Transfer of Training Part 1: Life can get heavy

Why do you train? This is a question that gets asked a lot, but finding your why can prove more difficult than it would seem. How about keeping it simple? Train to be prepared for the toughest sport there is: LIFE.

In this ten-part series, I will discuss several ways that training transfers to the real world, and you might not realize how impactful many of these can be to you, and those around you.

Life can get heavy at times. It can feel like more than you can handle, but remember this: Because you are alive and reading this right now, you have a 100% success rate of making it through those tough times. At first, the weight of one of those tough times seemed like more than you could bear. Then, you shouldered it and began to work through it, even though at times it felt like it was continually weighing you down. Finally, you stood back up with that weight and were able to overcome it. This not only allows you to handle that weight and more, but to also help others learn to lift it as well. The more you train for what life can throw at you, the better you will be equipped to deal with it. Let’s look at how we move through a similar process in strength training that can be applied to situations outside the gym.

When we first begin a strength training plan, it’s a lot of trial and error. We usually have no idea what weight we can lift at any given movement. Only one way to find out, right? Get under the bar and see what you can do. At first, everything feels pretty light, but as we continue to get under more weight we will reach a point where it feels HEAVY. Like, this weight is literally going to crush me. Lifting heavy things and reaching a true max weight is a learned thing.

I remember the first time I got under the bar that was loaded for a very heavy back squat. My mind said, ‘What the hell is happening?’ I shook my head and re-racked it. Just like life, things can be overwhelming when we feel the weight of it. In that moment, the only thing we might be able to do is shoulder it, breath and make it through the day until we can “re-rack” it.

Now the real work begins. We know what it feels like, but the only way to overcome it is to keep showing up and putting in the work. Even though we might be scared, we get under the bar again. I got back under that weight, but made sure I had a spotter this time. This is where we are asking someone for help, to be there in case we can’t handle it alone. When we start to get weighed down again, this person is there to help us back up. Keep showing up, keep putting in the work. Now, we feel comfortable trying this without a spotter. At first, it may still be too heavy and we have to bail. We have to know when we just aren’t quite there yet. Back to work, keep showing up.

Finally, it’s max out day. Today is the day you are going to lift this weight. You have consistently put in the work and have built the confidence you need. You pick the weight up and even though it feels heavy and starts to weigh you down…YOU STAND BACK UP. Ring that PR bell, baby! Take in the moment. Look back on everything you went through and all of the hard work you put in. It might have seemed impossible, but here you are. You did it!

The takeaway is this: Our body reacts to stress the same, no matter if it is mental or physical. The same physiological and psychological process takes place. I have seen the transfer from the gym to life more times than I can count over the years. Not only in others, but in myself. Lifting weights literally and figuratively helps us acquire the strength to overcome the same - or bigger - weights in the future. Once you have done this enough, it’s time to pay it forward and help others do the same. Be a spotter when others need it. Be there when they overcome it. If we could all help just one person, the exponential effect could change the world.

Stay strong my friends.

Achieve your goals: Not like that you're not

Lose weight without giving up some foods you love, reach your strength and fitness goals without pushing yourself beyond your comfort level, make a huge lifestyle change without changing your habits…and on and on and on.

Almost every diet, workout, or money-making fad promises big changes with little to no discomfort. I hate to break it to you, but ITS ALL COMPLETE CRAP.

Three things you need to come to terms with when going after a big goal personally or professionally:

1. It’s going to be uncomfortable.

2. You are going to have to work extremely hard consistently.

3. It’s going to take longer than you think.

We have all heard at some point in our lives that we need to get out of our comfort zone. I think that phrase has lost its meaning. It has become something people say, but they don’t fully accept what it means.

What it means is this: IT’S GOING TO HURT.

No matter if it’s physical or mental, in some way it will be painful. Whether we are talking about muscle soreness from starting a new workout routine, the mental strain of staying up late or getting up early, or the psychological struggle of passing up your favorite sweets; on the path to success, being uncomfortable is unavoidable. Denying that will only make it worse, but if you accept it you will significantly increase your ability to follow through. Remember, because you are still breathing your record of making it through adversity in life is 100% thus far, so when you feel like you can’t keep going, know you have before and you can now.

Consistency, consistency, consistency. This cannot be overstated.

I truly feel this is where a lot of people fall apart. A lot of us at some point have taken part in a 30, 60 or 90-day challenge. They can help jump start you and get motivated to finally take action on your health and fitness goals. However, make sure you aren’t just mindlessly following a plan or routine. Educate yourself and acquire some tools from that challenge that will allow you to continue to live this way.

This is your life, your health, your happiness…TAKE OWNERSHIP OF IT.

What you fuel your body with and how you exercise is a journey that requires an ability to constantly adapt and persevere. Life will always happen. Changes in your job, family, age and circumstances will never make it easy. If you consistently have good days, those turn into weeks, which will turn into months and years.

YEARS…that’s right, I said years.

Let that sink in for a minute. Long term goals and delayed gratification are not terms that are in our societal vocabulary any more. Nowadays if the video we want to watch doesn’t start in less than 10 seconds we get frustrated and move on. This mentality has carried over into how we perceive fitness and weight loss should be. You have treated your body a certain way for 5, 10, 15, 20+ years but you expect to reverse it all in a matter of weeks? How does that make sense? In short, it doesn’t.

Whether you are looking at an elite athlete on TV or a friend and think, ‘It must be nice to just be able to eat that, lift that much weight, run that fast, or look that way.’ Thoughts like that have the mentality that these individuals were just given those abilities. What people don’t think about or see is all the blood, sweat, years and tears that have been put in…the hundreds and thousands of hours spent working hard to be able to do these things.

It was EARNED.

I truly believe people can achieve more than they ever dreamed if they would be patient, trust the process and stay the course. If something isn’t working, change it. If there are certain people or circumstances holding you back, change it.

Is it easy? No, but anything worth achieving never is.

You can be anywhere you want to be. You just have to be willing to consistently be uncomfortable longer than anyone else.

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

I've tried everything: Have you though?

In over 16 years as a coach if I had a dollar for every time someone said in frustration, “I have tried everything.” I would be typing this from the back of my private jet instead of seated at this expertly crafted Wal-Mart Desk.

 If you can’t handle brutal honesty then you should probably stop reading now because here is the truth…

YOU HAVE NOT TRIED EVERYTHING, YOU JUST QUIT.

Your health, fitness, nutrition and strength are all a journey, a journey that will have obstacles, roadblocks, hurdles and setbacks. Each one of these presents you with a choice; make an adjustment and keep going or give up.  When things get difficult you will hear all kinds of criticism and doubters, some of which will be your own voice, telling you it’s just too tough, or not for you, or impossible even. I’ve been there, I get it. But let me tell you something, that’s all a bunch of bullshit. It’s not too tough, it can be for you and nothing is impossible. Don’t let other people project their fears or doubts on you. You can accomplish more than you could ever imagine if you would just keep going. One of the greatest tragedies in life is seeing someone not realize how close they were when they quit.

Here are some quick questions to see to what extent you actually “tried everything”.

