Hubbard Training Systems

The Strength Triathlon

2012-01-26T08:35:00.001-05:00

If you've followed this blog for a while or are familiar with my training philosophy, you know that I feel strength is a foundamental quality for health, fitness, and performance. There are different types of strength, so strength has to be put in context. A type of strength that is very important for most people is relative strength. That is how strong are you relative to your body weight. This is evident in how you well you move and control your body.

For all of us, we get heavier and weaker as we age, unless we intervene with diet and exercise. The scale is the most common way to assess our bodies. But we know the scale doesn't differentiate between fat or lean body weight. The body fat measurement does, but doesn't assess strength. A superior method would be to measure strength based on body weight, or our ability to lift our own body weight. This method takes body weight (composition) and strength into consideration. As we train our strength increases. And with adequate dietary changes our weight will decrease. Our relative strengthindicates both, our body composition and strength level.

For some people, their relative strength can be the difference between being able to get off the floor or not. However, the average adult (esp those just looking to get 'fit') needs a higher criterion. That is why I developed the Strength Triathlon. The Strength Triathlon is a set of three body-weight lifts to gauge whether someone has adequate relative strength.

The first lift is the Pull-Up

Women should be able to perform one repetition and men should be able to perform one repetition with an additional 10% of their body weight. Men who are over 50 don't need the additonal 10% of body weight added.

The second exercise is the
Push-Up

Women should be able to perform 10 repetitions, while men should be able to also do 10 repetitions, but with 10% extra bodyweight (not for 50+ years).

The last exercise is the Pistol (single-leg squat)

Both men and women should be able to perform one repetition (hip descends as low as knee under control) on each leg.

The criterion are fairly high for the average adult. However, that just indicates the importance of strength and body composition. And gives many clients a high, but attainable goal that emphasises performance as much as body composition.

As of today, only one (of more than 50 clients) has reached this goal. Congratulations, Maggie, for achieving the Strength Triathlon!

Consistency Trumps Intensity

2012-01-16T00:31:00.001-05:00

The holidays are over now and we have started a new year. For many, you find yourself even further away from your health, fitness, and body composition goals. But, you are at a point where you are really ready to start working on those goals. Your motivation has been rekindled. It is natural to seek out the most effective methods of training in your area. You don't have to go far this time of year to find bootcamps, spin classes, and personal trainers barking encouragement to their struggling client do 'one more rep!' All of these images of hard exercise infer that intensity is the key. The higher the intensity, the better. Simply push harder (or pay someone to push you harder) and you will reach your goals, right? Not so fast. While intensity is an important variable with exercise training, it is often misunderstood and misused. High intensity has its place, but the most important variable for reaching your health, fitness, and body composition goals is not intensity, but consistency. Consistency always trumps intensity.

Exercise training is a stressor which we apply to our bodies, hopefully in a systematic and logical pattern. However, it is not the stressor (exercise training), it is how we respond to the exercise training that really matters and determines our 'results'. Too little stressor (not exercising) obviously leads to a weakened and flabby body. Though, too much of a stressor (too high intensity) leads to stress, injury, and psychological maladaptation. The art is applying high enough stress to stimulate an adaptation, but not overtrain. Unfortunately, the message we get from the media, internet, and our local gym offering this high-intensity exercise is that you should leave the gym quivering, exhausted, and dripping sweat or you have wasted your time. That is because we base 'effectiveness' on calories burned and muscle soreness. Two very wrong assumptions. We need to take a step back and look at our adaption over a period of time (weeks, months, and years). One training session won't make you, but one training session can break you.

High intensity exercise must be used appropriately. It has its place, but often it is used too early in the training process, too frequently, too long, or without consideration of other life events. The intensity of your training must be managed, that is cycled up and down to ensure continual positive adaptation. You can't keep the pedal to the floor or you will break down.

More importantly, adaptation takes time. You can't force it. But, it will happen if you apply the stimulus in an appropriate manner, a regular manner, a consistent manner. Consistency is paramount for any health, fitness, or body composition goal. When I work with a client during a training session, I am thinking to myself "how is this training session going to affect them tomorrow, next week, next month, next year?" I look at it as a stepping stone for future gains. Sort of a deposit in a savings account, not a withdrawal.

If you made it this far in this article, then you obviously are interested in training intelligently and not just 'killing' yourself in the gym. The most important advice I can give is to find ways to make your training as consistent as possible. Remove barriers to that consistency. Shorten sessions, err on the slightly more conservative side with how much and how hard you are training. Remember, intensity and volume accumulate. Go by your numbers and how you feel versus how it 'should' work. And most importantly, don't follow what others are doing in the gym. The majority have no idea what idea they are doing, and are just copying others.

Think about 'working' on your movements (whatever type of training you do) regularly, not 'conqering' them. You should feel good (even if you are working at a higher intensity) when you finish your session, not like you've been run over by a bus! The effects of exercise training can be evident after only a few sessions, but many other effects or adaptations take months and years.

Consistency always trumps intensity when it comes to exercise training. We are always adapting to our training (or lack of it). In order to keep the adaption positive focus on consistency. It is appropriate to vary the intensity, but this needs to be done logically, and in the context of a longer time frame (months and years). Ignore the high-intensity pundits, they are simply preying on the assumption that exhaustion and soreness are indicators of effective training. There will be many 'casualties' to this 'harder is better' mentality. And, unfortunately, these individuals will either keep getting injured, go back to only very low intensity exercise, or give up on exercise training altogether.

You Can't Out-Run A Donut!

2012-01-10T09:16:00.001-05:00

Most people who start training want to lose body fat. Training, especially strength training and high-intensity intervals can be highly effective. However, there comes a point when you can't keep upping the exercise to lose more body fat. Your nutrition has to improve (see food rules). I often have to remind some clients "you can't out-run a donut!" You can't use exercise solely to lose more body fat if your nutrition is poor; you need to address a poor diet, or in a lot of cases just tweak the diet for further reduction of body fat.

The Male Waist To Hip Ratio Continuum

2012-01-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

The other night I was talking to a new male client about body composition changes with aging. Without training or decent nutrition, the waist increases as the hips decrease, even if your weight hasn't changed significantly. Strength training is the only way to reverse this unfortunate aspect of aging in our modern world.

A Changed Body is Built Upon Changed Behaviors

2012-01-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

"Habit is habit, not to be flung out the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time."

-Mark Twain

Get A Grip!

2011-12-29T09:26:00.001-05:00

How do you easily increase your strength while also taking the strain off of your shoulder and elbows when pressing or pulling? Get a better grip! A weak grip on the bar or handle is an energy leak, and can be the weak link that impairs stabilization. You need to be in control of the weight, and that starts with the contact between the weight and you. Here are some cues to developing a more solid grip, and therefore more control and stability with lifting.

1. Don't Use Gloves- Gloves mute the pressure-sensing ability of your hands. Your hands have an extremely high density of nerve fibers that give you important feedback. Gloves will prevent you from detecting a subtle loss of pressure on the bar. Don't worry, your hands will toughen up over time.

2. Use Chalk- Moisture serves as a lubricant, and in this case, that is not desireable. Chalk will absorb that moisture. Rechalk your hands with each set to ensure they stay moisture-free.

3. Know Where You Should Feel the Pressure On Your Hands- Use the 'heel' of your hand to press weight. The 'heel' is point on your palm that is the furthest distance from your finger tips. It is closest to the ulna, which is the larger of the two forearm bones.

Pull with the the bar closest to your thumb and first finger. These two digit should be wrapped around the bar or handle first, followed by the other three, weaker digits.

4. Crush the Handle/Bar- Squeeze handle/bar like your life depends on it! Then squeeze even harder during the next rep.

5. Regrip Often- Your grip muscles will likely fatigue quickly. Regrip the bar frequently to make sure you have a solid grip and feel the right amount of pressure in the right places.

Foam Rolling the Pectoralis Minor

2011-12-26T13:21:00.001-05:00
I use foam rolling with most clients as part of their warm-ups to help mobilize tight muscles and fascia. Foam rolling utilizes the same neuromuscular principles as massage, applying pressure to stimmulate the stretch receptors to get the muscle and fascia to extend, therefore improving joint mobility. A common, chronically tight area is the chest/front of the shoulder. More specifically, when the Pectoralis Minor is short, it pulls the shoulder blade forward and down. This diminishes the mobility of the shoulder joint itself, and can limit shoulder mobility and stability.

The Pectoralis Minor can be tough to get at with the roller. Here is a video of me using the foam roller on it. The roller lies perpendicular to my arm, and I try lift my arm up from the ground while I role. This activates the muscles in the middle of the back, which effectively help stretch/relax the Pecoralis Minor.
YouTube Video
This helps prepare my shoulder for any pressing or overhead exercises. Try it for several minutes during your warm-up next time.

Festivus Feats of Strength Results

2011-12-23T21:36:00.001-05:00
In celebration of the annual HTS Festivus (from Seinfeld if you are not familiar with this holiday) Feats of Strength this year, I challenged 20 clients to compete in a 3:00 kettlebell clean & jerk challenge. The objective is simple, lift two kettlebells using the clean & jerk technique as many times as possible in 3:00. Your score is the weight lifted (in kg) times number of reps. Clients had a four weeks to train, and competed weekly up until December 23rd (Festivus).

Competition brings motivation, excitement, and comraderie. It was amazing to see these clients push themselves and each other for some impressive scores. I know it motivated me to almost double my score over the four weeks that I trained and competed.

Amy Miller finished in first place among the women with 1,000 kg lifted.

And, Jon Hulslar finished in first place among the men with 1,260kg lifted.

Here are the final overall standings:

Awesome job by everyone who competed! This was one of the best competitions we have had. It was very fun to watch. Happy Holidays!

Seeking Fulfillment

2011-12-20T08:25:00.001-05:00

Our brains are hardwired for stimulus that provide us fulfillment. When we don't have a source of regular fulfillment we get depressed. We then look for a source of fullfillment. Often, it can be from visual or auditory stimuli like television or music. Or, from chemical stimuli like alcohol or drugs. Even eating becomes the a source of fulfillment, especially processed, sweet foods. In time, these sources of fulfillment become addictions, and we seek out the sources of fulfillment more frequently.

Exercise training, when programmed properly, can become a tremdously fulfilling experience. However, most people experiences' with exercise are unfulfilling, more like a dreaded chore. Recently, I had worked with a few clients whom told me they have hated all exercise their entire lives. Certainly not fulfilling. But, just the other day, I noticed one of them leaving a semi-private session smiling from ear to ear, and joking with me and another client. I thought to myself, "doesn't look like she hates exercise training anymore."

Many clients make regular exercise training a priority in their lives. They schedule the rest of their week AROUND their exercise training! The proper (and i use the word proper, because much of what people attempt is not proper) physical exercise training is a powerful, fulfilling stimuli that can help people stop using television and food to fill the void.

Consider it for a minute, what stimuli are you using for fulfillment? Does your exercise training provide you with a powerful, fulfilling stimuli for you?

Power Position for the Kettlebell Clean

2011-12-14T12:00:00.001-05:00
The kettlebell clean (along with the swing & snatch) require a "snap" to move the bells to the shoulder (rack position). People often spend a long time getting the positioning and timing down so that the powerful hips do the work, not the arms and back.

The ideal position is what Olympic weightlifters call the "power position." In this position, the legs are in position to exert maximal acceleration of the bar (or kettlebell). The glutes and hamstrings are "loaded" with tension, which increases potential energy, for greater, and more rapid force development. Think of it as the position you would put your body into to jump vertically. Unfortunately, for a lot of sedentary (or those with little sporting background), this is not always intuitive. It has to be coached.

Below, a client was finally able to learn how to get into the "power position" and properly perform the hip "snap." I always start with proper deadlifts and swings. However, even after getting those down, there is still a large learning curve to use the rapid hip extension to move the bells under control to the shoulders (the rack position).

The bottom line is that it takes practice to master the hip "snap" to lift kettlebells properly. Very few individuals can do this intuitively. Whenever a weight is in your hands your brain wants to use your arms, back, and shoulders to lift the weight. In order to lift properly (and perform the best) you need to learn to stabilize with your arms and torso, and use the hip "snap" to move the weights.

Form, Function, Strength, Performance......in that order.

2011-12-09T11:33:00.001-05:00
I have clients aged 13 to 78 years old, from all walks of life. The common thread that drives them is they want to improve their health, fitness, and performance.......the right way! So often, fitness is marketed as a survivalist sport. Come in (with no or minimal instruction), get your butt kicked, and hope that you can stick it out for more than six weeks. The result is often a handful of people "surviving" and continuing. The majority either get hurt, or get discouraged. If you didn't achieve the results you were looking for it was your fault for not working hard enough. Unfortunately, this is what people think is their only option with fitness training.

Fitness training is movement training. Most people don't know how to move properly, and often are not ready for more intense exercise.   Whatever your goal is (fat loss, health, strength, etc.), it all starts with moving well. If you don't move well, then you can't pursue any of those goals.  So, for all of my clients, I perform an assessment which includes:
Standing posture
Gait,
Joint range of motion,
Joint stability,
Movement patterns and strength.
From this assessment, I get a better idea where they are and what they need to develop. Then a personalized program can be developed that follows the following progression:
Form- Do you know how you should be performing the movement? Are you able to put your joints and limbs in the correct position? Most people don't and need lots of cues and regressions of basic movements to learn how to demonstrate the proper form.
Function- Now that you know how to perform the basic movement, is it natural and intuitive? Do you have to think about it, or need to be talked through it? Most people don't "function" efficiently and need practice to develop the ideal motor coordination. It often takes numerous sessions for clients to really feel good with the basic movements and perform them naturally.
Strength- Strengthening is really just reinforcing function with greater loads. Once you can perform a basic movement pattern (i.e. squatting) efficiently and naturally, you can gradually start adding resistance. However, you need to be mindful of what is the limiting factor (i.e.spine stability), and understand that fatigue sets in quickly and form and function can quickly deteriorate.
Performance- Once an adequate level of strength is achieved (with solid technique), then training to improve performance can begin. Performance can be developing maximal strength levels, or the endurance to maintain a level of activity. Most fitness training programs start here, ignoring form, function, and strength.
While it may not be the most glamorous or easiest to market in an age of instant results, proper training is extremely important for safety, longevity, and results. Assuming anyone can jump into a rigorous fitness program is myopic. Efficient movement is the basis for all fitness training. Most people need help learning how to move properly. It is important to figure out where someone is on the Movement Form-Function-Strength-Performance Continuum. Once that is established, then an appropriate training program can be designed and implemented. Clients really appreciate learning not just what to do, but how to do it properly.  Taking time up-front to assess each client and teach them how to move properly greatly increases a client's enjoyment and long-term results.

Latest Standings for the Festivus Feats of Strength Challenge

2011-12-08T09:00:00.001-05:00
With about two weeks left, there has been a lot of changes in the standings. Amy has rocketed to the top with a 816kg performance last night. She is the first female to reach level 4 (800-949kg).

We now have 18 competitors making it a fun competition! Keep up the great work, and we'll see what happens over the next couple of weeks.

Festivus Feats of Strength Standings

2011-12-03T10:00:00.001-05:00
This past week was the first week of the Festivus Feats of Strength 3:00 Double Kettlebell Clean and Jerk Challenge. We had 15 competitors so far. The challenge ends December 23rd. Here are the current standings:

Great effort by everyone!

Indian Clubs for Shoulder Health

2011-11-30T15:05:00.001-05:00
Shoulder health is the most prevalent musculoskeletal issue for my clients. Addressing lack of shoulder mobility and stability is a priority in my programming. While I utilize many stretches, mobility drills, and stabilizer exercises, I recently added indian clubs.

Indian clubs have been around for a long time. A client remarked, she saw them in a picture of the gym on the Titanic! So, what's old is new. Indian clubs are clubs that look like skinny bowling or juggling pins. They have a small mass of a couple pounds, perfect for shoulder mobility and stability.

I picked up some basic drills over the last two days. You start out basic and slow, and then build up: range of motion, speed, weight, and duration, just like any exercise. My shoulders feel great with them! I think they will be a valuable tool to help improve my clients' shoulder health.

Here I am demonstrating a few exercises (I am far from an expert, but you get the idea).

YouTube Video

The Double Kettlebell Clean and Jerk

2011-11-29T12:27:00.001-05:00
This year's challenge for the Festivus Feats of Strength is the double kettlebell clean and jerk. It is pretty straight forward, lift the most total weight (with two kettlebells) in three minutes with the clean and jerk technique.

Not only does the double kettlebell C&J demand good technique and strength, but it also pushes you to your phyiscal limits to endure for three, long minutes. It is very objective and easy to quantify your score.   I have established benchmarks for men and women (see below):

Clients have been training and started competing this week. They have until Festivus, December 23rd, to compete with themselves and against others. Good luck to everyone! My goal is level 5 (1200 kg).....still working on that.

Semi-Private Training Session Times Updated

2011-11-26T13:10:00.001-05:00
After three weeks, I have been able to get a better idea of what times people prefer to train. So, I have made some adjustments to the semi-private training times. You can look at the whole schedule here. The main changes are:

Monday & Wednesday- 11:00am deleted, 10:00am added.
Tuesday & Thursday- 12:00pm deleted, 5:00am added.
Friday- 8:00am deleted, 9:00am added.

