Monday, December 30, 2013
Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 12/23-12/29
Check out this week's video montage! Christmas break didn't stop us or our clients.... they were still working hard and seeing results. Have a happy and safe New Year! Can't wait to see everyone in 2014
Don't make resolutions, make good
It's that time of year when people start to look back at what has happened the year before and what they want to happen in the year ahead. Most people make the mistake of putting forth a new years resolution that is unrealistic. Let's face it, if you haven't worked out in 10 years, the odds of you training 7 days/week in about the same as you winning the lottery. So don't make some crazy resolution like this, instead make a resolution that you are going to make one attainable "resolution" per week. Week One could be to join a gym. Week two could be to go to that gym 2x/wk. Week Three could be to clean up your awful diet a little bit. After 52 weeks of these little victories, you will be surprised at just how much you have been able to change your life.These little weekly victories not only help you feel like a success but they also lead you to your ultimate goal of a better looking and healthier you. People can handle small tasks that are defined in front of them, but a large task with no direction seems overwhelming and will most likely never happen. If you just focus on one small task per week then over the course of the next year you will make more changes than you have over the last 10 years of your grandiose resolutions that never quite happened. I know that something like going to the gym 2x/wk seems like it wouldn't make a huge difference but honestly for someone who isn't working out, just going for a walk 2x/wk can make a big change.
This year don't just make a resolution, make good by setting one small goal per week and attaining it. If you aren't sure where to begin when it comes to your fitness or your eating then come see one of the great personal trainers at The Spot and they will not only get you on the right path, but keep you there so you make long lasting changes.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 12/16-12/22
From everyone at The Spot, have a safe and merry Christmas!
Monday, December 23, 2013
The fastest way to get fit & look great
This is a secret that many of the fitness magazines never tell you because they don't want you to know the truth. The fastest way to get fit and look good is to lift weights, do cardio and follow a diet free from processed foods on a long term consistent basis. Wait a minute you are saying, that doesn't sound easy or fast, and it isn't. There are no shortcuts to fitness or looking good. If there were then everyone would look great and be fit. These commercials for this new miracle product or that are really miracles, as in it's a miracle that people are stupid enough to actually buy it.
The fact is that consistency in your training and your eating will over a long time yield great results. I always look at loosing 1/2% of body fat per week as a good goal. This means that if you are 25% body fat then you will lose 10% body fat and be at a very respectable 15% in 20 weeks. Although this seems like a long time, think about it in terms of how much fat you have put on in the last 6 months. In this age of instant text messaging and instant everything else, the one thing that has no instant solution is your health.
I know what I am saying doesn't sound sexy and appealing and that is why you never hear anyone in popular media talk about it. They just show pictures of ripped people smiling and capture it with "look how easy it is". Fact is that it is not easy and those people in the magazine pictures only look like that for a few weeks out of the year for the photo shoot. What they don't show is the hours upon hours that they spend in the gym and the eating they do, the food prep and the years of dedication. They want you to believe that if you just take their product then you can look like the model in the picture. This is false advertising and you should be aware of it.
Although we don't promise instant results and the newest fitness craze, what we do promise is that you will get fit and looking great by following our tried and true means of getting you to your goals. We won't promise it will be easy or that you won't mess up on your diet but we will promise to motivate you the whole way and pick you up when you stumble. These are the things that we do that separate us and by being up front and explaining what it takes to get to your individual goals, you are at aware of what is to come. This approach has made some people not want to train with us because we tell them it is not going to be easy and what it really takes to reach their goals instead of the standard "it's so easy, just join our gym" crap that is peddled at other facilities. I guess this doesn't make us the best sales people but we pride ourselves on being the best trainers, not the best sales people. We just know that in the long run the people who are serious about reaching their goals will seek us out because they want the best trainers, not sales people who sell the "get fit quick" fantasy.
If you know someone who is serious about reaching their New Years resolutions then send them this blog and tell them to get ahold of us. They may not like the truth of what it takes, but they will love the results we get.
The fact is that consistency in your training and your eating will over a long time yield great results. I always look at loosing 1/2% of body fat per week as a good goal. This means that if you are 25% body fat then you will lose 10% body fat and be at a very respectable 15% in 20 weeks. Although this seems like a long time, think about it in terms of how much fat you have put on in the last 6 months. In this age of instant text messaging and instant everything else, the one thing that has no instant solution is your health.