1. How long did you try? If the answer is less than 30 days then you did not truly give the new workout routine, meal plan or lifestyle change a chance…not even a little bit. We are constantly bombarded with images, movies and TV shows that are just not real life. Changes in any way require an adjustment and time for it to become habitual. 30 days is bare minimum for that to be realistic.

2. Was it sustainable? Making New Year’s resolutions is a time where people love to be completely unrealistic and try some crazy new fad that has no hope of ever being permanent. When you are looking to try something new ask yourself if it is something you can realistically see yourself doing long term. Our health and fitness are a lifelong journey, not an 8 week challenge. Being on your own at the gym with no direction or choosing a single modality such as running has a very small chance of allowing you to progress over time and stick with it. A “diet” that is unbelievably restrictive or does not incorporate all three Macros (Carbs, Protein and Fat), or better yet, has no solid foods of any kind will not last. Start with the basics before you branch out.

3. Were you consistent? Working out 2 to 4 times one week then missing the next week is not consistency. Sticking with your meal plan less than 80% of the time is not consistency. Without consistency you cannot truly say one way or another if something was working or not. 

4. Did you record anything? If you did not record your weight before you started, your workouts, your meals, etc then you have ZERO proof of how effective this new venture was. Feeling better or worse is very subjective. What numbers or objective things did you have recorded to show improvement or decline? If you didn’t then you are just guessing.

5. Excuse or legit reason? Think about why you stopped. Was it time? Not meal prepping? Too early or late to workout? If you are honest with yourself I think you will find that most things you consider legitimate reasons why you stopped or why something wasn’t working were in fact just excuses. It got too difficult, uncomfortable and your motivation and/or determination failed.

This may seem harsh, but I am a tough love kind of coach. I have seen too many people over the years blame other things on not being where they want to be. I hate to tell you, but a lot of times it is you. You are the one preventing you from achieving your goals. I have prevented myself from achieving a lot of things in life. It sucks and I know it is hard to accept sometimes, but being honest with yourself is something that can open the doors to infinite possibilities.  It comes down to blame and responsibility. No matter who is to “blame” for where you are at, you are responsible for how you move forward from here. Take ownership of your goals.

Always remember…you do have control, you can make the change, you do have the ability, drive and determination. You do. Think it, say it, believe it.

YES. YOU. CAN.

Maybe there is something you are thinking about right now that you have quit. It happens, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Any day, any minute, any second can be the moment you turn it all around.

110 Kettlebell Exercises to Improve your Strength and Endurance.

The kettlebell is a very versatile tool that can be used in any phase of training within your annual plan to develop Strength, Power, Coordination, Stamina, and Endurance. A lot of these exercises can also be done with dumbbells if needed according to your situation.

Below you will find 110 exercises broken down into 4 different categories (upper, lower, olympic and core) within three different levels (Level 1 or beginner, Level 2 or intermediate and Level 3 or advanced). There is carry over to different categories with a lot of the exercises, but they were organized to allow a bit easier selection when creating workouts. You can put these exercises in as many combinations as creativity will allow.

LEVEL 1:

Olympic Lift Exercises

1.    Double Arm Swing

2.    Single Arm Clean

3.    Single Arm Front Squat

4.    Single Arm Push Press

5.    Single Arm Split Jerk

6.    Single KB Thruster

7.    Single Arm Push Jerk

Lower Body Exercises

1.    Lunge and Pass

2.    Double Arm Deadlift

3.    Double Arm Sumo Deadlift

4.    Double Arm SDLHP

5.    Single KB Same Shoulder Reverse Lunge

6.    Single KB Opp. Shoulder Reverse Lunge

7.    Double KB Reverse Lunge

8.    Single Arm, Single Leg RDL

9.    Double Arm RDL

Upper Body Exercises

1.    Double Arm Floor Press

2.    Single Arm Rows

3.    Double Arm Rows

4.    Single Arm Lateral Raise

5.    Double Arm Lateral Raise

6.    Single Arm Front Raise

7.    Double Arm Front Raise

8.    Double Arm Upright Row

Core Exercises

1.    Single Arm Bottom Windmill

2.    Around the World

3.    Double Arm Situp

4.    Double Arm Russian Twist

5.    Single Arm Farmer’s Walk

6.    Double Arm Farmer’s Walk

7.    Single KB Side Bends

8.     Double KB Leg Lowering

LEVEL 2:

Olympic Lift Exercises

1.    Single Arm Swing

2.    Single Arm Snatch

3.    Single Arm Squat Snatch

4.    Double Arm Clean

5.    Single Arm Squat Clean

6.    Single Arm OHS

7.    Double Arm Front Squat

8.    Double Arm Push Press

9.    Double Arm Split Jerk

10. Double KB Thruster

11. Double Arm Push Jerk

Lower Body Exercises

1.    Single KB Lunge

2.    Single Arm Deadlift

3.    Single Arm Sumo Deadlift

4.    Single Arm SDLHP

5.    Single Arm Front Shoulder Lateral Lunge

6.    Single Arm Back Shoulder Lateral Lunge

7.    Double Arm Lateral Lunge

8.    Single KB Single Leg Squat

9.    Single KB Same Shoulder Low Step Up

10. Single KB Opp. Shoulder Low Step Up

11. Double KB Low Step Up

Upper Body Exercises

1.    Single Arm Shoulder Press

2.    Double Arm Shoulder Press

3.    Single Arm Floor Press

4.    Double Arm Bell Grip Rows

5.    Single Arm Reverse Fly

6.    Double Arm Reverse Fly

7.    Single Arm Upright Row

Core Exercises

1.    Single Arm Top Windmill

2.    Single Arm Situp

3.    Single Arm Russian Twist

4.    Single Arm OH Walk

5.    Double Arm OH Walk

6.    Bell Grip 3 Position Raises

7.    Double KB Side Bends

8.    Double KB Wipers

9.    Single KB Leg Lowering

LEVEL 3:

Olympic Lift Exercises

1.    Double KB Swing

2.    Double KB Snatch

3.    Double Arm Squat Snatch

4.    Double Arm OHS

5.    Single Arm OHS Bottoms Up

6.    Double Arm OHS Bottoms Up

Lower Body Exercises

1.    Double KB Lunge

2.    Single Arm Suitcase Deadlift

3.    Double Arm Bell Grip Deadlift

4.    Double Arm Bell Grip Sumo Deadlift

5.    Double KB Single Leg Squat

6.    Single KB Same Shoulder High Step Up

7.    Single KB Opp. Shoulder High Step Up

8.    Double KB High Step Up

9.    KB Swing Flip Squat

10. Single Arm, Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift

11. Double Arm Stiff Leg Deadlift

12. Single KB Good Morning

13. Double KB Good Morning

14. Single KB Seated Good Morning

15. Double KB Seated Good Morning

16. Single KB, Single Leg Same Arm Shadow Squat

17. Single KB, Single Leg Opp. Arm Shadow Squat

Upper Body Exercises

1.    Single Arm Bottoms Up Shoulder Press

2.    Double Arm Bottoms Up Shoulder Press

3.    Single Arm Bottoms Up Floor Press

4.    Double Arm Bottoms Up Floor Press

5.    Kneeling In Line Single Arm Press

6.    Kneeling In Line Double Arm Press

7.    Seated Single Arm Shoulder Press

8.    Seated Double Arm Shoulder Press

9.    Single KB Pushup

10. Double KB Pushup

11. KB Pushup to Row

Core Exercises

1.    Double Arm Windmill

2.    Turkish Get Up

3.    Bottoms Up Turkish Get Up

4.    Single Arm OH Situp

5.    Double Arm OH Situp

6.    Single KB Wipers

Stop doing the same shit everyone else is doing.