Thankful!

2011-11-23T10:41:00.001-05:00
It is Thanksgiving eve and things are finally slowing a down a bit here. I will be open for three hours tomorrow morning for those dedicated clients (or those who just need a break from family)! Friday, I will be closed, but back to regular hours Saturday.

This time of year, I just wanted to give thanks to all the clients, old and new, who have joined me at the new HTS training facility. My clients continue to be my primary focus. And, collectively they have helped me to grow and expand Hubbard Training Systems to where it is today.

The uniqueness of the HTS is in its programming, environment, and specialty tools. Is is a luxury to have just the right tool to get the job done. Recently, I have added a couple tools that I feel will be helpful for clients. First, are long bands. These are basically, long (36") rubber bands that are very versatile. They can be used for many shoulder stability exercises, or added to barbells to change the feel/function of a lift.

The lifting platform has been completed. It provides a dedicated area for deadlifting or kettlebell lifting, but more importantly, dampens impact vibrations. This is especially important for our neighbors below!

Shoulder mobility and stability continue to be a deficit to most people. In my opinion, we all need daily work in this area. For that reason, I added another valuable tool, Indian Clubs. These are one or two-pound clubs that can add just the right amount of resistance for a variety of shoulder warm-up, mobility, and stability exercises.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Building the HTS Training Facility Video

2011-11-19T20:24:00.001-05:00
The HTS training facility started as an idea at the beginning of this year.

Then, in September the wheels were finally set in motion for the build-out. Finally, It was finished November fourth. I took pictures through the entire process and put them into a video slideshow to share with you.

YouTube Video

And now, putting it to use:

Training the Older Client, Reversing the Affects of Aging and Disuse

2011-11-17T11:07:00.001-05:00
More and more men and women over the age 60 are learning the benefits proper, regular strength training. I work with many clients over age 60. They really appreciate the opportunity to enhance their body and improve its function. In a matter of weeks, they can see a dramatic difference in their mobility, strength, power, balance, energy, and overall performance. I love hearing their stories about how they can now do things that they haven't been able to do in years or even decades!

Like all my clients, I spend a lot of time up front assessing each client in order to develop an appropriate training program. Often, joint mobility and stability is overlooked, and regularly trainers will simply stick an older client on a machine. This practice ignores the underlying issues and can cause more joint discomfort, rather than improve it. Once you have a good idea of a client's joint function, you can progress their training them along, and in no time they see huge results.

Listen to Judy's experience at HTS:

Thoughts On One Week In The New HTS Training Facility

2011-11-13T10:09:00.001-05:00
After scrambling to get the flooring down and equipment in last Thursday night, I was able to successfully host an open house last Friday. Then, we hit the ground running with 13 clients last Saturday morning. Needless to say, I slept pretty well Saturday night!

This week, we smoothed out some of the bumps in the road, and got more clients up-to-speed on how the new semi-private training works. Additionally, started a few new clients, and had the most semi-private (group) training clients train in one week. Not bad for just the first week!

Clients remarked that they:
-like the location and it is easy to get to.
- love lifting by all the windows, instead of in front of televisions.
- the cubbies and big dry-erase board keep everything organized.
-really like the new equipment and specialty barbells.
-enjoy training in a private facility.

Going forward, I am excited to offer many cool things. I plan to have free, monthly educational/instructional seminars over various topics on health, nutrition, and fitness (which I will promote on this blog).

Typically, I don't endorse or sell products, like supplements, but will sell products that I believe in. Of course, that includes new HTS apparel! Addionally, I am happy to support local businesses, and my client, Jen's, Wispy Bands (www.wispybands.com). I have a selection on display at the HTS training facility.

Looking forward to the next week, and implementing more cool ideas! And hope to be back to more regular blogging.

New Training Facility Is Open!

2011-11-04T14:35:00.001-04:00
And we are open for training!

HTS Training Facility Open House Is Friday

2011-11-02T22:21:00.001-04:00
Come join me Friday for the grand opening/open house of the new HTS training facility between 7:00am-noon, and 4:00-7:00pm.

Grand Opening Moved to Friday, November 4th

2011-10-28T15:05:00.001-04:00
Due to delays in flooring material shipment, the grand opening of the HTS training facility has been moved to Friday, November 4th. So, Friday will be the grand opening party for everyone, and will be an orientation for semi-private training clients. Hope to see you there!

The address is 30 First St. SW Carmel, IN 46032 (upstairs)

Finishing Up!

2011-10-28T06:51:00.001-04:00
The new HTS training facility will be opening in four days, on Tuesday, November 1, 2011!

HTS Training Facility To Open In Two Weeks!

2011-10-20T23:07:00.001-04:00
We are nearing completion of the new HTS training facility! This week, the walls were all painted and doors were hung. Next week, the flooring goes in.  If things stay on course, I should be able to open the doors during the first week of November (possibly the 1st or 2nd). That does call for a party, stay tuned for more info on my grand opening party.

The "Private Training" and "Semi-Private Training" pages are have been revised, including the semi-private schedule. The "Subscribe" buttons for semi-private training weren't working properly, but have been fixed.  If you don't have a Paypal account, you will need to sign-up for one (you can do so after you click the "subscribe" button). If you are interested in a paid-in-full option, I do have those available (not on the blog). Finally, I will start scheduling clients next week.

The opening of the new HTS training facility marks the end of five years of training at Cardinal Fitness / Bang Fitness. I appreciate them allowing me to make it HTS's first home, and have enjoyed meeting many people there over the years.

HTS Training Facility Update

2011-10-14T15:20:00.001-04:00

This week we were able to finish priming all of the new walls and the ceiling. Thanks Penny and Sheryl for your help! Also, the light fixtures and fans were installed. And a client of mine, Ernest, stopped by to measure out the entry hallway for the six cubbies he will be making. I am excited about that.

The information about the new semi-private training was also published on its own page on this blog. It is a unique training service (slightly different than what I currently offer) that I will offer in addition to private training at the HTS training facility. Click above on the "semi-private training" page link above to find out more.

We are still on schedule for a November 2-4th opening. A week prior to that I will be signing up people for training. Check back soon for more updates.

Update of the New HTS

2011-10-07T08:19:00.001-04:00
The new HTS facility is really starting to take shape! This week the drywall, electrical, and plumbing was completed.

Next week, hopefully the dust will be cleaned up, the bathroom fixtures will be installed, and the new drywall primed. If things stay on schedule, I will be able to open around November 3rd-7th.

I am currently working on the hours of operation and the weekly schedule, which I should have done in a few days. I will post that info on a blog page when it is done. Again, all training is by appointment and half time will be dedicated to private, one-on-one training and half time to semi-private, group training.

The New HTS Training Facility

2011-09-28T23:18:00.000-04:00
I am excited to formally announce that the new Hubbard Training Systems training facility will open in November, 2011 in downtown Carmel, just one block east of the Monon Trail. The HTS training facility will be a 900 square feet, private, specialty gym that will offer private (one-on-one) and semi-private training (small group).

Blog articles have been put on the backburner for a while, as I turn my full attention to getting the new training facility up and running. But, I will resume with more articles when things calm down a bit. I have received a ton of questions about the new facility, so I will try to answer those questions here for everyone.

Frequently asked questions:

1. Where is the new HTS training facility located?

The address of the new HTS training facility is 30 First Street SW, suite 2, Carmel, IN 46032. It is located just a half block west of Rangeline Road, one block south of Main Street. It is located on the second floor of the two-story brick building, with accessibility on the side entrance.

2. What services will be offered? Is there an open-gym membership?

The primary services will be private, (60 and 30 minute sessions) one-on-one training (including exercise program design and review for those who wish to train at another facility), and semi-private training (small group training). There is no open-gym option, as all training is by appointment and supervised.

3. How does semi-private training work?

Semi-private training sessions will be offered several (3-6) times per day, Monday through Saturday. Each session is limited to six clients max and requires sign-up in advance. Each client has their own, personalized training program (including warm-up, corrective exercise, strength training, and endurance training), and my supervision. Semi-private training clients pay a single, inclusive monthly fee (rate depends on frequency of training: 1x, 2x, 3x, or 4x per week).

4. What type of equipment and amenities will the training facility have?

The HTS training facility will be a specialty training gym, outfitted with equipment that supports the HTS training philosophy. Some of the equipment includes:

Specialty Barbells

Versatile strength training equipment, including:

Two adjustable power racks,
Two adjustable weight benches,
York Barbell Iso-Grip rubber encased weight plates,
Bumper plates,
Several Olympic barbells,
A cutom-made swiss multi-grip barbell,
A safety-squat yolk barbell,
An aluminum training barbell,
A french curl barbell,
Dumbells,
Competition style kettlebells ranging from 8-26kg,
A Landmine barbell-loaded rotational trainer,
Pull-up bars,
Two pairs of suspended rings,
And the all-important chalk bucket!

36' x 6' "Runway" for warm-up, agility, and conditioning, plus:
A plate-loaded strength sled,
cones,
hurdles,
plyoboxes,
weight vest,
and large-display digital wall timer.

Additionally, foam rollers and other myofascial release tools.

5. When will the new HTS training facility open?

I am hopeful that it will open in early November, 2011.

6. What is the parking situation downtown?

There are surface parking spaces in front and behind the building. Additonally, there is a free underground parking garage across the street. I don't anticipate it being an issue.

7. Will you have childcare?

I will not have a dedicated space or service for childcare. I have discussed this issue with some clients that have young children, and we have brainstormed ideas, such as planned co-op babysiting among parents. I will try to accomodate clients with kids as best I can. Additionally, I will have more times available in early morning and evening for semi-private than currently.

8. Will the new HTS training facility have changing and shower facilities?

Yes, the new HTS training facility will have a bathroom/changing room with a shower.

Let me know if you have anyother questions. Thank you everyone for your support and help. I will keep you updated with all the exciting changes going on at HTS in future posts.

Friday Inspiration, Record-Setting Lift

2011-09-16T14:14:00.001-04:00
Jen set a new personal record and female HTS record with a 185 pound deadlift today. 200 is next!

YouTube Video

Training with Herniated Discs

2011-09-06T18:16:00.001-04:00
Last week I received an email from a blog reader with a question:

"I was recently diagnosed with herniated discs in my neck (C-3:C-7) and I am a bodybuilder. I realize that my workout must now change and am looking for a new program that can still keep me in good shape, build lean muscle, while keeping the stress off of my neck. Thanks so much for your help."
MH

Thanks for your question! First of all, I am going to assume that you have clearance from your physician to start training and don't have any neurological deficits (i.e. weakness or tingling in your arms). If you still have any neurological symptoms, consult your physician.

Herniated discs can be a little tricky, but the primary modifications with strength training would be to maintain a neutral neck (spine) and limit exertion of muscles that insert on the cervical vertebrae. If the neck is not neutral, say do to poor posture or muscle imbalances, then your training can (positively or negatively) impact your condition. Lets take a look at some of the muscles of the upper back, shoulders, and neck.

As you can see, many muscles connect to the cervical vertebrae, originating above from the scalp, and below from the scapulae and thoracic spine.

While many different types of training programs with free weights or machines may be effective in helping you achieve your goal, I am going to point out the precautions you need to take with any exercises you do perform. One of the most important things to remember is how you do the exercises is as important or more important than what you do.

1. Maintain a neutral neck with lifting- Be carefull to not hyperextend or flex your neck with exercises, such as squats, curls, presses, etc. Find a focal point to look at and keep your head "tall" as you perform the exercise. Avoid exercises in which it is difficult to maintain a neutral neck, such as a crunches.

Maintaining a neutral neck while deadlifting.
2. Limit stress on muscles that insert on cervical vertebrae-
Muscles such as the upper Trapezius, Levatator Scapulae, and Splenius Capitis all insert on the back of the cervical vertibrae and can exert a lot of stress on the cervical discs. It is almost impossible not to use these muscles, but you can limit them by using good technique. For example, with a cable row, when rowing, keep the weight at a level where you can retract the shoulder blades back and down. This motion limits tension in the upper Trapezius muscle, and stress on neck. Another example is with the bench press. Again, keep the shoulder blades back and down and be careful not to hyperextend your neck into the bench. Think of keeping your head "tall" and chest "forward."

Proper movement of the scapula, back and down, improves posture and puts less strain on the neck.

3. Balance your training so your posture improves- Imbalanced training can worsen posture. So many people, because of the vast amount of sitting, have poor alignment of the spine, shoulder joints, and rib cage. An imbalanced training program, such as one that doesn't address posture and includes a lot of "chest" or pushing exercises can create more problems. I will give a client that has posture problems a healthy amount of "corrective exercises". This will usually include stretching the chest and front of shoulder, increasing extension and rotation of the thoracic vertebrae (at the level of your chest), strengthening the upper back and hips, etc.

Normal and head-forward postures, which put more pressure on the discs in your neck.

Thoracic spine rotation to 'correct' poor posture
A properly-designed strength training program can safely be followed even with cervical disc herniation (without symptoms). While I am not providing a specific program (because I would really like to know more about you), following these three precautions should help you. Of course, if you have symptoms and/or want more specific advice about appropriate 'corrective' exercises, seek out a physical therapist or qualified trainer (hint: most trainers are not qualified in this area). Good luck!

Friday Inspiration

2011-09-02T13:54:00.001-04:00

Only after you do it, do you realize how easy it really was.

Conventional Wisdom On Fat and Weight Loss Is Keeping Many Fat

2011-08-29T18:05:00.001-04:00
With so much conflicting information out there about diet and nutrition, it is not surprising that most people are confused. Food manufacturers and supplement companies reap the benefit of a confused and gullible public. So much of our government-supported nutrition education (food pyramid) has been based on poor/biased science. Slowly, better science has emerged, but the dogma of conventional wisdom is tough to overturn.

For decades, low-fat diets have been touted as the solution for weight-loss. Over the last decade, better scientific evidence suggests that actually, the higher percent of fat in the diet (and therefore lower percent carbohydrate), the greater fat-loss (even when total Calorie intake is not restricted). Total energy intake and expenditure are still an important variables. But, the point being, fat doesn't necessarily make you fat, and low/no fat doesn't keep you lean.

Sadly, the same, poor nutrition knowledge given to my generation, is being passed on to our kids. Just today, my seven year-old daughter told me how she had to explain to her friend that dietary fat is not necessarily bad. Check it out:

YouTube Video

Of course, my advice is to follow my Food Rules (click on the Food Rules page on the left side of the blog for more information).

Getting Clients To the Elusive Intermediate Level

2011-08-26T17:59:00.001-04:00

It is not very hard to get beyond the beginner stage of strength training. Start doing any series of exercises, even with less-than-desireable technique, and if you are fairly consistent you can provide an adequate overload stimilus. After a few months of training you will likely see positive changes in your body and your strength.

Although, reaching an intermediate or an advanced levels is another story. There are several reasons why the majority of people training at your gym never even make it to the intermediate level. That is, for a female: deadlifting or squatting your body-weight, performing a pull-up unassisted, and bench pressing 100 pounds (or more than 10 body weight push-ups on the floor). Those numbers are 1.5x and 2.0x higher for lower and upper body exercises respectively for men.

1. Technique, technique, technique- It is imperative that you develop proper technique before your body can handle greater loads. It amazes me how many "active" and "fit" clients that I start working with that have no clue how to perform an exercise properly. These are not newbies to the gym, but people that have been working out for years with poor technique. It is not surprising that they don't make any progress.

2. Failing To Sure-Up Weak Links- We all have weak links that limit our performance. But part of the process of moving from a beginner to intermediate trainee is to identify and work on these weak links. It is very common to have use supplemental exercise to increase torso stability, shoulder mobility & stability, and hip mobility and stability. Just about all of my beginner trainees get a healthy dose of exercises to address these weak links. It is challenging to safely and effectively progress the bigger, compound exercises with a trainee that has so many weak links.

3. A Proper, Logical Training Program- As I mentioned earlier, it is not hard to get someone moving and make some progress. But, random exercises without an appreciation for stress, progression, adaption, and recovery will keep you from reaching the levels of an intermediate trainee. Somewhat-more sophisticated planning is important. With greater training stresses comes the need for appropriate recovery intervals. These variables, in addition to exercises selection, order, loads, volume, and tempo need to be planned in a proper intermediate training program.

The Bottom Line ....

2011-08-19T17:19:00.001-04:00

New HTS Promotional Video

2011-08-15T22:49:00.001-04:00
For the readers who are not clients of HTS, here is a glimpse into our semi-private training sessions. Clients see outstanding results because semi-private training combines all the essential ingredients, including: personalized training programs, access to the best tools, great coaching, and the support and motivation of a small, dedicated group.

"Pulling Grips"

2011-08-14T21:51:00.001-04:00
Last week I received a question from a client:

"As I increase the weight on my deadlifts, my grip starts slipping. What can I do? Do I need to use gloves?"

Gripping the bar becomes an issue for just about everyone as the weight increases when you use a conventional grip (as pictured).

Your fingers can easily pry apart with a conventional grip. Gloves and straps are options, but they come with trade-offs. Gloves can help with moisture, but they actually make the the grip thicker, and therefore harder to grip.

Straps, do give you an advantage in your grip but can be cumbersome using all the time. They also do put more stress on the wrist.

