Friday, November 8, 2013
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
Thursday, November 7, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
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
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/
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/
Why cardio may be sabotaging your strength gains.
http://www.stack.com/2013/11/
3 obvious fat loss tips you are ignoring.
http://www.
What is the big deal with dead bugs?
http://www.tonygentilcore.com/
Interesting article on music and training.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/
How to find an extra hour of the day.
http://www.gretchenrubin.com/
So when is the best time to train?
http://breakingmuscle.com/
How to manage your priorities and your efficiency.
http://mashable.com/2013/10/
Solutions to 3 common training mistakes.
http://www.stack.com/2013/11/
http://articles.elitefts.com/
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/
Why cardio may be sabotaging your strength gains.
http://www.stack.com/2013/11/
3 obvious fat loss tips you are ignoring.
http://www.
What is the big deal with dead bugs?
http://www.tonygentilcore.com/
Interesting article on music and training.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/
How to find an extra hour of the day.
http://www.gretchenrubin.com/
So when is the best time to train?
http://breakingmuscle.com/
How to manage your priorities and your efficiency.
http://mashable.com/2013/10/
Solutions to 3 common training mistakes.
http://www.stack.com/2013/11/
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
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
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
Monday, November 4, 2013
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
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