One size does not fit all, so why are you following a training program that is based upon this? I see it everywhere…workouts with prescribed weights, reps and movements for the masses. Training is very personal…see what I did there? If you are truly looking to reach your goals to be the best version of yourself then you need a plan that takes into consideration what the current version of yourself is. No matter if the plan is just for you or for an entire gym, training should be built around each unique situation. Am I saying that these mass programs aren’t good or effective? Not necessarily. However, I do believe a well designed program that is made according to your time, equipment, environment, community, strengths, weaknesses and training level will be more efficient, safer and more effective every time.  Here are some things to think about when evaluating the plan for you or your gym.  

1) Is there a method to the madness?

I have always said, “Programming CrossFit workouts can be very easy…if you don’t give a shit.” I mean, it’s the unknown and the unknowable, so if you just do a ton of different, random stuff all of the time it will work, right? Muscle confusion bro! In the words of Catalyst Athletics founder, Greg Everett, “Being prepared for any random task is not the same thing as preparing randomly for any task.” (Highly recommend this article, “Plandomization”) Look back at the days, weeks and months. What patterns do you see, if any? Is there a progression or path that the plan is leading you down? Anyone can make someone sweat, not everyone can consistently make someone better.

2) What education does it provide for you?

As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” You need to take ownership of your training. Be present, understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. If you are just mindlessly following a program, even if you are getting better, what happens if it stops working or for whatever reason you can’t follow it anymore. What now? Have you acquired any knowledge that will allow you to keep going or make the changes necessary? As a coach, I want someone who understands or is willing to learn how their body moves, why it needs to move a certain way and how different types of training bring about change. This allows better communication between coach and athlete on how to shape the training plan for maximizing performance. Gym owners and coaches should be educated on the “why” just as much as the “what” so they can trickle down that knowledge to the members. When everyone is on the same page, this creates greater buy-in, closeness of the community and creates an amazing atmosphere.

3) Are you still a part of the community?

CrossFit and community have always been synonymous. Each box is unique. They have their own vibe, atmosphere and inside jokes. Does your personal plan now have you on the outside looking in? While everyone is having fun working hard together in classes, are you off by yourself or just coming to open gym times? To some, this just is what it is, but I think there is a way to have a personal plan and still be engrained in the gym culture. Pushing through hard workouts together creates a lasting bond.

4) Does it take into consideration your strengths and weaknesses?

As a basic principle, a training plan cannot begin until personal inventory has been taken. Honestly, in any industry, I don’t think any type of plan can begin until you have a starting point. If you walk into a store to buy a TV and the salesperson stated, “I think you should get this model”, without even having a conversation, would you not be confused? Based upon what needs? There were no questions. In the same light, how can a training plan meet your needs if those needs were never discussed? You must have some type of baseline to see where your focus should begin. Testing is a great way for this, but in many instances doesn’t serve the purpose it should. Don’t do testing if you are not prepared to use the data to change, modify or intensify your game plan. On a similar note, training programs for an entire gym must be specific to that environment. If the same plan is provided for every gym that signs up, it cannot address the individual needs of that community. If there is no inventory taken and no specialized plan based off what that inventory is, then you are just training to train, not training to reach your or the gym’s full potential.

5) Does it take into consideration your specific movement patterns and technique?

The reason why I can’t lift a particular weight in a snatch and the reason you or any other person in the gym can’t lift it can be for very different reasons. I might be sabotaging myself off the ground where the next person might be missing the launch point and another person merely might just not have the strength to make it happen. A blanket program does not address these different needs. Just throwing out different complexes, EMOM’s or build in weight formats will help some, but actually can be very counter-productive for others. There is a way, even in a group or gym setting, to address these individual needs. Several different platforms exist to allow video review in a community setting that will allow specific feedback. Don’t settle for anything less than the best option for your success. The best coaches and programs in the world can provide appropriate progressions for each individual within a group setting.

Never forget…You are unequivocally, incomparably, extraordinarily, uniquely, you. Get a training program for you or your gym that embraces that.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Too comfortable with being uncomfortable?

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We hear and see this saying all the time when it comes to success and achieving our goals. This is a pretty solid principle, one I agree with. However, if you truly want to continue to reach your full potential make sure you look at it from all angles.

What you allow is what will continue:  Your comfort zone is not always necessarily comfortable. A lot of people only see reluctance to make a change as not wanting to get out of your comfort zone, but think about this. How does your body feel? Are you in pain, carrying some extra weight or avoiding things you aren’t good at? Sometimes we subconsciously accept some things about our body, performance or life and see that as comfort…but is this truly comfortable for you? When you think about these situations, would you not be more comfortable if it changed? Avoiding flexibility before or after workouts, running, lifting weights, healthy eating habits or movements you aren’t the best at in the gym is not staying in your comfort zone it is choosing to be uncomfortable…literally.

The relentless pursuit: You have inevitably broken down several mental walls and barriers on your path to be the best version of yourself. Remember, before those walls were kicked down there was as a certain level of comfort where you were at. There was a certain amount of effort you were willing to give and a number of acceptable sacrifices you were willing to make. The more you break through the easier it can become to push to new levels, but it can also become more difficult to recognize when you are allowing yourself to be “comfortable” again.  In over 16 years of coaching, this can be one of the toughest situations to communicate because it involves athletes that are working their asses off already. It’s not a lack of effort at all, it is purely mental. Think back to a rough workout when you finally made the decision after several times of coming to this wall that it was time to break through. When you said to yourself, “YES YOU CAN!” Guess what? This has just become your new comfort zone. You now know what it feels like to push to this new level…how your lungs are burning, how your heart is pounding, the sound of your breathing. It’s all just another level of your comfort. This is not code for destroy yourself to the point of puking and passing out every session. It is just a mental check-in. You are putting in work, but are you pushing yourself just to that point again and not realizing there is another level to be had? Breaking down big barriers takes time, a consistent effort. If you stay the course and challenge yourself to win the mental battle in your head more times than not, you will find you are capable of so much more than you think.

What weight should I choose?

Choosing your weight for the workout can be a difficult thing sometimes. What is the best way to go about this? It all comes down to what the intended stimulus is for the workout. Too many times people get hung up on what Rx is instead of looking at the workout to see what they should be focusing on when selecting their weight. The intention of the workout should be communicated to you, if not, then ask.