Olympic weightlifters often use a hook grip (pictured below). This grip, with chalk, provides a very strong grip. Two fingers reinforce the thumb, keeping the fingers hooked around the thumb. It usually takes a while to get used to this grip. Many lifters who try this grip for the first time complain about irritation on the inside of the thumb. This discomfort diminishes over time as caluses develop.

A great solution is the modified hook grip (below). This grip also reinforces your fingers, but the thumb is on top of the first finger or first two fingers. This position does not cause the same thumb discomfort as with the hook grip and therefore can immediately be adopted.

The modified hook grip can be used for other pulling exercises, like rows. The orientation of the fingers increases the strength and endurance of your grip. Of course, chalk keeps your hands dry and increases the effectiveness of both the hook grip and modified hook grip.

Adaption Is Good and You Should Pursue It

2011-08-07T23:43:00.002-04:00
After training myself for 17 years and others for almost that long, a few things stand out. One of the most glaring is the idea of specificity of adaption. Actually, it is a very well-supported principle of human physiology. However, in popular fitness circles, aka your local commercial gym or the "fitness" section at your local bookstore (which is not Borders anymore, unfortunately is now out of business) you'd think it was a four-letter word. Terms like "muscle confusion" and "muscle blasting" are vogue.

"I can barely walk today, what a great workout I had yesterday!" is commonly heard. Delayed onset muscle-soreness is often viewed as the barometer for the effectiveness of a training session. On the contrary, no muscle soreness is frequently interpreted as an ineffective workout. This translation is erroneous and misleading. Muscle soreness is simply a by-product of performing a level of muscle work to which your body is unacquainted, not the indicator of a single workout's effectiveness of improving your strength or fitness.

High-level strength and fitness is not the result of one workout. Quite the opposite, high-level strength and fitness are the precipitate of consistent training, time, and physiological adaptation. You see, physical adaptation is what you are striving to achieve. Physical adaptation is increased: strength, muscle mass, endurance, etc.

YouTube Video

Muscle soreness goes away as adaption occurs. This is evident if you follow a training program for a few weeks. You are no longer sore. People view this as a negative, when rationally it is positive. You can now do the program without developing muscle soreness. You have taken a step closer to where you want to be without the negative side-effects. When you do progress the program, your body can respond favorably to it because of the adaptation that has occurred.

"The journey of a thousand miles starts with ones step."

Everyone should follow a training program. As I tell my clients, variety is not a bad thing, but when it interferes with adaption and progression it is counter-productive. You can't progress beyond a beginner-level if you keep changing things up. Additionally, you place yourself at greater risk of injury when your body is not adapted. Plus, it just feels good and is motivating when you can see your strength and fitness improve from week to week.

There are times when you can or should change your training program. But, that time frame is in weeks and months. This is an adequate amount of time to give your body for adaptation to that specific program. When you decide to change programs, it should be a subtle changes in variables that are still in-line with your long-term goals! The complete abandonment of your past training is misguided. If you are a runner, you need to still run similar distances/paces. You may make a few slight changes to the variables in your program. But, as a runner, you wouldn't abandon running, use the elliptical trainer, and expect yourself to improve or even maintain the level of running at which you had been. That is cross-training and is counter-productive! Remember specificity of movement.

The SAID principle or specific adaptation to implied demands is the primary principle that exercise training is based upon. It is ignorant to ignore the SAID principle. Then again, nearly all people buying those books, dvds, or attending an exercise class that promote "muscle confusion" are and will always be beginners. The muscular soreness they experience from those workouts gives them false sense of accomplishment. Muscular soreness (or even vomiting) can be induced with about five minutes of heavy exercise with a beginner. But, in reality they have only added one small brick in the training wall, or perhaps maybe even set themselves back if they can't train for a while because they are so sore. Adaptation to an appropriate program, followed consistently over time, with subtle changes made to it over time has and always will reap tremendous results. However, since the training adaptation process does take a time, it is easier to induce muscular soreness and declare it progress to the impatient trainee.

Friday Inspiration

2011-08-05T13:16:00.001-04:00
Jen setting a new personal best on the sumo deadlift: 155 pounds (1.25% body weight).

Great job! She makes it look easy.

YouTube Video

Sled Pushing....Gravity and Friction

2011-07-31T16:39:00.001-04:00
Part of today's workout was 5 x 100' sled pushes with 115 pounds. Pushing the sled gives you an appreciation for friction. Which, like gravity, doesn't let up or care if you get tired.

Pushing the sled is easy and actually fun for the first 25 feet. Then your legs feel like noodles and your lungs start burning. The next 475 feet is a demonstration of muscular fatigue and sheer determination. Did I mention I love that sled?

YouTube Video

Wrist Stabilization During the Bench Press

2011-07-28T23:30:00.000-04:00
Last month I wrote a blog post about Wrist, Elbow, and Shoulder Alignment with Kettlebell Lifting. In it, I described the importance of proper joint alignment with the kettlebell press. Proper joint alignment is also important during the bench press. Recently, I have noticed many people have poor wrist stability/alignment while bench pressing. This can result in joint pain and poor performance.

Once the wrist flexes excessively, it creates a domino-effect, where the elbow and shoulder experience a greater torque. Some people, especially females, can experience pain in the wrist. However, the usual consequence is loss of adequate upper-body stability, worsening form, and therefore poor performance.

There are three reasons why people fail to stabilize their wrists. One, they just are unaware. They usually are less-experienced, and just don't know any better. This is a common scenario in novice lifters. A second reason for lack of wrist stability is weakness in the forearm muscles. Again, this is often the case for women and people who may have had wrist/hand injuries. Supplemental strengthening exercises may be neccesary. The third reason for lack of wrist stability during the bench press is lack of shoulder mobility. The wrist joint flexes more to compensate for poor mobility in the shoulder joint. While this is not as common as the first two reasons, poor shoulder mobility creates greater problems when the lifter performs an incline press and overhead press.

Learning proper set-up and cues are the keys to keeping the wrists stabilized. Start by tightly gripping the bar with your first finger and thumb. You can even use a modified hook grip where the thumb maintains pressure on top of your first finger. Wrap the remaining fingers around the bar. Once you lift-off the bar and are ready to press, keep your "knuckles to the ceiling." More specifically, point your second knuckle joint (see picture).

Keep squeezing the bar tightly to maintain stability throughout the entire set. Restabilize between repetitions if neccessary.

The video below shows all of this.

The Dangers of a Non-Physical World

2011-07-24T23:55:00.000-04:00
As a child born in 1977, I was lucking enough to have a lot of physical activity and physical interactions with the world. I played on metal playgrounds, climbed trees, swam in rivers, played tackle football during recess, walked to school, mountain biked, wrestled with my older brother, deadlifted 460 pounds, ran a 5:30 mile, and for the past 29 years I have played competitive basketball. Since I was a very little child , I have benefited from the physical interaction of my body with the world. It is extremely important, just ask the astronauts returning from gravity-free space travel. Unfortunately, the world is turning less and less physical. My kids have to seek out stimulating physical activity. They are not allowed to walk to school (per school administration), are told Wii Sports are a fine substitute for real sports, and have a hard time finding a physically-challenging playground.

This yahoo story, Have Playgrounds Become Too Safe For Kids? highlights these issues. Kids are not challenged and enriched with playgrounds. They don't develop their motor skills, nor do they overcome their fear of heights, or figure out how to shake off a scraped knee. Worse, schools are banning games like tag, red rover, dodgeball, and running in a few schools! This is a horrible omen for the next generation of adults. Not only will the obesity rate continue to climb for the next generation, but using exercise for fat loss will be much harder. These kids will not even have the physical ability to perform low-intensity physical activity, let alone more-effective high-intensity exercise.

Physical play, like roughhousing is also very important for social, cognitive, and intellectual development. Physical play has a strong social component, with winners and losers, just like the real world. Additionally, kids learn that it takes effort and there are some bumps and bruises along the way.

The dangers of a non-physical world are dramatic and long-lasting. While much has changed in our environment since 1977, not much has changed in our DNA over the last thousand years. We need to move and be physical; it is an integral part of our biology.

Friday Inspiration

2011-07-22T13:07:00.001-04:00

Diaphragmatic Breathing for Efficiency and Stabilization

2011-07-18T23:27:00.001-04:00
Breathing is an ubiquitous part of our physiology and plays a large role in exercise, but is rarely discussed. Oh, sure when your breathing is labored and you are sucking wind you think about it for a few seconds. But, usually, you just think that you are out-of-shape and wonder when you will recover from this discomfort. You probably aren't thinking about breathing efficiency and spinal stabilization. That is exactly what I will discuss in this post.

The diaphragm is the primary respiratory muscle that is located between the abdomen and thoracic cavity. Its, location, just under the lungs, and its unique dome structure allows it to play this vital role in respiration. We rarely think about how our diaphragm is functioning, but hopefully I will change that.
My first experience that gave me an appreciation of how crucial the diaphragm came when I was working in cardiopulmonary rehab. Every once in a while we would run into patients with a paralyzed or partially paralyzed diaphragm, often stemming from surgical damage to the phrenic nerve. Walking a few steps would be a chore for these patients as they would be challenged to exchange enough oxygen and remove carbon dioxide using only their accessory respiratory muscles (more on them later).

For the rest of us with a fully functioning diaphragm, we may still not know how to use our diaphragm properly, especially during strength training and endurance exercise. First, lets look at typical labored breathing (which uses accessory muscles as much or more than the diaphragm), and a more efficient technique called diaphragmatic breathing.

Typical, labored breathing, which is common with moderate or hard exercise, involves a combination of diaphragm and accessory muscle breathing. While diaphragmatic breathing emphasizes an almost exclusive use of the diaphragm and little use of accessory muscles of the rib cage and neck. Diaphragmatic breathing is advantageous and should be used for two reasons: it is more efficient and it provides better stabilization for your spine and torso.

Efficiency: The diaphragm's shape and location make it the most efficient muscle to draw air into the lungs. The accessory muscles of the torso and neck can expand the rib cage to draw air in, but this action is not very efficient. With endurance exercise, respiratory inefficiency can be significant, and increase energy expenditure/decrease efficiency.

Stabilization: The diaphragm's location and shape allow it to also play a pivotal role in lumbar spine stabilization. Think of the abdomen as a box, with the abdominal wall compromising the front, the oblique muscles compromising the sides, the lower back muscles compromising the back, the pelvic floor muscles compromising the bottom, and the diaphragm compromising the top. With a co-contraction of these muscles, and inhalation by contraction of the diaphragm, intra-abdominal pressure increases. This muscular tension and pressure provides extra stabilization of the lumbar spine.

You can learn to use your diaphragm more efficiently during breathing by copying the drill I was doing in the video. Stand in front of a mirror and take some deep breaths with one hand on your chest and one hand on your abdomen. Watch to see which hand moves. Practice breathing down, into your abdomen with each breath. As you get better, you will see less movement with the hand on your chest and more expansion of your abdomen. After you can regularly inhale and only make your abdomen expand, you can practice abdominal bracing and diaphragmatic breathing. The ultimate challenge is to be able to both, breath deeply to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and develop intra-abdominal pressure to strongly stabilize your spine.

A Personal Mantra For Healthy Eating: How To Consistently Apply What You Know

2011-07-13T08:50:00.000-04:00

Recently, I have proudly seen numerous clients make huge reductions in their body fat. I think the success stems from three important factors that have to be in place.
Utilization of a simple, user-friendly system like my Food Rules.
Support and follow-up.
Appropriate attitude or state-of-mind towards healthy eating; believing in what you are doing and self-efficacy.
How do you change your attitude toward healthy eating? And how do you do it consistently?

We all know what to be eating, but the catch is the regular application. One important thing I recommend is using a personal healthy-eating mantra. That is, a few short lines of encouragement to reset your attitude toward healthy eating. Here is an example:

I always have a choice what to eat; the Food Rules simply provide me guidance and structure. I am choosing least-processed foods that provide my body with the nutrients it needs and that make me feel satisfied. I am never forbidden from enjoying any foods, and can enjoy some "unhealthy"foods every once and while. Though, after following the Food Rules, I likely won't miss many processed foods.

Put this paragraph on your refrigerator and when you are hungry, remind yourself that it is easy to choose lesser-processed, lesser-calorie foods.

Getting Back To It

2011-07-08T00:22:00.000-04:00

This time of year, lots of people are traveling and their training gets sporadic. I decided to take ten days off from training to give my body a little recovery time while I went on vacation. Tonight, I trained for the first time since I took my break. While my lifts felt good, my body felt very stiff and it took me a long time to warm-up. It was obvious my body hadn't moved in a while.
Taking time off from training is a slippery slope. Many people physically take some time off from training, which is fine every once and a while. But, mentally it is often hard to get back into the regular training mindset. So, how do you prevent yourself from getting out of the habit of regular training? Here are a few ideas:

Think of your training in terms of cycles. These cycles can coincide with your weekly, monthly, or yearly schedule. Plan on training until you have a break and then restart, possibly changing some variables in your training program at that point.
Be accountable to someone. Whether that is a trainer, a partner or a group, having someone call you out is important when you get out of your training routine.
Allow yourself to ease back into training. Auto-regulation works well. That is, think of training in terms of building blocks. Start with an easy session or small block. Gradually add more intensity and/or volume as your body tolerates it.

Movement Force-Rate-Duration Theory

2011-06-27T14:38:00.001-04:00
This weekend, while biking, I started thinking of how 'cardio' training is misleading. We have categorized 'cardio' as a specific type of exercise because cardio-respiratory capacity will increase when that specific type of exercise is performed on a regular basis. But, this is short-sighted. What happens when you train one specific exercise pattern for a while then go to another? Little. There is little carry-over to another type of 'cardio' exercise because the benefits are movement-specific. Additionally, 'cardio' implies that neuro-muscular capability is not important. A great example is the triathlon. Most people come to the triathlon with a training background in either: running, swimming, or cycling. They are weaker in the other two movement patterns, and need to specifically train those movement patterns to improve as a triathlete.

Specific, neuro-muscular movement patterns are the most important factor in exercise training adaptation. The cardio-respiratory system's capacity does improve. But, it improves in context of the specific neuro-muscular movements. Unfortunately, the lay public will simply view it all as just 'cardio', failing to appreciate the important differences in movement patterns.

While all of this can get complex, I like to distill this complex physiology into a simple and applicable theory.

The Movement Force-Rate-Duration Theory

The specific neuromuscular pattern of any movement has three, interrelated performance components: force output, the rate that the force is developed, and the duration that the force and rate of force development needs to be maintained. Here is a diagram showing the relationship of the three components.

For a given movement, all of these components are required at a minimum level. Our genetics determine partly the development of these components, hence why people gravitate toward a given sport or exercise. Additionally, if we have a deficit in one of these components, it needs to be developed with proper training.

Lets apply the Movement Force-Rate-Duration Theory to running a 5K race. A low-moderate level of force needs to be developed at a modest rate and at a moderately long duration (for the average person). If we determine which component is the weakest, we can focus on improving it. If force development is weak, then slow strength training with adequate resistance will help. If the rate of force development is poor, then training to develop force development with explosive strength training (and moderate resistances) or plyometrics will help. If the ability to maintain the force or rate (endurance) is poor, then that needs to be trained as close to the same neuromuscular pattern as possible by running in the same environment (surface, incline, altitude, temperature, etc.).

Another example of how to apply The Movement Force-Rate-Duration Theory is 'cardio' for golf. A client of mine, who is an avid golfer, has been using an elliptical trainer and spin cycle many days per week in addition to his golf. I changed his 'cardio' to uphill walking, kettlebell swings, rotary medicine ball throws, and lateral low-box hopping. The walking is a basic movement on the course, and the ability of the hips to withstand fatigue in extension and rotation movement patterns are also very important. These movement patterns are closer to the what he will be doing over the duration of three hours on the golf course than the elliptical or spin cycle.

Conventional categorization of exercise into 'cardio' or strength training is not only misleading, but a disservice to trainees. Adaptation to any exercise training is neuro-muscular pattern-dependent. It is not a choice between using your muscles or your heart. It is a question of what movements do you want to improve. Once you have developed foundamental movement patterns (mobility, stability, coordination,etc.), applying the Movement Force-Rate-Duration Theory to your training will help you address the three performance components of physical movements (force, rate, duration) and will help you achieve superior results.

The Step-Up

2011-06-21T20:39:00.001-04:00
Single-leg strength and stability are important and often lacking physical qualities for many clients. Poor movement patterns and weakness can even result in knee pain for some. Performing a proper step-up can increase single-leg strength and stability. However, just because you can climb stairs, doesn't mean you are capable of performing a step-up properly. Recently, I had to re-teach a runner how to climb stairs and perform a proper step-up, as he was having knee pain while climbing stairs.

The video below demonstrates proper technique. Also, the step-up can be modified (step height, resistance, angle, etc) based on an indivdual's needs, and can even be replaced with other single-leg or split-stance exercises when appropriate.

YouTube Video

Little Victories

2011-06-17T12:11:00.001-04:00
We have all had our self-confidence ebb and flow at various times. When it is low, we know it; and it shows in our body language and actions. But, getting your self-confidence back can be challenging.

