Monthly Archives: October 2014

Good Fitness Reads forthe Week (10/12/2014)

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Time to catch up on some fitness reading.

This week’s edition will catch you up to speed with strength tips and articles by myself and others.

Enjoy!

Strength Tips

Monday

*Be open-minded.

We often pigeonhole ourselves into one camp, one school of thought. We get in the habit of believing there is only one way to do things.

One program to get strong, one diet for results, one way to squat and deadlift, etc.

There are many programs you can do to get strong and plenty of diets that work.

The best approach depends on the individual, your goals and what you can adhere to.

If you are close-minded you might be excluding the optimal approach. Be open to exploring all the options so you can find the one that best suits you.

Tuesday

*Quick bench tip.

Grip the bar tight!

Seems really simple and obvious…

It is!

But we all forget to do it. We grip it just tight enough.

Grip it tight into your thumb and as hard as you possibly can. Melt the bar between your fingers.

There’s a variety of advantages to gripping the bar tight and it might be the simplest and easiest thing you can do to add pounds to your bench.

Wednesday

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

Pick weights you know you will hit.

[Sets x Reps]

1) Squat 4 X 5 @ 70-75%
2) 3 count High Bar Paused Squat 2 X 5
3a) RFESS 3 X 8
3b) Reverse Crunch 3 X 10

Thursday

*Keep things simple.

Making rounds on squat day telling people they are bilaterally extended is confusing to clients.

Using terms they don’t understand confuses them and makes them self-conscious. Instead, use cues anyone can understand.

Don’t only point out the mistake, help find the solution. In this instance, start with coaching how to brace properly. Squeeze your glutes together, pull your rib into your belt buckle, breath into your back, flex your abs, stand tall.

“Dorsiflex your ankle” to an intimidated day-one client isn’t very helpful. Try to limit stress and make it easy to learn, point your toe to your knee.

Understand your clientele and how to address them. Help people find the solution in the simplest way possible.

Friday

“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

Article(s) by Adam

3 Tips for a Bigger Deadlift             

Recommended Reading

1)      The barefoot running craze: Bogus fad or brilliant way to achieve health? via mc schraefel

2)      Are Squats All You Need to Maximize Hamstrings Development? via Brad Schoenfeld

3)      Does Leg and Hip Asymmetry Need to Be ‘Corrected’? via Nick Ng

4)      Widening the Aerobic Window via Mike Robertson

5)      Skyrocket Your Client Retention Rate by Optimizing “Activation” via Dick Talens

6)      My Muscle Principles via Bryan Krahn

7)      My Concern with Kettlebell Enthusiast Fitness Professionals via Nick Tumminello

8)      Are internal cues useful? via Chris Beardsley

9)      I’m a Nutrition Coach, but I Refuse to Tell You (Exactly) What to Eat via Jen Comas Keck

10)  The Education of a Powerlifter, Part I via Dave Tate

11)  Blood sugar management: What your doctor doesn’t know about glucose testing. via Bryan Walsh

12)  Is Perfect Form Actually Important? via Joy Victoria

13)  How to Program Loaded Carries via Tony Gentilcore

14)  3 Simple Tips to Make Your Client Feel Like a Million Bucks: A Lesson in Self Efficacy via Jordan Syatt

Can eating too much protein be bad for you?

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Good Fitness Reads for the Week (10/5/2014)

 I hope you are enjoying your weekend! Time to catch up on some fitness reading.

This week’s edition will catch you up to speed with strength tips and articles by myself and others.

 Enjoy!

 Monday

*Variety in your training can be beneficial. It’s good to vary your volume, intensity, rep ranges, etc.

We tend to get caught up in extremes:, never doing the big three lifts, only doing the big three lifts, always chasing one rep maxes, too much accessory work, no accessory work, endless amounts of warming up, doing no warm-up, etc.

The answer often lies somewhere in the middle.

Tuesday

 *Quick tip for staying tight and upright during a squat.

Your upper body should be try to go up the whole time during a squat. Whether you are going up or you’re descending, your upper body is driving into the bar trying to go up.

Brace and get tall into the bar. Drive your upper back as hard as you can into the bar!

Try to break the bar over you back, pull the bar in tight and pull your elbows to your lats. While doing this, pull your chin and your upper back through the bar.

This will make the weight feel lighter and create a tremendous amount of tension allowing you to stay extremely tight and upright during the squat.

Wednesday

*Today’s sample upper body [bench emphasis] workout. All you need is a barbell, a rack, weights and a bench.

Pick weights you know you will hit!

[Sets x Reps]

1. Bench Press 4 X 4
2. Paused bench 2 X 5
3. CGBP 1 X 12
4. Barbell rows 3 X 6
5a. Inverted rows 3 X 12
5b. Barbell Curls 3 X 10

Thursday

*Have a routine for success.

Mental preparation is a huge part of being successful. If you want to go into the gym and hit PR’s, get in the habit of doing things you know will aid your success.

Get enough sleep the night before.

Eat the pre-workout meal you really like.

Listen to the playlist that gets you fired up.

Wear the shirt that makes you look jacked.

Everyone has their own positive habits that when performed enable them to be successful.

These habits will make you more confident and set you up on the path to success. Start your routine that sets you up for success!

Friday

“A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others.”

Article(s) by Adam

4 Tips You Need to Know for a Bigger Bench Press

Recommended Reading

1)      Are You a G.A.M.E.R via Joe DeFranco

2)      The Alactic System Revisited via Mike Perry

3)      Do I need to eat six times a day to keep my metabolism high? via Examine.com

4)      The Best Lesson You’ll Ever Learn via Dan John

5)      Fear Mongering Nutrition Advice via James Fell

6)      Fundamental Principles Versus Minor Details via Lyle McDonald

7)      Long, Lean Muscles: Oh, the Irony via Bret Contreras

8)      5 Things We Can All Learn from Derek Jeter via Mike Reinold

9)      What is the fiber type of different muscle groups? via Chris Beardsley

10)  How Top Fitness Pro’s Coach Leg Position on Pull-ups via Travis Pollen

11)  Cueing Posterior Pelvic Tilt When Squatting and Deadlifting? Have I Gone Mad? via Tony Gentilcore

12)  How Can Pitchers Ever Be “Elite” If They Take Time Off from Throwing? via Eric Cressey

13)  The Lack of Time Excuse via Ross Enamait

14)  Clean Your Plate Syndrome via Sohee Lee

15)  5 Thoughts on Sprinting via Mike Robertson

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