Let’s look at an example:

For Time:

100 x KB Russian Swings

100 x Hang KB Snatches

The weight not only depends on the individual, but want you want to work on. For each person that could be different. Some need to focus on endurance, others on strength and it’s always good to improve the middle ground of stamina. So What would that look like you ask, let’s break it down.

STRENGTH: (men’s/women’s)

Level 3: 90/70, Level 2: 70/53 or Level 1: 53/35

Intended completing time: 12-14 min

14-17 reps per minute to complete in that time frame

STAMINA: (men’s/women’s)

Level 3: 70/53, Level 2: 53/35, or Level 1: 35/26

Intended completing time: 10-12 min

17-20 reps per minute to complete in that time frame

ENDURANCE: (men’s/women’s)

Level 3: 53/35, Level 2: 35/26, Level 1: 26/18

Intended completing time: 8-10 min

20-25 reps per minute to complete in that time frame

This is a very basic example, a lot more detail could be discussed. However, this should give you a good frame of reference moving forward. Choosing the right weight is something that takes time, trial and error. Understand what the goal is, select your weight accordingly and make adjustments as needed.

Stay the course, trust the process and keep working hard!

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

Quarantine STRENGTH

14 ways to increase your strength while at home:

1. STRIKE A POSE: utilize various different holds. Front Planks (elbows or hands), side planks, glute bridge double leg and single leg, lunge, wall sits double leg and single leg, squat, hollow rock, L-sit, side lunge. Hold, keep all working muscles tight. Intervals of 10 sec to 60 sec of work with 10 sec to 60 sec of rest. 4 to 10 sets.

2. STAY SINGLE: You can take a lot of exercises that are double leg or double arm and make them single leg or single arm. Squats can become front, back or side lunges, pistols, step-ups, etc. Overhead barbell press can become single arm DB or KB presses. Pull-ups or barbell rows can become single arm DB or KB rows or reverse flys. Deadlift can become single KB or DB suitcase deadlifts or single arm/single leg RDL’s. 4 to 10 sets of 6 to 12 reps each side.

3. PRESS PAUSE: adding a 3-5 second pause to various exercises. Try adding a 5 second pause at the bottom of your back, front or overhead barbell, KB or DB squats and lunges. Stay tight during the pause, use a clock or slow count, press or push back up. On any vertical or horizontal pressing movements you can pause at the bottom or the top. Pausing during different positions in the clean or snatch are a great way to focus on body position and strength in each position.

4. TAKE YOUR TIME: Tempo of each lift is a simple way to change the stimulus. I typically use 3 numbers, some use 4, either way it will take the challenge of each exercise to another level. In a back squat if the tempo is 3-3-3, that would be 3 seconds to get to the bottom, 3 sec pause at the bottom, 3 seconds to get to the top. These can be the same or mixed depending on the weight, reps and desired stimulus. In a shoulder press the same tempo of 3-3-3 would be 3 seconds to press to the top, 3 sec pause at the top, 3 seconds to lower back to your shoulder. Pull-ups with the same tempo of 3-3-3 would be 3 seconds to get your chin over the bar, 3 second hold, 3 seconds to lower. Have fun mixing up the numbers each set or each session.

5. GO BIG OR GO HOME: Giant sets of 50-100 reps. This can work with any exercise. Basically complete a max rep set, rest as little as you can, then another max set, continue until you complete all the reps of that movement. Try 100 x Turkish Get-ups, its “fun”.

6. DROP IT LIKE IT’S HOT: Drop sets of 50 to 100 reps. Start with a moderate/heavy weight and complete as man reps as you can (choose a weight you can at least get 10 reps), lower the weight and immediately do another max rep set, continue this pattern until you complete all reps.

7. IT’S COMPLICATED: Complexes, reps on reps of different variations of a muscle group. Examples: 5 x Strict Press + 10 x Push Press + 15 x Push Jerk (DB, KB or Barbell), 5 x Overhead Squat + 10 x Front Squat + 15 x Back Squat, 10 x T2B + 15 x Hollow Rocks + 20 x Sit-ups. The possibilities are endless. Use your imagination, but be smart.

8. BODY ARMOR: Abs, Abs and more Abs. Core work is a great way to finish a workout or to add in throughout the day. Make sure you work all variations; static (holds), rotational, linear, lateral. Also, be sure to include exercises for your back and posterior chain.

9. JUST HOLD ON: Grip strength carries over to so many exercises and lifts. Do timed holds of 20 to 60 sec with plates, DBs, KBs, sandbags, milk jugs or hanging from a bar or other sturdy apparatus.

10. MONKEY ON YOUR BACK: Eccentric only loading exercises. These can be a little challenging to do, especially on your own. Pull-ups: jump to get chin over the bar, then go as slowly as possible on the way down, jump back up and repeat. Squat: loaded while in controlled tempo on the way down, lose the weight and come back up, load at the top and repeat. Push-ups: add a weight on your back, controlled lowering, lose the weight come back to the top, load at the top and repeat. Core: sit-up, add weight, controlled lowering, lose the weight and sit-up, load at the top and repeat. 5 to 10 sets of 5 to 10 reps.

11. GET WEIRD: Use odd objects…within reason. Sandbags, logs, backpacks with weights in them, stones, etc. Utilizing any of these for various carries or exercises will provide a different stimulus that will increase “real world” strength.

12. GET STABLE: Challenging your balance and stability with various exercises. Keep it within reason…don’t end up on a YouTube FAIL video. Standing on a slightly unstable surface while squatting (pillows, half bosu ball, etc) or doing a bottoms up KB press are some examples.

13. POWERFUL BEYOND MEASURE: Utilizing various explosive movements. Tuck Jumps double or single leg, DB Squat Jumps, Broad Jumps double or single leg, clap push-ups or plyo push-ups, split jumps, sprint jumps, MB throws or wall tosses. These are all body weight or light implement EXPLOSIVE, max effort movements. Increasing your muscle’s ability to contract at a high rate of speed will increase your strength. Be very conscious of how you are landing with each rep, keep good mechanics always.

14. BE AN ATHLETE: Agility. Put some cones out in your driveway to work your quickness, footwork and ability to change direction. If you have not done this in a hot minute, start slow and be conscious of the surface you are on. 5-10-5’s are an easy set up that allows a lot of variations. Set 3 cones in a line 5 yards apart. Start at the middle cone. shuffle right (5 yds) and touch the cone, shuffle all the way left (10yds) and touch that cone, shuffle back to the middle (5 yds). Start the opposite direction on the next set. You can also sprint/back pedal. The variations are limitless. Move fast to be fast.

Think you can’t get stronger during this time? THINK AGAIN.

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

Don't get BITTER, get BETTER.