All aspects of our lives, whether that is exercise training, school, business, or just personal relationships, thrive when we are self-confident. It is such an influencial self-quality that we should learn techniques that will improve our self-confidence if it wanes.

A technique that I use is called "little victories." When we find our self-confidence falling, most of us can't just flip a switch and turn it back on. We need to refocus our perspective. Instead of trying to overturn every single perceived problem in your life, focus on one, small, controllable battle.

For example, if you realize one morning that you have gained more body fat than you'd like, don't throw out all your food, hire a trainer, and join Weight Watchers. Instead, focus on one small battle that is currently in front of you. It may be, set your alarm for 10 minutes earlier so you have time to make a decent breakfast. It is not very hard. It doesn't take much time. It also doesn't quickly fix your issue. Though, what is does is give you one little victory. That makes the next little battle a little easier. After "winning" a series of little battles, a bigger battle appears conquerable. Gradually, your positive attitude will carry over to other areas in your life, and also influence other people in your life.

Confidence is Magic!

Move Like An Athlete

2011-06-16T08:34:00.001-04:00
Technique, technique, technique! Proper exercise technique is vital for health and performance, yet the majority of people in the gym use less-than-desirable technique. But, how do you know if you are performing an exercise correctly, especially a complex, multi-joint exercise like a lunge? One easy guideline is to ask "do I look athletic while performing this exercise?" Most of the time, the answer is no. That means you need to regress the exercise, modify the exercise, decrease the loading, or work on mobility and basic movement patterns.

The "Core" Is Contextual

2011-06-13T16:11:00.001-04:00

A big issue in today's fitness
training is the idea of training your "core." Your "core" is an enigma. You can't control a specific muscle or its precise activation patterns. Muscle activation patterns are a more complex, highly-regulated neural function. The only thing you can try to control are joint movements, and that comes with practice over time.

I am so tired of seeing fitness book after fitness book talk about "core" exercise because you are on the floor or on an unstable surface device. They may be hard to do or you may feel your torso muscles fatigue, but that is very specific to the task you are performing. Performing a plank exercise will not carry over necessarily improve your front squat or pull-up. Some torso, single-leg, or shoulder stability exercises may be a helpful to start with to "learn" how to stabilize or supplement, but you need to develop joint (and spine) stability in the specific pattern you are trying to improve.

Your "core" stability will improve as you execute specific movement patterns properly. You cannot train your "core" in isolation; it is in context of a specific posture or movement.

Vacation Workout Video

2011-06-06T21:34:00.000-04:00
Its vacation time! For all of you who have been training regularly, but are going on vacation this summer, I put a body-weight workout together for you.   So, whether you are headed to the beach, lake, mountains, or camping, you can take this workout with you.

To motivate you, I will give you a new dri-fit HTS shirt if you send me a picture of you doing this workout while you are on vacation (hubbardtrainingsystems@yahoo.com, 317-308-9274).

Friday Inspiration

2011-06-02T22:26:00.000-04:00

"I never stressed winning. I wanted the score to be a by-product of practice."

-Coach John Wooden

How about you? Are you too focused on the outcome and not the process? Enjoy the process and the results will follow.

Wrist, Elbow, and Shoulder Alignment With Kettlebell Lifting

2011-06-01T23:10:00.001-04:00
The wrist, elbow, and shoulder must remain in proper alignment or they will experience excessive stress when lifting a kettlebell. Stability starts with a solid grip of the kettlebell handle and continues with a neutral wrist. If you have weak wrist stabilizers the wrist will bend back excessively. It is helpful to imagine making a fist and gripping the handle tightly to stabilize the wrist.

Next, arm rotation must be controlled. If the arm is not appropriately stabilized, then the weight of the kettlebell will create a torque and place excessive stress on the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. When the kettlebell is at the shoulder (racked) or when starting an arm bar or turkish get-up, the arm is rotated inward so the palm is facing (and remains) accross the body.

When the kettlebell goes above your head, the arm rotates 90 degrees and the palm faces straight ahead and the wrist remains neutral.

Perfecting the Kettlebell Snatch Technique

2011-06-01T07:42:00.001-04:00
Learning to correctly swing and lift a kettlebell takes proper instruction and practice. I see so many people perform the swing incorrectly. Without solid swing technique, performing a correct snatch is not possible. My client, Abby, has great technique. She makes 30 pounds look like 3 pounds!

YouTube Video

"Fat-Burning Zone" Misunderstanding

2011-05-30T22:51:00.002-04:00

I received a question from a friend the other day regarding the use of a heart rate monitor to assist with fat loss. She was following popular instructions given for training in the fat-burning zone by keeping exercise intensity low, because she is trying to lose body fat. The recommendations were to stay between 50-65% of her age-predicted heart max. However, a brisk walk was putting her over her heart rate limit.

The fat-burning zone, popular in fitness centers and in weight-loss arenas, is actually based on a misunderstanding of exercise physiology and some short-sightedness. It is true that at a low intensity, you dervive the greatest percent of your energy from fats over carbohydrate versus high-intensity exercise. But, that is just part of the story. High-intensity exercise may derive a lower percent of energy from fat while you are exercising because fat metabolism is inhibited, but high-intensity exercise will result in a greater energy deficit overall. While fat metabolism is inhibited during the session, it actually increases over the next 48 hours after the exercise session.

We have what is known as metabolic flexibility, we can shift back and forth between fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Certain situations shift our metabolism one way or another (see video below). But, the biggest factor in losing body fat is the energy balance. High-intensity exercise is more effective than low-intensity exercise in developing a large energy expenditure and therefore a greater net body fat loss (especially when combined with appropriate nutrition) in a given amount of time (most of us have limited amount of time to exercise). So, following the heart rate fat-burning zone is actually disadventagous. Instead, ditch the heart rate monitor and work as high of an intensity you can safely handle. Intermittant exercise works very well. Lastly, make sure you are always keeping your body strong and moving well, as this will help you better tolerate high-intensity exercise.

Here is a video I made last year about metabolic flexibility to help you better understand the basics of fat and carbohydrate metabolism:

Thank You To All Who Have Served

2011-05-29T11:55:00.001-04:00

Friday Inspiration

2011-05-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

In game 1 of the 1988 World Series, the surprising Los Angeles Dodgers met the heavily-favored Oakland Athletics with Jose Canseco, Mark McGuire, and AL MVP, Dennis Eckersley. The Dodgers were without their star slugger, Kirk Gibson, after sustaining a knee injury in the prior NLCS series. With the Athletics winning 4-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and a runner on first base, the pitcher was due up to bat. Instead, Gibson came hobbling out of the dugout to the roar of 50,000 fans. Gibson was unable to put much weight on his front leg, but worked the pitch count to three balls and two strikes. On the next pitch from Eckersley, Gibson swung and hit the ball deep to right field. He and everyone else watched in amazement as the ball cleared the wall and won the game for the Dodgers! As the crowd went crazy, Gibson limped around the bases, pumping his fist in the air!
Later, in an interview, Gibson said he had dreamed of that moment happening. And on the biggest stage in the world and in the most improbable way, his dream came true!

Dreams reveal what we are capable of achieving, even if in full consciousness our minds try to convince us otherwise. Never surrender to self-doubt, pursue your dreams without conscious inhibition!

Body Position on the Bench Press

2011-05-26T12:13:00.001-04:00
Last week's exercise technique post covered the bench press technique. However, one aspect that I failed to cover was the body position on the bench, which is pretty important. The picture shows the proper set-up.

•There are four points of contact: two feet, hips, and shoulder blades.
• Keep feet on the ground and strongly drive feet into the ground.
• Keep hips on the bench, but stabilize them by keeping the thighs and glutes tight.
• Strongly depress and retract the shoulder blades down into the bench. This will cause the lower back to arch.

Maintaining stability of the body is very important in order for the muscles that move the arms to have a solid foundation to pull against.

Client Spotlight: Claudia

2011-05-25T14:15:00.001-04:00
Congratulations, Claudia, for setting a new personal record on the deadlift: 155lbs! Made it look easy.
YouTube Video

Upper Cross Syndrome

2011-05-24T08:50:00.001-04:00

More and more people are suffering from posture issues from sitting, repetitive motion stress, and lack of physical strength. A very common result is a posture characterized by rounded-forward shoulders, internally rotated arms, and a forward flexed neck. This syndrome is called Upper Cross Syndrome or Shoulder Cross Syndrome, originally by Dr. Vladimire Janda.

Upper Cross Syndrome moves joint surfaces out of proper alignment in the cervical vertebrae (neck), lumbar vertebrae (lower back), and glenohumoral joint (shoulder joint). Often, people with Upper Cross Syndrome don't tolerate basic strength exercises (such as push-ups, overhead press, and others) very well, and can often experience more pain and dysfunction in these joints. I often have to spend a lot of time on modifications or alternative, corrective exercises before a client can safely and effectively perform these basic exercises. It is a constant battle to stay out of Upper Cross Syndrome. You need an appropriate, comprehensive training plan consisting of flexibility, strengthening, and motor learning to reverse Upper Cross Syndrome.

The Art of Roughhousing

2011-05-22T22:48:00.001-04:00

Physical activity or the lack of physical activity in children is a foremost concern in our current society. Immediately, we think of childhood obesity and early-onset metabolic syndromes, like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Though, lack of physical activity, especially unstructured play and roughhousing can also negatively impact the cognitive, social, and psychological development in children.

I came across The Art of Roughhousing the other day and read through most of it. I was particularly interested in the role of play and roughhousing on the developmental psychology in children. The authors, Anthony DeBenedet and Lawrence Cohen not only do a good job of covering the why, but also spend the majority the chapters showing how to roughhouse...just in case we have have become such an over-protective, sheltered society that we can't figure that out for ourselves. Here are a few quotes that I like from the book:

"Many parents are more frightened by skinned knees and bruised feelings than life's real dangers: stifled creativity and listless apathy" (p12)

"Children's play-time is now dominated by adult-organized, adult-refereed, and adult-structured activities." (p13)

"Play-especially active physical play, like roughhousing- makes kids smart, emotionally intelligent, lovable and likable, ethical, physically fit, and joyful." (p14)

More tag, fort-building, creek-wading, and tree-climbing, and less soccer practice, ipods, playgroups, and sitting in the car is what kids need. Additionally, parents need to provide a good chunk of this play and roughhousing. When your kids are at the playground, get out the car, put down the phone and jump into a game of freeze tag. I believe we need unstructured play and roughhousing our whole lives, not just as kids. The most cognitively-advanced mammals play and roughhouse all the time. Ironically for humans, the most cognitively-advanced mammal, we are so far removed from unstructured play and roughhousing that we need a book to tell us how. Sad.

Friday Inspiration

2011-05-19T18:40:00.001-04:00
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our Light, not our Darkness, that frightens us.

-Marianne Williamson

The Bench Press Technique

2011-05-18T23:17:00.000-04:00
The bench press is a very popular exercise to strengthen the upper body, but it is often done with poor technique. You can improve your performance and protect your shoulder joint with solid technique. The video, below, shows the technique that I use and recommend. Always use a spotter when bench pressing (I am using a power rack with spotter bars at chest level to protect me).

If you have any shoulder problems (or pain through any portion), the bench press may not be the best exercise choice. A modified version or another exercise may be a better choice. You may need to work on shoulder mobility and stability before working on the bench press for optimal results and joint safety.

I Am Not The Only One Who Doesn't Recommend Crunches

2011-05-16T22:04:00.023-04:00

I haven't recommended crunches in over a half decade. But, you still see many people doing them, along with trainers encouraging them. Why? You can feel the muscles fatigue and burn, I guess. In this article about crunches, well known spine biomechanist, Stuart McGill discusses why they are so bad for the spine. Additionally, crunches are a poor exercise choice because they reinforce poor posture, and exacerbate trunk muscle imbalances and poor movement patterns. Oh, and they don't do a damn thing for the fat you have in your mid-section!

Enjoying the Journey!

2011-05-15T21:51:00.000-04:00
There is no end to this journey, enjoy the ride! That is the best advice I can give you with your training. Sometimes the improvements will come fast, other times they will come slower.  You never know when you will make that leap to a level you have never been before. Let me tell you, it is pretty exciting. Like Jen setting a new female conventional deadlift record this past Saturday!

Simplicity In Training

2011-05-15T21:42:00.000-04:00

"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication."
-Leonardo Da Vinci

I was reading through the recent fitness equipment supplier catalog that came in the mail today. It is 75 pages long. I realized that fitness has become too complex. Check out the picture of a typical commercial gym below.

Too much! In fact, it reminds me of the book Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. In it, he explains that we desire options, but if we have more than a few, it causes anxiety, stress, and less happiness. He used examples of consumer goods, but it also applies to fitness and gyms. How many pieces of equipment are in the picture above? No one uses all of that, ever.

In my opinion, all of these fitness options are distracting. We can act busy, but are we really being productive? I use less than 10% of the equipment at the gym where I currently train. I keep it basic and simple. It is much easier to focus on the your goals. I prefer using barbells and kettlebells. Even using just those, there is still a ton of options: the load, reps, sets, rest periods, speed, and several other subtle variations.

There is a lot of redundancy in your typical commerical gym, mostly to woo new members. Ironically, the most versatile pieces of equipment, like a power rack, are the least prevalent. Performing basic movements on solid ground (like we live our lives and play our sports) has been supplemented with hyper-stable environments such as machines that you lock your body into. Or, hyper-unstable like exercise balls and BOSU balls.

Once we strip away all of the bells and whistles, it comes down to understanding how the body works. If you have a good understanding of how the body works, then exercise programming gets simpler. As the saying goes, "the best athletes just do the basics better than lesser athletes." I think that is what Da Vinci was getting at!

Introduction To Strength Training Camp for Teenagers

2011-05-06T08:51:00.001-04:00

Whether your son or daughter is an athlete or not, learning how to strength train properly is a valuable skill that will improve strength, health, performance, and confidence. This June, I will be having my Introduction to Strength Training Camp for kids 12-18 years of age. This camp will meet for six, one-hour sessions over a two week period (June 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24 from 1-2:00pm).

I will cover:

Terminology
Principles of program design
Basic movement skills
Proper technique
Safety
Progression
Rest and Recovery

Cost is $125 per student.

Please email me (hubbardtrainingsystems@yahoo.com) to sign-up. Limited to eight students.

Bridging the Gap Between Fitness and Medicine, the Importance of Movement Proficiency

2011-04-30T18:56:00.003-04:00
Fitness and medicine are often viewed as two separate realms of health and wellness. We view exercise as a way to improve our body composition, strength, and/or endurance.  But, if we have joint pain, then seek medical attention to get it fixed. Fixed usually means medical or surgical interventions to alleviate the pain. Once our joint pain is fixed, then we go back to our fitness training.
In my opinion, fitness and medicine are not two separate realms of health and wellness. The dichotomy that has evolved is a huge misconception.  What is viewed as fitness and what is viewed as medicine (not including trauma) are simply part of a larger movement continuum. Moving efficiently should be the basis for health, fitness, and performance.  It should be the foundation for our general physical preparedness (see picture on right). However, the vast majority of people working out never even consider it.

Often, joint pain and injuries are the final manifestation of chronic muscular-skeletal deficiencies and compensation. But, we never know if we have any deficiencies and compensation because movement proficiency is never assessed or even considered. What is movement proficiency? Movement proficiency is how we choose (or can) move. For example, how do you get up from a chair? Do you set your feet, balancing the pressure evenly through both feet, lean forward slightly, maintain your knees in line with your toes, and rise up with a smooth combination of hip and knee extension, and torso stability? Or, do you throw your torso forward, shift your weight to your toes, squeeze your thighs together, extend your knees prior to your hips fully extending? The first description is an efficient movement pattern and demonstrates adequate: mobility, stability, coordination, and strength. The second pattern demonstrates an inefficient movement pattern.

The inefficient movement pattern would more likely be associated with lower back, knee, and foot pain. If you displayed these inefficient movement patterns and have joint pain, what do you do? Do you seek medical intervention? Do you just work around it? What model do you fit into, a medical or fitness model?
Both models may fail to help you. They both view and address your problem from different perspectives.  Although, a movement continuum model would help you detect inefficiencies and give you a starting point for intervening.

My training philosophy is based on moving efficiently. Whatever your goal is, fat loss, increased strength or performance, or just get healthier, it all starts with addressing your movement proficiency. All training is in the context of improving or maintaining movement proficiency. It takes more time to individually assess and evaluate each client, but it is worth it. More than ever, the average adult presents with poor posture, mobility, stabiity, strength, and/or endurance due to their sedentary lifestyles. I estimate that one out of every two clients I work with has at least one or more issues. Luckily, the movement continuum model is a powerful tool to improve your movement efficiency, alleviate joint pain, and help you reach your fitness and performance goals.

Food Rules 2.0: Updated Nutritional Strategies for Long-Term Fat Loss and Health

2011-04-18T00:12:00.002-04:00
Last year, I developed my Food Rules to help clients improve their diets. Prior to that, I would give clients personalized recommendations for Calorie and macronutrient intake. It worked, for a while. I found, like most of the research on diets shows, most people are horrible at adhering to any diet. They may have some initial success, but after a even several months, they return to where they started. I realized clients needed a more flexible nutritional strategy or framework, not a diet. This was the birth of my Food Rules.

