The Spot Athletics Blog: May 2014

Friday, May 30, 2014

Are You Sabotaging Your Progress?

What you do outside the gym has a profound effect on the results you get from your training. Your muscles do not get stronger during the training session itself, rather it is when we are recovering that our muscles adapt and become stronger for the next training session. If you are training hard (and smart) but are stuck in a rut, there are most likely some external factors at play leaching your potential.

Factor 1: Getting enough sleep

Sleep is crucial to optimal training recovery. When you sleep your body releases Growth Hormone which aids in recovery and fat loss. Optimal Growth Hormone release is achieved at seven hours of sleep. If you find yourself plateauing and are only getting 4-5 hours of sleep at night, chances are your lack of sleep is holding you back.

Factor 2: Staying Hydrated

The average person is chronically dehydrated. Adequate hydration is essential for transporting essential vitamins and minerals throughout the body and it is also important in terms of fat loss. Aim to drink a gallon of water a day and you will avoid dehydration.

Factor 3: Eating healthy Fats

Paying attention to what you put in your body has a huge impact on how you recover from training. Think of your body as a race car that needs high grade fuel to perform at its peak. While most know that it is important to get enough protein when they are training it is also important to make sure you are taking in healthy fats. Because every cell in your body is made up of fats, If you are trying to lose body fat, not eating healthy fats will cause your body to hold onto the stored fat it already has. If you are training and competing hard your joints and soft tissues will take a beating. A diet rich in healthy fats will help maintain the integrity of your joints and tissues. Supplementing with a fatty acid complex or something as simple as adding a table spoon of olive oil to a protein shake can make a huge impact on how your body recovers.

Factor 4: Stress

Your body does not differentiate stress, whether its stress from training or stress from other external sources. When the body is under stress it releases the hormone cortisol. Small amounts of cortisol are good for the body but in excess cortisol can cause increased fat storage, joint pain, and a lowered immune system. A good way to de-stress is to practice diaphragmatic breathing. A simple exercise you can do is to breathe in through your nose for three seconds while pushing out on your stomach. Slowly breathe out through your mouth as if you are breathing through a straw. Focus on only allowing your stomach to fill with air, not your chest.

Factor 5: Doing Too Much

I noted at the top about training smart. Sometimes we think we are training smart but in reality we are doing too much. More is not always better, Sometimes more is just more. While training hard is important, overtraining is detrimental to your progress. Overtraining crushes your nervous system and can lead to injury. There is a fine line between training hard and overtraining so it is best to consult a professional. A knowledgable professional will set up a properly periodized program that will yield optimal results when followed. On that note, if you have hired a trainer to help you, please listen to what they have to say. If you trust them enough to give them your money then you should trust that they know what they are talking about.

Matt Barnauskas, BS, ACSM, USAW, TPI

Friday Technique Video- How to set up bands

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Time

Time is the one thing you waste the most of. Don't kid yourself. You do. But I was asking a handful of people this past week "what do you wish you had more of?" Overwhelming response was I wish I had more time. Hmmm seem contradictory doesn't it? So why do you all want more time but then turn your back and waste time watching TV, being on your phone, on Facebook, on pinterst or even driving. Wasting time at that job you hate. Seriously whats it going to take to get you moving? What's it going to take to get you to finally take action and actually live your passion? Maybe this video will open your eyes. You have 86,400 seconds a day. I have that on my white board in my office so I am reminded not to waste it.

This video opened my eyes. It helped me to step back and reevaluate how I was spending my time. Watch it, it's 2:44. I'm sure you can spare some time.

START LIVING NOW!
Coach B

How Hugh Jackman got “jacked” to play Wolverine

I recently read an article about how Hugh Jackman (Wolverine) trained to look so incredibly ripped in the new X-Men movie. (http://www.latimes.com/health/la-he-5q-jackman-20140524-story.html) Not only did he look a certain way, but he trained twice a day and did conditioning to have the ability to do most of the action shots himself. It wasn’t just Hollywood magic or “get fit quick” solution. In an article from the LA Times, Jackman was asked the question regarding what he did to get in shape for his role. The following was his response.

It's too hard to get in shape from scratch, and it's easier to stay in shape than to get in shape. ... For Wolverine I really up the training. Right now I do about an hour of training a day and ride my bike everywhere. But I do about 2 1/2 hours of training a day when getting ready for the role, and foodwise I eat more, but I eat a lot stricter. Seventy percent of your physique is your diet, and diet is the biggest change that happens.

Here is a guy who is in some of the biggest movies in the world where his body and how it looks is one of the main components of his films. He had his reputation at stake (and probably quite a few million in change for the role itself). With so much on the line, Jackman knew he must have a trainer.

When lifting I'm always with a trainer because the thing that makes a difference is that last 20% in your training, and he very scientifically looks after my food as well, …

But then, Jackman has another goal. He is going back to Broadway. He is a dancer and a singer. It requires a totally different body, with different training and a different skill set. He is asked the question if his muscular body interferes with his upcoming Broadway show.

Yes, it does, and when I dance I drop muscle very quickly. The body is very smart and efficient, and a traditional dancer's body is not going to be bulked up on top because they're muscles that you don't really need. And your body is constantly going for the most efficient way to do something. A sprinter's body is very different from a long-distance runner's body.

It is the GOAL that will dictate how one trains and eats. Different goals require different time frames, different training styles and different diets in order to achieve those goals. There is NOT “one size fits all” in the land of training and fitness.