One letter makes all the difference with these words, just like one decision changes your mindset, attitude and outlook. That decision is to stop being a victim of your circumstances or your excuses. So many times in life, the only person holding us back is the person in the mirror. Here are three ways to shift your mindset: 

1. I’M GLAD IT HAPPENED: When you find something you struggle with, get excited about it. I’m sorry, I just hallucinated…did you say get excited about a weakness? Yes I did. Finding something you aren’t great at means you have found something that can significantly improve your strength and/or fitness. Years back, I remember working with a power lifter who squatted 650lbs, a pretty solid number. During the off-season, we were working on single-leg movements to improve his squat and this was a foreign concept to him. He didn’t understand how lunges could help his squat. We put 135lbs on the bar for some back rack lunges. He stepped out for the first rep… and couldn’t stand back up. He was pretty discouraged, but this is when I told him to get excited. I said, “You squat six-fifty, which is already a pretty damn good number, so if we find something like a lunge that crushes you, just imagine what happens when you significantly improve on this.” His mindset shifted, he ended up working to 275lbs on lunges over time, and opened his season with a HUGE personal best. Next time you find a weakness, say to yourself, I’m glad it happened. Attack your weaknesses instead of avoiding them because this is often your biggest opportunity for overall improvement.

2. BE PRESENT: What is your self-talk like when you are working on weaknesses? Are you just mindlessly counting down the sets trying to get through it or are you focused on the task at hand? Take a deep breath, get your mind right and be present in every single rep. When you walk in the gym, and feel great physically and mentally, this is the best time to work on things you struggle with. If you’re feeling tired, have a lot of soreness or just had a tough day, usually you’re not in the best mindset for working weaknesses.

3. LONG HAUL: Your strength and fitness journey is never-ending. I see so many people put a ton of pressure on themselves that they need to have a certain skill or lift a certain amount of weight in a short time frame. Strength and endurance are EARNED, and it takes time. Putting an inordinate amount of pressure on yourself will only lead to frustration. Having a sense of urgency is not a bad thing, but you also need to trust the process, stay the course and your hard work will pay off. 

This mindset shift will take time to become permanent. You will have many battles in your mind. When you get to the point that you win them more than you lose on a consistent basis you will find YOU ARE CAPABLE OF SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU THINK.

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

Got Skills?

We all have goals, but sometimes it is hard to know where to start the process of achieving them. Grab a pen and paper, it’s time to take the first step.

1. How many skills or movements do you want to get better at? Write them all down.

2. Now look back at that list and break them down further.

   • How many of them are you just trying to get your first rep?

   • How many of them can you do a rep or two, but you cannot string them together or the weight used is very limited?

   • How many can you do some unbroken reps, but they fall apart once you try to do them in a WOD?

   • How many are you trying to progress to strict, weighted, deficit or with a weighted vest?

If you are continually just trying a skill over and over again, usually it leads to frustration, little to no improvement and in some instances physical pain. (double under attempts got you looking like you took some lashings?) Have you looked at a WOD and thought I can’t do that many of fill-in-the-blank movement so I’m going to scale or modify to another movement? If you never work the movement outside of a WOD and always change to another movement within the workout, how are you ever going to acquire the ability to do it? There is also another frustrating point when you can do multiple reps of the movement, but not when it counts in a workout. Long story short, skills should be learned and progressed in a planned format. No matter where you fall on the spectrum, a specific program can provide you the direction you need to fill up that PR board.

Here is a 5-step process to progress your skills.

1. One rep before Fifty: Before you have day dreams about smashing a ton of reps unbroken, how about we focus on ONE first. Getting your first rep of any skill in a timely manner requires a plan that can provide each individual the specific steps they need. This is not a “one size fits all” kind of thing. For some, they simply do not yet have the strength to do the movement. For others, it all comes down to breaking down the movement to learn the technique and rhythm. Think about what your biggest limiting factors are that prevent you from acquiring the ability to do the skill. Strength? Technique? Rhythm? How much you weigh? Each of these answers require different starting points. Choose your biggest area of opportunity and ATTACK IT!

2. Build: Now that you have got your first, we begin the process of building volume. This must first be done under no fatigue or very little. If you can’t string reps together while fresh, there is no chance you can do it in a workout. When building skills we usually take an opposite approach as we do in traditional linear periodization for strength. Instead of moving from high reps to low reps, we move from low reps to high reps. EMOMs are a great way to go about this. Patience is huge during this phase. You must understand that with each workout and each week the volume will build, allow your body the time to adapt. If you ramp up the volume too quickly it usually leads to frustration and stalls your progress.

3. Breathe and Build: Once you have increased your unbroken volume to at least 3 in something like a Muscle-up and 10 in things like pull-ups, hspu and pistols we can now move on to building volume under a pre-fatigued state, but still getting rest in between sets. Formats such as Alt. EMOMs, every 2 min or every 3 min are a good starting point. Utilizing movements that elevate your heart rate like burpees, double unders, row, run or assault bike then moving directly into your skill will help you put this principle into a play. Starting with lower reps and higher rest, then progress to higher reps and lower rest.

4. Will WOD for Skills: You have put in a lot of hard work, now it’s time to start putting your skills to the test in a workout. Keep the other movements in the workout simple, the reps low and the time frame low to start. Then progress to more challenging movements, higher reps and/or higher time frames.

5. Ninja: This is where you progress to building volume in strict movements or increasing your ability to do “giant” sets. In a way we jump back to step 1 and progress back through the 4 levels with the more difficult variations of the movements.

No matter what skill you are looking to improve and what level you are trying to achieve, you need a progressive plan. GET STARTED TODAY!

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

Scale or modify workouts for faster improvements

The purpose of scaling is not just for those that can’t “Rx the workout.” The reason we should scale or modify is to be able to get the stimulus that was intended from the design of workout according to our strength, skills and ability. This does not always mean we change the movement, weight or level of difficulty. Sometimes it is simply the layout or order of the exercises.

Every year we come together on Memorial Day for “Murph”. Leading up to this Hero WOD we all discuss which version we will do; straight through, the classic Cindy format, the leg saver, etc. What is the purpose of these different formats? We are looking at our current abilities and choosing one that allows us to finish in a reasonable amount of time. Why do we not take this same approach to our every day workouts in the gym? We are so quick to change to band pull-ups, hanging knee raises or singles instead of the full movement because we can do the movement, but not that many reps in a row. If you are always changing the movement, how will you ever progress to doing the full movement for the duration of the workout? What if we just change the layout of the workout? 

EXAMPLE: Yesterday the WOD was:

“Eva”: 5 RFT

800m Run

30 x Pull-ups

30 x KB Swings

While traveling, I only had a doorframe pull-up bar available in the “gym”, but surprisingly did have kettlebells. No kipping or butterfly can take place…unless I want to buy them a new doorframe. I can do strict pull-ups, but 30 reps each round would have really slowed me down and defeated the purpose of the workout.

So, I changed the layout to:

20 rounds:

200m run

Strict Pull-ups (8 for the first 10 rounds, 7 for the last 10 rounds)

KB Swings (8 for the first 10 rounds, 7 for the last 10 rounds)

This allowed me to still do all 150 pull-ups, but in a way that kept me moving through the workout at a good pace. Strict pull-ups technically would be scaling up, changing the format is scaling down so did I Rx this? Why does it matter? I chose the best option for what equipment I had, my strength and abilities and the stimulus of the workout. That is what matters. This is ultimately what will provide the best rate of progression.