My Food Rules are a five-step guide to provide a flexible, long-term guide to healthy eating. It is not simply a restriction of Calories, as this isn't always a practical long-term solution for most people. My Food Rules are strongly supported by research of the last five years (including showing saturated fat intake is not associated with heart disease, grains can be addicting, and higher protein is satiating). My Food Rules help you choose foods, not just count Calories and grams of fat, carbs, and protein. They are also flexible and don't demand perfection. I encourage you to break the Food Rules every tenth meal. That is right, regular cheat meals. Why? Eating is and never will be simply pouring energy and nutrients into your body. Eating has a huge social and psychological aspect that cannot be ignored. So enjoying some home-made cookies or a pint of Ale every once in a while is encouraged. But it won't knock you off the Food Rules wagon because you know it is part of the bigger picture. A 80 or 90% adherrance rate over 12 months is spectacular and will offer significant results compared to 100% adherrance for eight weeks (usually followed by complete abandonment of the entire changes in your diet).

My Food Rules, like most healthy eating programs work best in conjunction with exercise, especially strength training and higher intensity/shorter duration spurts of exercise (long, slow endurance exercise is good, but by itself provides inferior results).   As with my exercise training programs, my goal for you is to enjoy the process and for you to keep up these lifestyle changes forever. I don't offer four or six week maximal fat loss programs. And because of that, some people don't train with me. There are many, many trainers that do offer that. That is fine. I have seen too many people go all-out for four weeks, just to never hear from them again until the following year....as fat or fatter than when they first approached me. I have had numerous clients make huge changes in body composition, but it was because they get it. It is a long-term lifestyle change. And they are still training with me, two, three, and four years later (I have only been in business for myself for five years). They have maintained their health and physique improvements, not yo-yoing up and down like the average American.

What is new? Well, as in any scientific field, we continue to learn more about nutritional science. In fact, the last five years has been very interesting. And, that is what I want to add to the five simple Food Rules steps. I want to give clients who have a pretty good grasp on using my Food Rules, a little more powerful information to make eating simpler- like it should be. When eating becomes simpler and easy, long-term adherrance improves. If nutritonal counselling takes hours to do, how easy is that for a client to absorb and apply? Not very.

Food Rules 2.0

Preface: Eat a variety of whole, least-processed, real animal, marine, and plant foods 90% of the time, when you are hungry, while you are sitting and relaxed, off a small plate. Eat with family or friends. Enjoy the food. Follow the Food Rules everytime you eat (accept when you enjoy a cheat food item- umm, ice cream). There is no Calorie or macronutrient counting, but usually meals are approximately: low in carbohydrates, high in fat, and moderate in protein (compared to conventional recommendations). Consequently, total Calorie content is significantly less than the typical American diet. Additionally, it is highly satiating and satisfying, and can be kept up forever.

1. Avoid Sugar and Artificially-Sweetened Foods and Drinks. Your body can't handle large or even moderate amounts of sugar. The only time sugar (in a moderate amount) is tolerated well is immediately after a strenuous workout (as muscle and liver glucose-transporting receptors and glycogen-replenishing enzymes are very active during this period). You could use this window of time (up to 2 hours post-workout) to eat a serving or two of sugar or refined carbohydrates (this is the only time to eat your Cocoa Crispies). People who are more insulin resistant (waist greater than 38 inches, carry most of their fat in their abdomen, or a high triglyceride/HDL ratio) should still keep sugar/refined carbs low even during the post workout window.

Stick to water, coffee, tea (possibly some milk if tolerated) all other times. Avoid juices, sodas, diet sodas, and energy drinks.

2. Limit Grains To Little or None, Choose the Least Processed: Most of the grains found in American supermarkets are processed flour. While 100% whole wheat and bran provide fiber and other nutrients, some people would benefit from eating them very infrequently because they still provide a concentrated load of carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables provide more nutrients per equal weight or Calories. The lower carbohydrate load from vegetables and low-starch fruits will benefit those who are insulin resistant (waist greater than 38 inches, carry most body fat in the abdomen, or a high triglyceride/HDL ratio).

Think of a carbohydrate concentration continuum (vegetables--fruit--whole grains--refined grains--sugar). Choose more "diluted carb" sources from the left of the continuum over the right.

3. Prioritize Protein Every Time You Eat: Protein is an essential nutrient, especially if you are performing strenuous exercise. It also is very satiating. Eat a serving each meal, it will make you feel full quickly and you will feel less hungry during subsequent meals. Choose from a variety of protein sources (such as animal, marine, and plant), as they all offer different nutritional profiles, such as content of: vitamins, minerals, fiber, and essential fatty acids.  How much? It should take you 10-15 bites to eat all of the protein-containing foods each meal.

4. Eat Naturally-Occuring Fat: Don't fear fat. Every time you eat, choose foods (again, unprocessed animal, marine, or plant sources) that have a significant source of fat. Without sugar or processed carbohydrates, they are satiating and self-limiting. Fat has been demonized for decades, but more and more research shows that (without processed carbohydrates and sugar) it is not bad, even saturated fat. Diets high in fat (and low in carbohydrate) are associated with improved blood lipids (increased HDL and decreased triglycerides). Fat has several other positive biological roles. Most naturally-occuring fat sources (animal, marine, or plants) are a mixture of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fats.

The only fats you should avoid are processed plant oils, usually found in processed foods and margarine. These contain higher levels of omega-6 and trans-unsaturated fats, which are linked to several health problems.

5. Eat As Much Vegetables, Fruit, or Berries You Want Each Meal: These foods provide a ton of nutrients, fiber, bulk, and water. They have a very low concentration of carbohydrates. They are a good choice for those who are insulin-resistant. The best choices are freshly-picked, local, and raw. However, often cooked or frozen versions are still fairly nutritious.

The Barbell Hip Bridge

2011-04-10T23:25:00.000-04:00
The barbell hip bridge is a great exercise to strengthen the hips/legs. The hip bridge, by itself, is a basic movement that works well for beginners. However, once you really learn how to use your hips, you need to challenge the big, powerful hip muscles with some resistance. This is where the barbell comes in. Utilizing a thick foam pad and a heavy-duty roller (or a bench, but I prefer the heavy-duty roller), you can place the barbell on the front of the hips and lift it against gravity. Be sure to keep the spine and neck neutral. It is common for beginners to hyper-extend their lower back and neck when performing this exercise- don't.

Why is this a good exercise to keep in your training tool box?

1. The hip muscles are challenged through the end of the hip extension range of motion (think of sprinting) during the barbell hip bridge. Exercises like deadlifts and squats are most challenging for the hips through the middle part of the range of motion and less challenging closer to full extension.

2.  It is a safe and effective exercise for people who don't tolerate deadlifts well. Since the barbell hip bridge loads the spine into spinal extension, it can be used by people who don't tolerate loading into spinal flexion (like a back squat or deadlift). In fact, the barbell hip bridge becomes a good spine "anti-extension"/stabilization exercise when the load on the bar increases.

3. The knees are not stressed as much as with squatting, lunging, or step-ups. If you have knee issues, you may not tolerate going into deep knee flexion very well. During the barbell hip bridge, the knees stay at a fixed angle and don't seem to experience as much stress as squatting or lunging.

Training Or Circus Act?

2011-04-05T17:46:00.000-04:00
There is nothing magical about a kettlebell, or a barbell, or a TRX suspension trainer. They are simply tools to help you get stronger or improve some aspect of your fitness . With all of these tools, to train effectively, YOU NEED TO USE THEM APPROPRIATELY! So often, basic, effective exercises are passed over to do what can only be described as a circus act. If your trainer has you perform any of these exercises, fire him or her! Not only are they ineffective, but also unsafe.

Exercise One, Dual BOSU Kettlebell Swings:

Exercise Two: Two-Hand Anywhichway Barbell Throw-Ups (poor attempt at a barbell snatch)

Exercise Three: Extremely Too Heavy Back Breakers With The Best Spotter In the World:

Exercise Four: Kettlebell Swing On TRX

Exercise Five: ???????????????

,
Finally, How To Use Those Exercise Balls:

What We Can Learn From Butler Basketball

2011-04-03T23:15:00.000-04:00

Saturday evening, the Butler Bulldogs continued one of the most improbable runs in the history of the NCAA men's basketball. They beat Virginia Commonwealth University to return to the title game that they lost by one shot, just last year.  This year, at least 28 teams were more favored to win the tournament than last year's runner-up, receiving an 8th seed in their region. But, they are back! It is a fascinating story, though after watching just about all of the tournament games so far, the reason why is becoming evident. Butler basketball knows how to win (not in the Charlie Sheen way, but the impressive way). That sounds cliche. But, at this point in the tournament, so many talented teams have failed because they lacked the mental, emotional, and team characteristics that Butler possesses.

We could all learn a few things from how Butler gets things done and apply them to our fitness training.  Here are a few:

1. Be Smart: Most of Butler's success is because of Brad Steven's coaching. He is a smart guy who knows how to put his team in the best position to win. Most people don't have a smart coach helping them. Sure there are a number of fitness enthusiasts willing to give you their two cents. But, high-quality experienced coaching is harder to find, but invaluable.

2. Do the Little Things Well: Butler does a great job of consistently executing fundamentals of basketball. They run their offense well, box out, rotate on defense, rebound, etc. These things are often overlooked as we get caught up in talent and athleticism, but usually the team that executes the fundamentals, wins. How about your training? Are you executing the fundamentals? Do you have some basic goals? Are you consistent with your training? Is your technique solid? Do you work on your weaknesses or go straight to your favorites? If not, then don' ask about fancier training programs or nutritional supplements. Master the fundamentals, they will take you further than anything else.

3. Determined and Committed: Butler demonstrates determination even when they are losing. They were losing during several games in the tournament and at critical points, but never gave up. Their body language said it all. They fought for each possession and never hung their head. Many other teams gave in before they did. Are you determined and committed in your training? Or is training the first thing to go when something else in life comes up? Are you starting over every six months? Do you give up because you aren't getting the results as fast as someone else?

4. Talent is Overrated: Don't get me wrong, I do think Butler has many talented basketball players. Though, they have played against many teams in the tournament with bigger, stronger, faster guys, and still won. Many teams have lost with NBA lottery draft picks on their roster. Just proving the point that talent, alone, is not enough to succeed. You need all the other intangibles. In fitness, talent is like genetics. Some people were just dealt a great genetic hand.  They have great bodies and fitness in spite of their less-than-desirable training and nutrition. Often, we can get frustrated when we compare ourselves to these people. Though, most people can go very far with their genetic hand and smart, consistent, focused training. Combined with a supportive environment and caring people, you will be surprised what you can accomplish.

5. Passion: Butler basketball is very passion-filled. Watch a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse and you will agree. The environment is electric. The players don't talk a lot of talk, they simply play their hearts out for the love of the game. How about you? Is fitness a necessary chore to keep you somewhat healthy? I am so surprised how many people talk like going to the gym is a chore. They joke all the time that they would rather be somewhere else, and they are only there out of guilt. If that is your case, you will never achieve much. I speak for myself, many clients, and friends. I love going to the gym to workout and relish the chance to work hard and improve myself. I am passionate about what I do. That is why I have been training for the last 18 years and plan to forever. If you are not passionate, you won't get far. You need to find a training program you are excited about, find a supportive environment, and surround yourself with great people- like we have at Hubbard Training Systems.   Good times, great results. That's our new motto.

The hCG Diet Insanity

2011-04-01T09:40:00.000-04:00

I received an email from a friend yesterday about how many of her friends have put themselves on the hCG diet. This diet has become popular yet again. My friend attached an advertisement in her email for the diet by a chiropractor (didn't think weight loss is within the chiropractic scope of practice). You may have heard it on the Dr. Oz show, in alternative health books, and of course all over the internet. One site: getleanhcg.com states:
HCG is a naturally occurring human hormone. Dr. Simmeons, a British endocrinologist, discovered that HCG combined with his diet triggers the body to utilize its own fat stores more readily. Many people have so called "thrifty genes", meaning the less they eat, the more their body will tend to hoard fat. In this case, the body is simply compensating for what it recognizes as a lack of food, which could mean the person is starving, so survival kicks in. HCG helps to bypasses this mechanism for the duration of the diet--the result is the body consumes its own fat stores, especially the stubborn fat that can be so difficult to lose on other types of diets.

Also, the website sells a 15-day supply of hCG drops for $59! You don't even need a prescription. That is because it is a homeopathic solution. In another words, it is not regulated by the FDA and there is no standardization of the purity or concentration. Also, you don't know what else is in the solution. In other words, you may be paying $108 per month for diluted urine.

Many people rave about their success using this diet. But, is it the hCG really fixing your metabolism and curbing your hunger? Or, is it simply the fact that you are on a 500 calorie/day diet? Again, although this diet is popular in 2011, it has been around for the last 40 years. In fact, there is a lot of research on this topic over the last 30 years. While 'fixing your metabolism and adjusting hormones" is sexy and sells supplements, the research is pretty conclusive. Injecting pure (not unregulated drops sold on the internet) hCG DOES NOT improve weight loss or appetite control more than a low calorie diet alone, as demonstrated in random, double-blind, controlled clinical trials. See This study, and This study, and This study. Once you go off the 500 Cal/day diet, guess what happens???

Hey, here is a thought. Why don't you start an appropriate exercise program, including strength training, start improving your nutrition (I would recommend my Food Rules) and commit to making it a permanent lifestyle change?

Interview With Trainer and Powerlifter Nia Shanks

2011-03-25T08:37:00.001-04:00
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview personal trainer and powerlifter, Nia Shanks. Nia is not only very knowledgeable, but she is a tremendous role model for women.  Some of my clients/readers already follow her blog.

So, now on to the interview with Nia!

1. (Dan) Tell me more about yourself and your background. How did you get into strength training? How long have you been personal training?

I’ll do my best to keep this short and sweet. I got into strength training because of my Mom. She has been in the fitness industry since her early 20s and has been a personal trainer since I was a kid. I naturally gravitated toward the world of strength and conditioning and fell in love with lifting weights the first time I grabbed a barbell.

Plus, I’ve always preferred individual sporting activities as opposed to team sports once I became a teenager. One of my favorite hobbies was roller blading. I had homemade ramps and rails in my drive way, jumped flights of stairs, and did anything on my roller blades that sounded crazy and fun. I also did a lot of bike riding and skateboarding.

Once I turned 15 I really got into weight lifting, and I’ve been doing it ever since. I got my personal training certification when I was 19 and I later received my bachelor degree in Exercise Physiology in 2009 from the University of Louisville.

2. What is your training philosophy? What implements do you prefer to use? Do you use any machines?

As my training philosophy evolved over the recent years, I now sum it up like this: stick to the basics, keep it simple, and constantly improve your performance. This works for myself and my clients no matter what the primary goal may be – fat loss, building muscle, improving strength – it’s a very simply philosophy, but it works. It works very well.

My favorite equipment is bodyweight and a barbell with plates. I’m all about keeping things simple and getting the best results possible with the minimum amount of work. (In fact, Beautiful Badass is a system I will have coming out in the next few weeks that goes over all of this. Shameless plug, I know).

I also like to use some form of suspension training device: TRX, Jungle Gym, or blast straps. I especially like to use these for push-ups and inverted rows since it allows the trainee to put his/her hands in a more neutral position, therefore putting less stress on the shoulders as well.

Machines? I can’t even begin to think of the last time I used a machine with myself or my clients. Wait . . . I know. I’ll use the Smith machine sometimes. It’s great to use for push-ups, inverted rows, and assisted chin-ups. But then again, you can do the same thing with a barbell and power rack. That’s it as far as machines are concerned.

I don’t have my clients use cardio machines either. They either go for brisk walks or run hill sprints. That’s basically it. Keeping it simple. Are you seeing the theme here?

3. What is your basic nutritional advice for women trying to lose body fat? Do you recommend any dietary supplements?

Allow me to tackle the supplement part of the question first. As far as supplements go, I don’t recommend any. Most people would be much better off consistently applying some basic nutrition principles. Supplements are by no means mandatory, in my opinion.

Now on to my nutritional advice to women. Can you guess how this is going to start?

Keep. It. Simple. I’m sure you’re in shock! I’ll give you a second to pick yourself up off the floor.

Here’s the thing; when it comes to nutrition most people know what they should do/not do. I mean, do I really need to tell you to stop eating donuts for breakfast with a large iced coffee, chocolate, mocha, vanilla, caramel-tea-chia-infused thingy you get every morning on your way to work?

People need to use some common sense. It’s really not that complicated.

Other than that, I just tell people to focus on eating real food at least 90 percent of the time. Slim Fast Shakes, crackers, and other heavily processed foods are not real food. Items you can grow, find in nature, and kill are real food. I should note I highly recommend people buy grass-fed beef, organic eggs, wild caught fish, etc. And don’t tell me you can’t afford those foods. Remember the supplement part of the question? Instead of spending hundreds of dollars each month on supplements (which I know a lot of people do), use that money to buy high quality food. Your body, and wallet, will thank you.

So, what are you supposed to do with all of this real food? Eat it – when you’re hungry. Don’t eat it – when you’re not hungry.

People need to get in tune with their bodies. Most people don’t even know what physical hunger feels like because they eat by a clock or set schedule. Oh look; it’s noon. Time to eat!

