ourselves with the best trainers in the world so that we continue to Learn.  We constantly are coaching and that is part of how we Pass On, but with your donations to ThanksGripping, you can help us expand our reach in Passing On.

Strive to be better every day,

JL Holdsworth, Owner & Head Trainer