I know what I am saying doesn't sound sexy and appealing and that is why you never hear anyone in popular media talk about it. They just show pictures of ripped people smiling and capture it with "look how easy it is". Fact is that it is not easy and those people in the magazine pictures only look like that for a few weeks out of the year for the photo shoot. What they don't show is the hours upon hours that they spend in the gym and the eating they do, the food prep and the years of dedication. They want you to believe that if you just take their product then you can look like the model in the picture. This is false advertising and you should be aware of it.
Although we don't promise instant results and the newest fitness craze, what we do promise is that you will get fit and looking great by following our tried and true means of getting you to your goals. We won't promise it will be easy or that you won't mess up on your diet but we will promise to motivate you the whole way and pick you up when you stumble. These are the things that we do that separate us and by being up front and explaining what it takes to get to your individual goals, you are at aware of what is to come. This approach has made some people not want to train with us because we tell them it is not going to be easy and what it really takes to reach their goals instead of the standard "it's so easy, just join our gym" crap that is peddled at other facilities. I guess this doesn't make us the best sales people but we pride ourselves on being the best trainers, not the best sales people. We just know that in the long run the people who are serious about reaching their goals will seek us out because they want the best trainers, not sales people who sell the "get fit quick" fantasy.
If you know someone who is serious about reaching their New Years resolutions then send them this blog and tell them to get ahold of us. They may not like the truth of what it takes, but they will love the results we get.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Friday Technique Video - The Front Squat
This week, JL and Zach go over the front squat, one of the best hip openers and exercises for athletic development.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Lifting Heavy Is...Good? - An Intern's Blog
As some of you may know, I am from Houston, Texas, and as the holidays are approaching, I decided to head home for a couple of weeks to get some much needed family time. For some unexplainable reason, I thought it was a good idea to head up to my old gym after a 20 hour drive and running on minimal sleep. Now my tolerance for idiocy is already low as it is, but factoring in sleep deprivation, let's just say that this was not the ideal day to spout off broscience in my face. Sure enough, within 10 minutes of me being there, one of the guys that has been a regular at this gym for at least the last 4 years (yet you wouldn't know it) came up to me and told me that I was lifting too heavy to make any serious hypertrophy gains and that using light weight while utilizing "time-under-tension" is the best way to gain mass...WHAT?!?!
I thought I had heard it all until this. The most basic principle of any kind of weight lifting whether it be bodybuilding, powerlifting, cross fit, etc is to pick up HEAVY things! And now just because some people are lazy and don't want to load up a bar and crank out heavy sets, this fad of lifting light and "squeezing" is gaining momentum.
I'm in no way saying that "time-under-tension" methodologies should never be used in a program. I'll be the first person to admit that I've tried just about everything while trying to put muscle on including TUT, and it has it's merits as an intensity technique. It will get you sore the next day, it will give you a nice pump in the gym, and yes you can make some progress using it, but nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will ever replace good old heavy weight.
Building a physique forged by heavy deadlifts, squats, and bench press will always look more impressive than one built with lighter weight and contraction training. Some people will say heavy weight is a great way to get injured or they don't feel the muscles working properly. Well lift with proper form while taking necessary precautions and you won't get hurt. You can't feel the muscles working? I guarantee if you're squatting 500 pounds that your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are all working pretty darn hard.
There are tons and tons of techniques out there meant to be added to your programs in conjunction with heavy weight not as an alternative. If your goal is to be big and strong then throw some weight on the bar and get focused on moving it up and down rather than avoiding a little strain.
Bryce Calvin- Strength and Conditioning Intern
I thought I had heard it all until this. The most basic principle of any kind of weight lifting whether it be bodybuilding, powerlifting, cross fit, etc is to pick up HEAVY things! And now just because some people are lazy and don't want to load up a bar and crank out heavy sets, this fad of lifting light and "squeezing" is gaining momentum.
I'm in no way saying that "time-under-tension" methodologies should never be used in a program. I'll be the first person to admit that I've tried just about everything while trying to put muscle on including TUT, and it has it's merits as an intensity technique. It will get you sore the next day, it will give you a nice pump in the gym, and yes you can make some progress using it, but nothing, I repeat, NOTHING will ever replace good old heavy weight.
Building a physique forged by heavy deadlifts, squats, and bench press will always look more impressive than one built with lighter weight and contraction training. Some people will say heavy weight is a great way to get injured or they don't feel the muscles working properly. Well lift with proper form while taking necessary precautions and you won't get hurt. You can't feel the muscles working? I guarantee if you're squatting 500 pounds that your quads, hamstrings, and glutes are all working pretty darn hard.