I’m reminded of an old article in Catalyst Athletics Performance Menu called, “Get a F#%$ing Clue”. It discusses how as athletes and coaches we should be looking for ways to scale or modify the workout so that everyone finishes relatively around the same time according to the stimulus and duration of the workout. If one person yells, “Time!”, at the 8-minute mark and another at the 16-minute mark, someone did not scale or modify correctly.

Don’t get so hung up on Rx+, Rx or scaled. In each and every workout find what allows you to complete the workout in an appropriate time frame that still gets you the intended training adaptation it was designed for.

GO BEYOND better, to your very best.

Are you being coached, or just trained?

Do you know the difference between being coached and being trained? Sets, reps, time domains, exercises and progressions are only half of the equation when it comes to consistent gains in strength, and improvements in fitness. If you’re only following a “workout of the day” program without any feedback or specific adjustments, you are being trained but not coached.

The online “workout of the day” format is a program for the masses. Think of it as a template or “cookie-cutter” approach. It can make you better, but not nearly to the extent as a workout plan that’s accompanied by individualized coaching. To be clear, coaching does not mean just scaling and/or modifying the workouts. True coaching goes so far beyond that. Also, this does not have to take place in a one-on-one environment and doesn’t mean you can’t have a community workout with your personalized options to connect with people in a healthy, competitive atmosphere. More on that later.

My goal is to show you why high-level coaching paired with training will dominate training on its’ own every time.

 Every plan needs direction: goals, a starting point and a path to get from one to the other.

• GOALS (your “why): We choose to push ourselves in the gym for different reasons. From simply being healthy to competing and everything in between, the direction of training should correlate to each individual goal. That’s what modifying and scaling are for right? Nope, not even in the same ballpark.

• STARTING POINT (taking inventory): What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your biggest areas of opportunity or even your knowledge about your own body mechanics? Review of strength and technique via video is a great way to get a baseline. There are always specific reasons as to why you are lacking or your progress is stalling in certain areas. It could simply be that the movement is new or you lack the strength to complete it. Technique is an obvious factor, but when I hear athletes say, “I just need to get my technique dialed in,” I want to respond by asking, “What do you mean by that? Which part of the lift or movement do you struggle with? What is the biggest thing holding you back? How often do you work your ‘technique?’ Are you only trying the full movement over and over again?” If you don’t know how to begin triaging the full lift or movement so you can break it down into smaller segments or specific exercises, drills or progressions then your chances of getting it “dialed in” are slim to none. Is this where I scale or modify? No.

• PATH TO GET THERE (your training & coaching plan): We have the starting point and the goal, now we need to create a customized path to get there. On one hand, if you start someone too far down the path, frustration and decline in performance can occur. On the other hand, not starting someone far enough down the path can lead to lack of motivation and plateaus. With a stock workout for everyone, you cannot address this. The starting point and path can be customized for each individual even in a community-style workout. Ahhh, so THIS is where we talk scaling and modifying then? Still a hard no.

 Fine. You want to talk scaling and modifying?

• KNOW THE DIFFERENCE: Scaling is changing the weight, reps or difficulty of the movement. Modifying is changing the movement all together.

• UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE: Every workout should be created with a desired stimulus in mind and that isn’t just to CRUSH people every time. Anyone can make someone sweat but not everyone can consistently make someone better. Different focuses from session to session, week to week and/or month to month provide the stimulus needed for steady progression. The stimulus (or focus) should be clearly explained so that you understand when to scale and when to modify, and when you shouldn’t be doing either.

• EXAMPLE: Let’s say your WOD for today has 50 reps of a movement. Should you do big sets, moderate sets or singles? At the risk of sounding like my college philosophy professor, that all depends. But really, it does depend on the stimulus goal. Is it strength endurance? Then slow and steady singles with a moderate to heavy weight are the strategy. Is it mental/physical endurance? Then giant sets (or going unbroken) as long as possible is the strategy. If the focus isn’t explained, then weights and reps schemes are all over the place and the stimulus is inconsistent, which makes it near impossible to lead people toward a strategy that will yield the best result for that training session.

Coach/athlete communication is imperative:

• CODE TO CRACK: This code can be very different for each person. Mentally, some athletes in competition want to know their splits and pace, while others just simply want to know who they have to beat regardless of their score or time. Physically, some athletes can handle a lot more volume and mental warfare than others. Verbally, some athletes need a lot of encouragement, others constantly want to be challenged and pushed. Getting to know all of these differences is “the art of coaching” that I love so much. Finding the formula for each athlete’s success and seeing them accomplish things that even surprise themselves is so rewarding.

• FEEDBACK: Before, during and after training session dialogue allows you to work smarter while you work harder. Coaching cues, adjustments on weight, encouragement, strategy, mindset and (let’s be honest) tough love are all things that help take you to the next level. When just following a WOD you miss out on so many benefits.

Can training on its’ own make you better? It can. But coaching and training while being part of a community will take you BEYOND better, to your very best.

Why everyone wants a case of "The Mondays"

Monday: The most complained about day in history. Yet so many people say, “I will start working out [or eating right or get organized and motivated at work] on Monday.” The day you dread is also the day you feel you are going to be super stoked to start a big goal?! But hey, TGIM right? That’s almost like telling someone to calm down when they’re already calm.

“Never in the history of calming down has anyone ever calmed down by being told to calm down.”

Look, there is nothing wrong with always trying to have a super positive outlook. Positive vibes are great, but sometimes simply accepting that you aren’t happy with your physical and/or mental health, or your job, or any other aspect of your life, is just as beneficial. Waiting a day or a week to make a life change is not going to make you any more motivated to make it happen.

Accept it but here’s the key: MAKE A PLAN TO CHANGE IT.

There are 86,400 seconds in every day. That’s 86,400 opportunities EVERY day that could be your moment. The moment you made the decision to take action instead of just talking about it. Whether you want to start working out, eat healthy, get a new job or climb the ladder at your current one; any hour, any minute, any second could be that moment. Why wait until tomorrow or next week? What is wrong with right now?

I’m sure some of you are thinking, Thanks for the encouragement bro, but I’m at work or with my kids, can’t just drop everything and hit the gym. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m not a delusional idiot. I get it, but in that moment when you leave work or drop the kids off and are about to start making excuses as to why you can’t go to the gym, that is the moment I’m talking about.

Consistency is the key to almost everything. You want to lose weight or just simply eat better? Consistently make healthy food choices. You want to get strong or improve your fitness? Consistently hit the gym. You want a raise at work? Consistently exceed expectations. Easier said than done, I know. Here are some tips:

1. Don’t let a bad meal turn into a bad day, or a bad day turn into a bad week. So you had a weak moment and smashed a quadruple-sized breakfast meal with 37 sugars in your coffee. Your day does not have to be ruined, turn things around at lunch. And for the love of all things, when starting a nutrition plan, your first thought/question should not be about cheat meals. EARN IT by being consistent first!

