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The Definition of "Progress" in Your Workout Routine

1/25/2017

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In my last blog post (HERE), I made a case for why getting better at the basics will make you a better, faster, stronger person. I gave an example of a workout, and explained that I would do that workout week after week, adding weight to each lift every time I do it. I received a few messages after that blog post asking "is this the only way to measure progress in the gym?" Definitely not. This is but one of many definitions for "progress" when measuring your advancement in your program.

​When it comes right down to it, if you're adding more weight, more repetitions, or a combination of both to your chosen exercises, this is progress. If you're a novice or intermediate lifter, progress would be your ability to add at least a few pounds to all your major lifts each week. If you're a bodybuilder, being able to do 15 reps of triceps extensions when you could previously only do 12 with that same weight is progress. Cranking out an extra 10 seconds of all out effort on a sprint is also progress. 

Whatever your goal is, whether it be strength, aesthetics, or endurance, you should be progressing and becoming better week after week, month after month, year after year. If you're not, it may be time to re-evaluate your workout program so that you can get back on track. If you don't know how to go about that, then having a knowledgable coach or trainer can make a huge difference. Don't get stuck in a rut. Get help. There's nothing worse than wasted time when it comes to your training.
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"The Basics" Might Not Be Fancy, But They WORK

1/23/2017

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Supersets, drop sets, giant sets, single leg pistol squats, bosu ball standing shoulder presses, backwards lunges, burpees, handstand pushups, German volume training, blah blah blah! I could go on for an entire blog post just naming all the "fancy" shit I see trainers doing with clients on a daily basis, both in real life and on the internet.

​And you know what, I totally get it. People want to be entertained by their workout, and many people think if they're not in the fetal position on the floor at the end of the training session, they've not had a good workout. Workout program ADD and punishment by workout are all the rage these days, and for the life of me I will never understand it.

You want to know the secret to getting really strong and in REALLY good shape? "Bookmark this page and prepare to be blown away by this secret that trainers don't want you to know." Do some form of these exercises, and do them on a regular basis:
  • Squats
  • Deadlifts
  • Bench Press
  • Overhead Shoulder Press
  • Chin-ups or Pull-ups (assisted if need be)
  • Rowing exercises
  • Heavy carrying exercises
  • Occasional sprinting, battle rope work, sled pushing, etc.
  • Walking
There may be a few more I'd add in there if you were an athlete or someone who wanted to do bodybuilding, but if you're a regular person who wants to get lean, have some appreciable muscle, and just be generally awesome, that's pretty much all you need! You don't need to do endless sets of torturous and oftentimes awkward exercises. You need the basics, you need to learn to properly perform the basics, and you need to get stronger at the basics on a weekly/monthly basis. 

Should you squat on a balance ball? Hell no, that's dangerous and stupid. Do you need to know how to perform a perfect sumo deadlift? Nope, a regular deadlift will be fine. Do you need to do curls to get bigger biceps? Chin-ups work just as well, and work your back and core in the process. I'm going to keep saying it. YOU JUST NEED TO LEARN THE BASICS.

If you were to go in the gym with me and watch me workout on a typical Monday, my workout would go something like this:
  1. Barbell Squat- 3 sets of 5 at 85% of my maximum weight
  2. Bench Press- 4 sets of 4 at 90% of my maximum weight
  3. Barbell Deadlift- 5 sets of 2 at 95% of my maximum weight
  4. Dumbbell Carry- 3 sets of 50 steps
  5. Walk on the treadmill for 20 minutes
The next week on Monday, I would do that same exact workout, except I would try to add in the neighborhood of 2.5 up to 10 extra pounds on each lift from what I did the last time. I'm not going to be doing endless sets of sit-ups (they're awful for your spine, and heavy barbell lifts work your core just as well). I'm not going to do burpees until I throw up. I'm going to do the basics, I'm going to get stronger at the basics, and I'm going to get in better shape. Period.

If you simply want to exercise, go in the gym and do random exercises that serve no purpose to achieving some kind of end goal. If that's good for you, that's your prerogative and that's just fine. If you want to TRAIN, you go in the gym knowing exactly what you're doing that day, how heavy and how many reps you're going do of it, and improve upon those numbers on a consistent basis. Training can be monotonous, it can be boring at times, and it can be brutally hard. But there are few things more gratifying than training smart and doing things in the gym you never thought you could. Exercise might be entertaining because it's always different, but it only serves to make you sweat, not get better at something. What's the point of that?

If your current gym routine is just "exercise" and you want to learn to do something more measurable and effective, please feel free to visit my services page and fill out a consultation application. One more time, if you can competently perform the basics, they will serve to make you a better, faster, stronger human being every time. Or just keep exercising. I guess that's fine too!
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My Favorite Podcasts Part 1

1/20/2017

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There are thousands and thousands of podcasts out there for nearly any subject you want to know about. Interested in gardening? Podcast. World War 2? Podcast. Fitness? Well yeah, there are a ton of good ones for that as well. Today I wanted to share with you a few of my personal favorites. In no particular order...

The Starting Strength Podcast

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I posted a video from Mark Rippetoe at Starting Strength yesterday because Mark is essentially the godfather of modern strength training. His books and programs have been a major influence on me as a lifter, and his no nonsense style of speaking and sense of humor are very endearing to me. Mark covers a variety of different topics on his show from injury prevention to being a whiskey connoisseur and has many great guest hosts. Check out the podcast HERE.

Muscle for Life

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Mike Matthews is the author of a few of the bestselling fitness books on the market. While I find his books to be a bit too thin on specific detail when it comes to weight training, his podcast is essential listening for me. Mike discusses everything from basic nutrition all the way up to bodybuilding contest preparation on his podcast, and has a number of the top minds in the fitness industry on his show. Check out his podcast HERE, then I recommend subscribing on Itunes or Stitcher for an easier listening experience.

​The FitCast

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The FitCast is one of the original fitness podcasts on the internet. With 420 episodes as of this blog posting, you could spend the next year listening to this thing without running out of episodes. Host Kevin Larrabee has a huge variety of guests on his show discussing topics ranging from sports psychology to video games. There's something for everyone. Click HERE to check out The FitCast

I will sporadically throw out some more podcasts to check out every few months (I listen to a LOT of them), but hopefully these will get you started if you don't know where to look for this kind of content. Hope everyone has a good weekend!
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How to Deadlift in 5 Steps

1/19/2017

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If you're working out with me, and you're a healthy adult without major joint or spine issues, you WILL be deadlifting. Forget what your doctor or your friend who "broke their back" deadlifting tells you. If you deadlift properly, you will actually strengthen your back and many of your back ailments will go away. I speak from personal experience on this topic because I've hurt my back deadlifting the wrong way before. Once I cleaned up my form, my back has never felt better as an adult. Here's a helpful video from Mark Rippetoe about properly deadlifting in 5 easy steps!

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