There are tons and tons of techniques out there meant to be added to your programs in conjunction with heavy weight not as an alternative. If your goal is to be big and strong then throw some weight on the bar and get focused on moving it up and down rather than avoiding a little strain.
Bryce Calvin- Strength and Conditioning Intern
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Know Your Goal (and know how to train for it)
Between Facebook, Instagram, and every terrible/legitimate website dedicated to getting stronger, faster, jacked, yoked, shredded, explosive, aesthetic, hyooge, etc. there is a plethora of individuals and sources to follow on your path to greatness. The vast amount of resources and information at our fingertips is great but, at the same time, it’s easy to get caught up following people and programs that may not be right for your goals. For the seasoned iron pumper this is probably not an issue but for the pencil neck n00b (or the vast majority of people), this can be a real issue. Before you follow some random program because the dude who wrote it is really vascular or has a monster squat, it’s important to know your goal then figure out what you need to do to get there. I think a flow chart might be nice for this but given that my technology skills are on par with an ornery old person, I’ll stick with this.
Are you an athlete? Then don’t follow a bodybuilding program. Don’t follow a powerlifting program. Yes, powerlifting will make you strong but powerlifting is a sport. As a soccer, volleyball, football, lacrosse, etc player you need to be strong but your goal isn’t (and shouldn’t be) to have a bar bending bench. You shouldn’t even be hitting heavy singles on your lifts. Because that’s not the point of your weight room training. Likewise, you shouldn’t do crossfit. Crossfit is a sport. It’s not programmed to make you better at your sport.
Do you want to get strong? You probably shouldn't be following a cutting bodybuilding program. Doing volume based and isolation work will not be the most beneficial when it comes to improving your patterns and overall strength. Furthermore, for the most part, it’s good to be a little chubs for powerlifting. Good for your joints and good for bouncing your stomach off your thighs when you squat. Granted, there are a lot of great, super cut powerliters. But, the point of the sport is not to be vascular and have the biggest bicep peak. Some powerlifters do great with high volume training but don’t get caught up in trying to do too much with the wrong program or your strength will suffer.
Before I started powerlifting, I did random bodybuilding stuff that I found on the internet. I wanted to be strong but didn’t have a concrete goal or any concept of training for said goals. Needless to say, I didn’t make very good progress for a number of years until I dialed into my goal and figured out the training that was most effective to get there. Make sure you have a concrete goal and are following a program that’s in line with those goals or else you’ll be spinning your wheels wondering why you’re not making progress.
Coach Lily
Top 10 articles of the week for 12/18/2013
Motivation -- what it is and how you build it.
Exercise - the potent medicine.
The human body is capable of way more than most of us realize, and if planned and done properly, you can push yourself way further then you ever thought possible. See one method in this article.
You become what you think and what you choose. Only you limit your progress.
What are some of the best single leg exercises?
Good habits strengthen your foundation,
How old are you .... really? GREAT article on how it doesn't matter how old you are, it matters with what you do with how old you are. Spot clients... you are training at the right place.
How to change your life with simple mini habits - small decisions of resolve.
Get it done in the morning.
Finding the balance.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Club sports and the one sport athlete
I didn't know there were such things as club sports when I was younger and I graduated high school only ten years ago. Athletes when I was younger played 2-3 sports through out the year. You very rarely saw athletes committing to only one sport. Even when we were just young bucks we played soccer, t-ball, football, basketball and if we weren't at practice or games we were out running and jumping being kids. Even through high school I remember getting up early to lift, go to school, go to practice then after practice go do more physical activity. But today kids are committing to ONE sport in middle school. Working with hundreds of club volleyball players through out the week I always ask the girls what other sports do you play and they look at me and laugh then proceed to tell me that they don't have "time" to play other sports because they have to commit all their time to one sport. It breaks my heart. It really does. A lot of these girls are so talented but are stuck playing one sport because of politics and coaches with big egos. It's a flawed system based on ignorance.
Parents ask me all the time how can my kid become a better athlete and I tell them have them play more then one sport. Well little Jimmy Smith doesn't have time for that. Kid has pitching practice, then batting practice, then practice practice, then speed and agility then he needs to go home and study and make grades. Can't hang out with friends. Poor little tink tink. Then these kids come to us with over use injuries that are extremely predictable. We explain to the parents that the kid needs an offseason and guess what little Jimmy ain't got time for no offseason. Well then little Jimmy is going to just become another injury statistic. Long term this is deteremental to the kids growth both mentally and physically. Another reason is there are bad coaches who don't understand movement patterns and what proper jumping and running should actually look like. So they instill this poor motor patterns into your child and you as a parent have no idea. Then they have no idea how to physically prepare your child for their sport. No credentials to be a coach. Think about it you wouldn't trust a doctor who got a weekend certification but you'll trust a coach who got their certification at a weekend seminar? C'mon you're better then that.
