Aren’t you…?

Aren’t you…

A little small to be Powerlifting? No, weight classes exist for a reason.

A little old to be concerned about aesthetics? No, and I don’t train specifically as a bodybuilder.

A little too big (or a little too fat) to be doing calisthenics? Nobody told me there were weight limits.

A little too rough around the edges to be training movement flows? No, and over time I gain a wee bit o’smoothness.

A little too old to be trying Strongman lifts? No, and I’m not afraid of looking crazy either.

 

I’ve found the answer “GFY” works well for all the above when I’m not feeling particularly verbose.

In too many cases to be considered a coincidence, the person asking the “Aren’t you” question is the “too” and possibly can’t handle the idea of someone doing otherwise.  

That said, GFY isn’t necessarily the best answer to give, so my second best short-answer is “because I enjoy having the capability to them.” 

What I do isn’t for everyone, nor is what they do right for me. 

A short set of equations learned from Functional Anatomy Seminars

LOAD > CAPACITY = INJURY

LOAD > CAPACITY = REHABILITATION

CAPACITY >> LOAD = PREVENTION

I look a things in terms of capacity and maintaining a level of capacity as I age. I never considered myself “too” anything. 

I could ask Aren’t you…
Capable of doing more than walking on a treadmill while watching a television set? 

Concerned more about 5+years from now, than 30-60 minutes from now?

Capable of doing any lifts while standing, instead of seated and moving in a pre-determined path?   

…but I wouldn’t ask those questions.  

I have no idea what it took for you to get to that level of capability. It may have been a challenge just to walk into the gym and commit with some regularity.

I would ask, “Aren’t you glad to be here?”

Education

“The shortage of adequately trained strength specialists in local gyms renders the incorrect use of supplementary resistance training as a real possibility for for serious athletes.”  Supertraining 6th Ed (Expanded)

Translation: There are many trainers out there instructing others in methods that they themselves don’t know.  The downside is that the limitations of these trainers may only be obvious to well-qualified and experienced trainers. Degrees,titles or number of letters following a persons name provides no guarantee of their actual quality.

No trainer started off their career perfectly, nor does any know all there is to know.  The good ones grew over time to become what they are today, and many would openly state they are still students and far from where they hope to ascend. This is the importance of continued education, reading broadly, mentorship,asking questions and the practical application of time under load.

100% of my business is through referral from a current athlete, they were a previous athlete or they come to me on the gym floor, often after by being referred by another gym member. My business relies on several key things; (1) Honesty and Transparency (2) Not getting anyone injured (3) Results.

I spend a significant portion of my income addressing #2 and 3, and I always ask myself “How can this be made better?”

Over the past 48hrs I’ve come across an article on a trainer hospitalizing a man after a singular workout (1) and witnessed a feeding frenzy of MLM (Multi-Level Marketing) Personal Trainers trying to recruit a prospect. The former I have linked below, in the latter case, an individual simply asked if an MLM product was an effective business tool or waste of energy.

Interestingly, not one MLM trainer responded to my counter-post showing that when tested by a third-party, the product fails to live up to anecdotes and sales pitches.

FACT: In the online presence of qualified trainers, the MLM trainers typically get roasted when they try peddling their products.

Can an MLM trainer be good? I suppose they could,after all a non-MLM trainer isn’t always good themselves, but I am suspicious of those that are in the sales and recruiting portion of MLM.  To me it is a violation of professional ethics and breeches the typical trainers scope of practice. Its bad when I know details of their product BETTER than they do.

For example, the last sales pitch I received told me that by drinking their special concoction my body would be in near instant ketosis (2).  I asked “How would I know that?”  I was told I could pee on a special urine strip and it would show my level.

FACT: Don’t bring anecdotes to a science fight.

Science problem:  I could take a big dose of  ALA (Alpha Lipoic Acid) and it would render the same results while my blood panels would remain unchanged.  The urine strip would only show I pee’d out what I drank, as once in ketosis my body would be ketones as fuel, and not peeing them out.

If the trainer is strictly a consumer of the product then I’d have no issue.   That said, I believe it has been historically well-established that those who actually know nutrition and have an ability to interpret actual research tend to avoid from MLM products.  The reasons should be crystal clear.

(1) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4680708/Man-sues-Snap-Fitness-personal-trainer-injury.html

(2) http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180858.php

 

 

Control your Marketing

Fall 2012-Late Summer 2013. Location: A popular commercial gym with twenty-two Personal Trainers on staff. Based on memory, I was one of only 5 that was certified.(1)

At its height, my post-rehab (those with joint/muscle related issues) and geriatric clientele (over 60 years old) outnumbered any 8 trainers combined. This lopsided clientele assignment made for some exceptionally challenging days, and nearly caused a loss of skill in working with people without training challenges.