We are all uniquely different. I am the oldest trainer at The Spot. Coach Lily is much younger than me. We need to do totally different things in order to reach our goals. We need different workouts to push our bodies and different diets because we have different fitness levels and goals. Lily is powerlifter. I am an older adult who wants to stay strong, healthy and durable. That said, there are two things we both need to do to reach those goals: stay consistent in our training and work with a trainer. Yes that is correct, even trainers need to be trained. We train as a staff at The Spot Athletics and therefore can coach each other and keep each other accountable. Without a trainer even personal trainers won’t be able to reach their goals as quickly. Wolverine knows this, we know this, and the sooner you realize this, the sooner you will reach your goals.

Health and fitness is a lifestyle one should want to incorporate in one’s life, not just a goal to get in a bikini and go on vacation, though there is nothing wrong with that. We will help you do that too. But what happens when you come back from vacation?

Your life happens year round, year after year. What are you doing to develop the consistency of a strong healthy body and not just following the latest “fitness fad”?

At The Spot Athletics, we endeavor to not just give our clients the means to reach their immediate goals, but the education and encouragement to continue long term, year after year, into a healthy lifestyle of strength and conditioning.

Coach Sandy

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Is your Diet Holding You Back?

You may have be getting to the gym 3-4x a week, have the best program ever, but may not be getting the results that you want. What’s holding you back? Chances are, it’s your diet. No matter how good your workouts are, you won’t get anywhere without the proper diet. f you’re not losing bodyfat, you feel tired during your workouts, or can’t add muscle, there’s a significant chance the culprit could be a diet that’s not right for your goals.

Your “diet” isn’t just the calories you consume, it’s also making sure you have the proper ratios of fat, protein, and carbohydrates to meet your body’s needs. Everybody’s diet will be different depending on their body, workouts, and training goals. Let’s look at the different macronutrients to understand why each of them are important

Everyone knows protein is crucial to building and maintaining muscle mass which is important no matter whether your goals are body composition or performance related. If you don’t eat enough protein, your body will start breaking down your muscle for energy which will leave you feeling and looking awful.

Fats are crucial to everything your body does. Fats help support metabolism, keep you full, absorb nutrients, and keep your joints and brain healthy. All our cells contain a lot of fat. They play an important role in all your body’s processes and aren’t the source of what makes you “fat”. The best fats are those that come from whole, unprocessed foods such as nuts, seeds, meats, eggs and avocado as opposed to those from refined, processed foods.

Carbohydrates are what your body uses easily for energy. Seeing as that is the case, your carbohydrate intake should reflect the amount of energy you expend. For most people, it makes sense to take in more carbs on a day you’re working out or if you have a physically demanding job.
You can see that all of these are important to helping your body look and perform the way you want it to. None of these are the enemy- they’re all integral, in the correct ratios, to helping you reach your goals. You need to eat for your body and your goals. With that in mind, don’t just jump on the hottest new diet you see floating around the internet- it’s not a one size fits all solution. So if you’re training hard, don’t let what you do outside the gym hold you back from reaching your goals!

-Coach Lily

Monday, May 26, 2014

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 5/19-5/26

Here is this week's weekly training video montage. The weather is starting to get warm, and we have been kicking it in gear at The Spot. Our clients are happy to see summer and it has given them more encouragement to reach their goals. Kids are about to be out of school for summer. If you or your son or daughter needs to take the next step towards their athletic goals, then check out our summer programs for various ages and sports!

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Getting in Shape for Summer

If you’re looking for way to get lean and toned for the summer right now, it probably means you haven’t done anything up until this point. Now you’re going to go run on a treadmill until you puke, do a juice cleanse until you have no insides, and you’ll be set for the your beach weekend, right? Nopers.

Here’s the most important thing to remember: getting in shape takes time. I know that’s antithetical to every fad diet and workout article that promises “toned sculpted and sexy arms 10 days”. Getting a strong, healthy, good looking body requires dedication and changes in lifestyle to reach your goals and stay there. Sure you could eat lettuce wraps filled with nothing for a few weeks, lose a few pounds, feel awful and be a pile of loose skin- if that’s your goal. But after that you’ll be right back to where you were and probably actually fain some weight.

Getting in shape for summer is the same as getting in shape any other time of year- a solid diet and workout plan. It’s not like summer is a surprise. It comes at the same time every year.

Diet- as they say, “you can’t out exercise a bad diet”. This is true. The foundation of your summer six pack needs to be a solid, consistent diet. Eat for your body type and needs. That means depending on your goals, weight, activity level, and needs, your diet will be specific to you. Focus on eating lean meats, vegetables, and good fats. Stay away from processed, refined foods filled with sugary carbs and empty calories. Pretty easy, right? If you stick to a good diet, you will feel and look great- permanently.

You also need a good program built around weighlifting and short, high intensity conditioning. No one ever went astray with some squats, deadlifts, and pressing as the base of a training regimen. You will build muscle that will lead to a hot, toned body and will actually burn fat all day long.

The key here is building good muscle and losing excess body fat. No one has ever complimented someone’s bikini body by saying “man, that loose skin and flat butt look really good on you”. Getting a summer body isn’t about a fad diet and running until you puke. It’s about eating well and sticking to a good training program. You’ll find that sticking to a solid, simple diet and training program is actually easier (and much more worth it) than going on a juice cleanse and running 10 miles a day. Unless you’re a masochist.

-Coach Lily

Monday, May 19, 2014

Speed, Strength & Conditioning, Personal training & Fitness Class Training Video Montage 5/11-5/17

Check out this week's training video montage. Our Athletes are training to either get ready for their summer or fall sport's, or they are trying to peak for their final competitions for the spring. Our Personal Training and Met Con clients are starting to sense the warm weather. They have been working extremely hard to get their bodies to where they want for the Summer. We our proud of all of our clients. Their dedication is what makes it so fun to coach them.

The Spot Athletics Blog