Now I know this goes against most of the popular nutrition advice nowadays, but it’s worked wonders with me and all of my clients. This stuff isn’t rocket science, people. Eating for improved body composition and health really is quite simple. It takes consistent effort on your part, but it is simple.

Now let me add something about all of this “keep it simple” stuff I keep mentioning and blabbing about when it comes to training and nutrition. Let me warn you right now: this is going to be a rant of sorts.

I just read this from Dan John’s book Never Let Go and it sums up a lot of my thoughts on this topic:

Listen, I think many of us think this way: If it’s free or simple or easy to understand, it can’t be as good as something that’s expensive, complicated and difficult to figure out on your own.
I’ll get emails damn near every week from people wanting something “innovative” and “ground breaking”. These are the same individuals who search for the “holy grail” in training and nutrition on a daily basis.

They don’t like my answer of “keep it simple and stick to the basics”. Their response is usually along the lines of, “But I already know that. I want something new and innovative.”

Well, I usually reply with, “Wouldn’t you rather do something that actually works?”

That’s when the conversation generally comes to an end.

The reality is this – most people will never need to stray far from the basics of training and nutrition. People act as if they are going to be competing in the next Mr. Olympia or standing on stage in a bikini.

Most people just want to look good naked, have more energy, and improve their health. Those goals can easily be accomplished with some simple, no nonsense strength training programs and nutrition principles. And most people just need to apply it consistently to reap the benefits.

There. My rant is over. I feel better, and we can move on to the next question.

4. From my experience, many women have a self-defeating attitude when it comes to exercise training and their bodies. Often, a negative self-image is their primary motivator to work out. From your perspective, what is the best way to help these women overcome these psychological constraints?

I know exactly what you’re talking about. Most women focus on how many calories they can burn on a cardio machine or “feeling the burn” during a set of crunches or on the inner thigh machine.

Yes, most women are motivated to workout because of negative motivators. I myself have been there, and done that.
That is why my clients (and I) focus on getting stronger. Even if his/her primary goal is to lose body fat, we still focus on getting stronger.

Why? Simple – because it is a positive goal. Whenever they come to the gym they focus on adding weight to the bar or performing more repetitions.

That is their focus. They improve their performance in the gym. Oh, and if you keep it up long enough, you will start to notice some significant improvements in your physique too.

While women are usually very hesitant to lift heavy weights in the squat or deadlift, after a while they have a “light bulb” moment. Something in their mind just seems to click. They begin to love lifting heavy weights. They love challenging themselves. They love setting new personal records. They love seeing what they are capable of achieving in the weight room.

And, more often than not, they take this new found confidence and courage outside of the gym with them. It’s a wonderful journey to witness. This is what I like to call the Beautiful Badass journey.

5. You are a very strong woman, what does your weekly training look like? What are your current training goals?

Thank you for the compliment. What can I say; I love lifting heavy weights, especially off the floor.

Right now my training consists of sumo deadlifts, squats, push presses, chin-ups, parallel bar dips, inverted rows, glute bridges, and some ab work with the ab wheel.

My current training goals are to lift more weight and get stronger. My main priority is increasing my deadlift. I am determined to pull as much weight as possible off the ground. I’m aiming for 360 right now because that would be a triple bodyweight deadlift. It’s only 45 more pounds than my current PR. : )

Other than lifting weights I just go for brisk walks several times per week.

6. For females, what are some gender (anatomical, psychological, biological, etc.) differences they need to consider when training basic, heavy, compound lifts?

In my experience, women and men don’t/shouldn’t train all that differently. Women may want some extra work for their glutes, but that’s about it.

Other than that I have noticed that women don’t need as much rest between sets, and they can usually tolerate (and want) a higher volume of training.

Simply put – my female clients usually perform more sets per exercise than male clients, and they don’t rest as long between sets. Both, however, still lift heavy.

Anything else that needs to be addressed depends solely on the individual (postural issues, muscle imbalances, mobility, etc) and not the gender. However, most people benefit from putting an emphasis on their posterior chain (glutes, lower back, hamstrings) and upper back.

7. Finally, what is the best piece of advice you can give females to help them stay motivated for long-term success?

It’s hard to say one thing, so I’ll give you a short list.
• Calm down. Relax. Take a deep breath

• Make things a simple as possible – both with your training and nutrition

• Learn to listen to your body – eat real food, eat when you’re hungry, stop eating when you’re satisfied (not stuffed)

• Take things one day at a time

• Train the big, basic, compound exercises

• Get stronger and do not be afraid of getting stronger. Your efforts will be rewarded

• Focus on improving your performance in the gym and nothing else

• For the love of God, please stop using pastel dumbbells – it’s degrading to all women. And leave the cardio equipment to the cardio queens. You have some heavy weights calling your name.

Thank you, Nia!

Don't Follow the Hype: What the New Client Needs and Doesn't Need.

2011-03-17T15:42:00.001-04:00

"Early Specialisation at an intense level does not seem to produce an enduring athlete..."

- Yuri Verkhoshanksky, sports scientist

Hype sells in the fitness field. I know, but refuse to give into it. That is not how I have run my business over the last five years, and don't intend to change that. Every month, I am contacted by someone selling some supplement/energy drink. And, I tell them all the same thing. I don't endorse any supplements. Yeah, a few may be helpful, but most are at minimum a waste of your money; while some can even be dangerous. For most people, lack of nutritional supplementation is not the crux of their problem, anyway.

Exercise training is also very hyped. So many programs are marketed as "Intense", and "Killer" workouts, ironically to the most out-of-shape individuals. They promote sweat, fatigue, soreness, and vomiting as barometers of effectiveness.  Workout programs like "Insanity" and "Bootcamps" are ubiquitous. Not to mention the prime-time television reality show, The Biggest Loser. They give the impression that if you aren't dying every workout, then you are wasting your time. While intensity is an important principle of exercise training, it must be applied appropriately. It is often not.

So many of these programs (again geared towards sedentary people and those with little training experience) incorporate advanced exercises like plyometrics, easily push people to extreme fatigue, rarely teach proper techniques (many instructors don't even know proper technique themselves, let alone coach properly). It is a recipe for disaster. And, I should know. I see so many clients AFTER they have participated in these programs.

"One workout is not going to make an athlete, but one workout can break an athlete."
-Vern Gambetta, Functional Path Training

So, what does your average, sedentary beginner need? Often, they come to me with a main goal of weight loss.  Body weight is their main indicator of health and fitness. In their minds, decrease the number on the scale to a desired level (by any means possible) and now you are healthy and fit! Not so fast. That is the message we are spoon-fed from the media. That is what the doctor can measure. Though, that mentality will only send you to the orthopod before the cardiologist.
As, I teach my apprentices, the trainer needs to explain that for any long-term exercise program to work, the primary focus needs to be on moving well. Weight loss can't be the sole/primary goal. The trainer needs to take the new, motivated client and teach them proper exercise training, not beat them into submission.

Here is what I feel people, who have been sedentary and out of shape, need to learn/address during their first six months of training:

You Can't Out-Run A Donut: The main variable for achieving fat loss is your diet. Exercise, sleep, hormones, and stress, influence your body composition significantly. Though, what and how much you eat is still the main factor. You won't see a continued, significant fat loss without improving your diet somewhat. You don't need to start an extreme diet, but small changes do make a large difference over the period of months. That I why I use my Food Rules to educate clients on smart, effective, long-term nutrition strategies for fat-loss.
Your Posture is Bad and You Move Poorly: The average adult spends more time than ever sitting. This seemingly benign activity causes a gradual negative cascade of soft-tissue stiffening, muscle-weakening and inhibition, and creep into poor joint alignment. Fixing many of these posture and movement problems should be a primary focus. You should be assessed by a trainer so he/she has an idea where you are starting. Mobility exercises, stretching, foam rolling, and other light exercises are appropriate for most people before more strenuous exercises can be implemented.
Lots of Time To Master The Low-Level Basics: Basic exercises (like push-ups, pull-ups, rows, squats, step-ups, lunges, bridges, etc.) are good exercises if performed correctly. Most often, people really don't know how to properly perform these exercises. This is where I spend most of my time with a new client. It is very coaching-intensive, but important for long-term success. Though, I see people (and trainers) by-pass this all the time. Some clients need many weeks and months to gain proficiency, especially if they have not formally exercised or played sports. Amazingly, even among people who have exercised for years and decades, most have never been properly instructed or critiqued on their exercise technique; and it shows!
Appropriate Intensity: Beginners can make significant improvements without heavy resistance or high-intensity exercises. Running and jumping (often used in boot camps) present the body with a huge stress it often can't handle. It is not uncommon to see a "Bootcamp" class having over-weight individuals jumping on boxes and running extensively (usually without proper instruction or regard for fatigue).   Beginners can continue to get stronger with intensities as low as 40-60% of their maximal strength (more advanced lifters need more), and should perform exercises that enhance joint stability, body control, and strength over ones that put 2-6 times their bodyweight forces onto their joints (like running, cutting, and jumping).
Keep It Simple: So often clients (and trainers) unnecessarily makes things too complex. Clients need time to develop movement proficiency, stability, and strength. You will need to "practice" exercises often and only need to progress one factor (reps, or duration or resistance) at a time .  Not uncommonly, I will see someone performing a deadlift with a couple light dumbells, then the next thing you know they are performing circuits with a heavier barbell, on one leg, on a BOSU ball, with burpees in between.
If you are a beginner, invest your time in building your body so it can handle more vigorous exercise. Don't follow the hype. Even though a more vigorous exercise will burn more calories, it often is just short-term gain, long-term loss.  Proper exercise training for a beginner shouldn't be very intense. It should be carefully taught and performed consistently. Gradually, the intensity can increase over time for positive adaptation, enjoyment and long-term success.

A Slow-Motion Analysis of the Kettlebell Clean Technique

2011-03-15T17:49:00.000-04:00
Cleaning the kettlebell, that is bringing the kettlebell from a position below your knees to the front of your shoulder, is a fun exercise, as well as an important skill to master so you can safely perform exercises with the kettlebell on the front of your shoulder (called the rack position).   However, many clients have difficulty performing the kettlebell clean correctly. They often end up banging their shoulders because of poor technique. So, I put together a slow-motion video to show the important steps for cleaning the kettlebell correctly.

I break the technique down into five steps. You should already have two steps (loading the hips and the hip snap) already mastered with the kettlebell swing. If not, work on mastering the swing, first. Here are the five steps for the cleans:
Loading the Hips
The Hip Snap
The Low Row
Form the Pedestal
The Drop

3:00 Kettlebell Snatch Challenge Final Standings

2011-03-10T12:26:00.000-05:00

A little competition among clients and with themselves is a great motivator! That is exactly what the 3:00 Kettlebell Snatch Challenge was. Lift as much weight (kb weight x reps) with good technique as possible in 3:00 (1:30 per arm).   Very simple in design, but very challenging. I had 15 female clients train over the last two months and compete over the last couple weeks. Everyone made huge improvements, but the most exciting part was the positive energy and extremely supportive environment that evolved.   Fun times for all!

Here are the final standings for The 3:00 Kettlebell Snatch Challenge. Congratulations to Maggie for winning the challenge with a total of 1080kg lifted in 3:00, outstanding!

Maggie                                 1080
Jen C                                       936
Julie                                         840
Amy                                        830
Linda G                                   810
Jeanne                                    800
Stephanie                               800
Abby                                      750
Linda S                                   680
Penny                                     680
Claudia                                   672
Kim                                         600
Liz                                           608
Jen H                                      480
Polly                                       400

Awesome job to all who participated!

Adjusting Your Training After the Honeymoon

2011-03-05T12:23:00.001-05:00
I call the initial 6-12 months of strength training the Honeymoon for new clients. During the first 6-12 months, clients can simultaneously improve their technique, get stronger, build muscle, increase conditioning, and lose body fat. All without even much change in their diet. Life is good. But, then their bodies' adaptations diminish. If they keep up their beginner training program beyond the Honeymoon, they notice little improvement in strength, conditioning, or body composition.

Most often, few people train consistently for more than six months. Though, if you do, then you need to focus on one goal and design your training/diet/recovery program to accomplish that one goal. You can maintain mutiples fitness components, but you must decide which ONE component you want to improve. Do you want continued body fat lose? Greater strength? Your training/nutrition/recovery will need to be modified accordingly. If you want to lose more body fat, your nutrition will have to improve, but you will still strength train. The main diiference will be your mediocre strength gains (mainly due to less available energy to bulid muscle). If your goal is to get stronger, you may have to decrease the amount of endurance exercise you are doing. If you do cut back (even by 50%, but maintain intensity), you can still maintain your endurance, but have more energy/recovery to build strength.

Personally, I have been focusing on building strength over the last six months. I have not focused on fat loss, in fact, eat probably 30% more calories now to help provide adequate energy for building muscle. Additionally, I have limited my conditioning exercise, and replaced a couple conditioning workouts each week with naps to help with muscle recovery. The result? I am the strongest I have ever been in my entire life.

Slow-Motion Video Analysis of the Deadlift Technique

2011-02-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

How Do You Choose Which Exercises to Use? The Art of Exercise Programming.

2011-02-25T08:46:00.000-05:00
I was asked this question a few times, just today. So, I thought it would be a good idea to review how I choose which exercises I use when training various clients. Like a carpenter or surgeon, an experienced trainer has many, proven tools in his/her training tool box. What tools end up in that tool box are a result of their experience and training philosophy.

Tools (exercises) work in the context of a training program, which is a specific plan customized to an individual to help him or her achieve a training goal. A workout is just a random selection of exercises without consideration of an individuals short or long-term goals. You should have good reason why you are selecting an exercise. How does that exercise fit into your training program?

Many new trainers and those new to exercise training are at a disadvantage because of their limited experience. It takes time to see all the pros and cons of each type of exercises on various clientele. Often the inexperienced trainer or new exerciser will simply choose what they see others using, or what the gym has to offer, or the latest fitness gizmos. Most commerical gyms are not outfitted with the best tools. They are outfitted with what will attract the most people to join the gyms.

My training philosophy has been shaped over the last 14 years. It can be summarized in a couple sentences: Get people moving well by developing adequate joint range of motion, stability, and control. Then build a maximal strength foundation, as it improves all movement capabilities and tolerance. Then, develop specific needs. Make the process enjoyable. I use exercises that allow for free-motion. That is, the client needs to know how to move properly and must maintain that form. Free weights, such as: barbells, dumbells, kettlebells, and body weight (calisthenics), along with the free-motion cable column are my tools of choice. Fixed-path machines allow you to move the lever in any manner, not emphasising ideal biomechanics.

Additionally, there are some other basic principles that must be known. First, there are a lot of good tools (exercises), but they must be applied appropriately, or they become less than ideal tools (exercises). Second, always assess the client so you know their specific needs/deficits. Third, know the client's goal and keep them moving in that direction.

Once I know where a client is starting and where they want to go, the next step is to apply a training program template.
A basic template that I use has six categories:

A. Leg/Hip Bilateral Strength

B. Pulling

C. Pushing

D. Single Leg Stability

E. Shoulder Stability

F. Torso Stability

Within each category, I have a list of many possible exercises. I try to pick the most appropriate exercise (or modification of that exercise) in each category. This template makes it quick and easy to develop a program for a new client. Once this program is started, I can always make some minor changes as I see appropriate. I use this new training plan for 4-6 weeks. I want a client to get comfortable with each exercise and be able to progressively overload (add more weight or reps) their body before changing the program significantly. While variety can be good, a good program makes only subtle changes (you were choosing the best exercises, so some exercises will be done for a long, long time).

How much weight, how many reps, how many sets, how often, and how much rest are other important variables that will have to be addressed in separate posts.

Slow-Motion Video Analysis of the Kettlebell Snatch Technique

2011-02-20T23:23:00.001-05:00
I have been meaning to do this for a while. I finally got a video editing app this weekend to jazz up my videos. After playing with this for several hours this weekend, I put together this video on the kettlebell snatch. I teach many clients this technique. I try to keep the cuing simple, so not to overload clients. I have narrowed it down to four steps and slowed down the video to demonstrate each one. Each step should be mastered before you go onto the next. After much practice, it will all come together and you can go by feel. Then you can try my 3:00 kettlebell snatch challenge!

Some Of My Training

2011-02-20T00:43:00.002-05:00

3:00 Kettlebell Snatch Challenge

2011-02-19T11:49:00.000-05:00
We all need goals and challenges to keep us motivated. As I mentioned before, losing weight may be a goal of yours, but it should be a secondary goal to getting stronger, moving better, and improving your fitness. An appropriate and consistent strength and conditioning program provides a good stimulus to lose body fat (and/or improve lean body mass) when you have you have a nutritious diet of whole, unprocessed foods.

Most of my clients have been working on the Spring Break-Out training program. Included in this program is the 3:00 kettlebell snatch challenge; my scaled back version of the 10:00 Secret Service Snatch Test. Over the last six weeks, clients have been refining their technique and building the strength and endurance they need to compete in this challenge. The challenge is to snatch (lift) an appropriate sized kettlebell for as many reps as possible in 3:00 (as Bruce is doing in the video below).