I’m not a Psychiatric Professional, but I am a Psychiatric Amateur and have read more than enough issues of the Fantastic Four to know that professional burnout is a reality that hits people to varying degrees.

burn·out
noun
1. the reduction of a fuel or substance to nothing through use or combustion.
“good carbon burnout”
2. physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress.
“high levels of professionalism that may result in burnout”

I believe some trainers would have simply folded from the daily demands and the stress of training people with pain in certain ranges or low training tolerances.

Marketing Failure 101. I was labelled (and seen) as a post-rehab/geriatric specialist guy. A worse way of looking at things, to the salesman I was an amateur hour Physical Therapist that happened to cost a fraction of the price.

How did things get to that point ?  

I believe there were several contributing factors, but for brevities sake I will say that if you show relative (or comparative) talent in something, which in this case was working with elderly or limited capability clients…basically being able to show empathy and be patient along with making logical exercise choices…then to a salesman you just became “The Guy.” (or Gal as the case might be.) (2)

Although I did complete an entry-level course for Corrective Exercise (NASM CES) I was by no means a specialist in it, much less an “expert.” No training I received truly prepared me to work the sedentary elderly. All I had going for me was the ability to think logically, good research skills with considerable resources and an ability to work with interesting problems.

Although it was interesting work that diversified my skills and happened to be financially lucrative, I cannot say it was the ideal fit for a person with over twenty-years experience in strength and conditioning that primarily worked with younger and more athletic populations.

I failed to accurately market myself, and further I allowed misrepresentation to continue to a point where professional burnout could occur.  

I could shift blame to sales staff all I want,the fact is I failed to see a potential issue before it happened and failed to take control.  Failure is an opportunity to grow.

The outcomes since taking ownership have been positive across the board.

Being fair,despite gaining greater education and practical experience, post-rehab and geriatric training still isn’t the best fit for me. That said,I do enjoy having the ability to work with a wide-swath of humanity and post-rehab/pre-hab skills are essential to any population group, and our general population isn’t getting younger or stronger.

I now serve my clients even better than I ever could previously. My process of training post-rehab clients has changed considerably and I’ve continued to expand my knowledge. I greatly enjoy having full control of the clients I work with, or don’t work with.

The questions preceding my screen as part of the health history are very easy to apply and help drive my decisions. (3) 

1. Is the client over 55yrs old?     If yes, are they an active athlete?
2. Is the client over 300lbs?         If yes, are they an active athlete?
3. Is the client in pain?                  If yes, is it chronic or acute?

If the client is over 55, over 300lbs or in pain (and NOT an active athlete) then to the Dr they go for a medical release and any warning orders. If they refuse then I don’t take on the client. I presently only have one client over age 55 and none over 300lbs that are not athletes.

When you do not control your own marketing someone else will. What they market may or may not work best for you or be in the clients best interest, and could eventually lead to professional burnout. Taking control and ownership of ones marketing can change that.

Notes

(1) Uncertified Trainers aren’t automatically the worst thing out there. The truth is the common Personal Training certification hasn’t really been around that long and certification, or even a degree by itself does not confer qualification.  Unlike a degree, which does stand the test of time, Certified Personal Trainer certifications must be renewed every 1-4 years (depending on the agency) by completing a minimum number of continuing education hours.  I have personally seen trainers presenting certifications that lapsed years ago and still present themselves as “Certified.”   There is also the fact that a high number of gyms will hire anyone that literally will hire anyone that “looks the part” as a trainer. This drives prices (and quality) down.

(2) I have respect for Physical Therapists and recognize where my scope of practice sits relative theirs. That said the people selling Personal Training packages don’t know, or don’t care.  They especially didn’t like it when I turned clients away when their training needs were well above my capability or scope of practice.

(3) Credit goes to Dan John. I highly recommend any of his books or seminars to any Coach.

 

 

How to fail as a Personal Trainer.

Three trainers lasted only two months at my gym. Two failed to gain or retain a minimum number of clients and the other got into a series of arguments with the owner. I didn’t bother introducing myself or making small talk with them as I was that sure they would gone within a month or two.

I based my prediction simply by watching how they conducted business, and that they lacked any particular talent for the job. Essentially they were relying on good looking physiques. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. Getting someones attention is easy, Keeping their attention is another matter.

Do the following and I can nearly guarantee you will fail as a trainer.

