Monthly Archives: October 2014

4 Simple Tips for Fitness Success

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Many assume that every powerlifter, bodybuilder, Crossfitter, Olympic lifter and Iron Man always loved being in the gym. They were born gym rats, created to lift weights. There is the misconception that these fitness enthusiasts were always passionate about working out.

Not true.

Take me, for example.

It took me a long time before I enjoyed lifting weights.

I always loved playing sports, but didn’t always see the value of going to the gym. In the beginning, it was like a chore. Going to the gym was just as boring as washing dishes or folding laundry. I did it as a means to an end. I wanted to look good, I just didn’t want to work to look good.

I would go to the gym on the weekdays for 1 hour and 1 hour only.

Strict policy.

After some time I started to notice my physique changing.

Results!

I still wasn’t in love, but I was beginning to see the appeal so I stuck with it.

What I began to realize was I really liked the strength gains I was getting. The aesthetic results were nice, but I was really interested in strength and performance. I liked doing the big lifts and moving heavy weight.

That’s when I really hit my stride. I shifted my focus and started making strength based goals. I was hooked!

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins

Identify your goal.

Whatever it is, figure out your number one reason for being in the gym. Decide what’s most important to you so you can make plans to achieve it.

Have long and short-term goals.

Hitting short-term goals will create a domino effect. Each success will build on itself. With each success you gain confidence.

If your goal is to begin exercising and to lose weight, start with simple and achievable short-term goals.

Here’s a chart my clients use to create simple fat loss habits. They’re adopted from Precision Nutrition and you can use them too.

Pick ONE of the following habits and do it every day for 14 days. Remember to start with the one you feel is the easiest to accomplish.

 

habchart

Break down your seemingly overwhelming goals into smaller tasks.

Don’t allow yourself to be overwhelmed and defeated by your long-term goals.

Losing 30 pounds may *sound* like an impossible task.

It’s not!

While losing 30 pounds sounds like a lot, losing 1 to 2 pounds a week seems very manageable.

Begin by breaking down your initial weight loss goal into simple, practical tasks. Focus on tackling the first task in your process towards achieving your goal.

Take small steps to building better habits that will last the rest of your life.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” – Aristotle

 

Set yourself up for success by choosing something you enjoy!

After you’ve chosen a goal, pick a modality for reaching it. (ex. Weightlifting, cardio, swimming, yoga.) Choose something that interests you. Whatever you choose becomes a part of your routine. Find something that is sustainable.

Find out how you can enjoy working out. Maybe you’ve tried before and are starting again. You were on the treadmill for an hour each day, bored out of your mind. You wanted to try lifting weights, but you didn’t know what to do and you were intimidated.

Don’t let your lack of experience prevent you from doing something that interests you. Seek out a coach or a good training partner. (Click Here For Online Coaching)

A good coach will not only educate you, they will hold you accountable. While you MUST be self-motivated to succeed, you will have moments where you need to be picked up. Have someone who is there to support you, especially for those times when you are struggling.

Results. Once you see success towards your goal you WILL enjoy what you’re doing!

Nothing is more satisfying than achieving your goals. Hitting your target weight, crushing a new PR, taking time off your mile. Hitting your goals will only reinforce all your hard work.

Your interest may change as time goes by.

I don’t care as much about beating my friends in Mario Kart as I did 15 years ago.

As you age, your goals change. What used to interest you, what you used to be passionate about may no longer seem important to you. This is totally normal!

Be open to taking on new challenges. Your prior success will give you the knowledge and experience it takes to accomplish your goals. The confidence you gain from each success will make future obstacles that much easier to overcome.

Once you have experienced hitting and surpassing your goals, you will begin to enjoy the process. You will enjoy not only each success but that path you took to get there.

Find what motivates you. Set goals and create habits for reaching them. Enjoy the journey!

 

-A

 

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Good Fitness Reads of the Week (10/26/2014)

Another busy week this week!

This weeks edition is packed with five strength tips, 15 recommended readings and a new episode of The Angry Coaches!

In  the latest episode of The Angry Coaches we discuss a problem that’s facing many coaches and fitness enthusiasts.

A big problem.

A big problem that, despite their hard work and effort, absolutely kills their results because they keep getting in their own way.

The problem?

They think they’re different.

They think they can do more, train more, and handle more stress than they really can.

This mindset leads to a host of problems, not least of which includes a common training modification that halts their progress completely.

In this weeks’ short episode of The Angry Coaches, Jordan Syatt and I discuss this modification in detail, why it’s an issue, and how to avoid it.

Coaches! This Training Modification is Killing Your Results

Strength Tips

Monday

My friend asked me recently, “If you never miss a weight and always go for something you know you are going to hit, how are you getting stronger?”

You don’t get stronger missing weights.

It’s physically taxing and probably worse, mentally. Your confidence gets shaken after you miss an attempt. You begin to doubt yourself, your training, and negative thoughts swirl through your head about your progress.

There’s a lot of ways to PR. The most obvious way is crushing a new max, but you can also hit rep maxes, total volume PR’s, and RPE PR’s.

A volume PR may not be as sexy as hitting a new max, but it is a PR!

I see people get anxious when they aren’t testing their new max each week.

Don’t feel as though you need to be constantly testing your 1RM to increase it. There are plenty of ways to get stronger other than chasing a new max each week.

Regardless of your programming, pick weights you know you will hit. No one got stronger missing all their attempts.

Tuesday

Quick tip for the front squat.

Keep your elbows up and pointed towards the wall in front of you. Try to drive them towards the ceiling.

Start by doing this during your setup. If they start low to begin with, it will be that much harder to get them up once you’ve started the lift. As you perform the squat, fight hard to maintain your elbow position.