Its funny the club girls we train leave our facility in the best shape they have ever been in and then when they return from their high school season they are back to the worst shape they have ever been in. Parents open your eyes. Don't let your kid be another statistic. Have them play more then one sport. Let them have an offseason. Let them be kids.
Coach B
Parents ask me all the time how can my kid become a better athlete and I tell them have them play more then one sport. Well little Jimmy Smith doesn't have time for that. Kid has pitching practice, then batting practice, then practice practice, then speed and agility then he needs to go home and study and make grades. Can't hang out with friends. Poor little tink tink. Then these kids come to us with over use injuries that are extremely predictable. We explain to the parents that the kid needs an offseason and guess what little Jimmy ain't got time for no offseason. Well then little Jimmy is going to just become another injury statistic. Long term this is deteremental to the kids growth both mentally and physically. Another reason is there are bad coaches who don't understand movement patterns and what proper jumping and running should actually look like. So they instill this poor motor patterns into your child and you as a parent have no idea. Then they have no idea how to physically prepare your child for their sport. No credentials to be a coach. Think about it you wouldn't trust a doctor who got a weekend certification but you'll trust a coach who got their certification at a weekend seminar? C'mon you're better then that.
Its funny the club girls we train leave our facility in the best shape they have ever been in and then when they return from their high school season they are back to the worst shape they have ever been in. Parents open your eyes. Don't let your kid be another statistic. Have them play more then one sport. Let them have an offseason. Let them be kids.
Coach B
Monday, December 16, 2013
Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 12/9-12/15
The New Year is almost here, but our clients are already killing it! Athletes are training hard, and champions are being built! The holidays are no excuse!
Friday, December 13, 2013
JL's Friday technique video- shoulder integrity exercises
This week, JL goes over a few shoulder integrity exercises to help build joint stability. These are beneficial for everybody looking to improve their over all strength, fitness, and joint health.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
A Little Pep In Your Step- An Intern's Blog
When it comes to everything from your training to trying to control a large group of athletes, time management is crucial. Sometimes you only have a limited amount of time to complete whatever it is that you are trying to do, and being lackadaisical will not only impede on your time but also on your athletes'.
You have to move with a sense of urgency especially when training younger kids as they feed off the energy that you bring. If you show up and are visibly tired and bored, how are 12 year olds supposed to be exited to train with you? On the other hand, if you are encouraging and drive your athletes to push themselves then they will look forward to spending their time with you. If you can make training for an athlete fun (especially younger kids), then it won't feel like such a burden for them, more kids will show up every week, and you get more out of it knowing that you're doing your job.
So why am I preaching about the importance of moving quickly? Probably because I am one of the slowest people in the world.
And it is not because I am lazy; it's just how I am. I have just gotten into bad habits over the years of taking my time to walk places or making sure I get my mandatory 5 minute breather in between sets, and now it has become muscle memory which I am trying to reverse under the watchful eye of JL. If you're like me and like to take your time, try to condense what should be a 2+ hour workout into 60 minutes. You'll get an appreciation for time management real fast.
In general, to get to where you want to be today, you have to keep up with pace. Some people naturally move like their life depends on it, but for us other folk we have to "train" our urgency. The more we train it in the gym, with athletes, or in everyday life, the more it gets instilled in our brain as habit.
Bryce Calvin-Strength and Conditioning Intern
You have to move with a sense of urgency especially when training younger kids as they feed off the energy that you bring. If you show up and are visibly tired and bored, how are 12 year olds supposed to be exited to train with you? On the other hand, if you are encouraging and drive your athletes to push themselves then they will look forward to spending their time with you. If you can make training for an athlete fun (especially younger kids), then it won't feel like such a burden for them, more kids will show up every week, and you get more out of it knowing that you're doing your job.
So why am I preaching about the importance of moving quickly? Probably because I am one of the slowest people in the world.
And it is not because I am lazy; it's just how I am. I have just gotten into bad habits over the years of taking my time to walk places or making sure I get my mandatory 5 minute breather in between sets, and now it has become muscle memory which I am trying to reverse under the watchful eye of JL. If you're like me and like to take your time, try to condense what should be a 2+ hour workout into 60 minutes. You'll get an appreciation for time management real fast.