Routinely show up late to your clients appointments. The “I’m stuck in traffic text, be there a few minutes late” five minutes before you are supposed to meet with the client will work only so many times, even if it was the truth. 10-15 minutes early is on time., or at least ON TIME IS ON TIME

Boldly advertise dubious claims of results that could be achieved in an hour. Ideally do it in a gym full of strong people, it gives us something to laugh about.

Eat in front of your client DURING the clients paid for time.

Constantly make/take calls or texts phones during the clients session.  Don’t use your phone for something actually relevant to the client.

Sidenote on eating and phone using: None of the trainers schedules were SO packed that this could even be a consideration. Remember, two of them failed to maintain a minimum client load.

Spend more time talking to the client than actually training them, especially on topics that have nothing to do with their training/goals.

Use uninspired cookie cutter workouts. Back to back clients do the same workout in the same manner. Don’t adjust any exercise to the client,make the client fit the exercise.

Give no corrections to the clients form (if incorrect) or tweak things to optimize it. Literally just go through the motions.

Don’t write (or have the client write) anything down to record the session.

Do not use a PARQ/Health History questionnaire or conduct any form of a movement screen.

 

The Experience

The word experience in the context of personal training takes on several meanings.  The immediate ones that come to mind are (a) How relatively experienced is the trainer or (b) How relatively experienced is the client.

I’ve decided to head in a different direction and write about the “other” experiences.

The Experience the Gym provides.  This is based on what is contained within the gym walls and surrounding useable areas around the gym.  It is the energy that the gym itself provides based on layout and design.  Gyms exist on an entire spectrum from Dungeon types filled with iron,rust,dust and the smell of sweat and sound heavy things being dropped to family friendly non-threatning commercial properties, to luxury properties to those serving sports performance clients. Some clients, and trainers for that matter, can work within any environment, others cannot.

The lifting of weights can occur in any of the above type gyms, although each has some particular limitations. The gym vibes  will differ.

The Experience of the Exercise.  It has been said by brighter trainers that ANYONE can make an exercise harder. Literally, it takes zero skill.  Can the trainer tailor an exercise to an individual based on the client defined range of motion, relative skill and tolerance level?  Can the trainer communicate the feel of an exercise throughout the range of the movement, including the parts of the body NOT moving?

The Barbell Curl is a basic exercise that almost everyone has a rough idea of how to perform and was likely one of the first few lifts a person ever attempts.  As simple as it appears, it is not initially as simple as “Grab-Curl-Repeat”  Although considered an isolation movement for the biceps, there are 8 muscles directly involved in the movement and others that serve to brace the body, thereby preventing movement in unwanted ways.  Isolation lifting is a full-body effort.  Once skill is developed, you can grab-curl-repeat.

“Before I studied the art, a punch to me was just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. After I learned the art, a punch was no longer a punch, a kick no longer a kick. Now that I’ve understood the art, a punch is just like a punch, a kick just like a kick. The height of cultivation is really nothing special. It is merely simplicity; the ability to express the utmost with the minimum.”                 Bruce Lee

The Trainer Experience.  Not to be confused with the Experience of the Trainer. This is an industry where someone still in their 20’s could have 8-10 years of practical experience, a person in their 40’s be a year one trainer with limited experience or, interestingly enough, a person holding a Master’s Degree in an Exercise Science and a string of letters behind their name that doesnt have a clue on how to coach a live person.

Using a machine comparison, which in one line of thinking would require less coaching than a comparable free-weight exercise. The machine itself dictates the path and stabilization is removed from the lifting requirements.

There is a difference between a “trainer” that simply counts reps and sets a pin without further regard compared to an actual trainer that sets up the same machine and trains the particular range of motion the client needs with attention to the details in the lift.  The former is easily replaced by YouTube, the latter no so much.

Then there is the Dunning-Kruger effect. I believe there are degrees of the Dunning Kruger Effect where a person believes themselves more competent than they are, but DONT consider themselves better than others, more of on equal footing than anything else.  It pays to know ones strengths and limitations.  That said, there are trainers that load more than they can lift.

But I digress…the Trainer experience can be summed up as  “The feeling the client has when interacting with you based on the vibe that you put out.”  Are you professional in your service? are your personalizing the training for the client, or putting someone through the exercises you like to do?, Do you select the PROPER EXERCISES FOR THE CLIENT based on what they give you to work with?   Do you apply a prudent amount of pressure, or back off when needed? Do you motivate?

Diet and Exercise while traveling

A challenge faced by working adults is the occasional, or frequent need to travel. This can affect a persons consistency with their diet and exercise plans and cause some mental havoc.  I’ll be the first to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

I reached out to my professional colleagues to see what advice they are providing their frequent flier clients with the following questions;

“What are your best healthy eating habits or tips for the frequent traveler?”

“Do you have any additional advice for clients on weight loss or weight management diets?”

