Friday, November 15, 2013
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
Thursday, November 14, 2013
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.
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.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
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
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/
How to avoid getting ill while still pushing the body's systems during training.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Seal tactical training? People are always looking for something different. Maybe it's better to have a base first.
http://breakingmuscle.com/
What do you do after you reach your goal?
http://breakingmuscle.com/
On your way to being healthy…news regarding the health benefits of meditation.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
A great article for moms who train OR in some ways applicable to dads as well.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Ladies who diet…listen up.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Just how good are goblet squat for you?
http://bretcontreras.com/a-
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.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
How to avoid getting ill while still pushing the body's systems during training.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Seal tactical training? People are always looking for something different. Maybe it's better to have a base first.
http://breakingmuscle.com/
What do you do after you reach your goal?
http://breakingmuscle.com/
On your way to being healthy…news regarding the health benefits of meditation.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/
A great article for moms who train OR in some ways applicable to dads as well.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Ladies who diet…listen up.
http://articles.elitefts.com/
Just how good are goblet squat for you?
http://bretcontreras.com/a-
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.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
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
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
Monday, November 11, 2013
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.
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