In general, to get to where you want to be today, you have to keep up with pace. Some people naturally move like their life depends on it, but for us other folk we have to "train" our urgency. The more we train it in the gym, with athletes, or in everyday life, the more it gets instilled in our brain as habit.
Bryce Calvin-Strength and Conditioning Intern
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Tips for Interns
As we roll into our winter internships, I’d like to offer some tips for those who are looking for or starting their internships.
1) Always ask questions. Your internship is the best learning experience you’ll have. That being said, there’s pretty much no such thing as a stupid question. If you don’t know the answer to something, ask. Ask why things are programmed a certain way, about exercise selection, cueing, etc. Even if you think it’s a stupid question, it’s better to know the answer than to not gain the knowledge or have an athlete ask you why you do something and not know the answer.
2) Always be available. Even if things are not on your schedule, stick around. Shadow during sessions, go to conferences. Not only will you get the most out of your time there but it will also show that you want to be there and get better at your job.
3) Know that you will have to pay your dues. Yes you will clean the gym and stock things but everyone’s been there so don’t get all uppity about doing grunt work.
4) Treat your internship as an interview. Show that you are willing to put in the effort. Many internships end in a job or a reference so don’t treat it as something that you just want to get out of the way.
5) Know what’s expected of you. Different places have different roles for their interns. If you are unsure about your role, ask. If you’re shadowing a coach, ask what their expectations are for you. They may want you to do some coaching or just observe and ask questions. Find that out so you don’t overstep your bounds or underperform.
6) Know that you don’t know everything. You’re the bottom man on the totem pole for a reason. Don’t get defensive when you’re critiqued. Those around you are trying to help you and make you better and if you’re never corrected, that won’t happen.
Coach Lily
1) Always ask questions. Your internship is the best learning experience you’ll have. That being said, there’s pretty much no such thing as a stupid question. If you don’t know the answer to something, ask. Ask why things are programmed a certain way, about exercise selection, cueing, etc. Even if you think it’s a stupid question, it’s better to know the answer than to not gain the knowledge or have an athlete ask you why you do something and not know the answer.
2) Always be available. Even if things are not on your schedule, stick around. Shadow during sessions, go to conferences. Not only will you get the most out of your time there but it will also show that you want to be there and get better at your job.
3) Know that you will have to pay your dues. Yes you will clean the gym and stock things but everyone’s been there so don’t get all uppity about doing grunt work.
4) Treat your internship as an interview. Show that you are willing to put in the effort. Many internships end in a job or a reference so don’t treat it as something that you just want to get out of the way.
5) Know what’s expected of you. Different places have different roles for their interns. If you are unsure about your role, ask. If you’re shadowing a coach, ask what their expectations are for you. They may want you to do some coaching or just observe and ask questions. Find that out so you don’t overstep your bounds or underperform.
6) Know that you don’t know everything. You’re the bottom man on the totem pole for a reason. Don’t get defensive when you’re critiqued. Those around you are trying to help you and make you better and if you’re never corrected, that won’t happen.
Coach Lily
Top articles of the week for 12/11/2013
Some of the best back exercises.
You don't need to be sore to have had a good training session.
How to face a fear instead of hiding from it.
Ladies - part 2 How to deal with stress and its effect on your body.
Great tips for staying on track with your diet during the holiday season.
Get up off the couch folks,
4 steps to staying active during this holiday season.
Is your thyroid why you gained weight? Some great information on thyroid damage and how to overcome....learning to avoid unhealthy habits to "get lean".
Yes, more about the thyroid for women.
How to get out of debt.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
ACL injury prevention
Everybody wants to jump higher and run faster. I understand that because most game changing plays are determined by fractions of a second but ACL injuries continue to rise every year. ACL injuries can be one of the most devastating knee injuries yet they are so common. Even with advances in medicine about 25% of those that have ACL reconstruction will have a second ACL injury. That’s a 1 in 4 chance of reinjuring the same ACL.
Females have a 3 times greater risk than males in regards to ACL injuries. There is a lot that goes into why but that’s not the point of this blog. But the main reason is when the knees collapse or as we in the industry call valgus collapse or abducted position of the knee. This position is usually achieved during landing and cutting (deceleration phase of the cut). Now this knee collapse can be fixed by a coach who knows what they are doing. The poor neuromuscular control involved in landing and cutting can be modified through proper training.