“I went on vacation and brought back 5lbs of unwanted weight, what can I do?”

“Will a five day trip seriously affect the progress I’ve made in the gym?” (I.E loss of strength,mobility or cardio endurance)

Let’s meet your Fitness Professionals….

ANDY FRISCH is the owner of http://www.FreshEvolutionFitness.com, a growing community where he maintains an active blog and video database. He helps members to engineer their weight loss and improve their health and happiness.

Andy has also worked as a trainer with Sports Village Fitness in Lebanon,TN USA since 2011. Andy’s lengthy list of credentials include Precision Nutrition Level 1 (finishing up Level 2) Coaching, Corrective Exercise, Weight Loss Specialist, and several other specialization courses from National Academy of Sports Medicine and National Exercise and Sports Trainers Association (NESTA)

He is an expert in the fields of nutritional coaching and lifestyle design. He sees living a healthy and happy life from the macro perspective, while understanding how to adjust the micro level for clients to achieve their goals.

Andy’s Advice…
When it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle while traveling often, a few familiar key factors come to mind. I’ve used these ideas successfully with a handful of type-A executives who are on hectic schedules. The biggest thing to consider is how to prepare best for the individual.

For example, some clients know they’ll be going out to eat, so they Google healthy restaurants within the area they’ll be staying. This allows them to know where they’ll be able to go without having to take time to decide when blood sugar is low and will power may be non-existent.

Also, asking restaurants or hotels if they offer low-glycemic, diabetic, or simply a healthy options menu can be a life-saver. Many establishments have them, though they often don’t advertise the fact.

Other clients may not have time or care to go out to eat, so they need to prepare foods that travel well. This can usually include items like different raw, unsalted nuts or dried fruits for energy (depending on their dietary habits), as well as healthy types of jerky or even protein powders prepacked into ziploc baggies.

If you’re in a pinch and don’t feel comfortable hitting an unfamiliar restaurant, find a local grocery store. You’ll be able to make healthier choices that you’re more familiar with, provided your hotel room has a mini-fridge and a microwave, if needed.

In addition, the closer you can keep your travel lifestyle to match your home healthy lifestyle, the better off you’ll be. Sneaking in even 15 minutes of a quick workout can help rev up energy levels and prepare you for big meetings or presentations. I’ve even had clients who had me design a 10 minute, bodyweight workout they could do in their hotel room before a convention each morning.

Remember, your body likes a routine. While breaking it on occasion is critical to growth, being in a high stress situation, like traveling for work, is often a good time for keeping things comfortable and familiar. If you work out at home, try to work out on the road. Dial back the intensity according to your schedule, but stay active.

If you stick to these, you should be able to keep from adding any unwanted weight. However, if a few additional pounds happen to sneak onto your carry-on and you don’t notice them until you’re home in front of the mirror, it’s important not to panic.

If you’ve been doing the right things prior to leaving to lose weight, go back to those things to lose it back. The biggest mistake someone can make is to freak out about a few extra pounds, completely change up their exercise and nutrition, and get out of the healthy habits they’ve created. Stay the course, have faith, and get right back into the fight. Those pounds will disappear.

Often times, clients worry about going on vacation or business trips. They think the time away from the gym will derail all their progress. In fact, the opposite is often the case. I spend time with my clients to make sure they enjoy their vacations or trips without abandoning all their healthy habits. Sure, we alter them, but we don’t disown them.

This works wonders, as most clients return to hop on the scale and see that the break actually helped them lose a few extra pounds. They’ll also notice feeling refreshed, renewed and reinvigorated. Even my clients who “misbehave” the worst, hitting the bar and having whatever desserts they want, will only come back with 3-5 extra pounds. They don’t panic, they realize the importance of getting right back into the ring, and within a 1-3 weeks those additional pounds are sent packing.

EMMA SKELTON currently based at Proehlific Park in Greensboro, NC. http://proehlificpark.com/about-our-personal-fitness-center/. A sports and fitness center like no other, spanning 84,000 sq ft and owned and operated by ex-NFL wide receiver Ricky Proehl. Originally designed to provide coaching and sporting opportunities for children, it now offers something for all ages.

Emma is a Certified Personal Trainer, Corrective Exercise Specialist, Fitness Nutritionist and Weight Loss Specialist through NASM and can be reached through her Facebook Page The Healthy Life. Among Emma’s current clientele are a number of frequent flyers, including her husband who travels 2 weeks out of 5 across the United States and abroad.

She primarily works with the older populations and will soon be launching a Seniors class to go alongside the higher intensity classes she also teaches.