2. You Google a new fitness routine and you’re jacked to start. The program is set up for Monday, Wednesday, Friday but today is Wednesday. Sweet, I’ll start on Monday! WRONG. It’s just simply day one, day two, day three, with a rest day in between. So today or tomorrow is day one, skip a day and do day two, skip a day and do day three.

3. I do all the work and someone else gets credit, I get passed up for promotions because my boss hates me, insert all other complaints here. Don’t ever let anyone control your success. One thing my dad always told me growing up in sports was, “Make it impossible for them to take you off the field.” Meaning, if you consistently crush it, they can’t ignore you. If there are ridiculous politics, then move on elsewhere but even the most horrible boss wants to make money. Control your effort, your mindset and your results, and you will get where you want to be.

At the end of the day, something either matters to you or it doesn’t, there is no in-between. As the saying goes: “If it is important to you, you will find a way, if not you will find an excuse.” — Someone smart

We all push things off sometimes. We think, If I could just get past this, or pay that off, or wait until my schedule changes… I hate to break it to you, but you will never have all your ducks in a row and no one ever has all their crap together. Life is always going to happen. You will make mistakes and have setbacks, but don’t let them be reasons you stopped, just get back on it the next meal or next workout or next work day. It is easier to figure out a way to keep going than to get started in the first place. The clock is ticking, so pick your second, your moment and make the change.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS

3 tips to make this "Your Last Day One"

It has been said with fitness and nutrition that the hardest part is getting started. While that may be true in a lot of cases, it is also challenging to keep it going when things get tough or when life happens. So how can you stay on track? Here are three things that can help you get started and keep the momentum going.

1.Seek out internal motivations: Getting ready for a vacation, bikini season or any other “event” are all external motivators. When the path to your goal gets tough these motivators will quickly fade and it is easy to lose focus and get off track. Challenge yourself to look deep inside for your personal “why”. Do you lack confidence? Are you missing out on time with family or friends because you are tired or feel defeated? Coming to terms with what your true motivation is will ultimately carry you through anything.

2.Find a tribe: You need to surround yourself with people who get it, who understand the difficulty of making a transformation to the best version of themselves. Anything worth achieving is going to take determination, perseverance and awesome people around you to cheer you on and pick you up when you’re down. Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them and they will change your life.

3.Track your progress: People begin a new workout routine, try a new gym or begin a nutrition plan with different visions of what success looks like for them. How many actually write down these goals or definitions of success? Not many. Even if they do, while in the midst of these new things they fail to record objective things that allow them to see their progress. A lot of them rely on subjective things like; I “feel” better, my clothes seem to be fitting differently, it looks like I lost weight, etc. Track your nutrition with apps like My Fitness Pal, write down your workouts, have your body composition measured. When you see actual numbers going down your confidence and motivation will sky rocket.

You put in so much effort and overcame your fears to get the ball rolling, don’t stop now. Find your “why," your tribe, write down the numbers and always remember…

YES. YOU. CAN.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS

3 tips to get the life balance you are looking for

Find balance. Everyone has been given and probably gave this advice to someone at some point in life. But how? Work, family, bills, workout, groceries, your home or apartment, laundry, dishes…the list goes on and on. Easier said than done, right? Here are 3 tips to balance out the life scales.

1.       Brain breaks: Everyone needs some time to shut it all down, clear your head and regroup. A lot of us go a thousand miles an hour from the time we wake up until we lay down at night. This can make it hard to get good sleep, which along with your crazy daily schedule, will add up over time to completely wear you down. Brain breaks can be a 10-15min pause in your day to clear your head, recover and be ready to get back in action. Find something you enjoy like reading a book, listening to music, going for a jog or just simply finding a quiet area to close your eyes and relax in peace. It’s not about having the time to do this, it’s making the time to do it. Your body and mind will thank you.

2.       Break a sweat: Time is one of the biggest reasons people give for not getting a workout in. There are 10-minute workouts you can do to get the blood flowing and your heart rate up with zero equipment. Something is always better than nothing. Even if it has been a while since you went to the gym, you will be amazed at how much getting your body moving will refresh and energize you.

3.       Be Present: This is a very simple concept, but can be the most challenging to accomplish. With all the tasks, appointments and responsibilities you have it is very easy to be thinking about the next thing instead of what is happening in the here and now. Whether you are with your kids, at work, taking advantage of a brain break or workout; giving all of your attention to the task at hand will make you more effective, give you more enjoyment, a feeling of accomplishment and will better clear your head of the clutter throughout the day.

Balance is so very important. Today’s world is very demanding, but with the right plan, tribe and support you can consistently crush each day and enjoy life too.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS

Everything to lose, nothing to gain

Wait, isn’t that backwards? Not when it comes to motivation. I must be crazy, right? How can I say you’re motivated by a situation where you have EVERYTHING to lose and NOTHING to gain? Let’s break it down:

Scenario #1: You get to work, have your coffee and get ready to crush the day. Your boss comes to you with a project that would take weeks to complete, but says he needs it tonight. Which one of his next statements would cause an absolute relentless pursuit to make this happen?

·         “This will be a big promotion and raise if you get this completed.”

·         “You no longer have a job if this isn’t completed.”

Let’s look at another example.

Scenario #2: You pay $200 to enter a weight loss challenge. After you sign the agreement, the gym brings out the fine print:

·         If you lose the most weight among all the challengers, you get your money back.

·         If you don’t lose the most weight among all the challengers, the gym keeps your $200.

The one that motivates you more is not the first one (where you gain something), it’s the second (where you have something to lose). A raise and promotion can be motivating but not nearly as much as not having a job to be promoted at. Getting your money back is great, not losing money is much better.

But neither one of these situations are real life, right? Man, I hope not. Let’s see how this applies to other areas of your life.

We all want to be the best version of ourselves. No matter if you feel out of shape or like your career is in a rut, improvement is what we strive for. If you’re motivated by what you’ll gain, it can be very difficult to persevere. Also, if you’ve never been passionate about your job or achieved a goal weight, it’s tough to be motivated by something you’ve never experienced. What if we shift that mindset from what you gain to what you lose?

You might not be happy now, but what if you gained more weight? What if you lost the shape you are in now, or your current job situation gets worse? These are the type of thoughts that can make you push intimidation aside and decide it’s time to get started.

The crazy thing is that, if you do make this decision based off what you can lose, you will find you gain what you were originally motivated for.

Don’t want to lose your job? Find a way to bring energy every day and exceed expectations, then opportunities will open up for you. Don’t want to keep spiraling and gain more weight? Start moving and making healthy food choices, then you will progress towards the healthy life you’ve dreamed of. Don’t want to be out of breath just walking up a flight of stairs? Set goals, document your progress and watch your strength and fitness go through the roof.

I believe people have more inside of them than they ever thought possible. You just have to let that person out. Look in the mirror, that is your competition. Wake up, focus forward and crush it EVERY. DAMN. DAY.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS

Failure...if you say so

We are our own biggest critics. Our daily look, performance at our job and perception of how we are as a husband, wife, mother, father, and friend are picked apart and analyzed to see if they live up to our sometimes-impossible standards. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in our personal body image.