This isn’t achieved with more jumping and sprinting but by coaching the landing and deceleration phase of running. Think of a club volleyball player who plays volleyball everyday of the year. Jumping, running, landing and cutting. Now if their movement patterns are wrong they end up practicing this improper pattern hundreds if not thousands of times a year. Your strength and conditioning coach needs to focus on sound running, jumping, deceleration and body mechanics and then strengthen these good patterns with properly progressed weight training.
Teaching the mechanics is crucial but without strengthening their body your child won't have the strength to maintain them under higher work loads. Most facilities think that simply making a kid run around and get tired is good enough but we know that teaching these proper patterns is the key to preventing injury and increasing sporting performance. If your coach doesn’t work on any of this then I hate to break it to you but your child is just an ACL injury waiting to happen. Please understand that your child is at a critical time in their sporting career and from what I’ve heard from our Spot family parents is that other programs are not preparing children for their sport. Most of them just run kids through cones and ladders failing to address the important issues that really help children prevent injuries.
Don't wait get your child the coaching they deserve.
Coach B
Females have a 3 times greater risk than males in regards to ACL injuries. There is a lot that goes into why but that’s not the point of this blog. But the main reason is when the knees collapse or as we in the industry call valgus collapse or abducted position of the knee. This position is usually achieved during landing and cutting (deceleration phase of the cut). Now this knee collapse can be fixed by a coach who knows what they are doing. The poor neuromuscular control involved in landing and cutting can be modified through proper training.
This isn’t achieved with more jumping and sprinting but by coaching the landing and deceleration phase of running. Think of a club volleyball player who plays volleyball everyday of the year. Jumping, running, landing and cutting. Now if their movement patterns are wrong they end up practicing this improper pattern hundreds if not thousands of times a year. Your strength and conditioning coach needs to focus on sound running, jumping, deceleration and body mechanics and then strengthen these good patterns with properly progressed weight training.
Teaching the mechanics is crucial but without strengthening their body your child won't have the strength to maintain them under higher work loads. Most facilities think that simply making a kid run around and get tired is good enough but we know that teaching these proper patterns is the key to preventing injury and increasing sporting performance. If your coach doesn’t work on any of this then I hate to break it to you but your child is just an ACL injury waiting to happen. Please understand that your child is at a critical time in their sporting career and from what I’ve heard from our Spot family parents is that other programs are not preparing children for their sport. Most of them just run kids through cones and ladders failing to address the important issues that really help children prevent injuries.
Don't wait get your child the coaching they deserve.
Coach B
Monday, December 9, 2013
Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 12/1-12/8
Check out this week's video training compilation! Great things are happening at The Spot! Come on in and check it out!
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Simple ways to reach your goals pt. 1
There are a few basic rules you need to follow if you want to be successful in the gym. No matter your goals, the same basic rules apply. If you follow them, you will be successful. If you don’t, you won’t. Simple as that.
1) Be consistent! If you have a killer routine but do it a few times a month, you won’t get anywhere. If you have a solid routine and do it 3+ times a week, you will get results. Period. Getting stronger, faster, leaner, and more badass means that you’re giving your body a stimulus to respond to and it adapts to that stimulus. If you don’t consistently give your body that stimulus, you won’t get any better. On another note, stop doing random stuff all the time. It might be exciting to do whatever workout you read in every new Muscle & Fitness but if you keep doing random things, don’t be surprised if you never get stronger or more jacked. Be consistent not only means hitting the gym consistently but sticking with something for enough time to see it yield results.
2) Keep it simple! Especially if you’re new to training, it can be easy to follow a routine that looks cool in a magazine or website only to find it hard to stick to and not have it yield results. There’s a reason why people have been squatting, deadlifting, and pushing weights around for a long time. It works. If you get better at deadlifting and squatting you will definitely see better results than making sure you isolate your triceps every time on the triple overhead extension assault of death exercise that I can guarantee some asshole made up to fill up space in magazine. If you can consistently progress on the most basic exercises, you will see results. It’s as simple as that.
3) Make it a priority. One of the hardest parts of starting to workout is making it a habit in your life. Just like everything else you do on a regular basis, working out needs to be one of them too. In order to make it a priority, have a goal (see #5). Find a way to make what you want in the long run (your goals) more important than what you want right now (beer and nachos and netflix). Setting goals, having a trainer, and training buddies will ensure that you stay accountable.
4) Recovery. This is an important one. Don’t let your training go to waste. Proper nutrition, sleep, mobility, and soft tissue work will make sure you get the optimal results and keep you healthy and injury free. Don’t overlook the things that happen outside of lifting as it could completely derail your efforts.