Emma’s Advice…                                                                                              CHOOSE HOTELS WITH FREE FACILITIES IF POSSIBLE. Even at its most basic, a hotel gym will offer some sort of workout opportunity – use them!!

INVEST IN SOME RESISTANCE BANDS. These items are completely lightweight and portable and are very inexpensive. Even if you are a ‘hand-luggage only’ these will not take up any room. You can easily get a full body workout from these items and is an easy fix to keep you active even in the confines of a small hotel room. If you wanted to crank it up a notch, buy a TRX suspension kit. Again relatively small & light to pack and gives you a powerful, all over body cardio/strength workout if used correctly.

LITTLE & OFTEN. Don’t think whilst you are away you need to cram in your usual 1-2hr workouts. Even 20 – 30 minutes is better than nothing and if you are working hard enough, this is a good time to get your heart rate up and burn some serious fat! Its often hard to find time whilst traveling, especially if you are on someone else timeframe at a conference or such but just by getting up 30 minutes earlier you are guaranteed to get it done and feel better for the rest of your day!

BODYWEIGHT WORKOUTS WORK! Plan a 20 minutes high-intensity workout before you leave. I always offer my clients a few Tabata style workouts that are easy to complete whilst they travel. With a 5 minutes warm up to begin and a 5 minutes cool down at the end, 20 minutes of hard work is all you need to kick start your day. I suggest they download the ‘GYMBOSS’ app and set it a 20 second on, 10 second off intervals x8 with a 1 minute rest in between each ‘round’. That way you are getting a variety of exercises to elevate boredom and getting a kick-ass workout in at the same time! This is a short, sharp workout that requires nothing more than a pair of sneakers, their own bodyweight and some banging music helps too!!

MAKE GOOD FOOD CHOICES. This is always possibly the biggest challenge for most people. A delicious buffet cart, long, fun boozy lunches and tempting continental breakfasts all are hard to resist. I always ask my clients to remind themselves why they are doing this before eating and succumbing to temptations…. always have a little pep talk with yourself before making any bad food decisions. Just being mindful as to what your goals are and how hard you’ve worked thus far, are often all people need to stay focused. Make the best choices you possibly can… grilled proteins, no sauces (or at the very least ask for sauces to be on the side), no heavy carbs and lots and lots of green salads/veggies. Fill up on veggies is a good tip that people always seem to remember. Finally alcohol…. IF YOU HAVE TO indulge, again make good choices – try and avoid heavy beers, calorific wines and alcoholic sodas and cocktails. Chose clear liquors such as vodka and gin and pair them with diet tonics or seltzer waters flavoured with fruits such as lemons or limes. This change will cut your calorie content by half and still leaves you feeling like you have had a good night out!

“FAIL TO PREPARE, PREPARE TO FAIL” This is my go to mantra for all my clients… if you are not planning ahead you are going to fail. I suggest to all my travelers (and people who work in busy jobs too) buy a good shaker/blender cup and take it with you wherever you go. You can buy individual protein powder sachets (which avoids any awkward questions at customs!) and are a quick and easy way to keep on track and on top of your snacks and protein intakes. Quest do a good selection of flavors in individual packs. Other ‘quick fixes’ I suggest include Protein Bars (but they have to be the good quality kind, BPI do a good one as well as Pro-Bar which are delicious but are slightly denser with carbs content). My husband also packs Ostrim bars and Turkey Jerky too for a quick protein pick me up. Finally, this is so important and even more so if you are flying regularly – HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE. Water needs to be your best friend, your body will thank you for it!

RENAE BOHALL ROCHON is a Certified Nutritionist and personal trainer with Four Directions Integrative Wellness located in Tempe,AZ. http://www.fdiw.org

Renae’s lifelong lover of fitness and twenty year professional dancer which included performing, teaching, and choreographing,led to her next passion of introducing exercise and wellness to people around her.  Renae has helped countless clients get into fitness for the first time in their lives, return to fitness after taking a break for various reasons including injuries, personal setbacks or complexities of living in a busy world. This has created the need to think outside the box to support her clients reach their goals. She strongly believes if you really want something, you will find a way.

Renae’s advice…
Have a plan! When you have a plan you will be more successful staying on track because you will be controlling your environment as opposed to letting your environment control you.  Pack nuts, protein bars, protein powder, beef jerky or fruit to keep you satiated. This keeps you from being a slave to the vending machine or binge eating when food is available. Stay hydrated.  Many travelers limit water consumption due to long flights, or seminars.  This can make you confuse hunger for thirst.  Choose flat water instead of soda or carbonation which can cause a build up of air and can irritate the stomach and intestinal lining.  Check out the menu at a restaurant before you get there, and plan what you will order.  This eliminates the temptation that can cause you to sabotage your healthy lifestyle.

