Infusing Some Fun Into Your Training

I can be a little anal and compulsive about proper exercise training.  I am a big advocate of properly assessing a client, spending time to teach proper technique, critically evaluating a client's progress, appropriately progressing exercises, cycling rest, etc. Doing all of this has ensured that clients get the best possible training, and they know it.  They appreciate it.  But, I do know that as much as I love the science and the application of all this, it still needs to be fun.  Fun and laughing should be a big part of everyone's life.  We have enough to worry about.  We need the physical and mental relief from the everyday stressors.  Exercise training can be a great way of doing it.

Recently, I was able to change up my Thursday evening group training in the park by adding a fun little toy.  I the past we have done (and still do) kettlebell throwing, frisbee interval games, sledgehammer training, tire pulling, and others.  They are fun (well, different).  Add the HTS Slosh Pipe (see picture below).  This is a five foot long, four inch diameter PVC pipe filled 2/3 full with water.  It only weighs like 25 pounds, but when held horizontal, the water is constantly sloshing back and forth, making basic exercises extremely challenging.  Every muscle needs to work harder to stabilize you as the momentum of the water shakes you from side to side.  Like a giant shake weight!  Only much more effective. 



Simply walking with the slosh pipe with a Zercher carry is hard.


Pressing is also very hard.



Walking Lunges are extremely taxing.  A few clients couldn't even complete 25' of walking lunges with the Slosh Pipe.



Don't be afraid to infuse some fun into your training (Can't you see how much fun these clients are having)!

Summer Fun: Passion Iced Tea and Outdoor Training

Summer is here. One of my favorite summer-time drink is iced tea. Starbucks offers a few different varieties, like iced green, white, and passion tea. They are good, but pretty pricey if you are gulping down a quart or two on a hot, summer day. I started making my own with Tazo passion tea (caffeine free). It is pretty easy and very cheap to make ($0.05 per 16 oz vs. $2.50 at Starbucks). Simply bring 1.5 quarts of water close to boil, turn off heat and add three tea bags to steep for three minutes. Put two trays of ice cubes in a large pitcher and pour tea over cubes in the pitcher. Refrigerate for a little before enjoying with some ice in a glass.























Summer means more outdoor training, too. While I love my barbell, squat racks, and cable column, I also love being outside in a natural setting with the sun and breezes. Also, the outdoor training (as my clients will attest) means lot of room move around. Today I performed a simple circuit with one kettlebell and the tire sled. Oh, and one kid for added resistance. These are some of the fun things my clients get to partake in during my weekly outdoor group training sessions.

Here I am sprinting with 70 pounds of resistance- great for building hip extension strength and power.

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the men and women who have and who continue to serve our country, including my late grandfather and WWII Purple Heart recipiant Charles Zajac.

At the Triathlon Sunday

Sunday was the Carmel Swim Club Sprint Triathlon. Two of my clients, Liz and Maggie, competed in it. They both did a great job! I must say, they had better running mechanics than the majority of competitors.











A few other observations:

•One person was wearing some Vibram Five Fingers. He was easy to pick out because of his neutral/forefoot strike versus most other's heel strike.



•Bike riding (or just sitting on your butt) really minimizes posterior hip (glutes and hamstring) activity, and also tightens up the quads and hip flexors. This results in some awkward running mechanics.



(Maybe she should have done a little lunging and single-leg bounds prior to her run?)






(This is better hip mechanics)

•Apparently drivers over the age 70 either don't notice or care about orange cones or flashing blue lights! Three cars, driven by 70+ year olds, ignored the cones and lights and simply drove through the middle of the coarse while I was watching! Luckily, they didn't hit anyone.

My Daily Commute To Work at 22 km/hr

Now that the warm weather is here, finally, I can spend much less time in traffic and more time on my bike. Nothing like being out in the fresh air and sunshine! Here are some pictures of my 5 kilometer commute home, today.

Group Training in the Park...Returning Soon!

It feels like it has been winter forever. But, now it is finally March. As the weather warms up, I will resume outdoor group training. Hopefully we can be outside in the next four to six weeks.
If you didn't get to participate last year, the outdoor group training is awesome! The fresh air and sunshine make the gym feel like such a sterile environment. There is something primal about being able to train outside. Being able to throw kettlebells around, drag the tire sled, and swing the sledgehammer!

I will post more details soon.