Keeping your elbows up will help keep your torso in a nice upright position.

Wednesday

Today’s sample upper body [bench emphasis] workout.

[Sets x Reps]

1) Bench 5 X 5 @ 65-70%
2) DB Floor Press 2 X 12-15
3) Pull ups 4 X 8
4a) Rolling Triceps Extensions 3 X 10-12
4b) Band pull apart 3 X 20
4c) DB Curl 3 X 12

Thursday

Give your athletes some ‘reward’ exercises in their training.

Given that the other 99% of the training is on point and the exercise is safe, let them do something they’ve been wanting to do. Even if the exercise doesn’t specifically translate to their performance, it still has benefits.

It can build team work, self-confidence and can break some of the monotony in their training.

Reward exercises can keep your athletes on track and help them stay motivated.

Friday

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.”

Recommended Reading

1)      Kipping Pull-Ups: The Truth via Christian Thibaudeau

2)      SHOULD Athletes Be Eating Junk Food? via Mike Samuels

3)      How I Almost Drowned In Debt and What It Means To Your Fitness via Dean Somerset

4)      Training the Young Athlete via Chad Wesley Smith

5)      The 6 Characteristics of a Good Dynamic Warm-up via Eric Cressey

6)      No Days Off: Speed Trainer Nick Winkelman on What Makes A.J. Green and Julio Jones Unstoppable – The Drop via Nick Winkelman

7)      7 Ways to Make Your Strength Training Programs More Efficient via Eric Cressey

8)      Want to make an amazing transformation? Drop this one word from your vocabulary. via Dick Talens

9)      Weighty Matters: What Actually Reading that Fast vs. Slow Weight Loss Study Taught Me via Yoni Freedhoff

10)  Fitness business success: From personal trainer to business leader. via Nate Green

11)  Stop lying about time. Is your time yours? If it’s not, then neither is your life. via Joy Victoria

12)  Over 35? You’re Screwed. via Bryan Krahn

13)  Easy Fat Loss Template via Pat Koch

14)  3 More Popular Supplements that are a Waste of Money via Examine.com

15) 5 Reasons You’re Not Getting Stronger via Tony Gentilcore

 

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Good Fitness Reads of the Week (10/19/2014)

Exciting week this week!

My friend, fellow coach and Elite Powerlifter, Jordan Syatt and I kicked off our new video series, “The Angry Coaches”.

2 Elite Powerlifters and highly sought after performance coaches tear the fitness industry apart from the inside out.

Angry coaches, Jordan & Adam, call ‘em as they ‘em in this no holds barred weekly video series.

Backed by years of research, practical coaching experience, and mastering the art of lifting heavy shit…Jordan and Adam destroy the most asinine fitness myths in a manner that can only be described as offensively spectacular.

Check out his week’s episode, ‘Quit Telling Your Clients They’re Broken”, where we discuss postural assessments and motivation.

This week’s edition will also include five strength tips and 15 recommended readings.

 

 Strength Tips

Monday

Congrats to everyone who competed at the RPS Power Challenge this past weekend!!!

Quick tip for those new to powerlifting.

Try to keep meet day low-stress and as routine as possible. Don’t throw something new into the mix last minute.

No new equipment changes last minute. If you don’t wear a belt to bench, then it’s not a good idea to start the day of the meet. Don’t throw on the new Oly shoes that came in the mail three days before the meet.

Eat food you would normally eat before the meet. Don’t take any supplements you wouldn’t normally.

Make sure you have enough time to warm-up, but don’t rush and finish 20 minutes before you hit the platform.

Don’t go too heavy in warm-ups. You shouldn’t be missing or close to missing any attempts when warming up. Leave the warm-up room feeling confident and prepared for the platform.

All these little things will keep you more relaxed and focused throughout the day.

Tuesday

Be a doctor of fitness, but don’t confuse that with being an actual doctor.

Don’t start diagnosing causes of pain.

We are not healers. If a client is in pain, refer out to a specialist.

Wednesday

Today’s sample lower body [deadlift emphasis] workout.

[Sets x Reps]

1) Deadlift 6 X 5 @ 60-65%
2a) GHR 4 X 10-12
2b) Cable Row 4 X 10-12
3) Farmers walk 3 X 1/length
4) Ab Wheel 4 X 10

Thursday

Quick deadlift tip.

Try to melt your heels into the floor.

Once you’ve setup for the deadlift, the rest is easy.

Drive your heels into the floor as hard as possible!

When you walk away after the lift there should be two imprints in the floor, one of each heel.

Friday

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.”

Recommended Readings

1)      Research Review: The Dirt On Clean Eating Written By Nutrition Expert Alan Aragon via Alan Aragon

2)      The real reason Tracy, Jillian, Oz, Oprah, Selter, Mercola, Food Babe etc are winning the information game via Joy Victoria

3)      5 Questions with Dr. Mike Israetel via Mike Israetel

4)      3 Cues for Better Sprinting via Mike Robertson

5)      Fish oil and omega-3s fats: How to be safer with your supplements. via Helen Kollias

6)      Originality Is Overrated via Ross Enamait

7)      10 Awful Nutrition Myths Perpetuated by the Media. via Examine.com

8)      Why your Fitness Transformation Keeps Failing via Eric Bach

9)      Strong Mind, Stronger Body: Lessons from a Warehouse Gym via Joe DeFranco

10)  When in doubt, make a short list. via Nate Green

11)  The Rule of Five via Dan John

12)  Managing the In-Season Athlete via Mike Robertson

13)  Just Say “No” to That Detox Diet or Juice Cleanse via John Berardi

14)  My Three Phase System for Training Fighters via Michael Perry

15)  How To Bounce Back From A Sports Injury via Sarah Klein

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