Improvise. When there is no hotel gym that is no excuse to skip the workouts.  You can do pushups, planks, squats, dips, lunges, and burpees in a small space.  Travel with a jump rope!  It takes up little space, doesn’t weigh anything, and you can increase your heart rate within 30 seconds.  When you don’t have a choice about what is being served you do the best you can.  Skip the bread and butter, peel off breading, skip dessert, and curb alcohol consumption.  Focus on the things that are in your control.

Relax! Most likely the weight you gained with be principally water weight due to consuming more sodium and carbs than you usually have at home.  Get back to your normal eating and exercise regimen and your body should return to its pre vacation status in a few days.

You will not likely lose many of your gains. People tend to be more active on vacation than they realize. They are often walking more while at the beach, shopping, or sightseeing.  In general, research has shown that one or two weeks of inactivity won’t affect your overall fitness level. It usually takes a month to see significant decreases in strength and endurance unless you are an elite athlete. That being said, taking off 1-2 weeks can compromise your momentum.  If you have struggled with creating and maintaining consistency with your workouts, taking a break will challenge your commitment to restart.  If you have health goals, are rehabbing from an injury, have been seeing results, sleep better when you exercise, or have high performance aspirations then do not take a break.  Become solution oriented and keep moving forward.  There are plenty of difficult obstacles in life, don’t allow yourself to be one of them.

The Sine Wave of Strength

Strength training exists on a Sine wave. I believe this to be the case with drug-free lifters beyond the novice stage of training. This is not a major concern for general exercisers,this is something for those that train with the specific purposes of strength,power and hypertrophic adaptations.

According to Mark Rippetoe “a novice lifter is a trainee who is so unadapted to the stress of lifting weights that he can make progress as rapidly as he can stress himself and recover, a process that actually takes no more than 48-72 hours.”

My current program requires 4 days per week and engages four of the five basic barbell exercises found in Coach Rippetoe’s famous Starting Strength program. Unlike Starting Strength, my program focuses only on one core lift with 3-5 assistance exercises per session. The intent of my program is to increase absolute strength (I.E. the most weight I can lift for a single repetition.) therefore my sets and rep schemes differ greatly.

SIDENOTE: In my opinion Starting Strength is one of the books that should be considered mandatory reading for new personal trainers entering the field…unless they plan on skipping the development of strength and focusing more on general exercise.

After three weeks (12 sessions) CNS fatigue symptoms began to manifest. Broken Sleep,Lack of appetite,Although morale seemed good, I often felt flat.Decreased or stalled performance. Sub-maximum loads felt far heavier than they should have.

I would like to note that overtraining is an INDIVIDUAL THING. For me it was three weeks before my Sine Wave altered. Another person might be able to go 6 weeks without issue, another might not be able to finish a week and some wont even be psychologically able to attempt this type of training. You have to know yourself, or your coach needs to be the attentive type.  A number of people likely don’t overtrain (as it takes a fair bit of hard work to reach a level of overtraining) they under-recover,under-eat or under-sleep.

A one week de-load was taken. I maintained my training schedule and continued training the core lifts but using different variations,lowered loads,greater volume and switching the assistance exercises to ones that work the same segment or muscle group. I continued eating the same amount of food as I do on my high-intensity days and worked to get my sleep schedule back on point.

In many exercises during my de-load I worked well into the Hypertrophy(Bodybuilding) range and 100 to 200 reps in an exercise wasn’t uncommon. To another trainer it might appear as if I was doing some form of a “Bro Lifts” program. Personally I viewed it as restorative, both physically and psychologically.

Within my first week back to the high-intensity training (1-3 rep range) I hit personal records in all core lifts including a lifetime record in the military press. I actually broke two Military Press PR’s, one based on volume and the other on absolute load…I broke my self-imposed rule and chased a second PR on a single exercise.

I have two more weeks remaining in this cycle and will decide at that point where the next logical progression should head. I have already created a rough draft of one or could try running another three block on my current program.

Fit Shaming

Fit Shaming is something relatively new to me. The first time it happened I was also accused of being a fat shamer. Neither of which is a good thing.

Based on one persons opinion, I’m a vain bastard who’s  entire life revolves around that the gym. That I’m incapable of relating to any other subject and only socially acceptable within a gym, or with others just like me.

They never met me.
They don’t know me personally or professionally.
They know zero about my background beyond that which is publicly available…if they even bothered looking into it.

Therefore, I don’t concern myself with their opinions.

That said, Fit Shaming interested me enough to look into it.  My immediate thoughts were that it amounts to simple jealousy.