My 3:00 Kettlebell Snatch Challenge rules:

Choose any size kettlebell that they feel comfortable with (8, 10, 12, 14,16, 18, 20, or 22kg).
Your score is the total weight (kg) lifted in 3:00 (weight x reps).
You start with your non-dominant arm and switch to your dominant arm once, at 1:30.
The kettlebell must move through a full range of motion (from between your knees to above your head with the arm at or behind your ear).
Chalk and gloves are permissible.
Ratings:

Level 1: Men 500 kg, Women 400 kg

Level 2: Men 750 kg, Women 550 kg

Level 3: Men 1000 kg, Women 700 kg

Level 4: Men 1250 kg, Women 850 kg

Level 5: Men 1500 kg, Women 1000 kg

Rating Strength Levels for Women: Squat, Press, and Pull-Up

2011-02-08T17:34:00.000-05:00

Strength is a fundamental quality for all movement. Greater strength allows you to perform those movements easier, as you are working at a lower percent of your maximum strength. Simple enough. However, strength is often overlooked, especially with women. Sure, many women, exercise; and, often with activities that are thought to build strength- yoga, Pilate's, body sculpting, etc. However, the reality is that very, very few women are actually strong or even train to actually build strength.
I work with numerous females of all ages and of various backgrounds. Some are sedentary, some are life-long exercisers. Again, very few are strong.

Many will ask, "what do you consider strong?" That is a very good question. We do need a way to quantify strength. Strength is maximum force output. Strength can be evaluated in many ways. In rehab, manual muscle testing is an assessment technique where muscle groups can be tested by having a therapist apply force to a limb with his hands. But, often it is very focused, such as on a single joint. While this information can be very useful during rehab (and for beginners in a fitness program), often force output, or strength is via multiple joints. That is, multiple joints and muscles come into play during movements. This is a more practical evaluation of strength in healthy individuals. While there are many basic movements or when free weights are used, basic lifts. Recently, many clients have been focusing on a few. I often cycle the lifts we focus on for maximal strength. During the current cycle, our focus is the barbell back squat, the standing overhead barbell press, and the pull-up. I make it simple for my female clients to get strong: learn the proper technique, focus on these three lifts, and gradually add weight to the bar. It is pretty impressive what many of these women are able to achieve with consistent training and encouragement.

After supervising lots and lots of female clients training these lifts, I have been able to get a good idea how to rate female's strength levels (none are elite level athletes, but many are recreation athletes or fitness enthusiasts). While there is a lot of variability in body size, most women don't have a lot of strength, especially in the upper body. Interestingly, some of my strongest women clients are the smallest and leanest.

Back Squat (to a parallel thigh level):
Level 1: 65 lb
Level 2: 95 lb
Level 3: 135lb
Level 4: 185lb
Level 5: 225lb

Standing Press:
Level 1: 45 lb
Level 2: 60 lb
Level 3: 80 lb
Level 4: 95 lb
Level 5: 110 lb

Pull-Up (palms facing away, aka prone grip):
Level 1: 80lb *
Level 2: 110 lb *
Level 3: 130 lb *
Level 4: 150lb *
Level 5: 170 lb *

* This weight equals the effective or net body weight lifted, that is body weight minus (with band assistance), or plus (external resistance, i.e. weight plate).

These ratings will help you quantify your strength with these basic lifts. Most females will start at or below level 1. Level 2 is attainable with a few months of training, while level 3 and 4 may take a year or many years. But, simply moving to level 2 moves you, most likely, to the 90th percentile of all women. Where do you rate?

Things That Make You Go Hmmm....and Ouch!

2011-02-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

One of my pet peeves, as a trainer, is the total disregard for proper exercise technique and inappropriate exercises selection. This is why people pay me big bucks (a relative term). And, this is what they would expect out their trainer. It is understandable if a gym member doesn't have good technique or that they are doing an inappropriate exercise, but a trained professional should know better.....right?

Last week I watched in horror as a gym "trainer" was having a brand new client, a women in her late 50's, perform a set of split squat jumps (starting in a lunge position and jumping up and landing back in a lunge position with the feet in the opposite position). Later, I found out he was 21 years old and really didn't have any experience training anyone besides himself.

Then, the other night I turned on the Biggest Loser while I was painting. We all know that the contestants on this show are severely obese and in poor physical condition. With that known, the trainers still make these clients run, jump, box, and attempt to do some strength training exercises, all with less than desirable technique to rapidly drop body weight. Jillian Michaels was training a female client, who had herniated/ruptured three lumbar disc several years ago, which didn't allow her to be active (she was a former athlete). Jillian felt that this girl was not working out with enough intensity and this contestant apprehension was due to her concern for her back (which is very understandable). So, Jillian had her perform a gymnastics's back bend (cringe) to show her that her back was healthy enough to workout harder!

I work with a lot of clients with a history of low back injury and pain. I can induce back pain with something as simple as a push-up (but don't). A back bend is one of the most stressful exercises you can do for your lumbar spine. The pressure on the lumbar discs (in the position this girl is in) is off the charts. A loaded ,extreme-bending of the lumbar spine should be avoided (to the untrained eye, you may not notice from this picture, but the majority of the spinal extension in is the lumbar spine. This girl does not have much flexibility in her hips to hyper-extend them. Also, she doesn't have much flexibility in her thoracic spine to extend there and lessen the hyper-extension of the lumbar spine).

One of the foremost researchers in spine biomechanics, Stuart McGill, has written several books on this topic. I am guessing Jillian has never read any of them. If she did, she would have learned that maintaining a neutral spine is critical. He recommends, starting with easy, basic spine stabilizing exercises. Then progressing to more challenging exercises, but still maintaining a neutral spine. Additionally, hip tightness needs to be addressed to allow you to maintain an neutral spine.

There are many better exercises to strengthen and improve stability of the lower back. Back bends are not one of them. Exercises like Bird Dogs, Planks, and Farmer's Walk are a good place to start. From there, more challenging exercises can be pursued, but not at the expense of spine stability.

Obesity: Conventional Wisdom Trumps Science, Again.

2011-01-27T12:50:00.001-05:00

This month's issue of Scientific American has an interesting cover story titled: Scaling Back Obesity- What Science Says About Losing Weight and Keeping It Off. When I got my edition in the mail the other day, I quickly opened the magazine to the article and read it. And I was very disappointed.
Scientific American usually has well-written, interesting articles by experts in their respective fields. This article, being the cover article and all, fell very short of my expectations. While the biology, especially, the molecular biology of obesity is very complex, I was very disappointed that the author, David Freedman, quickly glossed over the physiology to spend the remainder of the article discussing behavior modification and promoting Weight Watchers. I thought I was reading Time magazine, not Scientific American.

Most, including Freedman, are sold on the idea that obesity is simply taking in more calories than you burn, and weight loss is simply burning more calories than you take in.  That is, the first law of thermodynamics (conservation of energy) can not be violated. But, if you look at the research, the results show a great variability in amount and rate of weight loss with nutrition interventions.  And over the long-term, very little success. Instead of trying to reason that the subjects cheated, perhaps it is time to reevaluate the idea that excessive calories causes weight gain, and caloric restriction causes weight loss. Instead, and what I would have liked to see in this article, is what factors regulate storage of fat in fat cells. Because it is not all simply excessive energy. There is much support for that. The key factor missing in the conservation of energy argument is the neuro-hormonal regulation of energy. The human body is not a closed, isolated system (the requirements for the first law of thermodynamics). And stored energy (fat) can only be used for energy if it is released from the fat cells (hormonal control). This is the important science that we have bits and pieces of, but wished were explored more in this article. Energy regulation in the human body, we know, is much more complex than simply calories in vs. calories out.

There are so many examples of this complex neuro-hormonal regulation. Puberty in boys is a great example. Although, nutrition intake can influence lean muscle mass and fat mass composition change to some extent during puberty, ultimate regulation is under hormonal control. Without changing anything, a boy can gain a significant amount of muscle mass and lose a significant amount of body fat during puberty. Interestingly, the hormonal changes cause an increase in appetite. The increase in calories intake does not cause the changes in body composition. But, if you use the obesity logic, you would conclude that the increased calorie consumption caused the dramatic change in body composition.

Insulin therapy in new diabetics is another lucid example of the the central role hormones play in fat storage and use. Just about all diabetics gain body fat after they start insulin therapy. Why? Well, now the blood glucose can be signaled to be stored in the body fat as opposed to staying in the blood or spill into the urine, even without dietary changes.

There are many other examples of the critical role of hormones in the regulation of body fat that shouldn't be ignored. Body fatness is correlated with less sleep, refined carbohydrate intake or glycemic level, and cortico-steroid therapy.   Additionally, strength training is rarely recommended as an inexpensive, efficient, and safe treatment for obesity, though it has a profound effect on the hormonal regulation of energy stores in the body.

These and many more examples should be enough to encourage us to use science to look beyond the calories in vs. calories out theory. Nutrition science, like physics and chemistry research should be rigorously challenged, not simply accepted on face value because it is simple. This was a great opportunity for SA to take the next step and delve more deeply into the complex biology of obesity and energy regulation. Only with this knowledge can our education and behavior modification programs be even more successful.

Power Is Nothing Without Control: The Art of the Overhead Press

2011-01-23T22:52:00.000-05:00
The overhead press is often performed incorrectly because of the high-degree of shoulder stability and mobility required. Improper technique not only leads to poor performance, but also shoulder joint misalignment and pain. However, performed correctly, the overhead press is great for developing stable, strong and healthy shoulders. In the video, notice how my body remains straight (no arching back) and the bar travels close to my center of gravity. You will also notice how much range of motion my shoulder blades have to complete. It is helpful to move slowly and focus on stabilizing the torso and upwardly-rotating the shoulder blades.

The deltoid, the most prominent and powerful shoulder muscle, does play a major role in the overhead press. But, since the shoulder is a fairly unstable joint, the pull of the deltoid needs to be balanced out by many, smaller muscles. Several other muscles that upwardly rotate the shoulder also need to function properly. Combined together, they allow the arm to move a full 180 degrees of motion.

In most people, the deltoid, pectoralis, and upper trapezius muscles are dominant, while many of the muscles that balance these muscles are weak (especially the ones that pull the shoulder blade down, and upwardly rotate it).. Commonly, this will be evident in poor posture at rest. And even more evident when the arms attempt to press overhead.

To press overhead properly, a trainee needs to understand proper shoulder mechanics in order to control the shoulder joint and shoulder blades. They also probably need more work to strengthen the shoulder stabilizer muscles. I regularly use a couple exercises that work well for this: the Inclined Scarecrow and the Inclined Stick Press (see video). These exercises work well, because they are able to challenge the shoulder stabilizers more than the shoulder prime movers (deltoid). Also, I am able to cue clients to lock the shoulder blades back by "puffing their chests out", and "bend the stick around your head like you are bending it against your forehead." These coaching cues help the client to activate the proper muscles and add stability to their overhead press.

If The Bar Ain't Bending, Then You Are Just Pretending

2011-01-16T19:04:00.002-05:00
I love this saying. It may be viewed as some testosterone-fueled powerlifter mantra, but I think it is very simple and profound for anyone wanting to derive the extensive benefits of strength training.

Strength training is the process of
gradually and progressively overloading the musculoskeletal system to increase muscular strength. It is as simple and straight-forward as that. Though, I see the majority of people in the gym, especially females, not gradually and progressively overloading their musculoskeletal systems and not getting stronger.

It is very easy to see whether your training is working or not; you get stronger. You can gradually add more weight to the bar. As simple of a concept that may be, so many people don't improve their strength much at all.

Most people I see in the gym are not getting significantly stronger with their training. Here are three common reasons:

1. Failing To Progresively Overload: You need an appropriate, progressive stimulus to increase strength. Whether you don't know that principle, simply just neglect it, or have poor technique, you will never give your body the stimulus to build significant strength without a gradual, consistent, progressive overload.

2. Exercises and Techniques Used Don't Allow You To Adequately Load Your Muscles: Today, many trendy exercises are used for strength training, such as unstable surfaces (Bosu ball). While these exercises may be challenging to perform, they also severely limit safe loading of the target muscles, thus limiting strength-building stimuli.

3. Too Much Stimulus/Too Little Recovery:. If three days per week of lifting provides good results, then five days must provide even better results, right? Wrong. To build strength, you need an adequate training stimuli, but your body needs to also recover or you will be chronically sore and never build much strength A lot of people who love to workout and are at the gym everyday (overall, a small minority) fall into this category. While the excessive strength training may help keep body fat levels low, it will also keep strength levels low.

If you want to receive the well-documented, positive effects of strength training, then you have to actually train to get stronger. Gradually, progressively overload the bar so it starts bending, or you are simply pretending to be strength training!

Disregarding Proper Joint Function and Stability

2011-01-13T18:32:00.001-05:00
I have been lifting weights for 17 years and playing sports my whole life. I can honestly say that all of my joints feel great, now. That wasn't always true. In fact, earlier in my life, I endured a plethora of injuries, including: a torn rotator cuff, a fractured arm, a torn hamstring, sprained ankle, sprained foot ligaments, a dislocated sacroilliac joint, and a broken tooth to name a few. While most of these came during sports, some were from inappropriate training.

In the last several years of working with clients, I have developed a great appreciation of just how many ways the human body can become dysfunctional. It is so prevalent that joint pain is the norm and expected. But joint pain is not normal and exercise training should not cause or increase joint pain. Proper training should alleviate joint pain and enhance joint function. Thus, helping you reduce your risk of joint injury in the future.

Healthy joints are critical to be able to enjoy the benefits of regular exercise training and maintain a vigorous functional capacity. Yet, this fundamental principle is so often disregarded in the gym, even among so-called fitness professionals.

A client of mine, who had moved out of state last year, unfortunately learned the importance of proper technique and joint stability. While following a training program I put together for her (and taught her proper technique), a "trainer" from the commercial gym she was training at approached her. He offered her a free 30-minute training session. She reluctantly agreed, though, probably thinking some extra guidance and motivation would be helpful. What followed is unfortunately a big issue in the fitness injury; a blatant disregard for proper technique and joint stability/function.

My client ended up hurting her knee by doing a bunch a random exercises of which she was not very familiar. He was trying to impress her by taking her through a tough workout and make her tired, sweaty, and sore. He accomplished that, but the soreness is due to a torn meniscus in her knee.

Learning proper joint biomechanics and exercise technique is essential for your joint health. Don't make the mistake of glossing over this principle just to burn a few extra calories or to get a harder workout. A good rule of thumb is develop proper technique before training for strength, and devolop strength before training for endurance/competition.

Spring Break-Out Challenge

2011-01-10T21:50:00.001-05:00
This week we start training for a new strength challenge, The Spring Break-Out, which will take place March 7 & 8, 2011. This new challenge comes on the heels the Festivus Feats of Strength, which wrapped up on December 23rd, and was a huge success. The Spring Break-Out is another challenge to motivate and keep clients focused during the winter's months.

The Spring Break-Out Challenge will consist of three strength exercises and one strength-endurance. The strength exercises include: the barbell back squat-

The barbell overhead press-

and the prone (true) pull-up-

The goal is to lift the maximal amount of weight that can be lifted one time with proper technique.

The strength-endurance exercise is the 3:00 kettlebell snatch-

The goal is to perform as many reps as possible in 3:00 (1:30 on right, and 1:30 on left arm).

The challenge is set. Now, time to set some new PR's!

The 'Metabolic Sink' and Strength Training

2011-01-05T22:20:00.001-05:00

I was asked a few weeks ago by a client whether she burned any calories while lifting weights. I assured her that she was providing a potent stimulus for her body to burn body fat (at a rate higher than at rest). But, the exact caloric expenditure is difficult to quantify because strength training's (and other types of high-intensity exercise) impact on the regulation of fat and carbohydrate metabolism over the next 24-48 hours. High-intensity strength training (moderate to heavy resistance) stimulates what is known as the metabolic sink .

When a muscle is stimulated to contract against a heavy resistance, additional, rarely-used muscle fibers are activated to provide more tension in the muscle. These rarely-used (in our daily activities) muscle fibers are very metabolically inefficient and selectively utilize glycogen (stored chains of glucose) stored within the muscle fibers. Not surprising, these fibers don't have a great capacity to resist fatigue and don't endure for very long.

After a high-intensity strength training workout, the enzymes that resynthesize glycogen are extremely active. Additionally, the glucose receptors on these muscle (fiber) cell walls are also very active, thus shuttling in glucose from the blood to be stored as muscle glycogen. The glycogen-depleted muscle fibers act as a sink for glucose to drain out of the blood.

The significance of the metabloic sink is two-fold. First, blood glucose is not available for storage as body fat (even if a meal of high carbohydrate content is consumed for many hours after a workout) as it is being shunted into the recently-worked muscle fibers (especially those rarely-used, inefficient fibers). Second, there is a shift to a greater use of fatty acids for energy in those muscle cells (it takes energy to resynthesis glycogen from glucose or amino acids) and other body tissues.

The high-intensity strength training not only burns extra calories while you are performing the demanding workout, but it also creates a fairly long-lasting shift in energy utilization. This is a big reason why strength training (with proper nutitrition) can cause a significant change in body composition even if it is only perfomed a few times per week and with no other formal exercise. In fact, I have had many female clients decrease their body fat levels by 5-8 percent (that is a 135 lb female can lose 12 pounds of fat and add 6 pounds of muscle in 12 months). Diabetics would also benefit from the metabolic sink created by high-intensity strength training. Unfortunately, it is rarely a recommended option for diabetics to help manage of their disease.