5) Have a goal. It doesn’t matter whether you want to lose weight, get strong like a bull, compete, or just workout on a consistent basis. Find your goal and use it to motivate you. In the end, no one can motivate you except yourself. No amount of inspirational pictures on Facebook or quotes you wrote on a post-it can get you to do what you need to do.
-Coach Lily
1) Be consistent! If you have a killer routine but do it a few times a month, you won’t get anywhere. If you have a solid routine and do it 3+ times a week, you will get results. Period. Getting stronger, faster, leaner, and more badass means that you’re giving your body a stimulus to respond to and it adapts to that stimulus. If you don’t consistently give your body that stimulus, you won’t get any better. On another note, stop doing random stuff all the time. It might be exciting to do whatever workout you read in every new Muscle & Fitness but if you keep doing random things, don’t be surprised if you never get stronger or more jacked. Be consistent not only means hitting the gym consistently but sticking with something for enough time to see it yield results.
2) Keep it simple! Especially if you’re new to training, it can be easy to follow a routine that looks cool in a magazine or website only to find it hard to stick to and not have it yield results. There’s a reason why people have been squatting, deadlifting, and pushing weights around for a long time. It works. If you get better at deadlifting and squatting you will definitely see better results than making sure you isolate your triceps every time on the triple overhead extension assault of death exercise that I can guarantee some asshole made up to fill up space in magazine. If you can consistently progress on the most basic exercises, you will see results. It’s as simple as that.
3) Make it a priority. One of the hardest parts of starting to workout is making it a habit in your life. Just like everything else you do on a regular basis, working out needs to be one of them too. In order to make it a priority, have a goal (see #5). Find a way to make what you want in the long run (your goals) more important than what you want right now (beer and nachos and netflix). Setting goals, having a trainer, and training buddies will ensure that you stay accountable.
4) Recovery. This is an important one. Don’t let your training go to waste. Proper nutrition, sleep, mobility, and soft tissue work will make sure you get the optimal results and keep you healthy and injury free. Don’t overlook the things that happen outside of lifting as it could completely derail your efforts.
5) Have a goal. It doesn’t matter whether you want to lose weight, get strong like a bull, compete, or just workout on a consistent basis. Find your goal and use it to motivate you. In the end, no one can motivate you except yourself. No amount of inspirational pictures on Facebook or quotes you wrote on a post-it can get you to do what you need to do.
-Coach Lily
Top 10 articles of the week for 12/4/2013
Mastering the squat. Yes...it is important.
Why you should or should not switch up your training program.
Think smart about your food choices.
Making each day a little better.
Healthy travel tips for the holidays.
Ladies - how to deal with stress and gain an understanding of what it does to your body.
Even if you are not a competitive fighter, these tips will serve you to get through the holidays with some great information that can be applied to all.
How to develop your ability to focus.
An "eating healthy" script for the holidays and dealing with families who "don't" eat healthy.
http://www.nerdfitness.com/
Dealing with difficult people over the holidays.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Sleep Is Overrated
There are 168 hours in a week. Lets say you train 4 times a week at 1.5 hours a session. That equates into 6 hours of training. Of those 6 hours you really don't even train 90 minutes. You warm up, you talk, you roll around on a foam roller, you check your phone and you occasionally lift some weights. So subtract 6 from 168 we get 162 hours left in your week. While training hard and being consistent is important in your quest to reaching your potential you need to optimize how you use the rest of your time outside the gym. That needs to be with what you eat and one over looked factor is sleep.
Many think that they can get away with 4-5 hours of sleep or that there is to much to do during the day that they can sacrifice sleeping. Well new science is showing that Improving your sleep is an extremely important aspect that can have powerful implications in your performance as an athlete. Life is stressful with training, work, school, relationships and everything else that falls in-between these, they all place stress on the nervous system. The body is designed to experience stress but if there is no time in-between where the body gets some relief from this stress the body begins to breakdown and we see adverse reactions to stress. Therefore you need to have strategies in place to help promote recovery and maintaining a balance within the body.
Sleep often falls to the side as a recovery tool. We all do mobility and eat right but sleep gets a back seat. Well sleep is your most essential component to recovery. It's even more important if you are injured, traveling or in the competition phases of your training. If you are depriving yourself of sleep you will be unable to perform in the gym, on the field/court or even with normal everyday tasks. Poor sleep during max effort training, where you are continuously beating your body down will lead to under recovery and early signs of overtraining.