Having paid attention to things over the last month I realized both fit shaming is more common than I knew. Although I think some things may have been taken out of context, the effect these words can have on a person is serious nonetheless.

An obese lady posting photos of her healthy meals and occasional mini-videos of her training efforts during her weight loss journey.  She gets flack on her form (which in my opinion truthfully isn’t bad) and received some very mean comments. Thankfully those supporting her seem far more common. Some are on weight loss journeys of their own and are ahead or well-behind this lady. Their relative standing and starting weight means far less to me than their intent and drive to succeed.

A 30 something year old mom of two training for a physique competition. This means she will eventually be getting on stage in front of others wearing a bikini only slightly bigger than a thong cut. She gets called vain…and that she’ll look like a dude. Interestingly this is coming from other women of similar age.

Being honest, the lady already looks really good. She displays the confidence to sport a bikini now and has a vision of being on a stage with other ladies of varying ages as her “I made it here” moment.  It is honestly a relatively short moment on stage and the training getting there bears no resemblance to the actual event. She’s driven by that image, and thankfully other bodybuilders have been helpful with physique and posing needs.

A 40’s male Deadlifting his current maximum 135lbs. He is training for a 2x Bodyweight Deadlift goal. I can only estimate he presently weighs well over 200lbs, which doesn’t make for a light Deadlift goal by most standards and a long training process.

300lbs by itself is more than many men will ever pick up in their lifetime. 

He gets told to stop living in the past, that his form sucks (There sure are a lot of internet lifting judges out there), that at a present 135b maximum 400lbs is a dream and that he’ll hurt his back. Other lifters older and younger, male and female,bigger and smaller give him lifting tips to help him out.

The common themes I’ve observed is this:  The strong support the strong, the weak hate the strong.  

To those being Fit Shamed:
You’ll always have people taking their shots. They just can’t pull the trigger themselves.

Their bravery is internet based, and they can’t be you. Deep down inside their sorry-asses know it.

Tomorrow you will be slightly closer to your goal than you are today. Where will your shamers be? Behind a computer looking for things to b!tch about that’s where.

To the Fit Shamers:
I leave you with a quote from a legendary strength coach.

“Are those who critique prepared to train beside men (MTC: and women) like these for even a year and see what they go through?

Then, and only then would someone appreciate the work and sacrifice that these lifters make.”
Louie Simmons, Westside Barbell

Dawn of the Dead(lift)

In the past I’ve written about the differences between training and exercising, and that things that exist in the former that don’t in the latter.

A recreational runner and a competitive runner both run, but view their efforts differently.

A person attending Yoga one day per week is not same as the person that revolves their day around beloved mat time.

A person randomly moving around weights is not the same as a strength athlete, bodybuilder or power lifter.

As I deal primarily in strength I will limit myself to this area. In strength training one works towards a specific physical adaptation. In the Iron game this can be hypertrophy (muscle mass with an eye towards symmetry), strength (how much you can move), power (how explosively you can move an object) or control (such as in gymnastics.)

Inevitably during this process of acquiring strength there will be days where the weights win. Accept now that this day will eventually happen. It is what you do afterwards that is of importance.  Your decisions, or lack thereof, can spell the difference between future success or potential injury.  This is training, unlike exercise there is a goal beyond what happens today.

The other day the weights won.

My current Deadlift training day calls for the following:
1. Deadlift specific mobility warm up.
2. Ascending Deadlift singles-triples. Each rep gets progressively heavier, breaks are fairly short. Focus is on technical quality per rep.
3. Deadlift Back Off set 1×10-15 at 65% 1RM.
4. Axle (Fat Bar) Deadlift 3×3-5.  This is a grip challenge for those with smaller hands. The fat smooth bar has to be crushed in order to be hoisted.
5. Deadlift Rack Pulls (Just at Knee) 1RM+20% 3×3. This is exposing me to loads beyond which I can presently lift full ROM.  Despite the distance these lifts can be extremely taxing.

No straps or belt are used, although I have both in my bag just in case and the double overhand grip is kept until the hook grip becomes a necessity.  Based on the first few week of the cycle I’ve already gained 20lbs/9kg on my previous double overhand grip limit.  I’ve done no other specific grip training during this period.

It was the 5th Single that I failed to even get to the bar to break off the floor. It wasn’t even close to my previous max and only 20lbs/9kg heavier than the 4th single. A second attempt 5 minutes later led to the same failure.

Things felt much heavier than they should have felt. My breath was short and my nose bled. I haven’t failed rep in quite some time as I approach loading (adding weight to bar) sensibly, possibly even on the conservative side.

After my failures I made the sensible, although unpopular decision to call it a day. Despite the abbreviated nature of the session I logged my lifts as I always do.