There is nothing wrong with looking for opportunities to improve, but if the only self-talk going on in your head is negative it can completely tear you down over time. It is easy to blame a lot of things such as time, work schedule or kid’s activities as to why you can’t stay consistent with your health and fitness, but a lot of the time you are defeating yourself before any of these other things come into play. Whether it is a lack of confidence in following through that prevents you to start, bumps in the road that require adjustments, the comparison game or your rate of improvement; all the negative, deflating thoughts in your head are working against you. You might not even realize how much you do this. Here are some situations that can possibly trigger those negative voices and ways to shut them up.

1. Starting something new: If it is new then it is a change from what you are currently doing and anything that requires change always gets the critics talking. All the thoughts and excuses resisting this change will come to the surface. Chances are if you are thinking of trying an eating plan or workout routine that you never have it is because you have already tried several other things that haven’t worked. Failed attempts will affect your confidence, but think of it this way; if you don’t try this new thing you have no chance of changing your current situation. So what is worse? The fear of the unknown or the hopeless feeling of being stuck?

2. Making Adjustments:  Things are going well. You are making healthy food choices and crushing your workouts, then it happens. Change in work schedule, injury, new activity your child wants to start…fill in the blank with any life situation. Now what? Your mind will tell you to just wait until things calm back down so you can get back to your routine. I hate to break it to you, but things will never calm down. If you are ever waiting for the perfect time in life to do something, especially when it’s new, it will never end up happening. Remember when you started? You had to overcome a lot to get the ball rolling and make all of this a part of your daily routine in the first place. No matter if you need to modify the type of activity you are doing until something heals, change the night you meal prep or the time of day you work out, you have done it before and you can do it again.

3. The Comparison Game: This is a big one, especially when it comes to health and fitness. Your mind will tell you over and over again, ‘You will never look like her, you will never be able lift what he does, you will never be able to do the workout as fast as them, you will never be able to wear that.’ Don’t every try to be anyone except the best version of you. Look in the mirror…that is your competition. Focus on being better than you were yesterday every single day. If you truly take this attitude and apply it consistently you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

4. Improvement slows: As a beginner the improvements and gains can be quick and rather sizeable. The longer you continue the smaller those gains become and the harder they are to achieve. It sucks, but it’s science. Those voices are really going to speak up now and tell you why even bother if you can’t keep seeing huge results. Look, I have been lifting weights for over 22 years. If I could lift more every time I walked into the weight room I could bench press my house by now. Before you get discouraged and start listening to all of that nonsense in your head, understand that it takes time for plateaus to happen. Secondly, it might just take making small adjustments on what you are doing to get your progress back on the steady incline. This is why tracking is so important. Maybe you need to adjust your calories, the amount of miles you run or how fast you run them. What it definitely doesn’t mean is to quit.

Ultimately you need to look to make lifestyle changes that will benefit you for the rest of your life, not quick fixes. Your health and fitness are a life long journey that require you to persevere through the tough times in order to consistently achieve your goals. Life can be hard enough, don’t make it worse but constantly beating yourself up.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS

5 steps to your next PR

Just you and the barbell. Focused, you step up while your friends and gym members watch. Deep breath and BOOM, new PR! If only it were that easy all the time, right?

There is a lot of work that goes in before those personal records are broken. It’s not just about always trying to go heavy every time you step into the gym. Here are 5 steps you can take to work smarter while you work harder.

Flexibility/Mobility: This is one that a lot of people neglect, but is one of the most important. As a society we spend so much time seated which causes a number of things to be tight or locked up. Tight hips and upper back can cause a lot of lower back pain as well as shut off muscles we need to work for us in the weight room. Check out the Quick Fix for Lower Back pain series on our Instagram and Facebook pages for exercises you can do during the day or before your workout to loosen up your hips, ankles and back. Your body will thank you and your weights will go up.

Weighted Core Work: It doesn’t matter whether you are going for a new Back Squat, Snatch, handstand pushup or pullup max; your ability to stabilize and transfer power is essential. There are 3 main categories to focus on; static, linear and rotational.

     Static: Weighted planks – Place a plate on your back for 3 to 5 sets of 30 to 60 seconds

     Linear: DB Situps – Hold a DB behind your head with your feet anchored and complete 3 to       5 sets of 6-12 reps

     Rotational: Russian Twists – Start in a seated position with ankles crossed, holding a plate,         medicine ball or DB rotate side to side touching the implement to the ground, complete 3         to 5 sets of 20 to 50 reps

Auxiliary Work: There are a couple different ways you could go about utilizing these to get the most bang for your buck. You can choose exercises that have carry over to multiple exercises or you can choose exercises that target specific weak areas of a lift or movement.

    Carry Over: weighted core work would be an example of this. Another one would be a                dumbbell or barbell strict press. Completing 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 12 reps weekly can improve        your handstand pushups, push press, push jerk, split jerk, handstand walks and even your          ability to stabilize the weight in overhead weighted movements such as lunges and                    overhead squats.

   Targeting Weak Areas: do you know why you fail in certain lifts or movements? Let’s look at       a few examples. 3 to 5 sets of 3 to 5 reps weekly

   Hips rising when pulling the clean or snatch off the ground – maintaining strong position off     the floor is essential in hitting big weights. Adding exercises like clean or snatch deadlift to       your strength training can make a big difference.

   Trouble getting the bar off the ground in a deadlift – add in some deficit deadlifts, standing       on plates to work the bottom half of this lift

   Trouble locking out the deadlift – add rack/block pulls, set the height at your sticking point

Technical and % work: Once again, if you always just go as heavy as possible every time you come to the gym your overall progress will slow. This is amplified in the Olympic lifts because of the level of technical difficulty.

   Technique work: adding in barbell complexes with an extremely light weight as a warm up         will allow you to get a lot of repetitions in while your body gets loose.

    Example: Clean/Snatch Deadlift, Hang Power Clean/Snatch, Front Squat/Overhead Squat. 3      to 5 sets of 5 to 10 reps

    % Work: 1-5 reps in the 70-80% range for 10-20 sets. The best way to complete this is in an        EMOM (lower reps) or every 90s or 2min (higher reps). This will allow you to lock in your            technique on moderate to heavy weights instead of always trying to max out.

GET YOUR MIND RIGHT: Don’t think you are, know you are. If you don’t think you can lift the weight, you won’t. Your mind is like a video recorder. If you say to yourself, “Don’t miss this lift.” or “Don’t let your elbows drop.” That is exactly what your mind just pictured, therefore that is probably what you will do. Replace those statements with, “Rip this bar off the ground.” and “Keep your elbows up.” This accomplishes what you wanted because your mind pictured success instead of failure.  Consistently hitting big weights and personal records is just as challenging mentally as it is physically. Practice positive self-talk and positive feedback every day in your workouts. Frustration comes along with training, but don’t get mad…get better.

If you have no plan, you plan to fail. Find what works for you and take action. Hard work breeds confidence. The more consistent work you put in the more confident you will be to crush those PR’s.

ANGEL/DEVIL

TRAINING PLANS