Tips to help you sleep
You need 7-9 hours of sleep per day
Stop consuming caffeine in the afternoon.
De-stress for 20 minutes. Just relax and unwind. No phones, computers or outside distractions.
Turn all electronics off an hour before bed
Have bedroom temperature 67-70 degrees F
Take naps daily around 30 minutes in length but avoid them in the late afternoon/evening
Plan tomorrow before dinner. So make your to-do list so you don't lay in bed thinking about all the things you have to do tomorrow as they will be on your list waiting for you when you get up.
If you can't sleep within 15 min try reading. The book super training will put you right to sleep.
When you lay down close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Focus on letting go of all muscular tension. Begin at the top and work your way down.
Improve your sleep. Improve your performance. It's science.
Coach B
Many think that they can get away with 4-5 hours of sleep or that there is to much to do during the day that they can sacrifice sleeping. Well new science is showing that Improving your sleep is an extremely important aspect that can have powerful implications in your performance as an athlete. Life is stressful with training, work, school, relationships and everything else that falls in-between these, they all place stress on the nervous system. The body is designed to experience stress but if there is no time in-between where the body gets some relief from this stress the body begins to breakdown and we see adverse reactions to stress. Therefore you need to have strategies in place to help promote recovery and maintaining a balance within the body.
Sleep often falls to the side as a recovery tool. We all do mobility and eat right but sleep gets a back seat. Well sleep is your most essential component to recovery. It's even more important if you are injured, traveling or in the competition phases of your training. If you are depriving yourself of sleep you will be unable to perform in the gym, on the field/court or even with normal everyday tasks. Poor sleep during max effort training, where you are continuously beating your body down will lead to under recovery and early signs of overtraining.
Tips to help you sleep
You need 7-9 hours of sleep per day
Stop consuming caffeine in the afternoon.
De-stress for 20 minutes. Just relax and unwind. No phones, computers or outside distractions.
Turn all electronics off an hour before bed
Have bedroom temperature 67-70 degrees F
Take naps daily around 30 minutes in length but avoid them in the late afternoon/evening
Plan tomorrow before dinner. So make your to-do list so you don't lay in bed thinking about all the things you have to do tomorrow as they will be on your list waiting for you when you get up.
If you can't sleep within 15 min try reading. The book super training will put you right to sleep.
When you lay down close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing. Focus on letting go of all muscular tension. Begin at the top and work your way down.
Improve your sleep. Improve your performance. It's science.
Coach B
Monday, December 2, 2013
Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 11/25-12/1
Check out this week's video training montage! Lots of things going on at The Spot Athletics. Our athletes are in full swing, and our clients are getting ready for the new year! Start your goals now, don't wait for January!
What it takes to be an athlete
Do you know what makes a good athlete?
A lot of people seem to recognize when they see an amazing play in sports that the person performing the play is an amazing athlete. But what does it take to get that person to be able to do those things that amaze and captivate us. Simply put, the person must possess enough of the requisite motor pattens to be able to solve the spacial problem with their body and be able to do so quickly that it looks natural. Yes, when a defender avoids a blocker and makes a great tackle, they are just solving a spacial problem with their body. Being able to do this and do this quickly is what refer to as a great athlete.
So how do you make one of these athletes. It first starts with the acquisition of a diverse set of motor patterns. One of the biggest problems in sport today is that youths are specializing in sport so young that they aren't exposed to a wide array of motor patterns and thus have a limited set of patterns to solve these spacial problems or another way to say it "they are limited athletically". Sure they look good if they are playing against the same level of the sport they are used too, but what happens when they go to the next level. The speed changes and the play changes which requires them to solve different spacial problems, and they can't do it, so they aren't good at their sport any more. To acquire a diverse set of motor patterns an athlete must participate in a wide array of activities and/or be in a structured program that understands and helps develop these crucial patterns.
Here at the Spot Athletics we expose our young athletes to as many motor patterns as we can in hopes that we can help engrain a diverse set of patterns in which they can dominate their chosen sport as they age. On top of developing this diverse set of motor patterns we also strengthen the muscles they need to perform them. Most importantly we also strengthen the nervous systems which controls how these patterns are used. Through various plyometric and neural patterning drills we are able to get our young athletes to think and react to a diverse set of spacial problems much quicker. What this all means is that our young athletes look much better in their sports and in general movement (athleticism) as well. This is just another example of how The Spot Athletics uses it's vast knowledge of how athletes are built to make our young athletes into future champions.
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