I want that day to be recorded.

My personal training log entries have a way of eventually making it to other trainers or my athletic clients. They benefit from my successes as well as failures. In the case of my failures, how to avoid them or how to recover and rebuild from them.

SIDEBAR: Just because something worked for me doesn’t mean it will (or won’t) work for someone else. The application of training principles is whats being shared and it gives a starting point that can be drawn from.  Reviewing the process I am sometimes able to spot flaws that I didn’t previously see that would apply broadly and not just to myself.  

I’ve reviewed the events that led up to that day and came up with a few possible answers.

A. Not enough sleep the night before.
B. Not enough fuel (food) pre-training.
C. Possibly under-recovered from previous days lifting. The previous sessions all hit new performance levels in load,volume or technical quality.
D. Possibly a bad lift set-up position.
E. Possibly just an off day. This was the first day in several months where I couldn’t complete a lift,set or session.

An “out there” possibility is that my mind, in an effort to protect the body, prevented me from doing something that would cause harm.  Deadlifts by nature are very psychological lifts and the failure of the first attempt led the to failure of the second attempt.

This is training. We don’t do this to just to burn calories or get sweaty. The details, thought process and approach differ.  Regardless of training modality we train to become the Creations of Strength that we were designed to be.

30 Days of Naught(?)

PREFACE: The below mesocycle is part of an annual plan for an experienced lifter with specific lift goals. This is not a general fitness, weight loss or bodybuilding plan. It is my hope that readers will be able to interpret training data to see the less obvious gains that training can provide.

I recently completed a 30 day mesocycle designed to increase performance. My programming typically runs 4-6 weeks depending on training frequency, specific adaptation, goal vs. where I presently stand and relative intensity. Four, and sometimes up to six weeks is what I have found to be optimal for myself. Pushing past six weeks without a de-load (a 5-10 day period of lighter work) has had negative consequences in the past and don’t intend to revisit any old (or meet any new) lifting injuries.

The Basic Breakdown

Day 1: Power. Low repetitions at 85% rep maximum. Squat,Bench Press and Deadlift. Bench Press and Overhead Press alternated weekly. In the event a PR (personal record) was hit the set was discontinued. This is a self imposed rule I put in place for my own safety. Typically sessions would be 5 or less reps per load.

Day 2: Hypertrophy. High volume at 70-75% rep max. Accessory lifts utilized to strengthen weak areas in given lifts. Sets of 3-5, and reps from 8-15. Although I recovered quite well, this was the training that took the most out of me.  In thirty days I adapted pretty well to that level of volume.

Day 3: Strength. 5 sets of 5 reps undulating loads as needed. I’ve noted a natural wave in my lifting over time and since I’m not competing in any strength sport I have the patience to ride things out.  I am well-adapted to to the 5-10 rep range.

At the end of my 30 days I reviewed my training data there were the initial observations:
– Only a 10lb/4.5kg improvement in the bench press.
– Disproportionate (and somewhat modest) increase in upper body mass compared to the lower body. (Confirmed via InBod measurement, my favorite T-shirt and Gym Bro props)
– No 1RM above whatever the plan called for was attempted even on great lift days.
– Strength Day and Power Day sometimes seemed to nearly mimic each other.

Basically I only seemed to have gained a small amount of strength and a little extra mass to my upper body.  On the surface my numbers were not highly impressive given the work and time invested. Was my 30 Days for Naught?

No, the details matter.

30 Days (for me) was a good length for this program given where I started from.  In the winter I may run a 6 week trial of this program with adjusted loads.

– No training injuries. I honestly felt like I could have lifted almost every day. My elbows plagued me quite a bit last year and they longer seem to present a problem even on the most demanding lifts.
– No missed training days and only one recorded failed lift.  Actually  I simply didn’t attempt a fifth rep one session and count it as a fail. It’s not that I tried moving a load and failed to lock it out. Not missing a training a day is a big deal, the hardest part about training is actually getting to the gym.
– I had two days which I deviated from the plan due to fatigue.  I simply lowered the planned load and increased volume as able. I left the gym feeling better than when I walked in.
– Increased my 85% RM output and decreased set density. I could do more work in less total time.
– Technical improvement in all four lifts. Tracking data shows acceleration.bar path and force production greatly improved in the Deadlift and Overhead Press which indicates greater lift efficiency and starting strength.
– Increased warm-up set loads. I comfortably warm up 10-20llbs heavier than before, so total tonnage per set and session is higher.  I didn’t set my loads “low” initially as they were appropriate for me when I started the 30 day cycle.

In my opinion those are all signs of progress.

No, I wasn’t baking a cake.