Seven 'Secrets' for Success In Fitness

2010-12-29T23:48:00.001-05:00
It is that time of year where millions of Americans will congregate to their local gyms and make another attempt to reach their fitness goals. I have already received notices about diets and the latest killer bootcamps on Facebook. What will be the difference-maker this year? A different gym? P90X? Nutrisystem? A new supplement? A treadmill? My guess is, in six months, nothing. I rarely get a new client the first few weeks of January that I even see in the gym in June, and the majority of my clients have been with me for years. The numbers support my assertion. Almost all of these people will not achieve any significant, long-term changes even with all the gyms, gizmos, and gurus out there.

In spite of these grim numbers, there are still many people who get it and do reach long-term goals. While they are the minority, I have worked with many. From my experience, the secret is the appropriate mind-set. I have found seven common traits that these successful people possess. Conveniently, they all start with 'P'. The best advice I can give you is to forget all of what you have heard and read in the media regarding fitness and take these seven 'P' traits to heart. They are what I preach to my clients and we all need to read and reread periodically.

1. Plan: A good plan or training program is the roadmap that will guide you. I am surprised by how few people have an appropriate, personalized plan that addresses physical deficits and moves you toward your goals. Or their plan is to "lose weight", or "'get in shape." Sorry, those are very vague and definitely are not a solid, detailed plan.

2. Prioritize: We all have a finite amount of time to get thinks done in our week. If we add two or three regular training sessions to our schedule, then something else has to go. You have to be willing to sacrifice something. Though, most people can find that time by simply cutting three hours of television or internet time per week and never miss it. Some aren't willing and that becomes a problem.

3. Passion: If you need someone to make you exercise or you endure it for the results then you will never keep it up. Do something you enjoy. I have been exercising my entire life and plan to forever because I enjoy it. I look forward to the workouts. I get a lot out of each one. If you aren't passionate or at least enjoy doing it, then you will find any excuse not to do it.

4. Progression: I am amazed by how many novices there are in the gym. Among people who workout regularly, many seem to stay at the same level. It is their "routine". Training is an attempt to improve your body, and progression is an important principle. Simply doing your routine may make you feel better and keep you from going backwards, but it won't get you closer to your goals.

5. Patience: This is a very elusive trait for many. We are all inundated by the media with quick fixes. Don't get sucked into the short-term outcome-oriented trap. Training is a long-term process. Improvement will happen over time, but you must respect the process. Learn to enjoy the process of training and it will become a positive part of your life.

6. Perseverance: If you ever want to get beyond a novice level, you need regular training, though most are always starting over. Keep the training simple, stay focused, and be efficient. The best athletes in the world simply do the basics better and are more consistent than lesser athletes.

7. Positivity: Modern health and fitness is unfortunately driven by negativity and guilt. Often, the catalyst for joining a gym or hiring a trainer is because you are not happy with your body. And we continue to have a negative image of our bodies. We compare ourselves to others and regularly point out our faults. Don't! We all have our issues, but training is the opportunity to be optimistic and positive.

Proper and effective training can transform you physically, mentally, and spiritually. It is powerful enough to be one of the main pillers in your life that you can rely upon. But, it needs to be more than a tally of calories burned or a check box on your to-do list. To derive the full benefits of proper exercise training and to reach your fitness goals, you need the appropriate mind-set. Start with these seven 'secrets'.

Best of 2010

2010-12-22T17:44:00.000-05:00
As 2010 comes to an end I just wanted thank all of you for taking time to read my blog posts and comment. This year has been a very fun and successful year for me. I enjoy writing these blog posts because it challenges me to read, understand, learn, synthesize, and hopefully put my thoughts down on these topics in a somewhat interesting format. So much of what we read about health, performance, and fitness (especially on the internet) is the same information that has been passed around for the last couple decades. Much of it has not been validated scientifically or has been written by someone with little to no experience actually working with clients on a daily basis. I like to think that my posts critically reevaluate everything with a skeptical eye. I am not satisfied with the status quo. I am always striving for a better understanding and therefore providing better information for my clients and readers.

Over the past year I have written 127 blog posts. I have picked what I feel are the 10 best posts (in no particular order). So, here they are:

Have You Ever Seen A Dog Stretch His Hamstrings? A New Perspective In Exercise Training: In this post I argue that we shouldn't look at exercise as cardio or strength training, but simply neuromuscular facilitation of movement.
You May Need To Change Your Mindset...: A funny look at people that just don't get it in fitness.
Fat Loss Time Management Hierarchy: Losing body fat is not simply just going on a diet. Your entire lifestyle affects your body composition. Learn how to prioritize your life to help you lose body fat.
Effective Running: Pull, Don't Push: My take on ideal running mechanics.
New Exercise Guidelines for Women: The Medical Community Still Doesn't Get It: Exercise research is often very behind what is known by the trainers and coaches working 'in the trenches' every day.
The Exoneration of Bacon: Saturated Fat Is Healthy: Fat-Heart Hypothesis is full of many flaws. More and more research is supporting the fact that fat is not the problem.
Don't Pursue Skinny, Pursue Strong; It Will Accomplish Both: Women are slowly figuring out that strength training is not just for men.
Soda Taxes and Toy-Less Happy Meals, Is This the End Of Obesity...Ha! Health is a personal responsibility. Hilarious video by Bill Burr, too!
Water and Weight Loss: A video presentation of my scientific inquiry into the role of water and weight loss.
Learning How to Load the Hips and the Number "4": Learn one of the most important principles of safe and effective strength training that few people know.

All Calories Are Not Equal

2010-12-19T23:05:00.001-05:00
Counting Calories has been a basic tenet of weight loss for many decades. It is simple bookkeeping and usually works fairly well. However, recently there has been debate whether there is an ideal macronutrient (fat/carb/protein) ratio. While the compositions of diets can vary tremendously, and individual biologies do too, the Caloric measurement, itself, may be somewhat inaccurate. Let me clarify that. The Caloric measurement is very accurate outside the body (in a closed, laboratory calorimeter). However, inside our bodies not all Calories are equal.
There are three reasons why:

1. Thermodynamics- I am sure this is not the most fascinating topic for you, in fact, some of your eyes are starting to glaze over just at the sight of that dreaded chemistry term. But, I will explain in plain English. You are not a calorimeter; the energy exchange in the body is not 100% efficient. In fact, biochemistry is driven by a decrease in energy states. All you need to know is a Calorie outside the body does not always provide the same amount when metabolized inside the body.

2. Hormonal Regulation of Energy Use- The glycemic load (how much blood sugar rises) and insulin levels are most closely related body fat stores (or gain or loss). Foods that contain sugar and processed carbohydrates (and little fiber) enter the blood rapidly raise insulin levels. Insulin serves as the main regulatory hormone that signals the uptake and storage of glucose, often increasing bodyfat stores more than would be anticipated by excess Calories alone. Diabetics who start insulin therapy are a good example.

3. Metabolic Pathway Efficiency- A regular supply of glucose is vital. Carbohydrates (various types) are very efficiently converted to molecules of glucose. Although, amino acids can be converted to glucose, but at a higher energy cost. Amino acids are not as efficiently converted to glucose. Thus, 4 Calories of carbohydrates may not be equal to 4 Calories of protein.

So what does this all mean? It means that simply counting Calories may help with awareness and bookkeeping, but may not be as accurate in our bodies as it is in the lab. We need to consider the composition of the food and the macronutients. Or simply follow my Food Rules and make it simple!

Interesting Observations from the Feats of Strength Training

2010-12-14T17:31:00.000-05:00
Over the past six and a half weeks, most of my clients have taken part in training for my annual Festivus Feats of Strength Competition. This fun competition will take place on December 23rd. The training gives clients specific and objective goals in a defined time frame just when most people are forgetting about exercise all together (from Nov 1-Dec 23rd). I am very excited and proud of how much progress all of my clients have made, and there is still over a week to go. I wanted to share some interesting observations from, what I consider, a very effective training program and what should be an impressive showing on December 23rd.

1. Technique, Technique, Technique: I spent a lot of time at the beginning of this eight week period really working on clients' techniques. This is important, because the exercises I chose (deadlift, pull-up, push-up, and kettlebell clean and jerk) depend on good technique. I am proud to say that most clients are now pretty solid in their techniques, even with fairly heavy weights. Not only has this kept injuries away, but performance has been taken to a new level because of it.

2. Less is More: Often, training programs can be extremely aggressive and not allow for adequate recovery. With four exercises (which do complement each other) clients were able to train adequately, without over-training. Appropriate training stimulus and maximal training stimulus are often confused. Clients trained two to three times per week for 45 minutes on average. I continue to see a steady improvement over the last six and a half weeks.

3. Goals are Great: Everyone needs goals. More specifically, you need clear, objective goals with a definitive time frame to motivate you. Going to the gym is, as they say, 'better than nothing." But, if you really want to see a significant improvement, you need clear, objective goals with a definitive time frame.

4. Everyone Needs Support: One of my main goals is to create a community among my clients so everyone can derive the support of not just me, but also of many other clients. Thanks to group trainings, interactions in the gym and social media, I have been able to develop a network of support for clients. Often clients will discuss their experience and personal bests with each other, further motivating each other. We all have times when our motivation wanes, but when you have support, you get swept right back into your training without missing a beat.

Give the Gift of Health and Fitness

2010-12-14T16:56:00.000-05:00
Want to share the gift of health and fitness with a friend or loved one? From now until the end of the year, I am offering gift certificates for trainings at 25% off the regular price.

Contact me for more information at hubbardtrainingsystems@yahoo.com

Is Your Training a Grueling Chore or an Invigorating Passion?

2010-12-06T13:59:00.001-05:00
The other day I had a great conversation with a female client of mine about training. She is an avid runner and is regularly in the gym five to six days per week. She admits that her frequent training is for managing the stress of her busy life, but also fear. She fears that if she doesn't keep her training frequency up, she will surely lose strength and gain body fat.  However, I had to explain to her, that she also was hurting her body. Physically she was suffering chronic injuries, and psychologically she was suffering fear, anxiety, and a lack of self confidence. I tried to explain to her that there was an optimal training stimulus to improve her strength and fitness, and she was beyond that. After all, exercise training is a stress and your body has to be able to recover from that stress. If not, you are not improving your fitness or health (but your weight on the scale may stay down).

She is beginning to understand what I have explained to her and has seen significant improvement with her exercise technique and strength over the last few months.  She is catching on to the message that I am preaching to her. It is very encouraging and I am proud of her. She is enjoying the process and gets so much more out of each session with her new mindset.

This story, though, is not very common in America. Women are constantly encouraged to work out just to lose weight and look better. Check out any one of the many women's fitness or health magazine (like the Women's Health magazine in the picture: Last Minute, 2-Week Plan Summer Shape-Up) and you will see that the majority of the articles are about losing weight, burning fat, and looking better. Skinnier is better (even if you have to lose muscle and bone in the process). That is the message that is constantly broadcast to women. Unfortunately, this guilt for not looking like a magazine cover-model is the driving force for women to walk into a gym.

This obsession with weighing as little as possible and essentially striving to become anorexic affects millions of women. Exercise training is viewed solely for its metabolic effects on the body. Horrible shows like NBC's The Biggest Loser perpetuate this nonsense.  Never do you see an article such as "How to Improve Your SquatTtechnique" or "Pull-Up Progression and Variations." Women are rarely encouraged to learn solid training techniques, get stronger, and build better conditioning (all of which burn lots of Calories).

I never have weight loss challenges for my clients. It is the wrong incentive and the wrong motivator. In fact, currently, most of my female clients are training to compete (mainly to improve their personal best) in the pull-ups, weighted push-ups, deadlift, and kettlebell clean and jerk (as part of my annual HTS Festivus Feats of Strength on Dec 23). They have developed good technique and have been getting stronger with those exercises. Getting stronger has been their focus and motivator. Not burning Calories and losing weight. Interestingly, the women who buy into my philosophy do lose significant body fat without that being their primary motivator. More impressive, though, are the compliments from other gym members about how strong, fit, and lean these female clients have become. And most gratifying for me is to hear from my clients about how great they feel and how much they love the training itself. I regularly have clients asking me if they can add more weight to the bar!

If you have been frustrated by following the conventional fitness advice pedelled to women from many popular media sources and feel like a slave to the number on the scale, you have alternatives. You can ditch the scale and train to get stronger and improve your fitness. You can get off the elliptical trainer, pick up an Olympic barbell or kettlebell. Your training session can be about improving your strength, power, endurance, and performance. Not about how many Calories you can burn in 30 minutes. Fitness is for life, not just until you drop those 10 pounds. Training should be a positive and long-term endeavor.  Training should be about bettering yourself, enjoying the thrill of setting a new personal record, and looking forward to your next training session!

Food Rules Live: Fat and Carbohydrate Metabolism Basics

2010-12-01T18:09:00.000-05:00
In this Food Rules Live session I discuss the basics of fat and carbohydrate metabolism. While the science can get extremely complex, I want to simplify and review the basics. In the video, below, I discuss metabolic flexibility. That is, our bodies are capable of shifting between fat and carbohydrate utilization as a main energy source, depending on the state of our bodies. An understanding of basic human energy metabolism is important to provide context when discussing diet, fat loss, and performance.

Essay Winner

2010-11-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Sheryl, the winner of "Why I Enjoy Exercise Training" short essay contest. She wins a Hubbard Training Systems T-shirt and all the fame and fortune that comes along with winning this contest. I think she gets a very important point across; she enjoys the process. Consequently, the results follow consistent training.

Here is her essay:

When I first went to sign up for training with a personal trainer, weight loss was not my goal. Laziness was my motivator. I could feel the effects of "getting older" every morning. I had never worked out, ran, or exercised in any form. I set a personal goal to be "in better shape" by my 50th birthday, having absolutely no tangible idea of what that might look like or necessarily mean. But it sounded good, sounded right. Right?

A year and a half later, it meant that I would be stronger than ever. It meant I would feel healthy. It meant getting up at 5:30 2-3 days a week would be enjoyable. It meant being able to dead lift my body weight (which coincidentally is down 10 lbs) and performing one pull up (without bands) would dictate my thoughts and become my goals. It meant I would be buying equipment and warming up at home to maximize my workout time with Dan.

At no time was this more apparent than when I had to take off a month or so due to a change in my work schedule. I was miserable. It became obvious that I now NEED to work out for my physical AND emotional well-being. I've been inspired to change my eating habits and have influenced my children to do the same. And I've enjoyed every minute of it. It's so cliche, but strength training has completely changed my life and 50 is looking pretty good!

Food Rules Live: Strategies to Help You Enjoy Thanksgiving Dinner and Feel Good About Yourself

2010-11-17T11:37:00.001-05:00
With Thanksgiving coming up next week, I thought it would be timely to discuss strategies to enjoy your Thanksgiving without becoming a gluttonous pig. Thanksgiving usually is the springboard for many Americans to begin their six-week gorge, fattening themselves like a squirrel preparing for hibernation. But, it doesn't have to be that way. Whether you are hosting 15 out-of-town guests or just attending yourself, there are a few strategies that you can employ to not only make Thanksgiving more enjoyable, but also leave you feeling good about yourself.

My Food Rules are a set of five steps to help guide you to choose healthy food, keep you nourished, and keep you satisfied without resorting to Calorie-counting, obsessing, or binging. They are self-regulating. They can be applied anytime you feel hungry, including for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving, though, has become more than a meal. It has become an all-day eating event. It has become an excuse to eat, and eat, and eat some more. Thanksgiving dinner becomes and all-you-can eat buffet, so an effective strategy to enjoy it is warranted.

My strategy is simple. Take a cue from fine, upscale restaurants. Instead of sheer volume of food, make the focus on quality, presentation, environment, and company with your dinner. Most dinners are more a buffet-style. In that case, pick a (hopefully small plate, if you have that option), and prepare your plate like you would find in a fancy, up-scale restaurant. If turkey is the main food you are eating (if you are a vegetarian, it may be something else), set it on a bed of vegetables (sweet potato, squash, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and other traditional Thanksgiving vegetables). Don't pile your plate full of large scoops of various foods like an all-you-can-eat buffet. Complete the presentation by adding gravy and cranberries. Make your plate look appealing, like the Fillet Mignon below. Eat slowly, putting your fork down with each bite. Drink water before and during your meal (even if you have another beverage, too). You will be surprised that you most likely will feel full and won't want to eat more after you eat that entree.

After the main entree, leave the table. Go for a short walk, do an activity, or just socialize in another room. Allow yourself to enjoy a small piece of dessert. Again, drink your water before and during the dessert (even if you have another beverage). Remember, the first few bites of the desert taste the best. After that, more dessert never tastes or pleases you as much as the first few bites.

These strategies will allow you to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner without overeating or gorging yourself. The food is one part of Thanksgiving and it should be enjoyed. But, the presentation of the food, the warm environment of friends and family, and socialization complete this holiday. Be thankful for what you have, enjoy your time, and feel good about yourself this Thanksgiving with these simple strategies!